Technology Slice Blog

8 Dead Many Missing in Queensland Floods 2011 - Up to 72 people are still missing in Queensland after flash flooding hit the city of Toowoomba on Monday, killing eight people. Australian police confirmed the toll after a 26ft wall of water - described as an "instant inland tsunami" - inundated the city late on Monday. The waters swept away cars, houses and pedestrians, killing at least two children and leaving many residents stranded on rooftops for hours. Unconfirmed reports claim that 50 of the reported missing have been found alive, but 22 people are still unaccounted for. 8 Dead Many Missing in Queensland Floods 2011 The Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh, has described the latest deluge as "without a doubt our darkest hour of the last two weeks". The flash flood was prompted by more heavy rains falling on the already-saturated state and officials say there was little warning of the surge. The waters receded almost as quickly as they appeared in the c...

Jeremy Renner's 40th Birthday - Jeremy Renner has friends in high places – and plenty of them. Christina Aguilera, Leonardo DiCaprio, Blake Lively and Scarlett Johansson were among the A-list stars who helped the Hurt Locker actor ring in his 40th birthday at his Hollywood Hills home on Saturday – a bash that's being called special even by Hollywood standards. "It was one of the better Hollywood parties in a long time," one source tells PEOPLE. "Jeremy pretty much had a who's who of the industry come out to celebrate his birthday." Lively and DiCaprio spent much of the evening laughing and chatting together, while Kevin Connolly and Johansson hung out together for the majority of the night. Other guests included Colin Farrell, Charlize Theron and Leslie Bibb. Jeremy Renner's 40th Birthday

Demi Lovato Facebook Fans Support - Demi Lovato may not have been able to attend the recent People's Choice Awards -- but the Disney Channel star wants her fans to know she appreciates their support. "I wish to thank all the friends and fans who voted for me for the People's Choice Awards and the Hot Hits Hottest Teen Stars of 2010," Lovato, 18, posted on her official Facebook page on Saturday. "I want to make sure my fans know how thankful I am for all their love, support and prayers during this difficult time. Thank you for standing beside me through it all." Lovato, who has been seeking treatment for "emotional and physical issues," nabbed two trophies at the January 5 People's Choice Awards -- favorite TV guest star for her role on "Grey's Anatomy" and favorite family TV movie for her Disney flick "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam." Demi Lovato Facebook Fans Support

History Channel pulls the Kennedys - Pressure from the Kennedy family reportedly played a key role in the History channel's decision to not air its controversial miniseries "The Kennedys." The eight-part miniseries, starring Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes, was pulled from the channel's lineup on Jan. 7 before its planned airdate in the spring. A rep for the History parent A&E told The Hollywood Reporter that "after viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand." According to THR, none of History's advertisers or sponsors complained about the miniseries. But members of the Kennedy family strongly lobbied A&E to end the project since it was announced in December 2009, according to a source close to the situation. In recent weeks, the report states, those efforts increased. History Channel pulls the Kennedys A&E Television Networks (AETN) is owned by a conso...

9/11 Toxic Tower Coming Down - The contaminated bank tower stood shrouded in black netting for years over ground zero, filled with toxic dust and the remains of 9/11 victims. It stayed where it was, not coming down even as the towers at the World Trade Center site slowly began to rise. Nearly a decade after the trade center's south tower fell into it, the building with a sad history of legal and regulatory fights, multiple accidents and a blaze that killed two firefighters will finally be gone. The demise of the 41-story former Deutsche Bank building, just south of ground zero, is at least as welcome to its neighbors as the construction of new trade center towers. 9/11 Toxic Tower Coming Down "I love having the light," said Mary Perillo, whose eighth-floor kitchen window overlooks the busy work site where the steel framework of the Deutsche Bank building is being disassembled. "I love having that black monolith out of my face." The bank tower _ first sl...

Obama Moment of Silence - Nineteen people were shot in a Tucson, Ariz. rampage on Saturday, and six were killed, including a young girl, a federal judge and several seniors. The target of the attack, Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, suffered a gunshot wound to the head from point-blank range. She remains in intensive care at a nearby hospital. Doctors are optimistic about her condition but say it's too early to for certain whether she will recover. U.S. President Barack Obama led a somber moment of silence Monday morning for victims. Obama stood with his head bowed on the White House lawn, accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama and White House staff, as a bell sounded 11 a.m. EST. The minute of silence that followed was marked at the U.S. Capitol and sites across the U.S. Obama had asked for the country to pray together or reflect on those killed or struggling to recover. Obama Moment of Silence

Odd Package Closes Capitol Metro - U.S. Capitol Police have concluded a suspicious package found outside the U.S. Capital South Metro Monday morning is not dangerous. The Capitol South station has reopened. The surrounding streets that were closed during the investigation have all been reopened as well. One person was interviewed by police, and the Hazardous Devices Unit responded to the scene to investigate. It wasn't clear whether additional precautions were being taken because of the shooting Saturday of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was wounded during a meeting with constituents in Arizona, according to the AP. Odd Package Closes Capitol Metro

Khloe Kardashian Pregnancy Rumors - Khloe Kardashian who married Lakers star Lamar Odom in 2009 has sparked pregnancy rumours. The 'Keeping up with the Kardashian' star is allegedly trying to keep her pregnancy under wraps. "She has been hiding a tell-tale bump behind flowing dresses and oversized handbags," The New York Post quoted a source, as saying. While another source was quoted saying, "she will be followed by the cameras through her pregnancy and as they have their first child." Meanwhile, Kardashian's representative declined to comment on the rumours. Khloe Kardashian Pregnancy Rumors

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Oscars Boycott Anne Hathaway - Tom Cruise and wife Katie Holmes could boycott this year's Oscars as they are upset with hostess Anne Hathaway. The 83rd Annual Academy Awards is gearing up to be the most star-studded event of the year, but the couple's beef with hostess Anne Hathaway may keep them from the show, FOXNews.com reported on Monday. According to a report from the UK's Daily Mail, Cruise and Holmes are so furious at Hathaway that they want to avoid any confrontation with her. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Oscars Boycott Anne Hathaway Hathaway, 28, appeared on Saturday Night Live in November and mimicked Holmes in a sketch. "Tom and Katie don't want to have to cross paths with Anne," the Mail quoted a source as saying. "They used to be friends and took Anne to a Tina Turner concert in 2008 when Anne split up from her boyfriend Raffaello Follieri. "Katie feels they were really supporting her at a difficult...

Spam Levels Fall Suddenly - The amount of junk e-mail being sent across the globe has seen a dramatic fall in recent months. The volume of spam has dropped steadily since August, but the Christmas period saw a precipitous decline. One security firm detected around 200 billion spam messages being sent each day in August, but just 50 billion in December. Spam Levels Fall Suddenly While the reasons for the decline are not fully understood, spam watchers warn the lull may not last. Around the Christmas holidays, three of the largest spam producers curtailed their activity, Paul Wood, a senior analyst at Symantec Hosted Services told BBC News. "But it's hard to say why," he added. The vast majority of spam is sent by networks of infected computers known as botnets. One of these botnets, known as Rustock, was at its peak responsible for between 47% to 48% of all spam sent globally, said Mr Wood. Spam Levels Fall Suddenly

PloS One Legal Drugs Linked to Violence - The link between violence and prescription drugs has rarely been studied. However, a study published last week in the journal PLoS ONE identified 31 drugs that are disproportionally associated with reported cases of violence. The study drew on reports of violence and aggression made to the Food and Drug Administration from 2004 through the third quarter of 2009. While far from definitive, these findings signal that more research is needed. Leading the list in numbers of reports is the smoking cessation drug Chantix (varenicline). PloS One Legal Drugs Linked to Violence Also associated with violence were psychoactive medications for depression (Prozac and Paxil), attention deficit disorder (Strattera), and sedative/hypnotic drugs. The authors, Thomas J. Moore, a consulting senior scientist at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, Joseph Glenmullen of Harvard Medical School, and Curt D. Furberg of Wake Forest University School o...

Michael Jackson's doctor bought 255 vials of Propofol - One thing became clear during testimony in the preliminary hearing of Dr. Conrad Murray on Monday (January 10) in Los Angeles: The cardiologist ordered a lot of the powerful anesthetic propofol in the months before his client Michael Jackson's death. Los Angeles County Coroner's officials determined that the pop star died of a lethal dose of the surgical anesthetic in June 2009. Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, has admitted that he administered propofol to the singer in the hours before Jackson's passing. And while Murray's lawyers have said that their client did not do anything that "should have" caused Jackson's death and may be preparing a defense in which they will claim that it was Jackson himself that administered the fatal dose, during continuing testimony in the second week of Murray's pretrial hearing on involuntary manslaughter charges, it became clear that t...

Lindsay Lohan all Smiles First Public Outing - Lindsay Lohan rebounded from rehab with a courtside perch at the Los Angeles Laker game Sunday. The troubled starlet, who has been spotted in recent sdays at LA's Equinox gym in West Hollywood, showed up at The Staples Center to watch the Lakers take on her hometown New York Knicks. Lilo, 24, came to the game with jeweler Pascal Mouawad. "Kobe sent me #lakers hats coz I'm wearing Knicks- I'm from NY!!! Gotta stay loyal!," she Tweeted Sunday night. "Good luck to BOTH teams! #onelove I said if lakers win, I'll come to a game w/a laker hat!" Lindsay Lohan all Smiles First Public Outing Lohan left rehab at the Betty Ford clinic last week after a 90-day stay. She was sent there by a Beverly Hills judge after she violated probation for a DUI and tested positive for alcohol. She is scheduled to remain at the Ford Center until at least Jan. 3. Lohan, who also starred in "The Parent Trap" and...

Farm dogs maul Irish Tourist - An Irish tourist who was mauled to death by two dogs while visiting an organic farm in Penang yesterday morning had more than 50 bite wounds and lacerations all over his body. Penang Hospital Forensic Department head Datuk Dr Bhupinder Singh, who performed the post-mortem on Maurice Sullivan (pix), 50, today, said he found the wounds on the victim's head, neck, hands and legs. "The victim had died as a result of severe haemorrhage due to multiple injuries from the dogs' bites," he said, adding that there were no signs that Sullivan suffered any ailment at the time of death. Farm dogs maul Irish Tourist Bhupinder also said both Sullivan's ears and the left side of his face were gnawed off in the incident. One of the ears was recovered from the scene. Bhupinder told reporters this after carrying out the post-mortem which began at 10am. Sullivan was attacked by two mongrels at the farm while taking photographs of the gr...

Universal Music Donates Music Archive to Library of Congress - In a musical donation without precedent, Universal Music Group has gifted the Library of Congress' Recorded Sound Section with a mother lode of 200,000 master recordings. The masters -- a trove of mono metal parts, lacquers and quarter-inch tape recorded by the Decca, Brunswick, Vocalion and Mercury labels between 1928 and 1948 -- represent the largest single contribution ever received by the library's audio-visual division and the first major collection obtained by the institution. The UMG recordings -- comprising both previously released music and unreleased outtakes -- encompass material by Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, the Dorsey Brothers, the Andrews Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Jimmy Lunce­ford, Louis Jordan, Judy Garland and other crucial American artists. Individual tracks in the collection include such seminal recordings as Crosby's bestselling 1947 version of "Wh...

Fake Lawyer Tahir Malik - A Skokie man was charged with posing as a lawyer in two traffic court cases but is believed to have represented dozens of other clients over the past several years, the Cook County sheriff's department said today. The investigation of Tahir Malik, 47, began last month after a clerk and a courtroom deputy at the Skokie courthouse grew suspicious about his credentials, according to Steve Patterson, a sheriff's spokesman. Patterson said Malik also passed himself off as an attorney to defendants at the Daley Center as well as suburban courthouses in Bridgeview and Skokie and represented them in misdemeanor cases and traffic offenses. A number of his clients later pleaded guilty and were sentenced, he said. Malik, of the 7800 block of North Niles Center Road in Skokie appeared in bond court today on two felony counts of falsely impersonating an attorney. Judge Laura Sullivan ordered him held on $250,000 bail. Fake Lawyer Tahir Malik

How to Ask for a Raise - Asking your boss for a raise needs a certain finesse and is nerve racking for many. There are a few things you should do before you ask. Firstly, you should do some research and find out how much other people in your position are getting paid. Are you being underpaid? Are you being overpaid? The last thing you want is for your boss to tell you you already get paid too much. If you are underpaid, the research will be a great point to bring up when you ask for a raise. You should prepare you arguments in favor of a raise before hand. Make a list of all your duties, your achievements and how you contribute to the profitability of your employer. Decide what you will do if you get turned down beforehand. Do not lose your cool. Do not think a raise is your right. In the end it is up to your employer how much you get paid and up to you to convince them you are worth more. How to Ask for a Raise

Best Bargains Sports Cars - When we think sports car, we usually think expensive. But there are a few sports cars that are good bang for you buck. Good value doesn't mean bad quality. The 2009 Nissan 370Z for instance can be had for under $40k and goes like a rocket. The two door coupe is as sporty as they come. A second hand Corvette is also a great sports car and a model that is a few years old can be found cheaply. The Nissan Skyline GTR is also a great sports car. It's one more suited to the track than on the road. The twin-turbo V8 has more than enough power for any sports car enthusiast. The all-wheel-drive system also makes sure you get a good launch from the lights. Best Bargains Sports Cars

Camaro Outsells Mustang - For the first time since 1985, the Chevy Camaro outsold the Ford Mustang over an entire year, with 81,371 buyers to the Mustang's 73,716. It's a great day not just for muscle cars, but for America. Here's why. To many people, focusing on which Rust Belt relic sold more two-door sports cars seems as misguided as a mullet-growing contest. Big V8s are an endangered species, and rear-wheel-drive shreds fuel economy. For goodness sake, the 2010 Ford Mustang has the same rear suspension technology as a Conestoga wagon. Who cares? We all should, because the Camaro and Mustang (and Dodge Challenger) are no longer rolling museums of automotive technology, old bits in shiny packages sold to young men with too much money. They're as advanced as anything GM and Ford build without an electric motor, and they're evolving fast. Camaro Outsells Mustang

Famous May-December Couples - A May-December romance means a couple in a relationship with a big age gap. It used to be just the man would be older in this situation but these days it also refers to couples where the female is the older one. For example Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are a couple with a big age gap where the female is the older one. Ashton Kutcher is 32 while Demi Moore is 48. Another May-December couple is Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. There is 25 years difference between them. Famous May-December Couples

How to stand out in an Interview - Interviews are often nerve wracking affairs but it is important to stand out and make a good impression. There are several ways to stand out in a interview. Colorful answers to any questions the interviewer asks in one way. If you do this, be careful not to seem crazy or too forward. There is a fine line. Dress differently. Most likely, the other people interviewing for the position are all wearing standard business attire. Again there is a fine line. In dressing differently, make sure your style is tasteful at the same time. Maybe ask for a second opinion before you leave the house for the interview. How to stand out in an Interview

Advice about Relationship Age Gap - Age gaps in relationships can be overcome, but this also depends on the age obviously. For instance, 20 and 50 may be a little hard to manage, but closer ages like 25 and 40 can work. The first thing couples with big age gaps face is family and friends. Most family and friends will not approve. If you are serious about your relationship, you need to ignore what everyone else thinks and concentration on your partner. There will be some big obstacles to overcome. Firstly, being different ages, you and your partner may be at different stages in your life and therefore have different goals. The older partner may be ready to settle down while the younger partner might be more restless. The important thing here is to compromise. Relationships with a big age gap may be difficult, but not impossible to make work. It all depends on the individuals in the relationship and how hard they are willing to work on it. Advice about Relationship Age Gap

Most Surprising Celebrity Splits 2010 - Celebrities get together and split up all the time. It's gotten so bad that people can predict when most celebrity couples will split. Regardless, there were a few that were surprising. Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry splitting up was a surprise. Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy were together for 5 years before they decided to split. Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens split. Kelsey Grammer and Camille split after 13 years of marriage. Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva had a very public and ugly break up. Courteney Cox and husband David Arquette separated. Most Surprising Celebrity Splits 2010