Technology Slice Blog

Verizon iPhone 4 Record - If you’re a mobile operator, it’s good to have an iPhone in your inventory. This was proven Thursday as Verizon’s first day of iPhone 4 pre-orders turned out to be the most successful first day of sales in the history of the company. The company didn’t give a precise number of how many iPhone 4s were sold, but it took only two hours to sell out the pre-order stock. “In just our first two hours, we had already sold more phones than any first day launch in our history. And, when you consider these initial orders were placed between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., it is an incredible success story,” said President and CEO of Verizon Dan Mead in a prepared statement. Verizon iPhone 4 Record

Andy Pettitte Announces Retirement - New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte announced his retirement at a news conference at Yankee Stadium in New York on Friday. "I am done with baseball," said Pettitte, who was accompanied by his wife, Laura. The 38-year-old left-hander has played for the Yankees on and off since 1995 -- the same year current captain Derek Jeter joined the team -- earning five World Series championships with the team. After 16 years in the major leagues -- 13 of them with the Yankees -- Pettitte leaves with 240 career wins, including a major league record 19 postseason victories. Andy Pettitte Announces Retirement

Oysters Extinct - Oysters are "functionally extinct" in my locations around the globe due to disease and overharvesting, a new study has found. The wide-ranging survey, published in BioScience, the journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, compares the past and present condition of oyster reefs around the globe. The international team of researchers led by Michael Beck of the Nature Conservancy and the University of California found that more than 90 percent of former reefs have been lost in most of the "bays" and ecoregions where the prized mollusks were formerly abundant. Oysters Extinct

Groupon Barnes & Noble - Groupon and Barnes & Noble have teamed up for a special coupon deal, taking a page from Amazon’s playbook–for the price of a $10 coupon, you can buy $20 worth of books. Update: More than 40,000 people have already bought the coupon since the deal launched at 3 p.m. yesterday (click to enlarge the image). Here’s more about the deal: “A beloved book is like an old friend: full of familiar stories, rich in endearing details, and just as enjoyable when covered in highlighter. Make a new literary acquaintance with today’s Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of books, educational games and toys, movies, and gifts at Barnes & Noble. This Groupon is valid for purchases made online, at any of more than 700 Barnes & Noble retail locations, or on Barnes & Noble’s e-reader, the Nook.” Groupon Barnes & Noble

Mark Kelly Endeavour - Astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, will announce later today he's resuming training for the flight of space shuttle Endeavour that's scheduled to launch April 19, according to NASA and congressional sources. Kelly, named more than a year ago as the commander of the flight, has spent most of his time at Giffords' bedside since she was gunned down at a Tucson, Ariz., shopping center on Jan. 8. She's undergoing rehab in Houston. Kelly will hold a news conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston at 3 p.m. EST today. The NASA official did not want to be named prior to the official announcement, but U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said Thursday he expected Kelly to fly. Giffords, who until recently chaired the House subcommittee that oversees NASA, is a strong proponent of human spaceflight. Doctors have said she's making remarkable progress recovering from a gunshot wound to the head but will remain in re...

Palins Trademark - Sarah Palin and her daughter, Bristol, are taking steps to protect their brand. The possible GOP presidential candidate and her Dancing with the Stars child have filed applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark "Sarah Palin" and "Bristol Palin," according to AOL's Politics Daily. The blurring of celebrity and politics has added to the bank accounts of mother and daughter. Sarah Palin, fresh off her 2008 vice presidential bid, inked a deal reportedly worth $7 million to write her first book, Going Rogue. Her second book, America by the Heart, also spent time on best-seller lists. Palins Trademark

Idol Apology Joke - At the start of Wednesday's show, Fox ran an apology for its most unrestrained judge: "American Idol would like to apologize for last week's outrageous behavior by Steven Tyler." It was followed by a second black card, which read: "Mr. Tyler has been warned and assured us it will never happen again." Although many people had speculated earlier on what "it" was, the Fox producers were making amends for Tyler's comment last week when he joked that a contestant's last name rhymed with a profanity. When Jake Muck introduced himself, Tyler, 62, said, "You know what Muck rhymes with, don't you?" When Muck replied, "Duck," Tyler responded, "Read my lips." Idol Apology Joke

Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Female Artists - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum says it will open the world's first exhibit devoted to rock's most influential female artists. The show opening May 13 at the museum in Cleveland will feature women ranging from Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin to Melissa Etheridge and Lady Gaga. "Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power" will spotlight more than 50 female artists and fill two floors of the hall with artifacts and video telling the story of how women have shaped the history of popular music. Throughout the year, the museum will offer educational programming on the role women have played in rock and roll. Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Female Artists

Sarah Palin CPAC - Sarah Palin has declined the keynote speaker slot at next weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference, the yearly confab for conservative activists that also doubles as something of a cattle call for GOP presidential contenders. Palin has now skipped the conference four straight years, a rarity for a prominent Republican politician. Among those attending this year are Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, John Thune, Haley Barbour and Mitch McConnell. David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union (which runs CPAC), said in a statement released to CBS News that Palin "expressed interest in wanting to come this year" but had "a scheduling issue." "We're disappointed she couldn't make it this year," Keene added. Palin's decision to skip the event comes amid a mini-revolt against it by social conservatives, who are sitting out due to the involvement of a gay conservative group ...

Jackman's 6,000 Calorie Diet - It must be even nicer to be Hugh Jackman these days, now that his director has ordered him to stuff himself with 6,000 calories a day. Jackman, who is prepping to reprise his role in the next installment of the ":Wolverine" franchise, was told by Darren Aronofsky to pack the pounds onto his chiseled frame until he looks more like Mike Tyson. "Right now, I'm at 210 [pounds]," Jackman told the LA Times. "I was at 190 ... and [Aronofsky] said with the last one, 'Hey you looked great, but you're so tall that in those long shots you looked kind of like Clint Eastwood, and that's not Wolverine.' " Aronofsky went the other way with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in getting them ready for "Black Swan." They each were instructed to shed 20 pounds for their roles. Jackman's 6,000 Calorie Diet

Bieber Booed - Justin Bieber went to see the New York Knicks play last night, and got booed by the crowd at Madison Square Garden after his face graced the overhead scoreboard. You can hear the reaction in the video below. The TV commentators praise New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who was sitting next to Bieber, for making conversation to soothe the 16-year-old’s momentarily bruised ego. Of course, the young girl bawling feet from them, overwhelmed by merely being that close to Bieber, may also have helped. Now I know the pleasure of a random “boo” fest in the Garden. I think it was the first year the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) came to town, and clown Flint Rasmussen rode around the dirt in a mini tank during a break in action and fired T-shirts into the crowd. When he accidentally hit a Stanley Cup banner, it was not pretty. But that, to me, is different. The crowd was booing an action, not a kid’s existence. This clip made me feel for Bieber. And I hate that. Are we ...