Technology Slice Blog

Ed Rendell Wife Separate - Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and his long-time wife, Judge Midge Rendell, are separating after 40 years of marriage. Philly.com first reported that the Rendells told friends via e-mail they are living apart after Rendell left office in Harrisburg. There was no word of the couple had filed legal documents to indicate they were legally separated or divorcing. Marjorie "Midge" Rendell is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Ed Rendell has new jobs lined up working for NBC and at his old law firm. He is a former two-term mayor of Philadelphia and district attorne Ed Rendell Wife Separate

Bristol Palin Memoir - For a 20-year-old, Bristol Palin has packed a lot into her short life. She had a baby at 18, she has been engaged twice - to the same man - and her mother is mooted by some as the next president of the U.S. So it's no surprise she feels she has accrued more than enough material to write her first autobiography at an unusually tender age. An as-yet-untitled memoir by the Dancing with the Stars finalist has been listed on Amazon, already reduced to $17.15 from its original price of $25.99. The 304-page book, published by William Morrow & Co, an imprint of Harper Collins, is set for release on June 21. Readers can expect to find out more about her tumultuous relationship with Levi Johnson, father to her two-year-old son, Tripp, as well as her success on the U.S. dance show. Bristol Palin Memoir

Kyocera Echo Smartphone - Sprint Nextel Corp., the third- largest U.S. mobile-phone carrier, unveiled a Kyocera Corp. dual-screen smartphone that it says will help capture more customers using its third-generation wireless technology. The Echo, as the smartphone is known, will operate on Google Inc.’s Android software and be sold for $199.99 with a two-year contract starting next quarter, Fared Adib, Sprint’s vice president of product development, said in an interview. Sprint, the first U.S. carrier to offer fourth-generation wireless service, is introducing the 3G device even as it is planning a $5 billion investment to upgrade its network to accommodate a greater range of 4G technology, including with partner Clearwire Corp. The carrier last month began selling its third 4G handset, from HTC Corp. “We believe this is a pretty big deal,” Adib said. “We didn’t want to hold up the innovation on the device to wait for 4G capability.” He said he expects brisk sales, and declined to...

Amanda Knox Felt Ill Lifetime Movie - Amanda Knox, the American student convicted of killing her roommate in Italy, is speaking out about a made-for-TV movie about her case. Knox's stepfather said she saw part of the film on TV and was shocked. She told him she was hyperventilating, and she felt she was going to throw up. "Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy," is due to air Feb. 21. Knox's family has tried to block the film, saying it creates an "evil opinion" of their daughter while lawyers appeal her conviction. The movie's star Hayden Panettiere defended the production. "It's a very controversial topic, and I don't think people are going to have a problem with it," she said. "It's pretty fact driven, and it ends right when she gets convicted." Amanda Knox Felt Ill Lifetime Movie

Titans New Coach Mike Munchak - The Tennessee Titans have hired their offensive line coach Mike Munchak as head coach to replace Jeff Fisher, the NFL club announced Monday. Fisher parted ways with the Oilers last month after 17 seasons in charge on the field. It is the first head coaching job for Munchak, who served as the Oilers' offensive line coach for 14 years after an outstanding 12-year playing career as a guard for the team. Munchak earned nine Pro Bowl invitations in his career and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2001. Titans New Coach Mike Munchak

Michelle Obama Regis and Kelly - Michelle Obama is paying her first visit to "Live! With Regis and Kelly." The show announced Monday that the first lady will be a guest of Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa on Feb. 9. Mrs. Obama will be in New York to mark the first anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign to fight childhood obesity. She is expected to discuss the campaign during her "Live!" appearance. Michelle Obama Regis and Kelly

Christie Brinkely on Broadway - The Tony Award-winning hit musical "Chicago" is getting a supermodel makeover — Christie Brinkley is joining the Broadway cast. Brinkley will appear as the jailed killer Roxie Hart for an 11-week engagement from April 4 to June 19 at the Ambassador Theatre on 49th Street. The 57-year-old model made her acting debut in 1983 opposite Chevy Chase in "National Lampoon's Vacation" and its 1997 sequel, "Vegas Vacation." She also appeared on NBC's "Mad About You" and hosted Lifetime Television's InStyle Celebrity Weddings. Brinkley is the latest to play Roxie in the hit musical, now in its 15th year on Broadway. Others include Brooke Shields, Sandy Duncan, Marilu Henner, Bebe Neuwirth, Ashlee Simpson, Michelle Williams and Melanie Griffith. Christie Brinkely on Broadway

Max Page and Darth Vader Commercial - Skywalker? Max and his mom, Jennifer Page, hit the "Today" show to enjoy a bit of the Super Bowl Sunday limelight on Monday, without the mask. The Darth Vader commercial for Volkswagen was 6-year-old Max's first national spot, his mom told Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira (see the video below). Like last year's Old Spice commercial starring Isaiah Mustafa, the Darth Vader ad went up on YouTube ahead of game day; unlike that spot, the Volkswagen ad actually ran during the Super Bowl. "It's just overwhelming," Jennifer Page said of the attention the commercial was getting, as measured in page views on YouTube. "The first night it was at 60,000 when I went to bed; woke up the next morning, it was at a million -- then my mind couldn't comprehend after that." That's even wilder than Mustafa's experience: He said his commercial, which went up online Feb. 4, 2010, had about 30,000 views before t...

Keith Olbermann New Venture - Just when you thought you were going to get a vacation from Keith Olbermann, a publicist has sent out word that Keith is holding a news conference at 11 a.m. Tuesday to make an "exciting announcement" regarding the "next chapter in his remarkable career." Less than a month ago, Olbermann abruptly exited MSNBC where his "Countdown" had been one of the network's biggest draws. Both parties remain mum in re the circumstances of the departure. At the time of his exit, the Web site The Wrap reported Olbermann had his eye on creating a media empire like that of Huffington Post. Coincidentally, this past Super Bowl Sunday, Huffington Post announced it had agreed to a $315 million buyout from AOL Inc. in which Arianna Huffington, who made the announcement, would become president and editor in chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, putting the news outlet she co-founded under the same ownership as AOL's collection of We...

Super Bowl Ratings to Break Records - History was made last night on FOX when Super Bowl XLV became the most-watched U.S. television program ever, and FOX became the first network ever to exceed 100 million viewers (100.9 million) for a night in prime time, according to fast-national ratings released today by Nielsen Media Research. The game, the outcome of which was in doubt until the final seconds, saw the Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 to capture the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl Championship. FOX Sports’ broadcast of Super Bowl XLV averaged 111 million viewers and is the most-watched television program in U.S. history, obliterating the prior record of 106.5 set last year during Super Bowl XLIV by 4.5 million viewers and the 106.0 million for the series finale of M*A*S*H, which held the viewership record from 1983 to 2010. This is the fourth consecutive Super Bowl to set a viewership record, and attracted 13.5 million more viewers than FOX’s last Super ...

National Sickie Day - Today is Britain's worst for sickies with 375,000 workers expected to stay at home - costing UK industry £32million. But half of all bosses won't believe staff calling in with their excuses. Low staff morale, the flu outbreak, bleak weather, credit card bills and the long wait for a holiday make people want to hibernate, say business advisers ELAS. Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3396494/Were-all-off-sickie.html#ixzz1DJXx3o4H National Sickie Day

The Hobbit March 21 - Peter Jackson’s $500 million production of “The Hobbit” will start shooting on March 21. According to AFP, the director says that the schedule requirements, actor availability and good weather should be lining up all around then. "Despite some delays we are fully back on track and very excited to get started," Jackson said. The oft-delayed, two-part film will have cameras rolling in New Zealand; the country fought hard to keep the production in its bordersafter budget issues and union disputes plagued a start time. The New Zealand government changed employment laws and gave Warner Bros. millions of dollars in tax breaks to help with the conflicts. Some time was put off, too, after the “Lord of the Rings” director had surgery for an ulcer last month. He has since been released from the hospital and continues recovery at home. The Hobbit March 21

Small Fire at Smithsonian Institution - A fire broke out Monday in a Smithsonian museum in the US capital, but was swiftly extinguished with no injuries or damage to the collections reported, the city's fire department said. Firefighters were called to the National Museum of Natural History, one of the Smithsonian Institution's most popular museums located on Washington's National Mall, to put out a fire that started in air conditioning equipment and spread to some insulation, city deputy fire chief Kenneth Crosswhite said. "The fire is under control. You could even say it's out... and damage is minimal," he told AFP. The museum was closed at the time and no injuries were reported, he said. A plume of black smoke was seen rising into the Washington sky, and rush-hour traffic was disrupted for several blocks around the building. Small Fire at Smithsonian Institution

Puppy Bowl VII - The Puppy Bowl gets some of its highest ratings during halftime of the Super Bowl, when many NFL fans take a break and switch over to Animal Planet. But the Puppy Bowl has its own halftime show, and nobody switches away from that, because it features the one thing that's even cuter than a big pile of puppies: a big pile of kittens. The kitten halftime segment for Puppy Bowl VII was filmed in October in a Manhattan studio, one day before the puppy segment. I'm a total sucker for kittens, and my own cats have settled into their middle-aged layabout phase, so I figured checking out the shoot would provide me with a much-needed dose of kitten-osity. Here's how my visit to the studio went. I arrive and am greeted by a publicist named Melissa. "Want to meet the kittens?" she says. Duh -- do cats like catnip? "OK, then come on, I'll take you up to the kitten green room." It hadn't occurred to me that showbiz terms like "green ...

Disney Carousel Death - A 77-year-old woman collapsed and died at Walt Disney World in December after riding a carousel. The Orlando Sentinel said Sunday that Disney reported the death as part of a quarterly injury report. Florida's big theme parks have an agreement with the state to report guest injuries in exchange for avoiding state ride-safety regulation. The report indicated the woman had a pre-existing heart condition before she rode the Prince Charming Regal Carousel. Walt Disney World reported two other injuries in the fourth quarter of last year. A 71-year-old woman broke a hip and shoulder after riding the carousel and a 76-year-old woman injured her leg after falling on a moving platform for another ride. Disney Carousel Death

Valentines Day Gifts - Michael and Barbara Jonas, co-authors of The Book of Love, Laughter & Romance (7th printing), and creators of the Time for Two collection, have the perfect solution – they’ve developed two downloadable games that will make your Valentine’s really special. Make-A-Date™ – is an entertaining and imaginative conversation game, and Romantic Interlude™ – is a playfully intimate game. The games can be ordered from anywhere in the world, and there’s no waiting and no shipping costs – just download, print and play! And, mindful of the economy, these games sell for under $10. “The popularity of social media says that people want to be connected. But texting and tweeting isn’t talking and touching. People need to spend more time face-to-face to re-connect with their significant other, and Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to start,” Michael observes. Because 57% of people “talk” more online than they do in person, according to a recent survey conducted b...

Darth Vader Commercial Super Bowl - The Super Bowl ads had winners and losers last night, with lots of online buzz for the Volkswagen Passat/Darth Vader ad and Eminem plugging Chrysler. VW’s spot featured a child dressed as Darth Vader trying to use “The Force” on the family dog and a doll without success. But when the kid uses his “power” on the Passat, the car magically starts — thanks to his Dad in the kitchen with a remote starter. “I loved what that ad says about the people who drive the car,” said Grant Pace, executive creative director at Conover Tuttle Pace, a Boston-based ad firm. “It’s such a sweet, fun moment and the kid’s performance was just perfect. ... You can’t watch it and not smile.” Darth Vader Commercial Super Bowl

Green Bay Packers Win Super Bowl - Capping one of the greatest postseasons for any quarterback, Rodgers led the Pack to their first NFL championship in 14 years Sunday, 31-25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. They reclaimed the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for their legendary coach who won the first two Super Bowls and is making his own star turn in New York in the play named after him. Rodgers, the game's MVP, thrilled his legion of Cheesehead fans with a spectacular six-game string that should finally erase the bitterness of the Brett Favre separation in Green Bay. After sitting for three long years before Favre left in 2008, Rodgers is now equal with Favre in Super Bowl wins, and he extended the Packers' record of NFL titles to 13, nine before the Super Bowl era. ''You can stop it now,'' veteran receiver Donald Driver said. ''Aaron's proved that he's one of the best, if not the best, quarterback in this game today.'' You could say i...

Xperia Play - Looks like practically everyone's got their hands dirty on NGP's smartphone cousin. Sony s not-so-secret PlayStation Phone aka Xperia Play is now official, and will see an official launch on February 13 on Facebook. Sony Ericsson's Facebook page has a countdown timer and a video of the latest Superbowl TV advertisement embedded within the page. What we do know at this junction is the Sony Xperia Play is an Android smartphone with a gamepad and access to PlayStation Suite. That's about the extent of its association with the PlayStation name, as the phone got no mention during the NGP conference. So don't expect to play full blown NGP games on the Xperia Play; not with that big a difference in hardware compared to the multi-core goodness of the NGP. The Xperia Play is more of a step up for casual gamers on the Android platform, with its dedicated gaming keys. Sony seems to be treading the thin line between the handset's gaming credentials being...

Groupon and Tibet - Groupon may not be making its initial public offering yet — but it has made its mark on millions watching the Super Bowl anyway. What isn’t clear yet is whether the red-hot startup has burned through a lot of good will. The company bought its first television ads for the big game, starting before kickoff, with one theme: “Save the Money.” All the commercials are premised on saving something endangered — and a few bucks to boot. There’s Cuba Gooding Jr. lamenting the fate of whales, while touting a 43 percent discount on a whale-watching boat ride. And there’s Elizabeth Hurley, intoning about the rapid deforestation of the Brazilian rainforest … followed by a note that “not all deforestation is bad,” like a 50 percent discount to a Brazilian wax in New York City. Perhaps most controversial of all is Timothy Hutton, deploring the troubles besetting Tibetan culture. Before tucking into a plate of discounted fish curry. Groupon and Tibet

Justin Bieber Ozzy Osbourne - Wasn't that long ago Ozzy Osbourne had no idea who Justin Bieber is, but now the metal rock god is teaming up with the Prince of Pop for a Superbowl commercial. Best Buy, an electronics retailer spent more than US$1 million for the slightly awkward privilege of watching the two on-screen together. With the Superbowl commercial breaks now garnering just as much attention as the main game, Best Buy are keeping the storyline of the ad under wraps, with fans having to wait until February 6 to work out what the futuristic looking suits the singers are wearing means. Justin Bieber Ozzy Osbourne

Frat House Shooting Arrest and Youngstown - A shooting at a frat party near Youngstown State University early Sunday left one student dead and 11 others injured, including six students, police said. No arrests have been made, but police have at least one suspect, Youngstown police Lt. Franklin Palmer said. Jamail E. Johnson, 25, died after he was shot in the head and legs during the off-campus party, the Mahoning County coroner's office said. Johnson was a senior and set to graduate this year, according to WKBN-TV. Information about the identities and conditions of the others hurt wasn't immediately available. Youngstown State President Cynthia Anderson met students and their families as the hospital this morning, and said counselors and priests would be on campus to console the shaken student body. Frat House Shooting Arrest and Youngstown

Super Bowl Attendance - Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was hoping for some good news in the form of a Super Bowl attendance record Sunday night, but he'll have to settle for second place. A total of 103,219 crammed into Cowboys Stadium to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, missing the record by 766. The construction of some temporary seating was not completed in time for the game, resulting in the relocation of 850 fans and refunds for 400 who could not be reseated in the stadium. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed the seats lost just hours before the game were the reason the record wasn't set. Sunday's total is the second largest for a Super Bowl and second largest for an NFL game in Cowboys Stadium, which opened in 2009. The attendance included 91,060 fans -- including 3,000 who bought tickets to watch the game on HD screens outside the stadium -- and 12,159 credentialed personnel (league and team officials and media). Super Bowl Atten...