Technology Slice Blog

Security Guard Dies in Freak Accident on NCIS Set - Popular television show 'NCIS' suspended production Wednesday after a freak accident killed a security guard, officials said. Julio Garcia, 52, was tending a stating area around 10 a.m. Wednesday for the CBS crime drama when he was hit by a production vehicle outside a vacant building at 24800 Avenue Rockefeller . According to L.A. County Sheriffs officials, Ralph Blunt, 60, was a driving a passenger van when he suffered some kind of medical condition, losing control of the vehicle and striking Garcia before hitting two parked cars. Garcia, a resident of Reseda, was transported to a local hospital where he was later passed away from injuries sustained in the crash. Blunt was also transported to a local hospital for observation but was later released. CBS Productions released in a statement Wednesday that the production has been suspended until further notice while an investigation is ongoing. Security Guard Dies i

Representative Chris Lee of New York - A Republican congressman from New York state has resigned amid media reports he had flirted online with a woman to whom he sent a shirtless photograph. Christopher Lee, a married 46-year-old with one son, was elected in 2008. In a statement on his website, he said he regretted harming his family, staff and constituents, adding: "I deeply and sincerely apologise to them all." Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives in the November mid-term elections. "The challenges we face in western New York and across the country are too serious for me to allow this distraction to continue, and so I am announcing that I have resigned my seat in Congress effective immediately," Mr Lee said. Representative Chris Lee of New York

iPad 2 Manufacturing Begins - Apple has started manufacturing the sequel to its popular iPad tablet, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, a development that, though expected by analysts, will add even more ferment to the burgeoning tablet market. Additionally, the report said AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless will carry the new iPad, but that Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA will not. The report, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter, said new iPad will be thinner and lighter and have more memory and a more powerful graphics processor than its predecessor. The report also said the iPad sequel will have at least one camera to enable video conferencing, a feature that was left off the original iPad but has since become standard in many other tablets. Interestingly, the report said that the new iPad will not sport an improved screen resolution, which is due in part to Apple's inability to obtain higher-resolution screens for a device with a screen tha

Ben Bernanke not Worried about Inflation - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, facing tough questions from Republican lawmakers over inflation and the Fed's policies, on Wednesday defended the central bank's efforts to stimulate the economy by pumping more money into the financial system. At a hearing before the House Budget Committee, Bernanke said he wasn't concerned about the current level or expectations of inflation in the U.S., despite sharply higher oil and food prices that have pinched emerging economies and contributed to the wave of protests in the Middle East. Bernanke denied that the Fed's loose monetary policies were responsible for rising global inflation. And he expressed confidence that the central bank's actions to spur growth in the U.S. — most recently by purchasing billions of dollars of U.S. Treasury bonds — were temporary measures that the Fed had the ability to halt or reverse before inflation spiked. Ben Bernanke not Worried abou

Activision Pulls Guitar Hero - Activision Blizzard Inc's first-quarter outlook missed Wall Street expectations and it said it would disband the unit that makes Guitar Hero music games, sending its shares down 8 percent. The company forecast revenue of $640 million in the first quarter of 2011 and EPS of 7 cents per share, compared with the $734.70 million analysts were expecting on 10 cents per share for the quarter. "Guidance for 2011 was very disappointing," said MKM Partners analyst Eric Handler. The company's shares fell to $10.81 in after-hours trading compared with a regular-session close of $11.69. Activision Blizzard said it would disband its Guitar Hero business unit and stop development of the Guitar Hero game for 2011 because music-themed video games have been fading in popularity. In December, Viacom Inc sold Harmonix Music Systems, the developer behind the Rock Band franchise, to the investment firm Columbus Nova and gained up to $200 million in

Rep Chris Lee Resigns and Dating Scandal - Rep. Chris Lee, R-N.Y., resigned from Congress after a report emerged that he had sent flirtatious e-mails, including one with a bare-chested photo of himself, to a woman he met on Craigslist. Lee is married and has a child. "It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of Western New York. I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness," Lee said in a statement Wednesday night. "The challenges we face in Western New York and across the country are too serious for me to allow this distraction to continue, and so I am announcing that I have resigned my seat in Congress effective immediately." Rep Chris Lee Resigns and Dating Scandal

Fantasia Barrino Gains Pounds for Role - Fantasia Barrino's recent weight gain fueled online rumors that the R&B singer was expecting a child, but her manager gave another explanation. "Fantasia's pregnant with prosperity," manager Brian Dickens told CNN on Tuesday. The 2004 "American Idol" winner is gaining weight in preparation for a movie role, Dickens said. Fantasia Barrino Gains Pounds for Role

Security Guard Dies in Freak Accident on NCIS - An employee working on the show NCIS died on Wednesday in a freak accident, TMZ is reporting. A man driving a van for NCIS production lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the NCIS set. The driver, a 60-year-old man, had a medical issue while driving the van according to reports before crashing into the NCIS set and hitting a 52-year-old male security guard. The security guard was brought to a nearby hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries shortly after. The fatal accident is under investigation. Security Guard Dies in Freak Accident on NCIS

Best and Worst Commercials Ever - When many people see a commercial come on their television, they either get up and go to the bathroom or go to the refrigerator and get a snack. Others actually sit there and watch the commercials; those who like to watch commercials will be pleased to know that there has been a list comprised that names the best and the worst commercials ever. The best commercials of all time include:1.) Nolans Cheddar 2.) Soesman Language Training 3.) Geico Two in the Bush 4.) E*Trade Baby 5.) Dairy Milk Gorilla. Some of the worst commercials of all time include: 1.) Montgomery Flea Market 2.) Levi’s 501. 3.) Toyota Corolla. Best and Worst Commercials Ever

Most Expensive Commercials - Super Bowl Sunday features some of the most expensive commercials ever made. This year, Chrysler topped the most expensive list with its ad featuring rap star Eminem. The two minute ad ran this year is estimated to have cost the automobile company approximately 12 million dollars. That figure includes the cost to purchase the extensive 2 minutes. A 30 second spot runs about 3 million dollars. The lengthy commercial required special permission and is now recorded as the longest commercial in Super Bowl history. Car companies Kia and Volkswagen also paid out millions of dollars for the opportunity to showcase their brands. Volkswagen scored major points with its little boy dressed as Darth Vadar, while the Kia ad may have been a waste of money according to experts. Most Expensive Commercials

TV Commercial Stars - Isaiah Mustafa - The shirtless, sweet-talking, horse-riding Old Spice spokesman. Among other bit parts, Mustafa — a former NFL player — has played a bailiff on Ugly Betty and a cop on Days of Our Lives. Most recently, he played a SWAT team leader during Castle's March 22 episode. Eric Violette - The guitar-strumming, jingle-singing FreeCreditReport.com guy. Unless you frequent the Montreal theater scene, probably just in the FreeCreditReport.com ads. Ajay Mehta - Fiber One's friendly (and near-telepathic) supermarket manager. Mehta has had recurring parts on Eli Stone and Royal Pains. Geneva Carr - The frugal AT&T mom with the deadly glare who's desperate to save her family's Rollover minutes. Carr helped deliver Miranda's baby on Sex and the City, sat with Alec Baldwin in a fertility clinic in It's Complicated, and plays Nancy Grace-esque TV reporter Faith Yancy on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. TV Commercial Stars

Domonique Ramirez Beauty Queen - A teenage Texas beauty queen is in court to keep her crown following accusations that the recently coronated Miss San Antonio violated her contract and gained too much weight. A Bexar County judge Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order against the pageant's promoters that for now keeps the organization from formally stripping Domonique Ramirez, 17, of her title. Ramirez took the Miss Bexar County Organization to court Tuesday, claiming in a lawsuit that she had been unfairly stripped of her title. Ramirez's parents received an email on Jan. 25 saying the teenager had been replaced by the April 2010 pageant's runner-up. Miss San Antonio contestants can compete in the annual Miss Texas Pageant. Domonique Ramirez Beauty Queen

HP Touchpad Unveiled - The HP TouchPad, running WebOS, could be slick enough to attract more consumers than any individual Android tablets or the BlackBerry PlayBook -- but it has no shot at dethroning the Apple iPad, an analyst said Wednesday. "Collectively, Android tablets are huge; the market is already flooded with them. But if you're looking not at the whole platform, but rather a one-to-one comparison, the TouchPad could make a good case for the No. 2 spot behind the iPad," said Sarah Rotman Epps, a tech analyst at Forrester Research. "The TouchPad could outsell the Motorola Xoom or the Samsung Galaxy Tab or the BlackBerry PlayBook." A major advantage that Hewlett-Packard's TouchPad could have over tablets running Google's Android operating system is its screen size, Rotman Epps said. "Every Android tablet is slightly different, and Honeycomb, the first version of Android optimized for tablets, isn't out yet," she said. "S

Ashlee Simpson Pete Wentz Divorce - Remember Ashlee Simpson? Jessica Simpson's little sister. The one who flubbed up her lip-synching performance on "SNL" back in 2004, disappeared, then resurfaced in 2006 with a trim new nose. Not ringing a bell? Perhaps you remember her for her short stint on the CW's "Melrose Place" reboot. No? Well, anyway, today Simpson filed for divorce from husband of two years Pete Wentz. You'll surely remember Wentz as The Guy Married to Ashlee Simpson, because we're pretty sure you don't remember him as the bassist of so-so indie rock band Fall Out Boy. According to TMZ, there's no prenup in place and Simpson is asking for spousal and child support in addition to primary physical custody of the couple's son, 2-year-old Bronx Mowgli. Ashlee Simpson Pete Wentz Divorce

What is the Secret to Saving Money - "It's not how much you earn, it's how you spend it". Many will tell you this because it makes a good point. People making very little can still save money while those with much higher incomes incur more debt. The secret to saving is all about managing your money the right way. Discipline is very important and impulse buys are your enemy. Money can be saved in nearly all aspects of our lives. Simple things can go a long way. For instance, many of us are on contracts for a whole raft of things from mobile phones to internet plans. Most of the time the contract finishes and people don't bother to get a new one. Calling up your gas company, electricity company, mobile phone carrier, internet service provider and re-negotiating your contracts can save you a lot of money monthly. Money that could be going in to savings. Setting up a savings account which automatically takes out $15 every time you get your wages is a good tip. Yo

Does Car Insurance Lower at a Certain Age? - Many people wonder at which age auto insurance becomes cheaper. Policyholders often expect their rates to go down after hitting a certain age and then contact their company when their renewal premium comes in at the same price. It is often believed by many that when a driver turns 25, they will automatically get a discount for their age. Although at any given age, a policyholder can see an instant rate reduction, prices are not based on "age", but on the amount of years they've been licensed. For example, a 25 year old driver who just got their license purchases a policy, it is more likely that they will be quoted a higher rate than a younger driver, say 22, who has been driving since the age of 16. Once a driver hits three years licensed, they are likely to get a discount since they may be now qualify for a "good driver discount" given that their driving record is clean, meaning no violations. If there is someth

Smart Phones ID Theft - Mobile phones are the new frontier for cyber criminals, according to the latest research from McAfee. That may sound like a scary headline, but as phones have become more sophisticated, so this new development became inevitable. Traditionally, cyber criminals have concentrated on the biggest targets, too: so for computers Microsoft has always attracted far more attention than Apple, and on mobile phones Nokia’s Symbian OS was hacked most often. Now as Android has finally begun to take Symbian’s place and the iPhone’s dominance is well established, that operating system too is being examined more closely. The appeal of mobile phone malware is obvious: these devices increasingly have pin numbers stored as ‘contacts’, or have people’s credit card details stored in iTunes accounts. Hacking is still difficult, but not impossible. Viruses disguised as applications, or links sent from text messages open up not just financial fraud, but also the possibility of iden

Harry Baals Government Center? - Officials in Fort Wayne, Ind., said their new government center will "probably not" be named after former Mayor Harry Baals, despite support in an online poll. Fort Wayne Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy said the building will "probably not" be named the Harry Baals Government Center after the city's longest-serving mayor, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Journal-Gazette reported Wednesday. "We love Fort Wayne, too," she said. "We're not going to make any decisions that look bad." Malloy said Baals, who died in May 1954, was a popular mayor, but officials fear putting his name on the building could cause embarrassment due to the sound of the moniker. Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/02/09/Harry-Baals-Government-Center-unlikely/UPI-83251297281467/#ixzz1DVLdSvVI Harry Baals Government Center?

Eliza Kruger and Mark Sanchez USA - She's in high school and dating the star quarterback -- of the Jets! Superstar Gang Green play caller Mark Sanchez "hooked up" in his New Jersey home last month with a striking 17-year-old Connecticut high-school girl -- whose preppy dad is a super-wealthy financier, a bombshell new report claims. Sexy rich girl Eliza Kruger not only bragged on Facebook about "MARK F--ING SANCHEZ" texting her after they flirted at a hip Manhattan nightclub on New Year's Eve -- she also took photos of a mussed-up bed in his boudoir as "proof" of their huddle just days later. Read more: http://nation.foxnews.com/culture/2011/02/08/report-jets-qb-mark-sanchez-hooked-17-year-old#ixzz1DVLP7DCz Eliza Kruger and Mark Sanchez USA

Representative Chris Lee and Craigslist - Married New York Rep. Christopher Lee has been caught hunting for extramarital affairs on Craigslist, according to a bombshell report published by Gawker. The GOP congressman, who covers the 26th District in Western New York, sent a 34-year-old woman he met on the listings site a shirtless photo of himself, along with emails claiming he's "divorced," a "lobbyist" and a "fit fun classy guy." Lee's office was not responding to the allegations. The two-term Congressman was "unavailable," as was his press secretary and anyone else in his office, according to the person who picked up the phone at his Longworth House Office Building suite. A spokesman told Gawker that Lee's email account was hacked into. The woman, who was not identified by the website, placed an ad in the "Women for Men" section of the listings site on Jan. 14, asking someone to prove to her that not all congres

Model at Busch Home Died of Oxycodone Overdose - The December death of a 27-year-old woman at the Missouri home of beer tycoon August Busch IV was ruled an accident, a medical examiner said Wednesday. Adrienne Nicole Martin died of an oxycodone overdose, the St. Louis County Office of the Medical Examiner said in a statement. She was found dead December 19 at Busch's Frontenac, Missouri, home, authorities said. The medical examiner's office said that information, and its complete report, was forwarded to the law enforcement agencies investigating Martin's death. Police responded to a call from the home about an unresponsive woman, authorities said. "This girl is not waking up," Michael Jung, a home staff employee at the Busch estate, told the operator. "Is she breathing"? the 911 operator asked Jung. "We don't know," Jung replied. "It's dark. I'm going to get a light to see." The call ended after the operator t

Marvin Sease Dies - "Ghetto Man" soul singer Marvin Sease has died in Vicksburg, Miss., at the age of 64. Born in South Carolina, Sease got his start in the gospel circuit but moved into R&B when he formed his own blues band. His career took off in 1986 when he released a self-titled alubum with the popular "Ghetto Man" track on it on his own Early Label. London/Mercury reissued it after signing him the following year. According to Variety magazine, Sease never took an album or a single into the upper reaches of the charts, but his funky style and risque songs made him a hit on the black club circuit. He cut close to 20 albums for major labels, including his last, "Who's Got the Power," which was released in 2008. Marvin Sease Dies

Diet Soda Heart Attack - New research that links diet soda consumption with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke has doctors urging caution about the controversial and preliminary results. According to a study of more than 2,500 people presented today as a poster at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles, people who drank diet soda daily had a 61 percent increased risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who drank no soda, even when accounting for smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption and calories consumed per day. "This study suggests that diet soda is not an optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages, and may be associated with a greater risk of stroke," Hannah Gardener of the University of Miami and her colleagues reported at the conference. But the questionnaire-based study garnered criticism by experts in diet, nutrition and vascular disease. Diet Soda Heart Attack