Technology Slice Blog

iPad 2 To Have Dual Camera - Multiple (unnamed) sources are coming forth and spreading some news sure to bring holiday cheer to some: the iPad 2 is on its way with a pair of built-in cameras. Component suppliers for Apple Inc’s iPad are gearing up for a new round of production in the first quarter, sources said on Friday, with one saying the product will be a revamp of the popular tablet computer including front- and back-mounted cameras. iPad 2 To Have Dual Camera Reuters also acknowledges the fact that Apple is known to make announcements around the first month of the year naturally as it fell in line with Macworld. Last year, the iPad was unveiled on January 27. It was just seem plain weird if Apple didn’t announce something big next month. Reports have already swirled earlier this week about 400,000 to 600,000 units of the second-gen iPad shipping within the next three months. iPad 2 To Have Dual Camera

London Protest Gets Violent - Yesterday saw the culmination of months of student action across the UK and in Wales, as thousands descended on Westminster to protest ahead of the vote over a potential tuition fee increase. Twenty Cardiff students joined the protest in an attempt to encourage Cardiff Central MP, Jenny Willott to vote against the proposed increase. London Protest Gets Violent This effort from Cardiff students has come after various attempts to encourage Willott to honour her electorate. Cardiff students have been actively campaigning over the past month, organising occupations, marches and rally's to raise awareness of the importance of the vote. In a recent vote in the Welsh Assembly Government has shown that they value the importance of higher education by committing to continued investment in Welsh domiciled students. The chants that rang out in Parliament Square yesterday attempted to remind the Liberal Democrat MP's to champion the same values. Lon...

Anonymous Avenges Wikileaks - A teenage 'hacktivist' was arrested in Holland today over crippling web attacks on Mastercard and Paypal as the cyber war between WikiLeaks activists and its opponents intensified. The 16-year-old is alleged to be part of internet campaign group Anonymous which masterminded a string of digital assaults on companies that dropped the whistle-blowing website as a customer. The group is also under investigation by British police in a bid to snare UK-based cyber cells. A source said: 'We have been aware of the group Anonymous for some months now and have an ongoing investigation into their activities in the UK. 'No arrests have yet been made concerning the recent attacks.' Anonymous Avenges Wikileaks The arrest came as it was revealed that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, 39, has been transferred to an isolation cell in London's tough Wandsworth Prison - where he has been BARRED from using the internet. And with little to...

Kelly Ripa Is On Crutches - Short story: Kelly Ripa is on crutches because she broke her hip! "I had an MRI and it turns out I have a stress fracture in what's called the femoral neck of my right hip," the Live with Regis and Kelly cohost explained to Regis Philbin and their audience. "So that means no exercise for three to six weeks." "Oh, that's gonna kill you!" replied a shocked Regis. "It'll heal by itself. I don't need any surgery. I don't need anything special done. I just need to sit down," Ripa said. This might be a far more difficult task than it sounds for the television personality, who is notoriously dedicated to her workout regimen. Ripa can be seen jogging in New York's Central Park every morning she spends in that city, and her super-skinny frame speaks volumes of the rest of her exercise routine that must go on behind closed doors. Kelly Ripa Is On Crutches

Beckman Coulter Exploring Sale - Beckman Coulter Inc., the Brea-based maker of laboratory equipment, is exploring a sale after it was approached by buyout firms interested in taking the company private, said people with direct knowledge of the matter. Beckman, with a market value of about $4 billion, hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to study whether to go private or search for a strategic buyer, said the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. Blackstone Group and Apollo Global Management are among the firms that approached Beckman, said two of the people. The process is in early stages, and any deal for the company would likely be months away, the people said. Beckman Coulter Exploring Sale General Electric Co., Danaher Corp. and 3M Co. are among industrial companies that have recently told financial advisers they are interested in acquiring makers of lab equipment or scientific instruments used in labs, said one of the people. Beckman said in September...

Facebook Status Numbers Online Game - Now we are seeing facebook numbers in status. It’s a like a secret code, where we can talk about whoever we want without all of our facebook friends knowing who we are talking about. A fun game, something new to entertain ourselves with. Last weekend, it was the cartoon characters in our status updates. We’ve seen others, too. Colors as status updates, changing your picture to one from your childhood or a celebrity that you think you look like. These facebook trends seem to catch on quickly. Why do we go along with them? Facebook Status Numbers Online Game *When we first sign up for facebook, we have fun catching up with old friends or being nosey and see what’s going on with that girl who was our enemy in high school or that guy we had a crush on in college. But, then what? These facebook games give us something else to do. *Unless you have major excitement in your life, you end up posting the same boring things over and over again. “We...

AJ Wright Shutting Down - T.J. Maxx and Marshalls parent TJX Cos. (TJX) announced plans on Friday to slash more than 4,000 jobs and shut down its A.J. Wright division. Framingham, Mass.-based TJX said it plans to convert 91 A.J. Wright stores into T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods stores. The remaining 71 A.J. Wright stores will be shuttered. The move is aimed at improving overall profitability by focusing on its more successful brands. As a result of the moves, TJX will eliminate 4,400 positions, most of them part-time jobs. The retailer employed about 154,000 employees as of October. AJ Wright Shutting Down “While I believe this move makes us a much stronger company and will benefit TJX in both the near-term and long-term, it was not an easy decision as many positions will be eliminated and it will be difficult for our affected associates,” CEO Carol Meyrowitz said in a statement. “However, it will allow us to focus our financial and managerial resources on our highest re...