BlackBerry maker's stock up on hopes for comeback

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Research in Motion Ltd.'s stock rallied Monday on hopes that the BlackBerry maker will be able to build on its recent momentum to mount a more serious challenge to Apple Inc.'s iPhone and rival mobile devices running on Google Inc.'s Android software.

THE SPARK: The stock gains came after investors had more time to digest RIM's most recent quarterly results, which were announced on Thursday, the final day of stock trading last week.

The quarterly numbers offered signs of hope as well as distress. On the plus side, a new Blackberry model got off to a solid start in sales, helping the company post a profit that hadn't been anticipated by industry analysts. But the company also lost about 3 million subscribers in the last quarter, signaling the company is still losing market share to the iPhone and Android-powered phones made by Samsung Electronics and other handset manufacturers.

THE BIG PICTURE: Investors snapping up RIM's stock Monday evidently believe the Canadian company's positives will outweigh its negatives as it converts more users to its new BlackBerry 10 software. The redesigned the operating system has the multimedia features, Internet browsing and apps experience that have been staples on the iPhone and Android devices for several years. The BlackBerry Z10, the first RIM device running on the new software, was only sold in international markets in the past quarter. The Z10 is now being sold in the crucial U.S. market.

Another new model with a physical keyboard, the Q10, is expected to be released in international markets next month, although it might not be available in the U.S. until June or July. That delay opens a window for Apple and Android device makers to win over longtime BlackBerry users tired of waiting for a more dynamic smartphone.

The rise of the iPhone and Android devices is the main reason that RIM's stock price has plummeted by more than 65 percent from its levels six years ago. The company is punctuating its faith in its revamped product line by changing its name to BlackBerry. That proposed switch still needs shareholder approval.

THE ANALYSIS: In Monday research note, Wells Fargo Securities analyst Maynard Um predicted RIM will sell 3.5 million BlackBerry 10 phones in the current quarter ending in early June. He previously had projected 2.5 million BlackBerry 10 phones would be shipped in the period covering RIM's fiscal first quarter.

He also expects a smaller loss of 7 cents per share rather than 22 cents per share for the entire fiscal year. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected a loss of 47 cents cents per share late last week. After the release of the most recent quarterly results, they now expect profit of 10 cents per share for the year.

SHARE ACTION: RIM's stock gained 61 cents, or 4.2 percent, to $15.05 in afternoon trading. The shares have ranged from $6.22 to $18.32 in the past 12 months.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-makers-stock-hopes-comeback-191224162.html

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'Buckwild' star Shain Gandee dead at 21

By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

Updated at 5:06 p.m. ET:?Shain Gandee, a star on the MTV reality program "Buckwild," has died, NBC affiliate WSAZ confirmed on Monday.

MTV

The 21-year-old and his uncle, David Gandee, were reported missing on Sunday, according to the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office. The two were said to have been last seen at a Sissonville, W.Va., bar around 3 a.m., and they then planned to go four-wheeling.

---

According to Kanawha County Commission President Ken Carper, the bodies of Shain and two others were found in a truck in Sissonville on Monday.

The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office has identified the second person as 48-year-old David. There's no word yet on the identity of the third person.

Family members began to search for Shain and his uncle on Sunday before officially reporting them missing.

Shain, along with "Buckwild" co-star Shae Bradley, appeared on TODAY in January, to defend their then-new show from critics who feared their on-screen antics would reinforce negative stereotypes about West Virginians.

Shain's defense of the show now strikes a sad tone. "You only live once, so live it up," he said.

Last month, MTV renewed the show for a second season. However, in the wake of Shain's death, production on the show has been suspended, a network spokesperson told The Clicker. No further details were available.

In a statement to TODAY, MTV said, "We are shocked and saddened by the terrible news about Shain Gandee, and those involved in this tragic incident. We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Shain had a magnetic personality, with a passion for life that touched everyone he met and we will miss him dearly."

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Chris Brown, Rihanna Split ? Without A Beating!

Okay, so the world most unbelievable couple has officially split.. again! And this time it was without anyone being beaten severely. Isn’t that sweet? Reports hit several months ago that the embattled couple was reconciling and actually getting back together. It was Rihanna who comforted Chris after his stupid bottle throwing fight in a NY nightclub. It was Rihanna who partied who Chris after the Grammy’s. It was nauseating. Despite being convicted of beating her to a pulp, he got a few more months in with her. Now, alas, they are broken up. Reports are hitting that he admitted it on the radio, and through Twitter. Good riddance. Now maybe RiRi can find someone who knows how to treat a lady. Get the full story over at RadarOnline. Wow, take a look at Beyonce trying to act gangsta – The Great Monkey Suit. So The Voice is not doing too shabby after all! – Pop On The Pop. Wait, what? Is Rob Kardashian checking into rehab? For what? – Celeb Dirty Laundry. Check out these adorable photos of D-Beck’s kids – Celeb Baby Laundry. Dita Von Teese always finds a way to stay relevant…but it’s always the same way! – [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/gpFhbFTc7RI/

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Malala Yousafzai, shot for defying Taliban, to write book

LONDON (AP) ? Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager shot in the head by the Taliban as she returned home from school, is writing a book about the traumatic event and her long-running campaign to promote children's education.

Publisher Weidenfeld and Nicolson announced that it would release "I am Malala" in Britain and Commonwealth countries this fall. Little, Brown and Co. will publish the 15-year-old's memoir in the United States and much of the rest of the world.

"Malala is already an inspiration to millions around the world. Reading her story of courage and survival will open minds, enlarge hearts, and eventually allow more girls and boys to receive the education they hunger for," said Michael Pietsch, executive vice president and publisher of Little, Brown.

A Taliban gunman shot Malala on Oct. 9 in northwestern Pakistan. The militant group said it targeted her because she promoted "Western thinking" and, through a blog, had been an outspoken critic of the Taliban's opposition to educating girls.

The shooting sparked outrage in Pakistan and many other countries, and her story drew global attention to the struggle for women's rights in Malala's homeland. The teen even made the shortlist for Time magazine's "Person of the Year" in 2012.

Malala was brought to the U.K. for treatment and spent several months in a hospital undergoing skull reconstruction and cochlear implant surgeries. She was released last month and has started attending school in Britain.

Malala said in a statement Wednesday that she hoped telling her story would be "part of the campaign to give every boy and girl the right to go to school.

"I hope the book will reach people around the world, so they realize how difficult it is for some children to get access to education," she said. "I want to tell my story, but it will also be the story of 61 million children who can't get education."

Publishers did not reveal the price tag for the book deal, estimated by the Guardian newspaper at 2 million pounds ($3 million).

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shot-pakistani-teen-malala-yousafzai-writing-book-100913748.html

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Ten years and 10,000 fewer premature deaths later

By Jonathan Allen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg marked the tenth anniversary on Wednesday of his ban on smoking in bars and restaurants with a report saying the ban and subsequent anti-smoking measures had prevented 10,000 premature deaths.

"Ten years ago when New York City prohibited smoking in restaurants and bars, many predicted the end of the hospitality, restaurant and tourism industries," Bloomberg said in a statement.

"Yet ten years later, fewer New Yorkers are smoking, we are living longer, our industries are thriving and nobody longs for a return to smoke-filled bars and restaurants."

Critics of the move feared banning smoking would hurt the restaurant and bar business, but the Health Department report said there are now some 6,000 more restaurants and bars in the city than there were a decade ago.

The city's Smoke-Free Air Act came into effect a little over a year into Bloomberg's first term as mayor in 2003 and prohibited smoking inside bars, restaurants and most workplaces.

The following year, the city began providing free nicotine replacement therapy to smokers trying to quit and in 2011 expanded the smoking ban to the city's parks and beaches.

According to the report released on Wednesday, the proportion of adult smokers dropped by about a third to 15 percent in 2011 from 21.5 percent in 2002. The report, released by the city's Health Department, also said the proportion of youths under age 18 who smoke dropped by about half to 8.5 percent.

Bloomberg's tenure, which will end this year, has been marked by his efforts to improve New Yorkers' health by trying to induce them to eat less salt, trans fats and calories in general, among other measures.

Bloomberg has been criticized by some as paternalistic but his efforts have coincided with an increase in New Yorkers' life expectancy, including a decline in tobacco-related deaths.

Bloomberg's attempt to limit the size of sugary drinks sold in the city was derailed this month only hours before the new rules were to take effect when a judge ruled that they were "arbitrary and capricious". The city is appealing that decision.

A week later, Bloomberg announced his plan to require shops to hide cigarettes and tobacco products from public view, arguing that would shield young people from marketing efforts.

Some shop owners and cigarette manufacturers have criticized the plan as unnecessary extra regulation that would infringe the free speech provision of the U.S. Constitution.

Bloomberg also proposed a minimum price of $10.50 for a pack of cigarettes, in the hope that some smokers would find the habit too expensive to maintain. The two bills are now before the city council.

Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of premature death in the city, according to the Health Department.

Ronald Bayer, a professor of public health at Columbia University, called Bloomberg's health initiatives a "major achievement" and said his efforts to make smoking less socially acceptable were an effective and legitimate use of his office.

He said it remains an open question how much further government could go to discourage smokers to quit.

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst)

(In next-to-last paragraph, this story corrects spelling of professor's name to Bayer, not Beyer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/york-city-marks-tenth-anniversary-smoking-ban-192916192.html

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Hollande's popularity at new low as he grapples with French economy: poll

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande's popularity rating has fallen to its lowest level since he came to power, a poll found on Wednesday, a day before he is due to address the nation to ask for patience as he attempts to revive the economy.

Ten months into his tenure, the Socialist president is struggling to reverse rising jobless claims, which are at their highest level in 15 years, and to stimulate an economy teetering near recession.

Only 27 percent of those polled in the LH2 poll for left-leaning weekly Le Nouvel Observateur expressed satisfaction with Hollande, with 68 percent dissatisfied.

Hollande was elected last May on pledges to get people back to work. His inability to meet that goal and a steady stream of weak economic data has eroded his popularity, which fell to about 30 percent late last month, according to various polls.

In the LH2 survey, just 15 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with his efforts to fight unemployment, with 81 percent dissatisfied. His efforts to reduce the public debt fared only slightly better, garnering a 22 percent satisfaction rate.

"This assessment ... shows that his May 2012 designation as a 'candidate of change' now leaves people with a feeling they have been deceived, which is amplified for his measures to fight unemployment and reduce the public debt," said pollster LH2.

Only in Hollande's management of foreign relations did those polled express more satisfaction than dissatisfaction - 47 percent against 45 percent.

Hollande is due to give a prime-time television interview on Thursday aimed at reassuring a skeptical public over the economic outlook.

The survey questioned 968 people by telephone on March 22 and 23.

(Reporting By Alexandria Sage; Editing by Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hollandes-popularity-low-grapples-french-economy-poll-193530637.html

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Chris Brown opens up about Rihanna assault

By Josh Grossberg, E! Online

Chris Brown wants to say goodbye to the past. Stopping by "On Air With Ryan Seacrest," ?the "Look At Me Now" crooner talked candidly about the current status of his relationship with Rihanna, whether they've been able to move on after he assaulted her four years ago, and his own view of his bad behavior.

When asked by Ryan Seacrest whether he ever thought Ri-Ri would forgive him the way that she did, the 23-year-old Brown admitted he "didn't know," but he's been making amends for the incident ever since.

"I just tried my best to be the best man I could be over the years and just show her how remorseful and sorry I was for the incident and that time was probably the worst part of my life and being that she has and she's a wonderful person I'm eternally grateful and thankful," the entertainer told the American Idol host on his radio show.?

Jennifer Lopez and Chris Brown get together in the studio

As for how they're getting on now, Breezy added: "It's still like we're kids. I try not to be too grown and be like, 'Lets have candlelight dinner every night.' I try to make sure everything is fun. It has to be fun and it has to be genuine."

The singer also acknowledged the challenge he continues to face in winning fans back that abandoned him after his domestic violence rap.

"People are entitled to their opinions. I can't go around blaming. It's all about my responsibility and me growing up as a man," he said. "So I think now that I'm becoming older, and trying to mature in this life under the public eye at all times, I have to focus on doing the right thing and being more of a humble individual."

When Ryan wondered what lesson he learned from that tough time, Brown replied, "that you can lose it all."

Watch Chris Brown's lawyer addresses probation hearing

"And I'm not just saying fame or stardom because that's not what it's about. I'm talking about dignity (and) integrity. You know, you lose yourself in a way."

While he admitted he learned -- and is still learning -- from his mistakes, the R&B star was quick not to blame the beatdown on his relative youth (he was still a teenager at the time it happened).

"I think for me that at age 18, 19, I was capable of writing and producing songs, so I'm also capable of making the right choices," noted Brown. "Being at that young age, I can tell you I was arrogant and definitely hotheaded. Everybody has a temper, but for me it was not knowing how to control it when I thought I had the world in my hands."

Chris Brown's valet fight: Insider the dispute over $10 parking fee

The "F.A.M.E." artist also elaborated on the altercation he got into with a valet the other day over a $10 parking fee, saying that he had given the valet a $100 and the man came back and demanded more money.

Chris said next time: "I've got to just shut up and be like, 'Security go get the keys!' I'll be by the car."

On the business side of things, Brown -- who appeared on the show to promote his new single, "Fine China," which drops in April -- also revealed he's currently working on a collaboration with Jennifer Lopez, whom he hopes to feature on his new album.

To hear the singer's full interview with Seacrest, click here.

Rihanna & Chris Brown: Relationship rewind

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Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/03/27/17485124-chris-brown-opens-up-about-rihanna-assault-i-was-arrogant-and-hotheaded?lite

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