MBN/Newsvideoweb Wire Service MBN/Newsvideoweb in 3D

30Dec/110

Netflix braces for rivals’ onrush in 2012

Netflix braces for rivals' onrush in 2012
After its missteps of earlier this year, Netflix will face an increasing roster of competitors for streaming video content directly to consumers' television sets, according to an analysis of the digital video-on-demand scene. From powerful tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft to Hollywood studios, Hulu and incumbent multichannel providers, Netflix's dominance will be severely tested. Variety (subscription required

30Dec/110

Appeals court upholds law protecting telecoms

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a 2008 law that grants telecoms immunity from lawsuits based on complaints arising from their role in aiding government surveillance efforts. Judge M. Margaret McKeown cited a Senate intelligence panel, which said that without immunity, "the private sector might be unwilling to cooperate with lawful government requests in the future." Reuters (12/29), The Washington Post/The Associated Press

Filed under: Uncategorized No Comments
28Dec/110

Updated New Release With Corrected Lot Numbers Petrus Feed and Seed Stores, Inc. recalls its 21% Dog Food

Petrus Feed and Seed Stores, Inc. today announced a voluntary recall of its dry dog food – 21% Protein Dog Food in 40 lb Petrus Feed bags. The product is being recalled because the product was manufactured with corn which tested above acceptable levels for Aflatoxin. The affected products were manufactured at Cargill’s manufacturing facility located in LeCompte, Louisiana between December 1, 2010 and December 1, 2011.

The recall only applies 21% Dog Food, packaged in 40 lb Petrus Feed bags with the following packaging Date codes (lot numbers) 4K1011 through 4K1307. Updated lot numbers are 4K1011 through 4K1335.

The affected dry dog food was distributed in Petrus Feed and Seed in Alexandria, Louisiana.

While no adverse health effects related to these products have been reported, Petrus Feed and Seed Store, Inc. is implementing this recall as a precautionary measure. Consumers are urged to return affected products – whether in opened or unopened packages – to their place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, contact 318-443-2259, Monday – Friday, 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM and Saturday, 7:30 AM – 1:00 PM.

Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring mold by-product. Pets that have consumed any of the above recalled products and exhibit symptoms of illness including sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, vomiting, yellowish tint to the eyes or gums, or diarrhea should be seen by a veterinarian.

Filed under: Uncategorized No Comments
27Dec/110

QUOTABLES FROM "LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON" DECEMBER 19 – DECEMBER 23

“How are feeling tonight? Welcome to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! Thank you I appreciate that. It’s good to be back we have a whole week of funny shows. Hey guys, huge international news, you guys. Kim Jong Il – you know, the crazy leader of North Korea who hate us? – well, he passed away over the weekend. And get this -- his 28-year-old son, Kim Jong Un is taking over. It won’t be easy – he’s got some BIG women’s sunglasses to fill.”
“Hey guys, tomorrow is the first night of Hanukkah, and the White House already had its annual Hanukkah reception. Yeah, first Obama lit a menorah – then Biden made a wish and blew it out. (‘Somebody keep him away.’)”
“And this is nice. President Obama and his family just released their official Christmas Card, which features their dog Bo in front of a fireplace. Of course, when the Chinese president got his, he didn't think it was a card - he thought it was a take-out menu.”
“Speaking of the holidays, the Salvation Army says that someone actually dropped a diamond ring into one of their donation kettles. Or as Kobe Bryant’s wife put it, ‘You’re welcome.’ (‘I won’t be needing that. That’s the end of that.’)”
“I read about a 94-year-old woman who recently died, and left 13 million dollars to her pet cat. You should have seen the cat's face when he heard – it was like, (EMOTIONLESS, LICK PAW.)”
“This is weird. A man in Israel recently changed his name to Mark Zuckerberg. Which explains that guy’s new website, ‘Facebuchhhas.’ ‘Hey what did you write on my wailing wall?’ ‘There is no ‘like’ button, there’s an ‘eh’ button. Eh.’”
“Hey, this is pretty interesting. Scientists just discovered that rats can actually show compassion. Which explains why this morning on the subway, I saw a rat give up his seat to an older rat with shopping bags. (‘It was just sweet…’)”
“And finally, a man in Washington known as the ‘Fast Food Bandit’ was just arrested for robbing 12 Subway restaurants. But the good news is, when he gets to prison, they’ll be offering unlimited footlongs.”
“How are you guys feeling tonight? Welcome to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! I’m so excited, you guys! It’s gonna be such a huge show – tonight we have Tom Cruise on the show! And tech expert Josh Topolsky! Yeah, you heard it right, ladies—tech expert Josh Topolsky.”
“Hey, did you see this? Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg apparently went hunting, killed a bison, nicknamed it ‘Billy,’ then mounted its head on a wall. Yeah, then Zuckerberg was like, (WIPE HANDS) ‘Anyone else wanna complain about the new Facebook Timeline?’”
“That’s right, Mark Zuckerberg killed a bison and mounted its head on the wall. Which explains why today, all my Farmville animals migrated to Friendster.”
“Get this. According to a new survey, the most annoying word of 2011 was ‘whatever.’ Which is why I always go with the much less annoying option: “Whatevsies.”
“I just read this. In honor of Christmas, a town in the UK held a reindeer race on Friday night. And of course, it happened to be RIGHT when my Grandma was crossing the street.”
“That’s right, there was a reindeer race on Friday. The runners included Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and the winner of the race—Mutumbe, the reindeer from Kenya.”
“And finally, I heard that the Kardashian family just released a special 3-D Christmas card. And this is nice – the card even plays Kim’s favorite Christmas song, ‘The 12 Days of Marriage.’”
“How are you guys feeling tonight? Welcome to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! Christmas is just around the corner, and everyone’s traveling for the holidays. So get this -- yesterday TSA workers sang ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ for passengers at LAX. And I thought this is cool – for JetBlue passengers, they sang ‘I Believe I Can Fly Six Hours Later Than I Was Supposed To.’”
“The TSA workers also sang ‘Deck the Halls’ -- not to be confused with their normal song, ‘Check the Balls.’”
“Hey, here’s an election update. In a new interview, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said he advised Mitt Romney to be ‘edgier and bolder.’ Or as Romney put it, (REBELLIOUS) ‘Goodbye black socks, hello blue socks.’”
“Some sports news. The NCAA announced that Ohio State will be banned from bowl games for a year because of a bribery scandal involving players. Then Penn State was like, ‘Wait, but WE’RE still okay??’”
“Hey listen to this. I heard that Jay-Z and Kanye West were paid three million dollars each to perform at a sweet 16 party in Dubai. Well, I don’t want to brag, but when I was 16…I had my birthday at (COCKY) ‘The Ground Round.’”
“Some celebrity news. This week, Chaz Bono announced that he split up with his longtime girlfriend after six years together. Yeah, it’s a classic case of girl meets girl, girl becomes boy, then other girl who stayed a girl leaves boy slash ex-girl.”
“And finally, a man in Connecticut proposed to his girlfriend by spelling out the words ‘Will you marry me” in Christmas lights. It was a little awkward – before she could answer, the guy’s neighbor Bill was like, ‘YES! A thousand times, yes!’”
“Hey guys! Welcome to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon everybody! Christmas is almost here, you guys! I’m excited! And this nice is—yesterday President Obama bought about 200 dollars worth of Christmas presents at Best Buy. Then it got awkward when he asked the Geek Squad if they fix economies.”
“The New York Daily News reported that Obama bought the Wii game ‘Just Dance’ for his daughters, Sasha and Malia. Or in other words – the New York Daily News just ruined the fun of opening presents for Sasha and Malia.”
“I just saw this. A recent survey found that 40 percent of parents tell their kids Santa isn’t real after they turn eight years old. (WORRIED) While the rest aren't total liars – right, Mom and Dad??”
“Speaking of Christmas, this is interesting…A new study found that Christmas is the best time to tell loved ones they are overweight. On the other hand, no it’s not.”
“In a new interview, President Obama was asked to describe Michelle, and he used the words ‘beautiful, smart, and funny.’ When asked how he picked those, he used the words, ‘she’s, sitting, and right-next-to-me.’”
“Speaking of Michelle Obama, A Wisconsin congressman is facing criticism after saying that Michelle Obama has a quote ‘large posterior.’ Though Michelle took it as a compliment when she heard the guy's name: Congressman Mix-a-Lot.”
“And finally you guys, I heard that a White Castle in Indiana has actually started selling wine and beer. Really? You don’t go to White Castle and get wasted – you get wasted and then go to White Castle.”
“How are you guys feeling tonight? Welcome to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! Hey, I can’t believe this is our final show of 2011. And on a serious note, I don’t write these jokes by myself. So I want to thank the people who make them possible - Charlie Sheen, the Kardashians, Herman Cain, and Anthony Weiner.”
“Here’s an election update. Yesterday in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney spent an hour knocking on doors, trying to meet with voters. While Rick Perry spent an hour knocking on doors, trying to remember which house was his.”
“Hey, Happy Birthday to Ryan Seacrest, who turns 37 years old this weekend! His party was kind of annoying – he was like ‘We’ll find out what people gave me – (POINT TO CAMERA) right after the cake.’”
“Check this out. This week, a man in Indiana was arrested for robbing a bank with a hot glue gun. It wasn’t that scary – he was like, ‘Nobody move! Or I’ll…plug in this glue gun, wait for it to heat up, and then, I don’t know—you know what, just arrest me. What am I doing this is silly.’”
“This is interesting. It turns out that 80 percent of all fake Christmas trees are made in China. Yeah, it’s a little weird when kids in China all gather ‘round the tree…to finish making the tree.”
“And finally, did you guys hear this? Kobe Bryant’s wife says he cheated on her with 105 women during their marriage. Which means after 104 women, she was like, ‘Okay, NOW this is getting inappropriate.’”

Filed under: Uncategorized No Comments
27Dec/110

TRACEY GOLD (GROWING PAINS) WILL STAR IN NEW SYFY SATURDAY ORIGINAL MOVIE ARACHNOQUAKE

Tracey Gold (Growing Pains) will star in the new Syfy Saturday Original Movie Arachnoquake, scheduled to premiere on Syfy in 2012.
Joining Gold will be Bug Hall (The Little Rascals), Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager) and Edward Furlong (Terminator 2: Judgment Day).
In Arachnoquake, massive earthquakes unleash giant albino spiders. Freed from their ancient subterranean prison, the spiders go on a murderous rampage through New Orleans.
Currently in production in Louisiana, the movie is a production of Active Entertainment. Arachnoquake is directed by Griff Furst, who also directed Swamp Shark, one of the highest-rated Syfy Saturday Original Movies of 2011.
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

21Dec/110

Consumer Electronics Account for Small Share of Residential Energy Consumption

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® today released a new study, “Energy Consumption of CE in U.S. Homes in 2010,” showing that despite their popularity in American homes, consumer electronics (CE) account for a relatively small share – roughly 13 percent – of the average U.S. home’s electricity consumption.

There are nearly 2.9 billion CE devices in U.S. households and an average of 25 devices per household, including battery-operated CE devices. Home use of CE devices equaled 13.2 percent of overall residential electricity consumption and 9.3 percent of residential primary energy consumption. Within that 13.2 percent, televisions accounted for 34 percent, PCs 16 percent, and set-top boxes 13 percent.

For instance, the study estimated the installed base of televisions rose to 353 million in 2010 from 342 million in 2009, though unit energy consumption declined slightly (details on page 101 of the report) because of the shift from legacy cathode ray tube TVs to more efficient flat-panel TVs. The energy efficiency gains of this trend were detailed in a separate study earlier this year, “Power Consumption Trends in Digital TVs.”

“This landmark study provides a recent and comprehensive assessment of CE energy consumption, which is helpful to policy makers and others interested in efficiency trends,” said Douglas Johnson, CEA vice president of technology policy. “Energy efficiency improvements in consumer electronics are driven by innovation, competition and market-oriented programs such as ENERGY STAR.”

The study was commissioned by CEA and conducted by the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems to quantify the electricity consumption of CE products in U.S. households in 2010. Devices covered in depth in the study include: audio-visual equipment, audio video receivers, Blu-ray players, DVD players, televisions, video game consoles, set-top boxes (cable, satellite, telco and stand-alone), computers and peripherals, PCs, computer speakers, monitors, networking equipment and printers.

“Given the quick pace of change in our industry, it is important to have a comprehensive assessment from time to time,” Johnson added. “Too often we have seen unnecessary government mandates advanced on the basis of poor data and analysis. We hope this latest study is a welcome contribution to current and future policy and program discussions.”

The Fraunhofer report follows a study released by the Brattle Group last month that estimates U.S. energy consumption will drop five to 15 percent by 2020. According to the authors, economists Ahmad Faruqui and Doug Mitarotonda, the drop will occur due to an increase in ENERGY STAR appliances, less usage of incandescent light bulbs, incentives that encourage users not to consume as much energy during peak hours, and other programs that raise awareness of people's energy consumption.

About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $190 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org, www.DeclareInnovation.com and through social media