IBM, Cisco forge enterprise security tie IBM and Cisco Systems unveiled product updates that will link technology from the two companies more closely together to protect customer networks from security threats.


PeopleSoft exec follows Conway out the door Within two weeks of the firing of CEO Craig Conway, PeopleSoft has seen the departure of Ram Gupta, senior vice president of products and technology.


Software helping companies beat Sarb-Ox deadline Companies that have until 2005 to document their IT and financial controls under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are using documentation software to help them prepare ahead of time.


Russia may sell 76.8 percent of Yukos core production unit: report Russia may auction 76.8 percent of the capital of Yukos #39; major subsidiary of Yuganskneftegaz by the end of this month to cover the oil giant #39;s multi-billion-dollar back taxes bill, Interfax news agency reported Thursday.


Spitzer puts Wall Street #39;s top insurers in his sights Eliot Spitzer showed once again why he is Wall Street #39;s worst nightmare yesterday when he launched a scathing attack on the insurance industry that could lead to criminal charges against leading executives.


Netflix Sees Break Even in 2005, Stock Down 35 Pct Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc. on Thursday cut its subscription price and said it was changing its strategy to sacrifice healthy profits for growth in the face of strong competition.


Icahn: Scoffs At Mylan-King Pharma Merger In SEC Proxy Not buying it. Megafinancier Carl Icahn has made it clear: He #39;s still opposed to Mylan Laboratories #39; (nyse: MYL - news - people ) proposed acquisition of King Pharmaceuticals (nyse: KG - news - people ). Despite


US trade deficit widens to \$54 billion on oil spike WASHINGTON The United States announced Thursday that its trade gap widened in August to \$54 billion, the second-largest ever, reflecting record spending on imported oil and a decline in goods exports that may presage a slowdown in manufacturing.


Update 1: Eli Lilly Plans to Eliminate 575 Jobs Eli Lilly and Co. said Thursday it will eliminate 575 jobs to streamline operations and become more competitive. The employees in those positions, mostly sales and support jobs, will be given the choice of


UPDATE 1-ATA shares up on merger talk, but analysts doubt Shares of ATA Holdings Corp., (ATAH.O: Quote, Profile, Research) parent of discount airline ATA, rose as much as 22 percent on Thursday after a Wall Street Journal


Unrepentant Airbus seeks further launch aid Airbus inflamed the transatlantic trade dispute with Boeing yesterday by declaring that it would apply for up to 1bn (690m) in launch aid for its proposed


Alitalia revisions swell its loss MILAN The Italian airline Alitalia, in a restatement Wednesday of its results for the first half of the year, almost doubled its previously reported loss to 620 million as it set aside money to pay for a restructuring plan.


Google Search Hits The Desktop Google #39;s (Quote, Chart) Desktop Search application, released today, sorts through desktop files of all sorts, as well as AOL Instant Messenger chats and Web sites the user has visited.


Intel Cancels Top-Speed Pentium 4 Chip Intel Corp. (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday canceled plans to introduce its highest-speed desktop computer chip, ending for now a 25-year run that has


The polluted planet: Alarm as global study finds one-third of <b>...</b> They were the first animals with backbones to walk on land. They witnessed the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and were present at the birth of a bipedal ape who went on to become


TechBrief: Blow to file sharers The British music industry won an important High Court decision Thursday that would force Internet service providers to hand over the identity of Britons accused of using the Internet to swap free songs.


Starbucks : Rip Music While Drinking Coffee Starbucks Coffee today announced the national launch of the Hear Music media bar. This new service, powered by HP technology, allows Starbucks customers to create personalized CD compilations and burn full


Human Lie Detectors Almost Never Miss, Study Finds As he lies, the young man shrugs, flutters his eyelids and shakes his head. Another, on a witness stand, grimaces for a millisecond as he answers a question.


Cisco, IBM Team Up on Security IBM #39;s Tivoli Security Compliance Manager scans devices that plug into the network, such as laptops and home computers that may have been unprotected by network security.


SCO Site Will Aim to Offset Groklaw Coverage SCO is sick and tired of being  quot;dissed quot; by online bloggers and journalists, and it #39;s not going to take it anymore. So, it #39;s launching its own Web site to tell its side of the story concerning its many legal disputes.


Goosen brings a sparkle to the gloom With overnight rain causing a 2-hour delay to the start of play in the HSBC World Matchplay Championship at Wentworth, Retief Goosen did his bit to help to make up ground.


Dufner leads first round of Greensboro Classic Tour rookie Jason Dufner shot a seven-under-par 65 to take the first round lead at the Greensboro Classic on Thursday. Dufner, who has never led a round on the


NBA teams play first exhibition game in China SHANGHAI - Playing in his home town before an adoring crowd that chanted his name, Yao Ming had the jitters. He missed his first two shots and allowed Brad Miller to score against him repeatedly early in the first quarter.


Vogts abused by fans after draw with Moldova CHISINAU: Scotland coach Berti Vogts was verbally abused by fans after his side #39;s flagging World Cup qualification hopes were dealt a further blow in a 1-1 draw in Moldova on Wednesday.


Eriksson to have a word in Beckham #39;s ear Sven-Goran Eriksson, England #39;s head coach, said last night that he would be advising David Beckham that  quot;silence is golden quot;.


Game 2 rainout would give Astros much-needed breather ST. LOUIS -- A day of steady rain not only caused the Busch Stadium tarp to cover the infield little more than two hours before the scheduled start of Game 2 of the NL Championship Series, it gave the Houston Astros some hope strengthening their rotation.


Park shoots 62 for two-stroke lead PALM DESERT, Calif. -- While playing partners Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie grabbed most of the attention, Grace Park made history Thursday at the Samsung World Championship.


Klitschko to defend title against Williams LONDON - Danny Williams has earned a heavyweight title shot nearly three months after derailing Mike Tysons comeback. Williams will fight World Boxing Council champion Vitali Klitschko in New York on Dec. 11.


Porter deserved top coach honors last season Forget about Hubie Brown, Jerry Sloan and Larry Brown Terry Porter should have been last season #39;s Coach of the Year if only for getting the most out of the least.


Pakistani Commandos Storm Hideout, Freeing a Chinese Hostage One Chinese hostage was freed and another killed when Pakistani commandos stormed the hideout of Islamic militants in northwestern Pakistan today, government officials said.


Mandelson attacks gay row commissioner The crisis over claims by Italy #39;s incoming EU Justice and Home Affairs commissioner that homosexuality is  quot;a sin quot; deepened yesterday, as his future colleague, Peter Mandelson, described the remarks as  quot;unwise quot;.


Aid to Iraq should be sent faster, donors say TOKYO Aid to Iraq should be disbursed faster, Iraqi companies should get priority for contracts, and projects should be focused on bolstering parliamentary elections that are to be held in January, Iraqis and donor representatives agreed on Thursday at


Taiwan denies plutonium testing TAIPEI - Taiwan denied that the island #39;s nuclear weapons programme - abandoned in the 1980s - involved experimenting with separating plutonium.


Groups Decry Detention of Priest in Haiti The arrest of a Catholic priest drew criticism from human rights groups Thursday, who charged that the US-backed government was illegally trying to suppress support for ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.


Tennis: Spain grinds US into the red clay SEVILLE, Spain It was not quite what Carlos Moya missed the first time. The setting was not his country #39;s tennis capital and former home city of Barcelona but the capital of the Spanish region of Andalusia.


Human Right group condemns US The group "Human Rights Watch" has issued a detailed report outlining allegations of torture, abuse and violence against prisoners. Prisoners who have been made to "vanish" by unaccountable agencies.


Intel Cancels Top-Speed Pentium 4 Chip  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O on Thursday  canceled plans to introduce its highest-speed desktop computer  chip, ending for now a 25-year run that has seen the speeds of  Intel's microprocessors increase by more than 750 times.


Netflix Sees Break Even in 2005, Stock Down 35 Pct (Reuters) Reuters - Online DVD rental company Netflix\Inc. on Thursday cut its subscription price and said it was\changing its strategy to sacrifice healthy profits for growth\in the face of strong competition.


Intel Cancels Top-Speed Pentium 4 Chip (Reuters) Reuters - Intel Corp.  on Thursday\canceled plans to introduce its highest-speed desktop computer\chip, ending for now a 25-year run that has seen the speeds of\Intel's microprocessors increase by more than 750 times.


Trade Deficit Soars; Jobless Claims Rise (AP) AP - The trade deficit jumped to the second-highest level in history as surging demand for foreign oil swamped a small gain in U.S. exports, the government reported Thursday. America's trade gap with China hit an all-time high as retailers stocked up on cell phones, toys and televisions in preparation for Christmas sales.


Apple quarterly profit doubles; outlook tops views Apple Computer (AAPL) on Wednesday reported its quarterly profit more than doubled, on strong sales of its iPod digital music player and notebook computers, and said earnings for the current quarter would be much better than


Northwest, Pilots Reach Tentative Accord on Pay Cut (Update4) Northwest Airlines Corp., the fourth- largest US airline, and its pilots union reached tentative agreement on a contract that would cut pay and benefits, saving the company \$265 million a year.


Lilly to Eliminate Up to 575 US Jobs Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it will eliminate up to 575 US positions, representing 2 percent of its US work force, in order to streamline operations and reduce costs.


Follow-Through (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - In the year since our cover story on former Israeli commando Amnon Landan and Mercury Interactive, the Sunnyvale, Calif. software company has taken hostile fire on multiple fronts. Mercury sells testing tools that catch glitches in software programs and make Web and business programs run smoothly. It is grappling with new competition from open source vendors like JUnit and OpenSTA, which offer testing software for free. It's also facing pricing pressure from larger competitor IBM. Mercury stock has tumbled 20 since July.


Sun Microsystems Narrows 1Q Loss (AP) AP - Sun Microsystems Inc. returned to a loss in its fiscal first quarter as the server and software maker paid for its recent restructuring efforts and a settlement with Eastman Kodak Co.


IBM, Cisco Beef Up Enterprise Security Following CA #39;s announcement yesterday, IBM gave word that they are bundling Cisco Network Admission Control (NAC) technology into certain Tivoli systems and network management apps.


IBM, Borland upgrade developer tools OCTOBER 13, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Borland Software Corp. and IBM announced upgrades to their development tools this week designed to support heterogeneous environments and more closely link software creation to business goals.


Lava Building Up Rock at Mount St. Helens (AP) AP - More lava emerged Thursday on the crater floor of Mount St. Helens, expanding a rock formation building on the volcano's old lava dome.


New Russian-U.S. Crew Heads Into Space (AP) AP - A new Russian-U.S. crew headed to the international space station Thursday, surging into orbit aboard a Soyuz spacecraft none of the three astronauts has piloted before.


Goosen skims through rain to secure record victory Retief Goosen was the only player to book his place in the quarter-finals of the HSBC World Match Play here yesterday but it took a record margin of victory for the South African to be in such a luxurious overnight position.


Eriksson tells Beckham to give up on kick and tell SVEN Goran Eriksson has warned David Beckham to keep quiet about his indiscretions on the pitch as he intimated the players cardinal sin was not getting booked on purpose - but admitting to it in public.


Munro rested for key start In terms of a silver lining, at least Houston fans should know that Pete Munro is well rested. Munro, the Astros #39; Game 2 starter, hasn #39;t been on the mound in a game since Oct. 1


Scientist Teaching Bacteria to Eat Coffee Plant's Caffeine (Reuters) Reuters - In what could be a page taken from a\science fiction novel, a scientist in his laboratory is trying\to teach bacteria how to devour and destroy the caffeine\contained in a coffee plant.


US launches air strikes on Fallujah US warplanes have launched sustained and fierce attacks on the rebel-held Iraqi town of Fallujah, witnesses said. They said explosions could be heard in the attacks, a day after interim Prime Minister Iyad


Israeli Military Kills 4 Palestinian Militants in Gaza Operation The Israeli military killed four Palestinian militants on Wednesday as troops in tanks and armored vehicles pushed into another town in the northern Gaza Strip, extending


Trade deficit soars as Americans buy Chinese cell phones, toys <b>...</b> The trade deficit jumped to the second-highest level in history as surging demand for foreign oil swamped a small gain in US exports, the government reported Thursday.


ATA stock soars on merger speculation ATA Holdings Corp. #39;s stock price surged 22 percent this morning then settled to an eight-percent gain on renewed speculation the troubled Indianapolis airline is discussing a merger with America West Airlines.


Enter your e-mail: Here at the Digital Life trade show in New York City Internet search behemoth Google has created quite a buzz on the show floor with the launch of its much-anticipated Google Desktop Search utility.


#39;Wizards #39; can spot a liar instantly A handful of people, mostly elderly, are so good at working out when someone is truthful that experts yesterday called them the  quot;wizards quot; of lie detection.


When will Mount St Helens erupt? Research reported in Science today (14 October 2004) shows that rocks erupted from the Mount St Helens volcano in 1980 preserve a remarkable record of the goings-on beneath the volcano in the period prior to its eruption.


Eli Lilly Eliminating Jobs Indianapolis-based drug manufacturer, Eli Lilly, is eliminating 575 US jobs, in order to streamline operations and become more competitive.


Brin: Google Launches Desktop Search To Smite Microsoft Forensic files: Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) on Thursday rolled out a seminal version of its new desktop tool, enabling users to scrutinize hard drives as they would Web sites.


State of the world #39;s amphibians bleak: report WASHINGTON - Frogs, toads and newts face worldwide environmental threats, according to a new study by more than 500 scientists from over 60 nations.


Chemists could predict volcanos moves WASHINGTON - Monitoring the gases emitted by lava from Mount St. Helens might provide clues to future eruptions, a British volcano expert says.


Bone Loss a Serious Threat to Older Americans By LAURAN NEERGAARD    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Half of Americans older than 50 will be at risk of fractures from too-thin bones by 2020, the surgeon general warned Thursday, urging people to get more calcium, vitamin D and exercise to avoid crippling osteoporosis.    The bone-thinning disease is on the rise as the population grays - but weak bones aren't a natural consequence of aging, Surgeon General Richard Carmona stressed...


New Google tool searches desktop Some of the real estate coveted most by the Internet giants isn #39;t on the Internet at all. It #39;s on your computer hard drive.


Amphibian decline serves as global warning NEARLY one in three species of frogs, toads and newts in the world is under threat of extinction, according to the most comprehensive global study of amphibians ever conducted.


BPI wins court order on filesharing The High Court this morning granted the music industry the power to request the names and addresses of the 28 file sharers the industry aims to litigate against.


IBM, Cisco Expand Security Alliance Covering Enterprise Networks RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK - IBM and Cisco Systems are broadening their security alliance to offer new automatic security applications for enterprise networks.


IBM Announces New Development Platform Many emerging market businesses will soon have access to the IBM Rational software development platform for the first time, through the open source Eclipse development framework.


PayPal Says Business Nearly Back To Normal PayPal, the popular payment method on auction site eBay Inc., said Wednesday the technical problems that left many users unable to access their accounts or conduct business appear to over.


Strachan can lead Scotland from the mire EVERY time the clamour starts over the future of a manager, there are always a few weary souls who can be relied upon to ask  quot;Who else is there?


US trade deficit soars The United States has recorded its second biggest trade deficit in history, fuelled by high oil prices and imports from China. The deficit grew six-point-nine percent in August to 54 billion US dollars...several billion more than predicted by analysts.


Europeans May Outfox US on Options The group that sets US accounting rules decided yesterday to delay for six months its plan to force companies to treat stock option grants as immediate expenses.


Hollinger International to refile  #39;looting #39; case against ex-CEO Newspaper publisher Hollinger International Inc. said Thursday it intends to refile the bulk of its dismissed case against ousted CEO Conrad Black and associates, intent on winning


Update 1: Bank Values Yukos Unit Above Assessment An independent assessor valued Yukos #39; main production unit at \$14.7 billion to \$17.3 billion on Thursday, the same day a news agency reported that a controlling stake in the business could be sold for just over \$4 billion.


UBS Global criticizes proposed Mylan-King deal WASHINGTON An investment firm has told Mylan Laboratories that a proposed acquisition of King Pharmaceuticals is not in the best interests of investors.


US trade deficit is 2nd highest ever The US trade deficit, propelled by a record foreign oil bill, surged to \$54 billion in August, second highest level in history. The politically sensitive


EU not ready to lift sanctions against US There will be no early end to punitive European tariffs on US products despite a decision by the US Congress to end a corporate tax subsidy ruled illegal by the World Trade Organisation (WTO)Pascal Lamy, the European Unions chief trade negotiator


AOL launches new portal, tests desktop search America Online on Thursday confirmed it is testing a new search engine that scans for files on a PC #39;s hard drive, mirroring a similar product unveiled this week by Google.


Pedro takes it in stride So what does it feel like to hear a stadium crammed with Yankees fans at full roar all chanting  quot;Who #39;s Your Daddy? quot; over and over and over and over and over?


The Great One weighed owner-coach role Already the Phoenix Coyotes managing partner, The Great One was asked by general manager Mike Barnett if he #39;d be interested in running the team from behind the bench, too.


A tall order awaits Williams but his dream is within reach If Danny Williams did not fully appreciate the sheer size of Vitali Klitschko, he does now. After a series of eyeball-to-eyeball poses for the photographers at yesterday #39;s London press conference to announce


British Grand Prix given a chance The British Grand Prix got a second chance in 2005, after Formula One bosses put it in 2005 #39;s race calendar - as long as a deal can be reached.


Coyotes asked him but Gretzky likely not in line to coach NHL club PHOENIX (CP) - Coyotes GM Mike Barnett approached managing partner Wayne Gretzky in June about coaching the NHL club but the idea hasn #39;t got any further than that.


Bombers kill 10 in  #39;safe #39; zone Suicide bombers penetrated the headquarters of allied forces in Iraq for the first time yesterday, killing 10 people and provoking an urgent review of security in Baghdad #39;s Green Zone.


US planes pound Fallujah as talks break down FALLUJAH, Iraq -- The US military intensified its air raids Thursday against suspected hideouts of Iraq #39;s most wanted man Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, while efforts to mediate a truce between the government and rebels collapsed.


Briefly: Maxtor loses its CFO--again roundup Plus: Profits, revenue climb at Rambus...Apple iTunes sales quicken...Nortel pushes back Flextronics deal.


Sakhalin to Supply America A Royal Dutch/Shell-led group building the world #39;s largest liquefied natural gas plant on Sakhalin Island has clinched its first term supply deal in North America, the group said Thursday.


Sun rises above Wall Street goal Server and software maker says it beat targets, but laid off more workers than expected in the first quarter.


Maxtor loses its CFO--again It's the second time this year the disk drive maker has seen its CFO resign.


Profits, revenue climb at Rambus Memory designer Rambus reported a rise in net income to \$10.4 million, or 10 cents a share, on revenue of \$38.8 million in the third quarter.


IBM preps new top-end Unix servers Big Blue plans to announce the servers Friday, sources say, stirring up major new challenges for Sun and HP.


MP3, hints of delay for PlayStation Portable Reported comments from Sony exec raise doubts about launch of games handheld, which will include MP3 support.


Screenshot 4 of 4: Google Desktop Search tool Google unveils its first desktop application for searching through personal files on the PC and through a person's Web history.


Screenshot 3 of 4: Google Desktop Search tool Google unveils its first desktop application for searching through personal files on the PC and through a person's Web history.


Screenshot 1 of 4: Google Desktop Search tool Google unveils its first desktop application for searching through personal files on the PC and through a person's Web history.


Screenshot 2 of 4: Google Desktop Search tool Google unveils its first desktop application for searching through personal files on the PC and through a person's Web history.


Tiger Woods Turned Away From San Juan (AP) AP - Tiger Woods and his new wife were briefly held aboard their private yacht Thursday by U.S. Coast Guard officers and turned away from San Juan's port because they failed to notify authorities of their arrival ahead of time, an official said.


Germany's Schroeder arrives in Libya (AFP) AFP - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder arrived in Libya for an official visit during which he is to hold talks with Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.


Smoking should be banned in cars that carry children: medical group (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - The dangers of second-hand smoke are so great there should be a ban on lighting up in cars carrying children, Ontario doctors said Thursday, bringing an immediate outcry from critics who labelled it another attack on personal freedoms.


Democratic Leader Asks for Ethics Probe (AP) AP - The House Democratic leader Thursday asked for an investigation of alleged threatening remarks made to the ethics committee chairman by GOP lawmakers.


TV patent suit against Microsoft will proceed SAN FRANCISCO - A California judge has denied three motions for summary judgement in a patent infringement case filed by TV Interactive Data Corp. (TVI) against Microsoft Corp., meaning the case will proceed to trial.


Sun posts \$174 million loss for the quarter SAN FRANCISCO - With \$190 million in charges on its balance sheet related to restructuring and its recent patent lawsuit settlement with Eastman Kodak Co., Sun Microsystems Inc. on Thursday posted a net loss of \$174 million for its the first quarter of its fiscal 2005 year, which ended September 26.


UN Haiti Force Needs Troops Urgently - Brazil  BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti  urgently need reinforcements to cope with surging violence in  the Caribbean country devastated by tropical storms, Brazil's  foreign minister said on Thursday.


PeopleSoft exec follows Conway out the door Within two weeks of the firing of CEO Craig Conway, business applications vendor PeopleSoft Inc. has seen the departure of another top executive, Ram Gupta, executive vice president of products and technology.


Intel sets cruise control on Pentium 4 SAN FRANCISCO - Intel Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Paul Otellini served notice at the company's recent developer conference that the megahertz era was coming to a close, and the decision Thursday to remove the 4GHz Pentium 4 processor from its road map is clear evidence that Intel has once and for all kicked its speed habit, according to industry analysts.
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SBC Case Study: Crate   Barrel
What sold them on improving their network? A system that could cut management costs from the get-go. Find out more.


Argentine Political Exile Wins Claim for Damages  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) - Argentina's Supreme  Court ruled for the first time on Thursday that someone who  fled the country fearing political persecution during the 1970s  "dirty war" should receive damages from the government.


Signs of progress amid turmoil in Iraq US military pressure against insurgents, coupled with Iraqi government efforts to negotiate, may be gaining traction.


Britain's imported MDs scratch noggins over language The influx of doctors has created teething problems, some amusing - like the language confusion - some more serious.


Nigeria strike ends amid warnings A four-day general strike ends in Nigeria but unions threaten more action in two weeks if petrol prices stay high.


Al-Aqsa mosque restriction lifted Israel says it will not limit the number of Muslims at Jerusalem's holy site during the Ramadan fasting month.


US firm gets two Iraqi contracts The US Agency for International Development awards American firm Louis Berger two Iraqi reconstruction contracts worth a total \$208m.


U.S. Marines Launch Attacks in Fallujah BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. Marines launched air and ground attacks Thursday on the insurgent bastion Fallujah after city representatives suspended peace talks with the government over Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's demand to hand over terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi...


Malaria Vaccine Has Promising Test Results LONDON - Scientists have made important progress in the quest for a malaria vaccine, showing for the first time that childhood shots can prevent nearly one-third of cases and slash the risk of severe, life-threatening attacks by almost two-thirds.    Experts say the findings, outlined this week in The Lancet medical journal, provide robust evidence that the dream of developing a vaccine that will get babies through the most vulnerable period of infancy could become a reality by the end of the decade...


Is This the Week the Pats' Streak Ends? (AP) AP - In the first 232 minutes of its season, Seattle held opponents to 23 points. Then it allowed 23 in the next 11 minutes, blowing last week's game to St. Louis in overtime.


Park Leads World Championship by Two Shots (AP) AP - Grace Park capped an almost flawless round by rolling in a 25-foot birdie putt for a 10-under 62 Thursday that gave her a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Samsung World Championship.


Yankees Will Start El Duque in Game Four  BOSTON (Sports Network) - The New York Yankees will start  Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez in Game 4 of the American League  Championship Series on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox.


Schilling to Miss A.L.C.S. Game 5 Start Boston ace Curt Schilling will not face the Yankees on Sunday because of an injured right ankle, though it's possible he could return later in the series.


Astros Pinning Hopes on Untested Pitcher Houston put their hopes in a pitcher untested in the postseason when they give Pete Munro the ball to start Game 2 of the N.L. Championship Series tonight.


Infocus: SSH Host Key Protection This is the first in a series of articles on SSH in-depth. We start with looking at standard SSH host keys by examining the verification process to ensure you have not been the victim of an attack.


Untested Munro Gets Ball The Houston Astros, down 0-1, put their hopes in a pitcher untested in the postseason when they give Pete Munro the ball (8:19 p.m., Fox).


Mac OS X: Best Unix Desktop Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols writes for eWeek,  #147;GNOME is nice, KDE is fine and the forthcoming Looking Glass may be wonderful, but the best Unix desktop is the one in the Macintosh. #148; Oct 14


Sun Microsystems Posts Narrower Quarterly Loss Revenue for the network computer maker rose year over year for the second consecutive quarter after three years of declines, the company said today.


Oppenheimer Fund Cuts Its Volatility (Investor's Business Daily) Investor's Business Daily - Why does it matter who runs your mutual fund? Oppenheimer MidCap Fund is Exhibit A.


Poker's New Suit (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Maybe poker really is a sport. It's televised. It's awash in prize loot. And now there's even an ownership feud brewing between its biggest promoters.


New York AG to Sue Insurance Broker  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eliot  Spitzer on Thursday sued insurance broker Marsh   McLennan Cos.  MMC.N, charging they engaged in market manipulation.


SEC Eyes Possible Abuses in Pensions  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange  Commission is looking into possible accounting abuses involving  companies' assumptions about employee pension funds, the SEC's  top enforcement official said on Thursday.


NAB tests the water for sale of its Irish banks NATIONAL Australia Bank yesterday announced it had hired the investment bank Lazards to gauge buying interest for its Irish banks, signalling it was prepared to leave part of its European market.


SunTrust Banks Gets SEC Inquiry Notice Financial services firm SunTrust Banks Inc. said Thursday that it received notice that the Securities and Exchange Commission is conducting an informal inquiry into the company #39;s recent announcement that it


No strings attached - but where #39;s the catch? SOMETIMES even the largest technology companies act as if their chief scientist or head of marketing has gone to town with a cow and traded it for a bean.


Red Sox #39;s dark days might be followed quickly by winter BOSTON -- Screeching guitars and loud rock and roll bounced around the empty seats in Fenway Park here Thursday afternoon as the Boston Red Sox took batting practice.


English newspapers make beeline for Beckham #39;s jugular Only in England could David Beckham be not so much in hot water but a bubbling volcano for admitting he deliberately got himself cautioned during England #39;s 2-0 win against Wales last Saturday.


Elkington in touch at Greensboro Classic Australian golfer Steve Elkington is two strokes off the pace after the first round of the Greensboro Classic in North Carolina. Elkington, whose first US victory came in Greensboro 14 years ago, is one of


Abdur-Rahim makes best of situation No, his position in the starting lineup isn #39;t solidified after one preseason game, and there #39;s a big question mark surrounding his future.


Four Americans killed in Baghdad blasts WASHINGTON: Four US nationals and six Iraqis were killed in two attacks yesterday in the Green Zone in Baghdad. The four Americans killed were security staff with a private company, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.


Musharraf Quitting Army Would Be Good Thing, #39; US Govt Says A decision by Pakistan #39;s President Pervez Musharraf to quit as army chief would be a good thing #39; #39; and would encourage progress toward full democracy, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.


Google Launches PC Hard-Drive Search Tool (AP) AP - Google Inc. on Thursday became the first tech heavyweight to tackle the daunting task of uncluttering computers, introducing a program that quickly scours hard drives for documents, e-mails, instant messages and past Web searches.


Study Links Mobile Phones, Benign Tumors (AP) AP - A Swedish study suggests that people who use a cell phone for at least 10 years might increase their risk of developing a rare benign tumor along a nerve on the side of the head where they hold the phone.


FCC Approves Fiber-Optic Broadband Rules (AP) AP - Federal regulators approved new rules Thursday aimed at making high-speed Internet available to more Americans. Critics contended the action will hinder competition in broadband services and keep prices high.


Netflix Seeks Growth, Not Profit, Shares Plunge (Reuters) Reuters - Online DVD rental company Netflix\Inc. on Thursday cut its subscription price and said it was\changing its strategy to sacrifice profits for growth in the\face of growing competition, sending its shares plunging to\their lowest level in almost a year-and-a-half.


From Economic Power to Economic Powder JEDDAH, 6 December 2004 - The current situation with Iraq has all the ingredients of a long-term liability to the balance sheet of America, which some day it might be a disaster to the state of world economy.


Sun releases JDS for Solaris SAN FRANCISCO - Sun Microsystems Inc. last week quietly released a version of its Java Desktop System (JDS) software based on the Solaris x86 operating system, a move the company is calling the first step in a long-term strategy to unify the user interface for Sun's Linux and Solaris products, Sun officials said Thursday.


Northwest Airlines, pilots reach tentative deal on wage <b>...</b> MINNEAPOLIS Northwest Airlines has won tentative concessions worth 265 (m) million dollars annually from pilots -- a major first step toward its goal of slashing labor costs by 950 (M) million dollars.


Dell hears consumer electronics call Dell is expected to expand its line of line of consumer electronics this week, possibly taking the wraps off of a challenger to Apple Computer #39;s iPod Mini music player.


SCO plans own Web site as alternative to Groklaw OCTOBER 13, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - After a year and a half of being flamed, dissected and dismissed on the Groklaw.net Web site, The SCO Group Inc.


iSuppli: WiMAX base station and CPE to grow at 31.3 CAGR by 2009 iSuppli predicts revenue from WiMax base-station and customer-premise equipment (CPE) sales worldwide will achieve annual growth rates of only 14-25 from 2004 through 2007.


Park shoots first-round 62 Grace Park capped an almost flawless round by rolling in a 25-foot birdie putt for a 10-under 62 Thursday that gave her a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Samsung World Championship.


GM, Great One talked in June about possibility PHOENIX -- Phoenix managing partner Wayne Gretzky, asked if he was interested in coaching the Coyotes, put the idea on the back burner.


Connecticut civilian dies in Baghdad blast _ A Connecticut man working for a private security company was among several people killed Thursday when two bombs exploded in the tightly guarded area of Baghdad known as the Green Zone.


28 US soldiers suspected over deaths of two Afghan detainees (AFP) AFP - The US military is investigating 28 soldiers over the deaths in December 2002 of two detainees in American custody in Afghanistan, the US Army said.


Ziggy clears air ZIGGY Switkowski was in his sick bed when Telstra #39;s board announced he had agreed to step down #39; #39; but got up to clear the air.


Hopes of malaria vaccine by 2010 Scientists say they have developed an effective vaccine against malaria that could be ready for use in six years.


Sharon Says Gaza Settlers to Leave Homes JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday all 8,200 Jewish settlers will be pulled out of the Gaza Strip starting next summer, and he ordered a troop withdrawal from a refugee camp - signaling that a bloody two-week offensive in northern Gaza could be easing.    Sharon said next year's settlement evacuation would be completed within 12 weeks despite opposition from settlers and their backers...


Spitzer alleges corruption in insurance trade ALBANY, NY -- The man who made Wall Street reform its ways is now charging widespread corruption in the insurance industry. He alleged that brokers have been taking payoffs from insurance companies to steer


US insurers sued for rigging bids NEW YORK : New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer sued Thursday a major US insurance brokerage firm, Marsh and McLennan Co, for steering clients to insurers with whom it had lucrative payoff agreements.


Netflix sees Amazon entering DVD rentals Amazon.com plans to enter the DVD rental business in a move that will put the online retail giant in direct competition with Netflix.


Trade gap widens Oil prices, Chinese imports lift August trade deficit more than forecasts to just short of record. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US trade deficit widened more than expected in August to its second-highest level


Abbey investors maul chairman but the Santander deal is passed SHAREHOLDERS in Abbey yesterday tore into the bank over its coming takeover by Spanish bank Santander, attempting to scupper the 8.


Relief Crew Is on Its Way to Space Station A replacement crew for the International Space Station blasted off aboard a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia early today.


Intel Scraps Plan For 4 Ghz P4 Chip bizpile writes  quot;It was reported earlier that Intel would be delaying the release of their 4Ghz Pentium 4 chips, but it now appears that they will be cancelling them altogether.


Third of world #39;s amphibians  #39;on edge of extinction #39; Almost a third of the world #39;s frogs, toads, salamanders and other amphibians are threatened with extinction within 100 years, according to a study.


With Curt limping, swagger disappears BOSTON -- Curt was the subject on everyone #39;s lips, Curse was the subject on everyone #39;s mind. Two games into their showdown with the hated Yankees, the poor, bedeviled and favored Red Sox have suffered no less


Pakistan Cricket mania fails to grip Lahorities LAHORE: Unlike the Pakistan-India historic cricket series, there is less public interest in the two back to back matches of the tri-national cricket series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka being played at Gadaffi stadium on Thursday and Saturday.


Is Gretzky going to coach the Coyotes when NHL resumes? After a summer in which they didn #39;t seriously interview a single candidate for the vacant position, why are the Coyotes still the only NHL team without a permanent head coach in place?


Man Guilty in Death of Olympian #39;s Brother LOCK HAVEN, Pa. Oct. 14, 2004 - A former college football player was convicted of murder Thursday in the beating death of the brother of Olympic wrestler Sara McMann.


S. Abdur-Rahim The Portland Trail Blazers made some huge strides in 2003-04 to rid themselves of the remnants of the Bob Whitsitt Era. Of all the changes new general manager John Nash made last season, none was more important than making this team likable.


Pakistani Security Forces Free Chinese Hostages Pakistani commandos on Thursday freed two Chinese engineers taken hostage near the Afghan border and killed their five kidnappers, who are led by a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, officials said.


Iraq donors vow to speed up funds for reconstruction Donor nations wrapped up a two-day meeting Thursday with pledges to speed up projects to rebuild Iraq possibly by using more Iraqis to implement


Oil Inches Towards the 55 Dollar Milestone Crude oil futures inched toward the 55 dollar milestone today, a day after US officials announced a decline in their countrys inventory of heating oil, heating a market already on edge over tight supplies, high demand and unrest in key producers.


IPod, ITunes Drive Strong Sales At Apple Computer CUPERTINO, Calif. -- Downloading music continues to drive strong sales and revenue at Apple Computer as the Cupertino-based company announced Thursday that 150 million songs have been downloaded from its iTunes service.


Washington #39;s trade deficit hits record \$54bn level The US trade deficit, propelled by a record foreign oil bill, surged to \$54 billion (R355 billion) in August, the second-highest level in history.


Sony Ericsson posts 45 rise in profit Sony Ericsson, the Swedish-Japanese maker of cellphones, posted a 45 percent rise in net profit in the third quarter as a broadened product mix and the success of its camera phones bolstered sales.


Reforms given credit for better economic ranking Cabinet Spokesman Chen Chi-mai (  ) said yesterday that the improvement of the nation #39;s global competitiveness ranking in a recent report resulted from the government #39;s economic and financial reforms.


Insurance brokerage sued for not offering lowest prices New York #39;s attorney general sued the nation #39;s leading insurance brokerage yesterday, accusing brokers of taking payoffs to steer clients to insurance companies that were not necessarily offering the lowest prices for their policies.


China Power jumps on market debut Shares in China Power International jumped in the electricity generator #39;s Hong Kong debut Friday following a hugely popular initial public offer.


Pilots Union Agrees to Cuts at Northwest Northwest Airlines and its pilots union reached tentative agreement yesterday on a deal that would save the airline \$300 million in labor costs.


Airbus says American firms could be victims of WTO battle American companies could become  quot;collateral victims quot; of Washington #39;s decision to escalate the row between Boeing and Airbus over subsidies into a full-scale dispute, according to Nol Forgeard, president and chief executive of the European aircraft maker


UPDATE: Australia #39;s Qantas Raises Fuel Surcharge Again SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Citing a continuation in rising fuel prices, Australia #39;s Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN.AU) said Friday it will increase its passenger fuel surcharge for a second time in two months.


Loss Deepens in Revision by Alitalia Alitalia, the troubled Italian airline, has restated its first-half results, almost doubling its previously reported loss, as it set aside money to lay off about 20 percent of its work force.


Special interests in tax bill Like a captivating novel, the 650-page tax act headed toward President Bush #39;s desk will make you want to laugh, cry and scream.


US ; Google launches new search tool US News, California, Mountain View: Google Inc. has rolled out a preliminary version of its new desktop search tool, making the first move against its major competitors in the race to provide tools for finding information buried in computer hard drives.


Countdown to Halo 2: Piracy is for Punks Downloading the pirated version of Halo 2 is a disservice to an honest team of creators. October 14, 2004 - Halo 2 is the Xbox game of the year.


IBM and Cisco automate enterprise security IBM and Cisco have extended their global security alliance through the integration of IBM Tivoli software with Cisco Network Admission Control technologies to help enterprises automatically comply with security policies, then quarantine and remediate at


WiMAX just hype for now?  quot;These applications will not be large enough to sustain the multitude of silicon suppliers and equipment manufacturers who have expressed interest in developing products for WiMAX.


Sun Delivers Solaris Flavor of JDS 2 Sun Microsystems has quietly delivered on its promise of a Solaris flavor of JDS (Java Desktop System), its alternative to Microsoft Windows.


GOOSEN CRUSHES MAGGERT No matter what happens from now on, Retief Goosen has earned a place in the record books of the HSBC World Match Play championship.


Cardinals take 2-0 NLCS lead ST. LOUIS - Rain or shine, the St. Louis Cardinals #39; big bats always seem to come through in the end. Albert Pujols led off the eighth inning with a tiebreaking home run, Scott Rolen followed with his second


Wizards Late Magic Stops Bobcats CHARLOTTE, NC, Oct. 14 (Ticker) -- The Charlotte Bobcats fell short in a wild franchise debut at home. Antawn Jamison hit a turnaround jumper in the lane with 6.8 seconds remaining to lift the Washington Wizards


Georgia will be away from doghouse for 4 games after homecoming Saturday #39;s homecoming game against Vanderbilt will be the final Southeastern Conference home game for Georgia this season. The No.


Timberwolves 99, Hawks 96 Kevin Garnett scored 26 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 99-96 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in an exhibition game Thursday night.


Knicks See a Little Spark in Opener Jamal Crawford got his first start in a Knicks uniform Thursday night, showing a glimpse of what, exactly, was not entirely clear.


Against the Irish, Navy Faces 40 Years of Futility Once upon a time, before the Internet, the Bowl Championship Series and the zone blitz, Navy #39;s football team routinely beat Notre Dame.


Blasts Inside Green Zone Kill at Least 5 Bombs exploded within moments of each other at a handicraft market and a popular cafe inside Baghdad #39;s fortified Green Zone on Thursday, killing at least five people, including three American civilians.


Two South Africans killed in Canadian plane crash At least two of the crew members of a cargo plane that crashed in Canada were South Africans, Ronnie Mamoepa, foreign affairs department spokesperson, confirmed today.


Cambodians Are Ready to Crown His Majesty the Ballet Dancer Prince Norodom Sihamoni, 51, a dancer and choreographer, is to be crowned king this month, carrying out the wishes of his father in the first change in the monarchy most Cambodians have known.


Sharon Accepts Plan to Reduce Gaza Army Operation, Haaretz Says Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon accepted an army plan to reduce the number of soldiers mounting an operation in the Gaza Strip aimed at stopping Palestinian rocket attacks, the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz said.


Zimbabwe security put on alert Zimbabwe #39;s security went on high alert Friday ahead of a verdict in the treason trial of popular opposition leader Morgan Tsavangirai.


Brazil seeks more Haiti UN troops Brazil has called for more UN troops to be sent to Haiti to curb a wave of unrest in which more than 40 people have been killed in a fortnight.


Vote counting starts in Afghan election Vote counting started yesterday in Afghanistan #39;s landmark election, widely expected to install Hamid Karzai, the US-backed interim leader, as the country #39;s first popularly chosen president.


Reports: Sharon Approves North Gaza Pullback  GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave  the go-ahead on Thursday for troops to withdraw from parts of  northern Gaza, media reports said, shortly after they killed  the 100th Palestinian in the largest Gaza offensive in four  years.


Suspected N.Koreans Enter S.Korean China Mission  BEIJING (Reuters) - Twenty men, women and children claiming  to be North Koreans broke into the South Korean consulate in  Beijing Friday seeking asylum, a diplomatic source said.


Brazil seeks more Haiti UN troops Brazil calls for more UN troops to be sent to Haiti to curb a wave of violence in which dozens have died.


Jackson abuse charges still stand Michael Jackson's defence teams fails in an attempt to have child abuse charges thrown out of court.


Gbagbo calls on rebels to disarm Ivory Coast's president urges former rebels to start disarming on Friday, but they refuse to do so.


Law and Miller at Alfie premiere Actors Jude Law and Sienna Miller attend world premiere of the movie remake of Alfie in London's Leicester Square.


Suicide Bombs Kill 10 in Baghdad's Green Zone (Reuters) Reuters - Two suicide bombers killed 10\civilians, including four U.S. nationals, on Thursday in one of\the bloodiest attacks inside Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, an\attack claimed by America's top enemy in Iraq.


Nicaraguan President Faces Removal by Congress (Reuters) Reuters - Nicaragua's unpopular\president faces possible removal from office after a special\Congressional committee was created on Thursday to explore\corruption charges against him.


Bosnian Serb Panel Publishes Final Report (AP) AP - Bosnian Serb forces killed more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica, a Bosnian Serb commission conceded Thursday in its final report on the 1995 massacre.


SEC Chief: Vote Near on Market Crackdown (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Securities and Exchange\Commission will vote soon on new governance and disclosure\rules for the groups that oversee America's stock markets, SEC\Chairman William Donaldson said on Thursday.


Asian Stocks Jittery on Record Oil (Reuters) Reuters - Asian shares stuck to narrow ranges\Friday as record oil prices supported energy stocks and miners\rebounded on steadier metals markets, countering worries about\technology earnings and falls in Japanese automakers.


97 Abandoned Migrants Found in Mexico (AP) AP - Police found 97 undocumented migrants crammed into an abandoned freight trailer on the side of a highway in the southern state of Chiapas Thursday, after the migrants hacked a breathing hole in the side of the trailer with a pick when the driver fled.


SEC Chief: Vote Near on Market Crackdown  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange  Commission will vote soon on new governance and disclosure  rules for the groups that oversee America's stock markets, SEC  Chairman William Donaldson said on Thursday.


Broker Accused of Rigging Bids for Insurance The New York state attorney general accused the world's largest insurance broker of cheating customers by rigging prices in exchange for kickbacks.


Malaria Vaccine Proves Effective For the first time, researchers say, a vaccine against malaria has shown that it can save children from infection or death.


F.C.C. Clears Internet Access by Power Lines The F.C.C. adopted rules that will enable utility companies to offer an alternative to broadband services now provided by cable and phone companies.


Ford Brings Back Steve McQueen The Ford Motor Company is making a push to convince Americans that a new crop of cars are worth buying on their own merits, not because of rebates or financing.


Homers by Pujols, Rolen Power Cards to Victory  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen hit  back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to lead the St  Louis Cardinals to a 6-4 win over the Houston Astros in Game  Two of the NL Championship Series at Busch Stadium on Thursday.


Cardinals Rain Power on Astros Once Again Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen hit back-to-back homers in the eighth inning, giving St. Louis a 6-4 victory over Houston in Game 2 of the N.L.C.S.


Prince Sihamoni named new king of Cambodia Cambodia #39;s Throne Council choseThursday Prince Norodom Sihamoni a new king of Cambodia, a week after his father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated.


Geiberger has share of clubhouse lead at Greensboro Brent Geiberger took advantage of ideal morning conditions to earn a share of the clubhouse lead with a 6-under-par 66 during the first


( 3) Miami 41 (18) Louisville 38 MIAMI Frank Gore scored the winning touchdown on a one-yard run with 49 seconds left as third-ranked Miami rallied to beat number-18 Louisville 41-to-38 at the Orange Bowl.


R. Clark May Start Ryan Clark may start in place of injured safety Matt Bowen when the Redskins play the Bears on Sunday.


Open Season College basketball teams around the nation, and several local schools will get the madness started Friday.


Daniels Finds a Niche Since starting in the Gator Bowl as a redshirt freshman, senior safety Mike Daniels has made valuable contributions under the radar while waiting for his chance to play more.


Goosen Dominates U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen was the only winner on a rainy opening day of the World Match Play Championship, beating Jeff Maggert by a record 12 and 11.


Lombardo Overcomes Maryland's Lou Lombardo has steadily climbed the depth chart to become a starting offensive lineman while conquering a sizeable obstacle off the field: dyslexia.


IBM readies new top-end Unix servers Big Blue plans is expected to announce the servers Friday, stirring up major new challenges for Sun and HP. \


Broker Accused of Rigging Bids for Insurance Eliot Spitzer, the New York state attorney general, yesterday accused the world #39;s largest insurance broker of cheating customers by rigging prices and steering business to insurers in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks.


Hutchison Telecom Shares Fall in Hong Kong Debut (Update3) Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd., controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka- shing, fell on its share-trading debut today on concern it won #39;t pay a dividend because expansion costs will reduce profits.


Huttner departs from Virgin Air New Zealand will increase services to Western Australia, operating daily direct services between Auckland and Perth during the Australian summer.


Samsung Electronics posts weaker-than-expected Q3 net profits SEOUL : South Korea #39;s Samsung Electronics Friday posted weaker-than-expected results for the third quarter as low product prices, coupled with higher promotion costs, undermined its bottom line.


Google Launches Ultimate Search Tool Google, the world #39;s most popular search engine announced the launch of a beta desktop search utility application that goes beyond basic web search.


NetSuite Debuts 10.0 NetSuite has released version 10.0 of its hosted business software, which incorporates new e-commerce, analytics and sales features.


Red Sox Are Yet Again Barking Up Wrong Tree FOR this, the Boston Red Sox spent all that time, energy and money last winter? They built the team for this series? This is the best they could do?


Goosen wins in Match Play; matches suspended by darkness CBC SPORTS ONLINE - US Open champion Retief Goosen was the only winner on a rainy opening day of the World Match Play Championship on Thursday, beating Jeff Maggert by a record 12 and 11.


Jackson #39;s LA Lakers book blames Bryant In his new book, former Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson blames many of the team #39;s problems on Kobe Bryant. In  quot;The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, quot; set to be


United fans fight takeover bid Manchester United fans are hoping people power can help beat off an Old Trafford takeover bid from American billionaire Malcolm Glazer.


Mears on pole at Charlotte Motorsport.com. CHARLOTTE, NC - Casey Mears knocked Robby Gordon off the pole late in Busch Series time-trials to grab his second pole of the season, and second of this career.


US, Iraqis launch attacks in Falluja American troops and Iraqi special forces launched a major operation in Falluja late Thursday aimed at disrupting future attacks by insurgents who control the volatile city, the US military said.


Ex-soldier, warlord becomes Somali leader A former soldier, rebel and warlord was sworn in Thursday as the new president of Somalia in the latest attempt to unite the nation under a central government for the first time since 1991.


Russia to join Nato in Mediterranean patrols POIANA BRASOV, Oct. 14. - Russia has agreed to send warships to help Natos naval patrols monitoring suspicious vessels in the Mediterranean , as part of a drive for closer counter-terrorism cooperation between Moscow and the western alliance.


Makers battle for next generation The next generation of passenger jets from the world #39;s biggest airplane manufacturers will soon be coming off the production line.


Virgin Galactic #39;s Space Odyssey When the first space vacations are available, Richard Branson will be there selling them. On Sept. 27, Branson #39;s Virgin announced a partnership with Paul Allen #39;s Mojave Aerospace Ventures and SpaceShipOne


Gay-Owned Media Firm PlanetOut Goes Public (AP) AP - There was no big stir on Wall Street, but a San Francisco-based Internet company marked a cultural milestone Thursday by becoming the first gay-directed business to trade its stock on a major exchange.


Homers by Pujols, Rolen Power Cards to Victory Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to lead the St Louis Cardinals to a 6-4 win over the Houston Astros in Game Two of the NL Championship Series at Busch Stadium on Thursday.


NCAA Game Summary - Louisville at Miami-Florida Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Frank Gore scored from one yard out in the final minute to lift the third-ranked Miami Hurricanes to a 41-38 victory over No.


Sun posts narrower quarterly loss Sun Microsystems today posted a narrower quarterly loss as revenue rose year over year for the second consecutive quarter after three years of declines.


Search Engine Forums Spotlight Links to this week's topics from search engine forums across the web: Filthy Linking Rich - Google Releases Desktop Search - Exit Page Statistics Query - 'Industrial Strength White Hat' Cloaking Questions - Content for Adwords - RSS Feeds as a Search Engine Marketing Tool


Nokia Profit Off in Quarter; Handset Price Cuts Cited Nokia said on Thursday that its third-quarter profit was higher than many analysts had forecast, but still a fifth lower than a year ago.


Voter Registrations in Las Vegas Possibly Trashed Ex-employees of company called Voters Outreach of America AKA America Votes claim that voter registrations in Las Vegas have been trashed.     The article recommends that people make sure they're registered to vote. If you're a victim of the fraudulent voter registration that is rife in the prelude to this election you should insist on your right to make a provisional (or affidavit) vote at the polls as guaranteed by the Help America Vote Act of 2002.    Voters Outreach of America has reportedly moved on to Oregon presumably to do the same thing.


Peru to Again Seek Fujimori Extradition from Japan (Reuters) Reuters - Peru will submit a second request to\Japan to extradite former President Alberto Fujimori to face\charges of corruption, the Peruvian Embassy said Friday.


Consumer goods giants sweep Indian hinterland (Reuters) Reuters - She's not quite the Avon Lady, but Sujathamma Jella represents the new face of direct selling in India, trudging down muddy roads every day with a bag filled with soap, shampoo and skin-lightening cream.


Pricey oil pushes US trade deficit to near-record levels The trade deficit increased to the second-highest level in history as surging demand for foreign oil swamped a small gain in US exports, the government reported yesterday.


Starbucks envisions more stores Think there are too many Starbucks in the world? The coffee retailer apparently doesn #39;t think there are enough. Starbucks yesterday expanded its estimate of outlets that it eventually plans to open worldwide to 30,000, up from 25,000.


Sales tax now a write off  on federal taxes Got a shoebox full of receipts from purchases you made this year? Hold onto them and make sure to have them handy come tax time. Congress this week temporarily reinstated a law that gives Texans - as well


Google tops Microsoft with new PC search tool Computer users have long complained that using Microsoft Windows to find files on a desktop hard drive is considerably tougher than using Google to find information in the vast reaches of the Internet.


#39;Halo 2 #39; illegally posted online for download Microsoft Corp. said Thursday that a version of  quot;Halo 2, quot; the forthcoming follow-up to the best-selling video game for the company #39;s Xbox console, had been leaked and illegally posted for download on the Internet.


New at Starbucks: Burn a music CD Starbucks Corp. announced Thursday that it will add computer kiosks in stores in Austin, Texas, and in Seattle where customers can burn music CDs for about \$10 while waiting for their Frappuccino.


Lakers soap opera endures The Zen master says he engaged in a  quot;psychological war quot; with Kobe Bryant last season, the details of which are to be released in book form next month.


Miami Battles Back to Edge Louisville The No. 18 Louisville Cardinals flummoxed the No. 3 team in the nation Thursday night. They forcibly seized the notice of the college football world.


UPDATE 1-Nalbandian holds off Koubek to advance in Vienna Top seed David Nalbandian held off a spirited late challenge by Stefan Koubek to reach the quarter-finals of the Vienna Trophy on Thursday.


Fatal plane crash in Halifax was fourth for airline in 14 years LONDON (CP) - The crash of a Boeing 747 cargo plane in Halifax on Thursday that killed seven people was the fourth crash in 14 years for MK Airlines.


Sihanouk #39;s son named king Southeast Asia #39;s wiliest political survivor yesterday completed his own intricately scripted exit from the stage. King Norodom Sihanouk, who first took Cambodia #39;s throne when


Vote counting under way in Afghan election, Karzai expected to win KABUL, Afghanistan - The vote tally under way on Friday in Afghanistans landmark election was widely expected to yield an election victory for US -backed interim leader Hamid Karzai, which would install him as the war-ravaged countrys first


Tsvangirai to know his fate today The verdict in Zimbabwe #39;s treason trial of Morgan Tsvangirai is expected today. Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), faces a possible death penalty if found guilty.


Strong earthquake shakes Taiwan #39;s capital TAIPEI, Taiwan - A strong earthquake rocked Taiwan #39;s capital during the lunch rush on Friday, shaking tall buildings for about a minute.


Oil prices hit fresh record Oil prices soared to another record high of almost 55 US dollars a barrel on Thursday as Washington reported another fall in heating fuel stocks before winter.


DVD rental firm sees profit shrinking in 2005 SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Netflix tumbled 37 percent following the company #39;s revelation that it plans to cut prices and sacrifice profit in order to stay competitive.


FCC switches on broadband delivery Watch out, cable. Reddy Kilowatt can now invade your turf as the FCC on Thursday approved regulations that allow power companies to provide broadband services.


JUDGE LETS HOLLINGER REFILE AGAINST BLACK Hollinger International #39;s legal fight against its disgraced former CEO Conrad Black is far from over. Less than a week after a judge dismissed racketeering claims brought


NO BUYBACK PLEDGED, CLAIMS ENRON EXEC October 15, 2004 -- Ex-Enron Corp. chief financial officer Andrew Fastow never promised Merrill Lynch a risk-free purchase of three energy-generating barges in a 1999 call about a sale prosecutors claim was a sham, a witness said.


Plus: CNet, Netflix report; Apple #39;s downloads hit 150 mln SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- In its bid to displace Microsoft in controlling the desktop, Google on Thursday unveiled its long-awaited desktop search toolbar.


Commentary: Microsoft can #39;t plug holes fast enough Tuesday, in the computing community, is now known as patch Tuesday. That #39;s because Microsoft has taken to releasing operating system and browser fixes on Tuesdays.


Cards Outlast Astros to Win Opener The good people of the Midwest hope you have been enjoying following the Big Dance, that high-stakes, hotly anticipated tournament taking place back east.


Pettersson feeling at home on Greensboro course Carl Pettersson will spend several hours the next three days driving to and from work. And he couldn #39;t be happier about it. Pettersson, a former NC State standout


UCF signs Speraw to 3-year deal and seven months after his leading UCF to its third NCAA Tournament -- men #39;s basketball Coach Kirk Speraw signed an incentive-laden contract


LA Times: Oracle's Ellison Mulls NFL Team Purchase (Reuters) Reuters - Oracle Corp. Chief Executive\Larry Ellison, one of the world's richest people, is looking at\possibly owning a National Football League franchise, the Los\Angeles Times reported on Thursday.


Astros Bullpen Blows It Late - Again (AP) AP - Brad Lidge spent much of the seventh and eighth innings warming up in the bullpen, ready to take his place on the mound.


US Warplanes Pound Iraq #39;s Falluja US warplanes launched sustained and fierce attacks on the rebel-held Iraqi town of Falluja on Thursday, witnesses said. They said explosions could be heard in the attacks, a day after


Israeli officer suspended over Gaza girl #39;s killing The Israeli Army has suspended an officer accused of riddling the body of a Palestinian school girl with bullets after fellow soldiers killed her.


Garcia Shares Lead in Mallorca Classic (AP) AP - Sergio Garcia shot a 4-under 66 Thursday and shared the lead with Carlos Rodiles in the rain-delayed first round of the Mallorca Classic.


Homers by Pujols, Rolen Power Cardinals  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen hit  back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to lead the St.  Louis Cardinals to a 6-4 win over the Houston Astros in Game  Two of the NL Championship Series at Busch Stadium Thursday.


No. 3 Miami Beats Louisville with Late Touchdown  MIAMI (Sports Network) - Frank Gore scored from one yard  out in the final minute to lift the third-ranked Miami  Hurricanes to a 41-38 victory over No. 18 Louisville in a  non-conference thriller at the Orange Bowl.


U.N. health body warns against "kitchen killer" (Reuters) Reuters - Some 1.6 million people, mainly small children, die each year from a "kitchen killer" -- disease brought on by inhaling smoke from cooking stoves and indoor fires, the World Health Organisation said on Friday.


Huge insurance scam Marsh  amp; McLennan, the world #39;s largest insurance broker, was the mastermind of an \$800 million a year fraud - rigging prices and taking kickbacks from big insurance companies, state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer charged yesterday.


Google offering new tool Google Inc., the world #39;s most-used Internet search engine, yesterday introduced software that lets users search for files from their own computers as well as the Web, entering a new area of competition with Microsoft Corp.


Yukos plummets on low sale report Yukos shares have plummeted nearly 10 percent in early trade Friday on Moscow #39;s ruble-denominated MICEX exchange. That came after an unconfirmed report that the embattled oil giant #39;s


Airline Can Use Lenders #39; Cash, Judge Says A US bankruptcy court judge approved an agreement yesterday that extends US Airways Group Inc. #39;s ability to draw on cash from its lenders to fund operations through mid-January.


Intel scraps faster version of Pentium 4 The world #39;s largest chip maker will shift research spending to a 3.8 GHz Pentium chip that will have twice the memory of the current version.


China Power Shares Rise in Hong Kong Trading Debut (Update5) Shares of China Power International Development Ltd., a unit of the nation #39;s fifth-biggest electricity utility, rose on their first trading day in Hong Kong as investors said the stock


Ford brings star back to life in ads To introduce its six new cars and trucks, Ford Motor Co. #39;s namesake brand is launching an aggressive and energetic marketing campaign.


Airbus CEO: 04 deliveries seen close to record - report LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Airbus, the European aircraft maker that competes with Boeing Co. (BA) , is expecting airline deliveries this year from 315-320, approaching a record, the Financial Times reported, citing Chief Executive Noel Forgeard.


More Flaws With Microsoft Again, yesterday Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) warned about newly found security flaws in Windows that could allow an attacker to steal data on your PC.


Are Hackers Now Gunning for the Mac? In early October Apple released a small series of patches for Mac OS X version 10.2 and later. Most of the fixes in this group blocked possible denial-of-service problems that are, to date, theoretical.


X-Prize for world #39;s  #39;Holy Grails #39; A series of X-Prizes for the scientific or technological breakthroughs that tackle the most important challenges facing humans are being planned.


IPod Helps Lift Apple #39;s Fourth-Quarter Profit Apple Computer Inc. reported yesterday that profit in its fourth fiscal quarter jumped 140 percent from the comparable quarter last year.


IBM lines up big daddies of Unix servers IBM plans to announce two new top-end Unix servers, sources familiar with its plans said, opening major new challenges to Sun and HP.


SCO plans Web site for legal filings In the 17 months SCO Group has waged its multiple-lawsuit war over its alleged rights to Linux, Groklaw has been the festering thorn in the Utah software company #39;s side.


TSMC to tape out 40 more products at 90nm by year-end Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has already produced over 80 products using 90nm processes, and the company expects to tape out 40 more products at this technology node by the end of this year, according to Genda Hu, vice president of


Els Takes Care of Drummond at Wentworth Defending champion Ernie Els completed a 2-and-1 victory over Briton Scott Drummond when the rain-delayed World Match Play Championship first round resumed at Wentworth Friday.


Rossi takes provisional pole at Phillip Island Italian Valentino Rossi, chasing a fourth consecutive premier race world title, has grabbed provisional pole after initial qualifying in the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island in Victoria.


Cole ban is reduced Andy Cole will be back in action for Fulham at Aston Villa next weekend after his ban was reduced by the FA. Cole was initially suspended for three matches after being sent off for his part in a brawl at West Bromwich on September 18.


Pappas one behind leader Dufner Little-known Jason Dufner birdied the difficult 17th hole en route to a one-stroke lead on Thursday in the first round of the Greater Greensboro Classic.


ATTACKS IN IRAQ: 2 bombs kill 5 in Baghdad On the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Iraq #39;s most-feared terrorist group claimed credit for setting off two bombs in the heavily fortified


Crowds gather for Zimbabwe treason verdict building in central Harare under the watchful eyes of dozens of riot police toting batons or rifles. More riot police set up roadblocks on some of Harare #39;s main roads, searching vehicles heading towards the city centre.


Jet crashes on takeoff in Halifax, killing seven HALIFAXNot much is left after the early morning crash of a jumbo cargo jet but a broken, burned-out metal carcass and a Harry Potter novel.


Vote counting under way in Afghan election, Karzai expected to win KABUL, Afghanistan Early results show interim Afghan president Hamid Karzai leading in that country #39;s first free presidential election.


African Union Are Somalia #39;s warlords ready to loosen their iron <b>...</b> A new dawn breaks over Somalia. The interim Somali Parliament convened a special session in Kenya and elected Colonel Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed, the self-styled leader of the autonomous region of Puntland, as the new interim Somali president.


Diplomats: Nuke equipment taken Missing nuclear-related equipment in Iraq was removed by experts working systematically over an extended period, diplomats said Thursday, contradicting Iraqi officials


Spitzer alleges insurance broker demanded kickbacks State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer sued the world #39;s largest insurance broker and lodged criminal charges against two insurance executives, accusing the brokerage of taking improper payments to steer business to certain companies.


St. Louis in control with third baseman belting two homers St. Louis manager Tony La Russa was looking for a positive spin on the opening-round postseason struggles of Cardinals clean- up hitter Scott Rolen and quickly


Back to work While this town still believes in its Red Sox -quot;Keep the Faith quot; read a billboard overlooking the Green Monster  -t of it has to be bracing for the same ending it has seen every year since 1918.


Cardinals power way to 2-0 lead in NLCS The Houston Astros had one chance to get out of St. Louis with a victory. That was a rainout. A washout of Game 2 last night would have allowed the Astros to skip sacrificial


Google search program gets jump on Microsoft Internet search leader Google Inc. yesterday introduced Google Desktop Search, a free program that creates an index of the files on a user #39;s own computer.


Intel pulls plug on 4-gigahertz chip In another embarrassing about-face, No. 1 chipmaker Intel (INTC) told customers Thursday that it will not make a much-touted 4-gigahertz version of its Pentium 4 PC processor.


Ford Brings Back Steve McQueen DETROIT is exhuming another face from the past to pitch its cars to a new generation. A digitally revived Steve McQueen, who died in 1980, will be reprising the character of Lt.


Strachan favourite to replace Vogts as Scotland boss Scottish FA chief David Taylor has moved to set up the crunch meeting that will spell the end of Vogts #39; 31-month reign. Taylor said:  quot;In the cold light of day we will now consider bringing our scheduled November 4 meeting forward.


US launches attack on Bigley terrorists American forces in Iraq launched a fresh offensive today against the terrorists responsible for the murder of British hostage Ken Bigley and two US captives.


Drug Addict Drifter Who Murdered Backpacker Caroline Jailed for <b>...</b> A drug addicted drifter was today starting a life sentence after he was found guilty of murdering British backpacker Caroline Stuttle in Australia.


LiveWire: Advertisers Play with Web Films  NEW YORK (Reuters) - When the manager of a coin-operated  laundry seduces a mother and daughter and convinces them to  skip town, there's bound to be trouble, or perhaps a movie  plot.


Knicks #39; new look looking good Already there are tales of Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford finishing each other #39;s sentences. The energetic backcourt tandem officially began trading phone calls when


Satellite radio looks to lure males hock jock Howard Stern #39;s move to Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. begins an association between a man who was happy to describe, in detail, Paris Hilton #39;s sex tape and the industrial giants of the auto industry.


Business digest NEW YORK - Investors sent stocks falling sharply for a second straight day Thursday as crude oil prices surged near \$55 per barrel and General Motors Corp.


Ford uses Bullitt actor to sell Mustang DEARBORN, Mich.Ford Motor Co. is resurrecting Steve McQueen in an effort to bring its slumping sales back to life. The auto maker yesterday presented new ads to go with new vehicles in the Ford brand, including


Eminem Satellite Radio Channel Sets October Debut Controversial rapper Eminem will launch his widely expected satellite music radio channel called Shade 45 on Oct. 28 with a live broadcast of a concert from New York, the Sirius network said on Thursday.


Bombers infiltrate Green Zone; blasts kill 6 Bombers infiltrated the fortified Green Zone district that houses US and Iraqi leaders yesterday and killed at least six people, including four Americans, in simultaneous lunchtime


Annan calls for more EU efforts in UN peacekeeping UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in the Irish capital of Dublin on Thursday that Europe shouldoffer more help for the United Nations global peacekeeping operations.


IBM readies new top-end Unix servers com October 14, 2004, 9:00 PM PT. ZDNet #39;s survey of IT professionals in October kept upgrading hardware at number two on the businesses radar throughout the year.


PluggedIn: Mobile Operators Seek Higher Sound Quality  TOKYO (Reuters) - Ring tones on mobile phones were once  considered cool if they simply sounded musical. Then phones  starting ringing to the tune of a pop song, giving way to "ring  songs."


Musicians 'upbeat' about the net Most musicians see the internet as more of an opportunity than a threat to their livelihood, research suggests.


Eminem to launch satellite radio channel American rapper Eminem is to launch a satellite music radio channel called Shade 45 later this month. On 28 October Shade 45 will broadcast its first programme - a live concert from New York.


Davenport regains No. 1 ranking American Lindsay Davenport regained the No. 1 ranking in the world for the first time since early 2002 by defeating Dinara Safina of Russia 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Kremlin Cup on Thursday.


Sox to go without Schilling Boston - Given a short flight home and abbreviated night #39;s sleep, the Boston Red Sox decided not to bother. Curt Schilling will not pitch in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series because of a dislocated


Petrova Out, Kuznetsova Advances at WTA Moscow Russians were winners in four of five matches played Wednesday at the ATP stop in Moscow, with the only upset caused by Italian Francesca Schiavone knocking out No.


Tsvangiri #39;s supporters await verdict Supporters of Zimbabwe #39;s opposition leader gathered outside court on to hear the verdict in his treason trial, which could see him sentenced to death.


Palestinian killed as Israeli army redeploys in Northern Gaza <b>...</b> One Palestinian was killed and three others were seriously injured when an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at a group of people in the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip early Friday morning.


Kofi Annan #39;s Son Under Scrutiny NEW YORK - The US Justice Department criminal probe into the UN Oil-for-Food program is focusing on several individuals, among them UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan #39;s son.


BOMB HOAX GROUNDS JET A BOMB threat which forced a Virgin Atlantic flight to land at Stansted Airport yesterday was a hoax, police have confirmed. The airbus, carrying 215 passengers and 18 crew from Hong Kong to Heathrow, was forced to land at Stansted at 5.25am.


Insurers lead FTSE lower The FTSE 100 has fallen for the fifth session in a row, with insurers crowding the list of fallers after sentiment in the sector was damaged by news that New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer was suing a US firm.


Google Debuts Desktop Search Tool Google unveiled a desktop search agent yesterday that lets users find any information stored on their computer, including visited Web pages, files and e-mail as well as instant messages.


FCC ruling speeds network creation SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. will build fiber-optic networks for carrying video more quickly after US regulators said they won #39;t force the phone companies to share the equipment with competitors.


Rite Aid official gets 10 years for fraud harrisburg, pa.Franklin Brown, a former Rite Aid Corp. chief counsel convicted of accounting fraud, was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison by a judge who rejected his arguments that the term would be a death sentence because he is 76 and ill.


Rossi on verge of fourth premier world title PHILLIP ISLAND (Melbourne): Italian Valentino Rossi is within a top-two podium finish of claiming his fourth consecutive premier class world title in the Australian MotoGP championship race here on Sunday.


Warne claims world record AUSTRALIAN Shane Warne claimed the outright world Test wicket-taking record today with his 533rd scalp. Warne reached the mark during the first session on day two of the second Test against India when he had


Newman gives himself a boost Ryan Newman, who knows he #39;ll have to be flawless over the final six races to win the Nextel Cup title, was just that Thursday night, shattering the track record at Lowe #39;s Motor Speedway


Discipline is Key to Irish Victory on Saturday The Irish held their second day of practice on Wednesday in preparation for their game against Navy this weekend. Many think the key to the Irish winning this game will be stopping the Midshipmen on offense.


U.S.-Backed TV Asserts Independence Alhurra, a network with 150 reporters based in Springfield, is the U.S. government's largest and most expensive effort to sway foreign opinion over the airwaves since the creation of Voice of America in 1942.


U.S. Hits Debt Limit After Ceiling Raises Delayed The House passed a \$690 billion increase in the debt ceiling in a 2005 budget resolution, but it was never adopted by the Senate, leading to delayed contributions to federal employees' pension systems.


Airline Can Use Lenders' Cash, Judge Says The Arlington airline, which filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time, is seeking an across-the-board 23 percent employee pay cut for at least six months in hopes of saving about \$38 million a month.


GM Posts Anemic Third-Quarter Earnings The world's largest automaker lowered its annual earnings forecast Thursday, a few hours after announcing plans to cut about 20 percent of its European workforce by the end of 2006 in hopes of saving about \$600 million a year.


US insurers reel amid fix probe Insurance firms are left  reeling as New York attorney general Elliot Spitzer sues Marsh   McLennan, the world's largest insurance broker, for taking illegal payments.


Yukos unit may be sold for \$4bn Yukos'  future is thrown into fresh doubt amid reports that Russia is planning to sell 77 of its key oil production unit for \$4bn by the end of November.


Google Desktop Could be Better \\Today Brad  gave me a quick demo of Google  Desktop .\\Its great that Google keeps innovating (and more power to them) but to be honest\I was a bit underwhelmed.\\caption: Google Desktop Homepage.\\It should be possible to quickly put together a Lucene  Desktop which\performed the same tasks but was Open Source and based on web standards.\\There are a few steps here of course:\\ - Integrating lucene to index the filesystem only when files are changed.  This\   can be accomplished by looking at directory timestamps and only searching\   directories that have changed since the last index run. \\ - Only indexing during idle CPU time.  On windows you could build this around a\   screensaver.   ...\\


Like My New Blog Design? \\What do you think of the new design?  For those of you reading via RSS just\click on the permalink. \\Fixed layout.  Blue background.  Nice clean sidebar.  No more obsolete\links. Updated content.\\All to give the appearance that I'm a professional!\\This is part of my new effort to blog more now that I have Rojo  launched.\\Anyway.  If anything looks strange please let me know!  I'll also be making some\additional layout tweaks in the next couple of days.  In the meantime this will\do...\\


Brewers take steps to attract merger support Molson drops a plan to have an option-holders #39; vote, and Coors hires an investment bank to court stock owners. In a bid to build support for its proposed merger with Adolph Coors Co.


Starbucks launches first of  quot;music bars quot; for CD burning SEATTLE, Washington, Oct 14 (AFP) - Coffee shop giant Starbucks said Thursday it was launching the first of its  quot;music bars quot; where customers can listen to digital recordings and burn their own CDs.


NetSuite #39;s new offering joins up the dots Analysis Over the past few years, CRM implementations have come in for much criticism, especially in the elusive area of ROI. This has caused many companies to re-evaluate their technology implementations


Editorial: Different strokes for different handhelds Mobile Computing Editor Larry Garfield looks at the different design strategies of the leading handheld companies, and muses on what it says about the way they think.


Gibernau on Rossi #39;s tail WHILE Valentino Rossi coasted into his familiar position at the head of the pack for the Australian Motorcycle grand prix today, rival Sete Gibernau warned:  quot;Don #39;t write me off.


Adopting a new model yields gains at old Fleet  Within months of acquiring FleetBoston Financial Corp. , Bank of America Corp. handed out its sales playbook to Fleet employees in the branches to teach them how to sell.


August trade gap hits \$54b WASHINGTON -- The trade deficit jumped to the second-highest level in history as surging demand for foreign oil swamped a small gain in US exports, the government reported yesterday. America's trade gap with China hit a record high as retailers stocked up on cellphones, toys, and televisions in preparation for Christmas sales.


Heating oil report jolts prices NEW YORK -- A decline in the nation's inventory of heating oil catapulted crude futures prices toward \$55 a barrel yesterday, providing the latest jolt to a market already rattled by the world's tight supply of oil, strong demand, and the possibility of output problems in several producing nations.


Fidelity Investments cuts brokerage fees THE REGION Fidelity Investments, the world's largest mutual fund manager, said it reduced the cost of online stock trades by one-third for entry-level brokerage customers, keeping pace with Charles Schwab Corp. Fidelity lowered commissions for ''bronze-level quot; clients by \$10 to \$19.95 a trade, the Boston-based company said. The bronze level accounts for two-thirds of Fidelity's customers, spokesman Adam Banker said. ...


Investor group aims to halt buyout by Art Technology  Art Technology Group's plan to acquire a Seattle software firm has come under fire from a group of investors who have launched a proxy fight to halt the deal.


<cite>Reg</cite> road tests the BioNav #8482; in-car nav wonder Sophisticated kit - at a price


X-Prize for world's 'Holy Grails' X-Prizes for breakthroughs in science or technology that solve the world's greatest challenges are planned.


Historical directories go online Amateur historians and academics can take advantage of a wealth of archived data on the web.


EU pursues Greece over games law The European Commission takes Greece to court for failing to change a law could ban people playing computer games at home.


Treasury Official Sees US Economy Spurt The US economy will expand by 4 percent this year, sustaining the recovery begun in 2002, a senior US Treasury official said Sunday.


Google's New Tool Brings Search Home (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Google Inc. released free software yesterday that lets people simultaneously search the Web and their personal computers for information, a move analysts described as a potential blow to rivals Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. in the race to woo more searchers.


Indian software major Wipro second-quarter net profit up 79 percent (AFP) AFP - India's third-largest software exporter, Wipro, said that second quarter net profit jumped 79 percent as sales rose 44 percent, beating both the market's and the company's expectations.


Sun Capital putting Anchor on block (TheDeal.com) TheDeal.com - The Boca Raton, Fla., venture capital firm hopes to get  #36;210 million or more for the teenage apparel retailer.


Mac Skeptic: Are Hackers Now Gunning for the Mac? (PC World) PC World - Macs still have fewer bugs than Windows PCs, but Apple moves to plug security holes before problems crop up.


Halo 2 leaked AGENTS FOR Microsoft are investigating how its forthcoming Halo 2 game was pirated and distributed on the Internet nearly a month before it hit the shops.


Privacy Eroding, Bit by Bit and Byte Cheap computers, blazing fast networks and clever engineers are finding more ways to keep tabs on where you go and what you buy, even what you'll do next.
-The Washington Post


John Kerry Hits Midwest States (AP) AP - John Kerry's telling voters that President Bush's record on jobs and taxes have helped special interests, not their interests, as he launches the final stretch of his presidential campaign with running mate John Edwards.


Google's New Tool Brings Search Home Google Inc. released free software Thursday that lets people search the Web and their personal computers for information simultaneously.
-The Washington Post


Digene Settles Patent Dispute Over HPV Test The company's HPV DNA test is used in conjunction with the better-known Pap test to screen for cervical cancer and its precursors in women 30 years of age and older.
-The Washington Post


FCC Approves New Broadband Hookups Supporters say the new technology, which uses electric power lines, could become a major alternative to cable modem and phone connections if FCC approval helps it attract  participation of major utility companies.


U.S. Raids Hit Iraq's Falluja at Start of Ramadan  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes bombed targets in Iraq's  rebel-held city of Falluja Friday, marking a violent start to  the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.


Poland to Reduce Number of Troops in Iraq  WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland said Friday it plans to reduce  the number of its troops in Iraq from early next year and will  not remain there "an hour longer than is sensible."


X-Prize for world's 'Holy Grails' \A series of X-Prizes for breakthroughs in science or technology that solve the world's greatest challenges are planned.


Salmond in fishing policy demand Alex Salmond is to deliver a petition calling on the UK to withdraw from the Common Fisheries Policy.


Antibiotic hope for Parkinson's \An antibiotic used to treat leprosy and tuberculosis is showing promise as a therapy for Parkinson's disease.


Hopes of malaria vaccine by 2010 Scientists say they have developed an effective vaccine against malaria that could be ready in six years.


Dancer's retrial begins in Vegas An Irish woman convicted of murdering her millionaire boyfriend returns to court in Las Vegas.


Warne breaks Test wickets record Tributes flow in for Australian Shane Warne after he becomes Test cricket's most prolific wicket-taker.


US probes flu jab 'price scams' The US health secretary asks local officials to investigate reports of companies raising prices to exploit a flu vaccine shortage.


Refugees storm Beijing consulate A group of 20 people, thought to be North Koreans, force their way into the South Korean consulate in Beijing.


UN mulls Syria-Lebanon resolution France and the US draw up a UN resolution aimed at getting Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.


Select few 'can identify liars' Scientists believe a select group of people can spot when someone is lying.


John Lennon killer 'wanted fame' John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman talks about his reasons for shooting the former Beatle in 1980.


Brazil Making Progress on Software Export Drive  SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil's drive to increase  computer software exports is beginning to show results and the  government expects the sector to sell about \$400 million abroad  this year, four times what it exported in 2001.


Toll put at 7,000 in 1995 massacre Bosnia-Herzegovina BANJA LUKA -- Bosnian Serb forces killed more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica, a Bosnian Serb commission conceded yesterday in its final report on the 1995 massacre. Bosnian Muslim officials claim that up to 8,000 men and boys were killed at Srebrenica in July 1995, when Serb troops overran the UN-declared safe zone in Europe's worst ...


Israel drops threat to limit Muslims at shrine JERUSALEM -- Israel will not limit the number of Muslim worshipers at a hotly disputed Jerusalem site during the holy month of Ramadan, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided yesterday, backing away from a threat to restrict access.


Pakistani forces attack kidnappers  CHAGMALAI, Pakistan -- Pakistani special forces attacked kidnappers holding two Chinese engineers near the Afghan border yesterday, killing all five of the Al Qaeda-linked militants, who were followers of a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner. One of the hostages was killed in the raid, while the other survived.


Cambodia names a new king  PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Prince Norodom Sihamoni was named Cambodia's new king yesterday, succeeding his father, Norodom Sihanouk, who stunned the country last week by announcing his abdication because of ill health.


Protesters decry Gaza withdrawal  JERUSALEM -- Thousands of Israelis demonstrated across the country yesterday against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and a small part of the West Bank, hours after Sharon declared the pullout would begin in June.


Saudi professes his innocence  RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- A Saudi-American released after being held by the US military for three years in solitary confinement without charge said in an interview broadcast yesterday that he cooperated with his jailers, calling himself ''an innocent man. quot;


Brazilians Battle Indians: 'This Land Is Our Land' White settlers are using the judicial system to try to evict Indians from parts of a reservation in the Amazon.


Nobels Bring Prestige to Calif. Colleges GOLETA, Calif. - The University of California system is amassing Nobel Prizes at campuses once noted more for beer bashes and odd mascots than academic excellence...


Vote Counting Begins in Afghan Election KABUL, Afghanistan - Interim leader Hamid Karzai took an early lead as vote counting began in Afghanistan's landmark presidential election, after allegations of ballot-box stuffing, voter intimidation and multiple voting forced five days of delay.    The tally was halted Friday so the 1,000 Afghans on the counting staff could have the day off to celebrate the start of Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month...


Federal Deficit Surges to Record \$413B WASHINGTON - Democrats are blaming President Bush for the record 2004 federal deficit of \$413 billion, but Republicans say the figure shows that the economic and budget pictures are brightening.    The Treasury Department announced the figure Thursday, two weeks after the government's 2004 budget year ended and just 19 days from an Election Day in which Bush's economic and fiscal performance are pivotal issues...


Crowds Gather for Zimbabwe Opposition Chief Verdict (Reuters) Reuters - Scores of supporters of Zimbabwe's\opposition leader gathered outside the high court on Friday to\hear the verdict in his treason trial, which could see him\sentenced to death.


Opel workers stage work stoppages in protest against job cuts (AFP) AFP - Production was halted at the Bochum factory of troubled German car maker Opel as workers laid down tools for the second day in a row in protest against plans by the group's US parent, General Motors, to axe thousands of jobs and possibly even close a plant after 2006.


Mac Skeptic: Are Hackers Now Gunning for the Mac? Macs still have fewer bugs than Windows PCs, but Apple moves to plug security holes before problems crop up.


NBA Considering Taking Games to China (Reuters) Reuters - The NBA is considering playing some of\its regular season games in China, commissioner David Stern\said Friday.


NBA Considering Taking Games to China  BEIJING (Reuters) - The NBA is considering playing some of  its regular season games in China, commissioner David Stern  said Friday.


Els Takes Care of Drummond at Wentworth  VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Defending champion  Ernie Els completed a 2-and-1 victory over Briton Scott  Drummond when the rain-delayed World Match Play Championship  first round resumed at Wentworth Friday.


Level best The last two coaches Patriots owner Bob Kraft hired -- Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick -- are arguably the most successful football coaches in America right now.


Johnny on the spot It has never just been about the hair. Certainly Johnny Damon's long, flowing locks with auburn highlights, which have left women suffering from Clairol envy, have come to symbolize the carefree ways of the Red Sox. Yet the self-professed leader of this  quot;bunch of idiots quot; would not have enjoyed the same impact in the clubhouse had he not also submitted ...


Moose mania GREENVILLE, Maine -- Winter is not far away beyond the peaks of these northern hills, and at an outdoor community gathering here Monday, where PTO volunteers grill the hot dogs and kids press their hands around steaming cups of cocoa, that inevitability comes in the form of 20-knot gusts off Moosehead Lake.


No Game 5 start for Schilling That could be all, folks. Barring a last-minute breakthrough, Curt Schilling may have thrown his last pitch in trying to help the Red Sox end their 86-year championship famine.


Williams's time to shine Bernie Williams isn't sure just what comes over him every year when the leaves change and the air turns crisp, or why he tends to pop out of a box score whenever the Yankees are playing prime-time ballgames for rings.


Hernandez will put up dukes Orlando Hernandez , who hasn't pitched in more than two weeks, will start Game 4 tomorrow night for the Yankees against Tim Wakefield .  quot;Experience, quot; said manager Joe Torre , who bypassed Javier Vazquez to go with El Duque, who has pitched in four World Series and has a 4-1 record in League Championship Series.


Arroyo plans an inside job Take notice Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Gary Sheffield: If you crowd the plate, you are going to hear a symphony of chin music. Or worse, you could get hit with a 90-mile-per-hour fastball in tonight's Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park.


Brown feels fortunate to have a hand in series Thirty-two pitches. That's a couple innings for most pitchers -- or two lengthy Johnny Damon at-bats. It amounted to Kevin Brown's entire body of work against the Red Sox Sept. 26. It was not a pretty sight.


Rainy-day plan for Fenway ticket-holders With forecasters predicting heavy rain, the Red Sox said tonight's game would be made up Monday if it can't be played tonight. Tickets for tonight's game, marked either  quot;Home Game #1 quot; or  quot;Friday, October 15 quot; would be good for Monday's game, which likely would be scheduled to start at 5:10 p.m.


Cardinals go back-to-back The Houston Astros return home for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series tomorrow with ace pitchers Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt ready to go against the St. Louis Cardinals.


Looking to change it up The handwritten message on a chalkboard in the Red Sox clubhouse yesterday said it all:  quot;We can change history. Believe it. quot;


Dillon still hobbled by sore foot Corey Dillon didn't practice for the second straight day because of a sore right foot. His status is questionable for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. How questionable?


But seriously folks Being at home isn't what you think in the NFL. Heading into the weekend, 10 teams remain undefeated at home, but we're only talking two or three games. Let the season play out, but don't be surprised if that figure is less than what it was a year ago (four unbeatens at home).


The NFL is in a league of its own You need to be involved in a fantasy football league? Why? The real stuff provides enough drama without making things up.