Zoom H4n audio recorder goes mainstream, now available at Best Buy

Until now, Samson's Zoom H4n digital recorder has been a staple in niche music equipment stores like Sam Ash, Musician's Friend, and Sweetwater, but a no-show in more mainstream retailers. Now the two year-old handheld is on sale at Best Buy, making it much easier to walk into a brick-and-mortar store and handle the thing a bit before deciding to shell out $299. The H4n's undergone some minor upgrades since its debut, with the current model sporting built-in X/Y stereo condenser mics, a rubberized, shock-proof design, an improved UI, a new digitally controlled mic preamp, and the ability to use internal and external mics for four-channel recording. It comes with a 1GB SDHC card, but you can swap it for one as large as 32GB. Last but not least, there's a tripod mount, making it easier to pair the device with a DSLR that could use some oomph in the audio department -- you know, when you film your next My World 2.0 fan video next week.

Continue reading Zoom H4n audio recorder goes mainstream, now available at Best Buy

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/zoom-h4n-audio-recorder-goes-mainstream-now-available-at-best-b/

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Cinesa to Buy France's UGC Cinemas in Spain, Italy

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MADRID -- Spanish exhibition chain Cinesa has agreed to buy all the movie theaters owned by France's UGC in Spain and Italy, Spanish business daily Cinco Dias?reported Thursday.

The move, which would give Cinesa 20 percent of the Spanish market, includes three multiplexes in Italy and five in Spain -- to bring Cinesa's chain to 400 screens in 35 locations throughout Spain.

Cinesa is owned by British investment group Terra Firma, which also owns the Odeon and UCI circuits. The group bought AMC's Spanish chain in 2006 and Warner's Spanish circuit in 2005.

"Our idea is to grow throughout Europe and continue forming synergies," Cinesa general manager Javier Fernandez?told Cinco Dias, adding the group posted ?150 million ($218 million) in revenue for 2010 and had reached break even.

According to Fernandez, who declined to tell Cinco Dias the cost of the operation, Cinesa would maintain the 300 employees at the Spanish theaters. The report did not mention the Italian staff.

Yelmo owns 10 percent of the Spanish exhibition market, followed by Cinebox and ACEC's 6 percent.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/international/~3/b7EXAqEGHBk/cinesa-buy-frances-ugc-cinemas-178474

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Tweetbot once again redefines Twitter for iPhone

Tweetbot just hit the US App Store and boy is it a beauty. Tapbots has done it again and designed an application that is not only functional and pretty, but an artistic masterpiece that I cannot keep my hands off of. I was an instant critic when I read Tapbots’ claim that Tweetbot is “a [...]

Tweetbot once again redefines Twitter for iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/6KSTAvEkpwA/

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Daily Crunch: Transaction Edition

Review: TDK 3 Speaker Boombox Study: Smartphone Users Wasting Hundreds Of Dollars Per Year On Unnecessary Contracts Woman Makes DIY Angry Bird Easter Eggs Amaze Your Friends With This Invisible Money Clip Pour Votre Plaisir: A USB Key Shaped Like A Padlock

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/04/12/daily-crunch-transaction/

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Scream 4' Star Hayden Panettiere Dishes on Her Sex Life on 'Ellen

'Scream 4' Star Hayden Panettiere Dishes on Her Sex Life on 'Ellen'

Hayden Panettiere was on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday to promote her latest movie, Scream 4 -- but the conversation somehow found its way to the diminutive actress' sex life with her considerably taller boyfriend, heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.

According to E!, DeGeneres brought up the height difference (Klitschko is 6'6"; Panettiere is 5'2"), and Panettiere told a stunned Ellen that fans come up to her all the time and want to know, "Does it work?"

The former teen queen and Heroes star went on to tell Degeneres that despite fans' confusion about the, um, mechanics involved, she and Klitschko make due. "Yeah, it works. We find a way," she says. "Where there's a will, there's a way!"

"I know what you're talking about, but I'm in shock. People ask you that?" a stunned DeGeneres responded.

"They're very conservative people most of the time," Panettiere added. "They just have to know. Like have to know, 'I just have to ask you this question!'"

When DeGeneres called such behavior "crazy and rude," Panettiere insisted she's not offended by the rather unusual line of questioning. "I don't mind it. I find it amusing."

"Really?" Ellen replied. "Well then, how does it work?"

Hold that thought, Hayden! We're pretty sure we've already got TMI.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/scream-4-star-hayden-panettiere-dishes-her-sex-life-ellen/1-a-340525

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Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp Bound for Cannes

Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp Bound for Cannes

From left: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp

Landov; Abaca

Cue the paparazzi: Cinema's rite of spring ? the Cannes Film Festival ? will feature an all-star cast, as will be officially announced on Thursday. But, for now, PEOPLE has learned that fans can expect to find Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, Pen?lope Cruz and Javier Bardem, as well as Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson sharing the spotlight along the Croisette from May 11 through 22.

In addition, invitations to the 64th Cannes Fest are also out to Rolling Stone Keith Richards, Madonna, Jack Black and France's First Lady, Carla Bruni, who happens to be making her acting debut in a Woody Allen movie.

One thing is already for certain: Robert DeNiro will be sticking around the entire fest ? he is the head of the jury that hands out the prizes.

Topping the list of premieres is the multi-generational saga Tree of Life, starring Pitt and Penn and directed by the highly regarded Terence Malick (Badlands, Days of Heaven). Pitt will no doubt remain in the South of France during the first half of the festival, which will also bring a sneak peek of Kung Fu Panda 2, featuring the voice of Jolie, as well as that of Dustin Hoffman and Jack Black.

Depp's appearance is keyed to a world premiere, that of Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which marks the return of Jack Sparrow. Cruz is among the costars.

The festival's previously announced Opening Selection, Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, will bring to Cannes cast members Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Owen Wilson, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody and, it is anticipated, Marion Cotillard, though she is due to give birth at the end of April.

Also on the agenda: a special tribute to the late Elizabeth Taylor, whose amFAR event to benefit her AIDS foundation has become an annual Cannes event. Vignette StoryServer 6.0 Tue Apr 12 09:45:39 2011

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Source: http://feeds.people.com/~r/people/headlines/~3/DSVL6cY5lUA/0,,20481193,00.html

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Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers For April 14


1. The Land of Painted Caves

By Jean M. Auel

2 weeks on list

Hardcover, 768pp, $30.00
Crown
Pub Date: Mar. 29, 2011


2. The Tiger's Wife

By Tea Obreht

5 weeks on list

Hardcover, 352pp, $25.00
Random House
Pub Date: Mar. 8, 2011


3. The Pale King

By David Foster Wallace

2 weeks on list

Hardcover, 560pp, $27.99
Little, Brown and Company
Pub Date: Apr. 1, 2011


4. The Paris Wife

By Paula Mclain

7 weeks on list

Hardcover, 336pp, $25.00
Ballantine Books
Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2011


5. The Fifth Witness

By Michael Connelly

1 week on list

Hardcover, 448pp, $27.99
Little, Brown and Company
Pub Date: Apr. 5, 2011


6. The Troubled Man

By Henning Mankell; Laurie Thompson

2 weeks on list

Hardcover, 384pp, $26.95
Knopf
Pub Date: Mar. 29, 2011


7. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party

The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel

By Alexander Mccall Smith

3 weeks on list

Hardcover, 224pp, $24.95
Pantheon
Pub Date: Mar. 22, 2011


8. Horoscopes for the Dead

Poems

By Billy Collins

1 week on list

Hardcover, 128pp, $24.00
Random House
Pub Date: Apr. 5, 2011


9. A Lesson in Secrets

A Maisie Dobbs Novel

By Jacqueline Winspear

3 weeks on list

Hardcover, 336pp, $25.99
Harper
Pub Date: Apr. 1, 2011


10. She Walks in Beauty

A Woman's Journey Through Poems

By Caroline Kennedy

1 week on list

Hardcover, 352pp, $24.99
Hyperion
Pub Date: Apr. 1, 2011


11. Started Early, Took My Dog

By Kate Atkinson

4 weeks on list

Hardcover, 384pp, $24.99
Reagan Arthur Books
Pub Date: Mar. 1, 2011


12. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

By Stieg Larsson

46 weeks on list

Hardcover, 576pp, $27.95
Knopf
Pub Date: May. 25, 2010


13. Room

By Emma Donoghue

31 weeks on list

Hardcover, 336pp, $24.99
Little, Brown and Company
Pub Date: Sep. 1, 2010


14. The Wise Man's Fear

The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day Two

By Patrick Rothfuss

6 weeks on list

Hardcover, 1008pp, $29.95
DAW Hardcover
Pub Date: Mar. 1, 2011


15. Sing You Home

By Jodi Picoult

6 weeks on list

Hardcover, 480pp, $28.00
Atria
Pub Date: Mar. 1, 2011

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/15/135406682/hardcover-fiction-bestsellers-for-april-14?ft=1&f=1032

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College Savings Plans More Flexible Than You May Think

New figures show that a growing number of adults age 30 and older are seeking higher education. The National Center of Education Statistics reports a sixteen percent rise in enrollment between 2007 and 2009. Meanwhile, the cost of a four year degree has shot up by 72 percent in the past decade. In tough economic times, many would-be students are looking for ways to afford a tertiary education. A 529 Savings Plan is one option. In this week's "Money Coach" conversation, host Michel Martin discusses the flexibility of a 529 Savings Plan with freelance reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Jaime Levy Pessin.

Copyright ? 2011 National Public Radio?. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

MICHEL MARTIN, host:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News.

Coming up, a look into the pages of The Washington Post magazine. Education was the focus this week. We'll hear about how a Catholic school that was losing enrollment found new life as a classics-focused charter school. That conversation is coming up later.

But, first, our weekly talk about personal finance. Today: paying for college. Now, college enrollment has steadily increased over the past decade, especially among adults. But at the same time, tuition costs have soared at a much faster rate. According to the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center, the average tuition at private four-year colleges has increased by 34.5 percent since the year 2000. And tuition at public four-year institutions is a staggering 72 percent higher than it was 10 years ago.

Now, to prepare these higher costs, more people are looking for ways to finance education and one of the most effective options is the 529 savings plan. That's a plan that provides tax incentives to put aside money for college. But what many people may not know is that 529s can also be used for adults. Here to tell us more is Jaime Levy Pessin. She's a freelance financial journalist who recently reported on this for The Wall Street Journal. Jaime, thanks so much for joining us.

Ms. JAIME LEVY PESSIN (Financial Journalist): Thank you for having me.

MARTIN: Now, a lot of people have probably heard the term, you know, a 529. They probably heard that term sort of bandied about. So, just set the table for us, if you would. And just tell us exactly what a 529 is and how this maybe differs from other savings accounts that people might have heard about.

Ms. PESSIN: Sure thing. A 529 plan is basically an account where you can invest money that you've set aside for higher education. You can put that money aside for yourself or for someone you know. It's typically a family member. So the advantage to using one is that you don't pay taxes on the earnings or when you take the money out, assuming it goes to tuition or fees or books for the person who's considered the beneficiary of the account.

MARTIN: Now, do you use pre-tax dollars or post-tax dollars? I mean, is it like something where you - the money that you put into the 529, you don't pay taxes on the money that you put in or is it just that you don't pay taxes on the earnings?

Ms. PESSIN: You don't pay taxes on the earnings. I mean, if you're putting your money away for, you know, 15 years, you could see quite a big increase in what you put in.

MARTIN: Is there any downside to a 529?

Ms. PESSIN: It depends on how you consider the downside. If you take the money out and you don't end up using it for higher education-related expenses, you may be hit with a tax penalty of 10 percent on the earnings, in addition to whatever other taxes you might pay.

But that said, you know, if you have another child or another relative, or even if you want to transfer the money back into your own name so that you can go back to school later in life, you know, you can transfer it around and not have any of those taxes or penalties associated with it.

MARTIN: What kinds of earnings, though, can you get? I mean, I think one question that a lot of people would have is, is my money better off in a 529 plan or is it better off in, say, a mutual fund where I might actually come up with more money for college later on?

Ms. PESSIN: Well, the 529 plans are invested in various funds. It's not a savings account, you know, in the sense of, you know, you're going to earn three percent the whole time. You're putting your money into a variety of funds when you do that.

Like, for example, like a really popular way to invest money in a 529 has to do with pegging it to when your child is expected to start college. I have a two-year-old at home, so he's going to start college hopefully sometime around 2026, but then it'll cost me probably about 300,000 to send him to a four-year school, which is kind of scary.

But one thing I could do is, you know, if I open a 529, I could choose the investment option that would invest really aggressively now for the next, you know, say, 10 years. And then when I'm starting to be about five years away, kind of taper that risk down. The last thing you want to happen is to invest in the stock market two years from when your kid's going to start school and lose all your money.

MARTIN: Well, that was my other question, though. There is still a possibility that you could lose the money. This is not guaranteed in the same way that a savings account up to $100,000 is guaranteeing.

Ms. PESSIN: No, but what's interesting is that some of the states have now added an FDIC option to the 529 plan, so when you get that, say, five years out or whatever, you can transfer your money into, you know, just a much more conservative, essentially, savings account.

MARTIN: And you also reported that one thing that many people may not know is that you can transfer the account to another person, assuming that the money is still used for educational purposes. And I think that's something many people may not know, including another adult, or to yourself, if you want to go back to school.

Ms. PESSIN: That's right. Now, the transfers are limited to a relative of the beneficiary. So, in the most typical situation, you know, you're setting these accounts up for your children or your grandchildren. So that means that you can transfer the money to another grandchild or, you know, your second child or, I believe, a niece, nephew.

MARTIN: And, finally, is there a common mistake that people make when they invest in a 529 plan? Is there something that people should be careful to avoid?

Ms. PESSIN: Well, one of the most common mistakes I learned about when I was reporting this story, it has to do with when you're taking the money out of your 529 account. It's very easy to get tripped up between the academic year and the calendar year. The IRS wants you take out the money from your 529 in the same year that you're writing the tuition check, which means that a lot of people around December want to start taking out that 529 money in order to pay January, you know, second semester tuition. That's a big mistake.

Make sure that if you're taking the money out one year, you're actually writing the check in the same year. You could either take out the money in December, or you could take out the money and, you know, January 1st, and write the check January 1st. But don't take out the money in December 22nd and write the check January 1st.

MARTIN: I see. OK. So you got to make sure that it's very clear that that money is going to pay for educational expenses in the same year in which those expenses are incurred.

Ms. PESSIN: Correct.

MARTIN: OK. Jaime Levy Pessin is a freelance financial journalist and she wrote about 529 plans for The Wall Street Journal and she was kind enough to join us from our studios in New York. Jaime, thanks so much for joining us.

Ms. PESSIN: Thank you.

Copyright ? 2011 National Public Radio?. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to National Public Radio. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/12/135347307/college-savings-plans-more-flexible-than-you-may-think?ft=1&f=1013

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The War With Microsoft Is Over and Linux Won?

"If the goal of Linux is to beat Microsoft, we are fighting against the largest, most profitable player in the history of the industry," Slashdot blogger Chris Travers pointed out. "It will be a long struggle indeed. The victories we have scored have been notable, but these are still specific victories, and the struggle is far from over."

There's nothing like an anniversary to inspire a trip down memory lane, but after 20 years of such milestones, the effect tends to be even more pronounced.

No wonder, then, that the occasion of Linux's 20th birthday this year has provoked so much reflection.

Numerous Linux fans, of course, were busy kicking off celebrations of the event last week at the Linux Foundation's Collaboration Summit in San Francisco. It was some key comments by the foundation's own Jim Zemlin, however, that caused so many to pause and consider.

'Like Kicking a Puppy'

"We just don't care that much [about Microsoft] anymore," Zemlin said in a recent interview. "They used to be our big rival, but now it's kind of like kicking a puppy."

Rather, after a "humble start as a project for a college student in Helsinki," Zemlin noted, "Linux has come to dominate almost every category of computing, with the exception of the desktop."

Now, Linux's general excellence will come as no surprise to readers of these virtual pages. What's a bit mind-bending, however, is the notion that Redmond is no longer Enemy No. 1.

Given how long most of us have believed otherwise, the idea provided considerable food for thought and conversation down at the Linux blogosphere's Broken Windows Lounge.

'The War Isn't Over Yet'

"There is truth to what Jim says: Linux really has exploded in nearly every form of the computer market except the desktop computer," Thoughts on Technology blogger and Bodhi Linux lead developer Jeff Hoogland told Linux Girl over a round of Peppermint Penguins.

Still, "I think it is important to realize that 'Linux has beaten Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT)' is not the same as 'Linux has beaten Windows,'" Hoogland pointed out. "Yes it has dominated the mobile and computing markets, but then Microsoft never really had a stronghold on either of those."

Contrary to Zemlin's view, in fact, "the desktop computer is not going away anytime soon, even with tablets and smartphones everywhere," he asserted. "Linux users do still need to focus their attention there if they really want to 'beat Microsoft' in every way, shape and form."

In other words, "we've won several of the battles, but the war isn't over yet," Hoogland concluded.

'It Will Be a Long Struggle Indeed'

Chris Travers, a Slashdot blogger who works on the LedgerSMB project, took a similar view.

"Linux has beaten Microsoft in key emerging battlegrounds; that's a different thing from 'beating Microsoft' and assuming that the struggle is over," Travers opined.

"If the goal of Linux is to beat Microsoft, we are fighting against the largest, most profitable player in the history of the industry," Travers pointed out. "It will be a long struggle indeed. The victories we have scored have been notable, but these are still specific victories, and the struggle is far from over."

Similarly, "I wouldn't say Microsoft has been beaten as long as they make billions of dollars a year," consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack pointed out. "I would call them 'contained' rather than 'beaten.' FOSS has taken over markets MS has wanted to and, with one exception, locked them down to their core markets."

'Stick a Fork In It'

Slashdot blogger hairyfeet wasn't so sure.

"Oh please! It is a classic case of 'moving the goalposts' if ever I saw one!" hairyfeet exclaimed.

"The goal, stated by FOSS advocates for YEARS, was the 'year of the Linux desktop,'" hairyfeet pointed out. "Well, I think we can finally say it is over and Linux LOST. Stick a fork in it. The fat lady is down the street having a sandwich."

That opinion, however, was far from unanimous.

'Desktop Boxes Will Always Be Useful'

"There will always be immobile people using PCs," blogger Robert Pogson began. "Desktop boxes, becoming tiny and fanless and perhaps embedded in the keyboard or monitor, will always be useful."

Linux, however, "beat M$ more than 10 years ago when IBM (NYSE: IBM) and others got behind it, contributed money and manpower and promoted GNU/Linux," he asserted. "Since then, M$ has had to severely lock people in to keep them as customers."

Looking ahead, "Microsoft will not go away either, but they will have to earn their living the old-fashioned way instead of having the world throw them money for nothing," Pogson said. "I would not be surprised to see them sink to 20 percent share eventually, with all the choices smart thingies and the cloud and thin clients offer. Everyone knows they can live without M$ now."

'Mobile Is Where the Growth Is'

Indeed, "it's certainly quicker to list the areas where Microsoft still dominates than the ones where Linux or Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) (or both) are killing it," agreed Barbara Hudson, a blogger on Slashdot who goes by "Tom" on the site. "There's the desktop computer, and ... um ... gee, that was fast, wasn't it?"

When laptop sales overtook desktops, "Microsoft didn't care," Hudson pointed out. "Either one meant the sale of a Windows OS, and often other software."

The switch to "mobile-everything," on the other hand, "is already having a huge impact, because in most cases it marks the loss of another customer to Apple or Linux.

"Maybe it's not the year of linux on the desktop, but it's also not the year of Windows on mobile devices, and it never will be," Hudson concluded. "Mobile is where the growth is, for both business and the consumer, and that market is being divvied up between Apple and Linux, with Linux dominating."

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/72245.html

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Trump the Next American Psycho Parody With Carbon Fiber Business Cards [Carbon Fiber]

Your business peers can gloat all they want about their embossed iron-colored cards—when you pull out your carbon fiber cards they'll instantly know you're the kind of guy who spends $1,600 on a pack of 100. [CarbonFiberDesigns via Uncrate via BornRich] More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/qfrM0DFhqxk/trump-the-next-american-psycho-parody-with-carbon-fiber-business-cards

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