Official: 13 hurt when fans storm Okla. St. field

Fans tear down a goal post, injuring some participants, after Oklahoma State defeated Oklahoma 44-10 in an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Brody Schmidt)

Fans tear down a goal post, injuring some participants, after Oklahoma State defeated Oklahoma 44-10 in an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Brody Schmidt)

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden, center, celebrates with fans following a 44-10 victory over Oklahoma in an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

A fan hangs from the goal post it was tore down in celebration of Oklahoma State's 44-10 win over Oklahoma in an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma State fans carry a goal post they tore down following the Cowboy's 44-10 win of rival Oklahoma in an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Brody Schmidt)

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden, center, celebrates with fans following a 44-10 victory over Oklahoma in an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) ? Thousands of fans stormed the field and tore down goalposts after Oklahoma State's 44-10 victory over archrival Oklahoma, leaving at least 13 people injured, including two in critical condition, an emergency medical official said early Sunday.

Michael Authement, who heads the command post at emergency medical provider LifeNet EMS, told The Associated Press that a throng so big took to the field as the game ended that some fans were trampled and one person fell at least 15 feet onto concrete during a wild celebration by Oklahoma State fans.

"They won the game and stormed the field and ripped down the goalposts and some were jumping off the stands and hit the field and others got trampled. It was a nasty deal," Authement said.

He said the crowd was so big it took police at least 45 minutes to clear the crowd from the field at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater.

"There were thousands of people. Thousands of people stormed the field. You couldn't move there were so many people," he added.

Authement said nine ambulances, including six from LifeNet, rushed 11 of the injured away and the two in critical condition were flown to Oklahoma City hospitals. He said he knew of leg fractures but didn't have any details on the extent of the injuries, though two of the 13 had minor injuries and were treated at the scene and released.

An Oklahoma State University police central dispatcher said she had no immediate details to release when contacted by AP and the public information officer did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Stillwater police and the Oklahoma highway patrol also had no immediate comment.

Associated Press

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Woman charged with killing Fla. elderly benefactor (Providence Journal)

High court to hear suit over Cheney event arrest

(AP) ? The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear an appeal from Secret Service agents who say they should be shielded from a lawsuit over their arrest of a Colorado man who confronted Vice President Dick Cheney.

The justices will review a federal appeals court decision to allow Steven Howards of Golden, Colo., to pursue his claim that the arrest violated his free speech rights. Howards was detained by Cheney's security detail in 2006 after he told Cheney of his opposition to the war in Iraq.

Howards also touched Cheney on the shoulder, then denied doing so under questioning. Appellate judges in Denver said the inconsistency gave the agents reason to arrest Howards.

Even so, the appeals court said Howards could sue the agents for violating his rights ? an unusual twist that the agents and the Obama administration said conflicts with other appeals court decisions and previous high court rulings in similar cases.

Justice Elena Kagan is not taking part in the case, probably because she worked on it while serving in the Justice Department.

Howards' lawsuit grew out of a chance encounter with Cheney at a shopping center in the mountain resort of Beaver Creek.

The environmental consultant, now 59, was taking his older son to a piano recital when he saw Cheney emerge from a grocery store and begin talking to people and shaking hands. Howards came to the attention of Cheney's security detail when an agent heard him say into his cell phone that he was going to ask Cheney "how many kids he killed today."

While the son continued to the recital, Howards waited to meet the vice president. When it was his turn, Howards told Cheney his "policies in Iraq are disgusting," according to court papers. Then, as he departed, Howards touched Cheney's right shoulder with his open hand. Agents who witnessed the contact did not think it was serious enough to justify an arrest.

Still, Agent Virgil D. "Gus" Reichle Jr. was asked to interview Howards because of the confrontation and the overheard cell phone conversation. Reichle testified that Howards at first refused to talk to him, then denied that he assaulted Cheney or even touched him.

According to Howards, the agent also became "visibly angry" when Howards again expressed his views about the war. Reichle said that the overheard cell phone conversation, the confrontation with Cheney, Howards' initial refusal to talk and other factors led him to arrest Howards for assault. He later was charged with harassment, but that charge was dismissed. The other agent, Dan Doyle, overheard Howards' cell phone comment.

Howards filed his civil rights suit soon after.

The situation was made worse, he said, by the presence of his younger son, then 8. He witnessed his father get handcuffed and taken away. Howards asked what would happen to his son.

"He told me, 'We'll contact social services,'" Howards said. "I wasn't in a position to go ballistic, but I can still hear him saying that in my head."

The legal issue in the case is whether agents, and other law enforcement officers, should be shielded from rights lawsuits when they have a good reason, or probable cause, to make an arrest.

The administration says that officers responsible for protecting the president and vice president have to make quick decisions about potential threats and often work in politically charged environments.

In deciding whether to make an arrest, "these agents should not err always on the side of caution because they fear being sued," Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. said in court papers.

Sean Gallagher, the agent's Denver-based lawyer, said "the court should be very careful that it doesn't' develop a rule that inhibits the ability of the Secret Service to protect the president."

The Supreme Court has previously ruled out damages claims for retaliatory prosecutions when there was probable cause to bring criminal charges in the first place. Some appeals courts already have extended that rule to retaliatory arrests.

In a telephone interview, Howards said the government is trying to make it easier for law enforcement to arrest people. "I'd prefer if the Justice Department would simply acknowledge that it's not OK to arrest people simply for disagreeing with government policies," Howards said.

Separately, David Lane, Howards' lawyer, has made clear that he wants to question Cheney under oath as the person best able to recount what happened. Courts have so far not allowed it.

Lane called on the high court "to vindicate free speech in America and to stop abusive law enforcement from retaliating against people when they speak out."

The case will be argued in the spring.

The case is Reichle and Doyle v. Howards, 11-262.

Associated Press writer Dan Elliott in Denver contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Obama on AIDS: 'We can beat this disease'

President Barack Obama makes remarks on World AIDS Day , Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, at George Washington University in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama makes remarks on World AIDS Day , Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, at George Washington University in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Alicia Keys, center, and Muhtar Kent, the chairman of the Board and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, left, applaud as President Barack Obama spoke during a World AIDS Day event, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, at George Washington University in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Musicians Bono, right, and Alicia Keys talk during a panel discussion on World AIDS Day, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, at George Washington University in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Musicians Bono, right, and Alicia Keys take part in a panel discussion on World AIDS Day, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, at George Washington University in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(AP) ? President Barack Obama set an ambitious goal Thursday for significantly increasing access to life-saving AIDS drugs for people in the U.S. and around the world, as he announced a renewed American commitment to ending a pandemic that has killed 30 million people.

"We can beat this disease," Obama declared during a World AIDS Day event in Washington. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also participated via satellite.

Obama pledged U.S. support to help 6 million people in countries hardest hit by the virus get access to antiretroviral drugs by the end of 2013, increasing the original U.S. goal by 2 million. And he announced plans to boost spending on HIV treatment in the U.S. by $50 million.

"The rate of new infections may be going down elsewhere, but it's not going down here in America," he said. "There are communities in this country being devastated still by this disease. When new infections among young, black, gay men increase by nearly 50 percent in three years, we need to do more to show them that their lives matter."

As part of Obama's new overseas initiatives, the U.S. will also aim to get antiretroviral drugs to 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant women to prevent them from passing the virus to their children; distribute more than 1 billion condoms in the developing world in the next two years; and fund 4.7 million voluntary medical male circumcisions in eastern and southern Africa over the next two years. Research shows circumcisions reduce the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission by more than 60 percent.

The new global goals build on the work of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which focuses on prevention, treatment and support programs in 15 countries hit hardest by the AIDS pandemic, 12 of them in Africa. Bush launched the $15 billion plan in 2003, and in 2008, Congress tripled the budget to $48 billion over five years.

Obama praised Bush for his leadership on AIDS relief, saying the program will be one of the former president's greatest legacies.

"That program ? more ambitious than even leading advocates thought was possible at the time ? has saved thousands and thousands and thousands of lives, spurred international action, and laid the foundation for a comprehensive global plan that will impact the lives of millions," Obama said. "And we are proud that we have the opportunity to carry that work forward."

Despite Obama's more ambitious goals, the relief program's budget is not expected to increase. Instead officials said the expanded targets would be funded through savings achieved by making the program more efficient and cutting the costs of treatment.

The president urged other wealthy nations to fulfill their financial pledges to a global fund to fight HIV and AIDS, and jabbed those who have not contributed money.

"Countries that haven't made a pledge need to do so," he said. "That includes China and other major economies that are now able to step up as major donors."

Obama also announced new initiatives to combat HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, in the U.S. The White House said there are 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, and 50,000 new infections each year. Officials said he would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to increase funding for domestic treatment by $50 million

The bulk of the new funding ? $35 million ? will go to state programs that help people living with HIV and AIDS get access to medicine. There are currently more than 6,500 Americans living with the virus on waiting lists for medication, according to the White House.

The rest of the domestic funds will go to HIV medical clinics across the country, with an emphasis on areas where infections have increased and care and treatment are not readily available. Officials said the additional clinic funding would give 7,500 more patients access to treatment.

The $50 million is already part of the HHS budget, and officials said Obama does not need congressional approval to reallocate the funds.

The HIV virus has infected an estimated 60 million people worldwide since the deadly pandemic began 30 years ago. More than 33 million people are currently living with the virus.

While the failure to find an effective HIV vaccine continues to frustrate the medical community, experts say scientific research in recent years has led to substantial progress in preventing and treating the virus.

Obama ordered his staff to reevaluate both their international and domestic approaches to HIV and AIDS this summer after being briefed on the scientific advancements.

Members of both parties praised the new initiatives and commended Democratic and Republican leaders for coming together.

"Here's what we can do when we work together. We've got leaders of both political parties standing behind something that works," said Gayle Smith, Obama's senior director for development and democracy at the National Security Council.

Tony Fratto, a former Bush spokesman, urged both parties to avoid making the fight against AIDS a political issue.

"The only way to undermine this historic undertaking is if it becomes a partisan issue," he said. "The reasons a Barack Obama and a George W. Bush can support America's leading role in addressing this disease may be very different, but what's important is they've sought the same goal."

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2011-12-01-US-Obama-AIDS/id-b9b14c0491454a7a845e3bfe7344090f

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Are Russians getting sick of Vladimir Putin? (The Week)

New York ? After the longtime leader's party suffers a surprise embarrassment at the polls, the strongman's grasp on power suddenly looks shakier

Russian voters delivered an unexpected blow to longtime leader Vladimir Putin on Sunday, slashing his United Russia party's majority in parliament. Putin is hoping to win the presidency for a third time next year, but with his party claiming just under 50 percent of the vote for the State Duma, down from 67 percent in 2007, his political strength may be waning. Putin was even booed at a mixed martial arts event last month, a once unthinkable embarrassment. Are Russians finally tiring of their aspiring president-for-life?

Yes. Voters are fed up: There's no mystery here, says Ben Johnson at Slate. Russians are souring in their "opinion about Putin's dominance in Russian politics and policy." They're sick of seeing photos of their shirtless leader "randomly discovering ancient treasures during scuba trips" and just generally pretending to be superhuman. Ordinary people are increasingly convinced that Putin and his party are out of touch with reality.
"In Russian elections, Putin's party takes a hit"

Even weakened, Putin is still in control: This vote was far from fatal for Putin, say Timothy Heritage and Ralph Boulton at Reuters. Yes, Sunday's balloting was a "heavy blow" that "could dent the authority of the man who has ruled for almost 12 years with a mixture of hardline security policies, political acumen, and showmanship."?But let's face it: Putin still calls the shots in Russia, and he's "likely to win a presidential election in March."?
"Russia's Putin and party suffer election blow"

But Putin's next term will be bumpy: Things would have been even worse for Putin if much of Russia's political system wasn't "rigged," says Gideon Rachman at Britain's?Financial Times.?Putin benefitted from fawning media coverage and rumored ballot-stuffing. But it's encouraging that Russia's democracy, whatever its flaws, "is robust enough to have delivered a genuine slap-in-the-face" to the muscular Putin. "Combined with the famous booing incident," this suggests Putin's next term will "be rather less smooth than his previous periods in office."
"A slap in the face for United Russia"

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Penn State finalizes firings of Paterno, Graham Spanier (Reuters)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa (Reuters) ? Penn State University's Board of Trustees on Friday formally dismissed legendary football coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier, finalizing actions announced last month.

The board's executive committee held a five-minute teleconference to make the firings official and ensure that the university was following proper procedure about public meetings, said spokesman Bill Mahon.

The university announced Paterno's and Spanier's firings on November 9, four days after former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested on charges he had sex with young boys over a 15-year period.

"I think today we wanted to make sure we crossed our 't's and dotted our 'i's," Bill Mahon said.

Paterno was head coach of the Nittany Lions, a college football powerhouse, for 46 years.

Nine alleged victims have accused Sandusky of abuse, and one has filed a lawsuit against Sandusky, Penn State and The Second Mile, a charity founded by Sandusky to help troubled children.

Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator, faces 40 counts for purportedly sexually assaulting eight boys over a 15-year period. If convicted, he faces life in prison. He has maintained his innocence.

The executive committee voted unanimously on the resolutions severing Paterno and Spanier from their positions, Mahon said. It also voted unanimously on the resolution replacing Spanier with Rodney Erickson.

Trustee Steve Garban, chairman of the teleconference, said in a statement that the purpose of the meeting was to "reaffirm" the board's November 9 actions.

"While the board believes immediate action was necessary, it is holding a special meeting of its executive committee to reaffirm and ratify the board's prior personnel action," Garban said.

Although technically fired, Spanier still holds a tenured position with the university. Mahon said he remains eligible to go on a one-year sabbatical and return to teach at Penn State following a hiatus.

Mahon could not say for certain if the same provision worked for Paterno.

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Jerry Norton)

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Russia vote watchdog head detained before election (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) ? The head of an independent Russian election watchdog was detained for 12 hours at a Moscow airport Saturday as part of attempts to stop it monitoring Sunday's vote for a new parliament, the group's lawyer said.

Golos leader Liliya Shibanova was held by customs officers at Sheremetyevo airport after returning from a trip abroad on the eve of the election, in which Vladimir Putin's United Russia is likely to have its huge parliamentary majority reduced.

The Western-funded group's lawyer, Ramid Akhmetgaliyev, told Reuters the customs officers copied contents of her laptop computer and Golos deputy head Grigory Melkonyants said her laptop had been confiscated.

Hours earlier, the United States had expressed concern about "what appears to be a pattern of harassment" of Golos, which has aired reports of alleged violations in Russian elections.

A Moscow court ruled late Friday that Golos had violated a ban on the publication of opinion poll results within five days of the election to the State Duma lower house.

During the campaign, Prime Minister Putin has accused foreign countries of meddling in the preparations for the election -- and for a March presidential election he is expected to win -- by funding organizations in Russia.

"The pressure on Golos and its leaders (is) an attempt to block their activities involving independent public monitoring of the election," Akhmetgaliyev said.

Akhmetgaliyev said customs authorities had no legal right to examine or copy the contents of Shibanova's computer and had violated her rights by preventing him seeing her during her detention.

"They told me that they had information that I was supposedly bringing some sort of dangerous software across the border," Shibanova told Ekho Moskvy radio.

Akhmetgaliyev also disputed the court decision, which came with a 30,000-rouble ($970) fine. He said Golos had published allegations of campaign violations, not opinion poll results.

U.S. President Barack Obama's administration expressed concern Friday about the court ruling.

"The Obama administration is concerned with today's decision by a Moscow court regarding ... Golos, as well as what appears to be a pattern of harassment directed against this organization," a White House spokesman said in a statement.

Before the court hearing, Moscow city prosecutors said they were investigating Golos over a complaint by lawmakers objecting to its foreign financing and urging it to stop vote monitoring.

Golos, a non-profit organization founded in 2000, has a hotline for electoral violation allegations and an interactive map showing reported violations.

It openly says its funding comes entirely from Europe and the United States and that this helps it remain objective.

PUTIN CRITICISES WESTERN MEDDLING

During his 2000-2008 presidency, Putin repeatedly accused the West of seeking to weaken Russia and of meddling in its affairs, including by funding non-governmental organizations meant to strengthen democracy.

Formally launching his bid to return to the Kremlin next year by accepting United Russia's nomination at a party congress last Sunday, Putin reiterated these accusations last month.

He said "representatives of some foreign countries are gathering those they are paying money to, so-called grant recipients, to instruct them and assign work in order to influence the election campaign themselves."

He said any such activity was a "wasted effort" because Russians would reject foreign-funded politicians, comparing them to Judas, the traitor of Jesus in the bible.

Critics in Russia and the West accuse Putin of curtailing democracy through a series of electoral reforms during his presidency, which coincided with an oil-fueled economic boom.

His announcement of plans to swap jobs with President Dmitry Medevedev upset some Russians who saw it as a back-room deal agreed with no regard for voters. Putin, 59, could be in power until 2024 if he wins the maximum two more terms as president.

United Russia, which has dominated the Duma since 2003, is expected to retain a clear majority in the chamber though the two-thirds that allow it to pass constitutional changes without opposition support may prove out of reach.

Many voters say they expect the party's result to be boosted by vote rigging and favorable coverage by traditional media. A liberal party led by former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and two allies is barred from even taking part.

The biggest gainers could be the Communist Party, which is likely to remain the second biggest force 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Vladimir Zhirinovsky's nationalist LDPR also hopes to gain votes from United Russia.

$1 = 30.8947 Russian roubles)

(Additional reporting by Maria Tsvetkova, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

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Ex-Wis. Gov. Thompson launches GOP bid for Senate (AP)

MADISON, Wis. ? The toughest opponent Tommy Thompson may have to overcome in next year's U.S. Senate race is Tommy Thompson himself.

The former Wisconsin governor and U.S. Cabinet secretary was set to formally launch his Senate bid with a rally Thursday, 13 years since he last appeared on a ballot.

Early in the campaign, Thompson has found himself under criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike over his shifting position on President Barack Obama's health care reform law. And conservatives in his party say his record as governor and as President George W. Bush's first health and human services secretary was far too moderate.

"The world has changed since he was elected to office," said Chris Chocola, the president of the conservative Club for Growth, which has endorsed one of his opponents, former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann. "Now we're talking about how much less we'll spend rather than how much more we'll spend."

The growth in state spending and the size of government during his 14 years as governor are being cast as a liability by Thompson's rivals, and his consensus-building approach to politics seems almost quaint in the current bitterly partisan political environment.

But Thompson has some things the two more conservative GOP candidates in the race don't: More than 40 years in public life, unparalleled name recognition, and a vast reservoir of good will.

"It's going to be a very bloody, divisive primary where most of the fire is focused on Thompson and his big spending record and flip flopping on issues," said Matt Canter, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

The seat, which has been in Democratic hands since 1957, is opening due to Herb Kohl's retirement. A victory in Wisconsin would be a major pickup for Republicans looking to regain control of the Senate.

One of those challenging Thompson is Jeff Fitzgerald, the conservative speaker of the Wisconsin state Assembly, who helped shepherd through the Legislature Gov. Scott Walker's proposal attacking union rights. The other is Neumann, who has the support of both the Club for Growth and U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican who is a favorite among tea party conservatives.

The only Democrat running is U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, a liberal from Madison.

Fitzgerald said his recent record delivering on the conservative agenda sets him apart from Thompson and Neumann.

"I'm kind of the outside guy, the dark horse," Fitzgerald said. "I have the clear cut message that I just delivered on these promises."

Fitzgerald said Thompson's former statements in support of health care reform are a liability.

"I think he's got a problem with that with our base," Fitzgerald said.

Neumann said repealing Obama's health care reform package is one of the top issues with conservative voters and his call for repealing it has been the most consistent message from Republican candidates.

Thompson declined to be interviewed but instead sent an email statement defending his conservative credentials, citing welfare reform and implementation of school choice programs.

"People said I was too conservative to run for governor," Thompson said in the email. "I won and we sparked a successful conservative revolution right here in Wisconsin."

The biggest issue Thompson's had to deal with in the nascent campaign, and one that could be pivotal as he tries to survive a Republican primary, is his position on Obama's health care reform law.

Thompson initially spoke favorably of the law and the need for health care reform, while also raising concerns about some parts of Obama's proposal, including the mandate forcing people to buy health insurance.

As it was working its way through Congress, Thompson called Obama's proposal "another important step" toward achieving health care reform. But he also raised concerns about certain parts of the plan, including the mandate forcing people to buy health insurance.

He now favors repeal of the law, saying it wasn't the right solution.

Thompson reiterated in his email that he was committed to repealing the Obama health care reforms.

Thompson was the strongest Republican advocate for the law at the time it was being debated, said Canter with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Obama himself even mentioned Thompson in 2009 as a supporter of health care reform, even though most congressional Republicans oppose it.

By now arguing for repeal, Thompson is "catering to what's in his best political interests," Canter said.

Thompson is facing a problem common to candidates who run for election after long absences from office, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College. Often the issues of the day and the focus of a party's agenda shift if there's a long gap between runs, he said.

"In the 1990s this country was in a time of great prosperity, and at least the federal budget was in surplus," he said. "It's a completely different situation now."

Thompson, who was first elected to the state Assembly in 1966 and was elected governor four times starting in 1986, has cultivated a base of supporters that is unlikely to leave him, while Fitzgerald and Neumann are fighting over largely the same pool of more conservative voters, said University of Wisconsin political science professor Charles Franklin.

"That divides the more conservative wing of the party which is probably to Thompson's benefit in a three-way race," Franklin said. "Anything he does to divide the competition is probably good."

___________

Henry C. Jackson in Washington contributed to this report.

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The BlackBerry PlayBook Is Killing RIM (The Atlantic Wire)

It's becoming clear that the BlackBerry Playbook?is significantly hurting an already ailing Research in Motion, after the company announced Friday morning that it will take a $485 million charge as a result of poor tablet sales. The tablet, which launched back in April sold just 500,000 tablets in its first quarter, 250,000 in its next quarter, and then a meager 150,000 this quarter,?reports The Wall Street Journal's Chip Cummins. To give an idea of how measly that is, RIM sold?just one?Playbook for every 23 iPads during its Q2.?

Related: RIM Says Sorry to Customers with Free Apps

Since its debut, the PlayBook has enjoyed poor reviews, initiated by the tablet's lack of native e-mail,?and the sales to match. But as of late, the tablet has gone downhill even further. After six months on the market and just in time for the holiday rush, Research in Motion decided to hack?its device's price to $199. The PlayBook started at a very pricey $499 -- the same as the going rate for Apple's 16GB iPad 2, that came with more apps and e-mail. Not too long after Amazon came out with its discount Kindle Fire, BlackBerry matched the price. Not only is it paying for this price cut with that $485 million charge, but it's not clear that sales are up. After this "limited time promotion" Best Buy was reportedly canceling PlayBook orders and had pulled the tablet from its site, which might be a good sign: BlackBerry Playbooks are actually selling out! But as Electronista points out, usually the electronics store will keep sold out products on the site, with an out of stock message. So perhaps Best Buy doesn't plan on ordering any more, ever.?

Related: Consensus: New Curves Aren't Good Enough to Save BlackBerry

The PlayBook is just the latest woe for Research in Motion. It has had a particularly rough year on all fronts. The PlayBook is just the latest device it can't seem to get right. Every single one of its recent phone releases hasn't wowed reviewers. On top of listless offerings, the company managed to alienate its diminishing customer base with a four-day?outage last October, which RIM tried to make up for with?apps instead of money. In the last three months its stock has continued a downward slope, at least in part to poor tablet sales, yet Research in Motion is staying positive. "RIM is committed to the BlackBerry PlayBook and believes the tablet market is still in its infancy," said the company.

Related: BlackBerry's New Social Music Service Would've Been Rad in the '90s

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Instant nanodots grow on silicon to form sensing array

ScienceDaily (Dec. 2, 2011) ? Scientists have shown that it is now possible to simultaneously create highly reproductive three-dimensional silicon oxide nanodots on micrometric scale silicon films in only a few seconds. Xavier Landreau and his colleagues at the University of Limoges, France, demonstrated in their paper to be published in EPJD? that they were able to create a square array of such nanodots, using regularly spaced nanoindents on the deposition layer, that could ultimately find applications as biosensors for genomics or bio-diagnostics.

They used a process called atmospheric pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. This approach is a much faster alternative to methods such as nanoscale lithography, which only permits the deposition of one nanodot at a time. It also improves upon other silicon oxide growth processes that do not make it possible to precisely order the nanodots into an array. In addition, it can be carried out at atmospheric pressure, which decreases its costs compared to low-pressure deposition processes.One of the authors' goals was to understand the self-organization mechanisms leading to a preferential deposition of the nanodots in the indents.

By varying the indents' interspacing, they made it comparable to the average distance travelled by the silicon oxide particles of the deposited material. Thus, by adapting both the indents' spacing and the silicon substrate temperature, they observed optimum self-ordering inside the indents using atomic force microscopy.The next step in their research will be to investigate how such nanoarrays could be used as nanosensors. They plan to develop similar square arrays on metallic substrates in order to better control the driving forces that produce the highly ordered self-organisation of nanodots. Further research will be needed to give sensing ability to individual nanodots by associating them with probe molecules designed to recognise target molecules to be detected.

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Journal Reference:

  1. X. Landreau, B. Lanfant, T. Merle, E. Laborde, C. Dublanche-Tixier, P. Tristant. Ordering of SiOxHyCz islands deposited by atmospheric pressure microwave plasma torch on Si(100) substrates patterned by nanoindentation. The European Physical Journal D, 2011; DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2011-20503-7

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111202155523.htm

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