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Apple unveils new iPad, adds Retina Display Linked by Thom Holwerda on 03/07/12 22:59 UTC And it was that time of the year again - Apple held one of its product announcements. This one focussed on the iPad mostly, and while some will call it a disappointment merely because virtually everything had already been leaked, I'm still in awe over the fact the newly announced iPad has a 2048x1536 display. My mind is blown. 0Read More 93 Comment(s) Windows 8's desktop mode: Microsoft's 'Classic' Linked by Thom Holwerda on 03/06/12 23:27 UTC As you may have seen, David's been taking care of OSNews for a few days because I'm quite busy with work. Still, there's one thing I'd like to talk about: the desktop mode in Windows 8. I wish I could've added this to the first impressions article, but I only arrived at this conclusion yesterday: desktop mode in Windows 8 is Microsoft's equivalent of Mac OS X's Classic mode. 0Read More 94 Comment(s) US government claims right to seize any .com domain Linked by David Adams on 03/06/12 16:23 UTC If you run a web site or service that runs afoul of US law, and that site is hosted overseas, then the US legal system doesn't have much recourse, right? Wrong. Because the .com, .net, and .org top level domains are managed by a US company, the government can come to Verisign with a court order and seize your domain, effectively shutting you down. And because of a quirk of internet history that made the US-controlled domains the de-facto standard for web sites, this is a situation that's quite possibly permanent. 4Read More 28 Comment(s) "Deep" layoffs at Yahoo Linked by David Adams on 03/05/12 21:26 UTC I ran across a business news story about Yahoo's impending layoffs today, and if you're a deep-into-the-internet person like me, it certainly comes as no surprise to read yet again that Yahoo is on the skids. In fact, you're more likely to be surprised to learn that Yahoo has more than 14,000 employees and made something like $6 billion in revenue last year. Yahoo ceased to be relevant a long time ago, and even the Yahoo services that still get some love, like Flickr, seem to be tainted by association. But the question I asked myself when I read the article was, "why didn't Yahoo become a technology leader?" 1Read More 23 Comment(s) First impressions: Windows 8 consumer preview Linked by Thom Holwerda on 03/02/12 16:16 UTC Wednesday was the big day for Microsoft - the largest overhaul of its operating system since Windows 95 (heck, I'd argue the overhaul is far larger than Windows 95) went into consumer preview. I've been running it on my Asus ZenBook since its release, and in all honesty, it's not as arduous as I expected. I'm not planning on doing a full review, but I do want to mention a number of things - both positive and negative - that stood out to me. 5Read More 108 Comment(s) Microsoft up to its old tricks with Windows 8 versions Linked by David Adams on 03/02/12 15:55 UTC, submitted by sawboss By all early reports, Windows 8 is going to be a good operating system. Microsoft's hegemony may be crumbling in a mobile computing onslaught, but its core empire remains undimmed. However, whereas Windows 7 had three versions, Windows 8 will apparently be ballooning to 9 versions. 0Read More 79 Comment(s) Raspberry Pi launch turns into frenzy Linked by Thom Holwerda on 02/29/12 9:47 UTC This morning, I experienced the nerd equivalent of a Black Friday $50 iPad sale. At 07:00 CET, the first batch of the much-anticipated Raspberry Pi went on sale, and while Raspberry Pi itself was very properly prepared, the two large international retailers actually selling the device weren't - despite warnings from Raspberry Pi about the enormous amount of traffic that would come their way, the two sites crumbled to dust within seconds. There's good news too - the cheaper model A has seen its RAM doubled at no additional cost. 9Read More 104 Comment(s) How to Integrate SATA and IDE Drives Linked by Howard Fosdick on 02/29/12 0:56 UTC Current computers use SATA disk drives. Pentium IV's and earlier computers used the IDE drive standards. How can you intermix SATA and IDE disk drives? This article discusses the options. It is the next in my series of articles on computer refurbishing. 0Read More 15 Comment(s) Genode 12.02 released, now with open development process Linked by nfeske on 02/28/12 11:51 UTC The just released version 12.02 of the Genode OS Framework takes the first steps to carry out the plan to turn the framework into a general-purpose OS for the daily use by its developers until the end of the year. It features a new ACPI driver, the first bits of a device-driver manager, support for using the fork syscall in GNU programs, and a PDF rendering engine. The most significant point of this release, however, is the way it was conducted. It represents the first version carried out using a completely open development process. 4Read More 8 Comment(s) Mozilla, Telefonica announce Boot to Gecko partnership Linked by Thom Holwerda on 02/27/12 12:22 UTC And even more news from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Mozilla has announced a partnership with Telefonica and Qualcomm, which will bring Mozilla's Boot to Gecko HTML5-based mobile interface to devices later his year. This is a huge boon for the fully open source environment. 3Read More 30 Comment(s)

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Apple uses OpenStreetMap for iPhoto on iOS, doesn't give credit

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

NameMedia, the world leader in the acquisition, development and trading of digital real estate through a targeted website network and domain name marketplace, today announced the promotion of Bob Mountain to Senior Vice President of Business Development.

Mountain, who joined NameMedia in 2009, has been the key architect for Afternics Domain Listing Service (DLS) which is now the largest and most successful network for the listing and sale of premium domains in the aftermarket. Functioning similar to the Multiple Listing Service for physical real estate, DLS aggregates the supply of millions of domain names offered for sale by their owners, and then syndicates those listings to dozens of reseller sites. The network effect from aggregating both supply and demand has made Afternic the clear leader in bringing liquidity to the domain aftermarket.

Bob has worked tirelessly to knit together the most powerful reseller network for premium aftermarket domains, said NameMedia CEO Kelly Conlin. This promotion is a recognition of the contributions Bob has made not only to our company, but to the entire domain industry.

As much as we have accomplished, I believe that some of the programs and initiatives we have on our roadmap will make the future even more exciting, said Mountain. I look forward to continuing to grow the industry through collaboration and partnership the world over.

Prior to NameMedia Bob was co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Quantia Communications, a mobile media company in the healthcare industry, and previously was the Chief Operating Officer of Sympatico-Lycos, a joint venture between Bell Canada Enterprises and Lycos Inc. Bob has a degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and an MBA from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

About NameMedia:

NameMedia is the world leader in the acquisition, development and trading of digital real estate through a network of highly targeted websites and a marketplace for premium domain names. The companys website development focuses on creating compelling online communities in niche categories. The companys marketplace allows owners of premium domain names to list their domain properties for sale, and for domain buyers to review the largest available inventory. Through its ownership of one of the largest domain portfolios in the world, its innovative website development platform, and its broad distribution, NameMedia now serves more than 50 million visitors to its network of websites and sells domains to customers in more than 100 countries. Headquartered outside Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts, more information is available at http://www.namemedia.com.

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NameMedia Promotes Bob Mountain To Senior Vice President

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fitch Ratings has affirmed the 'AAA' ratings assigned to the following auction market preferred shares (AMPS) issued by two leveraged closed-end funds advised by Pioneer Investments Management Inc. (Pioneer):

Pioneer Floating Rate Trust (NYSE: PHD - News): --$60,850,000 of auction market preferred shares, series M7 with a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share; --$60,800,000 of auction market preferred shares, series Th7 with a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share; --$60,800,000 of auction market preferred shares, series W7 with a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share.

Pioneer High Income Trust (NYSE: PHT - News): --$50,500,000 of auction market preferred shares, series M, with a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share; --$50,500,000 of auction market preferred shares, series W, with a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share; --$50,000,000 of auction market preferred shares, series TH, with a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share.

KEY RATING DRIVERS The affirmation of the 'AAA' ratings reflects: --Sufficient asset coverage provided to the AMPS by the underlying portfolios of assets; --The structural protections afforded by mandatory de-leveraging provisions in the event of asset coverage declines; --The legal and regulatory parameters that govern the funds' operations; --The capabilities of Pioneer as investment advisor.

Fitch's ratings assigned to the AMPS speak only to the credit risk of the securities and not to potential liquidity in the secondary market.

LEVERAGE As of Jan. 27, 2012, PHD's total assets were approximately $507 million, and total leverage, consisting of AMPS, was approximately $182 million, or 35% of total assets. As of the same date, PHT's total assets were approximately $526 million and total leverage, consisting of AMPS was approximately $151 million, or 29% of total assets.

ASSET COVERAGE At the time of the rating affirmations, the funds' asset coverage ratios, as calculated in accordance with the Fitch total and net overcollateralization tests (Fitch OC tests) per the 'AAA' rating guidelines outlined in Fitch's applicable criteria, were in excess of 100%, which is the minimum asset coverage amount deemed consistent with an 'AAA' rating. The funds' governing documents require that asset coverage for the ARPS, as calculated in accordance with the Fitch OC tests, be maintained in excess of 100%. As such, should the asset coverage decline below 100%, the governing documents require the funds to restore compliance within a 40 business day period.

Additionally, as of the same date, the funds' asset coverage ratios for total outstanding AMPS, as calculated in accordance with Pioneer's interpretation of the Investment Company Act of 1940, were in excess of 200%, which is also a minimum asset coverage required by the funds' governing documents.

PIONEER FLOATING RATE TRUST (PHD): PHD is a diversified, closed-end management investment company, registered under the 1940 Act that commenced operations in December 2004. The fund's investment objective is to seek high current income with a secondary objective of capital preservation. The fund seeks to achieve these objectives by investing at least 80% of its assets in senior floating-rate loans, all or any portion of which may be below investment-grade. The fund also may invest in other floating- and variable-rate instruments, including senior loans, second lien loans and high-yield corporate bonds. The fund does not have a policy of maintaining a specific average credit quality, or a minimum portion of its portfolio that must be rated investment grade.

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Fitch Affirms Preferred Share Ratings of 2 Pioneer Corporate Fixed-Income Closed End Funds at 'AAA'

After weeks of vocal worries from some residents that a local blight designation could lead to eminent domain abuse, city leaders and area legislators want to clarify state law to bar that from happening.

Regional Economic Development Inc. Director Mike Brooks is asking area legislators to change the state statute governing enhanced enterprise zones so that a local government's declaration of blight, required to create an EEZ, can't be used to meet the blight requirement for other laws.

The proposal comes after the Columbia City Council passed a resolution declaring much of the eastern half of the city blighted as a step toward establishing an EEZ.

City leaders want to create the EEZ to offer business incentives to attract companies, especially manufacturers. The EEZ statute allows a local government to designate an area where certain industries can qualify for state income tax credits and local property tax abatement after meeting thresholds for new jobs and investment. But the blight designation is what galvanized many residents, mainly in regard to eminent domain. "We're simply listening to the people's concerns and understand that anything that can be done to address those concerns, we want to do that," Brooks said.

Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, said he thinks there is a good chance the language can be added to the EEZ statute. "I think it probably takes care of the problem," he said.

Indeed, blight has been used for the taking of property by Missouri municipalities, and courts have almost always deferred to local governments in defining what constitutes a blighted area. After the U.S. Supreme Court upheld local governments' broad authority to condemn property in Kelo v. New London, the Missouri General Assembly sought to tighten its eminent domain statutes in 2006.

Some parts of the law turned out well, such as a requirement that homeowners be paid 125 percent of fair market value for their property, said Dale Whitman, a University of Missouri law professor who studies property law. Other parts were not written tightly, such as the requirement that municipalities must find that a "preponderance" of property in a large blighted area meets the state's definition before condemning, he said.

In 2007, a Missouri appeals court ruling found that local governments need not "make a specific finding for each parcel" when taking eminent domain action on a large blighted area. And the court defined "preponderance" as the square footage of the whole area, not a preponderance of the total parcels.

Missouri courts are "among the worst in the country in terms of giving governments almost unquestioned deference" in defining blight for eminent domain use, said Dave Roland, director of litigation for the Freedom Center of Missouri.

Whitman said courts have become "a bit more demanding" in terms of the evidence they require from municipalities to prove blight. "The courts are very aware of the interest in the subject that was generated by the Kelo case," he said. "Judges read the newspaper, too, and I think they're simply more willing to take a closer look at what cities do than they were pre-Kelo."

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Officials seek change in EEZ statute

Raleigh, N.C. The state Department of Transportation provided little oversight as a Cary company operated a vanpool program for low-income workers in rural areas of North Carolina and racked up excessive fees, according to an audit released Thursday.

The auditors' findings have been turned over to the State Bureau of Investigation to determine if any criminal charges are warranted.

The DOT hired 2Plus Inc. in late 2000 to operate a fleet of vans to help low-income people in rural areas commute to work. The program peaked at 34 routes in 2006, but only 10 were still running when the state cut ties with the company two years ago.

The audit found that 2Plus operated the program without a contract for the equivalent of six years because officials in the state Division of Public Transportation failed to execute new contracts after old ones expired. That led to disputes over the purpose of the program, such as 2Plus using some vans to transport South Carolina workers to jobs in North Carolina and non-resident aliens to jobs at Outer Banks hotels, according to the audit.

The absence of a contract also led to "excessive and unreasonable" fees for the program, the audit states. Those included an extra $163,272 to cover personal mileage of volunteer van drivers, temporary rentals when state vans weren't available and insurance deductibles, according to the audit.

"It's just poor management every way you look at it," State Auditor Beth Wood said. "It's just mind-boggling to me. You've got this kind of gross mismanagement, and then I have to turn around and cut nine positions (because of a tight budget)."

Byron York, executive director of 2Plus, said neither the company nor its staff received undue benefits.

"The program has been honest, legitimate. We show where the expenses have been and for what," York said.

The state paid 2Plus $4.3 million through June 2010, and the company says it is still owed $617,404, according to the audit. The state also spent $721,590 on the vans used in the program, the audit states.

The DOT didn't have lease agreements with 2Plus for most of the state-owned vans, the audit states.

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Audit: DOT mismanaged rural vanpool program