It’s been rumored that archenemies MySpace and Facebook have turned friendly in recent months, discussing the possibility that MySpace users might actually be able to sign into the social network using Facebook Connect.

Now, a more detailed report from the blog Inside Facebook says that this will become reality “in the first part of 2010.” According to their sources, MySpace is thinking along the same lines as Yahoo, who earlier this week announced major Facebook integration across many of its services. That thinking could essentially be summarized with the old proverb: If you can’t beat them, join them.

For MySpace’s purposes, that hypothetically would mean users accessing the site with their Facebook credentials, and then sharing back the increasing amount of exclusive entertainment type content that the site has been acquiring to their Facebook friends. In turn, MySpace gets more traffic that it can sell to advertisers, but ultimately cedes the race to be the Web’s social identity provider.

That space is seemingly a war that will be waged between Facebook and Google. The latter just launched integration with Twitter earlier this week, that allows users to sign into Google Friend Connect — its Facebook Connect rival — with Twitter. Maybe social identity ultimately won’t be that complicated after all.

Article from: www.Mashable.com

Be on the lookout for a current spate of phishing tactics spreading on Facebook via the chat feature.

The attack employs similar methods to those used by past scams, using hijacked user accounts to send chat messages with a generic message and a link to a familiar-looking Facebook phishing page. Of course, if you actually click the link and enter your details on the fake Facebook login page, the hackers steal your e-mail and password and direct you on to the real Facebook.

Once your account has been compromised, hackers use it to perpetuate the scam by spamming your friends in chat. Automated bots handle the heavy lifting of pestering your contacts. At least one of the messages comes in the format “ROFL this you?!” with a phishing link, but this particular vulnerability may take other forms, so be sure to use caution when receiving any remotely suspicious chat messages from your Facebook contacts.

Facebook typically aggressively pursues phishing scams like this one, so hopefully it won’t be plaguing users for too much longer. Until then, please use caution when using chat. Have you spotted any variants of this scam?

Article from: www.Mashable.com

The government has revoked the license of celebrity doctor Hayden Kho Jr. following the immorality complaints filed against him by his ex-lover, actress Katrina Halili.

"The Board declares that Dr. Kho Jr., violated the right of privacy of Ms. Halili when he videotaped their most intimate moments without the express consent and knowledge of the complainant...he was negligent and careless in the custody and possession of the videotape... the videos were then released to the public and this constituted evidence in the invasion of privacy of the complainant," the decision read.

Kho, for his part, admitted filming his sexual encounters but denied uploading the videos. He also apologized to Halili, saying the videos were part of his personal collection and accused his friends of posting them.

Halili also filed a complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seeking the agency's help in curbing the rampant selling of their sex video in the underground markets.

KK, GMANews.TV

When I logged-in to my Facebook account, I have seen my friends playing this PayPal Wishlist , wherein you can get paid to make a wish. Isn't it fun and exciting? You get paid by just making a wish? Here is what the whole idea if Paypal's Wislist:

Create your PayPal Wishlist for the holidays and earn up to US$100 when you share it with your friends and family. Let them know what you really want this year. The more you share, the more you earn.

I have tried it on my own and I've earned $5 already. There are lots of gift to choose from.

Try it now! Visit this link for more information:

http://apps.facebook.com/paypalwishlist/?ppref=1146646435&ref=mf


Take note, you should have a Facebook and Paypal account to join. So, what are you waiting for? It's free and fun while earning.

It’s been confirmed that yesterday Smart Communications has bought Chikka.com for some undisclosed amount. Two top executives from Chikka Asia Inc. posted updates on their Twitter account about this development.

This has long been rumored but we’ve finally gotten word that they’ve both signed off on the agreement yesterday.

Dennis Mendiola is the Founder and Chief Imagination Officer of Chikka:

Gio Bacareza is the Business Development Director of Chikka:

Chikka Asia, Inc. is a wireless application service provider, better known for creating the world’s first instant messenger to fully integrate mobile features via SMS, the “Chikka Messenger.” It has about 38 million registered users, including mobile subscribers from network operators worldwide and is interoperable with Google Talk .

Article from: Yugatech

Former Philippine President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino has passed away.

She was 76.

Her son Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III confirmed that she died of cardio-respiratory arrest at exactly 3:18 a.m. Saturday at the Makati Medical Center.

Mrs. Aquino has been diagnosed with colon cancer early in 2008 and has been confined at the Makati Medical Center for more than a month.

Mrs. Aquino, widow of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., will be remembered as an icon of democracy, having led a military-backed popular revolt in 1986 that ousted a dictator who ruled the country for 20 years.

At about 5 a.m. outside the hospital, Noynoy read a statement announcing the death of his mother.

The statement read:

"Our mother peacefully passed away at 3:18 a.m., August 1, 2009, of cardio-respiratory arrest.

“She would have wanted to thank each and every one of you for all the prayers and your continued love and support. It was her wish for all of us to pray for one another and for our country.

“Hinihiling po ng aming pamilya ang kaunting panahon para makasama namin ang aming mahal na ina.

“Later today, we will be announcing further details of her wake para sa lahat ng ating mga minamahal na kababayan na nais magbigay ng respeto sa aming ina. Maraming salamat po.”

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed her condolences to the family of the former President, Arroyo's press secretary said.

The President is set to declare a week of national mourning, said Press Secretary Cerge Remonde in a live phone patch from the US where he is accompanying Arroyo who is on official visit there.

Remonde said the President could cut short her trip but that they were going to discuss the matter when they get to New York, their next stop after Washington D.C. where she met President Barack Obama at the White House.

Arroyo is expected to be back in Manila on August 5.

Remonde also said that under the law, all presidents were entitled to a state funeral but added that this would be subject to the family's approval.

Popular TV host Boy Abunda, a close friend of the Aquino family, told reporters on Saturday that the Aquinos were praying the Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary when Cory gave her "last deep breath.”

Abunda said all five children of Mrs. Aquino, and her close friends and relatives were at her bedside when the former leader passed away.

After that last breath, Abunda said, Mrs. Aquino's children quietly cried.

"Malungkot. Tahimik na nag-iiyakan. Tahimik, except for Kris who was very quiet," he said, referring to the youngest daughter of Mrs. Aquino.

"Kris was very quiet. She was displaying such courage pero noong dindadala palabas mga labi ni Tita Cory... because you have to remember that Kris was in the hospital, Kris was by the side of her mother since July 20 hanggang sa mga oras na yun. Hanggang ngayon si Kris ay nasa tabi ng kanyang ina," Abunda said.

He said a Mass, officiated by Fr. Catalino Arevalo, was held after Mrs. Aquino's death.

Abunda said Arevalo is a very close friend of the former leader and had been officiating a Mass for her at the hospital.

A family driver of the Aquinos was seen loading stuff into a white Toyota Hi-Ace van parked at the back entrance of the hospital. He said the boxes and luggage belonged to Kris who left the hospital early Saturday morning.

With a report from Niña Calleja and Gil Cabacungan Jr., Philippine Daily Inquirer

Megan Fox? An action hero?

The Transformers temptress is rumored to be talks to star in the big screen adaption of She-Hulk, the giant green femme super heroin cousin of the Incredible Hulk.

Megan is in discussions to play Jennifer Walters, a sexy lawyer who dramatically transforms into a powerful monster when she is angry.

A source tells Xpress4Me: “The idea is to make She-Hulk sexier but even more savage than the Hulk, which is why Megan is the big favorite for the lead. She’ll be green of course and will have to hang on to a few more pieces of clothes than the male version when she transforms!”

Megan’s chances may be dash as Nicolas Cage, who is rumored to be producing the movie, recently admitted that he’s vying for Eva Mendes to take over the role.

“I’m working on She-Hulk and I’d like to see Eva play her,” he’s been quoted as saying. “It would be her in a bikini just kicking a lot of ass, throwing cars. I’m trying to put that together as we speak.”

This, of course, begs the question: Team Megan or Team Eva?

Despite a fun viral promotion from the Web site www.wonder-who.com, Megan Fox has no plans to play Wonder Woman. She told the Times Online she has no interest in portraying DC Comics’ premiere superheroine.

“Wonder Woman is a lame superhero,” she said. “She flies around in her invisible jet and her weaponry is a lasso that makes you tell the truth. I just don’t get it. Somebody has a big challenge on their hands whoever takes that role but I don’t want to do it.”

Once Warner Bros. and Joss Whedon parted company on the “Wonder Woman” film, in development since 2005, I lost much hope of ever seeing it brought to the screen as anything I wanted to see. However, the success of the direct-to-DVD “Wonder Woman” animated movie, with Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion, got my hopes up again somewhat.

Megan Fox is already signed for “Fathom” and has been rumored for She-Hulk. I think the best bet for a “Wonder Woman” film is probably to go with an unknown, but whether or not Warners thinks the character herself is strong enough to carry good box office receipts is another question.

Is Wonder Woman a lame character? Well, I’ll admit, her comic books throughout history have been less consistently good than those of Superman, Batman, Spider-Man or the X-Men. But she is the best-known female superhero, and there is enough quality source material from which to develop a movie. (The Greg Rucka and George Perez runs are the most worth reading, and available in trade paperback format.)

This summer’s superhero movies — “Watchmen” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” — didn’t crush box office records like last summer’s “Iron Man” and “Dark Knight.” So maybe there’s not a mad rush to make a “Wonder Woman” film. Still, superhero movies have been very successful in the last decade, and Wonder Woman is one of the best-known not to receive a movie update. Unless superhero movies start to bomb on a regular basis, a Wonder Woman movie would seem to be only a matter of time.

Megan Fox, whose role in Transformers and its upcoming sequel has shot the actress to stardom, has apparently turned down the roles of both Wonder Woman and Lara Croft. Rumored to be up for both roles, Fox called Wonder Woman a “lame superhero”, and has rejected the chance to take over the Tomb Raider franchise from Angelina Jolie.

It is unknown at this time how Fox’s rejection of Tomb Raider will affect plans to re-boot the series. With Fox out of the picture who would you like to see take up these two roles?

Teaser Poster

Three Marvel Studios superhero pics will debut in summer 2011, including the May 6 bow of Sony's "Spider-Man 4."

That's to be followed by the June 17 release of "Thor," which was to have opened in summer 2010, and the July 22 opening of "The First Avenger: Captain America." Those two films are being fully financed and produced by Marvel; Paramount is distributing.

Sam Raimi, Director of all movies in the Spiderman franchise, spoke in the latest issue of Empire magazine and told them who he’d like to be the featured nemesis of Peter Parker’s alter ego in Spider-Man 4.

“I like it in the Marvel comics when Spider-Man fights Morbius,” said Raimi. “He’s really cool. A vampire! I like that combination of superhero plus supernatural.”

After Spider-Man 3, it was assumed by many that The Lizard would play a major role if there was to be another sequel as he was featured as an important secondary character in the movie playing a mentor-type role to Peter Parker in that film.

t would make sense to see The Lizard and Morbius as the two villains as they would work well together in the same film having had quite a bit of history together in the Spider-Man comics. On top of that, they share obvious similarities: Both are/were doctors, both work with different animals for their experiments and both achieved power from the same method.

Dr. Curt Connors (The Lizard) had his arm amputated due to an injury sustained by a blast while being a military surgeon. Later in life he studied the limb-regenerative capabilities of lizards and long story short, he turned into a humanoid-lizard hybrid.

Dr. Michael Morbius on the other hand, was a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist who suffered from a rare blood disease. Using experiments involving vampire bats and electroshock therapy, he ended up with super strength some side-effects similar to that of Vampirism and now he must drink blood from his victims.

I think this is a great idea for the next Spider-Man movie and if done right, can make up for the mess that was Spider-Man 3. This time they can focus on two characters and the film can be darker-themed with the nature of the characters involved. That being said, I’m getting a little tired of all of the Spidey villains partly redeeming themselves at the end and not being truly bad. That applies for both of these characters who are not entirely bad guys.

We should also not forget that Vampirism is definitely a current hot topic with the success of the Twilight books and movie which is turning into a series of films as well as the True Blood HBO series which is pre-production for a second season.

What do you think of The Lizard and Morbius making their big screen debuts?

Spider-Man 4 brings together Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi yet again, and is expected to hit theatres in 2011.

Rockybid.com, a new online auction website, successfully launch last month but they are planning to lose money on every item until the end of the year. Some recently closed items sold for dirt cheap are a Tom Tom GPS, an iPod Touch and a Nintendo Wii. Biggest ticket item is the 2010 Honda Insight which should close in a week for a bargain

Rockybid.com, a new online auction website, has compiled statistics regarding company revenue, web traffic and user demographics for its first month in operation. Despite a successful launch, the "omega auction" site, as they refer to themselves, is not looking to post profits until Q4 of 2009. This structure creates highly inflated discount opportunities for users.

Because of our low user base, the Honda Insight is likely to sell for more than 90% off!

According to Rockybid, omega auctions differ from other auctions in that the final bidder in the countdown wins. An omega auction does not cater to the highest bidder the way a traditional auction does, rather it is designed to reward the bidder who remains when the time limit ends. The model on which these auctions are based allows each bidder to contribute to the overall price of the product, as the increases in bidding price are completely linked to the number of bids.

However, this model also requires a large pool of users to generate profits. As their site and membership grow, Rockybid has reconfigured their plan so that they can accept a significant deficit before they recoup their losses in Q4. They are hoping that the 90-95% savings offered on their site will draw users interested in purchasing items such as a Nintendo Wii for less than $4, as was recently sold. Other recent Rockybid sales include an iPod Touch for just over $1, a Tom Tom GPS for $0.35, a fifty-dollar gift card to Amazon.com for $0.10, a PC laptop for $1.93, and a Samsung flatscreen TV for $0.47.

The biggest-ticket item that Rockybid is auctioning off is the 2010 Honda Insight Honda Insight, the new Hybrid built by Honda to compete with Toyota's well known Prius. "Because of our low user base, the Honda Insight is likely to sell for more than 90% off!" says Scott Emerson, customer service representative for Rockybid. That auction is set to close on Sunday, May 17.

"In addition to the enormous savings on our top of the line items, we are constantly giving away perks to our users," added Emerson. Free bids are available for just signing up with Rockybid as well as for participating in their rewards system. Through the referral program, 5 free bid is awarded to each referring user w hen the new user purchases an initial bid package. Even if members don't win in an auction, they can still receive prizes for used bids.

Youniverse.com Launched in UK to Discover Users' VisualDNA™ Using Picture-Based PersonalityTest.

Youniverse, the social discovery website where users can define their VisualDNA, enabling them to learn more about themselves and connect with like-minded people that share their aspirations and personality, has re-launched with a new-look user interface. Much more than a standard PersonalityTest, Youniverse utilises images to help its users on the way to self discovery.

The concept of VisualDNA brings emotions and sophisticated matching to the web. Users build their VisualDNA on Youniverse by responding to a insightful, fun, image-based Personality Quiz, that profile each user's interests, aspirations and motivations.

Unlike other social networks based around the concept of connecting with current and past social contacts, Youniverse is based around the theme of discovery, enabling users to find people, places, experiences and products that they will like, based on their VisualDNA.

Youniverse's image-based quizzes cover topics that include personality, careers planning, travel, mind, art, movies and the Love Test. Following completion of each quiz, an in-depth, personal analysis is produced. Users can then compare their results to others' and find people that match them.

The VisualDNA concept is highly social, offering a means for individuals to better understand themselves and others, in order to facilitate both relevant, new friendships and also to strengthen existing relationships through a heightened understanding of shared attitudes, emotions and values.

Rodrigo Dauster of Youniverse explains "The VisualDNA concept uses images to enable the feelings and motivation of users to be discovered. By responding to a series of carefully selected, open statements, emotional responses are triggered in each user and the results are then used to produce their very own VisualDNA. We believe by understanding more about you and others on the site, users can unlock the door to new experiences and friendships, that they would never have discovered otherwise."

Youniverse is a social discovery website which defines its users' VisualDNA, enabling them to learn more about themselves and their friends.

The concept of VisualDNA brings emotions and sophisticated matching to the web. Users build their VisualDNA on Youniverse by responding to insightful, fun, image-based questionnaires, profiling each user's interests, aspirations, motivations and personality based on their selections.

Youniverse was named by the BBC as 'one of the best sites on the web' (BBC Click Online / Webscape-r, 11th July 2008)

The site was launched in the UK in 2008 has more than 3 million global users - over 15 million people have experienced one or more VisualDNA questionnaires since the concept was launched by parent company Imagini in 2006.

Imagini is the parent company of Youniverse and developed the VisualDNA technology. The company was founded in 2006 and has recently secured $13.5m in funding.

Podcasts yield high return on investment (ROI) for businesses according to iBlogmarketing, which is releasing a two part blog series on business podcasts. Podcasting offers businesses a new and highly effective way to communicate with their target market, providing a high return on investment.

Podcasts yield high return on investment (ROI) for businesses, according to www.iBlogMarketing.com. Podcasting offers a new and effective way for businesses to communicate with their target market that also provides a high return on investment. Podcasting is the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or videos, over the Internet for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. It has become one of the fastest growing media of all time. eMarketer.com reported that almost 22 million U.S. Internet users are listening to podcasts and predicts that the number of U.S. listeners will nearly double by 2013.

iBlogMarketing.com recommends businesses consider adding podcasts to their promotional marketing plans, offering two ways for them to reach their target markets with podcasts; either sponsoring a relevant podcast or by creating their own PodfomercialSM (i.e. a podcast infomercial). By allowing the listener or viewer to tune in to the show when they want, where they want, and how they want, podcasts can be used as a form of pull advertising. Because these people are taking the time to seek out and download podcasts, they provide qualified audiences already interested in the business or product and are therefore capable of offering a very high ROI for businesses.

Lou Del Monte, President of TMA E-Marketing, offers this advice to businesses interested in podcasting, "A podcast is a lot like a Website. It doesn't matter how great it is if it isn't found in the search engines. The first step in being able to monetize a podcast is assuring it is found by your target market."

For more information on business podcasting and tips from Lou Del Monte on monetizing your business podcast, visit iblogmarketing.com for access to the full blog series scheduled to post according to the following schedule:

May 11, 2009 - Part 1: What are business podcasts?
May 18, 2009 - Part 2: How can businesses monetize business podcasts?

iBlogMarketing.com is owned and operated by TMA E-Marketing (www.tmaemarketing.com), one of the leading providers of Internet marketing services in the US. TMA E-Marketing is recognized as a leader in developing and applying cutting-edge online technologies and offers clients "one stop shopping" for all their Internet marketing and advertising needs. TMA E-Marketing owns and operates some of the most important properties on the Internet, including the number one business blog directory (www.iBlogBusiness.com) and number one business podcast directory (www.iBizRadio.com) in the world.

Once again, Manny Pacquiao reign supreme in the boxing arena. No doubt Pacquiao is the best fighter in boxing, pound-for-pound. He is one of those rare performers who is able to challenge bigger opponents and still dominate. He defeated Ricky Hatton by 2nd-round techinical knock-out. Pacquaio's speed is undeniably awesome. Hatton was down twice in the 1st-round, and he fell again in the 2nd-round that gave the decision to Pacquiao. It was a good fight. Hatton is good, not great.

Pacquiao is an all-time great who is a sure-shot for the Hall of Fame. He probably is the greatest Asian fighter in boxing history. Congratulations Manny Pacquaio. You gave honor again to your beloved country.

Procedural Inc. now provides an impressive 3D scenario of a futuristic New York. CityEngine customers and trial users can freely download the city example to explore, modify and use it. As an additional highlight, the 2009.1 CityEngine release will be presented at this year's FMX 09 conference (Stuttgart, May 5th- 8th).

Procedural Inc. has announced the high quality 3D city example NYC 2259, which is available for free download. NYC 2259 is the extrapolation of New York City 250 years into the future, inspired by Luc Besson's great sci-fi movie The Fifth Element. The example features grammar rules and assets to create highly detailed futuristic skyscrapers as well as flying cars.

Procedural Inc., an innovative software company located in Zurich, Switzerland, is creator of the world's foremost procedural modeling technology. With the CityEngine, Procedural Inc.'s graphics experts have developed a radically different 3D application that allows professional users in entertainment, architecture and urban planning to efficiently create 3D city models.

"We are very happy to deliver this cool example to our clients and trial users. Usually, such detailed cities are made in months of tedious modeling work for one angle of view only, but with the CityEngine you can modify and re-generate the whole city within minutes" says Pascal Mueller, CEO Procedural Inc. "And in case there are plans for a sequel to The Fifth Element, I hope Luc Besson knows now where to get the city backdrop for it."

A "Making of" video of the New York example is available online at:

http://www.procedural.com/cityengine/provided-examples/new-york-city-2259.html

And there's more good news for 3D professionals in need to create city models: the new version of the CityEngine will be launched in May! The 2009.1 release will be presented for the first time in public at FMX (Stuttgart, May 5th- 8th) in the scope of the workshop "The Future of 3D City Modeling". The presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 5th, 11:00am, Room Karlsruhe and will broadcasted live via Procedural TV:

http://www.procedural.com/company/procedural-tv.html.

In addition, the CityEngine 2009 will be showcased at Procedural Inc.'s booth during the whole conference.

Availability
The CityEngine can be purchased online and a free 30-day trial version is also available for download at http://www.procedural.com. The software can be purchased via Procedural Inc.'s website, or by telephone order at +41 76 720 3303.

CityEngine is a registered trademark of Procedural Inc. Other product and company names herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

High-resolution images:

http://www.procedural.com/company/press_room

ABC news correspondent Dan Harris interviewed author of the controversial new book ''10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Faith.'' ABC is featuring former rocker, ex-pastor, and new writer Jason T. Berggren as the subject of two separate segments due to the national attention his book has been attracting with his candid approach to faith.

According to author Jason T. Berggren, the Bible is boring, praying doesn't work, and Christians are self-righteous. Those are a few of the emotionally charged subjects Berggren answers for in the first of two interviews which debuted online this week on ABC's video news blog The Quick Fix. Berggren discusses openly the challenges he has faced over the 20 years of his faith journey as chronicled in his bold new book ''10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Faith.''

News correspondent Harris describes the book as "a fascinating and rather risky critique of Christianity." The assessment seems accurate based on recent comments gathering on ABC's site and around the web. Berggren openly admits hate is a very strong word and reveals that he wrestled deeply with using the term. In the end, he decided it was the best way to describe his angst-ridden frustration, which is how he justifies the use of the term. Berggren emphasizes that this is not a closed and bitter anger. It's the type of deep dissatisfaction that can be a motivator towards personal growth and forward momentum.

Berggren highlights the sub-title when clarifying this, "It's working through the frustrations of faith." Berggren explains that he doesn't just point out problems in the 10 foundational areas of his faith that he has constantly had to work through over the last 20 years, but backs them with his own personal resolutions. He acknowledges that many may not come to the same conclusions, but the author feels that others will be helped in their own spiritual experience as they read about his.

To learn more about Jason T. Berggren, his blog, and his controversial new book visit www.10thingsihate.com. ABC will be featuring Berggren in a primetime interview for the debut of a new show called "Beliefs" airing in a few weeks. Specific showtime to be announced on www.abcnews.com.

Watch the interview here, taken from YouTube:

Legacy of 9/11 Rescue Dog to Live on through Cloned Puppy, Growing Interest from Hollywood in Creating a Movie

Trakr, the heroic German Shepherd whose 9/11 rescue, legendary police work and community service made him one of the world's most revered dogs, died peacefully early this week of old age at his home. He was 16, according to spokeswoman Linda Press.

Trakr first attained hero status in the 1990s as both a K9 police and a search and rescue dog whose acuity for locating people, evidence and stolen goods quickly became renowned. Extraordinarily tenacious, Trakr was credited with hundreds of arrests and recovered more than one million dollars in stolen goods. He received accolades and global media attention throughout his career as a result of both his accomplishments and his ability to capture the hearts of all he touched.

But search and rescue was Trakr's true calling. His exceptional abilities were showcased around the world following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Trakr and his partner, then Police Officer James Symington, were one of the first K9 search and rescue teams to arrive at Ground Zero. In addition to locating numerous victims, Trakr found the last survivor buried beneath the rubble. For his heroic efforts, Trakr was presented with the Extraordinary Service to Humanity Award by Dr. Jane Goodall, United Nations "Messenger of Peace," and was featured in books and magazines dedicated to 9/11 heroes including, Dog World and In the Line of Duty.

Commenting on Trakr's life, Symington said, "I am honored to have been Trakr's partner, best friend and lifelong companion. He possessed a rare combination of uncanny intuition, pure heart, and relentless courage and has been an inspiration to so many. He'll live in my heart forever."

Throughout his career, Trakr and Symington were closely involved with various charities. Trakr was the first police K9 to have his head shaved for Cops for Cancer, a national initiative for kids with cancer. He was also a regular guest of various children's organizations, schools and hospitals where kids would eagerly line up to rub his belly and get his autographed police card. Remarkably perceptive, Trakr always reached out to children with disabilities who were unable to come to him. Without exception, he would seek them out, licking their hands and evoking smiles and giggles.

While Trakr dedicated his life to fighting for others, the fight for his own life was often perilous. Symington helped him narrowly escape death when a few misguided Canadian Police officials proposed a euthanasia policy for all retiring K9 dogs. After his 9/11 rescue, Trakr collapsed from smoke and chemical inhalation, burns and exhaustion. Likely a result of this exposure, Trakr was disabled for the past two years, but he continued to be a devoted companion and inspiration to many.

In 2008, Trakr received international attention again when BioArts International named him the "World's Most Cloneworthy Dog." This honor enables Trakr's DNA to be used to clone a puppy, which Symington, now head of entertainment talent management firm Prodigy Talent Group, plans to name Prodigy.

Trakr lived in Los Angeles with Symington and his wife. The couple has been approached by various Hollywood executives and best-selling authors to turn Trakr's dramatic and poignant story into a book and movie. For more information about Trakr's amazing life, visit his "Trakr - Heart of a Hero" Facebook page.

While many businesses are suffering through the recession, one website that is thriving is the free fashion swap site www.swapstyle.com which has received a massive 300% increase in direct hits to the site over the past 8 months.

Swapstyle.com was the world's first fashion swap site, and has since grown to become the largest clothes swapping community online. It is the perfect way to look stylish in a recession, while making fashion green by being environmentally sustainable.

"I'm now receiving emails from women around the world saying what a difference swapstyle.com has made in their lives since the down turn in the economy, and that it has helped curb shopping addictions and lessen credit card debt by enabling them to be in control of their spending habits and still be able to have the rush of receiving a new dress. There is definitely a direct correlation to the down-turn in the economy and the huge increase in women joining swapstyle.com" says Chesher

swapstyle.com was created by Emily Chesher, 30, also known as The Swap Queen, in 2003 while she was a fashion design student. Living on her meek student budget Chesher couldn't afford to buy the fashion items that she adored, plus she was disillusioned by the negative environmental impact created by the fashion industry. Thus she put her mind to creating swapstyle.com - a free fashion swap website that allows women world-wide to swap clothes 24/7 from the comfort of their own home.

Chesher says, "swapstyle.com is free to use, and was created six years ago. When I created swapstyle.com there were no other online clothes swap sites - we were the first! The economy and the environment weren't at the forefront of people's minds, and I had a lot of people telling me that I was crazy - that the idea would never take off"

Fast forward to 2009. With economic and environmental concern, swapstyle.com has had to increase its servers on a monthly basis to keep up with the huge demand from members uploading swap items. From shoes to bags, cosmetics to designer fashion and vintage clothes, there are tens of thousands of members world-wide swapping and saving thousands of dollars a year through the site.

Not just a clothes swap site, swapstyle.com also offers a strong social networking platform in which members chat in forums, create personal profile pages and make friends. "It has become a really thriving online community," says Chesher. "It was always my dream to have swapstyle.com be a space where money didn't matter anymore. I found it refreshing to have an area online where we could enjoy fashion without having the guilt of spending attached" No guessing why one of the sites tag lines is experience guilt free shopping.

Chesher was also disillusioned by the environmental impact that fashion was having on the planet. "The waste created from the fashion industry is huge. We live season by season, sometimes only wearing an item once. It brings a smile to my face knowing that Ive created a easily accessible economically, socially and environmentally sound solution to an age old problem."

With its tag line 'open your world-wide wardrobe', fashion savvy women are taking heed and saving thousands of dollars by getting their fashion for free by swapping.

Tom Hanks' new film Angels & Demons blurs the line between facts and fiction surrounding a secret society and the Vatican, but the film has angered some researchers calling it "disinformation" and a "whitewash" of what they call a real satanic secret society that continues to exist today.

"It's sad that a great actor like Tom Hanks has become a pawn of Satan and is aiding the cover-up of the existence of the Illuminati today and is a part of Dan Brown's fraud," says Mark Dice, author of The Illuminati: Facts & Fiction. "Brown's book, as well as the film, serves only as disinformation and a whitewash of the real Illuminati."

It's sad that a great actor like Tom Hanks has become a pawn of Satan and is aiding the cover-up of the existence of the Illuminati today and is a part of Dan Brown's fraud
Brown's book, as well as the film, serves only as disinformation and a whitewash of the real Illuminati.

A large subculture of people believe that the Illuminati secretly pull the strings in world events and worship Satan. Mark Dice is an expert on secret societies and insists the Illuminati is active today as an international mafia and is responsible for the 9/11 attacks and the global economic crisis we are facing today.

In his new book, The Illuminati: Facts & Fiction, Mark Dice points to the Skull and Bones fraternity at Yale University, the secretive Bilderberg Group, and the Bohemian Grove as evidence that the Illuminati continues to exist today and did not go into extinction in the 1780s as many believe. "If you read the original writings of Adam Weishaupt, the founder of the Illuminati, it becomes undeniable that their plans have been very successful and the organization continues to thrive," he insists.

Dice is upset at what he calls blatant lies and inaccuracies in Dan Brown's depiction of the Illuminati, and believes Brown himself is working for the secret society as a disinformation agent to make people think the organization is a fictional creation.

Angels & Demons is the film adaptation of Dan Brown's novel of the same title, who also wrote the controversial Da Vinci Code which also starred Hanks. In the new film, Hanks is apposed by the Illuminati, a secret society that historians and scholars agree was created in Bavaria Germany in the late 1700s, which is plotting to blow up Vatican City with an anti-matter bomb. Officially the Illuminati were disbanded when their sinister plans of world domination were discovered by authorities and their members exposed in 1786.

The Illuminati plotted to secretly infiltrate key positions of power in politics, morally corrupt society, and ultimately abolish Christianity. "They have been very successful in achieving their goals," says Dice. "Many people think they were simply a gentlemen's club espousing enlightenment philosophies, but when you read their own writings you realize they were an immoral organization of devious power-hungry men."

In The Illuminati: Facts & Fiction, Mark Dice has compiled evidence of the Illuminati including the group's original writings from the late 1700s and also debunks some of the conspiracy theories that involve the group. "They're not plotting to vaporize Vatican City with an anti-matter bomb like in Angels & Demons, but people would be surprized when they find out that the truth is stranger than fiction when it comes to the Illuminati."

Mark Dice has made international news for rebuking various Hollywood celebrities for their ridiculous behavior, including Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton, 50 Cent, Tom Cruise and others. He has also demanded that Duke University change the name of their "Blue Devils" sports team to something not offensive to the Christian community, and launched a campaign to remove the Georgia Guidestones occult monument from public property.

"American Idol" finalists Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai aren't closer to becoming household names. Both singers were dismissed Wednesday after it was revealed they received the fewest number of viewer votes on the popular Fox singing competition.

"I'm so really disappointed," Desai said after his ouster. "I really am."

The third lowest vote-getter after this week's disco-themed performances was Allison Iraheta.
For the past several weeks, the judges have not been favorable to Rounds, the 24-year-old mother of three from Memphis, or Desai, the 22-year-old college student from Chapel Hill, N.C.
While the panel seemed to prefer Desai's rendition of Donna Summers' "Dim All the Lights," judge Simon Cowell called Rounds' performance of Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" a "mess."

"I'm actually going to miss your family screaming at us every week," Cowell told after Rounds after she was eliminated.

The acerbic judge correctly predicted Rounds would be dismissed following her performance Tuesday. The once adored R&B crooner, who originally wowed the panel with Stevie Wonder's "All I Do" at her audition, had been dubbed a copycat by the judges for the past several weeks. Desai had also fallen from grace after being selected as the judges' final wild card pick.

Two finalists were sent packing Wednesday — instead of the usual one — because the judges' used their new one-time-only power to save Matt Giraud from elimination last week.

Before the double dismissal, the seven finalists donned bell bottoms and shades to perform a group number of The Jacksons' "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)," which was choreographed by Paula Abdul. The five singers remaining in the competition are Iraheta, Giraud, Kris Allen, Danny Goeky and Adam Lambert. Another finalist will be booted next week.

Tangent Software today announces that plan.pack.go has made its way into the Top 20 Paid Applications in the Travel category of the US iTunes Store since its launch on April 9, 2009. This simple yet highly customizable iPhone and iPod touch application is designed to assist frequent travelers pack effectively for their trips. Whether it is a business trip, a vacation or simply a weekend getaway, plan.pack.go radically simplifies the way travelers prepare themselves.

plan.pack.go helps travelers organize their packing before a trip. Users may add items as and when they come to mind and check them off when they are packed. It provides users peace of mind that they are well prepared before leaving home.

"I'm constantly forgetting to pack certain things when I travel, that's why when I saw this app I knew I had to purchase it. This is my first review on the app store, but I felt this was such a useful app that I had to write a review on it," said Brett Hamlin, an early adopter of plan.pack.go. "What I love about plan.pack.go is the simplicity and ease of use. The developers have included pre-made templates, which comes in very handy when I create my Do-Not-Forget lists. All I need to do is check an item from the comprehensive list of items the developers have cleverly included and enter the quantity I will need. It also lets me create my own items, but I doubt I'll ever need to do so as the items in the preloaded list are pretty exhaustive. It's very easy to use and I can't wait to use it again for my next trip."

"We have constructed the application to be elegantly simple, intuitive, practical and easy to use," said Michael Tan, founder of Tangent Software. "Making the Top 20 List is indeed a significant milestone for our company and it strongly affirms our confidence in the product's appeal to our traveling customers."

plan.pack.go features two different methods of adding items to a packing list. A user may select items by performing a narrow-down search on the vast selection found in the built-in catalog. If an item required is not found in the catalog, users can create them on the fly. Alternatively, some users may find browsing through the catalog, which is organized by categories, a simpler approach.

The use of category navigation buttons and the involvement of the accelerometer, which enables flipping between the list of packed and yet-to-pack items, makes it possible for single-handed use during packing. Attention is given to the use of sound, motion, visual and motor feedback. This together with the adoption of a visually appealing interface further enhances the overall user experience.

"It is my philosophy that every successful application is 80% designed and 20% customized to individual needs," said Michael Tan. "We plan to continually provide free updates to the application, tailoring to the needs of our customers based on constructive reviews and feedbacks on the iTunes Store. We anticipate that adoption of plan.pack.go in other regions will soon follow the encouraging trend set in the US."

plan.pack.go is priced at USD 1.99 and is currently available as a download from any Apple iTunes Store worldwide. For additional information and a preview video of plan.pack.go, visit www.tangentsoftware.net/planpackgo/

About Tangent Software:

Founded in 2008 and based in Singapore, Tangent Software is the premier iPhone development company in Asia bringing innovative applications on the iPhone and iPod touch with worldwide distribution. The company's products include plan.pack.go, Upcoming Events, Upcoming Birthdays and Net Acronyms.

Are you doing it? That's the question being asked to millions of Facebook users by the Feel Your Boobies Foundation. A new Facebook application gives users the ability to send a "Feel Your Boobies, Are you doing it? ®" reminder to their friend list and download a virtual car magnet to put on their profile. They are then linked to the website at FeelYourBoobies.com to get an actual physical free car magnet so they can spread the message on the street too. And the campaign is working. The Foundation has just received a testimonial from Holly Rose, a Facebook user in Phoenix who credits the campaign for her early breast cancer diagnosis. "My girlfriend posted a "Feel Your Boobies®" badge on her profile. I did that night and found a lump. I just had it removed last week and start chemo in a couple weeks. Had it not been for my friend who posted it on Facebook it could have progressed even further. I'm 39 and I'm going to live thanks to you," says Rose.

Since the launch date of the Facebook application, in early April, thousands and counting free feel your boobies® car magnets have been shipped. "We are really excited about the response to this new element of our social media campaign," says founder, Leigh Hurst. "We think this is a truly unique way to spread our message because we are able to utilize viral components both online and offline equally. Prior to creating a presence on Facebook we realized 90% of the people visiting our website said they found us because they saw a car magnet on the road. This led to the idea of modeling our online social media initiatives after our already successful offline gorilla marketing. Getting a testimonial from someone whose life has been saved because of our campaign is the greatest success we could have hoped for." The message is spreading. Currently Feel Your Boobies is the 3rd largest Healthcare Cause on Facebook. "Donating our time to work on this project was an easy decision," says Mark Wayman from Social Gears, the Silicon Valley-based company responsible for developing the application. "It's great to be a part of creating something that is really making an impact"

Funded by merchandise sales, individual donations and corporate sponsorships, the Foundation seeks ways to provide "a friendly reminder when you least expect it" as stated clearly in their mission and tagline. "By using a provocative slogan and fun imagery in unexpected places, we aim to make people giggle first and because laughter is contagious they want to immediately share the reminder with their friends and family members. Facebook is the perfect platform to do this," says Nicole Lennol, Creative Director for the organization. "And as proven by the messages and testimonials we've received as a result of our "Are You Doing It?" campaign, people are actually doing more than giggling, they're actually feeling their boobies," she adds.

About Feel Your Boobies

Founded in 2004, Feel Your Boobies® is a breast cancer awareness non-profit organization whose mission is to utilize unexpected and unconventional media to remind women, especially those under 40, to "feel their boobies". Getting in the habit of knowing is what is normal for you increases the chances of noticing a breast lump or other changes when they occur. Learn more at http://www.feelyourboobies.com

About Social Gears

Social Gears, LLC is a creative and technical team passionate about the opportunities presented within the world of social networks. A social application venture of the international technology company Network Earth, Social Gears formed in November 2007 to create applications for Facebook, MySpace and other social networks and mobile platforms. Learn more at http://www.socialgears.com

Feel Your Boobies ® is a registered trademark. Reproduction or duplication of the trademark without written permission from the Feel Your Boobies Foundation is prohibited.

HNHSoft announces the release of its mobile English-Chinese Talking Dictionary - the first language translation software that supports Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch platforms. For Apple aficionados, conducting business while in China just became a lot easier. Finding just the right word has always been the bane of the traveler to new lands. How many of us are still embarrassed by the memory of asking for the applesauce instead of the hotel lobby? Or the pool instead of the art museum? And as an ambassador for his or her company, a business traveler can see the importance of putting the best words forward.

Worry no more, business travelers. HNHSoft's Talking Dictionary and Talking Phrase Book download in minutes onto mobile Apple iPhone and iPod Touch handhelds. This is the first product of its kind developed for use on Apple platforms. These innovative language tools contain over 90,000 entries and over 120,000 translations. Travelers can learn the pronunciation of words or phrases phonetically, see them written in the appropriate alphabet, and hear them pronounced in the natural voices of real people. Travelers can choose to turn on the setting that Romanizes Chinese characters (the so-called Pinyin in the official Chinese language), and view the Chinese characters in Simplified or Traditional form.

The translation tool can translate from English to Chinese and from Chinese to English. Travelers love the "study" feature, which allows a user to build and save a customized list of words and return to this list later. This feature comes in handy when a traveler wants to save frequently used words in one place.

For those not traveling as far as China, HNHSoft will release its Talking Dictionaries and Talking Phrase Books in five European languages that support Apple iPhone and iPod Touch platforms in late spring 2009. HNHSoft licenses the European language data and brand from the 157-year-old Larousse Publishing House.

Note: HNHSoft's Talking Dictionaries and Talking Phrase Books already support Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Java enabled smart phones, Palm OS.

Check out the HNHSoft website at http://www.hnhsoft.com for more information.

About HNHSoft:

HNHSoft was co-founded by Song Han and Wei Huang, both of Burlington, Mass., and Jian Zhang, Ph.D. Mr. Zhang is chief technology officer and general manger of HNHSoft's R&D center in Beijing, China. The United Nations Chinese Language Program (UNCLP) adopted the HNHSoft Talking Dictionary as its official teaching tool in 2008, bringing cutting-edge voice and mobile technologies to UNCLP's language teaching programs. "Our Program chose HNHSoft's product over others after extensive research.", Dr. Yong Ho, director of UNCLP said, "We found that the Dictionary's contents are comprehensive and authoritative."

According to the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics, more than 5 million people will graduate this spring. Graduation marks an important rite of passage of achievement.

The best graduation gifts are practical and encourage a graduate's transition to next stage of life, which includes new responsibilities and opportunities. With this in mind, Magazines.com offering magazine subscriptions for graduates at significant discounts off cover prices. Magazines.com recommends BusinessWeek, Bon Appétit, The Economist and National Geographic magazines for graduates.

Graduation ceremonies have existed for a long time; the first graduation ceremonies were first held by European universities in the Middle Ages. Harvard was the first American university to hold a commencement ceremony in 1642.

About Magazines.com

Magazines.com is the oldest, the largest and the most dependable magazine subscription service on the Internet. We are a privately-held company based in Franklin, Tenn., a suburb of Nashville.

With more than 2,000 titles available, Magazines.com offers people a fun, easy way to discover new magazines and helps them track subscriptions. Magazines.com is the leading independent agent selling subscriptions, serving customers online at Magazines.com.

In March 2008, Kwame Kilpatrick was charged with eight felonies, including perjury and obstruction of justice. In August, he violated his bail agreement and was thrown in jail. His actions were deplorable for anybody, but Kilpatrick was no Average Joe--he was the mayor of Detroit.

Unfortunately for the Motor City, Kilpatrick, 38, is just one ripple in the area's sea of crime. Detroit is the worst offender on our list of America's most dangerous cities, thanks to a staggering rate of 1,220 violent crimes committed per 100,000 people.

"Detroit has, historically, been one of the more violent cities in the U.S.," says Megan Wolfram, an analyst at iJet Intelligent Risk Systems, a Maryland-based risk-assessment firm. "They have a number of local crime syndicates there--a number of small gangs who tend to compete over territory."

Detroit was followed closely on the list by the greater Memphis, Tenn., and Miami, Fla., metropolitan areas. Those three were the only large cities in America with more than 950 violent crimes committed per 100,000 people.

Behind the Numbers

To determine our list, we used violent crime statistics from the FBI's latest uniform crime report, issued in 2008. The violent crime category is composed of four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. We evaluated U.S. metropolitan statistical areas--geographic entities defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for use by federal agencies in collecting, tabulating and publishing federal statistics--with more than 500,000 residents.

Though nationwide crime was down 3.5% year over year in the first six months of 2008, the cities atop our list illustrate a disturbing trend: All 10 of the most dangerous cities were among those identified by the Department of Justice as transit points for Mexican drug cartels.

Run by crime lords like Joaquin Guzman Lorea, these gangs--and their violent turf wars--are spreading into the American Southwest and beyond. Places like Stockton, Calif., nearly 500 miles from Tijuana, have seen an uptick in related violent crime.

"Stockton is a major transit point along the I-5 corridor on the way to Seattle and Vancouver," says Wolfram. "A lot of it is similar to crime happening in the Southwest. For the most part, it's drug gang on drug gang."

Motown Blues

The situation in Mexico has escalated in recent years, but Detroit has been dealing with the same problems for decades. An industrial boomtown during the first half of the 20th century, the population of Detroit proper swelled from 285,000 in 1900 to 990,000 in 1920, reaching a peak of 1.8 million in 1950.

Only half that number still lives within city limits. Starting in the 1960s, Detroit began a precipitous decline. Most scholars blame rapid suburbanization, outsourcing of manufacturing jobs, and federal programs they say exacerbated the situation by creating a culture of joblessness and dependency. Residents fled to the suburbs and to other regions of the country entirely, leaving behind a landscape littered with abandoned buildings.

"Factories that once provided tens of thousands of jobs now stand as hollow shells, windows broken, mute testimony to a lost industrial past," wrote Thomas J. Sugrue in his book The Origins of the Urban Crisis. "Whole sections of the city are eerily apocalyptic."

Detroit isn't the only city on the list that's suffering from abandonment issues.

In Las Vegas, Nev., for example, the housing boom created loads of excess inventory. When the market tanked, homeowners suddenly found themselves with properties worth far less than the mortgages they'd taken out. In the worst cases, banks foreclosed, leaving people without homes--and with more debt than they'd had to begin with. As a result, Sin City is even emptier than Detroit.

"Detroit has trouble showing improvement in its crime rate because dedicated, desperately needed and appropriate resources are not invested in public safety. Painfully, it is not a priority," says Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Kym L. Worthy. "I wish that those with the resources would view domestic terrorism like they do terrorism across the water. It used to be that we were keeping our head above water and treading quickly. Now we are drowning, and no one seems to really care. All they tell me to do is cut some more."

Few Signs of Improvement

Making matters more difficult, as municipal budgets shrink during this recession, crime-fighting funds are often among the first casualties.

"There's less public spending during downturns," says Wolfram. "Police departments and incarcerations systems are tough to fund."

The news has been bad for decades, but there may yet be hope for Detroit. The city's new mayor, Kenneth V. Cockrel Jr., assumed office on Sept. 19, 2009--and hasn't committed a single felony.

Top 5 Most Dangerous Cities:


No. 1 Detroit, Mich.

(Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., metropolitan statistical area)

Population: 1,951,186

Violent Crimes per 100,000: 1,220

No. 2 Memphis, Tenn.

(Memphis, Tenn.-Miss.-Ark. metropolitan statistical area)

Population: 1,295,670

Violent Crimes per 100,000: 1,218

No. 3. Miami, Fla.

(Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla. metropolitan statistical area)

Population: 2,401,971

Violent Crimes per 100,000: 988

No. 4 Las Vegas, Nev.

(Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev., metropolitan statistical area)

Population: 1,834,533

Violent Crimes per 100,000: 887

No. 5 Stockton, Calif.

(Stockton, Calif., metropolitan statistical area)

Population: 684,406

Violent Crimes per 100,000: 885

Manny Pacquiao faces the toughest fight of his career in a hotly-anticipated clash with Britain's Ricky Hatton next week in Las Vegas.

"For me, this is not a regular fight," said the Filipino southpaw. "I consider this fight to be the toughest of my boxing career. After all he is undefeated at 140 pounds."

The former four-weight world champion challenges Hatton hfor his IBO light-welterweight title on May 2.

The Briton has never lost at his natural weight while Pacquiao, who declined to make any predictions about the fight, will be boxing in the division for the first time.

"I want to let my fists do the talking in the ring," 'Pac-Man' Pacquiao, ever respectful of his opponents, added in a teleconference call on Friday. "This is not an easy fight.

"Ricky Hatton is a different kind of fighter than I have been fighting before. He's a good fighter and a strong fighter. I expect him to be in 100 percent condition. He has a lot of energy and throws a lot of punches."

Widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Pacquiao said he and his team had been repeatedly watching video tapes of previous Hatton fights.

"He has a strong left hand, so we have studied that and prepared for that," the 30-year-old added.

But Pacquiao would not detail how he and trainer Freddie Roach planned to neutralise the Englishman's strengths.

HATTON'S STYLE

"We're ready for Ricky's style," he said. "We have been working on different techniques. I don't want to tell you what they are. I want to surprise you."

Pacquiao enhanced his impressive resume by outclassing 10 times world champion Oscar De La Hoya in December and promoter Bob Arum believes the Filipino now merits consideration as one of the greatest fighters ever.

"I personally have never seen such explosiveness combined with speed in all my years of boxing," said Arum, who has promoted boxing greats such as Marvin Hagler, Floyd Mayweather Jr and De La Hoya.

"I believe Manny's body of work establishes him as one of the best fighters in the history of boxing."

Idolised in the Philippines, Pacquiao has always strived to perform well for his fans.

"All I'm trying to do is give happiness and enjoyment to the people," he said.

Remarkably, his success in the ring has even led to temporary ceasefires in the 40-year guerrilla war being fought between Philippine troops and the Maoist-led New People's Army .

Steffani Cacho, Western Mindanao Command information officer, was quoted as saying in December: "If Manny fights, the guns will be silent."

On Friday, Pacquiao said in reply: "If that's a reason for them to be silent, I can fight every day."