Acer will beat Google to market with its own $99 tablet

Title Post: Acer will beat Google to market with its own $99 tablet
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Downton Abbey Cast Talk Shirley MacLaine

On January 6, Shirley MacLaine comes to Downton Abbey when the Oscar-winner joins the cast as Lady Cora's mother, Martha Levinson. And today, the cast stopped by Anderson Live to reveal what it was like working alongside another (props to original H.B.I.C. Dame Maggie Smith) living legend!

PHOTOS - Inside Downton Abbey Season Three

"We didn't know what to expect because this is a Hollywood legend," said Jim Carter, who plays Mr. Carson. "She just rolled up her sleeves and was one of the gang instantly, absolutely instantly. She was one of the gang but with much better quality of gossip."

Cooper also asked about Highclere Castle (which stands in as Downton Abbey) and found out that the owners are still very much living there. "It is lived in by the Carnarvon family," Hugh Bonneville (who plays Lord Grantham) said, adding, "So it's a little bit of life mirroring art, so it's a bit spooky some times."

RELATED - Is Maggie Smith Leaving Downton?

Julian Fellowes, who created Downton Abbey, knows the family and Elizabeth McGovern (who plays Lady Cora) says that Julian has "deemed many of the stories from the family."

But one story you couldn't make up involved the Egyptian exhibit Highclere castle was hosting during production of season three -- one that MacLaine, who has been very vocal about her past life experiences, felt was incredibly inaccurate.

Carter recalls, "At Highclere Castle, there is a big Egypt exhibition because Grandfather Carnarvon would discover King Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt and Shirley went to visit it and thought a lot of it wasn't particularly authentic because she had lived there. She slept with Tutankhamun and she remembered it very well."

Anderson Live airs daily and Downton Abbey premieres January 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS.

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Bernie Madoff's brother Peter to face Ponzi scheme victims in Manhattan court

The suspense surrounding the sentencing of the brother of Ponzi king Bernard Madoff will largely be absent because a plea agreement makes a 10-year prison term all but certain.

But drama will likely fill the courtroom Thursday in US District Court in Manhattan anyway as 67-year-old Peter Madoff faces some of the heartbroken investors who lost their savings when the unprecedented fraud was revealed four years ago this month.

When he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and falsifying books and records of an investment adviser, the former senior compliance officer at the Madoff private investment business said he was "shocked and devastated" when his brother revealed several days before he surrendered that thousands of accounts supposedly worth $65 billion were worthless. Investigators say Bernard Madoff had distributed most of the $20 billion he took in over several decades to other investors while investing none of it in the markets as he had promised to do.

Reuters

Bernie Madoff's brother Peter arrives at court today.

A court-appointed monitor has so far recovered nearly $9.3 billion that was lost, mostly by clawing back money from investors who received large payouts along the way. Most of the money has not yet been distributed. A small part of the recovery has resulted from the sale of numerous Madoff family assets, including the toys of the wealthy — multi-million dollar homes, fancy cars, yachts and art.

In a pre-sentence brief, attorney John Wing said his client was subject to a "draconian forfeiture order that in one stroke stripped him of all existing assets, his home, his pension, his savings, his personal property, etc. and of all future assets and income should he even have the opportunity to earn any income after serving his prison sentence." He said Peter Madoff will be left a "jobless pariah" when he gets out of prison.

Yet, one couple who submitted a victim impact statement to federal prosecutors said Peter Madoff did not seem destitute when he was spotted "enjoying a leisurely lunch in an expensive Upper East Side restaurant where many of his victims would like to eat but can't afford to."

In the letter filed publically Wednesday with others, Jill and Nancy Miller said they saw him there after he had pleaded guilty in June.

Michael De Vita, an investor who has asked to speak, said in a letter to the court that the judge should set aside the plea agreement and impose the maximum sentence.

"I ask that you show the same degree of compassion for Peter Madoff that he showed for us — none!" he wrote.

Another victim, Gail Oren, said she had to come out of retirement and can only afford rare public outings with friends.

"It is embarrassing," she said. "My social life is almost non-existent now. As a result, I am often alone and often feel depressed. My life has become a life of loneliness quite often."

Karl and Wanda Eisenhauer wrote that they were forced to sell their family farm because of their losses.

"It is difficult to describe the heartache. We can only beg for your help," they said.

Morton J. Chalek recalled standing in line when Pearl Harbor was bombed to enlist in the Air Force. He flew 23 combat missions and later built a successful business before his attorney introduced him to his golf partner, Bernard Madoff.

"I am now 90 years old and bankrupt. I have been waiting hopelessly to recover the money Madoff stole from me," he said.

Not everyone sounded angry at their loss.

Robert Roman, Peter Madoff's brother-in-law, said he and his wife, Joan, had lost their life savings, along with the life savings of their three daughters and their families and yet did not wish prison on Peter Madoff.

"Our family is supposed to hate him. But — we do not. Why? Because prison is where Charles Manson belongs. That is a solution to his situation. Peter in prison is an answer only to those who seek revenge. It is not a solution," he wrote.

Roman said he met the brothers in February 1954 and witnessed firsthand the "domination and back-yard bullying" that Peter Madoff endured at the hands of his brother.

He called Peter Madoff a victim and said the tens of millions of dollars in riches given to Peter by his brother likely corrupted him to give in to his brother's demands.

"Bernard Madoff had control of the greatest weapon of mass destruction ever created. It was his checkbook. To be seduced by that weapon is the ultimate temptation," Roman wrote.

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Miami-Dade existing home sales, prices up again

Resales of Miami-Dade county homes are red hot.

Sales of existing homes rose 23 percent in Miami-Dade in November from a year earlier, even as the inventory of residential property on the market remained tight, the Miami Association of Realtors said.

The median price of an existing condominium in Miami-Dade surged 31.7 percent to $158,000 in November from a year earlier, while the median price of a single-family home jumped 15.9 percent to $195,000.

Median home prices in Miami-Dade have marched higher for 12 consecutive months, buttressing views that the recovery in Miami-Dade’s beleaguered housing market is on solid footing.

“It appears the Miami real estate market will set another record in 2012, exceeding sales levels at the height of the boom in 2005 and during the all-time record in 2011,” Martha Pomares, chairman of the Miami Association of Realtors, said in a statement. “Considering the shortage of housing inventory available, it is remarkable that sales remain this strong. This record demand coupled with extremely limited supply is driving strong and consistent price appreciation.”

Cash continued to drive residential sales in Miami-Dade in November, accounting for 63 percent of transactions.

The inventory of previously owned homes inched up 1 percent to 11,862 units in November from October, but that represented a 19 percent decline from November 2011.

Distressed sales comprised 43.4 percent of all residential transactions in Miami-Dade in November, down from 56 percent a year earlier and 47.4 percent the prior month.

Properties are selling faster in Miami-Dade, too. The median days on the market was 43 fro single-family homes and 51 for condominiums. A more typical period is 90 to 120 days, the Miami Realtors said.

For all of Florida, sales of existing single-family home also continued to improve in November, rising 24.4 percent from a year earlier and median prices rose 11.2 percent. Statewide condominium sales rose 18.3 percent year over year with the median price of a condominium soaring 23.1 percent to $112,000.

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New party, new outlook on gun control for Charlie Crist

WASHINGTON --
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who throughout his long political career has been staunchly pro-gun rights, said Wednesday that after the Connecticut school slayings, he now backs controls.

He expressed support for a renewed assault weapons ban, a size limit on ammunition clips and tougher background checks.

“We need to have some restrictions, that’s pretty obvious to most people,” Crist told the Tampa Bay Times prior to testifying before a Senate panel on voting laws. “What do you need a 30-clip magazine for?

“Not to go hunting deer. I can tell you that because I hunt deer.”

Crist recently became a Democrat and is considering a challenge to Gov. Rick Scott, who long has favored gun rights. Scott has refused to comment on gun measures after the Connecticut shootings, saying it is too early to debate.

As recently as 2010, when Crist was running as a Republican for U.S. Senate, he accused rival Marco Rubio of being soft on guns and supporting a waiting period and background checks that were already in state law.

Crist in 2006 painted his GOP gubernatorial rival Tom Gallagher as “anti-gun,” and highlighted an endorsement from the National Rifle Association. He appointed NRA favorites to the state Supreme Court and signed into law a bill allowing concealed weapons permit-holders to bring their guns to work — as long as the weapons remained in their vehicles. He also fought legislative efforts to tap into the concealed weapons permit trust fund.

Reminded Wednesday of his past and asked what changed, Crist replied: “We had a wake-up call.”

Crist, who last week said he now regrets supporting a Florida ban on gay marriage, will certainly face questions about his convictions if he decides to run for governor in 2014. He defended the shifts.

“It says I’m a guy who is willing to listen, I’m willing to learn. I hope that we all are. I think life is a learning experience and the older you get the more wisdom you can accumulate. ... I have an open mind.”

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Wii U finally gets Nintendo’s TVii service on December 20th

After a month-long delay, Nintendo (NTDOY) will launch its Nintendo TVii service for the Wii U on December 20th in the U.S. and Canada. Nintendo TVii is the company’s take on organizing all of the various video streaming and DVR services a user might subscribe to and then displaying them in an easy-to-navigate touchscreen-based interface on the Wii U GamePad. With Nintendo TVii, Nintendo hopes to make content discovery an easier task, rather than a chore. At the same time, Nintendo TVii will offer new “second-screen” experiences (similar to Xbox SmartGlass) with built-in social sharing options to Facebook (FB), Twitter and the Wii U console’s Miiverse.

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Nintendo TVii will support Amazon (AMZN) Instant Video, Hulu Plus and cable and satellite providers on Thursday, but Netflix (NFLX) and TiVo (TIVO) support won’t hit the U.S. until “early 2013.” Nintendo didn’t state when TVii support for the latter two will hit Canada.

For the consumer’s sake, we hope the download for Nintendo TVii doesn’t take as long as past system updates.

Nintendo’s press release follows below.

Nintendo Makes TV Smart and Social – Nintendo TVii Launches Dec. 20

New Wii U Service Gives Every Member of the Family His or Her Own Personalized, Easy-to-Use Second-Screen Viewing Experience

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The company that changed how we play is about to change how we watch. On Dec. 20, Nintendo will introduce Nintendo TVii, a free, integrated service for the recently launched Wii U console that combines what you watch and how you watch into one seamless, second-screen experience on the revolutionary new Wii U GamePad controller.

The rapid increase in both the quality and availability of video entertainment content – hundreds of satellite and cable channels, a seemingly endless amount of video-on-demand options – has made finding something to watch a complex and occasionally frustrating process. The solution to this problem is coming from perhaps an unexpected place: a video game console.

“After Dec. 20, you’ll never look at your TV the same way again,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “Wii U owners have already experienced the transformative effect that the GamePad has on game play and social interaction. Nintendo TVii shows how the integrated second screen of the GamePad can also transform and enhance the TV viewing experience. Welcome to the new world of TVii.”

Nintendo TVii maximizes Wii U owners’ current cable, satellite and video-on-demand services by pulling all of their available content sources – such as a Comcast cable package or Hulu Plus subscription – into one place. This empowers Wii U owners to focus on whatthey want to watch and not how they want to watch. And once users find the show, sporting event or movie they want, they press an icon and Nintendo TVii does the rest.

In addition to greatly simplifying finding and watching video content, Nintendo TVii also includes a series of social features that enable Wii U owners to share experiences and exciting moments with friends as they are happening on live TV. People can engage with others by commenting and sharing on Miiverse, Facebook and Twitter. Or they can comment, post or tweet about an incredible touchdown, a remarkable performance or a shocking plot twist, all using the personal screen of the Wii U GamePad.

Nintendo TVii requires no additional equipment and can be enjoyed with very little setup, demonstrating what’s possible when the second screen is truly integrated with the TV. Wii U owners can also discover more information about what they’re watching by easily accessing information on the GamePad via an Internet connection, including cast details, movie reviews from Rotten Tomatoes and sports data such as live stats and scores.

Nintendo TVii launches in the United States and Canada on Dec. 20. At launch, the service will support cable and satellite providers in both regions, as well as direct integration with Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus subscriptions in the United States. Further integration with Netflix subscriptions and TiVo are expected in early 2013 in the United States. Wii U owners with a Netflix subscription can still access the Netflix application from the Wii U system’s main menu and enjoy their favorite content accordingly.

All elements of the Nintendo TVii service are included in the purchase price of the Wii U system. Users will define which services they currently subscribe to – including the channel lineup in their cable package and video-on-demand service subscriptions – as part of the setup process.

Nintendo TVii observes the Wii U system parental controls, and additional options specific to the Nintendo TVii features can be chosen in the Nintendo TVii settings. Every member of the family can create a different viewing profile. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu.

This article was originally published by BGR

Gaming News Headlines – Yahoo! News

Title Post: Wii U finally gets Nintendo’s TVii service on December 20th
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Obama on fiscal cliff: He and Boehner 'pretty close' to a deal

WASHINGTON — Optimistic despite a tightening deadline, President Obama says he and Speaker John Boehner are "pretty close" to a grand fiscal deal that would avoid a first-of-the-year shock to the economy, but says congressional Republicans "keep on finding ways to say no as opposed to finding ways to say yes."

Obama cast a resolution to the "fiscal cliff" as a matter of political will. He said in the aftermath of the massacre of school children in Connecticut, the nation deserves a compromise by its political leaders.

"Goodness, if this past week has done anything, it should just give us some perspective," he said. And he urged lawmakers to "peel off the partisan war paint" and strike a deal.

Getty Images

President Obama today

Obama spoke to reporters at the White House after announcing an administration-wide response to Friday's shooting at an elementary school in Newtown that killed 26 people including 20 first graders.

His comments came shortly after the White House threatened to veto Boehner's backup plan for averting the "fiscal cliff." Boehner's measure, a so-called Plan B, would block tax increases from being triggered Jan. 1 on everyone but those whose incomes exceed $1 million.

Boehner is planning a House vote on his proposal on Thursday, hoping it would raise pressure on President Barack Obama to make concessions as both sides continue reaching for a bipartisan deal on averting the "fiscal cliff." Without an agreement among lawmakers, broad tax increases on nearly all taxpayers and budget-wide spending cuts will be triggered in early January.

Obama, however, dismissed Boehner's proposal, saying it would not provide unemployment insurance for 2 million jobless Americans and would result in higher taxes for families that benefit from various tax credits.

"That violates the core principles that were debated during the course of this election and that the American people determined was the wrong way to go," Obama said. Instead, Obama said, he and Boehner in their own talks had moved significantly toward each other before talks reached a lull on Tuesday.

"What separates us is probably a few hundred billion dollars," Obama said. "The idea that we would put our economy at risk because you can't bridge that gap doesn't make a lot of sense."

Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said White House opposition to the GOP backup plan "is growing more bizarre and irrational by the day." He said Republicans prefer a deficit-cutting plan that is balanced between tax increases and spending cuts, but Obama has yet to offer such a proposal.

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Broad and Cassel team joins Holland & Knight

Holland & Knight said Wednesday that a five-lawyer team from Broad and Cassel has joined its firm. Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz and Barbara Ferrer are now partners in the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group, and will be based in Miami.

Others joining the firm are Anna Marie Hernandez as senior counsel (and the sole litigator of the team); Isabel Diaz as senior counsel; and Rebecca Mendez as an associate. Two paralegals, two secretaries and a law clerk will also move to Holland & Knight. Overall, Holland & Knight said it has more than 35 real estate professionals in its South Florida offices.

INA PAIVA CORDLE

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If Friday is really the end of the world...

Have you heard? According to the Mayan calendar, the end of the world, as we know it, is Friday.

True or not, the possibility gives us the chance to gauge what’s really important to us.

So, if the end was near, who would you want to be with when it happened?

Who would you quickly send your last email or text to?

What would be your final meal?

For the rest of the week, we’ll be asking a series of ‘what if’ questions.

Here is the first:

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Oscars Flashback '06: Weisz's Oscar and Baby Bump

Actress Rachel Weisz may now be married to the reincarnation of 007 himself, but back at the 2006 Oscars she was pregnant with her beautiful baby boy, Henry.

ET spoke to Weisz, who seven months along, ran into some issues getting a dress ready for the big night.

Other stars talk red carpet maternity fashion: Claire Danes

"My friend Narciso Rodriguez... he made me two different dresses."

Luckily for Rachel, friendship with an iconic American fashion designer has its benefits. One of which being rushed orders.

"He just made them last week, yeah. And he fitted them again yesterday!" Weisz remarked. "Bump keeps growing!"

In other celebrity baby news: Channing and Jenna are expecting!

That is quite the predicament. But it didn't stop Weisz from looking gorgeous on Oscar night, baby and all. Weisz would win herself a statuette that night, but it wasn't the first thing on her mind.

"Well I hope I definitely go home with the baby!" Weisz joked to ET.

SEE ALSO: Weisz & Day-Lewis Top NYFCC Picks Alongside 'Zero'

Even on the day she would later win her first and only Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in The Constant Gardener, Weisz knew to put the baby first. Sounds like Henry's got a pretty good mom.

It's anyone's guess as to whether Weisz will be able to repeat that Oscar magic without her lucky baby on board, but she might like her chances. Rachel is nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in The Deep Blue Sea (2011).

SEE ALSO: The Complete list of 2013 Golden Globe Nominees

Until we find out, you can see Rachel on the red carpet, sans-baby this time around, on January 13 at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards on NBC.

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