| Fielding jolts from a great unknown
After months of cryptic trailers and hype in the US, Cloverfield turns out to be almost comforting in its simplicity. It's a short, efficient, terrifying monster movie, no more and no less. Told solely from the point of view of one digital video camera wielded by one young guy named Hud (TJ Miller), the film records scenes from a seven-hour attack on Manhattan by a Giant Thing. It's the first cellphone-ready action flick. .
My Turn: Why I don't 'shop Taos'
Local newspapers often print letters from merchants in Taos County who encourage residents of the city and county to shop locally. Many local retail establishments are struggling to survive and residents are asked to purchase here to support the local economy. I rarely shop Taos. I wait once a month and shop in Santa Fe, or, when on business out of state, shop and mail my purchases home. I also make frequent purchases over the Internet. Why? Because I have experienced the following: Choice is limited. I don’t find what I need here. It’s just as easy to order over the Internet and receive my goods for the minimal cost of shipping and get exactly what I want when I want it. The purchase usually arrives in a matter of two to three days and is delivered to my door. Cost of shipping usually amounts to the cost of a couple of gallons of gas at most (and if the order is large enough, shipping is free). Many merchants don’t make it easy to purchase what I need. More than one merchant on the plaza refuses to take checks.
Advanced Technologies Key to Meeting Increased Demand for Grain
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Speaking at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Outlook Forum, DuPont Vice President and General Manager and Pioneer Hi-Bred President Paul Schickler said advanced technologies will be key for further corn and soybean yield improvement over the next 10 years. "It is an incredible time for the agricultural economy as demand for food, feed, fuel and materials -- all of which can be produced through agriculture - - have increased," Schickler said. "We expect the traits and technologies in our product pipeline to help meet that demand by doubling the rate of genetic gain -- targeting a 40 percent yield increase in our corn and soybean products over the next 10 years." Schickler explained that the corn yield increase will come from a convergence of elite germplasm, proprietary Accelerated Yield Technology(TM) (AYT(TM)), the new Optimum(R) AcreMax(TM) insect control system and key agronomic traits such as drought tolerance and nitrogen use efficiency.
2008 Predictions: Macworld's annual forecast of the year ahead
Usually, they wind up just making wild guesses. So without further ado, here's this year's edition of our fearless forecasts from four Mac observers hoping to be able to say the sweetest words in the English language by this time next year: I told you so. Dan Frakes, Macworld senior editor A Mac subnotebook: Apple will (finally) reintroduce a smaller, lighter laptop made for road warriors. Like older entries in this market, such as the PowerBook 2400c, the new model will forgo an internal optical drive to achieve a smaller size, but it will also feature new technologies that let it slim down while providing better performance and improved battery life, such as a solid-state hard drive, an LED screen, and a low-power processor. A new desktop: Apple will (finally) give us a midrange, screenless Mac—something in between the Mac mini and the Mac Pro—for people who don't want an all-in-one desktop system.
Lindsay Writing Memoirs to Avoid Bankruptcy?
Between working in the morgue and hunting men in Italy, it seems that Lindsay Lohan has found the time to write her memoirs. OK! Magazine writes that the actress has decisively decided to write a book, and financial problems could also be one of her motivations. Allegedly Lindsay, who spent most of her money at rehabilitation, had to borrow 10,000 dollars from her friend Steve-O. Lohans spokesperson denied the rumours, but her close friends say that the actress has started to worry. She regrets all the cash she threw around the last couple years. She needs everything to fall into place and get her back on track, and fast said a friend of the problematic actress. .
Hot Gadgets That Unleash Your Inner Geek
The holidays are a time for shoppers and wish-list makers to get in touch with their inner geeks. They're in good company. Shoppers will spend $22.1 billion on holiday consumer electronics this year, according to a survey by the Consumer Electronics Association. .
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