Great apes make sophisticated decisions

Public release date: 29-Dec-2011
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Contact: Daniel Haun
daniel.haun@mpi.nl
49-341-355-0815
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos make more sophisticated decisions than was previously thought. Great apes weigh their chances of success, based on what they know and the likelihood to succeed when guessing, according to a study of MPI researcher Daniel Haun, published on December 21 in the online journal PLoS ONE. The findings may provide insight into human decision-making as well.

The authors of the study, led by Daniel Haun of the Max Planck Institutes for Psycholinguistics (Nijmegen) and Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig), investigated the behaviour of all four non-human great ape species. The apes were presented with two banana pieces: a smaller one, which was always reliably in the same place, and a larger one, which was hidden under one of multiple cups, and therefore the riskier choice.

The researchers found that the apes' choices were regulated by their uncertainty and the probability of success for the risky choice, suggesting sophisticated decision-making. Apes chose the small piece more often when they where uncertain where the large piece was hidden. The lower their chances to guess correctly, the more often they chose the small piece.

Risky choices

The researchers also found that the apes went for the larger piece and risked getting nothing at all no less than 50% of the time. This risky decision-making increased to nearly 100% when the size difference between the two banana pieces was largest. While all four species demonstrated sophisticated decision making strategies, chimpanzees and orangutans were overall more likely to make risky choices relative to gorillas and bonobos. The precise reason for this discrepancy remains unknown.

Haun concludes: "Our study adds to the growing evidence that the mental life of the other great apes is much more sophisticated than is often assumed."

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 29-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Daniel Haun
daniel.haun@mpi.nl
49-341-355-0815
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos make more sophisticated decisions than was previously thought. Great apes weigh their chances of success, based on what they know and the likelihood to succeed when guessing, according to a study of MPI researcher Daniel Haun, published on December 21 in the online journal PLoS ONE. The findings may provide insight into human decision-making as well.

The authors of the study, led by Daniel Haun of the Max Planck Institutes for Psycholinguistics (Nijmegen) and Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig), investigated the behaviour of all four non-human great ape species. The apes were presented with two banana pieces: a smaller one, which was always reliably in the same place, and a larger one, which was hidden under one of multiple cups, and therefore the riskier choice.

The researchers found that the apes' choices were regulated by their uncertainty and the probability of success for the risky choice, suggesting sophisticated decision-making. Apes chose the small piece more often when they where uncertain where the large piece was hidden. The lower their chances to guess correctly, the more often they chose the small piece.

Risky choices

The researchers also found that the apes went for the larger piece and risked getting nothing at all no less than 50% of the time. This risky decision-making increased to nearly 100% when the size difference between the two banana pieces was largest. While all four species demonstrated sophisticated decision making strategies, chimpanzees and orangutans were overall more likely to make risky choices relative to gorillas and bonobos. The precise reason for this discrepancy remains unknown.

Haun concludes: "Our study adds to the growing evidence that the mental life of the other great apes is much more sophisticated than is often assumed."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/m-gam122911.php

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Venezuela's Chavez: Did U.S. give Latin American leaders cancer? (Reuters)

CARACAS (Reuters) ? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez speculated on Wednesday that the United States might have developed a way to give Latin American leaders cancer, after Argentina's Cristina Fernandez joined the list of presidents diagnosed with the disease.

It was a typically controversial statement by Venezuela's socialist leader, who underwent surgery in June to remove a tumor from his pelvis. But he stressed that he was not making any accusations, just thinking aloud.

"It would not be strange if they had developed the technology to induce cancer and nobody knew about it until now ... I don't know. I'm just reflecting," he said in a televised speech to troops at a military base.

"But this is very, very, very strange ... it's a bit difficult to explain this, to reason it, including using the law of probabilities."

Chavez, Fernandez, Paraguay's Fernando Lugo, Brazil's Dilma Rousseff and former Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have all been diagnosed recently with cancer. All of them are leftists.

Doctors say Fernandez has a very good chance of recovery and will not need chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Her diagnosis was made public on Tuesday.

Chavez said other regional leaders should beware, including his close ally, Bolivian President Evo Morales.

"We'll have to take good care of Evo. Take care Evo!" he said.

The 57-year-old is Latin America's loudest critic of U.S. foreign policy along with Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro, and he frequently lashes out at what he calls the "Yankee Empire".

CASTRO'S WARNING

"Fidel always told me, 'Chavez take care. These people have developed technology. You are very careless. Take care what you eat, what they give you to eat ... a little needle and they inject you with I don't know what,'" he said.

In his comments on Wednesday, Chavez also slammed Washington and its European allies for criticizing Russia's recent parliamentary elections - and said they were planning the same thing for Venezuela's presidential election in October, when he will seek re-election.

"They are crying fraud and saying the elections need to be re-run ... They're trying to destabilize no less than Russia, a nuclear power. That's the madness of the Empire," Chavez said.

"I say this because here in Venezuela, the Imperial Yankee, the local bourgeoisie, and a good part of what they call the opposition parties here, are preparing a similar plan," he said.

"I call on the armed forces to be alert, on the Venezuelan people to be alert. Because we are not going to let the Imperial Yankee destabilize Venezuela again like they did in the past."

Details about Chavez's health remain a closely guarded secret, although he now appears to be recovering and is making longer and longer televised appearances.

Earlier this month he made his first official foreign trip after his surgery, to a regional summit in Uruguay.

Since his return he has often appeared sporting something of a younger, new look: a dark sports coat over an open-necked maroon shirt, and is hair is growing back after chemotherapy.

It is far cry from the green fatigues and red beret that he became famous for wearing for much of his 13 years in power.

(Editing by Kieran Murray)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111229/wl_nm/us_venezuela_usa_cancer

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Boehner's Words for the Ages (talking-points-memo)

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President Medvedev is trying really hard to improve international relations. Do...

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Lady Gaga Is Our Top Newsmaker Of 2011!

From Parisian fashion shows to presidential powwows, Gaga was everywhere in 2011 — and MTV News followed her every step of the way.
By James Montgomery

Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images

As 2011 draws to a close, it's difficult to look back over the past 12 months and not remember all the headlines made by one Lady Gaga.

Unlike some of her pop contemporaries, Gaga never seemed to take a day off. Hers was an unending, 365-day news cycle, a constant stream of tabloid speculation, Twitter missives, high-gloss fashion shoots, globe-spanning promotional appearances, red-carpet escapades, super-secret video projects, television specials and political stunts. On top of all that, she somehow also found time to release Born This Way, not only the year's most anticipated album, but one of its most thought-provoking and forward-thinking too. At the end of the third year of her reign, it's no longer a question of when she sleeps, but if she does at all.

So it's little wonder that, as MTV News counts down our Top Newsmakers of 2011, Lady Gaga sits at #1. Bringing you every aspect of her every whim was practically a full-time job, one requiring its own team of tireless reporters, editors and producers ("MTV News: Special Gaga Unit"). And they were in overdrive from the very beginning of the year, when Gaga premiered the first Born This Way track at a Thierry Mugler fashion show in January, then followed that up by debuting the album's title track and arriving at the Grammys "Born This Way" and "Judas"), both of which were prologue to the release of the BTW album itself, a massive, multi-pronged promotional masterstroke that saw her appear everywhere from "Oprah" to "Ellen" and partner with everyone from Amazon to Zynga. She also guest-edited several publications, premiered an in-depth documentary, "Inside the Outside," live on MTV and greeted fans on the eve of BTW's debut in New York City.

In short, she was everywhere, and her hard work (and 99-cent Amazon pricing plan) paid off, as Born This Way sold 1.1 million copies in its first week, the most of any album since 50 Cent's The Massacre in 2005. The album held on to #1 on the Billboard albums chart in its second week, too, making it one of the only releases this year to (temporarily) displace Adele's 21 from the top spot.

Once her album was out, if anything, Gaga only ramped up her schedule, premiering even more music videos, announcing a photo book and opening the 2011 Video Music Awards as her alter ego, Jo Calderone. As 2011 entered the home stretch, she met with President Obama to discuss the bullying epidemic, announced she was already working on the follow-up to Born This Way and basked in the glow of her three Grammy nominations, including a nod for Album of the Year, and plotted a massive 2012 world tour.

And, with that last bit of news, she basically assured that she very well be next year's Top Newsmaker too. Don't worry, we're already clearing our schedules.

Over the past 12 months, Gaga not only continued her rule as the most-famous person on the planet, she expanded her empire. Her fame was hard-earned, and she doesn't show any signs of relinquishing it anytime soon. Because above all else, Gaga is our most tireless superstar.

MTV continues our Best of 2011 coverage by looking back at the biggest pop-culture stories of the year. As we count down the newsmakers that mattered to you most, also check out our Best Artists, Best Songs, Best MTV Live Performances and Best EDM Artists of 2011.

Related Videos

• Lady Gaga: Inside The Outside
• Best Artists Of 2011 Debate
• MTV First: Lady Gaga

Related Photos

• The Evolution Of: Lady Gaga
• Best Artists Of 2011

Related Artists

• Lady Gaga

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676271/top-newsmaker-2011-lady-gaga.jhtml

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Google being sued by BT over alleged patent infringements

The Android world is no stranger to lawsuits, but the latest one coming from British Telecom goes right to the top. It's suing Google in the U.S. over claims that six of its  patents have been infringed on by technology found in Android, from the system itself through to Google+, Maps, Docs, Gmail and other Google services. 

The six involved patents are based around location based technology, navigation and guidance, and personalised access to content and services. One such example is said to be Google Maps' ability to display different information at different zoom levels. 

While BT claims it are acting in the interest of protecting their "intellectual property rights and innovation," Google has come out with the full intention of fighting the lawsuit. 

What isn't clear yet is whether or not BT intends to take similar action against Google in the European courts. 

Source: BBC

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/jN7iZQReozc/story01.htm

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Mexico top presidential contender can't name books (AP)

MEXICO CITY ? Oops!

Politicians north of the border aren't the only ones struggling with gaffes this campaign season.

Mexico's leading presidential contender floundered in confusion for about four minutes when the audience at a book fair asked him to name three books that had influenced him. He was able to correctly name only one he has read "parts of:" the Bible.

Former Mexico State Gov. Enrique Pena Nieto holds a comfortable lead in opinion polls for Mexico's July 1 presidential election, but his appearance was reminiscent of the campaign-denting moment that Texas Gov. Rick Perry suffered at a Republican debate in November. The GOP hopeful said he couldn't remember one of the three government agencies he pledged to eliminate if he were president. "Oops!" he finally admitted.

The floundering by Pena Nieto, a strikingly handsome man married to a television actress, fed into the images critics have tried to spin around him: telegenic but hollow.

"I have read a number of books, starting with novels, that I particularly liked. I'd have a hard time recalling the titles of the books," Pena Nieto said during a question-and-answer session at the weekend book fair in the western city of Guadalajara.

Pena Nieto said that as an adolescent, he had been influenced by the Bible, and had read "parts of" it.

He then rambled, tossing out confused title names, asking for help in recalling authors and sometimes mismatching the two.

He said he liked "La Silla del Aguila, a novel whose title roughly translates as "The Presidential Chair." But he said it was written by historian Enrique Krauze, one of Mexico's most famous historians. It was actually written by Carlos Fuentes, the country's most famous novelist.

That was about as close as the former governor came to correctly identifying a book he has read in the past decade.

"The truth is that when I read books, the titles don't really sink in," he said after several minutes.

Pena Nieto is the leading hope of the former ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, to return to the presidency it held for 71 years without interruption before losing the 2000 elections to conservative Vicente Fox.

Television images of Pena Nieto's struggles ignited glee among PRI critics on Twitter.

Several referred to him as "the Justin Bieber of the PRI," referring to Bieber's difficulty in naming all seven continents during a television appearance in November.

But Bieber was at least able to work out the answer with some prompting from host David Letterman.

Pena Nieto couldn't. He looked to his aides for help and drew laughter from the audience, saying at least twice "I can't remember the title." He mentioned he had read a political thriller by Jeffrey Archer.

Several demonstrators showed up at party headquarters in Mexico City on Monday to symbolically give him books on Mexican history.

"It's really very shameful that a person wants to be president and doesn't know a single book," said Hugo Giovanni Aguirre, a university law student.

Pena Nieto accepted the gaffe in Twitter posts Monday, apparently hoping that good grace would calm the controversy.

"I'm reading some tweets about my error yesterday, some are very critical, others are even funny. I thank you for all of them," he wrote. Later, he tweeted "Freedom of expression is a central pillar of democracy. Criticism of those of us who aspire to or hold political office is fundamental."

But efforts to smooth over the issue were not helped when Pena Nieto's teenage daughter Paulina re-tweeted a comment that described people gloating over the gaffe as "the bunch of idiots who form part of the proletariat and only criticize those they envy."

Pena Nieto quickly apologized on his own Twitter account for the message, which stings in a country with deep social and economic inequality.

"Paulina's re-tweet was an emotional reaction to my error," Pena Nieto wrote. "It was definitely excessive and I publicly apologize for it." He later added "I have had a talk with my children about respect and tolerance."

Mexican intellectuals were aghast, though some took into account Pena Nieto's explanation that he had been too busy in politics to have time to read.

"I myself, and I suppose all of us ... have moments when we forget authors, we forget books," historian Lorenzo Meyer told a local radio station. "We can't jump on Pena Nieto because he forgets his writers."

"But I believe that a deep knowledge of Mexican history is fundamental for someone who wants to be president," Meyer added.

Members of Pena Nieto's party had their own moments of fun mocking former president Fox, a fountain of verbal flubs who angered U.S. blacks by saying Mexicans took jobs "not even" blacks want, and who prompted hilarity by mispronouncing the name of Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges during a speech before one of Spain's most important literary gatherings.

"This thing with Pena Nieto touches a nerve that is still very sensitive," Meyer said.

While the other political parties piled on the criticism of Pena Nieto, they weren't immune to literary confusion.

Former Finance Secretary Ernesto Cordero, a contender for the top nomination of President Felipe Calderon's National Action Party, said in a radio interview Monday that Pena Nieto's gaffe raised "serious doubts" about his qualifications. But he then misidentified the author of what he described as one of his three favorite books, mixing up her first name with that of another writer.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111205/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_political_gaffe

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Syria says it's still open to Arab observer plan

In this image from amateur video made available by the Ugarit News group on Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, a soldier takes aim in Homs, Syria. The United Nations' human rights chief called on the international community to protect Syrian civilians Friday as violence surged across the country, with hours of intense shooting that sent stray bullets whizzing across the border.(AP Photo/Ugarit News Group via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT

In this image from amateur video made available by the Ugarit News group on Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, a soldier takes aim in Homs, Syria. The United Nations' human rights chief called on the international community to protect Syrian civilians Friday as violence surged across the country, with hours of intense shooting that sent stray bullets whizzing across the border.(AP Photo/Ugarit News Group via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT

In this image from amateur video made available by the Ugarit News group on Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, an inured person is put into a car in Homs, Syria. The United Nations' human rights chief called on the international community to protect Syrian civilians Friday as violence surged across the country, with hours of intense shooting that sent stray bullets whizzing across the border.(AP Photo/Ugarit News Group via APTN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT

A pro-Syrian regime protester waves a Syrian flag as he stands in front of portrait of Syrian President Bashar Assad, during a protest against sanctions, Damascus, Syria, Friday Dec. 2, 2011. International intervention, such as the NATO action in Libya that helped topple Moammar Gadhafi, is all but out of the question in Syria. But the European Union, the Arab League, Turkey and others have piled on sanctions aimed at crippling the regime once and for all. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)

Pro-Syrian regime protesters gather during a protest against sanctions, in Damascus, Syria, on Friday Dec. 2, 2011. The Syrian violence has led to several rounds of sanctions, a key tool used by the international community to exert pressure on the regime. The measures include travel bans and asset freezes. The EU's latest sanctions, which were announced Thursday, target 12 people and 11 companies. They add to a long list of regime figures previously sanctioned by the EU, including Assad, his top associates, and high-ranking security officials. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria said Sunday it is still negotiating with the Arab League over the bloc's request to send observers into the country, as tightening sanctions by Arab and other nations fail to halt the eight-month crackdown on anti-government protesters.

New violence killed at least six people on Sunday, including a female university professor and a father and his three children in central Syria, opposition activists said.

Arab leaders have given Syria a new deadline of Sunday to respond to the League's peace plan, which calls for the admission of observers to ensure compliance with government cease-fire. They also held out the threat of pushing for U.N. involvement if Syria balks.

Syria's failure to meet a Nov. 25 deadline to allow in observers drew Arab League sanctions, including a ban on dealings with the country's central bank. Together with sanctions from the United States, the European Union and Turkey, the Arab League's penalties are expected to deal significant damage to Syria's economy and may undercut the regime's authority.

The revolt against President Bashar Assad's rule began with peaceful protests in mid-March, triggering a brutal crackdown. The unrest has steadily become bloodier as army defectors join the revolt and some civilians take up arms, prompting the United Nations' human rights chief to refer to it last week as a civil war and urge the international community to protect Syrian civilians.

The U.N. estimates more than 4,000 people have been killed.

Faced with Sunday's new deadline, Syria signaled it still might be willing to comply with the Arab League's plan, saying its objections were simply a matter of details.

"Messages are being exchanged between Syria and the Arab League to reach a certain vision that would facilitate the mission of observers in Syria while preserving Syrian interests and sovereignty," Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi told reporters in Damascus.

Syria, which has already been suspended from the 22-member League, may be playing for time while its crackdown continues. Activists said there was more bloodshed on Sunday as security forces unleashed indiscriminate fire that killed six people in the central province of Homs.

Qatar's prime minister said Saturday during a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in the Gulf country's capital, Doha, that he expected Syrian envoys to sign an agreement on Sunday.

Sheik Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabr Al Thani said failure to reach an agreement may lead to U.N. involvement in the Syrian crisis, although he did not spell out what that meant.

Arab ministers have continued to meet to work out enforcement of the existing sanctions package.

Some sanctions ? the central bank ban, a halt to Arab government funding of projects in Syria and a freeze of Syrian government assets ? went into effect immediately.

Saturday's meeting approved a list of 19 Syrian officials subject to a travel ban. Among them are Assad's younger brother Maher, who is believed to be in command of much of the crackdown, as well as Cabinet ministers, intelligence chiefs and security officers. The list does not include the president himself.

International sanctions have left Assad's regime increasingly isolated.

The Syrian government said Sunday it was suspending a 2004 free-trade agreement with Turkey in response to the penalties imposed by its former close ally.

As a reciprocal measure, it added, all Turkish imports would be subject to customs fees.

Turkey, a key NATO member and until recently a close partner of Syria, imposed tough new sanctions against Damascus this week that included the suspension of all ties to the Syrian Central Bank and freezing any Syrian government assets in Turkey. Turkey and Syria did $2.4 billion in trade last year, according to the Turkish Embassy in Damascus.

___

Associated Press writer Albert Aji contributed to this report from Damascus, Syria.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-04-ML-Syria/id-e9cbe4e77fb74ea79f0e90ae993936f3

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Suspect in daughter killing due in NJ court Monday (AP)

FREEHOLD, N.J. ? The New Jersey man charged with killing his 2-year-old daughter and leaving her in a park creek, still strapped into her car seat, is due in a New Jersey courtroom on Monday afternoon.

Arthur Morgan III was arrested last week in San Diego, and agreed to return to his home state to stand trial.

Morgan is charged with the murder of Tierra Morgan-Glover, whose body was found Nov. 22 in a creek in Wall Township.

He had picked the child up from her mother's house in Lakehurst, about 20 miles south of the park, but failed to return her, prompting her to call police.

Besides the murder charge, Morgan's also charged with custody violation and interstate flight to avoid apprehension.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111205/ap_on_re_us/us_toddler_found_dead

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LSU locks up BCS title spot; Cowboys make case

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

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

Michigan State's Keshawn Martin is tackled by Wisconsin's Chris Borland during the second half of the Big Ten conference championship NCAA college football game on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

LSU head coach Les Miles reacts after their 42-10 win over Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (7) reacts to a fumble recovery against Georgia during the second half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Texas running back Jeremy Hills (5) leaps over an attempted tackle by Baylor safety K.J. Morton (8) as Sam Holl (25), defensive tackle Tracy Robertson center rear, and Texas' David Snow (78) look on during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Waco, Texas. Baylor won 48-24. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

LSU did its part to make sure both the Tigers and Alabama get into the BCS national title game. Then Oklahoma State gave the voters a reason to rethink the rematch.

The top-ranked Tigers locked up a spot in the championship on Jan. 9 in New Orleans with a 42-10 victory against No. 12 Georgia in the Southeastern Conference title game in Atlanta on Saturday.

Oklahoma State followed that with a 44-10 blowout of rival Oklahoma in Stillwater.

"They had their shot," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said of Alabama. "Give us ours."

LSU (13-0) will be first in the BCS standings when they come out on Sunday. And this latest rout by the Tigers fortified Alabama's chances of holding on to the second spot and holding off Oklahoma State, which was third last week.

"I would certainly understand if college football decides it should be two SEC teams playing for the national championship," LSU coach Les Miles said. "It's a very special conference with very special teams."

The Tigers beat the Tide (11-1) 9-6 in overtime at Tuscaloosa, Ala., a month ago. Alabama is the only team in the country to stay within 13 points of LSU this season. Other than the Alabama game, the Tigers' closest game since September was a 24-point victory against Arkansas.

The Cowboys can claim to have more quality wins than the Tide ? Oklahoma State now has five victories against teams in the BCS top 25, Alabama has two ? but their double-overtime loss at Iowa State (6-6) two weeks ago has been a drag on their resume.

"I don't think there's any question Oklahoma State should play in the big game," Gundy said.

He added: "And if we'd have won this game 17-14, I don't know if I'd have said it. ... When you win by 34 points, we deserve the right."

Oklahoma State was fifth in both the Harris and coaches' polls, while Alabama was an overwhelming No. 2 behind LSU. The Cowboys caught another break when Virginia Tech, which was ahead of them in both those polls last week, was beaten 38-10 by Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

If the voters need any help making their decisions, Oklahoma State provided a mass email titled The Case for Oklahoma State in the BCS Title Game, which hit sports writers' inboxes a little after 1 a.m. EST.

There's no doubt Oklahoma State will move up Sunday, but will it be enough to catch Alabama?

Clemson's surprisingly easy victory in the ACC title game send the Tigers to the Orange Bowl with their first conference title in 20 years.

Oregon locked up its spot in the Rose Bowl by winning the Pac-12 title game Friday night.

The Ducks will face Wisconsin, which beat Michigan State 42-39 in a memorable first Big Ten championship game. The Badgers will be making their second straight trip to the Rose Bowl. The Ducks are in it for the second time in three seasons, with a national championship game trip in between.

Championship Saturday started with an upset.

Case Keenum and No. 7 Houston were pounded 49-28 by Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA championship game, a loss that will cost the Cougars a spot in the BCS and the millions of dollars that goes with it.

The high-scoring Cougars needed to complete their perfect regular season and win the league to become this year's BCS buster, and the first team from C-USA to reach the BCS.

A BCS bid would have netted the league about $7 million dollars.

With Houston out of the picture, it TCU has a shot to go back to the BCS for a third consecutive season.

TCU, which beat lowly UNLV 56-9, would need to move into the top 16 in the final BCS standings on Sunday to earn an automatic bid, because the Big East's conference champion ? West Virginia ? will most likely not jump ahead of the Horned Frogs.

TCU was No. 18 in last week's BCS standings.

The Big East was first to resolve its title race Saturday. When Cincinnati beat Connecticut 35-27, it moved West Virginia into position to earn a BCS bid by winning a three-way tiebreaker between the Mountaineers, Cincinnati and Louisville.

The Mountaineers are likely heading to the Sugar or Orange bowl.

Houston's drop in BCS standings could also affect how the at-large bids shakeout on Saturday.

Stanford seems like a lock for an at-large to the Fiesta Bowl, and speculation was that Michigan would receive an at-large bid to the Sugar. But the idle Wolverines need to move into the top 14 of the final standings. They were 16th coming into the final weekend.

____

AP BCS Projections

BCS championship game ? LSU vs. Alabama

Fiesta Bowl ? Oklahoma State vs. Stanford.

Rose Bowl ? Oregon vs. Wisconsin.

Orange Bowl ? Clemson vs. West Virginia.

Sugar Bowl ? Michigan vs. Kansas State.

____

AP Sports Writers Jeff Latzke in Stillwater, Okla., and Paul Newberry in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-04-FBC-T25-BCS-Rdp/id-f3204a8c6c7040489ae25f7c08abd581

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TVs are hot sellers this holiday season

Target customer Nancy, last name not given, waits with televisions purchased at aTarget Store in Colma, Calif., Friday, Nov. 25, 2011. The American holiday shopping season began in earnest Friday as stores opened their doors at midnight _ a few hours earlier than they normally do on the most anticipated shopping day of the year. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Target customer Nancy, last name not given, waits with televisions purchased at aTarget Store in Colma, Calif., Friday, Nov. 25, 2011. The American holiday shopping season began in earnest Friday as stores opened their doors at midnight _ a few hours earlier than they normally do on the most anticipated shopping day of the year. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

NEW YORK (AP) ? In an unexpected twist, TVs are topping many Christmas shopping lists this year.

Wal-Mart says TVs are among the top gifts people are putting on layaway at its 3,000-plus U.S. stores during the holiday season. The Westinghouse 46-inch LCD HDTV that was on sale for half off at Target for $298 was a top seller during the start to the season last weekend. And Abt Electronics already has sold out of 55-inch Samsung LED TVs that were marked down by half to $1,099.

"You've got people clamoring to spend $1,000 on a large-screen TV," says Jon Abt, owner of Glenview, Ill.-based Abt, where sales of TVs are up 15 percent over a year ago.

Heading into the holiday shopping season, TVs seemed so two Christmases ago. Sales had slowed as consumers tightened their budgets in the weak economy and technologies like 3D failed to spark their interest the way tablet computers and smartphones have. But now shoppers are responding to discounts of up to 50 percent.

Most chains don't break out TV revenue, but overall unit sales are up 15 percent this year through October, according to the latest data available from research firm NPD Group Inc. That compares with a 2 percent rise during the same period in 2010. Meanwhile, prices have dropped 7 percent to an average of $597, compared with $647 last year and $734 in 2009.

Best Buy has slashed a 55-inch Samsung LED TV by $400 to $1,099.99. A Sony 40-inch Internet-enabled LCD HDTV at Target is marked down by $200 to $599. And J&R Electronics in New York has a 42-inch LG LCD HDTV for $30 off the original price at $549.99.

"Great prices on TVs are a proven method of getting people into stores," says Stephen Baker, an NPD analyst.

That TVs are turning out to be a hot item gives retailers some unexpected good news during the holiday shopping season. It's a time when they can make up to 40 percent of their annual revenue.

Retailers long have depended on electronics to build buzz over the holidays. (Think: smartphones last year.) And consumer electronics are expected to account for a third of all purchases over the holidays, according to the Consumer Electronics Association trade group.

But merchants weren't expecting TVs to be hot this season because Americans rushed out to buy flat-screen TVs two years ago. Indeed, tablets like the iPad are expected to be the second most wanted gift this year behind clothes, while TVs didn't even make it in the top five most-desired products this holiday season, according to the electronics trade group.

Dan de Grandpre, editor-in-chief of deal aggregator Dealnews.com, says TV sales are unexpectedly strong because consumers who'd put off buying them before the holidays suddenly are attracted to the deals. According to Dealnews.com, there were 77 major deals on TVs during the Black Friday weekend, and consumer interest in those deals rose 28 percent.

"There's pent-up demand for consumers to upgrade or buy second or third TVs," Dan de Grandpre says.

R.J. Hottovy, a Morningstar analyst, says shoppers mostly are attracted to the big discounts on larger, more expensive 50-inch and 60-inch models. Those TVs are usually not discounted heavily, he says, especially early in the holiday shopping season.

"The 50-inch flat-screen in a $400-to-$500 price range really resonated well with consumers," Hottovoy says. "It's an attainable price point for many consumers, even in a difficult macroeconomic environment."

That's why even though Marc Siciliano didn't need a TV, he decided to buy a 42-inch LG Smart TV on Amazon.com that was marked down to $650 from $1,100. The 23-year-old from Stamford, Conn., says the deep discounts "were the icing on the cake."

Juan Ibanez, 24, an information technology consultant in San Jose, Calif., picked up a 47-inch LED TV from Best Buy that was marked down to $630 from $999. He and his wife wanted a new TV, but hadn't expected to buy one so soon.

"The deals were definitely what made us decide to buy it now," Ibanez says.

_____

Follow AP retail coverage at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Retail and Mae Anderson at http://www.twitter.com/Maetron.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-01-TVs%20Are%20Hot/id-a6e7199da65b41ae8e691fe81bbd8856

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People Are So Outraged At Coca-Cola's Holiday ... - Business Insider

Coca-Cola tried to revive its polar bear mascot with a wintry white can design for Coca-Cola Classic, but just one month after launch, it's abandoning the project and reverting to red, reports Mike Esterl at the Wall Street Journal.

Why? Three reasons:

1. Some consumers are confusing the packaging with Diet Coke's similar silver cans.

2. Others swear that the drink tastes different when in a white can.

3. Coke's most ardent fans find the change in color blasphemous.

Coke frequently features special edition holiday cans, but this was the first time it had ever strayed from its usual red for Coca-Cola Classic. It probably won't ever try it again.

This change wasn't anything near the New Coke debacle back in 1985, yet it evoked the same sort of strong feelings among the brand's fans. They don't approve of change, and to appease them, Coke must taste and look like Coke always has.

And it goes to show that packaging -- especially for such a massively powerful brand like Coke with such fanatical followers -- matters deeply.

NOW SEE: Coke vs. Pepsi - The Amazing Story Behind The Infamous Cola Wars >

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/coca-cola-abandons-white-polar-bear-can-2011-12

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Cable companies to resell Verizon Wireless service (AP)

NEW YORK ? Cable companies Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable Inc. and Bright House Networks are giving up on their dreams of creating their own wireless network, opting instead to resell Verizon Wireless service.

The companies said Friday that they have agreed to sell their wireless licenses ? which they haven't been using ? to Verizon Wireless for $3.6 billion.

The deal "amounts to a partnership between formerly mortal enemies," said analyst Craig Moffett at Sanford Bernstein. The cable companies compete with Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Wireless' parent company, for phone and cable-TV customers. Now, Verizon Wireless stores will be selling cable service.

Cable companies have long had ambitions to open a second front against AT&T Inc. and Verizon by setting up their own wireless networks. In the meantime, some of them have partnered with Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp. to offer wireless service.

Lately, there had been speculation that the cable companies would try for a deeper beachhead in wireless by investing in ailing No. 3 and 4 carriers Sprint or T-Mobile USA. That talk had gained currency as it's become clear that AT&T's deal to buy T-Mobile USA is firmly opposed by regulators.

The link-up with No. 1 carrier Verizon Wireless and the sale of the spectrum appears to preclude a deal between a cable consortium and one of the weaker players in wireless. Instead, the biggest cellphone company will strengthen its hand, if the spectrum sale is approved by regulators.

"Pity poor T-Mobile. Verizon just ran off with the last pretty girl in the bar," Moffett said.

U.S.-listed shares of Deutsche Telekom AG, the parent of T-Mobile USA, were down 53 cents, or 4.2 percent, at $12.25 in midday trading. Sprint shares were down 3 cents, or 1.1 percent, at $2.67.

"It's really hard for a cable company to expect to compete in a highly competitive wireless market," said Time Warner Cable spokesman Alex Dudley. He pointed to Cox Communications, another cable company, which this year shut down its plans to build out a wireless network.

"We got a good price for the spectrum," Dudley said. "An arrangement like this makes a lot of sense."

The cable companies paid $2.2 billion for the spectrum in 2006, so they're getting a 64 percent gain on a five-year investment. The spectrum covers about 85 percent of the country's population, and would have been sufficient to start up an independent wireless network.

Shares of Philadelphia-based Comcast rose 97 cents, or 4.3 percent, to $23.53. New York-based Time Warner Cable shares rose $1.90, or 3.1 percent, to $62.82. Orlando, Fla.-based Bright House Networks is privately held.

Time Warner Cable currently resells access to Clearwire's wireless data network as "4G" service. Dudley said it could continue to provide service to existing subscribers, but the arrangement with Verizon Wireless is exclusive, so it will stop selling to new subscribers.

Neil Smit, the head of Comcast's cable operations, said its Clearwire service, marketed as "Xfinity 2Go," will be shut down within six months. It has about 30,000 customers.

Clearwire shares were unchanged at $2.03.

Comcast, the country's largest cable company, owned the majority of the spectrum holding company, and will get $2.3 billion from the sale. Time Warner Cable, the second-largest cable company, will get $1.1 billion. Bright House, the sixth-largest, will get $189 million.

Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead said the company will combine the spectrum with some of its own unused holdings and launch service using the latest wireless data technology, dubbed LTE for Long-Term Evolution. The acquisition roughly doubles the number of airwaves Verizon Wireless would have available for LTE.

Mead said he expected the deal to close in the middle of next year, but didn't say when the spectrum would be put to use.

Moffett, the analyst, said the Federal Communications Commission would probably rather see the spectrum go to T-Mobile USA. One of the reasons its German parent company wants to sell it to AT&T is that T-Mobile USA doesn't have a lot of room on the airwaves, and can't keep up with Verizon and AT&T when it comes to expanding wireless data capacity.

But Deutsche Telekom is unwilling to plow more money into the U.S., so an outright purchase of the cable-company spectrum has not been in the cards.

The sale to Verizon does solve one problem for the FCC, Moffett said: that the cable spectrum holdings have not been put to use yet.

Under the agreement, the cable companies and Verizon Wireless will market each others' services. Billing will be separate, but the cable companies have the option to start selling Verizon Wireless service under their own brand in four years. Cox had a similar arrangement with Sprint, but gave it up last month, saying it was too small to compete with the big cellphone companies.

Verizon Communications, the New York-based phone company that owns 55 percent of Verizon Wireless, runs its own, competing cable-TV service called FiOS in some areas. In the rest of its local-phone territory, it resells satellite TV service from DirecTV Group Inc. based in El Segundo, Calif.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111202/ap_on_hi_te/us_verizon_wireless_cable

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China cuts bank reserves in policy shift to lift economy (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? China's central bank cut reserve requirements for commercial lenders on Wednesday for the first time in three years, a policy shift to ease credit strains and shore up an economy running at its weakest pace since 2009.

China's policy change came just hours before coordinated action by major central banks, including the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank, to ease credit strains in world markets buffeted by the euro zone debt crisis.

Official concern is rising that the global economy is on a slippery slope as the euro zone struggles to decisively tackle its two-year crisis. Global markets rallied on the combination of central bank news.

China's central bank said on its website it lowered the amount of cash that banks have to set aside by 50 basis points, effective Dec 5. That cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for the biggest banks to 21 percent from a record high 21.5 percent, freeing up funds that could be used for lending.

"This is a big move -- this is easing," said Stephen Green, China economist at Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong. "It's a clear signal that China is on a loosening mode. The next move will be another RRR cut in January."

The cut releases between 350 billion yuan and 400 billion yuan ($54.8 billion to $62.7 billion) into the banking system, analysts estimated.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) joins the central banks of Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand and the euro zone, among others, in easing monetary policy, a reflection of the alarm that the euro zone debt crisis and a sluggish U.S. economy could drag the world back into a recession.

CREDIT CRUNCH

China's unusually high reserve rate requirements have made life difficult for private-sector companies. While they account for 75 percent of urban employment, they find it far harder to secure bank loans than politically well-connected state-owned enterprises.

Worried about a destabilizing jump in unemployment, Beijing is eager to lend them a hand. In recent weeks, China has seen a spate of major strikes in its export powerhouse in the Pearl River Delta.

Ten of 19 analysts in a Reuters poll on Tuesday had predicted China would cut its bank reserves in December by 50 basis points. Eight had expected a move in the first quarter of 2012 and one not until the second quarter.

Purchasing managers' data on Thursday could confirm the pressure on China's manufacturers from the global slowdown after a flash PMI from HSBC last week suggested the sector was shrinking.

As recently as the middle of 2011, China was still tightening monetary policy to combat stubbornly high inflation, which rose in July to a three-year high of 6.5 percent.

However, as the economy felt the chill of a slowdown in global activity and inflation eased, Beijing adopted a policy of "fine tuning" that included loosening credit for cash-starved small firms.

Beyond growth concerns, capital outflows driven by the global market jitters also help explain the central bank's move, said analysts. Capital inflows have been the main source of money supply growth in China.

"I think the move is partially driven by capital outflows in November. Also, it may indicate that the economy has weakened quite bit and that the official PMI reading does not look very good," said Zhiwei Zhang, China economist at Nomura.

There are fewer maturing central bank bills due in December, which also put strains on liquidity conditions for banks.

MORE EASING AHEAD

The cut in the reserve ratio was the first since December 2008 and marks a monetary policy shift to an easing bias.

"The move sends a clear message that the central bank is ready to relax its policy stance," said Shi Chenyu, an economist with the investment banking unit of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

The central bank could have achieved the same loosening on credit quietly, said Mark Williams, chief economist at Capital Economics in Britain.

"The fact that it chose to act in this more public way is a signal not only that policymakers are loosening but that they want to be seen to be doing so. Accordingly, we see this as a decisive shift in policy stance," he said in a note.

Ting Lu of Bank of America/Merrill Lynch expects the central bank to cut reserves requirements three times, by a total of 150 basis points, before the end of next year.

Analysts said the China news would boost riskier assets on hopes that easing policy in China will boost the country's demand.

World stocks jumped 2.6 percent on the combined news from global central banks and China markets are expected to rally when they open for trading on Thursday.

Few analysts expect China to start cutting interest rates anytime soon though.

China's interest rates are already negative when adjusted for inflation. Policymakers worry that cutting them now would only prompt savers to pull money out of the banking system in search of better returns elsewhere, thus crimping bank lending.

China's economic growth has eased for three straight quarters due to tight credit at home and flagging demand overseas. The economy grew 9.1 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, its weakest pace since the second quarter of 2009.

Data since has suggested a further slowdown. The red-hot property market is showing signs of cooling as sales fell in October from a year earlier for the first time in six months.

A flash purchasing managers' index from HSBC on Nov 23 showed that China's manufacturing sector shrank in November, reviving worries of a hard landing for the world's fastest growing major economy.

HSBC releases the final figures on Thursday alongside an official survey that analysts forecast will show that the factory sector stalled in November.

Such data would back a forecast this week from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development forecast that China's growth will slow in 2012 to below 9 percent for the first time in a decade.

(Additional reporting by Lu Jianxin and Shao Xiaoyi; Editing by Neil Fullick and Don Durfee)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111130/bs_nm/us_china_economy_rrr

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