Choosing a Laptop Tips

Here are the tips so that you are not wrong, a laptop that used to be is to play games, and safe, without forcing you to choose a savings account break.

First Not with the big VGA Memory Stick
Most users with the amount of VGA memory stick. This type of thing for a gap to tempt unscrupulous seller consumers buy their products under the guise of a large memory. While the principal of a VGA is the chipset.

Remember, when series graphics card chipsets in laptop graphics chipset is a mobile version that can not be compared with a dedicated graphics chipset for desktop computers. As if on a laptop with Nvidia 560M graphics card then the performance is not as powerful as the desktop version of the GTX 560, although the same type of chip.

This difference is affected due to heat and power consumption are more stringent for laptops. Also, make sure you do not choose a laptop with VGA onboard (like the Intel GMA), if you want to use it for games. This is because the onboard VGA is not able to run games smoothly.

Second Select offers a laptop, a simple upgrade components
Some laptops offer a choice for some components (like RAM, VGA and hard disks) can be upgraded. Make it look much as possible for the series, the support for these needs.

If you have more money, you can replace components without the need to buy a new laptop. So, do not forget, the seller, whether the replacement of certain components on the notebook easily or can not ask to be done.

Third Note the size and resolution
Screen size and resolution are often closely linked, and this is very important for a game. Be the screen with higher resolution, greater demands on a game a good graphics chip.

So if your laptop is equipped with a graphics chip mediocre, then the screen resolution is too high will cause the game runs at a minimum setting and a bit slow.
The screen size itself is also important because the game is too small on a screen this size, of course, interfere with the fun game play itself is. We recommend that at least you opt for a laptop with a screen measuring 14 inches or 15 inches if you took a frequent traveler it, or with a screen size 17 inches if you want to use it as a desktop replacement and you do not often wear it.

4th Verify connectivity as needed
In order to play games comfortably, you will not be able to rely on the touchpad. You need a keyboard and mouse gaming quality.
Make sure your laptop enough USB ports for mouse, keyboard, gamepad / joystick and a laptop is cooler, because when heavy applications such as gaming laptop run faster heat.

Also think about whether your laptop has HDMI or at least a VGA port so you can at any time a laptop to a TV or monitor with a larger screen.

5th The highest specification, not necessarily the best
Do not stick with the highest series laptop that you buy. It is better to have a laptop that is lower than the 1-2 series top series is to be selected because their performance should not be too far away, but with the price difference is quite a lot.
Five tips that were mentioned above is a technical guide in the search for a cheap laptop for games. Not a few other factors to alter the decision, when arriving at the store, where you can buy. Shopping as a specific promotion or discount specials before the holiday.

1000 cc Yamaha Motor Tryouts Postponed

Assen - Yamaha decided to postpone planned trials of 1000 cc motorcycle that will be used next season. Japanese manufacturers were just going to do a test in mid-August.

Previous Yamaha scheduled to do his first test with a 1000 cc bike at Mugello. MotoGP test will indeed be done at the circuit before the convening next week's Italian GP.

But with a reason to further enhance the development of the now ongoing Yamaha decided to do the rescheduling. Itself a new trial will be conducted after the Czech Republic MotoGP title.

"Yamaha Factory Racing made the decision to reschedule a test plan for 1000 cc motorcycle in 2012 in Mugello," the official statement Yamaha.

"To give more time developing motor decision was made to postpone the test until a specified date. His new plan is to conduct trials ptototype 2012 1000 cc motorcycle by Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies after the MotoGP at Brno Circuit Czech Republic," continued the statement in Austosport .

Honda and Ducati had already tested the motor 1000 cc them. Ducati even using the chassis of the bike in the race at Assen this weekend with Valentino Rossi put on the mounts.

LG Optimus Pad

The LG Optimus Pad is an Android tablet capable of shooting 3D video and stills. Does this feature justify its high price? Find out in our full hands-on review.

While its 3D capability may be the feature that has caused the LG Optimus Pad to steal headlines, there are other things about it that grab the attention. The first is its price. At just shy of £700 inc VAT this is not a tablet for the faint hearted. And, with it 8.9 inch screen, it sits a little outside the norm in size terms.

Today’s tablets either have relatively small 7-inch screens or head out towards ten inches. Does 8.9 inches represent a good compromise?

Actually, we don’t think so. The larger screens are ideal for browsing the web and watching video, while smaller screened tablets are easier to carry and feel in many ways like giant smartphones rather than small tablets. The LG Optimus Pad is neither of these, and it feels like a compromise in everyday use.

The screen size does not go along with a relatively lightweight design, either. At 621g we noticed the weight in our hands after just a short time and would not want to hold the LG Optimus Pad for long periods one-handed. That noted, the build quality is very good with a tough plastic backplate that should take a fair few knocks.

The screen delivers 1280 x 768 pixels and it is of course capacitive. It has a wide aspect which makes some activities, such as browsing the web, rather unrewarding. In widescreen format there just isn’t enough depth to see a lot of web page content at once, and in tall mode you often have to scroll horizontally to read text.

We found the screen very slightly laggy in response to our fingers, and this despite the presence of an nVidia Tegra2 dual core 1GHz processor.

Obama kicks off battle versus Romney with big money lead

Mitt Romney had his best fundraising month yet in March, but the presumed Republican nominee remained far behind Democratic President Barack Obama in the money game, filings with the Federal Election Commission showed on Friday.

Romney reported raising nearly $12.7 million last month, with some $10.1 million left in the bank as he sought to wrap up the nomination and focus on raising money for the costly fight to unseat Obama in the November 6 election.

The deep-pocketed "Super" political action committee, or PAC, that supports Romney, Restore Our Future, brought in $8.7 million in March, with three-quarters of it remaining on hand.

Democratic PACs have struggled to match the prowess of Restore Our Future, but Obama's campaign - spared the strenuous nominating process - raised $34.8 million in March and had $104 million left in the bank at the end of the month.

Republicans and Democrats are waging a war to raise as much money as possible to fund crucial television and radio airtime and get-out-the-vote efforts, projected to total $1 billion on each side of the aisle.

Romney's March haul came at a time when the former Massachusetts governor was still facing stiff competition from his last big conservative challenger, Rick Santorum, who has now dropped out of the race.

The pro-Obama group Priorities USA - a Super PAC that can raise and spend unlimited funds but cannot coordinate with the campaign - reported raising $2.5 million in March. It spent only a fraction of it, $318,254, and had $5 million left on hand.

While Romney just started fundraising jointly with the Republican National Committee this month, Obama has been taking full advantage of that option with his party organization, the Democratic National Committee since last year.

The joint fund greatly increases how much a donor can give to help a candidate, thanks to larger contributions allowed for party organizations in addition to the campaign.

Obama's two joint funds shared with the DNC had about $6.5 million in cash on hand and sent $7.5 million to the Obama campaign and $10.5 million to the DNC.

Both the RNC and the DNC plan to spend nearly everything they raise to help their candidates.

The RNC in March also had its best month, raising $13.7 million and reporting $32.7 million in cash on hand, according to the FEC filings. The DNC reported receiving a total of $17.9 million in March, with $24.4 million in the bank.

ROMNEY'S SUPER PAC ALLIES

But donations to outside Democratic groups have lagged those given to Republicans, a source of concern for Democrats.

Campaigns can take only $2,500 from each donor, once for the primary process and again for the general election. Super PACs can take unlimited donations as long as they do not coordinate with the campaigns, and these have largely taken over the dirty task of negative advertising.

The pro-Obama Super PAC, Priorities USA Action, has struggled to catch up to the pro-Romney PAC Restore Our Future.

Restore Our Future on Friday reported raising $8.7 million in March, spent $12.7 million on knocking Santorum out of the race but still emerged with $6.5 million on hand.

The group's biggest donors last month included Texas billionaire banker Harold Simmons, who gave another $600,000 for a total of $800,000; hedge fund manager Kenneth Griffin of Citadel LLC, who gave $850,000 for a total of $1.1 million; and Huron Carbon LLC, which gave $1 million and shares an address in Florida with Oxbow Carbon, run by Bill Koch and itself a big donor to the Super PAC.

Other big donors included Charles Schwab Corp founder Charles Schwab and his wife, Helen, Cisco Systems Inc Chairman and Chief Executive John Chambers, New Balance Athletics Chairman James Davis, Marriott International Inc CEO J.W. Marriott Jr. and his brother Richard Marriott, chairman of Host Hotels and Resorts Inc.

Priorities received $1 million from Amy Goldman, heir to the fortune of New York real estate mogul Sol Goldman, and a second installment of $500,000 from Kareem Ahmed, CEO of California medical billing and collecting firm Landmark Medical Management.

The PAC also received $250,000 from Anne Earhart, granddaughter of oil baron J. Paul Getty. Earhart is also the top donor to another Democratic Super PAC, opposition research-focused American Bridge.

Other big donors included U.S. standup comedian and talk show host Chelsea Handler and longtime Democratic donor New York investor Bernard Schwartz, both of whom gave $100,000.

MORE SUPER PAC HELP

Helping Romney bridge the gap between his money power and Obama's is American Crossroads, perhaps the most formidable Republican Super PAC, which was co-founded by Karl Rove, former top aide and election strategist for President George W. Bush.

American Crossroads and its non-profit sister group Crossroads GPS have made plans to spend up to $300 million on this election cycle and by the end of March were two-thirds of the way to raising that sum, having hauled in $99.8 million over 2011 and the first quarter of 2012.

American Crossroads reported $24.4 million left in cash on hand, but raised only $1.2 million in March. Citadel investor Griffin was its top donor with his $700,000 contribution.

The non-profit Crossroads GPS is not legally required to report its fundraising or donors to the FEC.

The groups have been running ads slamming Obama, his policies and his party's congressional candidates. The $300 million plan covers the efforts launched last year into the rest of the cycle, with two-thirds focusing on the presidential race and the rest on Senate and House of Representatives races.

One of Romney's two rivals left in the Republican race is Texas Representative Ron Paul. His campaign's FEC filing on Friday showed he raised $2.6 million and had $1.8 million left in cash on hand at the end of March.

The second rival, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, was heavily in debt, running up a $4.3 million tab. He raised $1.7 million and spent about $2 million in March.

The Super PAC backing Gingrich, Winning Our Future, has been heavily reliant on Las Vegas casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson and his family. In March, despite Gingrich's campaign fading far into Romney's shadow, Adelson's wife, Miriam, gave another $5 million, bringing the total Adelson clan contribution to the Super PAC to $21.5 million.

Santorum, who ended his campaign on April 10, also had nearly $2 million in debt and has continued to try to raise money to pay for it. He raised almost $5 million in March and spent $5.8 million.

The Super PAC backing his candidacy ended the month with less than $270,000 on hand, having spent almost all of the $8.3 million it had raised over the campaign cycle. Foster Friess, Wyoming millionaire investor and Santorum's friend, gave another $500,000 to the PAC in March for a total of $2.1 million.

Xolo X900: World's first Intel smartphone

Intel and Lava have joined hands to come up with Xolo X900 - world's first smartphone to be powered by Intel's Atom processors. The handset will be released in India on April 23rd. "The first smartphone with Intel inside is now available to Indian consumers. The boundaries of personal computing are expanding. As we enter the India market with our first smartphone from Lava, the device not only showcases the rich capabilities and user benefits of Intel computing, but also highlights the exciting possibilities of what's still to come," Mike Bell, Intel corporate vice president, was quoted as saying by Slashgear.

Priced at Rs. 22,000, Xolo X900, has been designed to provide up to 5 hours of 3G browsing and 45 hours of audio. It also supports HDMI®, NFC and HD video playback.

"The XOLO X900 is powered by a super-fast 1.6 Ghz processor and comes equipped with a 4.03-inch high-resolution LCD touchscreen for crisp text and vibrant images. The smartphone delivers a fast application, web browsing and multitasking experience, and also features two cameras for advanced imaging and video capabilities, including burst mode that allows individuals to capture 10 pictures in undera second with 8-megapixel quality," says the phone's official website.

Strong quake hits eastern Indonesia

(Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday off Irian Jaya, the United States Geological Survey said.

The USGS said the quake was recorded offshore, 74 miles south-southeast of the town of Manokwari, at a depth of 20.5 miles. It initially estimated the magnitude of the tremor at 7.0.

Plane Crash in Pakistan

Civilian aircraft crashes in bad weather near Islamabad international airport: Pakistani television channels.

Over 120 passengers were on board

The plane had flown from Karachi, and was due to land in Islamabad at 6:40pm local time.
Rescue teams were en route to the crash site, located near the Pakistan Air Force base Chaklala.

New James Bond director admits 'doubts' about Daniel Craig

LONDON –  The director of the new James Bond movie said he initially had doubts about Daniel Craig being cast in the role of the legendary British spy.

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes admitted his concern at the media launch of the 23rd Bond movie, "Skyfall."

Speaking at Pinewood Studios, he said, "I was one of the people who said I didn't think he was the right casting. At the time, I was asked in an interview and I said, 'I'm not sure, I would advise him not to do it'."

Mendes, who directed Craig alongside Jude Law in 2002 movie "Road To Perdition," admitted he was wrong.

"I watched him go through that intense pressure and come through that with flying colors," Mendes said. "I bumped into him after 'Casino Royale' and I was so excited to see him as Bond. It was great to watch him come through that and prove the doubters wrong."

Craig said that working with Mendes for the second time -- and the first on a Bond film -- had helped him deal with the pressures of the role.

"I have got an awful lot to worry about when making a movie like this -- it's another level making a Bond movie," Craig said.

He added, "Sam has allowed me to forget about that and concentrate on the job. I have been able to remember why I love this job."

Teen drug use leads to depression, major study finds

Teenagers who take the party drugs ecstasy and amphetamine are "significantly" more likely to suffer from depression, Canadian researchers said.

A five-year study conducted by scientists from the University of Montreal found that 15 to 16-year-olds who took MDMA (ecstasy) or speed (amphetamine) had a 70 percent greater risk of suffering from depression a year later.

The team questioned almost 3,900 10th grade students in Quebec and found that participants who had tried both drugs doubled their risk of suffering symptoms of depression.

Co-author Frederic N. Briere said, "Our results provide the first compelling evidence that recreational ecstasy and speed use places typically developing secondary school students at greater risk of experiencing depressive symptoms."

The team said that the contribution of this type of drug use to depression was "relatively modest," but warned, "modest contributions can have significant clinical implications from a population health perspective."

The study, which was published Wednesday in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, took into account influencing factors such as the teenagers' psychological state and home life, the authors said.

NY Auto Show: Cleaner, high MPG cars have staying power

The 2012 New York International Auto Show featured some exciting new car reveals and awards, including "World Green Car of the Year." A key message in New York was that plugs are not going away, but the introduction of new clean diesel models and overall increased fuel efficiency from traditional engines gives a glimpse of the variety in high-efficiency, low carbon emissions vehicles to hit the market in the coming years.

Plug-in Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility

In a conversation with Rich Steinberg, BMW North America's Manager of Electric Vehicle Operations and Strategy, he pointed to the ActiveE and i-Brand of electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars as evidence that "plugs are here to stay." At the show, BMW once again highlighted their commitment to electric mobility by showing off the i3 and i8 concepts, as well as touting their i Ventures group, located here in New York City, and tasked with finding, investing in, and incubating breakthrough technologies in future mobility.

Nissan's luxury brand, Infiniti, revealed the LE Concept (pictured at left), touted, "a new take on sustainability." Announced by CEO Carlos Ghosn, this is a premium electric vehicle with a 100 mile range and standard wireless charging technology. The LE Concept builds on Nissan's experience with the LEAF and showcases the drivetrain technology in a luxury automobile.

Fisker had a booth at the auto show as well and revealed the Atlantic (below at right) the evening before the show opened, where Fisker's newest addition to their vehicle lineup made its first public appearance alongside the production Karma.

Clean Diesels Come to the City that Never Sleeps

The 2012 "World Green Car of the Year" was awarded to the Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY. The Benz features a turbo-charged, 4-cylinder diesel engine that achieves 41 mpg. It beat the Ford Focus Electric and Peugeot 3008 Hybrid for the honors.

Continuing on the clean diesel theme, Porsche introduced the Cayenne Diesel (below at left) to the U.S. market. Porsche believes the U.S. market is well-positioned to receive the luxury SUV, playing on America's preference for capable SUVs, but adding 28 mpg and light weight design to the equation. Also, with 406 lb-ft of torque, buyers can most likely tow their GT3 to the racetrack without breaking a sweat.

High Efficiency Keeping Up With EV Technology

A number of automakers showed off traditional, internal-combustion engines in their new car models, highlighted by increases in fuel efficiency brought on by technological advances like stop-start and high-strength, lightweight steel.

Dodge Dart's price is right, analysts say, but what about reliability?

The 2013 Dodge Dart compact is priced to compete, but much of the car's success depends on its reliability, automotive analysts say.

 

The Dart, Chrysler Group's first compact sedan since the company stopped making the Neon in 2005, ranges in price from $16,790 to $23,290, including a $795 delivery fee, and will be available in five trim levels: SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited and R/T.

The automaker hopes the price and fresh styling will attract Generation Y consumers -- those between ages 19 and 31 -- when the Dart hits showrooms in June.

The Dart is an important product for Chrysler in the fast-growing compact car market, says Rebecca Lindland, senior analyst with research firm IHS Automotive in suburban Detroit.

"I think the pricing appears to be very competitive," she said. "It's not better than, but it's right in line with the pricing of key competitors such as the Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, Honda Civic and the Hyundai Elantra."

Chrysler must emphasize the Dart's price, fuel economy, utility and reliability, Lindland said.

"Reliability is the real unknown here because it's an all-new product for Chrysler," she said. "But from what we've seen at the Detroit auto show and the info that's been released, I think Chrysler has a competitive product on their hands."

Production of the Dart begins this quarter at Chrysler Group's Belvidere, Ill., assembly plant. The base engine is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that generates 160 hp and is combined with a six-speed manual transmission or an available six-speed automatic.

Alexander Edwards, an analyst with California research firm Strategic Vision, says the Dart's styling is stronger than others in the compact market but comes from a brand that has struggled with vehicle reliability and consumer trust.

"The Dodge brand has always had some positive imagery with fun and excitement," he said. "The exterior and interior cues of the Dart will help reassure some of the buyers that may be unsure of the Dodge brand name. It's something younger buyers will be taking a look at."

Edwards said the Dart will do well in a market where the average new compact car sells for about $19,000. About 30 percent of new small-car sales are vehicles priced under $18,000, he said.

Through March, the Honda Civic is the top-selling compact with 77,169 U.S. sales. The Civic has a base price of $16,545, including a $790 delivery fee. The Toyota Corolla is second with 68,428 U.S. sales. It has a base price of $16,890, including a $760 delivery fee.

"The Dodge Dart is likely to be priced appropriately and I think Chrysler is going to find success in the market with this product," Edwards said. "It will help the brand overall."

Chrysler dealers agree.

John Schenden, president of Pro Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram in Denver, says the Dart's pricing is where it needs to be and he believes the Dart will be a high volume vehicle, with the SXT, Rallye and Limited editions among the best sellers.

Bruce Glascock, vice president of Spring Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram in Houston, says the vehicle is priced right and he plans to stock a lot of them.

"We haven't had a niche car since the Neon," he said. "It's replacing a car that has not sold very well and I think Dodge finally introducing a quality compact car will really drive sales."

Ultrasound beam can destroy prostate cancer without side effects, study finds

A high-powered ultrasound beam can destroy prostate cancer without causing the serious side effects that plague other treatments, a London study found.

Trials in London and Basingstoke, southeastern England, found it was possible to obliterate tumor cells without damaging delicate surrounding tissues.

Conventional surgery or radiotherapy for prostate cancer leaves half of men impotent and a fifth incontinent. The side effects are so common that many men with slow-growing tumors are advised not to have treatment.

Doctors used an experimental procedure High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) to destroy tumors during the trial.

None of the 41 men treated had incontinence and only 10 percent had impotence, the Lancet Oncology journal reported.

Dr. Hashim Ahmed, of University College London Hospital, said, "We're optimistic that men diagnosed with prostate cancer may soon be able to undergo a day-case surgical procedure, which can be safely repeated once or twice, to treat their condition with very few side effects. That could mean a significant improvement in their quality of life."

The doctors used high-resolution MRI scans of the men's prostates to map the precise location of the tumors. They then used HIFU machines to focus ultrasound waves onto an area the size of a grain of rice.

This heats the cells, killing them without affecting nearby tissues.

For president, two pragmatic problem-solvers

This presidential election tells us something unexpected about American politics. For all the talk about polarization and discord in Washington, it appears that both parties will have pragmatic problem-solvers at the top of their tickets.

Democrats have accepted four more years with a pragmatist. President Barack Obama has consistently been willing to anger members of his own party by reaching out to Republicans and often embracing their issues, such as deficit reduction. Rather than a fighting for an ideological agenda, he has instead focused on one problem at a time and accepted the constraints that he faces.

Republicans are settling on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has spent much of his career avoiding ideological purity. By all accounts, one of his virtues as a leader has been his eagerness to delve into difficult problems and his willingness to experiment when trying to find solutions.

As everyone knows, he has shifted his positions on matters such as stem cell research and as governor he was willing to put forward an ambitious health care plan that expanded government by using a conservative idea, the individual mandate.

Some pundits will read the decision to support these candidates as continued evidence of party loyalty. In the case of Obama, there were no Democrats who decided that they would challenge him in the primary because they wanted to avoid the kind of turmoil that occurred when Sen. Ted Kennedy ran against President Jimmy Carter from the left in 1980.

In the case of Romney, the Republican hatred of Obama is so great that the party is willing to compromise on a candidate whose politics are hard to pin down but who stands a better chance of winning in November.

Yet another way to read these decisions is that, at some level, voters are genuinely angry about the polarized status quo in Washington. They are willing to support pragmatic problem-solvers because, at some level, they find it appealing to elect politicians who could overcome the deeply dysfunctional government we have.

There is some evidence to support this claim. In "Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America," Morris Fiorina argued that polarization was much stronger among political elites that it was in the broader electorate. His examination of poll data revealed that on many controversial issues such as abortion or gay rights, most Americans tended to be in the middle of the political landscape.

Second, the approval ratings of Congress also suggest that citizens are unhappy with polarization. Approval ratings for Congress are at about 12.5%, a historic low. When such a large number of Americans indicate that they don't approve of the institution, they are registering their complaints about the gridlock in Congress. Even though most Americans continue to vote for incumbents in their districts, they don't like the institution as a whole.

Finally, for all the talk about polarization, when it comes to electing presidents, voters have tended to go for the people who promise to reach out across the aisle. In 2008, Obama ran as the candidate who appealed to both sides of the political spectrum and who contrasted himself with the fierce partisanship of the Republican side.

In 2000, George W. Bush ran as the compassionate conservative who was willing to use government on behalf of some causes, and in 2004 he avoided some of the more divisive issues by emphasizing national security as his unifying issue.

In 1992, voters went for Bill Clinton, a proud pragmatist who wanted to move beyond the orthodoxies of the 1960s. Clinton was part of the Democratic Leadership Council, a group that sought to move his party toward the center. Clinton doubled down on this theme in 1996 as he leaned to the right following the Republican takeover of Congress, and he defeated Sen. Robert Dole by landslide.

The emerging contest between Romney and Obama thus provides more evidence that there is still room to move beyond Washington's bitter partisan stalemates.

When politicians yell and fight, they capture the attention of the television cameras but the public is not always with them. As this upcoming contest reveals, there is still a yearning in the electorate for a different kind of politics in Washington.

Strong earthquake strikes Chile; no serious damage reported

A strong earthquake struck coastal Chile near the port city of Valparaiso late Monday, causing mudslides and some minor damage, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The 6.7-magnitude quake knocked out some power and phone lines in the region, authorities said.

The temblor was felt in the capital city, Santiago, located 69 miles from the epicenter. A CNN en Español anchor held onto his desk as the quake rattled the studio during a newscast in Huechurba, a suburb of the capital.

"We could feel the ground shaking," said journalist Richard Madan. "It felt like we were standing on a subway track but multiply that by about 200."

Madan, of CNN's Canadian affiliate CTV, is in Santiago as part of the traveling press for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's visit there.

Both he and the Canadian delegation were okay, Madan said.

No tsunami warning was issued, according to Chile's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service, and a preventive evacuation for the area has been lifted. A 72-year-old man died of a heart attack during the evacuation, according to regional Mayor Raul Celis.

The same part of the country was hit with an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in February 2010, killing hundreds of people.

Chile is on the so-called "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines circling the Pacific Basic that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Strong 6.9-magnitude quake strikes off Mexico

WASHINGTON — A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Mexico's Pacific coast early Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The earthquake hit around 12:15 am (0715 GMT) in the Gulf of California, 133 kilometers (82 miles) northeast of the town of Guerrero Negro in the Mexican state of Baja California, according to the USGS.

It occurred at a depth of 10.3 kilometers (6.4 miles).

The earthquake came hours after a 6.5-magnitude quake shook western Mexico, sending people rushing out into the streets as far away as Mexico City but apparently causing no casualties or major damage.

There has been a series of recent tremors in the region.

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck southwest Mexico on March 20, killing two people, injuring 13 others and damaging thousands of homes.

That earthquake -- with its epicenter south of the Pacific resort of Acapulco -- was the most powerful to hit the country since one in 1985, which destroyed entire neighborhoods of the capital and killed thousands.

Residents of Mexico's crowded capital -- home to more than 20 million people -- are all too familiar with seismic activity and have grown used to evacuation drills.

The city government recently introduced an earthquake warning app for BlackBerry cell phones and plans to install public speakers to broadcast alarms.

iPhone + Cute Puppy = i-Puppy

Some people love their iPhones. Some people love their puppies. Bandai Co., Ltd., which specializes in character-related products from toys to costumes to various Pokemon snacks and gadgets, has figured out a way to blend the two, with its new “Smart Pet”– a kind of i-Puppy.

iPhone + Cute Puppy = i-Puppy

It starts with the robotic body of a dog not quite seven inches tall. Owners download a Smart Pet app onto to their iPhone or iPod touch. Then they nestle it between the floppy ears of the robot, and the iPhone becomes the dog’s face and brain.

The machine then transforms into an animated robotic dog, which will recognize its “owner,” can be “fed,” do more than one hundred tricks, and for all intents and purposes be a man’s best friend–without the necessary daily walks, vet visits, dog chow, and pooper scoopers that a flesh dog would require. (It’s reminiscent of Sony Corp.’s much-beloved Aibo, and has similarities to Bandai’s turn-of-the century digital pet, Tamagotchi.

And the mechanical Sparky can do all sorts of things real dogs can’t. It can help charge the iPhone, serve as an alarm clock, and, should a call happen to come in while the owner is playing with the pet, turn into a hands-free phone set. In another less-normal canine feature, the Smart Pet’s face is removable, so users can take it outside without the body, legs, and tail of the dog. In addition, owners with two Smart Pets—they run in white and black-can use the communication function to synchronize the two dogs as they dance and sing.

The battery-charged Smart Pet is designed so that the robotic dog “learns” more tricks, games, and facial expressions as its owner continues to use it, “playing” chores like feeding the pooch, simulating the relationship between a real dog an its owner. Smart Pets also have a mic and camera installed inside that enable them to do various tricks at the owners’ beck and call.

Smart Pets will run from Y7,800 yen starting April 28. Bandai expects its “completely innovative and new” not-so-furry friend to “not once bore its owners throughout the day,” according to its promotional video. As of now, the Smart Pet will only be available in Japan.

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