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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

APNewsBreak: Bourdais signs 2-year deal with KVSH

Four-time series champion Sebastien Bourdais has signed on to replace Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, The Associated Press has learned.

Three people familiar with the signing said Wednesday that Bourdais signed a two-year contract with KVSH Racing. They spoke on condition of anonymity because principals Kevin Kalkhoven, Jimmy Vasser and James "Sulli" Sullivan had not announced the signing.

Kanaan won the Indianapolis 500 in May with KVSH, but decided to leave for Chip Ganassi Racing next year. KVSH acted fast in offering the same deal it offered Kanaan to three-race winner James Hinchcliffe, but the team gave Hinchcliffe a short deadline to accept the contract that did not require the driver to bring any sponsorship.

When Hinchcliffe decided KVSH's timeline was too fast, the team moved on to Bourdais, winner of four consecutive Champ Car titles from 2004 through 2007.

The Frenchman has 31 victories, tied with Dario Franchitti and Paul Tracy for eighth on the all-time wins list.

Bourdais left American open-wheel racing for Formula One following his fourth Champ Car title, joining Scuderia Toro Rosso for the 2008 season. He was replaced nine races into the 2009 season.

Bourdais joined Team Peugeot after his release and finished second in the LMP1 class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2009, dabbling in a variety of different series before returning to IndyCar in 2011 for nine races with Dale Coyne Racing.

Bourdais landed a full-time ride in 2012 with Dragon Racing, where he was hampered for the first part of the season with a Lotus engine. After a switch to Chevrolet before the Indianapolis 500, Bourdais had to share his car with teammate Katherine Legge for the remainder of the season. He finished 25th in the final standings with a season-best finish of fourth at Mid-Ohio.

This year has seen a far better showing from Bourdais as Dragon has put forth a more stable effort. Bourdais has three podium finishes, including a runner-up finish to Scott Dixon in Toronto.

Now he joins a team that clearly can compete on ovals — all three of Kanaan's podiums this season are on ovals — but isn't sure what it can do on road and street courses because that's not Kanaan's strength. But because Simona de Silvestro finished second at Houston two weeks ago in KVSH's second car, the team believes Bourdais will give them a well-rounded driver capable of challenging on every circuit.

Of Bourdais' 31 victories, 15 are on road courses and 12 are on street courses. He's also won on three ovals — twice at Las Vegas, and once at Milwaukee.

KVSH has not decided who will drive its second car yet. Its alliance with de Silvestro and her management team was only a one-year deal, and replacing Kanaan was the first priority.

It's not clear if Jay Penske will need a replacement for Bourdais at Dragon because it's not known if Dragon will return to the IndyCar grid next season. He's already announced he'll field entries in the FIA Formula E championship next season, and Penske has not indicated if he'll compete in IndyCar, as well.

Hinchcliffe, meanwhile, seemed close to locking down a deal before Saturday night's season finale at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

Intent on not rushing into a decision and making his next contract the best for his long-term future, Hinchcliffe's decision could be to return to Andretti Autosport. The team appears to have locked down the sponsorship needed to resign Hinchcliffe as current sponsor GoDaddy is likely headed out of IndyCar.

Andretti also could be poised to announce his 2014 manufacturer alliance this weekend, with all signs pointing to a switch to Honda.

The team owner was coy Wednesday on all fronts while announcing ABC Supply Co. as title sponsor of the Milwaukee IndyFest for the next two years.

"We're getting close. We've got a few things to button up. I'm hoping we can make a few announcements this weekend," Andretti said. When asked if Hinchcliffe would be on hand for those announcements, Andretti said: "I hope so. We'll see. We're working on it. We don't have anything done yet, but we're getting close on some things. That's the goal, so we'll see if we reach our goal or not."

Hinchcliffe had also been in preliminary talks with Ganassi on a deal that would have allowed him to compete across all of Ganassi's platforms, including sports cars and possibly even NASCAR's Nationwide Series as a replacement to Kyle Larson in events Larson could not get to once he moves up to the Sprint Cup Series.

But with negotiations finally heating up with Andretti, staying put, especially if a potential move to Honda could pair the Canadian with Honda Canada, could be Hinchcliffe's best bet.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-bourdais-signs-2-deal-kvsh-214255019--spt.html
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Fitbug Orb fitness tracker priced at $50, can go up to six months between charges

The Fitbug Orb seems like a shot across the bow for the Fitbit Flex and Jawbone Up activity trackers. For starters, this latest fitness wearable is priced at $50 -- half as much as the competition. Additionally, Fitbug claims the gizmo can go six months between charges, and compared to our ...

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/bzCdiLHSqzc/
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Cher upstages Blake Shelton on 'The Voice'

Craig Berman
TODAY contributor

13 hours ago

NBC

Cher and Blake Shelton on "The Voice."

On "The Voice's" Team Blake, one person is in charge — and it isn't Blake Shelton.

Guest mentor Cher was running the show when the duo prepped Ray Boudreaux and Monika Leigh for battle Tuesday night.

"Where have you been my whole 'Voice' career?" Blake asked the pop superstar.

"I've been working, OK!" retorted Cher, adding this stinger: "I don't just sit on my a** and punch a little button."

Totally unfair! Blake also has to hoist those three "Voice" trophies every time he illustrates how often he's won. And that thing he does with his fingers, pointing at himself in a way that magically persuades contestants to pick him at the blinds? Let's see Cher do that!

But Cher was more than a quipster. When Monika asked for advice, she told her she was singing "Some Kind of Wonderful" differently every time. And when Ray wasn't feeling confident about hitting some high notes — mumbling that he just hoped he'd be good enough when the time came — she smacked him back to reality.

"You shouldn't have to worry about to worry about 'On that day, can [I] do it?' " Cher advised. "You should be able to know that you can do it." Otherwise translated as "get back to work until you figure it out."

At their last rehearsal, Cher offered an old-school tip: "If you do a bad note … keep going. Do something great that will make them forget that you were just a little bit off. "

She then turned to Blake. "Don't you think that's a good one? Don't you wish you'd thought of it?"

(Actually, he was probably wondering how he landed the only mentor to upstage their coach.)

"Unfair Advantage!"
Oh, yeah, the battle. When they got onstage for real, Ray sang about as well as he could sing. Leigh did fine work herself — and as a three-chair turn, would have seemed to be the favorite. So there was maximum drama when host Carson Daly asked Blake, "Who is the winner of this battle?"

In the silence that followed, a tiny, piercing voice sprang forth from the crowd.

"Ray!"

Ray laughed, saying, "That's my daughter."

"That's not fair," protested coach Adam Levine. "That's an unfair advantage!"

And maybe it was, because Ray did win. But CeeLo stole Monika anyway, so neither went home.

Intense Beginning
Christina Aguilera began the night by pitting Matthew Schuler against Jacob Poole for Fall Out Boy's "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up)." Both were sweating bullets by the end of the song, but Matthew was Christina's pick.

Had Jacob sung earlier in the round, he might have been stolen, but alas. All he got was Blake's regretful "I wish I had a steal -- he's definitely someone I would have saved." And that, Coach Shelton, is why we don't spend all of our steals the first day and have to sit forlornly the rest of the round while everyone else pushes their buttons. Perhaps that'll teach him a lesson.

Kat Robichaud knocked off R. Anthony for Team CeeLo, in a battle that wasn't terribly memorable — but at least Anthony got some screen time.

Pity poor Lupe Carroll, Sam Cerniglia and Justin Blake, who were eliminated in an "also moving on" montage. We may have missed out on the winning performances from Cole Vosbury, E.G. Daily or Ashley DuBose, but at least we'll get to see all three in the Knockout Rounds.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/cher-upstages-blake-shelton-voice-8C11401635
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No Deal On Tuesday Leads To Day 16 Of Shutdown On Wednesday

Audio for this story from Morning Edition will be available at approximately 9:00 a.m. ET.

With the threat of a government default looming, House leaders tried to take the upper hand in the standoff with a bill appealing to their most conservative members. They failed, resulting in chaos in the House and giving the initiative back to the Senate.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/10/16/235158135/no-deal-on-tuesday-leads-to-day-16-of-shutdown-on-wednesday?ft=1&f=1014
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NBCUniversal Reorganizes Ad Sales Division

NBCUniversal is reorganizing its ad sales division around content areas -- entertainment, live programming, lifestyle and digital video -- the company said Tuesday. The new structure also will unite the sales and marketing teams under a client solutions group.

The move comes on the heels of NBCUniversal's first upfront selling season with broadcast, cable and digital properties united under one umbrella that was spearheaded by NBCUni ad sales president Linda Yaccarino, the former Turner ad sales exec tapped by NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke to integrate the company's sales efforts. The new structure is designed to further address the changing needs of media buyers in a multiplatform, on-demand content universe.

Q&A: NBCUniversal Ad Sales Chief Talks TV's 'Measurement Crisis'

“In an effort to maximize the power and potential of our portfolio, now we are putting in place the strategic leaders who will continue to position us for growth and provide opportunities for our customers like no other media company can,” Yaccarino said in a statement. “In a world of growing fragmentation and as scale has become more and more elusive, we’ve clustered our networks to capitalize on the strength of our assets. Also, I’m excited to expand our creative marketing offerings by developing a new center of marketing excellence and innovation for our clients.”

The reorganization means that several executive vps in the ad sales unit will be taking on expanded roles, while they will continue to report to Yaccarino. Dan Lovinger will oversee the ad sales entertainment group with oversight of the combined advertising sales for NBC, USA, Syfy and WWE. Seth Winter will oversee live programming ad sales, which includes news and sports. Laura Molen will oversee the ad sales lifestyle group, leading sales for Bravo, Oxygen, E!, Esquire, Cloo and Chiller. Scott Schiller will expand his role to include digital ad sales with oversight of the NBC News Group’s digital ad sales on an interim basis as well as digital entertainment ad sales. And Alison Tarrant will head up the client solutions group.

Yaccarino and her sales team touted the one-stop-shopping advantage during at NBCUniversal – which includes 17 cable networks and more than 50 digital properties including Fandango and DailyCandy – at the upfront selling bonanza last spring. The bundled approach meant that NBC did not finish writing most of its upfront deals until the end of July; networks typically conclude dealmaking by the July 4 weekend. But the broadcast network secured $2.1 billion in upfront commitments on a little more than 80 percent of its fall inventory, a 20 percent year-over-year increase with CPM (cost per thousand viewers) increases in the 7 to 8 percent range. NBC is the No. 1 network for the first three weeks of the new season among adults 18-49, the demographic most sought by advertisers. That performance is once again due in no small part to the strength of The Voice and Sunday Night Football, while the network's new series have been a mixed bag.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/business/~3/TpCNudirYCY/story01.htm
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Iran presents nuclear proposals at Geneva talks

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, left, walks next to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, right, during a photo opportunity prior to the start of two days of closed-door nuclear talks Tuesday, October 15, 2013, at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland. Iran's overtures to the West are being tested as the U.S. and its partners sit down for the first talks on Tehran's nuclear program since the election of a reformist Iranian president. Negotiations between Iran and the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany began Tuesday morning at the main United Nations building in Geneva. (AP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini, pool)

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, left, talks to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, right, during a photo opportunity prior to the start of two days of closed-door nuclear talks Tuesday, October 15, 2013, at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland. Iran's overtures to the West are being tested as the U.S. and its partners sit down for the first talks on Tehran's nuclear program since the election of a reformist Iranian president. Negotiations between Iran and the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany began Tuesday morning at the main United Nations building in Geneva. (AP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini, pool)

General view prior to the start of the two days of closed-door nuclear talks on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013 at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland. Iran's overtures to the West are being tested as the U.S. and its partners sit down for the first talks on Tehran's nuclear program since the election of a reformist Iranian president. Negotiations between Iran and the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany began Tuesday morning at the main United Nations building in Geneva. (AP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini, pool))

Michael Mann, Spokesperson of High Representative Catherine Ashton, briefs the media after the starting of the two days of closed-door nuclear talks, during a press conference at the CICG in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013. Iran offered what it called a potential ‘’breakthrough’’ Tuesday in long-deadlocked nuclear talks meant to ease fears that it wants atomic arms. (AP Photo/Keystone, Salvatore Di Nolfi)

GENEVA (AP) — With PowerPoint slides and feel-good phrases, Iranian negotiators presented world powers on Tuesday with what they said was a plan to break a decade of deadlock over Tehran's nuclear program, declaring the time had come to end the country's "walk in the dark" of international isolation and crippling sanctions.

Neither Iran nor the six nations negotiating with it revealed details of the proposal. But their guarded comments indicated some progress had been made and a rare private meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the chief U.S. negotiator, Wendy Sherman, suggested a better tone compared to previous encounters.

Speaking in English, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif outlined the proposal, entitled "An End to the Unnecessary Crisis and a Beginning for Fresh Horizons."

A member of one of the delegations meeting with Iran told The Associated Press the plan offered reductions in both the levels of uranium enrichment being conducted by Iran and the number of centrifuges doing the enrichment — a key demand of the six powers. He demanded anonymity because he was not authorized to divulge details.

Iran's state TV, which closely reflects government views, said Tehran offered to discuss uranium enrichment levels. The report also said Iran proposed adopting the additional protocols of the U.N.'s nuclear treaty — effectively opening its nuclear facilities to wider inspection and monitoring — if the West recognizes Iran's right to enrich uranium.

The Iranian presentation was followed in the afternoon by what European Union spokesman Michael Mann said were very detailed technical talks "for the first time." State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki repeated the same phrase, saying that while it wasn't "a breakthrough at this stage ... it certainly is positive that there was enough information to have technical discussions."

"They've come forward with something this morning, but we need to work harder on it to get down to the nitty gritty," Mann told reporters. Both he and Psaki said the talks would continue Wednesday.

Araghchi was also upbeat, describing the afternoon session as "positive and constructive," on the website of Iranian state television. He said the six powers — the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany — asked for details and discussed explanations offered by Iranian negotiators.

Iran's version of success is for painful international sanctions to be lifted in exchange for possible concessions it had been previously unwilling to consider, such as increased monitoring and scaling back of uranium enrichment — a potential path to nuclear arms and the centerpiece of the impasse with the West.

International talks designed to reduce fears that Iran may make such arms have been stalled for most of their 10-year history, with Tehran insisting it has no interest in weapons production, while resisting both enticements and sanctions designed to force it into ending uranium enrichment and other activities that could be used to make weapons.

But negotiations appear now to be driven by the new wind generated since reformist President Hassan Rouhani took office in September.

Senior Iranian officials have expressed readiness to modify their rigid stance since then, and the Geneva talks were seen as the first real test of Tehran's willingness to move from soothing words to concrete and verifiable actions.

At the end of the hour-long PowerPoint presentation, Araghchi described his country's proposal as a potential breakthrough. Alluding to the international pressure over Iran's nuclear program that has driven the country into near-pariah status, he said: "We no longer want to walk in the dark and uncertainty and have doubts about the future."

Iran's uranium enrichment program is at the core of the world powers' concerns. Iran now has more than 10,000 centrifuges churning out enriched uranium, which can be used either to power reactors or to make a nuclear bomb. Iran has long insisted it does not want nuclear arms — a claim the U.S. and its allies have been skeptical about — but has resisted international attempts to verify its aims.

Of the tons of enriched uranium in Iran's stockpile, most is enriched to under 5 percent — a level that needs weeks of further enrichment to turn into weapons-level uranium. But it also has nearly 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of 20 percent-enriched uranium, a form that can be quickly upgraded for weapons use, according to the U.N's atomic agency, which keeps tabs on Iran's nuclear activities. That is close to — but still below — what is needed for one nuclear weapon.

Back pains suffered by Zarif, Iran's foreign minister and chief negotiator, threatened to complicate the talks. However, Mann said the pains did not stop Zarif from having a "cordial" dinner Monday evening with Catherine Ashton, the top EU diplomat convening the talks.

Araghchi said Zarif was "suffering a lot," although he intended to stay in Geneva until the talks ended. He was later seen leaving the service entrance of his upscale hotel in a wheelchair, with security guards wheeling him into a van.

No final deal is expected at the two-day session, but it potentially could be the launching pad for a deal that has proven elusive since negotiations began in 2003, while reducing the specter of armed conflict in the Mideast.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that Iran's new leadership is trying to use the negotiations to trick the world into easing sanctions without making any significant concessions. Netanyahu says a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable and has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran, unilaterally if necessary, if diplomacy fails to curb the nuclear program.

Netanyahu appeared to make a new threat against Iran on Tuesday when, during a memorial service marking the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, he said a lesson of that conflict is that "pre-emptive strikes must not be ruled out."

One immediate change from previous talks was the choice of language. Tuesday's sessions were held in English, unlike previous rounds under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rouhani's hard-line predecessor, when English and Farsi were spoken and translations provided of the exchange.

___

Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-10-15-Iran-Nuclear%20Talks/id-47c864769f834942ab1fff1b4e9d07b1
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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

SoftBank buys Clash of Clans developer Supercell, pushes into mobile gaming

Cellular carriers benefit from mobile gaming -- it drives some customers to buy high-end phones, after all -- but it's rare that networks have a big stake in the category. That changes today, as SoftBank (with help from game developer GungHo) has bought Supercell, best known for producing Clash of Clans. SoftBank will run Supercell as a subsidiary, but it's taking a largely hands-off approach that lets the Finnish company manage its own affairs. As to the reasons behind the $1.5 billion deal? The telecom believes that Supercell shares a similar goal of defining entertainment for "the next hundred years." The software designer, meanwhile, sees a chance for international expansion. Neither party is outlining its near-term plans, but the buyout gives Supercell the kind of monetary clout normally reserved for established game giants.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/15/softbank-buys-supercell/?ncid=rss_truncated
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