You know what’s cooler than a billion dollars in damages from your rival? An additional $707 million, at least that’s what Apple’s thinking. Yesterday, Apple filed a motion not only for the additional damages from Samsung, but also for a permanent U.S. sales ban. More »
If it feels like we’ve heard about Amazon’s intention to punch through the Japanese wall with Kindle before, it’s because we have. However, if a new report on Reuters via The Nikkei is to be believed, it could finally be getting closer. It’s said that the internet retailer had planned to launch its e-reader line in September, but supply chain problems put paid to that. Now we’re told it’ll land in “early October” with Amazon hurriedly securing Japanese content in time for the busy end of year sales period. The Kindle’s still not out of the woods just yet though, as it’s also been suggested that publishers are being asked to change data formats for their content, which is ripe for causing another bottleneck, should they not comply in time. Sadly, given the history of this tale, we’re not expecting Japanese farm owners to be making any irrational bets just yet.
Nikkei: Amazon to launch Kindle in Japan ‘early October’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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BOSTON (Reuters) – Technology company Oracle Corp increased billionaire CEO Larry Ellison’s compensation for last year by 24 percent.
Ellison, one of the most highly paid chief executive officers in the United States, and the world’s sixth-richest man, according to Forbes, received total compensation for the year ended May 31 of $96.2 million, almost all of it in stock options. That compared with 77.6 million in the prior year.
His compensation rose during a period in which the company’s shares fell 23 percent, underperforming the Nasdaq Composite Index, which was little changed during the same period.
Company spokeswoman Deborah Hellinger declined comment on the compensation package, which was disclosed in an annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The board’s executive compensation committee said in that disclosure that its long-standing approach has been to “provide total compensation opportunities that are significantly above the average of our peer group.”
That group includes Apple Inc, Cisco Systems Inc, International Business Machines Corp and Microsoft Corp.
Ellison, 68, has been CEO since he co-founded the company 35 years ago, making him the longest-running chief executive at a major Silicon Valley firm.
(Reporting By Jim Finkle; editing by Carol Bishopric)
WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney seems to be both candidate and campaign CEO these days, and some Republicans say he’s trying to do too much.
He reviews TV ads and polling data on an iPad. He writes many of his speeches. He’s often talking like a consultant.
Read More…
More on We Are The 47 Percent
Elisabetta Canalis may be more known for her love life than her modeling career (the 34-year-old famously dated George Clooney and has been in an on-and-off relationship with the MTV prankster Steve-O — most recently off, in case you were wondering), but she definitely flaunted her modeling abilities on the catwalk during Milan Fashion Week.
The “Dancing With The Stars” alum took to the Miss Bikini Spring/Summer 2013 runway yesterday and proved that she certainly doesn’t need a dramatic relationship to get people talking about her. And since bikinis seem to be her garment of choice, what better way to get on the fashion week radar than by sticking to her style strengths?
But even though Elisabetta can pretty much look amazing no matter what she wears (or doesn’t wear), we have to say that the corset-bikini-sarong-thing she modeled is definitely an interesting look. But, hey, we’ve definitely seen more cringe-worthy swimsuits…
CHICAGO, Sept 21 (Reuters) – An Illinois appellate court Friday affirmed a lower court finding that the state cannot force pharmacies and pharmacists to sell emergency contraceptives – also known as “morning after pills” – if they have religious objections.
In 2005, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich mandated that all pharmacists and pharmacies sell “Plan B,” the brand name for a drug designed to prevent pregnancy following unprotected sex or a known or suspected contraceptive failure if taken within 72 hours.
Some anti-abortion advocates object to the drugs, which work by preventing the release of an egg, preventing fertilization or stopping a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.
In 2011, an Illinois judge entered an injunction against the rule, finding no evidence that the drugs had ever been denied on religious grounds, and that the law was not neutral since it was designed to target religious objectors.
The Illinois appellate court agreed that the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act protects pharmacists’ decision not to dispense the contraceptives due to their beliefs.
“This decision is a great victory for religious freedom,” said Mark Rienzi, senior counsel for the Becket Fund, quoted in a statement about the decision.
Earlier this year, a federal court in Washington struck down a similar state rule, according to the Becket Fund, a non-profit law firm.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which had filed an amicus brief on behalf of the state, expressed dismay at the court’s decision.
“We are dismayed that the court expressly refused to consider the interests of women who are seeking lawful prescription medication and essentially held that the religious practice of individuals trumps women’s health care,” said ACLU spokesman Ed Yohnka. “We think the court could not be more wrong.”
A spokesperson for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn was not immediately available for comment. (Reporting By Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Tim Gaynor)
American author Ursula K. Le Guin once famously said: “What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?” We tip our hats to Madam Le Guin and bring to you some of the most insanely fascinating photos from around the world.
This week in pictures: Topless activists in Ukraine, cheerful Hindus in Nepal, crazy horse dancers in Britain, and the most adorable kiss you’ve ever seen.
Check them out below.
Nestlé wants to be like Willy Wonka, but instead of a Golden Ticket, they are using GPS technology. Certain candies like Kit Kats will have GPS in the packaging so that when you open them, the GPS is activated and they can track you down.
Soon after you open a winning candy wrapper, some PR people (presumably not dressed as an armed SWAT team) will come to your door and let you know that you have won a pile of cash. But despite the prize, this whole campaign seems really creepy.
The video is amusing yes, but what about those poor folks who don’t know about the promotion, suddenly getting harassed by PR guys? Some of us value our privacy. At the moment, this campaign is only running in the UK right now. What do you guys think? The money is cool, but some folks will find the idea of being tracked down by their candy bar to be unnerving.
[via Neatorama]
In 2010, fire departments across the US responded to a total of 384,000 home fires. These fires caused $7.5 billion damage each year, killed 2,640 people, and injured another 13,350—that’s a death every 169 minutes and an injury every half hour. Here’s how to prevent your family from becoming part of that statistic. More »
By Dan Levine
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 21 (Reuters) – A U.S. judge rejected Wal-Mart Stores Inc’s request to dismiss a gender discrimination case filed in California, but said he would rule later about whether the women plaintiffs had enough evidence to be certified as a class.
The ruling on Friday came from U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco federal court.
Plaintiffs alleging the world’s largest retailer denied them pay raises and promotions because of their gender are regrouping after the U.S. Supreme Court last year dismantled a class of up to 1.5 million current and former Walmart workers.
The Walmart workers filed a reformulated lawsuit, saying they were confining their allegations to California. The new case could include several hundred thousand potential class members.
Walmart argued in part that the long history of the case, with over 10 years of litigation, warranted dismissal of the reformulated lawsuit.
But in his order on Friday, Breyer said he was not prepared to deny the plaintiffs an opportunity to present evidence.
Walmart attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. said the company has a strong policy against discrimination, and that the claims are unsuitable for a class action.
“The purported statewide class the plaintiffs allege is no more appropriate today than the nationwide class the Supreme Court has already rejected,” Boutrous said.
But Brad Seligman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the ruling vindicates a legal strategy of filing the reformulated lawsuit in the wake of the Supreme Court’s opinion. A similar lawsuit was also filed against Walmart in Texas, and Seligman said there will soon be others.
“The Supreme Court’s opinion rejected a case, it didn’t reject every case,” Seligman said.
The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Betty Dukes, Patricia Surgeson, Edith Arana, Deborah Gunter and Christine Kwapnoski, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc, 01-2252.
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