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16 Jul 2010 19:19

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Offbeat: Indonesian Muslims: You’re praying in the wrong direction

  • It has been decided that actually the mosques are facing Somalia or Kenya, so we are now suggesting people shift the direction slightly to the north-west. There’s no need to knock down mosques, just shift your direction slightly during prayer.
  • Indonesian Ulema Council head Cholil Ridwan • Informing Muslims in the country that they’ve been praying in the wrong direction. Because that’s not alarming or anything. The group, also known as the MUI, says that people’s prayers have not been wasted, and that Allah still heard them. It’s not often that iPhone users have something in common with Muslims, but both have apparently been doing it the wrong way. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jul 2010 17:56

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U.S.: Whoa. A statistics nerd stopped Anthem’s 39% health care increase

And he did it from a hospital bed. David Axene spent 66 hours digging through numbers on a spreadsheet the week after major surgery. It was worth it. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jul 2010 17:01

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Tech: WTF? Apple has these weird rooms for testing antenna signals

  • Out of the many frank things that came out of Apple’s rage-filled press conference today was the existence of these rooms where they test the signals of their cell phones. They look like the dream chambers of a science fiction author, not a real-world cell phone testing place. We wonder if this place is available for parties or weddings or that sort of thing. It would be one of the most awesome spaces ever for something like that. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jul 2010 13:51

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Tech: Steve Jobs on iPhone 4’s antenna issues: Rawr! ME ANGRY

  • It’s been blown out of proportion. I know it’s fun to have a story, but it’s less fun when you’re on the other side.
  • Steve Jobs • Discussing the whole “Antennagate” issue, which he emphasized was common to other phones besides the iPhone 4. That said, dude’s offering free cases (not just “bumper” cases, because they can’t make them fast enough) – and refunds for people who bought bumper cases – through September 30th. (Which they’ll reexamine when the time comes.) And if that’s not enough for people, they can get refunds, including being let out of their contracts. Sounds like a pretty good solution, although Jobs definitely had his teeth out today. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jul 2010 13:07

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Tech: Apple’s iPhone 4 antenna conference should be a lot of fun



Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jul 2010 11:22

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Culture: “The Social Network” trailer (in full this time) is looking pretty rad

  • It makes Harvard feel like a country club. We were hoping that this project would be pretty awesome, and the trailer thus far is suggesting that it might in fact live up to the hype. Our fingers are crossed. Don’t screw this up, Fincher and Sorkin!
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jul 2010 11:12

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Politics: As Obama begins his vacation in Maine today, three things

  • one You got financial reform through both Houses, ready to sign, but nobody knows what it is.
  • two You’re polling at some of the lowest levels of your presidency right now, so don’t get too comfy.
  • three The oil spill is at a very critical juncture, so you better be ready to get back down there. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink
 

16 Jul 2010 10:57

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U.S.: Did BP’s capped oil well remain sealed overnight, guys?

  • YES which is a very positive sign; hopefully it keeps up source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jul 2010 10:53

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Politics: Is Rupert Murdoch’s “Sunday Times” experiment a total failure?

  • Why would I get any of my clients to talk to The Times or The Sunday Times if they are behind a paywall? Who can see it? I can’t even share a link and they aren’t on search. It’s as though their writers don’t exist anymore.
  • An A-list entertainment publicist, via an informant for Newser dude Michael Wolff • Discussing the fate of News Corp.’s paywall model for their London-owned newspapers, The Times and The Sunday Times. Apparently, according to Wolff, it’s so bad that people who subscribe to the physical paper no longer use the Web site. Unfortunately, there are no firm numbers here. But let’s just say that putting everything behind a paywall with no free content simply doesn’t work. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jul 2010 10:40

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Politics: Nevada Senate poll: Sharron Angle no match for Harry Reid

  • 44% of those polled plan to vote for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
  • 37% plan instead to vote for Modern Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle
  • 19% plan to vote for neither, someone else, or are undecided source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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