Apple expected to unveil new iPhone next week

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc looks set next week to unveil its much-awaited new iPhone, which analysts say will have a bigger screen and work better with remote computing services.

Apple on Tuesday invited media to a "special event" called "Let's talk iPhone" on October 4 at its Cupertino, California headquarters, an unusual location for a company that typically introduces major products at larger venues in San Francisco.

The invitation did not have any other details, and an Apple spokesman would not provide further information.

"This is the iPhone 5," ThinkEquity analyst Mark McKechnie said of the event.

The new iPhone would be the first major product launch under Tim Cook, who took over full-time as chief executive after co-founder Steve Jobs resigned last month.

It was unclear if Jobs, who is now chairman, will take the stage at the event.

Though a good product, the current iPhone 4 could use some improvements, McKechnie said. "We talked about it having a bigger screen, a dual core processor, and probably integrates pretty well with the iCloud."

The iPhone -- introduced in 2007 with the touchscreen template now adopted by its rivals -- remains the gold standard in the booming smartphone market.

The new model, which some have dubbed the iPhone 5, will have a bigger touch screen, better antenna and an 8-megapixel camera, one source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters in August.

Hon Hai Precision Industries Co Ltd and Pegatron Corp of Taiwan will make the new phone, and have been told to gear up capacity for up to 45 million units in total, the source said.

NEW VOICE FEATURES?

Apple launched the iPhone 4 in June 2010 in black 16 gigabyte and 32 gigabyte versions, and added white ones in April. The company typically refreshes its iPhone lineup during its developer event in June, but delayed the new model this year.

Apple sold 20.34 million iPhones in the third quarter ended June 25, which analysts say helped it vault past Nokia and Samsung Electronics to become the world's biggest smartphone maker.

Some analysts are expecting another version of the iPhone 4 to be launched along with the next model.

"The new (iPhone) 4 will tackle the prepaid market and the (iPhone) 5 will have the A5 chip that's in the iPad and be faster, thinner and possibly with a bigger screen," Colin Gillis, analyst with BGC Partners said. He cited possible voice-recognition features as well.

Shares of Apple rose 0.6 percent to $405.66 on Nasdaq early Tuesday afternoon.

News from - http://news.yahoo.com/apple-expected-unveil-iphone-next-week-193346143.html

A chance at dinner with Obama now costs only $3

On paper, it looks like President Obama may be turning into a cheap date. His re-election campaign is shifting downward the already-low contribution threshold for small donors seeking a chance to have dinner with the president.

The Obama campaign has been offering donors of $5 or more a chance to win a dinner with the president. But today, the campaign sent supporters a message from First Lady Michele Obama lowering the price to donations of $3 or more.

"These dinners mean a lot to Barack. They're a chance for him to talk with a few of the people who are driving the campaign--and a chance for him to say thank you," Michele Obama's email reads. "So come prepared to tell your story, and say whatever's on your mind. Don't miss the opportunity to be there. Donate $3 or more today, before the Sept. 30th deadline."

The shift presents an inviting opening for late-night talkshow hosts and GOP presidential hopefuls to crack wise about the sour state of the economy in the Obama years. In reality, though, there's a more likely--and mundane--inside-the-Beltway explanation for the downgraded barrier to entry in the Obama dinner sweepstakes: the Obama campaign's need to boost third-quarter fundraising totals among small donors.

A spokesman for Obama's re-election campaign did not respond to a request for comment from The Ticket.

Like other campaigns, the Obama campaign has frequently touted the number of contributors who donate small amounts as a measure of grassroots support.

But the president is facing more pressure than his Republican rivals on this front, in part because he enjoyed unprecedented support among small donors in 2008.  So far, the president's re-election campaign has had trouble persuading many of those contributors to donate again. A "vast majority" of Obama's 4 million donors from 2008 have not contributed to his 2012 campaign, the New York Times reported earlier this week.

News from - http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-campaign-lowers-entry-cost-contest-awarding-dinner-204503626.html

Feds: US man planned to blow up Pentagon

BOSTON (AP) — A man was arrested Wednesday and accused of plotting an assault on the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol using remote-controlled aircraft armed with explosives — the latest of several terrorism cases to spring from federal sting operations.

Rezwan Ferdaus was arrested in Framingham, Massachusetts, after undercover federal agents delivered materials he had allegedly requested, including grenades, six machine guns and what he believed was 24 pounds of C-4 explosive. Federal officials said the public was never in danger from the explosives, which it said were always under control and closely monitored.

Wednesday's arrest was similar to other cases in which reputed would-be terrorists were caught in sting operations that revolved around fictional plots against various targets, such as Dallas skyscapers or a Chicago nightclub. In this case, though, authorities say Ferdaus planned the scheme.

According to a federal affidavit, Ferdaus, 26, of Ashland, became convinced America was evil through jihadi websites and videos, and began planning "jihad" against the U.S. in early 2010. He contacted a federal informant that December and months later, allegedly began meeting to discuss the plot with undercover federal agents he believed were members of al-Qaida.

Ferdaus said he wanted to deal a psychological blow to the "enemies of Allah" by hitting the Pentagon, which he called "head and heart of the snake," according to the affidavit.
"Allah has given us the privilege," he allegedly told the informant. "... He punishes them by our hand. We're the ones."

Ferdaus, a U.S. citizen who graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor's degree in physics, made a brief initial appearance Wednesday in federal court on charges of attempting to destroy federal buildings and providing support to a foreign terrorist organization, in this case al-Qaida. A detention hearing was scheduled for Monday.

Telephone messages were left at the office of his attorney, Catherine Byrne, and at the address listed for Ferdaus in the affidavit.

Several alleged domestic plots have been thwarted since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, including in Lackawanna, New York; Portland, Oregon; and Virginia.

Terrorism arrests involving federal stings have often been followed by claims of entrapment, but none of the cases brought since Sept. 11 has been thrown out by a court on such grounds.

U.S. Rep. William Keating of Massachusetts, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, said lawmakers have been warned for months of an emerging threat from homegrown extremists. He said al- Qaida is casting a wide net to radicalize individuals or small groups already in the country because of the significant advantages.

"They're already here, so they don't have the hurdles of getting into the country, they know the country better. ... They know how to move around," Keating said. "The testimony we heard, things like this (the Ferdaus arrest) were inevitable."

Ferdaus is accused of planning to use three remote control airplanes measuring up to 80 inches (200 centimeters) in length. Ferdaus allegedly planned to pack five pounds (2.27 kilograms) of explosives in each plane, while saving some of it to blow up bridges near the Pentagon.

The planes, guided by GPS and capable of speeds greater than 100 mph (160 kph), would hit the Pentagon and blow the Capitol dome to "smithereens," according to Ferdaus' plan, detailed in the affidavit. Ferdaus then planned a follow-up automatic weapons attack with six people divided into two teams, according to the affidavit.

At one point, according to recorded conversation detailed in the affidavit, Ferdaus told undercover agents that his desire to attack the United States was so strong, "I just can't stop. There is no other choice for me."

According to the affidavit, Ferdaus traveled to Washington in June to do surveillance, and drew up a 15-phase attack plan. He also allegedly rented storage space to work on the planes in Framingham, telling the manager he planned to use the space for music.

Asked at one point about possibly killing women and children, Ferdaus allegedly said all unbelievers of Islam were his enemies.

Prosecutors also accuse Ferdaus of supplying the undercover agents with mobile phone devices he said could be used to remotely detonate explosives. When the undercover agents falsely told him the devices had been used to kill three U.S. soldiers in Iraq, he allegedly became visibly excited and said he felt "incredible. ... We're changing the world."

Rezwan is unmarried and has no children, the affidavit said.

He had at least one previous brush with the law. In 2003, The Boston Globe reported that he and two other Ashland High School seniors were accused in a vandalism spree at the school.

News from - http://news.yahoo.com/feds-us-man-planned-blow-pentagon-210116487.html

Dawood Ibrahim marries off son in Karachi

Underworld dons Chhota Shakeel and Anees Ibrahim tell Headlines Today that India's most wanted man is happily partying at his son’s gala wedding in Karachi, Pakistan.


New Delhi: India's most wanted -- Dawood Ibrahim -- has been staying in Karachi, Headlines Today has found. The latest about the underworld don is that he is playing host at his son's wedding in the Pakistani city.

India has maintained for years that Dawood, aided by Pakistani authorities, has been living there, but Islamabad has always denied the charge vehemently.

However, in a telephonic conversation, the don's closest aides -- Chhota Shakeel and brother Anees Ibrahim -- confirmed to Headlines Today that he was present in Karachi.

Shakeel made it clear that Dawood was not in hiding, but playing host at his son Moin Ibrahim's grand wedding.

Excerpts:

Headlines Today: We heard that Moin Ibrahim, Dawood Ibrahim's son, is married. Is this true?
Chhota Shakeel: Yes, it is absolutely true. The wedding did happen.

Headlines Today: Had everyone attended the wedding, including Dawood bhai?
Chhota Shakeel: Wouldn't he attend his own son's wedding?

For the son of a man in hiding, the wedding between Moin and Saniya was a rather grand affair. It was held at the don's palatial bungalow, aptly nicknamed the White House in Karachi's posh Clifton area.

The guest list included the who's who of Pakistan's elite, including some senior members of its spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Sharpshooter Shakeel, who has been busy with the wedding preparations himself, gave some details about the marriage.

Excerpts:

Headlines Today: Several rumours regarding the wedding have been doing the rounds since April, May...
Chhota Shakeel: That is not correct, the wedding date was fixed and the wedding took place on that date.

Headlines Today: When did the nikaah take place and when was the reception?
Chhota Shakeel: 23rd September, Friday...

Headlines Today: What was the date of the nikaah?
Chhota Shakeel: 25th September, Sunday...

Headlines Today: Sunday was the dawat-e-walima?
Chhota Shakeel: Yes.

Even as the wedding and the reception got over, Dawood now plans to throw a gala reception.

Headlines Today: There are reports that you are planning a big reception?
Chhota Shakeel: We have not decided yet. If we do have one, we will let you know. In fact, we will send you an invitation.

Headlines Today: Will there be a reception or has the reception already taken place?
Anees Ibrahim: Reception is yet to take place.

Headlines Today: Will you hold the reception in London or in Dubai?
Anees Ibrahim: Delhi, Dubai or Nepal.

This is not the first time that Dawood's Karachi connection has been confirmed. In 2003, a news report in Pakistan had suggested that Dawood was hiding in Karachi. Two years later, Dawood's daughter Mahrukh got married to former Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad's son Junaid, confirming the don's presence in the country.

Mahrukh's wedding took place at Dubai's Grand Hyatt hotel. Since the news of the wedding had already been made public, Dawood had to skip the function. However, with his son Moin, the don did not commit the same mistake. The wedding was kept under wraps and the date was not revealed.

News from - http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5473512&page=0

Sachin shifts into his brand new home: Pix

Taking advantage of the auspicious occasion of the first day of the Navratri festival, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar finally moved into his swank new 'dream home' in Bandra west here Wednesday afternoon. Keep coming back to this gallery as we shall be constantly updating it with fresh images from Tendulkar's brand new home.

The five-storeyed bungalow is at 19-A, Perry Cross Road, a coveted address in the queen of the suburbs (Bandra), where Sachin, along with his family, entered in a traditional 'griha-pravesh' ceremony.

A battery of media-persons clicked away furiously as Sachin, clad in a simple striped T-shirt and trousers, took his first formal step into the bungalow with a glow of happiness on his face.

"I am really thrilled and happy today, especially for my mother and my family members," gushed Sachin on the occasion.

News from - http://sports.in.msn.com/specials/sports_photos.aspx?cp-documentid=5473047