| Aspen Technology to be delisted from Nasdaq
The delisting comes after a series of accounting misshaps dating back several years, resulting in the firing of CEO David McQuillin in 2004. The Cambridge, Mass., company (Nasdaq: AZPN) requested an extension for filing its 2007 fourth quarter and 2008 first quarter results, as well as restatements for fiscal 2005 and 2007. Nasdaq granted an extension to Aspen until Feb. 8, but it failed to meet that deadline and its second-quarter earnings deadline. Deloitte & Touche asked not to be reappointed as Aspen's accounting firm for 2008. Chief Executive Mark Fusco said he was disappointed with the delisting, and the company may appeal to the Nasdaq Listing and Hearing Review Council. The company will most likely be traded on the Pink Sheet Electronic Quotation Service.
Refugees seek sanctuary from tribal bloodbath
They came early in the morning when my wife was dressing the children. They broke down the door and pulled us out," said Nyanga Mingi, 36. "I was forced to kneel while they held a panga [machete] to my head. I prayed to God for my children not to see. .
Sony slashes price of PS3 SDK to fix game problem
While some may view it as a sign of desperation, Sony on Monday said that it will cut licensing fees for the PS3 SDK in half to spur additional game development. The package now costs $10,250 in the US, 950,000 yen in Japan, and 7,500 euros in Europe. With lower prices now both for the consumer in the form of a system price cut, and for the developer in the SDK, it hopefully will mean higher sales and profits for the PS3. .
CES: Undiscovered Gems, Part 2
Now that the circus has left town and the dust has settled--and my feet have finally stopped hurting--I finally have a chance to rummage through the stuff I collected at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. So this week, my picks for the best gizmos at the show. And if this isn't enough for you, stop by "CES 2008 Picks and Pans" to get the whole PC World contingent's take on the show. Grab a Video--Hands Free I spend most of my vacations with a camcorder in front of my face; it's how my wife can spot me. But if I could afford the spiffy VieVU Pro, I'd leave my camcorder at home. The VieVU Pro clips to your shirt and records whatever you're doing. It's compact, weighs 5 ounces, and can capture 4 hours of 640 by 480 MPEG-4 videos on a single charge.
Panasonic's High-Value High-Def TV
As king of the plasma TV market, Panasonic has plenty to prove these days. Faced with an onslaught of competition from the rival LCD (liquid-crystal display) camp, Panasonic executives have been working hard to dispel any claims their products are somehow inferior to the best LCD offerings. I find little reason to argue with them after reviewing the company's recently released 50PZ77U model. The 50-in. plasma offers full high-definition 1080 progressive resolution, and does an impressive all-around job of producing rich, colorful imagery from both HD and standard-definition programming. Better yet, the all-black set is one of the best deals on the market right now, selling for about $2,000 through online merchants—up to $1,000 less than many LCD sets of the same screen size and HD resolution.
Britney Spears
Sam Lutfi was finally served the restraining order yesterday that effectively requires him to stay 250 feet from Britney Spears and have no contact with her whatsoever. The restraining order was set to expire today, but the judge in the case extended it to March 17, according to the AP: In court papers, Jeffrey Wexler, an attorney for her father, James Spears, wrote that "after three weeks of apparently evading service," Lutfi was served at 11 a.m. outside his Los Angeles apartment.
The order, which requires Lutfi to stay 250 yards away from Spears and her home, was set to expire Friday. Wexler had asked for the order to be extended. Poor Sam Lutfi. He must miss Britney Spears. I bet he walks in on random pap smears just to remember the good times. Surprisingly none of the women really cared until Sam started throwing Cheetos at them and screaming "Where's the checkbook?! I'll feed you to Satan!" Then it got a little weird.
Are Designers The Enemy Of Design?
Skip your next trip to Milan or Miami and head, instead, for the reservation. Visit the Navajo and Hopi, the Pueblo Indians, the Souix and the Cheyenne. These folks lived a sustainable lifestyle long before it became both fashionable and necessary. There's a lot left to their eco-culture. Learn from them—their contemporary artists in weaving, pottery, painting and jewelry are among the most innovative and creative in the world. Take the Navajo Hogan, a simple six-sided building. Hogans sit lightly on the land—no 10,000 or 20,000 square foot McMansions for the Navajo. Hogan are easy to assemble, use little energy to keep people warm, and have strong spiritual meaning to the families who inhabit them. Today's modern hogans are trailors and they are all over the rez. Now think about trailors.
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