| Trump gives 25-minute statement insisting administration is ‘running like a fine-tuned machine’ (transcript and video) Posted: 16 Feb 2017 12:17 PM PST  President Trump called a press conference that was initially billed as an announcement of his new nominee for secretary of labor, Alexander Acosta, on Thursday in the East Room of the White House. Chaos!" Trump said. In his freewheeling statement, Trump addressed topics including but not limited to: Russia, ISIS, jobs, polls, the margin of his Electoral College victory, the price of street drugs, the "never Trump" movement, his conversations with world leaders, female entrepreneurs, his daughter Ivanka, military budgets, his planned border wall, lying politicians and the dishonest media.
|
| ‘Are they friends of yours?’: Trump asks African-American journalist to help set up meeting with Congressional Black Caucus Posted: 16 Feb 2017 12:11 PM PST  President Trump used part of his rambling news conference Thursday to reaffirm his campaign pledge to help revive the nation's struggling inner cities, including Chicago. "Do you want to set up the meeting?" Trump asked Ryan, who is black. "I'm just a reporter," Ryan replied, appearing flummoxed.
|
| Indonesia police chief: Woman tricked into attack on Kim Posted: 17 Feb 2017 07:30 AM PST  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The Indonesian woman arrested for suspected involvement in the killing of the North Korean leader's half brother in Malaysia was duped into thinking she was part of a comedy show prank, Indonesia's national police chief said Friday, citing information received from Malaysian authorities.
|
| US used depleted uranium rounds in anti-IS air strikes: military Posted: 16 Feb 2017 02:14 PM PST  The United States used depleted uranium anti-tank rounds on two occasions in 2015 during devastating air strikes against convoys of Islamic State tanker trucks, the Pentagon said Thursday. The military prizes depleted uranium munitions for their armor-piercing capabilities as well as for protective armor for tanks and vehicles. A by-product of uranium enrichment, depleted uranium "is mildly radioactive, with about 60 percent of the activity of natural uranium," it says.
|
| Shows ban White House representatives Posted: 16 Feb 2017 12:41 PM PST  Some are concerned that banning White House reps from television and radio shows could prevent an open dialogue on important issues and prevent information from getting to the public.
|
| Philippines' Duterte says anti-money laundering body to show his bank accounts Posted: 17 Feb 2017 07:06 AM PST ![Philippines' Duterte says anti-money laundering body to show his bank accounts]( "Philippines' Duterte says anti-money laundering body to show his bank accounts") Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday he had ordered the anti-money laundering council to make public his bank accounts, a day after one of his staunchest critics revived allegations of millions of dollars of hidden assets. At a private dinner with retired military and police officers in Baguio City, Duterte said he was proud to have been made an honorary member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1967 and added that "I would shame the class" by any involvement in corruption. "I've ordered the anti-money laundering council and everybody to give information on what my worth is in this, in terms of pesos on this planet, so I will not shame you," the firebrand leader said.
|
| Russian Spy Ship Not A ‘Direct Threat,’ Pentagon Says Posted: 15 Feb 2017 09:51 PM PST  Viktor Leonov was spotted off the U.S. eastern coast soon after Donald Trump's national security adviser resigned amid security concerns over his communications with Russia.
|
| China carfentanil ban a 'game-changer' for opioid epidemic Posted: 16 Feb 2017 10:30 AM PST  SHANGHAI (AP) — So deadly it's considered a terrorist threat, carfentanil has been legal in China— until now. Beijing is banning carfentanil and three similar drugs as of March 1, China's Ministry of Public Security said Thursday, closing a major regulatory loophole in the fight to end America's opioid epidemic.
|
| Undocumented mother seeks sanctuary in US church Posted: 16 Feb 2017 11:45 PM PST  Jeanette Vizguerra fled to the United States from Mexico with her family after her husband was kidnapped three times, once with a gun to his head. Now, nearly 20 years later, she is seeking refuge again, this time in a church to avoid being deported as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigrants living in the country illegally. Vizguerra, 47, and her three young children, who are US citizens, are living in the basement of Denver's First Unitarian Society Church, where she sought sanctuary late Tuesday, rightly suspecting that a stay of her deportation order would not be extended by a judge the following day.
|
| Amanda Knox Reveals Details of Her Non-Sexual Romantic Relationship With a Woman in Italian Prison Posted: 16 Feb 2017 05:54 AM PST  Knox was imprisoned for nearly four years in a central Italy women's prison.
|
| Mexico hails big year for tourism in 2016 Posted: 15 Feb 2017 10:56 PM PST  Mexico enjoyed a banner year in 2016 for tourism, hitting "historic highs" in part due to a spike in the number of US travelers drawn in by the weakened peso, the government said Wednesday. A total of 35 million foreign visitors went to Mexico last year, up nine percent from 2015, the tourism ministry said. The government said the figures showed that the tourism sector was "one of the main driving forces" for the country's economy.
|
| North Korea will reject Malaysian autopsy report on North Korean: envoy Posted: 17 Feb 2017 08:32 AM PST ![North Korea will reject Malaysian autopsy report on North Korean: envoy]( "North Korea will reject Malaysian autopsy report on North Korean: envoy") North Korea said it would "categorically reject" the post mortem conducted by Malaysia on one of its citizens who died in Kuala Lumpur this week, and demanded the body be released immediately. Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was murdered in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. "The Malaysian side forced the post mortem without our permission and witnessing, we will categorically reject the result of the post mortem conducted unilaterally excluding our attendance," the North Korean ambassador Kang Chol said in a statement read to the media outside the hospital late on Friday.
|
| The Latest: 12-year-old shot over weekend dies Posted: 15 Feb 2017 05:57 PM PST  CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on deadly violence in Chicago (all times local):
|
| N. Zealand part of sunken 'lost continent': scientists Posted: 16 Feb 2017 11:10 PM PST  New Zealand sits atop a previously unknown continent -- mostly submerged beneath the South Pacific -- that should be recognised with the name Zealandia, scientists said Friday. Researchers said Zealandia was a distinct geological entity and met all the criteria applied to Earth's seven other continents -- elevation above the surrounding area, distinctive geology, a well-defined area and a crust much thicker than that found on the ocean floor. In a paper published in the Geological Society of America's Journal, GSA Today, they said Zealandia measured five million square kilometre (1.9 million square miles) and was 94 percent underwater.
|
| Apple's WWDC 2017 Kicks Off June 5: What to Expect Posted: 16 Feb 2017 07:52 AM PST  There's a remote chance we'll get a sneak peek of the iPhone 8, but you can definitely expect to see the software that will power Apple's 10th anniversary phone when the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicks off June 5. Apple CEO Tim Cook will kick off WWDC 2017 on June 5. This year's edition of WWDC will move out of San Francisco, where it's been held the last 14 year, and head down to San Jose, Calif., and the McEnery Convention Center.
|
| Where To Join The National Day Without Immigrants Boycott Posted: 16 Feb 2017 09:24 AM PST  Find out if your city is joining in the protests against Donald Trump's anti-immigration executive orders.
|
| Heavy rains, flooding force evacuations in the Gaza Strip Posted: 16 Feb 2017 11:11 AM PST ![Heavy rains, flooding force evacuations in the Gaza Strip]( "Heavy rains, flooding force evacuations in the Gaza Strip") Heavy rains have caused flooding across the Gaza Strip, overwhelming the territory's beleaguered sewage system and forcing at least eight families to evacuate from their makeshift homes. Basma al-Bishawi said some residents used buckets to try to bail water from their homes "in vain" on Thursday, and that he pulled his own son from a river of sewage. The restrictions, and three wars between Israel and Hamas, have taken a heavy toll on Gaza's infrastructure.
|
| Colorado's 834 million dead trees threaten to worsen fires Posted: 15 Feb 2017 05:37 PM PST  DENVER (AP) — Colorado's beetle-infested forests are peppered with an estimated 834 million standing dead trees that threaten to worsen wildfires and degrade vital water supplies that flow from mountains, officials said Wednesday.
|
| Transgender Woman Arrested by ICE Agents While Seeking Protective Order Against Alleged Abuser Posted: 16 Feb 2017 03:28 PM PST  Domestic violence and legal authorities condemned the arrest, saying it sets a concerning precedent and has made victims hesitant to come forward.
|
| Assad vows to retake Raqa and 'every inch' of Syria Posted: 16 Feb 2017 12:35 AM PST  President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday said Raqa is not a priority target for his forces, saying his goal is to retake "every inch" of Syrian territory. "Raqa is a symbol," Assad said in an interview with French media, while asserting that jihadist attacks carried out in France were "not necessarily prepared" in the Islamic State group (IS) stronghold in Syria. "You have ISIS close to Damascus, you have them everywhere," Assad said, using another acronym for IS.
|
| Trump, Republicans set timeframe for introducing Obamacare replacement Posted: 16 Feb 2017 02:53 PM PST ![Trump, Republicans set timeframe for introducing Obamacare replacement]( "Trump, Republicans set timeframe for introducing Obamacare replacement") By Richard Cowan and David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress said on Thursday that they will soon unveil plans to repeal and replace Obamacare, providing a timeframe for a legislative goal they have struggled with for weeks. Republicans, who control the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, have long vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act but have had difficulty agreeing on a detailed plan for replacing the signature domestic policy of former Democratic President Barack Obama.
|
| Mom of 11-Year-Old Girl Killed by Stray Bullet to Accused Shooter: 'I Hope You Rot in Hell' Posted: 16 Feb 2017 11:05 AM PST  Naikeeia Williams vowed to be present for every court appearance of Antwan Jones, who was charged with first degree murder in the death of her daughter.
|
| UK 'reassured' by GM's plans for Vauxhall cars Posted: 16 Feb 2017 12:00 PM PST  Britain's economy minister Greg Clark said Thursday he was "reassured" by General Motors' plans for its European interests, including Britain's Vauxhall, amid talk of a takeover by France's PSA Group. "There is some way to go in discussions between GM and PSA but I was reassured by GM's intention, communicated to me, to build on the success of these operations rather than rationalise them," the minister said in a statement.
|
| NASA Is Considering a Manned Flight for First SLS Launch Posted: 16 Feb 2017 12:42 PM PST  The massive Space Launch System rocket was going to be unmanned for its maiden flight, but a new report suggests NASA might launch astronauts instead.
|
| FCC On AT&T-Time Warner Merger: We Want To Make Sure 'That There's A Competitive Marketplace' Posted: 16 Feb 2017 02:06 PM PST  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said the commission will take a careful approach towards the merger between AT&T and Time-Warner.
|
| AT&T's New Unlimited Plan Is Terrible Posted: 16 Feb 2017 04:26 PM PST  Every other carrier is updating their unlimited wireless plans these days, so why not AT&T? Following the lead of Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, AT&T trotted out a new plan of its own that isn't so new — and unlikely to win over many fans.AT&T's unlimited data plan costs $100 a month for a single line, the most expensive of any unlimited option. Sprint's plan starts at $60 a month, which the carrier is currently discounting to $50; T-Mobile's and Verizon's unlimited plans cost $70 and $80 a month, respectively.
|
| Damaged dam threatens Northern California towns Posted: 16 Feb 2017 07:10 AM PST ![Damaged dam threatens Northern California towns]( "Damaged dam threatens Northern California towns") Californians who were ordered to evacuate due to a threat from erosion at the tallest dam in the United States can now return home after state crews working around the clock reinforced a drainage channel that was weakened by heavy rain.
|
| Thai police raid temple belonging to Buddhist sect Posted: 16 Feb 2017 06:56 PM PST  PATHUM THANI, Thailand (AP) — Thai police raided the head temple of a controversial Buddhist sect but failed to find and arrest the abbot, who faces criminal charges over accepting $40 million in embezzled money.
|
| Pope appears to back native tribes in Dakota Pipeline conflict Posted: 15 Feb 2017 10:39 AM PST ![Pope appears to back native tribes in Dakota Pipeline conflict]( "Pope appears to back native tribes in Dakota Pipeline conflict") By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis appeared on Wednesday to back Native Americans seeking to halt part of the Dakota Access Pipeline, saying indigenous cultures have a right to defend "their ancestral relationship to the earth". The Latin American pope, who has often strongly defended indigenous rights since his election in 2013, made his comments on protection of native lands to representative of tribes attending the Indigenous Peoples Forum in Rome. While he did not name the pipeline, he used strong and clear language applicable to the conflict, saying development had to be reconciled with "the protection of the particular characteristics of indigenous peoples and their territories".
|
| Trump: ‘I inherited a mess’ During a press conference on Feb. 16, 2017, President Donald Trump told reporters that this administration has “inherited many problems across government.” He also said that the dishonesty within the media is “out of control.” Posted: 16 Feb 2017 10:32 AM PST  During a press conference on Feb. 16, 2017, President Donald Trump told reporters that this administration has "inherited many problems across government." He also said that the dishonesty within the media is "out of control."
|
| Fast Food Manager Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter Over Bullied Teen Worker Who Killed Himself Posted: 15 Feb 2017 05:21 PM PST  Kenneth Suttner, 17, shot himself in the head a few days before Christmas after repeatedly being bullied by his boss and fellow students, cops said.
|
| Yahoo notifies users of sophisticated breach methods Posted: 15 Feb 2017 01:36 PM PST  Yahoo said Wednesday it was notifying some users that hackers may have been able to use a maneuver to break into their accounts without stealing passwords. The notification indicates the investigation into the attacks are in the final stage, according to a source familiar with the matter, noting that messages had been sent to "a reasonably final list" of Yahoo users. A Yahoo spokesman said the company was notifying all potentially affected users and that it had "invalidated" the forged cookies.
|
| Google Home just caught up with Amazon Echo in one key area Posted: 16 Feb 2017 05:32 PM PST 
While Google's Home is every bit as powerful and intelligent as Amazon's Echo on many fronts, there are a few areas where it doesn't quite stack up. On Thursday though, Google brought the Home one step closer to the Echo by adding shopping functionality to Google Assistant -- the AI that powers Google Home.
"Starting today, you can shop for your everyday essentials—from paper towels to vitamins," Google revealed in a blog post on Wednesday. You'll be able to order from participating Google Express retailers, including Costco, Whole Foods Market, Walgreens, PetSmart, Bed Bath & Beyond and more than 50 other national and locally available retailers [which you can see in the link above]." All you have to do to start shopping is say "Ok Google, how do I shop?" at which point Google Assistant will explain how the process works. You can also just jump straight into shopping by saying something like "Ok Google, order paper towels." Google Assistant will verify the command and order the product. Additionally, from now until April 30th, 2017, Google won't charge you for any service or membership fees. If you want to take advantage of this limited-time offer, head to the "More settings" section of the Google Home app, tap "Payments" and set your default credit card and shipping address. You can check out more detailed instructions on the set-up process on Google's support website. Google says that this is "just the beginning of what's possible for shopping with the Google Assistant." Purchases will be enabled in more apps and services "over the coming months."
|
| NATO’s Buildup In Black Sea Could Lead To Cold War, Russian Envoy Says Posted: 17 Feb 2017 03:16 AM PST  The comments came after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the 28-nation bloc would fortify its military presence in the Black Sea region.
|
| Antarctica just shed a Manhattan-sized iceberg, and a bigger one is coming soon Posted: 16 Feb 2017 01:54 PM PST  An iceberg the size of Manhattan has cleaved off of Antarctica's rapidly melting Pine Island Glacier on the southwest coast of the continent. NASA released the new data showing the iceberg's birth on Feb. 15, though the imagery was acquired between Jan. 26 and Jan. 31. The agency says "about a kilometer or two of ice" broke off the glacier's floating ice shelf during this period, making it a large iceberg but comparitively small in the recent history of this particular area. SEE ALSO: This 'GOT' star teamed up with Google to capture Greenland's melting ice According to Ian Howat, a glaciologist at Ohio State University, the event was about 10 times smaller than the chunk of ice that broke off the same glacier in July 2015, when a 20-mile, or 30-kilometer, rift developed and calved an iceberg spanning 225 square miles. "I think this event is the calving equivalent of an 'aftershock' following the much bigger event," Howat said in a press release. "Apparently, there are weaknesses in the ice shelf — just inland of the rift that caused the 2015 calving — that are resulting in these smaller breaks." Pine Island Ice Shelf shown before the iceberg broke off on Jan. 24, 2017. Image: nasa Pine Island Ice Shelf shown just after the iceberg broke off on Jan. 31, 2017. Image: nasa Despite its relatively small size, the new iceberg continues to point to the increasing instability of this glacier in particular, and is another warning sign regarding the fate of the much larger and more consequential West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The Pine Island Glacier ends in a floating ice shelf which buttresses the land-based ice behind it. The new iceberg broke off this floating section, which means it by itself will not add to sea level rise. @NASAEarth next iceberg is coming! pic.twitter.com/DTxC7UTesD — Simon Gascoin (@sgascoin) February 15, 2017 Scientists are expecting more large icebergs to be born from this glacier, and are also anxiously watching the Larsen C Ice Shelf for what is likely to be one of the largest births of an iceberg on record during the next few months. According to NASA, rifts on the Pine Island Glacier are present about 6 miles from the ice front, including a large one that was spotted in a scientific flight on Nov. 4, 2016. Some of the rifts are hard to see since they are extending upward from the bottom of the ice shelf. The iceberg broke off and drifted into Pine Island Bay. Image: nasa As Howat put it, the glacier's ice shelf is essentially breaking apart from the inside out. "Such 'rapid fire' calving does appear to be unusual for this glacier," Howat said. This phenomenon, which yields smaller glaciers, "fits into the larger picture of basal crevasses in the center of the ice shelf being eroded by warm ocean water, causing the ice shelf to break from the inside out," he said. What is happening to the Pine Island Glacier is not an isolated incident, either. Glaciers that end in floating ice shelves are melting at increasing rates in many other parts of Antarctica, Greenland, Canada and other areas. SEE ALSO: One of the largest icebergs ever seen is even closer to breaking off Antarctica Such melting from below due to an influx of relatively warm waters potentially dooms seemingly stable ice far inland, since it removes the plugs that had been preventing such glaciers from flowing faster into the sea. Over time, ice shelves are retreating closer to their grounding line, which is where the ice begins to float. The grounding line at Pine Island has been retreating at one of the fastest rates of any glacier on Antarctica, which suggests a growing instability there. Scientists have warned that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may have entered a period of irreversible (albeit long-term) collapse, which could cause sea levels to rise by more than a meter, or 3.4 feet, by 2100 and a far greater amount thereafter, according to a March study published in the journal Nature. That study projected an astonishing 15 meters, or 50 feet of sea level rise by the year 2500, due to the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. By the middle of the 22nd century, the rate of sea level rise could exceed a foot per decade. This could render coastal megacities worldwide, from New York to Dhaka, virtually unlivable.
|
| China demands Vietnam's apology for attack alleged by tourist Posted: 16 Feb 2017 01:02 AM PST ![China demands Vietnam's apology for attack alleged by tourist]( "China demands Vietnam's apology for attack alleged by tourist") China on Thursday demanded that Vietnam apologize to a Chinese tourist who says he was beaten up by Vietnamese border guards after failing to pay a bribe, an incident that provoked outrage among Chinese internet users. The call comes a month after the neighbors pledged to safeguard peace in the disputed South China Sea, nearly all of which is claimed by China, although Vietnam and four other Asian nations also have claims in the oil-rich area. Last week, a group of about eight uniformed men beat a Chinese man surnamed Xie in Vietnam's northern city of Mong Cai on the border with China, after he failed to pay a "tip", the state-run China News Service said on Saturday, citing Xie.
|
| Man pleads guilty to buying rifles in San Bernardino attack Posted: 16 Feb 2017 04:51 PM PST  RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A California man who bought high-powered rifles used in the San Bernardino terror attack pleaded guilty on Thursday as the father of one of the victims angrily denounced the plea deal as a "slap on the wrist."
|
| Why Your Dishwasher Filter Makes a Difference Posted: 16 Feb 2017 10:06 AM PST  After deciding whether you want a third rack in your new dishwasher or extra spray arms to clean your extra-dirty dishes, you might not give much thought to the dishwasher filter. In fact, many c...
|
| Venezuela shuts off CNN in Spanish after criticizing story Posted: 15 Feb 2017 05:34 PM PST  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's government pulled CNN in Spanish from the nation's airwaves on Wednesday, shutting off the news channel after officials angrily criticized a report alleging the country's diplomats sold passports to members of a Middle East terror group.
|
| Thai cops search scandal-hit temple for wanted monk Posted: 16 Feb 2017 06:12 AM PST  Thai police left empty handed after a day-long search of a massive Buddhist temple for a monk wanted over a multi-million-dollar scam on Thursday, the latest twist in a saga highlighting a split over the nation's faith. The sweep of the powerful and ultra-rich Wat Dhammakaya temple on Bangkok's outskirts comes after Thailand's junta chief invoked special powers to put its sprawling 1,000-acre compound under military control. The former abbot is believed to be holed up inside the compound, which is famous for its space-age architecture, though he has not been seen in public for months.
|
| Trump says U.S. is no longer tied to two-state solution between Israel and Palestine Posted: 15 Feb 2017 02:01 PM PST  During a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Feb. 15, President Trump said the U.S. is no longer tied to a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.
|
| Nigeria’s struggling textile industry Posted: 16 Feb 2017 06:02 AM PST ![Nigeria's struggling textile industry]( "Nigeria's struggling textile industry") Talba Goni has been trying, without luck, to secure government funds or loans to restart a textile plant in Kaduna, the former industrial heartland in northern Nigeria, that he was running until it closed almost 15 years ago. President Muhammadu Buhari hopes to revive the once-flourishing textile and leather industries in northern Nigeria to end the country's dependence on oil exports and diversify Africa's biggest economy.
|
| Google CEO Responds To 7-Year-Old's Job Application Posted: 16 Feb 2017 02:26 AM PST  Chloe Bridgewater had written a letter to Google's CEO Sundar Pichai expressing her desire to work in the company.
|
| Mother of 4 Threatened in Deportation Raids Has Taken Refuge in a Church Posted: 16 Feb 2017 08:25 AM PST  Jeanette Vizguerra was denied a request to remain in the country, so she took her American-born children and headed to church.
|
| Young man charged in shooting death of 11-year-old Chicago girl Posted: 15 Feb 2017 04:21 PM PST ![Young man charged in shooting death of 11-year-old Chicago girl]( "Young man charged in shooting death of 11-year-old Chicago girl") A 19-year-old Chicago man has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of an 11-year-old girl, one of three children fatally shot in the city in recent days, Chicago police said on Wednesday. Antwan Jones, 19, was charged after turning himself into police late on Tuesday, Chicago Police Department Commander Brendan Deenihan told a news conference on Wednesday. Takiya Holmes, 11, was shot in the head on Saturday evening while sitting in the back seat of a van outside the Parkway Gardens housing complex on the city's South Side.
|
| California officials rush to drain lake as new storms begin Posted: 15 Feb 2017 03:58 PM PST  OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Officials raced to drain more water from a lake behind battered Oroville Dam as new storms began rolling into Northern California on Wednesday and tested the quick repairs made to damaged spillways that raised flood fears.
|
| There’s a broken iPhone on eBay right now for $149,999, and here’s why Posted: 16 Feb 2017 02:56 PM PST 
Want to waste some money? There's an iPhone on eBay right now that will most certainly help you achieve that. It's an iPhone 4s, the glass on both its front and back are completely shattered, but — and this is apparently the thing that makes it worth its $149,999 asking price — the back panel has been replaced with a totally unlicensed one honoring the late Steve Jobs. The seller insists that any potential buyers "do research before purchase," so let's take their advice and figure out what in the hell is going on here.
The seller's description sheds very little light on why they believe this particular shattered iPhone is worth as much as a high-end sports car, but it's clear it all comes back to that fancy Steve Jobs tribute on the back. The seller boldly claims that the phone is "1 of only 56 phones made to honor the late Steve Jobs." 
The back panel of the iPhone reads "Steve Jobs 1955 - 2011" and replaces the official Apple logo with a version using Jobs' likeness as the cutout. That particular logo was designed by Jonathan Mak, a design student in Hong Kong who created it shortly after Jobs' death as a tribute to the tech guru. It quickly went viral and was ripped off for all kinds of unlicensed accessories, from phone cases to posters. The modified logo was also used by a company called Goldgenie, which has become fairly well known for producing absurdly expensive versions of the iPhone, Apple Watch, and other Apple devices. The company modifies them by adding lots of gold and sometimes gems, and often replaces parts of Apple's devices with gold plated versions. After Jobs passed away in 2011, Goldgenie decided to roll out a special edition iPhone 4s paying tribute to him. The phone had its rear panel replaced with a gold version using Mak's logo, and Goldgenie made only — wait for it — 56 of them. 
Unfortunately for the eBay seller in question, the phone in the listing is not one of these cherished tributes. Okay, so if it's not one of these limited edition phones, how did it end up with the Steve Jobs treatment? Like I said above, that altered logo made it to all corners of the grey market, and one iPhone replacement parts maker decided to use it to create replacement panels for the iPhone 4s. 
You could buy them (on eBay, ironically) for about $10 to $15, and countless were sold in the months following Jobs' death. What the seller is trying to claim is an extremely limited edition, gold-plated tribute iPhone is really just a busted iPhone 4s with a busted $10 grey market replacement panel on the back. Try not to sprain your wrist as you pull your credit card out at mach speed.
|
| Trump supporters cheer his combative stance with the media Posted: 16 Feb 2017 05:57 PM PST  CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Critics of President Donald Trump saw in his Thursday news conference a combative, thin-skinned chief executive who continues to blame the media for the controversies roiling his administration.
|
| Boeing workers in South Carolina reject union Posted: 15 Feb 2017 06:07 PM PST  Boeing workers in South Carolina voted down union representation, handing a victory to the aerospace giant in a US region historically hostile to organized labor. Boeing said in a news release that 74 percent of the 2,828 votes cast supported the company and rejected the overtures of representation by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. "We will continue to move forward as one team," said Joan Robinson-Berry, vice president and general manager of Boeing South Carolina.
|
| Florida Navy Veteran Beaten For Trying To Save Turtle Posted: 16 Feb 2017 02:01 PM PST  Three suspects lifted the turtle off the ground and hurled it back to the pavement, trying to break its shell.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment