Macworld mixes products, politics
Macworld mixes products, politics
SAN FRANCISCO -- Amid iPod upgrades, movie deals and Apple TV price cuts, there was a tinge of politics at the Macworld Conference & Expo last week.
But it didn't come from Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs. The man electing to wade into political waters Tuesday was the musical guest, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Randy Newman.
Newman and his piano were rolled out on a moving stage and he quickly launched into his song, "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country."
"I'd like to say a few words in defense of our country, whose people aren't bad, nor are they mean/ Now the leaders we have, while they're the worst that we've had, are hardly the worst this poor world has seen," Newman sang to a packed conference hall.
His performance briefly injected a serious tone to an otherwise upbeat presentation by Jobs, and the audience of Mac faithful applauded -- though not quite as loudly as they had for the unveiling of Apple's new online movie rental service.
Panasonic battery impresses Guinness
TOKYO -- Japan's Panasonic is introducing a AA household battery that will keep gadgets running 20 percent longer than rivals do, so long that Guinness World Records has dubbed it the world's longest-lasting alkaline battery.
The new Evolta's longer life results from more material being packed inside it, the new materials it's made with and its sturdier seal than predecessors had.
Guinness certified it in Tokyo Tuesday as "the longest-lasting AA alkaline battery cell," based on testing under guidelines set by the industry's International Electrotechnical Commission.
Evolta's 10-year shelf life -- up to 60 percent longer than rivals' -- also makes it more attractive to store in disaster preparedness kits. Other batteries last five to seven years on the shelf, Panasonic officials said.
Evolta goes on sale in April in Japan, and is planned for overseas markets later this year, Matsushita said. A pack of four will cost about $5.40 in Japan, about 15 percent more than regular batteries and 3 percent more than Oxyride. Prices outside Japan aren't set.
Amazon users to judge contest
Think you have the next big novel? So do the hundreds of writers vying in a contest at Amazon.com.
The online retailer and some of its most prolific reviewers have picked 836 semifinalists from 5,000 entries to compete for a coveted book deal with Penguin Group, including a $25,000 advance.
Now, Amazon hopes readers will download excerpts of the semifinalist entries and help rate and review them. Penguin editors will consider the comments when picking 10 finalists by March 3. A winner will be announced April 7.
Depending on the success of the winning book, Amazon.com will decide whether to make the contest annual, said Aaron Martin, director of print on demand for Amazon.com.
Amazon.com would not disclose the financial terms of the contest partnership with Penguin, a unit of London-based media giant Pearson PLC. Penguin also does not disclose royalty arrangements.
Amazon.com said company officials and "top reviewers" -- customers selected by the company who write a lot of reviews -- winnowed down the initial submissions together.