The tally of houses lost to forest
fires passed 200 on Sunday as brigades in south-
eastern Australia battled blazes threatening
dozens of homes.
Residents were warned of torrid fire conditions
to come.
Lower temperatures and calmer winds provided
relief for worn out firefighters, bolstered by
fresh crews who drove overnight to reach the
Blue Mountains hot spot, 70km west of Sydney.
But with winds expected to pick up and scorching
temperatures on their way, the Rural Fire
Service (RFS) warned of more death and
destruction.
One person has died and, at the last count, 208
houses have been lost since the crisis erupted
on Thursday.
"Crews have been back-burning overnight to
strengthen containment lines and are on alert to
switch to active firefighting if properties come
under threat," RFS spokesperson Russell Taylor
said. "We'll be deploying even more today."
Fire ban
A total ban on lighting fires outside was
declared by the New South Wales state
government.
"I'm increasingly concerned about the potential
for significant fire runs and consequential
damage if the weather conditions materialise
like they're indicating they could over this
week," state Premier Barry O'Farrell said.
RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons warned of
"some pretty deteriorating, awful, conditions
over the coming days."
A mostly volunteer force of 1 500 backed by
water-bombing aircraft is helping Blue
Mountains residents defend their homes from
fires that have burned more than 100 000
hectares.
The dozens of blazes have a combined perimeter
of over 400 kilometres.
Matt Stephens, who lives in the Blue Mountains
hamlet of Sun Valley, told local news agency AAP
that he would stay and defend his home for as
long as he could, and then dash for safety.
"We've about 50 metres of lawn at the back of
the house and the front basically goes straight
on to the road so I'm hopeful," Stephens said.
"We've got all the stuff by the door ready to
go."
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A plane carrying 10 parachutists crashed
shortly after takeoff in southern Belgium on
Saturday, killing all the passengers on board, the
local mayor said.
"The plane took off from Temploux aerodrome with
10 parachutists and probably a pilot on board and
crashed around 10 minutes later in a field. All those
on board are unfortunately dead. The toll is 10 or
11 victims," the mayor of Fernelmont, Jean-Claude
Nihoul, told AFP.
He added it was "very difficult" to be more precise
given the state of the aircraft which was
"unrecognisable" after being "burned up".
The small plane came down around 250m from
houses near the village of Marchovelette, 10km
from the southern city of Namur, the mayor added.
"I just saw a plane lose its right wing in mid-flight
and crash. I heard a massive 'bang' towards the
south of Marchovelette. I didn't see anyone escape
with a parachute," one witness told local television
channel RTL.
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Microsoft is releasing its long-
awaited Windows 8.1 upgrade as a free
download starting on Thursday. It addresses
some of the gripes people have had with
Windows 8, the dramatically different
operating system that attempts to bridge
the divide between tablets and PCs.
Windows 8.1 still features the dual worlds
that Windows 8 created when it came out
last October. On one hand, it features a
touch-enabled tile interface resembling
what's found in tablet computers.
On the other, there's the old desktop mode
where the keyboard and mouse still reign.
The update adds some new finger- and
gesture-friendly shortcuts for touch-based
apps, while restoring some respect for the
desktop mode that a billion PC users have
become accustomed to.
The release comes as sales of traditional
desktop and laptop computers continue to
decline because consumers are spending
money instead on the latest smartphones and
tablets.
It also comes at a time of transition for
Microsoft as the Redmond, Washington,
company focuses on devices and services, not
just software.
Earlier this month, Microsoft struck a deal
to acquire Nokia's phone business and patent
rights for more than $7bn. Microsoft is also
searching for a new CEO to replace Steven A
Ballmer, who announced last month that he
plans to retire within the next year.
The Window 8.1 update is free for current
owners of Windows 8. It's available starting
at 11:00 GMT on Thursday in New York,
which corresponds to the start of Friday in
New Zealand. Simply go to the Windows
Store app to find it.
It may take a few hours for updates to
reach everyone. Computers with Windows 8.1
already installed will go on sale on Friday
local time. That's also when people will be
able to buy stand-alone copies of Windows
8.1.
The changes range from the cosmetic to
improved functionality:
Start me up - The Start button is back in
desktop mode, although not the way it was
before Windows 8 came along. In Windows 7
and before, a click on Start would have
brought up programs and important folders
in a list.
Now, one tap on Start flips you back to the
new tile interface, where you can click or tap
tiles to open programs. A long press brings up
crucial settings such as the Control Panel.
Boot to desktop - You can now start up the
machine in desktop mode, bypassing the tiles
for a short time. That removes some of the
headache for companies that want to use
Windows 8 but don't want to buy a touch
screen monitor for every employee.
Onscreen keyboard swipes - The onscreen
keyboard now includes the ability to type
numbers or punctuation marks by swiping up
or away from certain keys on the standard
"qwerty" layout, eliminating the need to
toggle between numeric and alphabetic
layouts. You can also select from suggested
words mid-stream using side swipes and taps
on the virtual spacebar.
Gesture-enabled apps - You can now wave in
the air in front of the front-facing camera
to get a response. For example, in the new
app Bing Food & Drink, a right-to-left wave
in "Hands Free Mode" flips through pages of
a recipe.
Quicker tile organisation - You can tap and
hold Windows tiles with your finger to move
them. Another couple taps will allow you to
resize them in one of four sizes. In the
previous version, you had to go back to the
mouse or touchpad and right-click on tiles to
do this, and you were limited to two sizes.
Easier apps access - Finding all your apps
takes just a swipe up on your start screen, as
long as you don't do it from beyond the
bottom edge. Before, you had to swipe up
from the bottom edge, then tap on the All
Apps button.
Automatic updates - Apps update in the
background, replacing the constant
reminders to go to the Windows Store to
update the apps yourself.
Smaller tablets - Windows 8.1 now has a
home screen that looks good in portrait mode
on screens measuring 18cm to 20cm
diagonally.
Lock screen access - You can now answer
Skype calls or take photos from the lock
screen without having to log in. Just swipe
down. You can also set other apps like
Twitter to send notifications when the
screen is locked.
Better multitasking - In Windows 8.1, you
can run up to four apps at once side by side,
double the previous amount, though you need
a large, high-resolution monitor to do so (On
its own, Microsoft's Surface tablets are not
big enough for more than two).
You can resize panes using a slider that
moves side to side, instead of being limited
to one larger window and one slender one.
This is still not as capable as Windows 7 or in
desktop mode, where you can open dozens of
items in windows that can be resized both
horizontally and diagonally. And many app
makers have yet to adapt, meaning some apps
still appear as a thin sliver, even if you want
them to take up half the screen.
Global search - Typing while on the tile-
based start screen will pull up multiple
search results - if applicable - from your
computer, the web and the Windows app
store. If you're searching for a musician,
you'll see a list of popular songs you can play
using Xbox Music, and if it's someone
famous (like US President Barack Obama)
you'll see biographical details, videos and
other information. Before, you had to choose
where to search: In apps, settings, computer
file or on the internet.
E-mail update - The standard-issue Mail app
now has a "power pane" on left-hand side
with folders for updates from social
networks like Facebook, messages from
favourite contacts and newsletters. Some of
these features work only with Microsoft
accounts such as Hotmail and Outlook.com,
though. A new "sweep" command deletes
multiple messages with a couple taps.
Better browsing - No longer are you limited
to 10 open tabs in the tile version of
Internet Explorer. Before, web pages
automatically closed without prompts when
you try to open more.
You can open as many as you want now.
Better yet, you can have two different
websites displayed side by side, the way
you've long been able to before Windows 8
came along.
Xbox music refresh - The music streaming
app now optimizes playback over discovery
with a layout that has more lists and smaller
photos.
It also adds the ability to create playlists
from any website with a couple taps. When on
a website featuring artists, swipe in from
the right edge and tap the Share button
followed by the Music button. It will create a
song playlist based on those artists, which
you can then stream for free.
Picture editing - A picture editor with pre-
set effects comes with the update, allowing
for photo touch-ups, cropping, contrast
changes and other features.
Xbox One integration - You can pick up
where you left off if you start playing a
video purchased on Xbox Video on a tablet
and then watch the rest on Microsoft's
upcoming game console, Xbox One. AP

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The artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg will now formerly be known as Snoop Lion because he's changed his name once again. Snoop Dogg/Lion is now Snoopzilla and is releasing a funk
album. Gillian Pensavalle(@GillianWithaG) has the story and the rapper's actual name.
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Ever suspect you do more
housework than your spouse? Or that
certain tasks at work raise your blood
pressure?
Maybe you wonder why you are sneezing
more lately, or if carbs are really what is
making you tired after lunch?
Turns out, there's an app or gadget to test
all of that. Advancements in wearable body
sensors, mobile applications and other
gadgets mean that nearly everything we do
can be captured, logged and analysed.
And everyday consumers are jumping at the
chance to conduct their own experiments -
tracking sleep, caffeine intake, kids'
studying habits, household chores, even
whether a baby is nursing more frequently
on Mom's left breast versus her right.
"I don't know if I'd use the word
'obsessed'," said Ernesto Ramirez, a self-
tracking devotee who helped to organise a
two-day conference on the subject last
week in San Francisco.
Speakers at past "Quantified Self"
conferences have included a man who
developed his own app to see if he could walk
every street in Manhattan and a dad who
used trackers on his kids to monitor chores.
"I think there's an overall trend toward
curiosity and proving knowledge of one's
self in the world," Ramirez said.
When Tim Davis of Beaver, Pennsylvania,
tipped the scales at 144kg two years ago, he
bought a Fitbit gadget to track his physical
activity and the Lose It! app on his phone to
track calories.
He bought a Wi-Fi-enabled scale that
published his daily weight on his Twitter
feed and turned to other apps to track his
pulse, blood pressure, daily moods and
medications.
At one point, Davis said he was using 15
different apps and gadgets, which he said
helped him drop 29kg by that following year.
"It's the second-by-second, minute-by-
minute changes that really did it," said
Davis, 39. "If you're the type of person who
likes gadgets and devices and to collect
metrics, you're also the kind of person who
does not like gaps in data."
A paediatrician in Kansas City, Missouri,
Natasha Bugert, said apps that track
newborn feedings and sleep patterns have
become wildly popular among her patients
and she now encourages parents to send her
the data before their appointments.
"In the first few weeks, parents are so
tired. It's really hard for them to give you
objective data," Bugert said.
Public health advocates and researchers say
tracking technology could be used to
encourage people to use less fuel, conserve
water or drive slower by giving them real-
time feedback on their daily habits. It also
could expose causes of medical conditions
that baffle doctors.
HopeLab, based in Redwood, California, is
one nonprofit looking to harness technology
to improve health. It has developed a $30
movement-tracking device for kids called a
"Zamzee", and a website that rewards
activity with online points and badges.
HopeLab has developed video games for
young cancer patients that lets them
pretend to blast cancer cells. Researchers
there say their studies have shown that the
game improved patients' moods and
encouraged them to stick with treatment.
"When you give people a sense of autonomy,
a sense of agency, that can actually be very
transformative to their health," said
HopeLab spokesperson Richard Tate.
Ramirez said he thinks the next step will be
embedding sensors in nearly everything a
person encounters throughout the day and
linking that information together. Think of a
car that won't start if you've consumed too
much alcohol or a light bulb that changes
colours when it's time to go to bed.
Industry watchers say these kinds of data-
driven apps are finding their place in a
market that has struggled to profit from
advertising.
Raj Aggarwal, chief executive of Localytics,
a Boston-based analytics firm, says mobile
games are still by far the most popular
among consumers, but their fan base can be
fickle. If a data-logging app is useful
enough, it can convince consumers that they
should pay for upgraded subscriptions or
premium services that earn the developers
money.
One mobile app called "GymPact" has found
a novel way of making money off its
consumers' data.
The app lets people bet against one another
as to whether they will go to the gym. The
non-exercisers have to pay the exercisers,
with GymPact taking a cut.
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Justin Bieber's Twitter rant continued
yesterday with a load of new thoughts on the
same sh*t. Dude, we get that life s**ks, it's all
fake, and nobody understands, but the Tweet-
speak is staring to sound kinda maniacal.
Maybe see a therapist or talk to a friend or
something…
rumors rumors and more rumors. nothing more
nothing less. might talk about them 1 day. rt
now im just gonna be positive. cant bring me
down. im focused on the good things in life. im
blessed and not forgetting it. im giving back
every day for it. cant phase me. fake stories
to sell papers i guess are part of the job. but
im a good person. i know that. u cant tell me
different. we know the truth as long as my
family, friends, and fans r with me u can say
whatever. we are all equal in God's eyes & we
have a responsibility to each other. So make up
stories about fake fines and make no mention
of the positive. or say when i came out of my
show with my shirt off because after
performing for 2 hours i might be sweaty i was
going into a club (really?) or any girl i stand
next to is my girl or that i dont care, or that i
dont feel, or that a 19 year old going to a club
in europe is wild and be careful of the
judgement u pass but know this…im only
judged by one power, and i serve him. so yeah I
will continue being me. i will continue to serve,
to perform, to care, to love, to smile, to
dance, to play, to sing…and u are welcome to
join, because i carry no hate. We got to much
love for that. Im about the music.
Ain't no faking Justin Bieber on Twitter
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Varsity teachers remained adamant last night,
saying their strike would go on, despite the
government's shifting of its position. The
strike has been on for four months.
More cash has been pledged for projects on
the campuses. Besides, the earned allowances
due to the teachers have been increased from
the initial N30 billion offer, which the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)
rejected. The teachers are insisting on the
2009 agreement, which they say President
Goodluck Jonathan was part of. Besides, they
say, they do not trust the government.
According to a circular by the Vice Chancellor
of the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa
State, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, to the staff of the
school, quoted yesterday by the news website,
Sahara Reporters, the government has pledged
to spend N200 billion on the universities in the
2014 budget and the same amount annually for
the next three to four years.
This is in addition to the N100 billion already
made available this year, but which ASUU has
rejected.
The government has also increased to N40
billion, as a first installment, funds for the
payment of earned allowances to the striking
lecturers – an improvement from the N30
billion previously released.
On the earned allowances, Aluko said:
"Government will top it up with further
releases once universities are through with the
disbursement of this new figure of N40
million. So, Vice-Chancellors are urged to
expedite this disbursement within the shortest
possible time using guiding templates that have
been sent by the CVC," the circular said.
Aluko said the latest development followed
meetings on September 19 and Oct 11 of
representatives of the Association of Vice-
Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, led by its
Chairman, Prof. Hamisu of Abubakar Tafawa
Balewa University (ATBU) and ASUU
representatives led by its President, Dr.Nasir
Fagge, with Vice-President Namadi Sambo and
Minister of Education Nyesome Wike.
A source in the Ministry of Education last
night also confirmed that the meeting took
place.
"But the government decided to leave the
announcement of the decision to the ASUU
chiefs," the source said.
It was gathered that Sambo urged ASUU to
call off the strike, as he apologised for the
"take-it-or-leave-it" comments credited to
Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
at the beginning of the strike. The Minister
did not seem to have been involved in either
meeting, perhaps as the government's way of
soothing the feelings of the university
teachers.
Other points of agreement at the meetings
include:
•Project Prioritisation: Universities will now be
allowed to determine their priorities and not
be "rail-roaded" into implementing a pre-
determined set of projects with respect to
the NEEDS assessment. Decisions are not to
be centralized;
•TETFund Intervention: The government
assured the teachers that the operations of
the TETFund will not be impaired, and that the
regular TETFund intervention disbursement to
universities will continue, unaffected. So the
NEEDS assessment capital outlays are in
addition to regular TETFund intervention;
•Project Monitoring: A new Implementation
Monitoring Committee (IMC) for the NEEDS
Assessment intervention for universities has
been set up to take over from the Suswam
Committee. The new one is under the Federal
Ministry of Education and chaired by the
Minister of Education. In addition, to build
confidence and ensure faithful implementation
and prevent any relapse as before, the Vice
President will meet quarterly with the
implementors to monitor progress.
.Blueprint: ASUU was mandated to submit a
blueprint for revitalising the universities to
the Vice President.
Prof. Aluko stated that a signed document will
soon be issued to itemise the full issues on
which the consensus was reached.
But ASUU last night was unimpressed with the
new offer. National Treasurer Dr. Ademola
Aremu said the offer failed to meet the
teachers' expectations.
He said the offer falls short of the agreement
signed with ASUU by the government.
Aremu insisted that ASUU would not end the
strike until the 2009 agreement is fully
implemented by injecting N500 billion into the
universities yearly to shore up the system's
quality.
Aremu, who spoke to our correspondent on the
telephone, said any offer below what is
contained in the signed agreement, would
amount to unilateral repudiation of an
agreement the government willingly signed in
2009.
According to the unionist, ASUU is not making
any new demand, but a mere implementation of
an agreement. He pointed out that the
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed
by both parties in 2009 stated that the
government would commit N1.5 trillion to the
system in three years.
He said: " Even if the Federal Government
made that promise, it would be a unilateral
repudiation of the 2009 agreement. By now,
the government should have injected N500
billion. That amounts to N100 billion in 2012
and N400 billion in the current year.
"As a matter of fact, any new commitment
from the Federal Government is belated.
Implementation of the agreement ought to
have started before this year. I don't think
there is any way we can trust this government,
going by its past behaviour on this issue.
"The mandate from our principal as at the last
time we met was that we won't end the strike
until the agreement is fully implemented.
"We do not need promises again. What we need
now is actual implementation. What if they do
not release the funds again after making the
promise?
"It was this same Mr President that mid-wifed
the agreement in 2009 when he was the Vice
President. The MoU was in his custody. He
studied the agreement well before asking then
President Umaru Yar'Adua to sign it. We can't
trust this government.

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Software titan Adobe Systems on Thursday warned that hackers breached its defenses and stole source code along with credit card numbers and other information relating to nearly three million customers.

"Very recently, Adobe's security team discovered sophisticated attacks on our network, involving illegal access of customer information as well as source code for numerous Adobe products," Adobe chief security officer Brad Arkin said in a blog post.

"Our investigation currently indicates that the attackers accessed Adobe customer IDs and encrypted passwords on our systems."

Hackers are believed to have taken information relating to 2.9 million Adobe customers. The stolen data was said to include customer names, encrypted credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates and other information relating to people's orders.

It appeared that no decrypted credit or debit card numbers were pilfered, according to Arkin.

"We deeply regret that this incident occurred," Arkin said. "We're working diligently internally, as well as with external partners and law enforcement, to address the incident."

Adobe was resetting the passwords of customers whose information was taken and alerting people whose credit or debit card numbers were swiped.

The California-based company was also investigating the theft of source code crafted into its products and said it didn't believe it increased the risk of hackers breaking into programs people may be using.

Adobe makes widely used computer programs including Acrobat, Reader, Photoshop and a ColdFusion web application development tool.

Brian Krebs of the website KrebsOnSecurity said in a blog post that it appeared the same attackers recently struck data brokers and a US-funded center devoted to honing skills involved in the investigation and prosecution of cyber crime.

It remained to be seen whether those breaches exploited Adobe software.

A film about the life of former president Nelson Mandela

received an award at the Aspen Filmfest, its producers said on Thursday.
The film, titled Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, which premiered at the Toronto film festival last month, received the Audience Favourite Feature Award in the United States on Wednesday night.
It was up against The Fight Estate, August, Osage Country, Nebraska, and One Chance. Some of those movies included actresses Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep.
In the Mandela production, Idris Elba played Mandela while Naomi Harris played Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
South African actress Terry Pheto co-starred in the film.
The Aspen Filmfest, which is an affiliate of Aspen Film, one of Colorado's most active film arts organisations, is an internationally recognised film festival.
"Even though the Aspen Filmfest is a small festival, it is very prestigious. It has the best of the line-up for Oscar contenders for the year-end in the run up to the 2014 Academy Awards," Anant Singh, the film producer, said in a statement.
"We are delighted that [this movie] came out tops, especially in contention with these quality films."

Reports on Twitter suggest the small passenger plane
which crash-landed at Lagos airport was carrying the
body of one of Nigeria's most prominent governors.
The Associated Airlines plane was flying from Nigeria's
commercial capital to Akure, a southwestern town about
140 miles (225 km) away, with seven crew and 20
passengers.
The body of Dr Olusegun Agagu, former Governor of Ondo
state, was reportedly being conveyed in the plane by
several members of his family when it crashed at Murtala
Muhammed International Airport.Rescue workers douses a part of the wreckage of the
crashed plane.
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A car that drives itself and glasses that translate a
menu as you read it are some of the glimpses of
tomorrow on offer at a gadget fair near Tokyo that began
on Tuesday.
The Cutting-Edge IT & Electronics Comprehensive
Exhibition (CEATEC) threw open its doors to thousands of
visitors eager to sample gizmos they will be using in
future.
The highlight of the tech fair for many is Japanese
carmaker Nissan, which showcased self-driving cars that
allow the driver to kick back and take their eyes off the
road.
A series of sensors constantly monitors the road and
objects nearby, turning the wheel automatically to avoid
obstacles. "Most accidents are caused by human error,"
said Nissan in a release.
Vehicle makers are working to integrate automobiles and
houses, with the vehicle able to power the home -
especially useful in times of blackouts caused by natural
disasters.
Honda is showing off a mock installation in which a
motorbike powers a gigantic kettle.
"Welcome to the future garage that Honda has designed.
This is how automobiles and communities will be
connected," said Honda president Takanobu Ito.

Houston - Nasa's Cassini spacecraft has found propylene, a chemical used to make household plastic containers, on Saturn's moon Titan, the space agency said. "This is the first definitive detection of the plastic ingredient on any moon or planet, other than Earth," Nasa said. A small amount of propylene was identified in Titan's lower atmosphere by Cassini's composite infrared spectrometer, which measures heat radiation, the agency reported in Monday's edition of the Astrophysical Journal Letters. By isolating the same signal at various altitudes within the lower atmosphere, researchers identified the chemical's unique thermal fingerprint with a high degree of confidence, Nasa said. "This chemical is all around us in everyday life, strung together in long chains to form a plastic called polypropylene," said Conor Nixon, a scientist at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and lead author of the paper. "That plastic container at the grocery store with the recycling code 5 on the bottom - that's polypropylene." The chemical is also used to make car bumpers and other consumer products. The discovery could help scientists understand the "chemical zoo" that makes up Titan's hazy brownish atmosphere, said Scott Edgington, Cassini's deputy project scientist at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a co-operative project of Nasa, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.
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