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Sunday, September 30, 2012 Checked 2:15 AM; Last Updated 9:15 PM CDT; 02:15 GMT
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This weekend's MacUpdate Promo offers 55% off Data Rescue 3.2.2. "Data Rescue is a robust and reliable hard-drive recovery solution for your Mac. Recover lost or deleted files, mount corrupted drives, and more -- Data Rescue offers complete relief from crippling hard-drive disasters!"
Has the Maps fiasco shaken your confidence in Apple?
Cast your vote in "Today's Poll..." in the left column below or go straight to the results here.
Saturday Highlights: US appeals court sends Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales ban decision back to lower court endangering Apple's victory?more in our Apple/Macintosh section; interesting analysis over at Fortune ponders the man in charge of Siri and the new Maps: Scott Forstall; Louie Herr of Digital Trends says we haven't learned the lesson from Antennagate with regards to Maps, saying we've overreacted to the ordeal; Andy Ihnatko says Tim Cook's letter to consumers was the "perfect response", but that Apple's mistake was pushing Maps right into the deep end when they should have approached it like they did Siri; meanwhile, Jim Dalrymple believes this is a simple "black eye, nothing more"; curious question arises out of the Maps issue: "should Apple let users select alternate default apps?"; Consumer Reports not too hard on Maps; some ex Apple and NASA engineers make a pricey coffee maker; Jack Purcher analyzes Intel's computing direction toward "transparent computing"; over at TidBITS, Glenn Fleishman probes mysterious cellular data usage occurring on iOS 6 devices; Apple removes "the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever" from Maps description on Apple.com; InformationWeek's Eric Zeman reviews his iPhone 5 experience, while Mark Crump provides a view of the iPhone 5 from a photographer's perspective, and over at iDownload Blog, Sebastien Page presents a course on B&W iPhone photography.
Friday Highlights: Tim Cook apologizes to customers for Map errors, says Apple doing everything they can to make it better, in the mean time he recommends Bing, Waze, others as alternatives?numerous reports in our Apple/Macintosh, and Op/Ed sections, Jonny Evans believes the message hints that Apple is working to make their mapping service best in the world, not just better; Chris Ciaccia at The Street calls the apology a grand slam saying "no company on Earth...knows how to spin a negative story into good positive vibes better than Apple"; Tim Bajarin says the real reason Apple jettisoned Google Maps had to do with giving valuable customer data to Google, which would help Android; iPhone 5 available for sale in 22 countries starting today; Macworld reviews Parallels Desktop 8, VMware Fusion 5; US Air Force uses iPads saving more than $5 million/year; court in China says Apple must pay $82,000 to encyclopedia company due to App Store piracy; report says iPhone 5 prices are least in United States, most in Italy; ABC News report on TSA official theft of iPad; Sharp says they are not the cause iPhone 5 shortages, pumping out "adequate volumes of display[s]"; TechInsights analysis of A6 chip; Macotakara blog posts mock-up of apparent iPad mini; San Jose Mercury News's Larry Magid reviews iPhone 5, says is "a worthy upgrade, but nothing to get excited about"; however, Dwight Silverman at the Houston Chronicle is "even more sold on it" now that he's tested his iPhone 5 with LTE finding a big difference from pre-LTE iPhones; Mactuts+ shows you how to upgrade RAM in your MacBook Pro; Mac OS X Hints has a tip that could solve WiFi woes on your iPhone, as well as a tip to arrange icons on your Apple TV menu; New York Times's J.D. Biersdorfer answers reader question on asking Siri questions the right way.
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Welcome to MacSurfer's Headline News! Is this the headline you are looking for?
Sat Sep 29
"Microsoft slammed for Windows 8's games strategy" The Times of India
9:14 AM
"Apple vs. Samsung: Galaxy Tab 10.1 ban could be lifted"?Bloomberg News?12:20 PM
"Samsung wins reconsideration on Galaxy Tab sales ban in US"?Crave @ CNET?9:02 AM
"Sales ban on Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be reconsidered"?Ars Technica?2:50 PM
"Apple's Mapping Strategy: Today China. Tomorrow the World"?Forbes?2:34 PM
"Apple's Maps Is A Black Eye, Nothing More"?TechCrunch?10:08 AM
"Apple seems to have gotten a little bit lost"?CNN?2:34 PM
"Apple issues full apology over iOS 6 maps cartastrophe"?Wired UK?12:27 PM
"Judging From Apple's Apology, Maps Matter and Nokia Has Maps That Work"?Forbes?8:10 AM
"iOS 6 Map Flap: Should Apple Let Users Select Alternate Default Apps?"?Forbes?8:15 AM
"Tim Cook: 'So sorry for Apple's crap maps app - try Bing or Nokia'"?The Register?8:59 AM
"Apple's excessive work hours progress: tracking 800k, 97% 60-hour work week compliance"?The Next Web?10:31 AM
"'Weak' Apple iPhone 5 Sales Are A Glitch"?Seeking Alpha?8:11 AM
"Apple sued again, this time over Numbers spreadsheet tech"?Crave @ CNET?9:02 AM
"Apple's Cook sorry for Maps errors, suggests rival services"?Reuters?9/28
"Apple apologises for Maps switch 'frustration'"?BBC?9/28
"Apple Maps Apology: There is no company on Earth that knows how to spin a negative story into good positive vibes better than Apple, and the company did it again on Friday."?TheStreet?9/28
"Apple's Tim Cook apologises for iOS 6 Maps in open letter, suggests users try Google, Nokia and other mapping apps"?The Next Web?9/28
"Apple CEO 'Extremely Sorry' for IPhone Maps Frustration" [Video Report]?Bloomberg?9/28
"Tim Cook Apologizes for Apple's Maps"?New York Times [Free/Paid Registration Required]?9/28
"Apple CEO Apologizes for Maps App"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?9/28
"Apple CEO: 'We are extremely sorry' for Maps frustration"?CNNMoney?9/28
"Tim Cook apologizes for Apple's new Maps app"?Fortune?9/28
"Music publisher blocked iPhone 5 music service, report says: Sony/ATV and Apple couldn't agree on licensing fees and that's why we didn't see a Pandora-like music service from Apple, according to a story in the New York Post."?CNET News?9/28
"Apple iPad dominates tablet web traffic: An analysis of traffic from tablet computers to more than 1,200 websites found that 98.1 per cent of the traffic came from the Apple iPad."?Telegraph?9/28
"Gene Munster: iPhone 5 stockouts in 16 of 20 stores/Only 4 stores in smaller cities had iPhones 5s available for sale, and only for Sprint"?Fortune?9/28
"Appeals court sends Galaxy Tab injunction back to trial judge"?Reuters?9/28
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AppleCare/Troubleshooting
"OS X Server: Packet filter rules do not load"?Apple Support?9/28
Reviews/How-To/Tips
"Review: Parallels Desktop 8 vs. VMware Fusion 5"?Macworld?9/28
"Review: Adobe Premiere Elements 11 offers an easy, fast, and simple take on video editing"?TechHive?9/28
"Review: Things 2.0 makes managing to-do lists manageable"?Macworld?9/28
"MacMost Now 767: Using Text Columns in Pages"?MacMost?9/28
"Add New iOS Style Widgets To Mountain Lion Dashboard [OS X Tips]?Cult of Mac?9/28
"An Easy Way To Generate The Toughest, Coolest, Longest Passwords Right On Your Mac"?BohemianBoomer?9/28
"How Many Ways Can You Listen To Music On Your Mac? Here's Another One!"?TeraTalks?9/28
"Is Your Life Worth A Journal? 2 Ways To Journal Your Day On A Mac (one is free, one is not)"?Mac 360?9/28
"How To Control iTunes, Spotify, And Rdio From Your Mac's Menubar (and what's missing in the mix)"?NoodleMac?9/28
"It's Baaack! The Compression And Archive Tool That Mac Users Love To Hate"?Mac 360?9/28
"How To Get Free Music, TV Shows, Movies, And Apps Delivered To Your Mac"?Mac 360?9/28
"Free: The Top 10 Add On Features For Safari That Apple Forgot To Include On The Mac's Favorite Browser"?McSolo?9/28
Op/Ed
"AirPlay Mirroring A Killer Feature In Mountain Lion"?MacNews?9/28
Press Releases
"Blinq Turns Your PC Or Mac Into A Server For Sharing Photos"?AddictiveTips?9:04 AM
"MOTU ships Digital Performer version 8"?Electronista?9/28
"OmniGrowl Updated for Growl 2, CaliBrate Also Updated"?prMac?9/28
"FCP Editors Go Retro with New Slide Pop Special Effects Package"?prMac?9/28
"Report: Apple Maps usage down to four percent"?Electronista?2:35 PM
"Original 2007 Google-powered iPhone maps app reportedly built by 2 engineers in 3 weeks"?iMore?8:01 AM
"Weekly Wrap: iPhone 5 review, iOS 6 annoyances, and a Tim Cook Maps apology"?Macworld?2:34 PM
"Consumer Reports: Apple's Maps App Still Provides a Good Solution for Standard Software"?ModMyi?10:30 AM
"U.S. regional carriers undercut major carries with iPhone 5 discounts"?BGR?10:29 AM
"Former Apple, NASA Engineers Make $11,111 Coffee Maker"?ABCNews?8:12 AM
"Steve Jobs (Action Figure) Returns From the Dead"?PC Magazine?7:31 PM
"Artist Creates Sculpture Made Using Steve Jobs' Recycled Trash"?technabob?9:05 AM
"Urban Outfitters drops cash registers for Apple's iPad in 400 stores"?AppleInsider?9/28
"Apple Launches New App Store Feature Section for Alternative Maps"?MacRumors?9/28
"Global iPhone 5 Rollout Continues, Tight Supplies Be Damned"?AllThingsD?9/28
"iPhone 5 dials up discount for regional carrier debut: Some smaller carriers will trim $50 off the normal retail price for Apple's next-generation smartphone when they begin selling it tomorrow."?CNET News?9/28
"Videos: Queuing up for Apple's iPhone 5 in 22 languages"?Fortune?9/28
"The iPhone 5 goes on sale in 22 more countries today"?iDownload Blog?9/28
"Apple's iPhone 5 Availability Expands: What It Means To Regional Carriers"?TechCrunch?9/28
"Most iPhone 5 Customers Will Buy in Next 6 Months" [Video Report]?Bloomberg?9/28
"Survey: Younger Shoppers Increasingly Using Mobiles To Buy And Compare"?TechCrunch?9/28
"As Apple says sorry, Google Maps gets a little better"?CNET News?9/28
"Apple Clears First Hurdle, Possible iPhone 5 Launch In China Before The Year-End"?Forbes?9/28
"iPhone 5 lights up China's gray market"?CNET Asia?9/28
"US Air Force Electronic Flight Bag Team fought Windows bureaucracy and deployed iPads?[Video]?9 to 5 Mac?9/28
"Thanks to the iPad, The Air Force is Saving More Than $5 Million Per Year"?PadGadget?9/28
"Google's Answer to Siri Thinks Ahead: The company's data stockpile and investment in AI means a smartphone helper that answers queries before you even ask them."?Technology Review?9/28
"Company Alleges that Apple's 'Numbers' Infringe on Borland Patent"?Patently Apple?9/28
"Apple sued over spreadsheet technology"?CNET News?9/28
"Chinese court rules Apple must pay over $82K to encyclopedia publisher over App Store piracy"?AppleInsider?9/28
"Apple music logo trademark rejected"?TG Daily?9/28
"Italians Pay The Most, Americans The Least For iPhone 5"?App Advice?9/28
"Apple iPhone 5 proves a hit with V3 readers"?V3?9/28
"Need a bit of Bible? There's an app for that"?CNN?9/28
"ABC News Tracks Missing iPad To Florida Home of TSA Officer"?ABCNews?9/28
"Find My iPad Catches Thieving TSA Officer Red-Handed [Video]?Cult of Mac?9/28
Non-Apple News
"Cellphones Take a Big Bite Out of Budgets"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?9:12 PM
"What happens if smartphones become commodities?"?Reuters?7:22 PM
"Google rolls out more improvements to its mapping tools following Apple's Maps apology"?Digital Trends?8:04 AM
"Neil Young reveals Pono music player, promises 'the best sound anyone can get'"?The Verge?9/28
"Amazon unlikely to launch color e-book readers in 4Q12"?DigiTimes?9/28
"Move over iPhone: In China, it's cool to call on 'Xiaomi'"?CNN?9/28
Publications/Podcasts
"Podcast: iPhone 5, one week later ? early users weigh in"?GeekWire?9:04 AM
"The Critical Path #56: Strategic Disadvantages: A discussion with James Allworth"?asymco?7:59 AM
"Gene Steinberg meets commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, of AppleInsider, and Avram Piltch, of Laptop magazine, this week on the Tech Night Owl LIVE!"?The Tech Night Owl LIVE?9/28
"Bj?rn Adamski of Telestream Demonstrates the New Flip4Mac"?MacVoicesTV?9/28
"TUAW Origin Stories: PDF Cabinet"?TUAW?9/28
"Ted Landau's iPhone 5 and iOS 6 Experiences and Opinions"?MacNotables?9/28
"Commutist podcast: Apple's iO-mess, dirty data centers and Tesla"?GigaOM?9/28
"What's Behind Mysterious Cellular Data Usage in iOS 6?"?TidBITS?12:31 PM
"Apple's iOS 6 stumbles on basic connectivity: Wi-Fi"?CNET News?9:08 PM
"SK Telecom Gains Unprecedented iPhone 5 Feature While Apple Files for Passbook Trademark and Much More"?Patently Apple?6:46 PM
"Apple no longer calls iOS6 Maps 'the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever'"?9 to 5 Mac?9:04 AM
"Apple removes superlatives from Maps description"?iDownload Blog?10:08 AM
"Apple iPad Mini debut reportedly imminent"?CNBC?8:13 AM
"iPhone 5 Display Vs. Spectroradiometer"?MacStories?12:50 PM
"iPad mini Video, Photos Leak"?Tapscape?8:05 AM
"Sharp says making adequate volumes of display used in iPhone5"?Reuters?9/28
"Sharp: Our iPhone 5 display production is 'adequate'"?CNET News?9/28
"It's Now Pretty Clear This Screen Is The Reason iPhone 5 Sales Were So Disappointing"?Business Insider?9/28
"Turret Commander For iPhone and iPad Is Temporarily Available For Free (Normally $2.99)"?Apple Sliced?8:54 AM
"Alien Booth For iPhone and iPad Is Free Today (Was $0.99)"?Apple Sliced?8:54 AM
"Leave Devil Alone For iPhone Is Free Right Now (Previously $0.99)"?Apple Sliced?8:54 AM
"Deal Alert: Apple 11.6" Dual-Core i5 MacBook Air MC968LL/A $759.99"?Run Around Tech?7:55 AM
"Woot! has 2011 Dual-Core i5 MacBook Air ? New in box (Update: $749)"?9 to 5 Mac?7:55 AM
"Mac Compatible Printers... Prices Range From $70 To $400 -Best Selling -Prices, Deals, Reviews And Information"?MacReviewZone?2:36 PM
"Best Selling Mac Scanners -From $88 To $496 -Prices, Reviews And Information"?MacReviewZone?2:42 PM
"Space Station: Frontier HD For iPad Is Temporarily Available For Free (Normally $2.99), The iPhone Version Is Also Free"?Apple Sliced?9/28
"The Magician's Handbook: Cursed Valley HD (Full) For iPad Is Free Right Now (Previously $4.99)"?Apple Sliced?9/28
"Radballs For iPhone and iPad Is Free Today (Was $0.99)"?Apple Sliced?9/28
"iPad (2012) Prices & Sales"?MacPrices?9/28
"MacBook Air Prices & Sales"?MacPrices?9/28
"MacBook Pro Prices & Sales"?MacPrices?9/28
"Apple refurbs: 5 Macs $999 or less"?MacNN?9/28
"Mac Software Deals: Photoshop Elements 11, $84; Photoshop Elements 10, $49"?FairerPlatform?9/28
Deal Brothers Daily Deal: Mac mini 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5:? $1189.00 Delivered
Reviews
"iPhone 5: My First Week/After spending a week with the Apple iPhone 5, I have a clear picture of what has improved, evolved, and gone sideways."?InformationWeek?9:08 AM
"A photographer's view of the iPhone 5"?GigaOM?12:20 PM
"CruxSkunk iPad Keyboard Exposes the Mirage of Kickstarter [Review]?Mashable?12:19 PM
"Review: Case-Mate Barely There Case for iPhone 5"?Run Around Tech?12:19 PM
"PowerSkin Battery Case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 review"?iMore?10:08 AM
"Review: Speck PixelSkin HD case for iPhone 5"?M.I.C. Gadget?9:52 AM
"Review: Wahoo Blue HR Heart Rate Strap for iPhone 4S/5"?iSource?7:55 AM
"iPhone 5 vs. the VPI Traveler turntable: The iPhone 5 may be the star of the moment, but the VPI Traveler could stay in your life for decades."?CNET News?10:07 AM
"Magia Zip For IPad Has One Sticky Problem"?MacNews?9/28
"GLAS.T iPhone 5 screen protector from Spigen SGP (Video Review)"?Insanely Great Mac?9/28
iPad/iPhone/iPod touch Apps
"6 cool little features you didn't know iOS 6 had"?VentureBeat?12:23 PM
"Top Tier Alternatives To Apple Maps For iOS 6"?Apple'n'Apps?7:56 AM
"Don't Like Facebook? Then You'll Like Voicepic Even More"?App Advice?12:50 PM
"Flurry for Twitter for iPhone review"?iMore?8:01 AM
"9 home theater apps to improve your big screen with a small screen"?Digital Trends?8:04 AM
"Arrow Mania Review"?148Apps?2:35 PM
"Little Conquest Review"?148Apps?12:49 PM
"Project: Mayhem Review"?148Apps?12:23 PM
"iOS 6 Maps vs. iOS 5 Maps vs. maps.google.com: Location data shootout!"?iMore?9/28
"Create Your Own Passbook Cards, Coupons, & Tickets"?Apple Gazette?9/28
"Brewster: Merge iPhone Contacts With Facebook, Twitter, Gmail & Others"?AddictiveTips?9/28
"Bad Piggies for iPhone and iPad review"?iMore?9/28
"Bad Piggies ? Review: Feels like Angry Birds, but plays in a fresh new way"?What's on iPhone?9/28
"Appidemic: GridBlock for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch"?AppleTell?9/28
"'Lunar Silver Star Story Touch' Review - The Classic RPG in Your Pocket"?Touch Arcade?9/28
"'Infectonator' Review - Ending the World, One Zombie at a Time"?Touch Arcade?9/28
"Score! Classic Goals for iPad and iPhone review"?Macworld UK?9/28
"Carbonite Mobile Review"?148Apps?9/28
"Note Anytime Review: A free note taking and sketching app for the iPad that's packed with many features to give users creative flexibility."?148Apps?9/28
"Find the Way Review: Find the Way is a short maze game that pits players against a clock as they race to find a way out."?148Apps?9/28
"'Super Monsters Ate My Condo' Review and TA Plays - Not Just a Sequel, a SUPER Sequel"?Touch Arcade?9/28
How-To/Tutorial
"Use Siri The Right Way On Your iPhone And iOS 6 [Feature]?Cult of Mac?12:49 PM
"A course on black and white iPhone photography"?iDownload Blog?7:56 AM
"How to Use the Panorama Camera to Take Amazing Panoramic Pictures with iPhone"?OS X Daily?9/28
"How to Upgrade the RAM in Your MacBook Pro"?Mactuts+?9/28
Tips
"How to Assign a Passcode with More than Four Digits to Secure Your iOS Device"?The Mac Observer?10:08 AM
"How to choose an Apple Maps alternative"?USA Today?9:53 AM
"Ask Maggie is back! Which iPhone 5 is right for you?"?CNET News?9:00 AM
"Here's a neat tip to help make sure you get your iPhone back should you ever lose it"?The Next Web?8:00 AM
"One possible solution to iPhone Wi-Fi problems"?Mac OS X Hints?9/28
"Apple explains how to create home screen shortcuts to Google and Nokia maps on the web"?iDownload Blog?9/28
"Q&A: Asking Siri ? the Right Way"?New York Times [Free/Paid Registration Required]?9/28
"How To Buy A Smartphone: Which Is Better, Android or iPhone?"?ReadWriteWeb?9/28
Tim Cook's Maps Apology
"Old Maps vs. New Maps"?Vore?6:50 PM
"Tim Cook's apology shows that Apple cares, but still needs to fix problem"?TUAW?12:18 PM
"The Macalope Weekly: From bad to worse"?Macworld?10:08 AM
"NYT: iOS Maps another internet services blunder for Apple"?AppleInsider?8:00 AM
"MacOS KenDensed: iPhone 5's First Week & that Maps Thing"?The Mac Observer?7:59 AM
"Hate to Say 'I Told You So', Where by 'Hate' I Mean 'Draw Great Satisfaction From'"?Daring Fireball?9/28
"Apple's genius Maps jiu-jitsu: the enemy of my enemy is my friend"?VentureBeat?9/28
"Examining Maps in the Wake of Tim Cook's Apology"?TidBITS?9/28
"Tim Cook's 'Mapology': No explanation of premature Maps launch"?CNET News?9/28
"Did Apple's Apology Scare Off iPhone 5 Buyers?"?CNBC?9/28
"Well Played On Maps, Apple. Your Move,?Google."?TechCrunch?9/28
"Apple Losing Its Sense of Direction"?WSJ Blogs?9/28
"Leaders Apologize"?Forbes?9/28
"Tim Cook open letter: We fell short with new Maps app; we are extremely sorry"?MacDailyNews?9/28
"Apple CEO Cook Posts Letter Apologizing For Buggy Maps"?Forbes?9/28
"CEO Tim Cook apologizes for 'falling short' on Apple Maps"?GigaOM?9/28
"Apple apologizes for iOS 6 maps"?BetaNews?9/28
"Tim Cook on Apple Maps: 'We Are Extremely Sorry'"?AllThingsD?9/28
For the past year I have been trying to muddle through a less-than-satisfactory friendship with someone I once considered my best friend, trying to patch things up, but to no avail. She is a total Debbie Downer, always getting into drama with our mutual friends and family, clinging to me and suffocating me with her greedy/needy ways, and refusing to acknowledge that other people have problems, too.?
My life has been very stressful for the past two years, especially my health and finances. I know that being friends means sharing each other's troubles and helping each other out, but I feel like a maxed out credit card. There is nothing left in me when it comes to our friendship.?
I feel guilty about not wanting to be her friend anymore, but the truth is, I can't take being her personal therapist and cheerleader any longer. I also am afraid that if I try to leave the friendship, she will do something drastic and try to badmouth me to our mutual friends. How can I peacefully end this friendship that is taking a toll on me?
Signed, Totally Drained
?
ANSWER
Dear Totally Drained,
You haven't said many positive things about this "best" friendship so either you need to downgrade it or end it. Women find it hard to end friendships for a variety of reasons:
They may feel like the loss any friendship is a personal failure;
They may feel guilty about hurting the other individual; or
They may worry about the repercussions, including the effect of the breakup on mutual friendships.
While these concerns are all understandable, they do not justify holding on to draining, non-rewarding friendships like the one you describe. Doing so will keep you from engaging in healthier friendships and can take a toll on your happiness and well-being.?
You have already tried to change the dynamics between you, have given it time and thought, and are ready to give up. Since you have mutual friends, my suggestion would be to not "end" the friendship completely but to take one huge step back from it.?
You don't want to hurt this person unnecessarily because she was your friend. When you speak to her, explain that you can't get together because you have a number of issues going on, in terms of your own health and finances, and need to step back from the friendship for the time being. Talk about yourself rather than her. Don't blame her for your decision. Also, try not to engage in lengthy conversation or get into too many specifics about your decision. Choose a relaxed time and place that works for you If you send her a personal note, rather than do it in person, it may give her time to recoup from the blow.?
In terms of your mutual friends, if asked, just say you aren't as close as you once were with your friend and don't elaborate or badmouth her.
As you suspect, this won't be easy and your friend will try to remain attached at the hip because she sounds quite needy and dependent. She may get angry, too, but as long as you have handled it in the best way you can, you will have done the right thing. The alternative would be to let things remain as they are, which is untenable to you. Friendships are voluntary relationships and not all of them last forever.?Hope this helps a little.
Best, Irene ?
Some prior posts on The Friendship Blog about handling needy friends:?
DETROIT (AP) ? General Motors Co. is recalling more than 40,000 cars sold in warm-weather states because a plastic part might crack and cause a fuel leak.
The company is recalling Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 sedans from the 2007 through 2009 model years and Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent SUVs and Saturn Ion sedans from the 2007 model year.
The recall affects vehicles sold or currently registered in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada or Texas. Owners in Arkansas and Oklahoma also are included in the recall of the 2009 Cobalt and G5.
The vehicles have plastic parts connected to the fuel pump which could crack. If the crack gets large enough, fuel could leak out of the vehicle and cause a fire.
GM says there have been no reports of fires or injuries related to the defect. The company began investigating the issue in 2011 after a dealer reported fuel leaking from some vehicles.
GM says its warranty data indicates that the problem is far more common in warm-weather states. It will repair the vehicles for free in those states. Owners will be notified of the recall by mail.
But the company also plans to send letters to owners in other states offering a free repair within a limited time period if the parts are cracked. That offer is valid for 10 years or 120,000 miles from the date the vehicle was sold, spokesman Alan Adler said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the recall on its Web site Saturday.
FILE - This May 15, 2012 file photo shows actress Emily VanCamp attending the Entertainment Weekly and ABC Upfronts Party in New York. A year ago, Emily VanCamp worried no one would watch her TV show "Revenge" on ABC. Now, a year later, it's about to debut its second season and is one of the hottest shows on television. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)
FILE - This May 15, 2012 file photo shows actress Emily VanCamp attending the Entertainment Weekly and ABC Upfronts Party in New York. A year ago, Emily VanCamp worried no one would watch her TV show "Revenge" on ABC. Now, a year later, it's about to debut its second season and is one of the hottest shows on television. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)
FILE - This May 15, 2012 file photo shows actress Emily VanCamp attending the Entertainment Weekly and ABC Upfronts Party in New York. A year ago, Emily VanCamp worried no one would watch her TV show "Revenge" on ABC. Now, a year later, it's about to debut its second season and is one of the hottest shows on television. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)
NEW YORK (AP) ? What a difference a year makes.
This time last year, Emily VanCamp was hoping and praying her ABC series "Revenge" would be a success. It was ? and regularly won its time slot.
Now she's gearing up for the show's second season, premiering Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT.
"I was wondering what was going to happen with the show and, oh gosh, I remember just trying to repress the stress so much," VanCamp said in a recent interview. "You just want to focus on the work and not pay too much attention to all that stuff, but you're putting so much of yourself into it, and the fact that it all paid off and that it did so well has been kind of extraordinary. It's been a crazy year to say the least."
VanCamp plays Emily Thorne, a young woman out to get even for her father's death. She infiltrates a wealthy community in the Hamptons to take down the people who betrayed her family.
Like her character, 26-year-old VanCamp is a private person who prefers to remain a bit of a mystery to the public. She doesn't like to talk about her personal life (although she's rumored to be dating her "Revenge" co-star Josh Bowman) and says she's trying to come to terms with the public's interest in her life now that she has a hit TV show.
"We live in a time where the media is a very difficult thing to navigate because it's everywhere, and I tend to want to be a lot more private with my life," she said. "I've managed to do that for 10 years in this business.
"I've found a really nice balance, but this show is a different scale so ... I'm trying to figure all that out at the moment but ... some of the actors that I admire the most do have an element of intrigue. You don't know everything about them. It's very important to be able to distinguish the actors from the characters they play."
One thing VanCamp is getting used to as a leading lady is being sleep deprived.
"I'm exhausted almost all the time," she said. "I keep saying I'm weirdly preparing myself for motherhood because once you can get ahold of this sleep deprivation thing I think you have a leg up. And I'm definitely sleep deprived."
VanCamp also has adjusted to her high-profile role in "Revenge" by seeing herself as part of an "incredible" cast.
"I think it's really interesting to say 'my show' or 'I'm a lead of it' because it is such a collaborative thing ... but I am definitely there all the time," she laughed.
"I'm excited by challenging myself physically and mentally every day. That's what keeps me going and makes me love what I do so I really can't complain about it." She pauses then says: "I complain sometimes. I'm not gonna lie."
___
Online:
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/revenge
___
Alicia Rancilio covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her online at http://www.twitter.com/aliciar
Search engine optimization helps you get ahead of the competition. Doing so means knowing the techniques to bring up your rank. The following article will help you harness this power while telling you what to avoid when utilizing search engine optimization.
When selecting a domain name, choose one that is easily remembered and has a name that has something to do with what you are selling. These are great for your viewers that locate your content through YouTube.
Search engines can be a powerful tool when it comes to driving internet traffic to your site. Your website will be at the top of the search engine rankings, if you do your best to make it friendly to the spiders that the search engines use to determine site quality. Tag all images on your website, since spiders only read text. For all of your descriptions, make sure that you are embedding keywords whenever possible.
While proofreading is often overlooked, it?s vital to the quality and respectability of all websites. Make sure that all of the information on your site is clearly laid out for your visitors and for search engines. If your content is poorly written and is full of spelling and grammatical errors, your website will not rank well by search engines, if at all.
If you want to rank high in a search engine, do your part to help out web spiders. They are always looking through content based on keywords, but spiders also need to understand your site?s overall structure. You have to stress the important areas of your site by making a site map which lets a web spider get a hold of the hierarchy of your pages.
It is worth your time to see if you could add podcasts to your marketing mix. A podcast can include audio or video content that includes relevant, interesting material directed at your consumers. They are becoming more and more popular with consumers so make sure that you hop on the band wagon. Doing this will allow the description of your podcast to appear.
When you make your site better for the search engines, you make your site better for potential customers. Unfortunately, some online businesses still underestimate the importance of their search engine rankings.
Site maps help search engines catalog your pages more effectively. The site map, or navigation bar, lets the search engines access your pages from all other pages on the site. Adding a site map is an easy way to improve your rank with popular search engines.
SEO takes time, so be patient. It is normal for you to expect to see results right away for your work. It takes hard work and time to get a following online. You need to stay with it, even if you are not seeing any changes yet. As time goes on, you will see the results of your efforts, and your website will rise in the search engine rankings.
If you are contemplating hiring an outside company to do your site?s search engine optimization, research carefully before signing on. Many search engine optimizers that lack credibility will charge high prices for poor work. Research and read testimonials about what other people have to say about their services. You will be much happier with the results.
You can experience an increased number of search engine hits by inputting plural forms of keywords. Keyword stemming is a strategy that some search engines use. If you choose a keyword that has other possible endings, such as ?accountant,? the search engines might not include your site in results for the terms ?accounting? or ?accountants?. When you make the most of keyword stemming, you will choose the longest choice of the keyword offered. In this way, you will get the most return.
Search engine crawlers are always scouring the web for fresh material and updated content. Whenever you update your blog or content, you are making your site more visible to search engines. Additionally, if you put the effort into posting interesting, useful content, people will share them with others and help you get even more traffic. Interesting content will also draw return traffic, especially from people who have recommended the content to their friends.
You should think the way a customer thinks when you are trying to figure out what keywords will be the most effective. Determine the relevant terms visitors are using when they use search engines.
Putting your website in a prime place to be found is what search engine optimization is all about. The article you have just read gave you multiple tips on how to make this happen for you. Applying these simple tricks will get your website noticed in no time, so increase your traffic
Search Engine Optimization, SEO
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Many companies including Nokia and Research in Motion have been struggling to compete with Apple and manufacturers of devices running Google's Android software. That shows in some of the earnings reports released so far for the latest quarter.
Here's a look at how makers of phones and tablet computers are doing:
? July 10: BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. asks disgruntled investors at a shareholders meeting for patience as it develops new devices to rival the iPhone and Android smartphones. The company reiterates a warning that the next several quarters will be challenging. It also expects to report another operating loss in the current quarter, which ends Sept. 1, as the company cuts prices to sell its older BlackBerry models.
? July 19: Nokia Corp. says its net loss nearly quadrupled in the second quarter on sagging sales of smartphones, which fell 39 percent from a year ago to 10.2 million. The company's stock jumped, however, as sales of low-end phones buoyed revenue and shipments of the new Lumia phones, which run on Windows software and will replace the older smartphone models, were not as bad as feared. In North America, sales of the Lumia phones offset declines in traditional Symbian devices.
Google Inc., which completed its purchase of Motorola Mobility during the quarter, says it saw strengths in North America with Verizon Wireless, driven by the Razr Maxx device. But it says international sales of basic cellphones and mid-tier smartphones declined. Google reiterates that 1 million new Android devices from various phone makers are being activated each day, with more than 400 million activated worldwide.
? July 24: Apple Inc. says it sold 26 million iPhones, 28 percent more than a year ago. It also sold 17 million iPads, an 84 percent increase and a quarterly record. But average selling prices for both products were down.
? July 25: LG Electronics reports a lower quarterly profit as its mobile phone division sank to a loss. Basic handset sales declined while expenses to promote its new smartphones went up. The company says profitability at the mobile communication business will not be too bad for the rest of the year with new high-end mobile device launches due in North America and Japan. But it stops short of guiding investors on when the company can fully turn around its mobile business
? July 27: Samsung Electronics Co. reports another record-high quarterly profit as customers flocked to Galaxy smartphones. Samsung benefited as rivals including Apple had yet to release new models. The performance in mobile phones helped offset a slowdown in other consumer electronics businesses such as televisions.
IDC reports that Samsung has extended its lead over Apple in smartphones. Samsung had a market share of 33 percent in the second quarter, up from 17 percent a year ago. Apple's fell slightly to 17 percent, from 19 percent a year ago. The drop is typical several months after the release of a new iPhone model.
? Aug. 2: Sony Corp. says revenue in its mobile division more than doubled, but that's largely because it took full ownership of Sony Mobile, once a joint venture with LM Ericsson. Had the transaction been reflected in the year-ago quarter, growth would have been about 14 percent. Sony says more people have been buying smartphones rather than the cheaper, basic phones. It's also sold more smartphones, mostly because of strong performance of Xperia S and Xperia acro HD.
? Aug. 3: Taiwan smartphone maker HTC Corp. reports a 58 percent drop in profit, its third consecutive quarterly decline as intensifying competition from Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. hurt sales. The company had hoped to win back some of its market with the launch of "HTC One" series, which offers users a better camera and music experience. But following the huge popularity of Samsung's Galaxy handsets, the model's key U.S. carrier, AT&T, recently slashed the prices of "HTC One" by half. HTC says the U.S. will continue to be an important market, but that China "will be a key driving force for our future growth."
? Aug. 8: Research group IDC says the success of Samsung's Android phones helped Google's operating system extend its dominance in the smartphone market. There were four Android phones for every iPhone shipped in the second quarter, up from a ratio of 2.5 to 1 in the same period last year. The gains come largely at the expense of BlackBerry phones made by Research in Motion Ltd. and Symbian phones made largely by Nokia Corp.Apple's market share dropped slightly, but the company shipped more iPhones than a year ago.
? Aug. 13: Google says it's cutting about 4,000 jobs at its Motorola Mobility cellphone business and will close or consolidate about one-third of its 90 locations. The reductions represent about 20 percent of Motorola Mobility's 20,000 employees, and 7 percent of Google's overall work force. Two-third of the job cuts will take place outside of the U.S., Google said. The job eliminations come three months after Google bought the once-dominant U.S. cellphone maker for $12.5 billion, chiefly with a view to using its large patent portfolio to bolster its legal defenses.
? Aug. 15: Rating agency Standard and Poor's downgrades Nokia Corp.'s long-term corporate credit rating further into junk status amid concerns over the cellphone company's deteriorating profitability.
? Aug. 16: Samsung Electronics Co. begins selling the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet in the U.S., the U.K. and South Korea. It has a digital pen and a faster processor than the iPad, but has a lower screen resolution.
Lenovo Group Ltd. says smartphone shipments grew 44 percent for a market share of 11 percent. Lenovo says it sold 5 million smartphones in China in the latest quarter, passing PC sales by number of units for the first time.
? Aug. 23: Sony's cellphone division says it's cutting 1,000 jobs, or 15 percent of its global workforce, mostly in Sweden over the next two fiscal years through March 2014. Sony Mobile Communications says the job cuts are an effort to reduce costs and boost profits. They are part of Sony Corp.'s already announced plan to reduce 10,000 jobs, or 6 percent of its global workforce, by March 2013.
RIM says it has begun showing its new BlackBerry smartphones to wireless carriers around the world, but the struggling company says it is still months away from starting to sell them.
? Sept. 5: Nokia announces two phones running the next version of Windows. Its stock falls 16 percent as investors weren't impressed. The company didn't reveal prices and says only that the phones will be available in the fourth quarter "in select markets."
Motorola, under new owner Google, announces three smartphones borrowing the Razr brand, the name of the hit clamshell phone from 2004. The $99 Razr M is to be in Verizon Wireless stores in a week. Two higher-end models will come later.
? Sept. 6: Amazon.com Inc. announces four new Kindle Fire tablet computers as it steps up competition with Apple Inc. and its iPad. Two of the models have screens nearly as large as the iPad's, at lower prices. Those will start shipping in November, while the smaller, 7-inch models will start selling Sept. 14. Amazon also refreshes its line of stand-alone e-readers.
? Sept. 12: Apple unveils the iPhone 5, with a taller screen and the ability to connect to faster data networks known as 4G. It will go on sale in the U.S. on Sept. 21. Apple also refreshed the iPod Nano and the iPod Touch. Plus, it introduced a new type of headphone called EarPods, which are meant to fit comfortably in more people's ears.
? Sept. 24: Apple Inc. says that it sold more than 5 million units of the iPhone 5 in the three days since its launch, fewer than analysts had expected. The sales tally is a record for any phone, but it beats last year's iPhone 4S launch only by a small margin. Apple said then that it sold 4 million phones in the first three days.
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