U.S. Housing Market Still On Life Support; Prices At 2003 Levels

With each passing year, the former Oracle of the Fed, Alan Greenspan, is reminded that there really was a housing bubble and lowering interest rates to record lows just made matters worse.  Nearly four years after the housing market peak in 2007, record low mortgage rates are no match for falling incomes and 9% unemployment.The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, released on Tuesday, showed that nation...

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Record-breaking 17.4 million Android and iOS devices activated on Christmas Day; tablets top smartphones

More Android and iOS devices were activated on Christmas Day this year than on any other day. According to analytics firm Flurry, 17.4 million Android and iOS devices were activated during the holiday, an increase of 332% compared to an average of 4 million activations per day. This year’s numbers were found to be more than two and a half times larger than Christmas Day last year, which saw 6.8 million...

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iOS apps see Christmas sales spike shrink in 2012

Distimo just released its statistics on Christmas Day app downloads and revenue growth… and the download spike is far smaller than it was last year. Back in 2011, Christmas Day iOS app download volume spiked 230% above the December average. This year, the increase was just 87% — far below industry expectations. The revenue spike came in at 70%.[More from BGR: Google names 12 best Android apps of 2012]Interestingly,...

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Leaked BlackBerry 10 slides show video calling and screen sharing for BBM

Research in Motion (RIMM) recently updated its BlackBerry Messenger application to include free Wi-Fi calling. With the release of BlackBerry 10 just around the corner, RIM is looking to add even more features to its flagship messaging app. Slides from a purported internal BlackBerry 10 presentation that were originally posted on the CrackBerry forums suggest that the company is planning to update...

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Samsung details Jelly Bean update with new features for original Galaxy Note

The Galaxy S III isn’t the only device getting new software features. Samsung (005930) confirmed on its website that the original Galaxy Note will be updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which should mean it’ll run faster thanks to UI enhancements from “Project Butter.” Samsung-specific features including multi-window    view for true multitasking, pop-up apps, photo frame mode, enhanced...

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The 2012 sporting year in quotes

OLYMPICS"These were happy and glorious Games," - IOC president Jacques Rogge at the closing ceremony."I did everything I wanted to. I finished my career the way I wanted to," - American swimmer Michael Phelps after retiring with 18 gold medals."I hope that this medal inspires the kids at home to put down guns and knives and pick up a pair of trainers instead," - Erick Barrondo, winner of Guatemala's...

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UPDATE 1-Baseball-'Godzilla' Matsui retires from baseball

* Former Yankee ends 20-year career* Tributes flood in for Japanese sporting celebrity (Adds quotes, details, dateline)TOKYO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Hard-hitting Hideki Matsui, who set several milestones for Japanese players in Major League Baseball, has announced his retirement from the game.The 38-year-old slugger played for 10 seasons in MLB, seven of them with the New York Yankees, producing the most...

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NEWSMAKER-Baseball-Fire goes out for 'Godzilla' Matsui

TOKYO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - No longer the fearsome, fire-breathing "Godzilla" of old, injury-ravaged Hideki Matsui retired from baseball with his head held high and as a huge source of national pride for Japan.The 38-year-old slugger, World Series MVP in 2009 with the New York Yankees, helped put Japanese baseball on the map after the trail-blazing Hideo Nomo and mercurial Ichiro Suzuki had enjoyed...

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News Corp buys regional sports channel in Ohio

- News Corp said on Friday it bought SportsTime Ohio, a Cleveland-based regional sports network that broadcasts Cleveland Indians baseball games.The company did not disclose financial details. A source close to the matter said on Friday the deal was worth roughly $230 million, which Reuters first reported on December 3.The network, owned by the Cleveland Indians baseball team, also airs programming...

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After prison release, Urbina returns to baseball

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Former major league pitcher Ugueth Urbina returned to baseball Friday after serving 7½ years in prison for the attempted murder of five workers on his family's ranch.Before taking the field in his native Venezuela to play for the Lions of Caracas, Urbina described himself as "more mature" and said he was "very excited to play baseball again.""I'm excited to be here," Urbina...

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