Obama campaign launches first ads (AP)

WASHINGTON ? With an eye on recruiting volunteers, President Barack Obama is launching the first TV ads of his re-election campaign.

Campaign officials said Tuesday the ad buy is "tiny" on national satellite TV stations but aimed at learning whether television is a good way to find volunteers. In the two 30-second ads, Obama urges viewers to call a number on the screen or visit the website www.JoinObama.com, which invites people to enter their email address and zip code to become involved with the campaign.

"The 2012 campaign is under way and the outcome will depend not on what I do, but what you do," Obama says in one of the ads.

Obama's campaign has placed a premium on building a large network of volunteers and the ads are aimed squarely at that effort. By placing them on satellite TV in small increments, the campaign can test how well they help to recruit people to join neighborhood campaign teams, knock on doors and register new voters.

"They can go in a targeted way, see where it hits, see how effective it is and work out the kinks," said Democratic strategist Tad Devine, who is not affiliated with the campaign.

For Obama, who became politically active as a community organizer in Chicago during the mid-1980s, the first ads remind viewers of his "change" message in 2008 and underscore his campaign's strategy of building a large organization next year to compensate for his weakened standing and voters' unhappiness with the direction of the country.

"It all starts with you making a decision to get involved because we've got so much more to do," Obama says.

Republicans said the ads showed Obama was struggling to generate the enthusiasm he had during the 2008 campaign. "By acknowledging that the 2012 campaign is in full swing, it's clear everything Obama does for the next year is about saving his job," said Kirsten Kukowski, speaking for the Republican National Committee.

Obama's campaign has held thousands of events around the nation to jumpstart participation, including neighborhood gatherings, one-on-one meetings in coffeehouses, phone banks and voter registration drives. His team is also trying to organize many of the voters who formed the foundation of Obama's coalition in 2008 ? black and Latino voters, women, college students and young voters entering the work force.

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111129/ap_on_el_pr/us_obama_ad

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Cyber Monday gives Black Friday a run for its money

PORTLAND, Ore.?? Cyber Monday. Green Tuesday. Black Friday. Magenta Saturday.

Chances are you won't find any of these holidays on your calendar. Yet retailers are coming up with names for just about every day of the week during the holiday shopping season.

During T-Mobile's "Magenta Saturday," the event named for the company's pinkish-purple logo earlier this month offered shoppers the chance to buy cellphones and some tablets on a layaway plan. Mattel lured customers in with discounts of 60 percent off toys for girls and boys on "Pink Friday and "Blue Friday." And outdoor retailer Gander Mountain is giving shoppers deals on camouflage and other gear every Thursday through December during "Camo Thursdays."

"There are hundreds of promotions going on this time of year," says Steve Uline, head of marketing for Gander. "We needed to do something a little bit different."

Story: Online sales surge 26 percent on Black Friday

It's difficult to get Americans to spend money when many are struggling with job losses, underwater mortgages or dwindling retirement savings. But merchants are hoping some creative marketing will generate excitement among shoppers during the last two months of the year, a time when many of them make up to 40 percent of their annual revenue. And they know that a catchy name can make a huge difference.

"The more special you make it sound, the more you might be able to get people," says Alan Adamson, a managing director at brand consulting firm Landor Associates. "It's tricky to come up with something simple and sticky."

Retailers have done it before.

"Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving, in the 1960s became known as the point when merchants turn a profit or operate "in the black." Later, retailers began marketing it as the start of the holiday shopping season with earlier store hours and deep discounts of up to 70 percent off.

Black Friday shoppers get bargains, less brouhaha

It's since become the busiest shopping day of the year. This past weekend, "Black Friday" sales were $11.4 billion, up 7 percent, or nearly $1 billion from the same day last year, according to a report by ShopperTrak, which gathers data from 25,000 outlets across the country. It was the largest amount ever spent on that day.

U.S. retailers racked up a record $52.4 billion in sales over the Thanksgiving weekend, a 16.4 percent jump from a year ago, the National Retail Federation said Sunday. It also forecast a 2.8 percent increase in sales for the November-to-December holiday season, down from the 5.2 percent increase in the same period last year.

'Victim of its own success'
But "Black Friday" has been a blessing and a curse: In recent years, it's become so popular that it's known for its big crowds, long lines, and even disorder and violence among some shoppers.

"Black Friday has become a victim of its own success," says Adamson, the branding expert. "It has been successful to the point where it has created the opportunity that if you don't want to deal with the madness, come out on Tuesday or some other day."

Video: Black Friday marred by violence (on this page)

"Cyber Monday" was coined in 2005 when a retail trade group noticed a spike in online sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving when people returned to their work computers and shopped. While more people now have Internet access at home, retailers still offer discounts and other online promotions for the day started by Shop.org, part of The National Retail Federation.

The day has grown increasingly popular. Last year, it was the busiest online shopping day ever, with sales of more than $1 billion, according to research firm ComScore Inc.

During this week's "Cyber Monday," the NRF says nearly 80 percent of retailers plan to offer special promotions. And a record 122.9 million of Americans are expected to shop on the day, up from 106.9 million who shopped on "Cyber Monday" last year, according to a survey conducted for Shop.org.

Video: Holiday shopping breaks records (on this page)

Marketers are hoping to strike gold again. Many are doing so by appealing to Americans who've become disenchanted with big business and commercialism.

Nonprofit Green America is launching "Green Tuesday" this week to encourage people to buy gifts with the environment and local communities in mind. The group is planning to push the event every Tuesday through December.

Green America, which says it aims to support society and the environment through economic programs, plans to showcase deals on its website, including jewelry made from recycled nuclear bomb equipment from online retailer Fromwartopeace.com and a self-watering system for plants by Dri Water.

Story: Black Friday weekend 2011 sees record turnout

"Mass culture encourages people to run out of their house, now at midnight, and go shopping," says Todd Larsen, director of corporate responsibility for Green America, which vetted the businesses it's highlighting on its website to ensure they meet certain environmental and ethical standards. "Why not wait another day or more and buy something that helps others?"

Last year, American Express named the Saturday after Thanksgiving "Small Business Saturday" to encourage Americans to shop at mom-and-pop shops. This year, it offered a $25 credit to cardholders who register on social media website Facebook and shop at participating stores.

The company launched a campaign to promote the day ? including TV ads and marketing materials for small businesses to display in stores.

The effort has worked. Small retailers that accept Amex had a 28 percent increase in revenue during the daylong event last year, compared with a 9 percent rise for all retailers, according to card activity measured by American Express. The company did not disclose the dollar amount spent that day.

Crazed weekend launches crucial retail season

It's not clear yet how small businesses fared during the event this past Saturday, but a company survey before "Small Business Saturday" showed that 89 million consumers had planned to "shop small" on the day.

"People get it; they are behind it 100 percent," says Yabette Alfaro, owner of Swankity Swank, a San Francisco home furnishings and accessories shop that participates in "Small Business Saturday." "Our customers don't want to participate in Black Friday. Most of them think anyone making a stand is great."

Lizbeth Turq, a 26-year old in Deerfield, Ill., this past weekend shopped at several local shops during "Small Business Saturday." She ended up buying some gifts for the holidays, including one for her mother at a home d?cor store. Most of the items she found were 20 percent off, she says.

"It's really not an issue of having a sale or not," Turq says, "It's an issue of supporting the community I live in and creating jobs, particularly in the economy we are in."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45459573/ns/business-retail/

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US vows full probe into Pakistan border incident (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Obama administration on Saturday pledged a full investigation into a NATO attack that allegedly killed 24 Pakistani troops.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in a joint statement offered their "deepest condolences" for the loss of life in the cross-border incident in Pakistan. Clinton and Panetta also said they "support fully NATO's intention to investigate immediately."

Secretary Clinton, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. John Allen, commander of the NATO-led coalition forces in Afghanistan, each called their Pakistani counterparts as well, the statement said.

U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter also met with Pakistani government officials in Islamabad.

"In their contacts, these US diplomatic and military leaders each stressed -- in addition to their sympathies and a commitment to review the circumstances of the incident -- the importance of the US-Pakistani partnership, which serves the mutual interests of our people," the statement said.

"All these leaders pledged to remain in close contact with their Pakistani counterparts going forward as we work through this challenging time," the statement concluded.

The incident was a major blow to American efforts to rebuild an already tattered alliance vital to winding down the 10-year-old Afghan war. It was the latest in a series of setbacks to the alliance, often caused by border incidents.

Islamabad called the bloodshed in one of its tribal areas a "grave infringement" of the country's sovereignty.

If confirmed, it would be the deadliest friendly fire incident by NATO against Pakistani troops since the Afghan war began a decade ago.

A NATO spokesman said it was likely that coalition airstrikes caused Pakistani casualties, but an investigation was being conducted to determine the details.

The relationship between Pakistan and the U.S. has severely deteriorated over the last year, especially following the covert American raid that killed Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani garrison town in May. Islamabad was outraged it wasn't told about the operation beforehand.

The border issue is a major source of tension between Islamabad and Washington, which is committed to withdrawing its combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Much of the violence in Afghanistan is carried out by insurgents who are based just across the border in Pakistan. Coalition forces are not allowed to cross the frontier to attack the militants. However, the militants sometimes fire artillery and rockets across the line, reportedly from locations close to Pakistani army posts.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111127/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_pakistan_us

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The furnace of the future: Computer servers? (The Week)

New York ? Computer data centers are energy-hogs that generate a ton of heat. Why not take advantage of that warmth, say researchers

As we do more and more of our computing online and in the cloud, we're requiring more and more server space to keep our Netflix streaming and our iPhones' Siri assistants obeying our every command. As a result, computer data centers are increasingly gobbling energy ? both to keep them powered up, and to keep them cool. Some researchers have proposed an interesting scheme to take advantage of all the warmth that servers generate: Why not use it to heat people's homes? Here, a brief instant guide:

What is this computer-server heater?
Four researchers from Microsoft Research and two from the University of Virginia are working on a concept they call the "data furnace." Since computer servers create a great deal of heat, the idea would be for a home with a broadband connection to act as a "micro data center" for a company requiring computing power. Instead of a furnace, a cabinet filled with computer servers would be connected to a circulation fan and ductwork to heat the house.

SEE MORE: Could Mount Everest be the future of solar power?

?

How much energy do computer servers use?
A lot, raising fears of a looming "data center energy crisis." In September, Google revealed that its electricity usage equals that of 200,000 homes, and that its data centers continuously draw nearly 260 million watts, roughly equal to 25 percent of the output of a nuclear power plant. In 2010, data centers in the U.S. accounted for 1.7 to 2.2 percent of total electricity use according to one recent study. Greenpeace estimates that the figure is closer to 3 percent. Such statistics have tech companies actively seeking more efficient server setups.

What are tech companies doing to make server farms more energy efficient?
Facebook recently announced that it's building a server farm in northern Sweden, just 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle, that will rely almost exclusively on hydroelectric power and use the naturally cold air to cool servers. Google has a server farm in Finland that uses water from the Baltic Sea for cooling. Apple recently announced plans to build a solar farm next to its huge data center in North Carolina and switch from coal to solar power.

SEE MORE: Can fracking cause earthquakes??

?

How much money could the home-based "data furnace" concept save companies?
Researchers estimate that 40 servers cost about $16,000 a year to run, including the cost of building brick-and-mortar server centers and keeping them cool. If the same servers were housed in a "data furnace" in a home, researchers say the cost would be less than $3,600 a year. "The company's data center could thus cover the homeowner's electricity costs for the servers and still come out way ahead financially," says Randall Stross in The New York Times.

What would happen in the summer when you don't want the heat on?
During the warm months, the heat generated by the servers would simply be directed outside, "as harmless as a clothes dryer's," though it's doubtful all home owners would want to add a new outdoor vent to their dwelling's exterior. Researchers say that if outside temps topped 95 degrees, servers would need to be temporarily shut down.

So, will there soon to be a data furnace in every home?
Not quite yet. Many aren't sure if this is "crazy idea" or a "stroke of genius." One obvious concern is security. "How could IT companies ensure that a client?s confidential data is safe in some random family?s basement? What about floods, power outages, or server snafus?" asks Rebecca Boyle at Popular Science. Researchers say the servers would remain under the control of a company's central data center and all data would be encrypted. If a server failed, its work would be automatically designated to another. "We've gotten a very strong response, more than I usually get after publishing a scientific paper," says one of the researchers. "We heard from several people who are already heating their homes with computer systems, which shows that it works."

Sources: ABC News, Analytics Press, CTOEdge, Guardian, New York Times (2), Popular Science

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oped/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20111128/cm_theweek/221868

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Egyptian protests, violence overshadow elections (AP)

CAIRO ? Fresh clashes between security forces and Egyptian protesters demanding the military step down broke out Saturday in front of the Cabinet building, leaving one man dead, as violence threatened to overshadow next week's parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the ruling military council that took power after Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February, met separately with opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei and presidential hopeful Amr Moussa, who was the former head of the Arab League. Egyptian state TV reported the meetings but gave no details.

The new prime minister, whose appointment by the military on Friday touched off a wave of anger among protesters accusing the army of trying to perpetuate the old regime, also held a series of meetings trying to sway youth groups to his side.

State TV said Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri, who is unpopular in part because he served under Mubarak, offered Cabinet positions and is pondering the formation of an advisory council to be composed of leading democracy advocates and presidential hopefuls.

The suggestion however failed to disperse the protesters, with nearly 10,000 packing into Cairo's central Tahrir Square as organizers called for another mass rally on Sunday.

Twenty-four protest groups, including two political parties, have announced they are creating their own "national salvation" government to be headed by ElBaradei with deputies from across the political spectrum to which they demanded the military hand over power.

ElBaradei said in a statement that he would be willing to form a such a government to manage the country's transition, and that if he were officially asked to put a government together, he would give up the idea of running for president in order to focus on the current phase of transition.

Outside the Cabinet building, hundreds of protesters set up camp, spending the night in blankets and tents to prevent the 78-year-old el-Ganzouri from entering to take up his new post. Early Saturday, they clashed with security forces who allegedly tried to disperse them.

An Associated Press cameraman saw three police troop carriers and an armored vehicle firing tear gas as they were being chased from the site by rock-throwing protesters.

The man who was killed was run over by one of the vehicles, but there were conflicting accounts about the circumstances surrounding the death.

The Interior Ministry expressed regret for the death of the protester, identified as Ahmed Serour, and said it was an accident. Police didn't intend to storm the sit-in but were merely heading to the Interior Ministry headquarters, located behind the Cabinet building, when they came under attack by angry protesters throwing firebombs, it said in a statement. The ministry claimed security forces were injured and the driver of one of the vehicles panicked and ran over the protester.

One of the demonstrators, Mohammed Zaghloul, 21, said he saw six security vehicles heading to their site.

"It became very tense, rock throwing started and the police cars were driving like crazy," he said. "Police threw one tear gas canister and all of a sudden we saw our people carrying the body of a man who was bleeding really badly."

Officials say more than 40 people have been killed across the country since Nov. 19, when the unrest began after a small sit-in by protesters injured during the 18-day uprising that ousted Mubarak was violently broken up by security forces. That sparked days of clashes, which ended with a truce on Thursday. It wasn't clear whether the melee on Saturday was an isolated incident or part of fresh violence by security forces trying to clear the way for the new prime minister, and protesters frustrated by what they believe are the military's efforts to perpetuate the old regime.

"El-Ganzouri was pulled out of his grave. He was a dead man," said a 39-year-old employee Ahmad Anas as chants against the head of the military council filled the air outside the Cabinet building: "Tantawi and el-Ganzouri are choking me." A banner hanging over the building gates read: "closed until execution of field marshal."

El-Ganzouri served as prime minister under Mubarak between 1996 and 1999. His name has been associated with failed mega projects including Toshka, an ambitious and expensive scheme to divert Nile water at the southern tip of Egypt to create a second Nile Valley. The project has cost billions and barely gotten off the ground.

The military's appointment of el-Ganzouri, along with its apology for the death of protesters and a series of partial concessions in the past two days suggest that the generals are struggling to overcome the most serious challenge to their nine-month rule, with fewer options now available to them.

Hala al-Kousy, a 37-year-protester, vowed that protesters will not leave the square until the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the formal name of the military's ruling council, gives up power.

"They are willing to wait and so are we," al-Kousy said.

Egypt's first parliamentary elections since Mubarak was replaced by the military council are slated to begin Monday. The vote, which the generals say will be held on schedule despite the unrest, is now seen by many activists and protesters to be serving the military's efforts to project an image of itself as the nation's saviors and true democrats.

However, boycotting elections is a hard choice for many youth groups who rose up against Mubarak's autocratic regime in hopes of ushering in democracy, fair and free elections. Others have been engaged in awareness campaigns or are fielding candidates. Many said that even if they vote, they will continue their sit-in.

Mohammed el-Qassas, one of the founders of The Egyptian Current party, which was born out of the revolution, described the general atmosphere, as "saddening," but said he will vote just to "put my voice in the ballot."

A member of another youth group, Injy Hamdi, 27, said "we will all go to the ballot boxes, vote and then come back to the square."

Mohammed Abdel-Moneim, 38, said the protesters would not allow any election tampering, allegedly widespread during the past regime.

"We protect the ballot boxes with our bodies and lives if we have to. We fought hard for this right to vote," he said.

The next parliament is expected to be dominated by the country's most organized political force, the Muslim Brotherhood. The group decided to boycott the ongoing protests to keep from doing anything that could derail the election. However, the outcome of the vote is likely to be seen as flawed given the growing unrest and the suspension by many candidates of their campaigns in solidarity with the protesters.

___

Associated Press writer Maggie Michael contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111126/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt

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Greece: Migrants rescued from stranded trawler (AP)

ATHENS, Greece ? Greece's coast guard rescued 92 people, believed to be illegal immigrants, on Friday from a disabled trawler in rough seas off southern Greece, authorities said.

The coast guard said the trawler was believed to be heading from the Egyptian port of Alexandria to Italy and suffered engine failure in near-gale conditions.

It was located 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the island of Kythera, after patrol boats, passing merchant ships, a rescue helicopter and a military transport aircraft were involved in the rescue operation.

The suspected illegal immigrants were safely transported to a nearby U.S.-flagged research vessel, the Atlantis, the coast guard said. The Atlantis was instructed to sail to the southern Greek port of Kalamata.

Debt-crippled Greece is a main gateway for illegal immigration into the European Union. Tens of thousands of people, mostly from Asia and Africa, are arrested on the country's borders every year.

Over the past two months, 10 men drowned or froze to death trying to cross the northeastern border with Turkey.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111125/ap_on_re_eu/eu_greece_illegal_immigrants

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