RELATED:

Amount you should worry: VERY MUCH

RELATED:

In theory, this is exactly who the PATRIOT Act and the Foreign Intelligence Services Act () are meant to target: people from foreign countries that want to commit acts of terror. If that is you: 1) Thank you for reading The Atlantic Wire, we guess, and 2) you should probably not use American social networking tools for your terror-related activities.

RELATED:

Amount you should worry: A LOT

RELATED:

Here's the deal. These tools are used to investigateabout terror-linked activity in an effort to stop attacks before they occur. In other words, there is almost certainly a lot of investigating that isn't related to terror plots. If you are not an American citizen, the government is not restricted by the Fourth Amendment in its efforts to try and figure out if you plan to come here and wreak terror. The extent to which you care about dudes at the National Security Agency reading what you're putting on social media sites should be used as your guide for how reluctant you are to use them.

RELATED:

Amount you should worry: SOMEWHAT

Thethe primary modifier to Obama's use of "apply."

In other words, if the government has reason to suspect that your friend in Madagascar is involved in terror activities, it might review that friend's use of communications technology. (Remember: It'sthat's being looked at.) In doing so, it might see what you and your friend communicated about. And, just like that, your privacy has been comprised.

Alex Abdo, an ACLU staff attorney, spoke with The Atlantic Wire about this very issue. The "two-hop" standard, he said, "will inevitably sweep in Americans."

Nonetheless, it seems to think that it does.

Amount you should worry: SOMEWHAT

Abdo, of the ACLU, noted a possible side effect: Two Americans might end up being targeted for communication with each other.

After all, if you have a friend whose emails or Skype communication gets sucked up in the first hop of the NSA's investigation you're suddenly only one hop away. Given the sketchiness of details about , it's not clear where the boundary in terms of time and extent lies. Does the NSA get to investigate that first-hop person for a certain time period? Only in a direct email chain? How that works obviously links directly to the likelihood that you'll be caught up as the second hop. But, as the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, : it happens.

Amount you should worry: SOMEWHAT

This was covered in part above. But there's another issue. The government doesn't always know from social media who is and isn't an American.

As , the government has to have 51-percent confidence that the person its investigating is not an American citizen. In other words, if the government has 13 reasons to think that you're a citizen and 14 to think that you're not — or however that esoteric math works — it can look at your social media trail. Or, again, maybe you're friends with someone that the government is 54 percent sure isn't American. All of a sudden, you're a hop away again.

Amount you should worry: A LOT

At least if you use , all of which apparently regularly turn over call metadata to the NSA. That data includes call duration, phone numbers involved, and, possibly, location information. How the NSA uses that information — if it does regularly at all — isn't clear. (Nothing's clear. Nothing about any of this is clear. Which was how the government was hoping to keep it.)

Amount you should worry: NOT MUCH

The new revelations are predicated on the use of electronic systems for communication. If you don't use a cell phone and don't use social media and don't use Gmail, you're probably safe.

Except for all of the other ways in which the government might be investigating what you're doing. Or if you're on .

Amount you should worry: ZERO

If you are Senator Graham, you should not worry, because Senator Graham isn't worried about this. From :

“I’m a Verizon customer. I don’t mind Verizon turning over records to the government if the government is going to make sure that they try to match up a known terrorist phone with somebody in the United States. I don’t think you’re talking to the terrorists. I know you’re not. I know I’m not. So we don’t have anything to worry about.”

Clearly. Nothing at all.

Photo by useron .

(.)

I have asked Dad not to do it because it is inconsiderate of the other guests. I can see people are bothered by it, so now they make a beeline to the buffet so they can beat him to it.

Dad got offended when I talked to him about it, but he continues to do it. Mom refuses to get involved, and I have said all I can say. What to do? -- BURNED UP IN ILLINOIS

DEAR BURNED UP: A guest who grabs all the goodies at a dinner party is a hog. Because your father refuses to change his behavior, I will offer a few suggestions: The first is to alter your menu to avoid serving casserole dishes. If that's not possible, make your father his own separate casserole with his name on it, so he can have it all to himself. Or plate the food in the kitchen and stop serving it buffet-style.

DEAR ABBY: Over the past few years, as social media has become more popular, I have noticed a trend among many people. They now favor that form of communication over personal human interaction. This is especially true of my girlfriend of five years.

We have the normal relationship problems I feel could be addressed, but from the moment she gets home from work she's in front of the computer playing Facebook games, posting status updates or messaging "friends." She sits there for hours, lost in her virtual world. We rarely talk anymore, and when we do it turns into an argument because I'm trying to discuss what I see as a serious problem.

The Internet and social media are great tools for bringing worlds together, if they are not abused. But for many people, I think, social media is doing more harm than good. It has depersonalized human contact and has the potential to destroy relationships and isolate individuals.

I'm interested in your opinion and any advice you can give me on helping my girlfriend understand my concerns. -- ALONE IN THE REAL WORLD

DEAR ALONE: People cannot be two places at once. When relationships aren't nurtured, they wither. If this has been going on for an extended period, then it's time you give your girlfriend a wake-up call: You feel abandoned. By spending more time in the virtual world than in the real one, she is neglecting her relationship with you.

Ask her if she would be willing to work on a compromise so that she spends time with you. If she can't do that, and the Internet is giving her everything she needs, then you should find a lady who is willing to give you more of what you need, which is undivided attention.

DEAR ABBY: If a person compliments me on my hair, am I obliged to reveal that it isn't my natural color? I am a henna redhead, and it looks very natural, but my friend who is a natural redhead says I have to fess up. She will even tell people "for me" that my color is "fake." What should I do? -- HENNA REDHEAD IN NEW YORK

DEAR HENNA REDHEAD: Start spending more time with blondes and brunettes than with a redhead who doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. She is jealous of the attention you're getting.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

To receive a collection of Abby's most memorable -- and most frequently requested -- poems and essays, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

ARLINGTON, Va., April 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) issued the following statement in response to a vote in the United States Senate related to the Marketplace Fairness Act, legislation aimed at giving states the power if they so choose - to better enforce their sales tax laws and to level the playing field for Main Street merchants.

The Senate voted to invoke cloture on the managers' amendment to the bill, which is sponsored by Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) Richard Durbin (D-IL), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND). The vote foreshadows final passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act.

"Today's vote in the Senate is proof that the special treatment of big online businesses at the expense of retailers on Main Street will soon be a thing of the past," said Bill Hughes, senior vice president for government affairs. "The overwhelmingly bipartisan support for leveling the playing field is rare in today's political environment and paves the way for a level playing field once and for all."

"For too long the Main Street retailers that are an integral part of their communities have faced tax rules that put them at a disadvantage to their out of state, online-only competitors. The Marketplace Fairness Act would simply provide states with the power, if they choose to use it, to ensure that the market, not government, determines winners and losers," said Hughes. "We applaud the Senate for its support, thank the sponsors for their steadfast commitment to fairness, and look forward to final passage and working with the House to level the playing field for all merchants this year."

The Marketplace Fairness Act was outlined in RILA's 2013 public policy agenda as one of the top priorities for the industry:

Identical legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced by Representatives Steve Womack (R-AR) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) has generated strong bipartisan support.

RILA is the trade association of the world's largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.

SOURCE Retail Industry Leaders Association

The book, which once belonged to the critic and author Malcolm Cowley, will go under the hammer along with a group of Fitzgerald's letters and an unpublished poem in the June 11 books and manuscript sale in New York.

"The book is now almost universally recognized as standing among the great achievements of 20th-century American literature with the tragic story of Jay Gatsby, and more broadly, the American dream, resonating with readers for generations," Sotheby's said in a statement announcing the sale.

Fitzgerald wrote the Jazz Age drama while living in France. Although it was popular when it was published in 1925, it wasn't until Fitzgerald's death in 1940 that it was hailed as the great American novel.

News of the sale comes just weeks after the opening of director Baz Luhrmann's film "The Great Gatsby," starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the hero of the tragic love story.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Jan Paschal)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Affymetrix Chief Financial Officer Tim Barabe is planning to retire from his post next month.

The genetic testing instrument business said Monday that it is promoting Gavin Wood to the position. Barabe's retirement is effective June 28.

Wood will be responsible for Affymetrix's finance, accounting, information technology, facilities and investor relations functions.

Wood, who has worked for Affymetrix Inc. since 2006, most recently served as vice president of finance, international controller. He will report to CEO Frank Witney.

Affymetrix is based in Santa Clara, Calif. Its shares finished at $3.69 in Friday. Its shares have traded in a 52-week range of $2.96 to $5.50.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for July delivery was up 47 cents to $95.23 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained $1.02 to finish at $94.76 a barrel Thursday.

The U.S. Labor Department will release its employment report for May later Friday, with analysts expecting an increase of 165,000 jobs. The figures will be watched closely as they could affect how quickly the Federal Reserve starts reining in its monetary policy.

Oil prices were also being supported by a weaker dollar and a bigger-than-expected drop in crude inventories reported by the U.S. Energy Department and the American Petroleum Institute for the week ending May 31.

"The huge 6.2 million barrel drawdown of crude stocks ... is the largest draw down for crude inventories since the end of last year," said a report from Sucden Financial Research in London. The large drop in crude stockpiles "indicates the stronger demand outlook for the summer driving season as refining activity improves."

The dollar was down nearly 2 percent against the Japanese yen and was also lower against the euro and the Swiss franc. A softer dollar makes commodities like oil priced in dollars cheaper and a more attractive investment for investors using other currencies.

Meanwhile, Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oil varieties, was up 56 cents to $104.17 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the Nymex:

Wholesale gasoline rose 0.94 cent to $2.8603 a gallon.

Heating oil added 1.57 cents to $2.8871 per gallon.

Natural gas gained 2.1 cents to $3.848 per 1,000 cubic feet.

___

Pamela Sampson in Bangkok contributed to this report.

Cape Girardeau public defender Christopher Davis told The Associated Press that Clay Waller will confess to killing 39-year-old Jacque Waller at a hearing Thursday afternoon. Waller's body was found May 29 on a Mississippi River island in Alexander County, Ill.

"I expect a plea of guilty," Davis said. Davis declined to discuss whether Clay Waller led police to his wife's body or any particulars about a possible plea bargain, including whether he will admit guilt to avoid the death penalty. Assistant prosecuting attorney Angel Woodruff also declined to discuss the plea details before the trial.

Jacque Waller had been missing since June 1, 2011, the same day the couple met with a divorce lawyer. Police said they had been living apart for about three months and had financial problems.

Clay Waller was charged last year with first-degree murder and had faced a September trial. Jacque Waller's sister, Cheryl Brenneke, has custody of their 7-year-old triplets.

Jacque Waller's Honda Pilot was found along Interstate 55 a day after she disappeared. Several searches since then turned up sporadic leads, including the discovery of her purse near where the car was found.

The FBI said last year that Clay Waller suggested to his father that he had broken Jacque Waller's neck and buried her in a hole that he had dug in advance. But Clay Waller has not made any confession to police, and his father died before he could testify.

A funeral for Jacque Waller is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Esther Baptist Church in Park Hills. Visitation begins at 9 a.m.

___

Follow Alan Scher Zagier on Twitter at http://twitter.com/azagier

"We sincerely apologize for the harm that was caused by the teachers and administrators who abused anyone during their years at Horace Mann School," wrote Board Chairman Steven Friedman and Head of School Thomas Kelly in the three-page letter. "These unconscionable betrayals of trust never should have happened."

The Bronx district attorney's office and the New York Police Department launched an investigation into allegations of abuse at the school after a New York Times Magazine article last summer that said the academy was plagued by teachers who sexually abused children in the 1970s.

Friday's letter apologizes for abuse by former teachers and administrators between 1962 and 1996.

In April, prosecutors said that while there was a systemic pattern of suspected sexual abuse at the Bronx school, the statute of limitations to prosecute them has expired.

In the letter Friday, Friedman and Kelly said the school had hired a private mediation firm which presented the board of trustees with impact statements from 31 individuals who described their abuse. They said settlements have been reached with "the great majority" of those individuals.

Additionally, Friedman and Kelly said the school's board would eliminate a board position of trustee emeritus and create an advisory board on student safety, which may include a victim of sexual abuse.

More recently, we've seen a smartphone thats likely the fastest to go from $99 to 99 cents and a Death Star-like media player that doesn't do much other than look menacing. To make our list of all-time gadget flops, the product had to do more than fail to execute. It had to have serious hype behind itenough to help make that crash and burn all the more satisfying. Here are our Top 25 Worst Gadget Flops of All Time.

Segway (2001)

Other than the original iPhone, very few gadgets in history were hyped this much before launch. Dean Kamen's Project Ginger had all sorts of praise heaped upon it by those who previewed the new-age scooter. Here's what Steve Jobs reportedly said about the Segway in a book proposal: If enough people see the machine you wont have to convince them to architect cities around it. Itll just happen. Oops.

Priced at a staggering $5,000, the Segway didn't even come close to living up to its expectations. Sure, it was nifty that the Segway was self-balancing, but that wasn't nearly enough to overcome the sticker shock or the sheer geek factor of this vehicle. The final insult came when President Bush fell of a Segway in 2004. Today, you'll see these scooters ridden by some police officers and postal workers, but that's pretty much it.

More:

ViewSonic Airpanel Smart Display V110 (2003)

Part of Microsoft's ill-conceived Smart Display product line, the Airpanel V110 allowed users to access their PCs wirelessly from up to 150 feet away. It was kind of like a tabletwith a really short leash. For a totally unreasonable $1,000, those gullible enough to buy this device were likely disappointed to learn that the Airpanel turned your computer into a brick for everyone else while you were using it. Add in limited viewing angles and glitchy performance and you have a real stinker.

BlackBerry PlayBook (2011)

If BlackBerry's comeback fails, the PlayBook will be remembered as one of the nails in the coffin. Research in Motion was so busy showing off that it's 10-inch tablet could play high-def videos via its HDMI port that it forgot to include native email and calendar apps. That's right, the PlayBook didn't let you view your messages or appointments unless you had a BlackBerry phone connected to the slate via Bluetooth. Amazingly, RIM called this glaring weakness a security feature. Less than 9 months later, co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsille stepped down from their posts.

Cisco Umi (2010)

Before Cisco's consumer division completely imploded, the company staged an elaborate press event in San Francisco to show off the Umi, a device that enabled families to video chat in HD right from their living rooms. There was just one problem. No one wanted to pay a whopping $600 for a one-trick-pony set-top box, never mind the dumb $25 monthly fee. With free services like Skype and FaceTime already available for our phones, tablets and laptops, Umi was destined for the gadget scrap heap.

Nokia N-Gage (2003)

Once upon a time Nokia believed it could compete in the handheld gaming market, and that delusion manifested itself in the form of the N-Gage. This combination phone and mobile console was so awkward it was funnyassuming you didn't fork over $299 to get one. For starters, the N-Gage forced users to hold it up their heads sideways to talk, which make people look like they were holding a taco up to their ears. Gamers also needed to remove the back cover and battery to swap games. Nokia would release a mobile mea culpa sequel in the N-Gage 2, but it was too little, too late.

MSN Direct Smart Watches (2004)

Literally and figuratively, MSN Direct Smart Watches were ahead of their time. Made by the likes of Fossil and Swatch, these bulky wrist-worn monstrosities fetched stock quotes, news, sports, and weather via FM radio waves for $9.99 per month. Unfortunately for Microsoft and its partners, smartphones already did the above and much more. The hardware would fade from the market by 2008, but Microsoft only recently shut down the network.

Oakley Thump Sunglasses (2007)

Before there was Google Glass there was Oakley's Thump sunglasses, which combined shades with an MP3 player. Too bad the glasses were ugly and the audio controls were difficult to use. Plus, users were stuck with a measly 256MB of flash memory at a sky-high $495 price tag. Shockingly, a celebrity endorsement from Dog the Bounty Hunter failed to move the needle.

More:

Microsoft Zune (2006)

Hoping to make a dent in the iPods mammoth market share, the original Zune got some people so excited that one man decided to have the Zune logo tattooed on his arm. Too bad he didnt have anyone to share his music with. The Zune-to-Zune sharing feature (which worked over Wi-Fi) fell flat because you could only play tracks you acquired three times within three days. You also had to be near the other unfortunate Zune owner. A lack of a video store at launch further hurt the Zunes cause. A more polished design in the Zune HD and a half-baked gaming strategy couldnt save this franchise, but elements of its slick UI live on in Windows Phone.

HP TouchPad (2011)

It's hard to believe now, but the HP TouchPad was one of the most eagerly awaited tablets back in July of 2011, promising to breathe new life into webOS' multitasking-friendly interface. Some of the software elements were indeed slick, such as Stacks for organizing related tasks and the polished notification system. Ultimately, though, sluggish and buggy performance and a dearth of apps doomed this slate. After less than 3 months on sale, HP pulled the plug on the TouchPad and all webOS hardware. So much for doubling down on the platform it purchased from Palm.

Motorola ROKR E1 (2005)

Before Apple dove into the smartphone market it dipped a toe in the water by partnering with Motorola for the ROKR E1 ($249), dubbed the first "iTunes phone. The ROKR wasn't even a one-hit wonder. Thanks to its lame 100-song capacity and the inability to download tracks over the web, consumers immediately tuned this handset out. No one wanted a gimped companion device for their iPod that could make calls; they wanted it all in one device. And Apple would give it to them two years later.

Twitter Peek (2009)

Not all single-purpose devices are bad, but this was the worst. The Twitter Peek allowed Twitter fans to check their feed and post updates using a built-in keyboard. While cute, the device showed only 20-character previews of your Tweets, forcing you to click to see more. And the built-in browser was buggy. It didn't matter that you had a choice of payment plans (free service if you paid $199 up front or $7.99 monthly if you spent $99). There were plenty of free apps for cheaper smartphones that did the same thing. Perhaps the Fail Whale should have been printed on the box.

HTC First (2013)

Too soon? Nah. Sometimes it doesn't help to be first, especially when you're releasing a device for which there's a free app that does nearly all the same stuff. The HTC First for AT&T comes pre-loaded with Facebook Home, which puts your friends' updates right on the home screen and makes it easy to jump in and out of texting sessions with creepy floating Chat Heads. Although HTC's device offered a more robust notification system than the free app, that wasn't compelling enough for smartphone shoppers. AT&T cut the price from $99 to 99 cents in less than a month. Something tells us there won't be an HTC Second.

Garmin Nuvifone G60 (2009)

It's hard to blame Garmin for attempting to protect its GPS turf. The Nuviphone G60 entered a market in 2009 that saw the Motorola Droid include Google Navigation for absolutely nothing. Available for AT&T, the G60 sported a fairly large (for the time) 3.5-inch display and a driver-friendly interface, but smartphone shoppers didn't know what to do with a Linux device. By the time an Android-powered sequel hit the streets, Garmin's opportunity had hit a dead end.

Samsung Q1 (2006)

Known as a part of the buzzed-about Project Oragami before it hit the market, Samsung Q1 was an Ultra-Mobile PC that weighed 1.7 pounds and ran full Windows on a 7-inch (800 x 480) touchscreen. Price? $1,099. That's too much for a device whose software wasn't touch friendly and whose battery lasted a sad 3 hours on a charge. Today Samsung is the No. 2 seller of tablets behind Apple, but the Q1 should get none of the credit.

More:

CueCat barcode Reader (1999)

Step 1: Take a gadget to scan a barcode in a magazine. Step 2: Connect the USB device to your PC to direct you to a website. Step 3: Wonder why you didn't just type the URL in your browser. The likes of Wired and Forbes supported this wacky idea for a while, and many subscribers received the device for free to encourage usage. But that wasn't enough to prevent the CueCat from being put to sleep.

Google Nexus Q (2012)

Google has had decidedly mixed results with hardware, but the Nexus Q was an unmitigated disaster. Despite its Death Star-chic design, this gadget was an overpriced $299 orb that attempted to make media consumption more social. You and your friends could create a queue of tracks and/or YouTube clips and stream them from your phone or tablet. Inexplicably, though, the Nexus Q couldn't access anything other than Google's content, making the Roku look like the deal of the century. There are rumors that a Nexus Q2 is on the way, but it had better be an entirely different beast.

More:

BlackBerry Storm (2008)

Do you wish your touch screen felt like it was collapsing every time you tried to respond to an email? That was the magic of SureType, an ironically named feature that made the BlackBerry Storm one of the most hated smartphones ever. A lack of Wi-Fi, glitchy software and sluggish performance solidified the Storm as a unnatural disaster. RIM's Storm 2 would improve on the original in every way, but how could it not?

Microsoft Kin One and Kin Two (2010)

During the launch for Microsoft's Kin devices the company told us that its new quasi-smartphones for hipsters were three years in the making. So how did the company forget to include apps? Or games? It also didn't help that Verizon Wireless forced its pricey smart phone data plan on customers to cover the cost of all those photo and video uploads. Mercifully, Microsoft killed these awful products after 6 short weeks on the market.

Fusion Garage JooJoo (2010)

The polar opposite of an iPad killer, the JooJoo tablet was widely panned for its awful battery life, unintuitive interface, and choppy Flash video playback. Did we mention this 12-inch monstrosity weighed 2.4 pounds? Add in a measly 5 hours of battery life (max) and you know why this slate didn't stand a chance. An attempt at a comeback in the form of the Grid 10 failed just as miserably, thanks to a confusing interface that literally had a map to show you where you were.

Sony Tablet P (2012)

Sometimes two isn't better than one. Exhibit A is the Sony Tablet P, which sported dual 5.5-inch displays that you could use either laid flat or clamshell style. While small enough for jacket pocket, the P was way too big for your jeans and it cost a fairly steep $549 (or $399 with a two-year contract). And even though some of the apps stretched across both screen, you couldn't run two separate apps simultaneously like today's Galaxy S4. Worst of all, the P was instantly dated because it didn't support AT&T's LTE network. It was HSPA only. Why bother?

Dell Streak (2010)

You could call the Dell Streak a precursor to modern-day phablets like the Galaxy Note II, but that would be an insult to phablets. The Streak was so comically large that AllThingsD's Kara Swisher called it a waffle on stage at the D8 conference. The Streak also suffered from a relatively low-resolution display (800 x 480 pixels) and ran dated Android 1.6 software. A 7-inch follow-up with abysmal battery life sealed this product line's fate.

Sirius S50 (2005)

Siriusly? Somehow the satellite network provider believed that consumers would want a portable radio that wasn't really portable at all. To get live stations you had to connect the S50 to a car kit. You could listen to recordings on the go, but only two hours' worth. Maybe that was for the better, since the S50 didn't even live up to its measly 6 hours of rated battery life. At the time XM2Go devices were a much better deal; they were bulkier but actually live up to the promise of live satellite radio.

Sharp RD3D (2003)

It's probably not a coincidence that Sharp exited the laptop market in the U.S. not long after the RD3D bombed. For a gulp-inducing $3,300, this 15-inch notebook was the first to display 3D content without the aid of glasses. Even if you were willing to put up with the eye strain, the RD3D's sluggish performance with 3D enabled and laughably narrow viewing angles made this laptop fall flat on its face. Other companies would try to pick up where Sharp left off, including Nvidia and Toshiba, but they failed, too.

More:

Palm Foleo (2007)

Other than a few review units for the press, the Linux-powered Palm Foleo never saw the light of dayand that's a good thing. This 10.1-inch not-quite-a-netbook was designed as a companion device for Treo users, syncing data via Bluetooth but offering a Wi-Fi connection. The idea was to give buyers a bigger canvas to view email, edit documents, and surf the web with the Opera web browser. A $499 price tag and an executive decision to revive Palm's then aging mobile platform would relegate the Foleo to collector's item status.

OQO Model 01 (2004)

The power of Windows in the palm of your hand. That was the promise of the OQO Model 01, which ran Windows XP on a 5-inch display. This mobile Internet device was indeed versatile, offering a slide-down thumb keyboard and a desktop dock. Alas, a very chunky design (.9 inches inches thick), serious heat and noise issues and short battery life made the $1,999 price tag way to much to stomach, even for well-heeled mobile executives.

This story was provided by , a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Mark Spoonauer on , . Follow LAPTOPMAG on ,or .

Ophiuchus is surrounded by brighter, more famous . Botes is to his right, the Summer Triangle is to his left, Hercules is above his head and Scorpius is at his feet.

For simplicity, Ill describe the view from the Northern Hemisphere. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will need to make the usual corrections. Like Orion, Ophiuchus is an equal opportunity constellation: on the celestial equator, he is equally visible everywhere in the world. []

An ignored constellation

Ophiuchus made the news a couple of years ago when astrologers finally acknowledged his existence. Even though astronomers have known about Ophiuchus for thousands of years, and that he literally sticks his foot into the , he has never figured among the astrologers 12 signs of the zodiac. Astrologers promptly made up a new set of imaginary qualities of "Ophiuchans," which of course are just as fanciful (and imaginary) as their other inventions.

If you look at the picture of Ophiuchus, you will see that he is apparently wrestling with a very large snake. This is represented by two constellations on either side of him, Serpens Caput (head of the snake) on the right and Serpens Cauda (tail of the snake) on the left. Although Serpens consists of two distinct areas of sky with Ophiuchus in between, it only counts as one of the 88 constellations.

This association with a snake links Ophiuchus to Asclepius, the ancient Roman healer in lore, who observed one snake bringing medicine to another snake. These snakes survive as the two snakes encircling the staff of Asclepius, symbol of medicine.

Hidden stellar surprises

Ophiuchus is a constellation worth getting to know because it is full of interesting objects. In particular, because of its location just off the Milky Way, it contains a wealth of , the ancient clusters of stars which orbit the center of the galaxy. In fact, there are no fewer than seven Messier globulars clusters catalogued by the French astronomer Charles Messier in Ophiuchus; onlycontains this many Messier globulars.

The finest of these globular clusters is Messier 12, sometimes known as the Gumball Cluster. It is easily spotted in a dark sky with binoculars, because there is nothing else like it in the open empty area in the middle of Ophiuchus except for its nearby twin, Messier 10. Look for two faint fuzzy patches. In a medium-size amateur telescope, both these clusters resolve easily into thousands of stars.

Ophiuchus snake also has its share of deep sky objects. Serpens Caput features Messier 5, one of the finest globular clusters in the sky, while Serpens Cauda contains the Eagle Nebula, Messier 16, famed for the Hubble Space Telescopes iconic "" image.

There is one very special star in Ophiuchus. This was discovered by American astronomer E. E. Barnard in 1916 when he found it to be the fastest-moving star in the sky. It still holds that record to this day. It moves only about 10 arc seconds a year, about half the diameter of the planet Saturn, but thats more than any other star in the sky.

Barnards Star moves that quickly because it is very near to the sun. In fact, after the three stars of the Alpha Centauri system, it is the nearest star to the sun at only six light-years away. Unfortunately, Barnards Star, as it came to be known, is a very dim red dwarf star, and so needs a telescope to be seen.

In a telescope, Barnards Star is a very ordinary-looking reddish ninth-magnitude star. But if you plot its position relative to nearby stars, and then go back in 10 years' time, you will find that it has moved noticeably. Even in photographs taken a year apart, it has moved slightly.

So, on one of these fine summer evenings, have a look at Ophiuchus, with his beautiful globular clusters and his fast-moving star.

This article was provided to SPACE.com by , the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter . Follow us on ,and . Original article on .