Apple chief says iPhone4 issues overblown

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - – Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said that reception problems with the new iPhone 4 have been overblown but apologized to buyers who experienced issues and offered free cases as a fix.

Jobs, speaking at a press conference for a select group of journalists at Apple headquarters, said other smartphones have antenna problems similar to those reported with the latest iPhone model.

"We're not perfect," Jobs said. "Phones aren't perfect either."

He acknowledged the iPhone 4 drops slightly more calls than the previous version of the smartphone, the iPhone 3GS, but said the issue had been "blown so out of proportion that it's incredible."

"There is no 'Antennagate,'" he said. "We think there's a problem but we think it's affecting a small percentage of users."

Some iPhone 4 users have complained they lose reception when holding the lower left corner of the phone -- whose unusual antenna wraps completely around the device -- in what has been referred to as the "death grip."

Jobs said Apple will provide free rubber bumpers that surround the sides of the phone and refund buyers who have already purchased the cases.

Some users have said the cases, which cost 29 dollars, remedy the reception problems that have given a company priding itself on the quality of its products a rare dose of negative publicity.

Jobs, who promised a full refund to unsatisfied customers, appeared to have satisfied investors and analysts.

Apple shares were up slightly in after-hours electronic trading after losing 0.62 percent in New York on Friday to close at 249.90 dollars.

"I don't think they've had a lot of serious product issues over the years," Gartner research vice president Mike McGuire told AFP.

"From a consumer perspective, they've now told me how this is going to be dealt with. And they even said if I'm really still unhappy, I can return it... You can't ask for much more than that.

"Somebody's always going to complain that they should have done it sooner," McGuire added, "but they said 'Hey, let's go check it out first and get some information.'"

Jobs said the iPhone 4 had received the highest customer satisfaction ever for an iPhone, describing it as "perhaps the best product we've ever made."

"People seem to like it," he said, adding that Apple has sold more than three million iPhone 4s since it hit stores three weeks ago.

Jobs showed a video of smartphones from Blackberry maker Research in Motion, Taiwan's HTC and South Korea's Samsung in a bid to demonstrate that all devices lose signal strength when gripped in a certain way.

"It's certainly not unique to the iPhone 4," he said. "Every smartphone has this issue. Smartphones have weak spots."

Jobs said only 0.55 percent of iPhone 4 buyers had called Apple hotlines to complain about antenna or reception issues and only 1.7 percent of US buyers had returned their iPhone 4 to carrier AT&T.

He issued an apology to "customers that are having problems" but said he would not apologize to investors who bought Apple stock recently and saw it drop.

Apple initially responded to signal strength criticism by telling owners of its latest generation iPhone to be mindful of how they hold the handsets.

That failed to quiet the complaints, however, and Apple was forced to address the issue after Consumer Reports, the influential product review magazine, said it could not recommend the iPhone 4 because of signal loss problems it blamed on a design flaw.

Jobs said Apple was "stunned and embarrassed" by the Consumer Reports review.

Apple has sold more than 50 million iPhones since the device made its debut in 2007 and Jobs said the iPhone 4 was its best-selling model of all time.

The iPhone 4 notably features a higher resolution screen and "FaceTime," which uses a forward facing camera to enable video chat.

Naked eye planets visible Wednesday night

This evening, avid skywatchers will be treated to a spectacular view of naked eye planets as Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn can be seen using binoculars and telescopes.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) says the four planets and the crescent moon will be visible in the western horizon tonight 30 minutes after sunset.

On the other hand, on the eastern horizon, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune will also be visible.

The Philippine Astronomical Diary of PAGASA says, “Stargazing during the month will give fine displays of celestial bodies, stars and constellations after sunset and before sunrise."

“The famous Summer Triangle of the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair of the constellations Lyra, Aquila and Cygnus, respectively, is being well placed above the eastern horizon," PAGASA says.

“The bowls of the Big and Small Dipper in Ursa Major and Minor stand high above the northern horizon with the body of the constellation Draco, the Dragon, winding between them," it adds.

Skywatchers will also see the group of horseshoe-shaped stars of the constellation Corona Borealis, also called “the Northern Crown," on the north-south meridian with the head of Draco below it.

They will also see Scorpious (formerly often called Scorpio), a large constellation, can be seen above the east-south eastern horizon.

On the other hand, Centaurus, a bright and large constellation, can be seen just above the south direction after sunset

On Facebook, Telling Teachers How Much They Meant

Darci Hemleb Thompson had been on the lookout for Alice D’Addario for many years. From her home in Hampton, Va., Ms. Thompson, 49, who is married and has a 12-year-old daughter, was determined to find Ms. D’Addario on the Internet. She tried every search engine and networking site she could find.

About 18 months ago she hit the jackpot.

“Nice to see one of the greatest teachers of all time on Facebook!” Ms. Thompson wrote on Ms. D’Addario’s wall. “I love to go to your page just to see your smiling face. Even your eyes still smile. You are an amazing person!”

Ms. D’Addario was Ms. Thompson’s Advanced Placement history teacher at Walt Whitman High School in Huntington Station, on Long Island, in 1977.

“She had such a huge impact on my life as a young adult,” Ms. Thompson said, describing her tumultuous teenage years living with two alcoholic parents and experiencing early symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

“I was depressed and so sad and so isolated, and she reached out and saved me,” Ms. Thompson added. “Facebook gave me the chance to tell her, ‘You’re the one who pulled me through.’ ”

At a time when public school teachers are being blamed for everything from poor test scores to budget crises, Facebook is one place where they are receiving adulation, albeit delayed.

The site has drawn more attention as a platform for adolescent meanness and bullying, and as a vehicle for high school and college students to ruthlessly dissect their teachers. But people who are 20, 30 or 40 years beyond graduation are using Facebook to re-establish relationships with teachers and express gratitude and overdue respect.

Brad Scharff, 49, a finance manager at Time Inc. who knew Ms. D’Addario through her role as the junior class adviser, also reconnected with her online.

“It was like bringing back a lot of the more positive aspects of the high school years when I saw her on Facebook,” Mr. Scharff said.

Over the years, teacher tributes have come in broad formats, in movies like “To Sir, With Love” and “Stand and Deliver” and in television series like “Room 222.” Now, on Facebook, the praise is personalized, more widespread and more democratic.

On Facebook walls and dedicated tribute pages, the writings betray emotions that students dared not display in their youth. They include moving messages (“You inspired each of us to learn and go beyond what we thought we could achieve”), lighthearted claims on old debts (“You owe us a pool party — you promised us one if the Dow ever reached 3,000”) and recollections of specific events (“You got me out of detention one time”).

In the weeks before the death last month of Jerry Sheik, a retired band teacher from Intermediate School 70 in Chelsea, his wife, Judith Kalina, said he was overwhelmed by the praise written on a Facebook page created in his honor, “Sheik’s Freaks Reunite: A Celebration for Jerry Sheik.”

The page has 135 members, mostly students from the 1970s who played in the stage band Mr. Sheik conducted. They have posted old band photos and recalled their rendition of “Oye Como Va.”

One former student, Melissa Sgroi, wrote, “There are few people that you look back on in your life and know they left an indelible mark. Thank you Jerry Sheik for being one of those people.”

Another of Mr. Sheik’s students, Ned Otter, said, “Jerry was the first one to put a sax in my hand.” Mr. Otter went on to play saxophone professionally, touring with Dizzy Gillespie. He is one of nine overseers of the Sheik’s Freaks page.

“He played a critical role in my life,” Mr. Otter added.

Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, another music teacher inspired the page “Winston Hughes — Best Chorus Teacher Ever.” Mr. Hughes was surprised to learn that such a page existed.

“I had no idea about this,” said Mr. Hughes, 76, who retired from Edison High School in 1996. “I knew that I had impact, but I never knew the impact was as large as the writings I’ve read.”

Susan Poper Gordon, class of 1971, wrote, “He treated every student with respect, challenged us to stretch ourselves musically, taught us what artistry was and created beauty out of whatever voices walked into his room.” Another student wrote, “Mr. Hughes was the biggest influence on my life at Edison High. He encouraged us to be the best, vocally and personally.”

The tributes underscore what researchers have identified as a major force in adolescents’ lives, said Jacqueline Ancess, a researcher at Teachers College at Columbia University. “The most powerful factor in transforming students is a relationship with a caring teacher who a kid feels particularly connected to,” said Dr. Ancess, who added that many students had told her that if not for a particular teacher, they would not have graduated or would not have taken a certain direction.

Some former students have tried to recreate old roles, using Facebook messages to draw a teacher who had nurtured them back into their lives.

Lisa Nielsen, 41, a former library media specialist at Public School 175/Intermediate School 275 in Harlem, which she said was for troubled students, logged on to Facebook one day last year and saw this message:

“Hey Ms. Nielsen, I had to find you because you made a wonderful impact on my life. If people only knew how great of a teacher you are.” The message continued, “I know it’s been at least 10 years since you took me under your wing,” and added, “Let’s talk, got a lot to say!”

The writer, Keryce Davis, who was a sixth-grade student of Ms. Nielsen’s, is now 22 and works as an optician in Washington, after receiving an associate’s degree. Ms. Nielsen is glad to re-enter Ms. Davis’s life, and said they were discussing possibilities for Ms. Davis’s future.

Bill Chemerka, 64, who was a history teacher at Madison High School in New Jersey for 29 years, said he did not know what Facebook was until a student pointed him to the 455-member “Mr. Chemerka Fan Club” page. He found this message: “Your love of history and teaching oozed from your pores and allowed every student to absorb your knowledge and passion for life and history.”

Sheldon Jacobowitz, 68, said he was delighted about his Facebook connection with roughly 200 former students from New Utrecht High School in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn — the school that inspired the 1970s television series “Welcome Back, Kotter” — where he taught math for 37 years.

“I think it’s amazing; it’s a great feeling,” Mr. Jacobowitz said. “How they make you feel that you were so important in their lives — it makes everything worthwhile.”

PBB’s Bret Jackson and Fretzie Bercede want to take things slow

Former Pinoy Big Brother Teen Clash of 2010 housemates Bret Jackson and Fretzie Bercede formed a partnership during PBB that they seemed to have continued outside of the house. “We took care of each other sa house like we look after each other,” Bret answered when asked how they developed a strong bond. And though they said that they are also close to other housemates, Bret and Fretzie are almost inseparable whenever they are spotted together in the ABS-CBN compound.

Fans have been curious if the bond Bret and Fretzie have now will lead to a real-life romance. “Actually love moves in mysterious ways so whatever happens, happens, I just know we’ll stay close… we’re friends,” Bret revealed to ABS-CBN.com. “We’re just really close.” The former Teenternational housemate clarified that he is not courting Fretzie yet.

For her part, Fretzie said that she prefers to take things slow. “As of now, friends muna, ‘yun lang,” said the shy lass from General Santos.

When it comes to a showbiz career, the two newcomers are very willing to try their luck. During an interview, Fretzie told ABS-CBN.com that she wants to try acting, hosting, and dancing, to which Bret added, “I think she’ll be good on a variety show. Definitely. She’s good at dancing, singing, acting, lahat.”

Meanwhile, the musically inclined Bret said that he is not afraid to live up to people’s expectations. “I want to live up to their expectations,” he revealed. “I’m writing music all the time, I’m always getting better. As long as we’re getting better and we’re progressing, I’ll always do better.”

Aquino scolds PAGASA at Typhoon Basyang briefing

President Benigno Aquino III scolded the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Wednesday for failing to predict that Typhoon Basyang (Conson) would lash Metro Manila.

At an emergency meeting called by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) in Camp Aguinaldo, Aquino reminded PAGASA that its information is vital for government to prepare for potential disasters.

"That information it is sorely lacking and we have had this problem for quite a long time. ... You do what you are supposed to do... this is not acceptable. I hope this is the last time that we are all brought to areas different from where we should be," the president said.

PAGASA had predicted that Basyang would pound Northern and Central Luzon areas, but the weather disturbance lashed Metro Manila instead.

For his part, PAGASA head Prisco Nilo explained they had to update their bulletin every six hours to take into account "possible changes."

"We update the bulletin every six hours to take into account possible changes that were not earlier indicated by the mathematical models we are using as guidance in coming up with our forecast," he said.

Aquino arrived at Camp Aguinaldo after 8 a.m. Wednesday to get information on the damage caused by Basyang, and personally monitoring the progress of repair and recovery work in the aftermath of the typhoon.

Present during the meeting were Secretaries Voltaire Gazmin (Defense), Jose Almendras (Energy), Corazon Soliman (Social Welfare), and presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

As of 7:30 a.m., the dzBB report quoted Almendras as saying that 20 percent of power, or some 4,500 megawatts, had been restored to blackout-affected areas.

Typhoon Basyang leaves Luzon powerless

(UPDATE 5) Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon are powerless, radio reports said Wednesday.

As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said that only 46 out of its 688 (6.7 %) distribution circuits and 32 out of 84 (38 %) sub-transmission lines have been restored.

“This translates to around 365,000 or 7.8% out of the 4.7 million Meralco customers to whom power has already been restored,” the power company said in an online update.

Meralco said the following areas will continue to experience power outage: portions of Laguna (Canlubang, Calamba, Lisp); Ternate, Cavite; Sta. Maria and Meycauayan Bulacan, and; portions of Metro Manila including Balintawak, Diliman, Kaybiga, Bagbaguin and Quezon City, among others.

Meralco said that the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has declared a system-wide blackout as of 12:42 am of July 14.

“Restoration of power started at 3:24 am, after the strong winds of typhoon Basyang subsided. This came shortly after Kalayaan unit 4 was synchronized at 3:20 a.m.,” it said.

“Our crews have been working round the clock to restore power in affected areas. We would like to ensure first, too, that all obstructions have been cleared in some areas, like toppled trees and billboards, before we restore power to assure the safety of everyone. However, we are also constrained in our restoration work as some transmission facilities were affected by the strong winds. This results in limited power that we can distribute at the moment. We would, however, continue to coordinate with all concerned parties to be able to restore power at the soonest and most reasonable time possible,” Meralco External Communications Head Joe Zaldarriaga said.

As of 10 a.m. Wednesday (Manila time), Pagasa said tropical storm Basyang is located 150 km southwest of Iba, Zambales. It still packs maximum sustained winds of 95 kph and gustiness of up to 120 kph. It is also moving at 22 kph.

“Basyang had a direct hit in Metro Manila yesterday night and earlier. That’s why the winds were howling,” according to Pagasa’s Twitter account.

Pagasa said tropical storm Basyang is expected to be 600 km west of Iba, Zambales.

Storm warning signal number one is now up in Batangas, Lubang Island, Bataan, Zambales, Northern Mindoro, and Metro Manila.

Classes have been suspended in pre-, primary and high schools in the Metro. Some universities have also announced suspension of classes early Wednesday. Some public and private offices have also decided to close.

In a briefing aired over local radio, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III scolded officials of the state weather bureau for failing to give earlier warning about the changes in the direction of the typhoon Basyang.

Aquino has asked the state weather bureau to explain why there was no warning about the typhoon hitting Metro Manila late Tuesday night. Storm signal number 2 was only up in Metro Manila late Tuesday.

Pagasa director Prisco Nilo later clarified that President Aquino was not angry but just wanted the agency to improve its weather forecasting methods.

Power went out before midnight, as typhoon Basyang hits Central Luzon.

“This is the last time that this is going to happen,” Aquino told officials of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

He has called for an emergency meeting with the National Disaster Coordinating Council to assess the damage caused by the typhoon.

Typhoon Basyang ripped through the country, leaving a trail of wreckage in Manila and sweeping shanties into the sea, officials and witnesses said Wednesday.

Uprooted trees, fallen electric posts, debris can be seen in the streets of Metro Manila.

The official civil defense office said 19 fishermen from the eastern island of Catanduanes had failed to return home and were missing at sea after the typhoon hit the area late Tuesday.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities but communication systems were down amid the chaos of the typhoon’s aftermath, and disaster relief officials were still trying to determine the extent of the damage.

Manila’s overhead railway system was also shut down due to the power outage. Knee-high floods and fallen trees were still blocking some roads in and around the capital, obstructing traffic.

Shanty towns erected by squatters on the coastal areas near Manila were swept away, leaving the shocked, drenched residents to scavenge scrap wood to build makeshift shelters, according to an AFP reporter there.

Several flights in and out of Manila were cancelled as the typhoon was passing but airport officials said their operations had returned to normal after the storm passed.

Typhoon Basyang (Conson), packing maximum gusts of 120 kilometres (74 miles) an hour, hit the eastern side of Luzon late Tuesday and crossed the island before exiting before dawn Wednesday, heading west into the South China Sea at 22 kilometres an hour.

KC Montero dresses up in drag after Justin Bieber follows him on Twitter

KC Montero is one of the few Pinoy celebrities who's very active in Twitter. Each day, the TV and radio host uses the social networking site to connect to his friends and fans, as well as to promote his radio show, The KC Show on U92 and broadcasted online through ustream.tv.

What makes The KC Show interesting are the unique schemes that KC pulls off to rope in followers.

Aside from live musical guests—recent ones were Ely Buendia and La Diva—there are comedy skits, commentary, and also a "Phone a Celebrity" segment where KC calls a celebrity and broadcasts the conversation live.

But a new gimmick takes the cake: this involves a wig, a dress, and tons of makeup. Yes, the tall and bulky macho male celebrity is dressing up in drag.

This afternoon, July 12, The KC Show featured KC dressing up as a woman. Shown live on the Web was KC's transformation from a brute to a butterfly named "Cassandra Monteroid."

KC wore a wig from Angel Locsin, a dress from Sarah Meier, and makeup applied live by Bubbles Paraiso.

KC took on the drag challenge today because he lost a bet he made on July 5. On that date, he posted on Twitter: "Lets start a campaign for Justin Bieber to follow me. I will come to work in drag if he does."

Justin Bieber is a young international popstar popular for his songs "Baby" and "One Time." The 16-year old singer has millions of fans all over the world, composed mostly of pre-pubescent girls.

After KC posted his Twitter campaign, hundreds of Pinoy Twitter users immediately reposted it. Even his celebrity friends Denise Laurel, Maxene Magalona, and Angel Locsin promoted his campaign.

The next day, KC posted that the campaign was a success, and that Justin Bieber had indeed followed him on Twitter.

"For those of you who don't know yet. The campaign for the bieb to follow me worked. For that I will be in drag all next week," KC said.

This is why KC started Monday on his radio show in drag.

But who does KC look like the most? Some Twitter users say he looks like beauty queen Ruffa Gutierrez, while some say he looks like TV host Iya Villania.

Ruffa jokingly denied the comparison; Iya said she feels "flattered."

"LMAO OMG....this is definitely not Ruffa G! Since when did I have bangs???" Ruffa exclaimed on Twitter.

"Hahaa :) I'm flattered! *blushes*" was Iya's comment.

Why Consumer Reports can't recommend iPhone 4

It's official. Consumer Reports' engineers have just completed testing the iPhone 4, and have confirmed that there is a problem with its reception. When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side—an easy thing, especially for lefties—the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal. Due to this problem, we can't recommend the iPhone 4.
We reached this conclusion after testing all three of our iPhone 4s (purchased at three separate retailers in the New York area) in the controlled environment of CU's radio frequency (RF) isolation chamber. In this room, which is impervious to outside radio signals, our test engineers connected the phones to our base-station emulator, a device that simulates carrier cell towers (see video: IPhone 4 Design Defect Confirmed). We also tested several other AT&T phones the same way, including the iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre. None of those phones had the signal-loss problems of the iPhone 4.

Our findings call into question the recent claim by Apple that the iPhone 4's signal-strength issues were largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software that "mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength."

The tests also indicate that AT&T's network might not be the primary suspect in the iPhone 4's much-reported signal woes..

We did, however, find an affordable solution for suffering iPhone 4 users: Cover the antenna gap with a piece of duct tape or another thick, non-conductive material. It may not be pretty, but it works. We also expect that using a case would remedy the problem. We'll test a few cases this week and report back.

The signal problem is the reason that we did not cite the iPhone 4 as a "recommended" model, even though its score in our other tests placed it atop the latest Ratings of smart phones that were released today.

The iPhone scored high, in part because it sports the sharpest display and best video camera we've seen on any phone, and even outshines its high-scoring predecessors with improved battery life and such new features as a front-facing camera for video chats and a built-in gyroscope that turns the phone into a super-responsive game controller. But Apple needs to come up with a permanent—and free—fix for the antenna problem before we can recommend the iPhone 4.

If you want an iPhone that works well without a masking-tape fix, we continue to recommend an older model, the 3G S.

What is That New Phone Really Going to Cost?

Phenomenal phones are flooding the market. In the past few weeks the new iPhone 4, the HTC 4G EVO, Droid X and HTC HD2 debuted, all phones with fast processors and big screens.

But these new phones come at a cost - a recurring monthly charge. So before you sign a contract for two years of payments, which phone is really the bargain?

Before I get too far, let me acknowledge that the value of a phone is in the eye of the beholder. The least expensive isn't a value if it doesn't have the features you want.

That said, all of these phones are high-powered computing devices, each with features to recommend. But let's take a look at pure costs, compiled with the help of cost calculator Validas.

Pricing of the HTC EVO ($200 with a contract after rebates) which works on Sprint's high speed 4G network, has raised some hackles. The reason is the phone requires a $10 premium data plan, whether you are in a 4G city or not. And chances are that you aren't - there are 33 4G cities, and they are modest markets like my home town, Baltimore. You won't find 4G in New York or San Francisco.

The premium brings the monthly price for unlimited service to $110. That is, unless you want to add hotspot service, which lets you connect your computer to the Internet through your phone. That costs an additional $30 a month.

But that isn't the most expensive plan. You'll pay more for an iPhone 4 ($200 for the 16GB memory, $300 with the 32GB memory, with contract) unlimited plan at AT&T. The iPhone's unlimited plan will run you $115 a month. But don't forget that the AT&T unlimited plan is no longer unlimited. New customers are capped at 2GB of data a month, with a $10 per gigabyte charge when you go over the limit. By AT&T's count only 2 percent of its users exceed 2 gigabytes a month.

Still, it is not the most expensive plan. That honor goes to Verizon, whose unlimited plan for a phone like the Droid X ($200 with contract after rebate) is $120 a month. Like the HTC EVO, the Droid X has a hotspot feature that lets you use it as a router to connect a computer to the Internet. Add that service and it's an additional $20 a month. That brings it to parity with the Sprint's EVO.

So if you aren't going to use the hotspot, the EVO costs less per month than the Droid X. If you are going to use the hotspot, they are equal.

That brings us to the least expensive unlimited plan, which is T-Mobile's, at $95 a month. T-Mobile's HTC HD2 ($100 with contract after a Web-only discount), with a 4.3-inch screen, was the largest display available on a phone when it was released a few months back. It is on the Windows Mobile operating system, which I found quirky, glitchy, and confounding to use. You might splurge for the MyTouch slider ($180 with contract), an Android phone with a slide-out keyboard, a button dedicated to activating voice commands, and a set-up assistant that makes it easy to get the phone configured.

To any carrier's monthly bill you also have to add an average $9 in taxes and surcharges, a total of $216 over the life of a standard two-year contract.

In the end, the HTC HD2, the most economical choice, would cost about $2,600 while the Droid X costs about $3,290 over a two-year contract, a savings of nearly $700.

That is how the pricing shakes out with the unlimited plans, but the best way to save money is to buy the minimum number of minutes you need, so you aren't throwing away money on voice, data and text that you don't use.

According to Validas, a 450-minute plan with unlimited text and data is plenty for most single users and saves $20 to $30 per month. For families with two lines, the company said average use is about 735 minutes, so a 900-minute plans would be ample and save you $10 to $20 per month.

You can check your past bills to find your actual usage, or use an online service like Validas or BillShrink which take your bills and calculate the best deal for you.

LP, allies start scrambling for key House posts

With just two weeks to go before the 15th Congress opens, the Liberal Party (LP) and its "allies" in the majority coalition have started scrambling for key committees in the House of Representatives.

But Quezon City Representative and the party’s candidate for House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said there would be no LP monopoly on key committees, adding they would base committee chairmanships on experience and seniority.

"Ito nag-a-assign ng (we are assigning) responsibilities to various people who will be in charge of various committees not only among Liberals but among all those who compose the majority coalition. All important positions are being parceled out among the component coalition partners," Belmonte said in an interview on dwIZ radio.

"We talk to the prospective chairpersons on who will be more qualified to lead this or that committee. We will take into consideration factors like experience and seniority," he added.

The 15th Congress formally opens on July 26, with President Benigno Aquino III delivering his first State of the Nation Address before a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives.

When asked how many committee chairmanships are being deliberated on, Belmonte said, "marami (plenty)."

He said the LP is the lead group in the majority coalition that includes members of the Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People's Coalition and even Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

"We are the lead group in the coalition with NP, NPC and even Lakas who had moved over to our side are there, proposing a new majority. So (it is a) new majority. With the convening of Congress just around the corner, we are allocating and selecting the proper people to head the proper committees," he said.

Belmonte also admitted the administration will have a say in major committees.

Stargazers in awe as total eclipse arcs across Pacific

A total solar eclipse drew an 11,000-kilometer (6,800-mile) arc over the Pacific, plunging remote isles into darkness in a heavenly display climaxing on mysterious Easter Island.

The skies grew black in the middle of the day Sunday as the Moon slipped in front of the Sun and aligned with the Earth, blotting out the sunshine that just moments earlier had swathed the island's silent, ancient stone guardians.

Applause erupted from thousands of stargazers who began gathering days ago on this remote Chilean outpost for the rare four-minute, 41-second eclipse.

"It was like being in the stadium at night with artificial light. It was like being in a dark room with a 10-watt bulb," awe-struck local official Francisco Haoa told AFP.

"It started with a shadow. The skies were perfectly blue, with lots of wind that chased away the clouds. Everyone applauded.

"We saw a luminous object near here and people started saying they were sure it was a UFO."

In Tahiti, where the solar eclipse began its trek, the effect was so stunning that crowds of football-mad Polynesians turned away from the World Cup final on their television screens to look to the skies instead.

"It was like the Sun was smiling," said eight-year-old Hinanui. "The Sun seemed like a horizontal crescent, then the Moon covered up the bottom of the Sun, which reappeared again as a crescent."

Opticians and pharmacies sold more than 120,000 pairs of protective eyewear in Tahiti, which has 260,000 inhabitants, and warned of the dangers of vision loss if people looked directly at the eclipse.

Beginning at 1815 GMT, when the umbra or shadow fell about 700 kilometers (440 miles) southeast of Tonga, the eclipse zipped in an easterly arc, cloaking Easter Island at 2011 GMT.

It finished with a pass across southern Chile and Argentina, where it came to an end at 2052 GMT, just before nightfall in Patagonia.

An estimated 4,000 tourists, scientists, photographers, filmmakers and journalists flocked to this World Heritage site of only 160 square kilometers (60 square miles), doubling the barren island's population.

The Sun is 400 times wider than the Moon, but it is also 400 times farther away. Because of the symmetry, the lunar umbra that falls on the face of the Earth is exactly wide enough to cover the face of the Sun.

Throughout human history, superstition, awe and dread -- fears for the birth or death of kings, victories or defeats, bumper harvests or gnawing hunger -- have attended the moment when the Earth is plunged into daytime darkness.

Easter Island authorities increased security, especially around key heritage sites, including the 3,000-year-old large stone statues, or moai, that put the far-flung ethnic Polynesian islanders on the world culture map.

In local ancient lore, such an eclipse "would have been seen as a very powerful signal of upcoming upheaval," as their world view was rooted in nature, in "the earth, the sea and especially the sky," said Patricia Vargas of the University of Chile.

A French and a Japanese tourist were arrested for mounting "platforms where they are not allowed to touch and climb the statues," said police chief Cristian Gonzalez.

Mayor Luz del Carmen Zasso said visitors were asked to treat the island with respect.

"Easter Island is an open-air museum, and the eclipse is part of this museum," she added.

The eclipse has brought a tourist boom to Easter Island and Tahiti, where American film director James Cameron was among the stargazers helping to bring a 10.8-million-dollar tourism bonanza to the archipelago.

Meanwhile, in the small Patagonian town of El Calafate, just across the border from southern Chile in the snow-capped Argentine Andes, hundreds of people gathered to witness the natural phenomenon.

"We are pleased and excited by the interest generated by the eclipse. The five daily flights arriving in El Calafate were full on Friday and Saturday, and the climate is excellent for watching," said tourism director Ana Ianni.

Forecasters said there were clear skies with below-freezing temperatures in the southern hemisphere winter, with all-terrain vehicles needed to brave the snowy mountains.

The more adventurous could choose to spend the day in heated tents, high up in mountain spots only accessible with the help of guides and the stunning Perito Moreno glacier as a backdrop.

Differing opinions around the league about LeBron's decision

Don Nelson called it a travesty for the franchise and for Cleveland. A former teammate said turnabout is fair play.
The dust is far from settled from LeBron James' move from Northeast Ohio to South Beach, and polarizing opinions remain. There's never going to be a consensus on LeBron's choice to sign with Miami after seven years with the Cavaliers.
He's a villain and a savior. Just depends on your side.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert sided with the former, firing off a scathing personal attack of James via the team's website shortly after Thursday night's decision. Cuban probably would have done the same if faced with a similar flight.
"I don't blame him," Cuban said Friday as the NBA Summer League opened. "It's the same passion and emotion that comes with owning a team. You're not just a robot. You put your heart, your soul and every bit of your emotion into owning a team.
"You connect to the community. You feel an obligation to the community, Dallas, Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, whatever it may be. You're kind of the caretaker. You feel responsible. You have responsibility not just for winning, but for the whole community."
Gentry can relate to Cleveland's pain. Amar'e Stoudemire signed with New York after spending the first eight years of his career in Phoenix. As much as it hurt, Gentry understood Stoudemire's right to continue his career elsewhere.
"Did we hate losing Amar'e? Heck yeah," the Suns coach said. "Was Amar'e as important to us as LeBron to them? It's pretty close. He's been on a team the last seven years that's been to three conference finals and he's been the leading scorer on the team every year.

"Obviously, we hate losing Amar'e, but he made a business decision and we wish him nothing but the best. Once he made his decision, it didn't change our opinion of Amar'e Stoudemire. He's a great kid, he had great years in Phoenix and we wish him the best."
The same goes for LeBron.
"The guy has a right to play wherever he wants to play," Gentry added. "That's one of the things about free agency. I know he had seven great years in Cleveland. He did do a lot for that franchise and the city of Cleveland. They almost won a championship there.
"I don't think people realize how difficult it is to win a championship. If he does choose to play somewhere else, that's his right. I'm a little bit disappointed that the owner would come out and say those things."
Don Nelson has witnessed firsthand more games than anyone in league history. He's seen stars come and go, dynasties rise and fall. This was a first.
"It was a travesty for Cleveland and franchises that get a good player and try to build around them and, through no reason of their own, lose him through free agency," Golden State's coach said. "I think it's a travesty that players can talk and scheme and decide they want to build one franchise up, and yet we as general managers, coaches, owners can't speak to one another. It's a one-sided deal."
Nelson and Cuban don't agree on much, but on the issue of players making group decisions, they found common ground. The Mavericks owner said the league ought to dig deeper into such situations.
"You've probably got to take a closer look at how we enforce the tampering laws," Cuban said. "I don't know if there really is a solution, but you've got to at least look at it."
Coby Karl wonders why all the fuss. As someone who's already been cut three times in his budding career, the Denver summer leaguer and former James teammate understood LeBron's motivation to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Heat.
"It's a business and he did what was best for his family," said Karl, a member of the Cavaliers early last season. "It shows that he wants to win. Many times players have felt slighted by an organization. Many, many, many times. Probably more than vice versa. I'm happy for him. I think it shows that he wants to win."
Such a stance falls hollow to many. Nelson, for one, isn't sure how the Cavs bounce back without their homegrown former King.
"They did everything they could," he said. "They tried to build a good team around him. They went out and got players and it wasn't working now but that doesn't mean it's not going to work. And they get punished for it. They get kicked in the teeth. It's just not right."
And Gilbert's letter is hardly wrong in Cuban's eyes, even though it contained personal attacks criticized in many circles as unbecoming an owner of a professional franchise.
"He sent a message," Cuban said. "The message was received loud and clear. He didn't mince any words of where he stood. It wasn't like if he didn't write it he would have approached it any differently. But he sent a message to everybody involved saying exactly what he was feeling."
Not everyone feels the same.

Is Bea Alonzo still intimidated by Gretchen Barretto?

Magkaribal, ABS-CBN’s newest primetime offering, is undoubtedly a phenomenal success on its first week. Bea Alonzo, the show’s lead star, can’t hide her happiness with the result of their hard work and many sleepless nights. “Sobrang happy po ako. ‘Wag po kayong bibitaw. Promise. Marami pang magagandang mangyayari.”

The Kapamilya star shares, the feedbacks on the show are nothing short of inspiring. She says, “Kaya naman kami napupuyat ng sobra kasi sobrang gaganda ng mga reaksyon nila. Hindi namin pwede pabayaan. Nakaka-inspire. Kailangan pagandahin para hindi sila ma-disappoint.”

It can be recalled that Bea admitted before that she’s intimidated by her co-star, Gretchen Barretto. After working with her for weeks now, does she still feel she same? Bea answers, “Hindi na. Wala na. Totally nabura na yung pagiging intimidated ko sa kanya.”

The young actress reveals that she feels amused with Gretchen now that they get to talk more often. “Nakakatanggap ako ng tawag sa kanya kasi minsan nasa kabilang unit sya… tatawagan nya ko. ‘Bea ang ganda-ganda ng show natin! I still can’t believe!’ Wow, di pa rin nagsi-sink in kay Ate Gretch. Nakakatawa kasi talagang she’s still emotional bout it. Overwhelmed.”

Magkaribal is lucky to have such big stars as Gretchen Barretto and Bea Alonzo who are passionate about their show and are serious in their craft.

Maja Salvador feels flattered to be called ‘Horror Princess’

Maja Salvador has done a number of horror films, like Sukob, Villa Estrella, and Shake, Rattle, and Roll XI. For these films and her latest thriller Cinco, Maja was dubbed as the new “Horror Princess.” While the young actress is pleased with her “title,” she made sure the distinction of being “Horror Queen” remained with Kris Aquino. “Si Tita Kris ang talagang Horror Queen. Sa kanya na ang mga horror movies. Natutuwa lang ako na sa kakagawa ko ng horror e tinatawag na akong ‘Horror Princess.’ Sa dami ng artista ngayon na nakakasabayan ko, natutuwa ako na ako ‘yung nabibigyan ng ganung title.” Kris top-billed the box-office horror movies Feng Shui and Sukob.

Maja, however, doesn’t think that she is being typecast in the horror genre. “Hindi naman ako natatakot na ma typecast sa horror. Marami na akong nagawang horror pero mas marami pa rin akong nagagawang hindi horror. Like ngayon ‘yung (Precious Hearts Romances presents) Impostor, comedy drama siya.”

She talked about how Cinco, a five-story movie, is different from the other horror films she had done before. “Ako naman dito ‘yung mumultuhin, ha ha ha! Sa Sukob ako ‘yung minumulto dun. Sa mga sumunod ako naman ‘yung nagmumulto, like sa Villa Estrella, Shake, Rattle, and Roll. Kakaiba ang story ng Mata, ‘yung episode namin. Ang hirap i-explain kasi baka ma-spoil ‘yung ending.”

Maja, one of the highly acclaimed actresses of her generation, confessed that she found her character in Cinco very challenging. “Dito ako nahirapan na gawin sunud sunod ‘yung mga scenes. Pataas kasi nang pataas ang emosyon sa story. Kailangan mo matutukan bawat eksena kasi mawawala. Nagtatanong talaga ako kay direk kung tama ba ‘yung continuity. Sana nagawa ko.”

In Cinco, Maja plays Rose, a woman who witnessed her fiancé commit a crime and was forced to keep quiet. Playing Maja’s fiancé is Rayver Cruz whom she had worked with in numerous teleseryes including the suspense series Spirits. Despite Cinco being a horror flick, will there be any intimate scenes between Maja and Rayver in the film? “Horror po ito, hindi love story, ha ha ha! Pero meron naman pong mga ilang eksena na nagsasayaw kami, naglalambingan, hawakan. Mas maraming gulatan at sigawan,” she answered.

Cinco also stars Mariel Rodriguez, Pokwang, Zanjoe Marudo, Jodi Sta. Maria, AJ Perez, Robi Domingo, and Sam Concepcion. The film opens nationwide on July 14.

Zaijian Jaranilla wants to be as famous as Piolo Pascual

Child star Zaijian Jaranilla returns to Primetime Bida with his newest teleserye Noah. From his role in May Bukas Pa, this time Zaijian plays a child who gets separated from his parents and grows up in the world of ungtas (monkey-like creatures) on the island of Noah. Piolo Pascual stars as Gabriel, Zaijian's father in the story.

In ABS-CBN.com's previous interview with Zaijian on the set of Noah, he said that he is more comfortable playing an ungta than Santino because he always had to cry a lot in the latter. But at the Noah press conference last July 6, the child star seemed to have changed his mind. "Madali na po pareho. Kahit ano naman pong ibigay sa akin na role, kahit kontrabida, kahit bida, okay lang po." Apparently, at his young age, he is also not aware of any pressure in showbiz as he told ABS-CBN.com, ''Hindi po ako kinakabahan, masaya nga po, e."

When asked if he sees Piolo as his dad on the set, Zaijian answered no but admitted that he wants to be as famous as his co-star. "Gusto ko po maging sikat [katulad ni Kuya Piolo].” When he was asked if he wants to be as good-looking as the Ultimate Heartthrob, he said, “Hindi na, pogi na nga rin ako."

Noah also stars Jodi Sta. Maria, Cherry Pie Picache, Melissa Ricks, Jolo Revilla, Baron Geisler, Renzo Cruz, Lou Veloso, Anna Capri, Tessie Tomas, and Nonie Buencamino. Noah premieres July 12 on Primetime Bida.

In made-for-TV event, LeBron shares an awkward goodbye

That was when the relentless cynicism of what LeBron James had just announced, and how he was going about it, revealed itself in full.

Dozens of kids were seated just so on two sets of metal bleachers, positioned as backdrop for James' multi-million dollar announcement Thursday that he would spend his next five NBA seasons with the Miami Heat. The "studio" was, in fact, the gymnasium of the Boys & Girls Club in this upscale community 30 miles north of New York City. Back in Cleveland, where James spent his first seven seasons as the sort of hometown hero (he's from Akron) professional sports rarely see, he and his youngest fans would have filled such a room with warmth and love.

Here, the kids were props, LeBron fans for a night thanks to his odd selection of their club as his platform. Given strict instructions to hush during the important yakking between the suddenly former Cavaliers star and handpicked interviewer Jim Gray, the Greenwich kids looked to be having as much fun as Joan Crawford's offspring at Thanksgiving dinner.

They had to sit quietly when the cameras rolled. And when the cameras were off, they got to watch James sit quietly. Seriously. Awkwardly. Grimly.

Here he had just announced the decision that was going to define him and his dream for seasons to come, a dream that he had seeded and nurtured since the last time he, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh signed their synchronized contracts, and James looked glum. He took a swig of Vitaminwater, the product so strategically placed during James' and ESPN's co-production, "The Decision." He fidgeted with his ear piece. He stared around and through Gray.

The red light came back on and James dutifully answered Gray's and the studio hosts' questions about his process in choosing Miami and eliminating the others. He talked of what he might face back in the market he just bolted and worded it like this: "I have to go back there twice a year."

Huh? Have to go. He said this a mere minutes after exiting Cleveland, the site of such a slobbering love affair for seven years.

Then it was time for another commercial and James looked like he need to get up, unhook his microphone and take a long, hot shower to rinse away the bad mojo. A nationally televised hubbub entirely of his own doing, yet he seemed to want to be anywhere but in that director's chair turned hot seat.

Maybe it was inevitable that Thursday's staged event would lack joy -- outside of south Florida, anyway, and the inner circles of James, Wade and Bosh that are linked now like Olympic rings. By keeping six teams -- the Heat, the Cavaliers, the Bulls, the Nets, the Knicks and the Clippers -- guessing right till the end, his prime-time reveal could delight only one and disappoint five. While distressing 29, really, each of which might envision the "Miami Threeat" blocking their paths to The Finals and future championships.

"This is history in the making," Wade told ESPN Thursday in a post-"Decision" interview. "To have three guys in their prime -- I mean LeBron 25, Chris 26 and I'm 28 -- [and] to make this sacrifice to come together for one common goal, and that common goal is to do nothing but win..."

A very different, Wade-led Heat team won 47 games last season before losing in the first round against Boston.

Said Bosh, during the same interview: "I think we can win for a very long time if we do the right things and approach everything the right way. ... I'm ready to get this going. I'm ready to work as hard as possible and take whatever role I have to to bring some wins to this team."

Wade and Bosh had it easy Thursday. They had announced their decision to join up in Miami on Wednesday, then waited a day and a half for James climb aboard. That sequencing worked against James, who looked like he was taking haven in a stacked deck of Miami talent while giving up on building and bringing a championship to northeast Ohio. Never again will James (more than his marquee teammates) be an underdog. Never again will he be known for loyalty first and individual pursuits second.

That all-for-one ubuntu concept from which the 2008 Boston Celtics got so much mileage? James used to have that not just with his fellow Cavaliers but with the fans in Cleveland. Now he leaves not witnesses but casualties.

So maybe there was a little guilt mixed into his statements Thursday, leading to so much awkwardness. Up to and including the dreaded third-person references.

"I wanted to do what was best for LeBron James and what LeBron James was going to do to make him happy," he said at one point. "I had seven great years in Cleveland. I hope the fans understand. Maybe they don't. But I'm going to ultimately be happy with my decision."

James had nothing negative to say about his Cleveland era, now officially sealed off with one trip to The Finals (a 2007 sweep by San Antonio) and, most recently, his Game 5 funk and Game 6 elimination by the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He just didn't have enough reasons to extend it.

"The seven years we had were like no other," James said. "It ultimately came down to where I felt like I could win the most."

The Greenwich chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, so James' media event was welcomed as one big birthday present. The local kids, their parents, civic types and club directors were present for "The Decision." But the guest list was short and security was tight.

Police on the scene weren't shy about banishing many non-ESPN TV, radio, print and Internet reporters and crews to spots across Horseneck Lane from the stately 70-year-old building. A village of production trucks had been in place since morning as the NBA's No. 1 waiting game narrowed down from months, weeks and days to hours and minutes.

Fans and gawkers were herded to the corner at Shore Road, as many as 300 of them making last-minute pitches for their teams -- hoping that James was whisked in from that direction -- via T-shirts, jerseys and banners. Knicks fans were most prevalent, but there were signs touting the Nets, one fellow in a Michael Jordan Bulls jersey and several wearing James' familiar No. 23 in Cavs' colors.

There also was a flash of green, a cluster of Celtics fans led by a woman holding this sign: "Hey LeBron / It Doesn't Matter / Pierce Will Eat Your Lunch Anywhere."

Usher Arrives in Manila

MANILA, Philippines-- American R&B singer Usher arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 at around 5:40 p.m. Thursday on board Malaysian Airlines flight MH-803.

He and his 25-member entourage, including dancers, were met by concert organizers and promoters.

He waved to a small group of fans as he was led to the airport dignitaries lounge.

Usher will have a concert at a Pasay City mall on Friday.

PBB Fretzie Bercede intends to pursue a showbiz career while studying

Pinoy Big Brother Teen Clash of 2010 third placer Fretzie Bercede is still adjusting to her newfound fame ever since she left the PBB house. “Actually paglabas namin hindi ako nag-expect na ganun karami ‘yung nanonood sa amin. And ‘yung sumusuporta sa amin sobrang dami, so ‘yun sobrang thankful talaga and then parang ngayon hindi pa rin ako sanay, sobrang dami lang sumusuporta and fans,” she explained to ABS-CBN.com. A couple of weeks after PBB Big Night, the pretty Cebuana shared that she is becoming accustomed to fans approaching her and asking her to have their pictures taken with her.

A few days before the PBB finale, Fretzie awarded herself (like fellow housemate Devon Seron) the gold medal, which indicated that she believed that she deserved to be a big winner. Though she ended in third place, Fretzie said that she does not feel disappointed. “I believe in myself like maging Big Winner [at may]pagtitiwala sa sarili pero I’m not disappointed at all. I’m happy being part of the big six, so sobrang masaya pa rin.”

Fretzie revealed that she plans to continue her high school studies, but is open to showbiz opportunities. “Actually, now like [nasa] high school pa [ako] so study muna and then ‘pag may offer or something, of course study and career… balance,” she said. She plans to continue her studies in her hometown and will just fly back and forth if there is any project in Manila.

Aside from a laptop, Fretzie also won P300,000 cash prize and she plans to spend a part of it for charity, while the remaining amount she will give to her parents. “I really wanted to help other people so I want to share it and gusto kong ibigay sa family ko. ‘Yun talaga ang goal ko kaya nag-join ako ng PBB,” she explained.

Angelica: Relationship with Derek stronger than ever

ANILA, Philippines – “Rubi” lead star Angelica Panganiban said her almost one-month vacation with boyfriend Derek Ramsay in South Africa strengthened their relationship despite the intrigues hounding them.

Panganiban and her hunk actor beau flew to South Africa to watch the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Ramsay, who grew up in England, is a football addict.

Despite their relationship being stronger than ever, Panganiban maintained that marriage is not on the horizon.

She told the ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau during the RNG Roadshow in Belfast, Ireland that they will prioritize their showbiz careers and just enjoy each other’s company.

Other celebrities in Belfast were Dennis Padilla, Diether Ocampo and John Lloyd Cruz.

When asked if Ramsay is wary of her sexy role in “Rubi,” Panganiban laughed off the matter, saying that her boyfriend is happy and excited about her portrayal.

Love triangle?

Before the showbiz couple left for South Africa last month, a “word war” involving Panganiban and actress Gretchen Barretto broke out.

Barretto is Ramsay’s co-star in the primetime television program, “Magkaribal.”

The word war began after Barretto joked in a television interview that she wanted Ramsay’s solo pictures as presents once he returned from South Africa.

This reportedly irked Panganiban. In her Twitter account, she has posted 2 controversial tweets: “Totoo nga... Nakakaloka pala talaga. Oh well... Nakakaawa ka.. Mukhang 'di ka masaya.. Goodnight” and “Tarrrraaaayyy!!! Single ka teh? :)”

When asked for comment on Ramsay and Panganiban’s return to the Philippines, Barretto uttered one of the lines delivered by her “Magkaribal” character, fashion model and designer Victoria Valera.

“Out with the old, in with the new,” said the long-time partner of businessman Antonio “TonyBoy” Cojuangco. “Old na ‘yang chismis na ‘yan.”

Barretto and Ramsay earlier clarified that they are just castmates. – With a report from Danny Buenafe, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau chief

Boozer agrees to five-year deal with Bulls

A league source confirms that Utah Jazz free agent forward Carlos Boozer has agreed to a five-year, $80 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, giving the team some solace on the day that both Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade spurned its offers to come to the Windy City, and a 28-year-old power forward to team with point guard Derrick Rose and center Joakim Noah.

The deal, which was first reported by ESPN, does not include any options for either side in the deal, the source said, meaning Boozer will be signed through the 2014-15 season once he officially signs the deal. Players can begin signing verbally agreed to contracts on Thursday.
When the free agent negotiating period began last week Chicago looked in a strong position to acquire both Bosh and LeBron James, or Bosh and Wade, the Chicago native. But once Bosh decided Tuesday that he would not go to Chicago, and Wade opted to stay in Miami to play with him, the Bulls knew it would be next to impossible to woo James without having someone else already in tow, so they turned their attention to Boozer, the next-best power forward on the board. The source said Wednesday that the Bulls have no idea how the signing of Boozer will impact the decision of James, who is scheduled to announce where he is going Thursday night.
The Bulls, like Miami, had tried mightily to get Boozer from Utah last summer in a trade, igniting weeks of speculation before Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor made it clear he would not give the veteran forward away and hoped to keep him. Utah turned down all offers for Boozer and kept him, and he responded with a great season, averaging 20.5 points and 11.2 rebounds, shooting a career-best 56.2 percent from the floor and finishing third in the league in defensive boards. The Jazz made the playoffs, but once again, Utah came up short against the Lakers, losing in four straight in the second round.
If Utah does not eventually do a sign and trade deal with the Bulls for some combination of draft picks, cash and a trade exception, the Jazz will have nothing to show for its strong stance, which is likely to further irritate All-Star point guard Deron Williams. Williams was angry when the Jazz sent Ronnie Brewer to Memphis at the trade deadline for a protected first-round pick in 2011, despite his team's management's claim that the Jazz had a lot of players at the guard position and that the move could open up playing time for players like rookie guard Wes Matthews.
On the court, Utah will plug Paul Millsap into Boozer's position.
Chicago had to come up with something after going all in to try and get two max-level free agents. The Bulls traded guard John Salmons to division rival Milwaukee at the trade deadline to get Salmons's contract off their books, then made a Draft-day deal with Washington that will officially be announced tomorrow, with guard Kirk Hinrich and first-round pick Kevin Seraphin going to the Wizards for, essentially, nothing. Those moves cleared more than $32 million in cap room for Chicago, second only to New York leaguewide. Chicago still would have enough room after signing Boozer to target another high-profile free agent, almost certainly a shooting guard or wing player.

James, Wade and Bosh to discuss plans

Where will a free agent sign? Follow the money
LeBron James(notes), Dwyane Wade(notes) and Chris Bosh(notes) are expected to share a conference call on Wednesday to discuss free agency and try to move closer to finalizing their decisions, a league source with knowledge of the plan told Yahoo! Sports.

The three players are motivated to reach resolutions and make their choices public by Thursday, several sources told Yahoo! Sports. The stars and their agents with CAA continued on Tuesday to churn through numerous machinations and possibilities.

“Everything is still in play,” the source said.

James has the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets as his top three choices, sources said. Still, Cleveland has reemerged as the leader to keep James and Cavaliers officials are confident the two-time MVP will choose to re-sign with them.

Bosh and Wade are still considering playing together with Miami, Chicago and New Jersey, sources said. Wade hasn’t committed to re-signing in Miami and is still strongly considering the Bulls. He is intrigued with the talent that would surround him with the Bulls, as well as family considerations that would benefit from proximity to his ex-wife and children in Illinois.

Chicago and New Jersey need to make deals to eliminate more salary off their cap to accommodate two maximum contract players.

Stoudemire agrees to five-year deal with Knicks

Amar'e Stoudemire is headed to the New York Knicks, and both sides are hoping he's not coming alone.
The Knicks said Monday they intend to sign Stoudemire to a contract later this week when the free agent moratorium period ends. Stoudemire's agent, Happy Walters, said the deal is for the maximum allowed, which would be nearly $100 million over five years.

Wearing a blue Knicks hat, Stoudemire said he looked forward to rebuilding a franchise and bringing the Knicks back to the top -- maybe with a player such as LeBron James or Dwyane Wade with him.
"I feel great about being a pioneer and showing my leadership," he said at Madison Square Garden, where signs throughout the entrances showed the player pictured in a Knicks uniform and reading "Welcome, Amar'e Stoudemire."
The deal can't be signed until Thursday, after the salary cap for next season has been set.
It was a desperately needed score in free agency for the Knicks, who spent two seasons clearing enough cap space to afford two top players. They met with James, Wade and Chris Bosh last week and believe they could still land one of them.
Stoudemire has already started recruiting, saying he spoke to James' people and directly to Wade last week. And he said he won't be affected if those players say no to New York.
"Totally comfortable, totally confident that my leadership qualities will uplift all of us to do something great this upcoming season," Stoudemire said. "So again, the Knicks are back."
The move reunites Stoudemire with Mike D'Antoni, his former coach in Phoenix. Stoudemire averaged more than 20 points in every season they were together and immediately becomes the best player D'Antoni has coached since leaving the Suns after the 2007-08 season.
"He's a dominant offensive player for sure, in a variety of ways," D'Antoni said.
Stoudemire's days with the Suns ended late last week when the team agreed to $48 million worth of deals with forwards Hakim Warrick and Channing Frye. The sides had discussed an extension, but the Suns looked elsewhere after they'd reached a stalemate.
Stoudemire said he understood owner Robert Sarver's position and wasn't disrespected by the Suns' refusal to give him a max deal that would have paid him millions more. He said he's always loved New York and wanted to play here since the Knicks passed on him in the 2002 draft.
He finally got to Broadway by becoming the first big player in this much-hyped free agent class to change teams. The other top players could announce their decisions later in the week, and perhaps they might take a second look at New York now that there's another huge piece in place.
"No one wanted to make the first move and I feel confident enough to take that first step and hopefully now we can bring a few guys in to join me," Stoudemire said.
The Knicks decided they no longer needed to wait on an answer from Bosh, especially because Stoudemire showed such a commitment to New York. They even gave him the longest contract allowable without knowing if it could be insured because of Stoudemire's injury history that includes microfracture knee surgery and a partially detached retina.
"I think to a degree the fact that Amare really wanted to come here, stepped up front, it got to the point where we had to acknowledge that and say that means something to us," Knicks president Donnie Walsh said.
Walsh said Stoudemire's arrival didn't necessarily mean the end for David Lee, the Knicks' own All-Star free agent who plays the same position. Lee could also be used in a sign-and-trade, though Walsh indicated he hadn't received any good proposals in discussions with Lee's agent.
Stoudemire has career averages of 21.4 points and 8.9 rebounds and helped the Suns reach the Western Conference finals this season. D'Antoni called him "probably one of the best, if not the best finisher in the league" and dismissed the notion that their relationship was strained in Phoenix.
"We had no problem," D'Antoni said. "I had four great years. The reason I have a very good contract in New York is Amare doing what he did for me. So I can't have any animosity and don't, and he was great."
The question now is can he help land James.
They could have ended up together in February, when the Suns considered trading Stoudemire to Cleveland before the Cavaliers instead took a deal with Washington for Antawn Jamison.
Stoudemire would instantly become the best teammate James has ever had in the NBA, but James would have to leave behind his hometown team and the extra $30 million the Cavaliers could pay him for the partnership to happen now.
"Playing with LeBron would be great," Stoudemire said. "But again, I'm not sure what his decision is and where he's leaning. If he's leaning more toward New York, then that's a great start for us."
For a team mired in a franchise-worst stretch of nine straight losing seasons, Stoudemire alone is a good start. The Knicks can finally trot out a superstar again in front of Spike Lee?who was on hand as Stoudemire met the media?and the rest of the home fans.
"It's the first step," Walsh said. "It's a big step, because it's a big guy."

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/07/05/stoudemire.knicks.ap/index.html