AMA's Fashion Winners...

American Music Awards saw Hollywood's finest pull on their best outfits and take to the red carpet in Los Angeles. Leona Lewis and newcomer Demi Lovato take our prizes for best dressed but the lovely Rihanna walked away with the booby prize for her leather monstrosity.

Representing Britain Leona did us proud, managing to more than hold her own in the style stakes when surrounded by so many fashionable starlets.

She showed that sequins can be classy in this black and silver flapper style dress. The cute Mary Jane shoes polished off the look and that stack of silver bracelets bring out the silver detail in the dress.

Sarah Larson on Her ‘Stressful Relatioship’ With Clooney

George Clooney’s ex-girlfriend says dating the star was “nerve-wracking and stressful”.

Sarah Larson split from the ‘Burn After Reading’ star earlier this year after an almost 12-month relationship, but has admitted she felt extremely self-conscious whenever they went out in public together.

Asked how it felt to have dated the “sexiest man alive”, Sarah said: “No pressure. It was a little nerve-wracking because you know, everybody loves George, and so, to be in the public eye like that, it was a little bit stressful.

Sarah and George met when she was working as a cocktail waitress in Las Vegas.

Although Sarah refused to comment on who instigated their split, she did confirm it happened “quickly” and revealed the pair are no longer in touch.
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HTC Touch Pro Smartphone Launches for Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless today launched the HTC Touch Pro, a compact smartphone with a touch screen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

The Touch Pro combines HTC's interface with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Customers can use either the classic Windows Mobile interface or HTC's TouchFLO 3D graphical interface.

Users can browse the web or access their email, contacts and calendars with Microsoft Outlook. The Touch Pro also opens and edits Microsoft Word and Excel documents and shares Microsoft PowerPoint files with large groups using a separately sold video-out cable connected to a television or projector.

A 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash easily captures high-quality images and video. With a preloaded business card reader application, the camera doubles as a scanner to store business card information on the handset and synchronized with a contact database.

With VZ Navigator, consumers can access audible turn-by-turn directions to more than 14 million points of interest.

The Opera Web browser displays webpages in the format they were originally designed to be viewed on the Touch Pro's 2.8-inch VGA screen. Panning and zooming across webpages is simplified by the touch screen interface for a desktop-like experience.

A microSD memory card slot stores of up to 16GB.

The HTC Touch Pro is available online today for $349.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate and a new two-year customer agreement. It will be available in stores beginning Dec.

Sony Ericsson W705 Unveiled with Premium Sound, Wi-Fi

Sony Ericsson today unveiled the W705, a Walkman phone with Clear Bass, Clear Stereo and premium headphones for audio clarity and rich and natural sound, and Wi-Fi connectivity to connect to hotspots.

Its metal finish combines with a large 2.4-inch screen in an elegant and compact slider. The 3.2-megapixel camera snaps photos and uploads them using Wi-Fi to social networking sites.

The W705 includes popular Walkman features such as the music recognition application TrackID, SensMe, for matching any mood to the music and Shake control to change tracks with the flick of a hand. PlayNow arena provides unique themes and wallpapers, ringtones, free content and DRM-free music tracks and TrackID charts from around the world.

"Combining premium design and best-in-class sound quality with super-fast access to a host of digital content whether it be from PlayNow arena or via the web, we really are offering the most feature-rich mobile music experience available today," said Ben Padley, Head of Global Music Marketing at Sony Ericsson.

The Sony Ericsson W705 will be available in selected markets from Q1 2009 in the colors Luxury Silver and Passionate Red.

How I learnt to lose and love my bike

From the disappointment of 2006 and 2007, Valentino Rossi came back strong in 2008. The MotoGP World Champion with a record-breaking points total, the Fiat Yamaha rider used the bad experiences of his dry two years to his own advantage this past season, as he himself acknowledges.

`I think that in those two years I learnt to lose, which is an important thing because everybody loses sometimes. The style and the character that you show when you lose is so important for when trying to win another time,´ says the Italian on reflection of his most recent MotoGP campaign.

`There are a lot of different keys to my success in 2008. For sure the physical and mental preparation was very important, because I tried to fix one-by-one all the problems around me to arrive at the first race very concentrated on the target,´ adds Rossi, who had attempted to address one of said problems with a switch in tyre manufacturers before the season´s start.

I´m very happy with my work together with the team when Bridgestone had some problems, especially at the beginning of the year. I had a lot of pressure on me, because Michelin did a great job at the start and everybody said that I had made a mistake in changing tyres.

`The change gave me a lot of extra motivation, but to start with it was difficult; we had to modify the settings on the bike and also my own riding style.´

`The Doctor´ is also much more at home with his bike, despite having to make the radical changes to suit his new rubber. A step up in quality from Yamaha was a welcome move for the now six-time MotoGP World Champion, and appears high up on his list of explanations for personal improvement.

`Last year our bike was very slow, it wasn´t just the tyres. I felt a great improvement and a great effort from Yamaha to improve the M1. I felt in my skin that in every test the Japanese worked very strong so I tried to do even better,´ he explains.

As Yamaha continue work on the bike for 2009, Rossi´s rival will also be pushing hard. All of the top five gave the MotoGP king a hard time in various races this past season, and he expects nothing less of them in the coming year.

`Stoner I expected to challenge for sure, because in 2007 he was very, very strong. I always like Pedrosa because for me he rides very well, so I expect him to be very strong. Lorenzo arrived from two World Championships in 250cc was strong from the beginning; I know he has a good talent. Also Dovizioso. He is very strong and he was good on a bike that this year was a bit slower than the factory bike. In the future he will be a difficult enemy.´

Gibernau knows what needs to be done

MotoGP Legend Angel Nieto will be a keen observer of the progress made by Sete Gibernau in the latters World Championship return, as part of the Onde 2000 team run by his sons Gelete and Pablo. The paddock veteran is talking up the work done in preparation for Gibernaucomeback season, not least by the rider him self.

I saw Sete this weekend, and he is very excited. Gelete and Pablo are working extremely hard in the team, and Francisco Hernando (the backer of the project) is happy now we just have to turn the effort into results, says Nieto.

Gibernau will be back onboard the Ducati Desmosedici on Wednesday and Thursday of this week at the MotoGP Official Test in Jerez –the chance to undertake further laps cited as crucial for his 2009 campaign by the former 12+1 lower cylinder category World Champion.

The most important thing now for Sete is that he rides as many laps as possible. He has a lot of experience and a strong will to ride, Nieto continues.

However, I dont think that he needs telling what needs to be done; hes been here for a long time, all the way back to 500cc, so he knows perfectly well what the demands are.

Nieto himself was back in action at the Montmelo track in Barcelona this past weekend, participating in a 24 Hour car race. The rider-turned commentator was unable to complete the race after his team Seat Leon was involved in a crash, putting the mechanics to work for three hours. On the experience, Nieto said that I havent done road racing in over 20 years, but I had a great time

Membangun Situs Aman dari Hacker

Berikut ini adalah beberapa tips dalam Membangun Websites yang tidak mudah di jebol Hacker. Tips ini dibuat oleh moderator komunitas white hacker Yogyafree, Nathan Gusti Ryan, saya cmn menyampaikan aja sapa tau berguna.

Sehubungan dengan maraknya deface atau hacking isi websites pemerintah maupun organisasi besar maka berikut ini berbagai tips yang dapat dilakukan oleh web administrator untuk membangun Webserver yang tangguh dan tidak mudah dibobol oleh Hacker.

Pertama
Pada umumnya, hosting websites dilakukan pada ISP (Internet Service Provider) dengan space tertentu, lalu kita melakukan upload website via FTP atau via CPANEL (Control Panel). Webhosting inilah yang rawan dan mudah sekali dibobol oleh Hacker di antaranya mengunakan teknik SQL Injection. Maka disarankan agar mengunakan Server sendiri dan mengunakan VPS (Virtual Private Server). Dengan Server sendiri atau Virtual Private Server bisa mengunakan berbagai proteksi terhadap kita secara Customized. Beda dengan Web Hosting, proteksi security dilakukan terserah apa kata ISP. Kelemahan proteksi inilah yang dimanfaatkan oleh Hacker dengan melakukan Port Scanning untuk menemukan celah security yang bisa ditembus untuk bisa masuk dan mengambil alih websites tersebut.

Tips Kedua
Mengunakan Hardware Security yang powerfull diantaranya yang memiliki fitur Firewall, IDS (Intrusion Detection System) dan IPS (Intrusion Prevention System). Contohnya mengunakan Fortigate, Cisco Series Security, 3Com Tipping Point, dan lainnya. Dapat juga mengunakan software IDS seperti Black ICE Countermeasures ataupun Distro Linux untuk security system seperti Smootwall, Monowall, Customized Distro Linux, dan lainnya. Umumnya, baik software maupun hardware security ini bisa secara otomatis mengirimkan email alert bahkan bisa mengirimkan alert via SMS jika system mendeteksi adanya serangan dari hacker.

Tips Ketiga
Mengunakan system yang Stable yang sudah perfect systemnya, sehingga kemungkinan adanya celah keamanan juga dapat diminimalkan. Banyaknya software atau tool web builder dengan berbagai versi terutama versi gratis/ free License/ Freeware, sebaiknya para pemakai memilih versi yang sudah dinyatakan Stable. Seperti adanya BUG pada software Joomla versi 1.5.0 - 1.5.5.

Tips Keempat
Web Administrator/ System Administrator harus melakukan Review, Testing, Simulasi secara berkala terhadap keamanan pada Server yang dikelolanya. Bahkan bisa bekerja sama dengan Hacker (White Hacker yang dapat dipercaya reputasinya) untuk melakukan Audit terhadap implementasi Security webservernya

20 Rahasia Tersembunyi WindowsXP

1. Pada versi sebelumnya, Windows masih sangat malu malu untuk menunjukan secara detail informasi dari sistem yang sedang bekerja, namun semenjak kemunculan WindowsXP, hal ini sudah tidak berlaku lagi. Kita dapat mengintip secara detail informasi tentang sistem yang saat ini berjalan dengan melakukan beberapa langkah mudah yaitu, : Bukalah [Command Prompt] pada menu [Accessories] dari tombol [Start]-->[All Programs], lalu ketiklah 'systeminfo'. Pada layar akan tersaji banyak informasi yang berguna tentang komputer anda termasuk 'uptime'. Jika anda ingin menyimpan informasi tersebut, ketik 'systeminfo > info.txt'. Perintah ini akan menghasilkan file info.txt yang dapat anda baca menggunakan Notepad. (WindowsXP Professional).

2. Anda dapat menghapus sebuah file secara langsung tanpa harus menyimpan terlebih dahulu di [Recycle Bin]. Klik [Start], lalu klik [Run...], kemudian ketiklah 'gpedit.msc'. Selanjutnya pilihlah [User Configuration]-->[Administrative Templates]-->[Windows Components]-->[Windows Explorer], lalu pilih 'Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin'. Selain fungsi ini, anda bisa mengutak atik banyak fungsi di gpedit, cuma hati hati, bila salah melangkah bisa bisa komputer anda tidak bisa hidup lagi dengan normal. (WindowsXP Professional).

3. Anda dapat mengunci WindowsXP hanya dengan dua klik mouse. Tidak percaya? Coba buat shortcut baru di desktop dengan menggunakan klik kanan dari mouse. Isikan perintah 'rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation' pada kolom lokasi. Beri nama shortcut itu terserah anda. Setelah shortcut itu menampakan diri di desktop, klik 2 kali, nah komputer anda akan terkunci. Cara lain adalah dengan menekan tombol Windows dan L pada keyboard secara bersamaan.

4. Entah apa maksudnya, WindowsXP dengan sengaja dan tanpa merasa berdosa menyembunyikan beberapa program sistem yang sebagian mungkin tidak kita butuhkan. Salah satu program yang sempat saya bahas disini adalah Windows Messenger. Untuk memunculkan kembali program tersembunyi itu, coba gunakan Notepad untuk menyunting file sysoc.inf yang ada di direktori /windows/inf/. Kemudian carilah kata 'hide' pada setiap baris program, lalu hapus dengan mantap. Setelah menyimpan kembali file tersebut, pergilah ke [Add or Remove Programs] pada [Control Panel], pilih [Add/Remove Windows Components]. Disana akan tampak semua program yang sebelumnya tersembunyi. Selanjutnya terserah anda, mana yang mau dihapus dan mana yang dibiarkan saja.

5. Bagi mereka yang suka main main dengan file Batch via DOS, WindowsXP mempunyai banyak perintah yang menarik. Perintah ini termasuk 'eventcreate' dan 'eventtriggers' untuk mengamati system events. 'typeperf' untuk memonitor performa dari sistem, 'schtasks' untuk menangangi sekejul. Seperti biasa, akhirilah setiap perintah dengan /? untuk mendapatkan opsi tambahan.

6. WindowsXP sudah mendukung IP versi 6 atau IPv6 (generasi selanjutnya dari IP). Sayangnya IPv6 ini lebih banyak diimplementasikan pada ISP, sehingga untuk sekedar bisa mencobanya kita membutuhkan sebuah komputer yang tersambung ke dalam suatu LAN. Ketik 'ipv6 install' pada [Run...] (Santai saja, proses ini tidak akan mengacaukan sistem LAN anda). Selanjutnya, ketiklah 'ipv6 /?' pada baris command untuk mendapatkan opsi tambahan. Jika anda tidak ngerti tentang ini, tidak apa apa, saya juga nggak begitu mengerti.hhhee...

7. Anda bisa menghentikan beberapa task yang sedang aktif pada sistem dengan perintah di command prompt (Saya tahu, biasanya anda menggunakan task manager, khan?). Ketiklah 'taskkill /pid' lalu nomor task, atau 'tskill' diikuti nomor/nama process. Untuk mengetahui nomor task atau nama process, ketiklah 'tasklist', perintah ini juga memberikan informasi tentang kondisi sistem anda saat itu.

8. Windows XP akan menampilkan file Zip seperti layaknya sebuah folder. Hal ini tentu akan lebih nyaman dipakai bila spesifikasi komputer anda bagus. Namun bila komputer anda termasuk golongan 'jadul' alias kuno bin lambat, anda bisa mematikan fungsi ini dengan mengetik 'regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll' pada command prompt. Jika anda ingin mengembalikan ke fungsi semula ketiklah 'regsvr32 zipfldr.dll'.

9. XP memiliki apa yang dinamakan ClearType (Sebuah teknologi anti-aliasing font baru dari Microsoft). Sayangnya fungsi ini tidak aktif secara default. Untuk mengaktifkan fungsi ClearType, klik kanan pada desktop, pilih [Properties]-->[Appearance]-->[Effects], lalu pilih ClearType pada menu drop down kedua, selanjutnya klik OK. Hasil yang signifikan dari fitur ini terutama tampak pada layar laptop. Jika anda menginginkan ClearType juga muncul pada saat layar login, coba lakukan perubahan pada registry berikut [HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2].

10. Anda dapat menggunakan [Remote Assistance] untuk membantu teman yang menggunakan NAT (Network Address Translation) pada sebuah jaringan rumah, tetapi hal ini tidak aktif secara otomatis. Suruh bila perlu paksa teman anda untuk mengirimkan sebuah imel undangan Remote Assistance, dan sunting file tersebut. Di bawah attribute RCTICKET adalah alamat IP-nya NAT, seperti misalnya 192.168.1.10. Gantilah IP tersebut dengan IP yang saat ini anda gunakan. Untuk membantu menentukan IP, anda bisa berkunjung kesini. Pastikan juga teman anda untuk membuka port 3389. Selanjutnya silakan saling tolong menolong.

11. Anda dapat menjalankan suatu program dengan pengguna atau user yang berbeda tanpa harus melakukan seremonial logging out dan logging in. Klik kanan ikon dari program tersebut, lalu pilih [Run As...]. Masukan user name dan password yang ingin anda korbankan eh gunakan. Trik ini akan sangat berguna saat anda berada di akun limited namun anda ingin mempunyai wewenang sebagai administrator untuk menginstall suatu program. Catatan : Anda akan mendapatkan kesenangan yang lebih saat menjalankan banyak program dengan akun yang berbeda beda pada satu sistem, tetapi jangan lupa, tindakan ini juga bisa menimbulkan sesuatu yang tak terduga. Ingin tahu? Coba aja.

12. Windows XP mempunyai kebiasaan buruk atau boleh dikatakan cerewet dalam hal memaksa kita untuk melakukan auto updates, registrasi Passport, menggunakan Windows Messenger dan lain lain. Paksaan ini muncul berupa baloon tips di pojok kanan bawah. Untuk mengenyahkannya dari muka Windows, coba jalankan [Regedit], lalu masuk ke HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced, buatlah DWORD value dengan nama EnableBalloonTips dan beri nilai 0.

13. Anda dapat menjalankan Windows tanpa harus mengisi user name atau password terlebih dahulu. Klik [Run...], ketik 'control userpasswords2', yang akan membuka aplikasi akun user. Pada tab [Users], hilangkan centang pada Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, lalu klik OK. Selanjutnya akan muncul jendela log on, masukan user name dan password dari akun yang akan anda gunakan.

14. Internet Explorer 6 akan menghapus temporary files hanya bila anda menyuruhnya. Jalankan browser Internet Explorer, pilih [Tools]-->[Internet Options...]-->[Advanced], alihkan pandangan ke bawah pada [Security area], lalu isikan centang pada Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.

15. WindowsXP memiliki kemampuan untuk memunculkan animasi/ikon yang memperlihatkan aktifitas dari jaringan. Hal ini berguna saat anda tidak melihat ada lampu yang berkedip kedip di kartu jaringan yang anda pakai. Klik kanan [My Network Places] pada desktop, lalu pilih [Properties]. Klik kanan pada deskripsi dari LAN anda, pilih [Properties], selanjutnya isikan centang pada Show icon in notification area when connected. Sekarang anda akan melihat ikon jaringan mungil di pojok kanan desktop saat jaringan sedang aktif melakukan transfer data.

16. Start Menu akan sangat menjengkelkan bila lambat dalam memunculkan daftar program. Untuk mempercepatnya, anda bisa mengubah registry [HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay] dari 400 ke jumlah yang lebih kecil seperti 0.

17. Anda dapat melakukan perubahan nama (rename) banyak file dalam satu folder hanya dengan beberapa langkah mudah. Sorot atau blok sejumlah file yang akan diubah namanya, lalu klik kanan satu diantaranya, selanjutnya ubah nama file tersebut sesuai dengan keinginan anda, tekan [Enter]. Semua file yang dipilih tadi akan berubah namanya sesuai dengan nama pilihan anda, dan dibelakangnya terdapat nomor khusus untuk membedakannya.

18. Windows Media Player akan memunculkan cover dari album yang sedang dimainkannya, apabila gambar cover tersebut ditemukan di internet. Jika tidak ditemukan, anda bisa menggunakan gambar rancangan anda sendiri untuk dimunculkan. Cukup memberikan nama folder.jpg pada gambar tersebut dan menaruhnya satu folder dengan track lagu yang dimainkan maka Windows Media Player akan memunculkan gambar tersebut.

19. Tombol [Windows] + [Break] akan memunculkan [System Properties], tombol [Windows] + [D] akan memunculkan desktop, tombol [Windows] + [Tab] untuk berpindah pindah program aktif ada taskbar.

20. Pengganti Windows XP adalah Windows Vista yang sebelumnya diberi nama Longhorn.Moga bermanfaat ya...... (^^,)

Sony Ericsson C902i Titanium Silver in New James Bond Film

Sony Ericsson today announced the latest James Bond phone, the C902i Titanium Silver edition.

Used in the upcoming Bond film, Quantum of Solace, the C902i Titanium Silver will include a memory card loaded with 007 content - a spy-style game, full-color trailer, behind-the-scenes interviews, and wallpapers and screen savers.

The C902i Cyber-Shot offers a built-in 5.0-megapixel camera with slide-out lens cover, illuminated touch icons, face detection, photo flash and auto-focus. The phone also offers BestPic to take nine pictures of a moving object simultaneously and choose the best shot to use, plus picture blogging for uploading photos to blogsites and PictBridge for printing direct to a printer.

"With the rich array of content both on the phone and preloaded on a memory card bundled with the C902i Titanium Silver limited edition, fans of the secret agent will only get more James Bond with Sony Ericsson," said Lennard Hoornik, Sony Ericsson Global Head of Marketing.

The Sony Ericsson C902i will be available in Titanium Silver in Q4 2008.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Takes on Apple iPhone

Nokia today unveiled the 5800 Xpressmusic, its first touch screen phone, priced well below Apple's iPhone model.

The Finnish cell phone maker hopes to tap consumers for whom the iPhone has been too expensive, selling its 5800 XpressMusic at $395 (279 euros). Consumers in many large markets will get the phone for free from operators when signing up for a contract.

With touch screen technology, the 5800 XpressMusic introduces the Media Bar, a drop down menu for access to music and entertainment such as tracks, videos and photos.


The Contacts Bar highlights four favorite contacts on the home screen. With a single touch, users can track a digital history of recent text messages, emails, phone logs, photos and blog updates.

The 3.2-inch widescreen display has a 16 by 9 aspect ratio and 30 frames-per-second playback and recording. It features a 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens. Images and videos can be shared via Share on Ovi, Flickr or Facebook.

It has a virtual alphanumeric keypad, a virtual computer-style QWERTY keyboard, a pen stylus and a plectrum.

The music player includes a graphic equalizer, 8GB memory for up to 6000 tracks, a 3.5mm jack and support for digital music formats. Built-in surround sound stereo speakers offer powerful sound.

"As Nokia's first mass-market device with a touch screen, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic turns a user interface into a human interface by truly putting people first," said Jo Harlow, Vice President of Nokia. "We have used touch technology where it really adds value such as the Contacts Bar, Media Bar and clever shortcuts from the homescreen to menu items such as calendar, profiles and clock."

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic will be available worldwide beginning in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Take That Unveils New Album Details & New Single 'Greatest Day' Out November 24

Take That announced the title and release date of their new album on Radio 1 in the U.K. The long awaited follow-up to the nine times platinum Beautiful World album has been revealed as The Circus and will be released on December 1 through Polydor Records. The band will also release a new single "Greatest Day" the week prior to this on November 24.

"Greatest Day" was written by Mark Owen, Jason Orange, Howard Donald and Gary Barlow and was produced by John Shanks.

The song was written and recorded at SARM studios in Notting Hill and was mixed in Los Angeles at the Jim Henson Studios. The song received its first airing on UK national radio at 8.15am on Monday, October 13.

The video for "Greatest Day" was filmed on location in Los Angeles on top of a 60 storey building in the downtown area. It was directed by Meiert Avis (who's previously shot videos for U2, Damian Rice, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan).

More details about Take That's new album The Circus will follow soon.

Backstreet Boys - All Five Of Them - Reunite Onstage In L.A

For the first time since leaving the group in 2006, former Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson joined the rest of the group onstage in Los Angeles Sunday night, on the last stop of their Unbreakable tour at the Palladium in Hollywood.

In a fan-made video that's surfaced online, the audience erupts into deafening screams when Richardson emerges onstage to join the group for "Shape of My Heart," from the group's Black and Blue album. He's seen goofing around with his former bandmates, and at one point even lifts Nick Carter's shirt. The five are very chummy in the clip and seem to be feeding off of the audience's energy; the screams render the first minute of the song completely inaudible in the clip.

A comment by the person who posted the video says: "There was not a dry eye on the audience. We all bawled our eyes out. I couldn't believe right in front of my very eyes I was seeing this."

The group appeared without Richardson during the TRL finale earlier this month.

The reunited Boys - Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and AJ McLean - told MTV News in October they were skeptical that Richardson would ever come back to the group since he left it to pursue "new goals," but insisted that the door was always open for Richardson to make his return. Dorough added that Richardson is in "such a good place right now," raising a family and pursuing an acting career.

"In the beginning of the tour, we left a gap onstage where Kevin would be, and then it started closing up," Carter said. "We love him to death. We have to move on. We have new goals and dreams."

On Sunday night, Richardson filled the gap himself.

A Brief History Of Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse turns 80 years old today, and there's not a gray hair on him. Sure, he's a little rounder, a little squatter, and he's been wearing the same clothes for decades, but all in all he looks pretty good. Sure, Mickey hasn't had a movie in two years (his last one went direct-to-video), but his cheerful face remains one of the most recognizable images in the world, even beating out Santa Claus. Disney threw a big party for the mouse's 75th birthday, so this year's festivities will be comparatively subdued. But TIME has been following the adorable mouse since the beginning, and 80 years is still a big number to us. (Read TIME's 1937 cover story on Walt Disney)

Mickey's story, however, starts with a rabbit. Disney Brothers Studio was just another cog in Universal Pictures' animation machine when, in 1927, Walt Disney created a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. With his round, white face, big button nose and floppy black ears, the smiling Oswald was an instant hit and Universal ordered a series of shorts. When Disney met with executives to negotiate another contract in 1928, the rabbit was still riding high and the animator thought he had the upper hand. Instead, the studio told him that it had hired away all of his employeees and retained the rights to Oswald. Univesral offered to keep Disney if he took a lower salary, but he refused. He and Ub Iwerks — the one loyal animator who stayed with Disney Bros. — returned to work and held a series of hair-pulling, late-night brainstorming sessions for Oswald's replacement. They shortened the ears, added some extra padding around the middle, and turned the rabbit into a mouse. Named Mortimer. The moniker didn't last; there are a number of tales attempting to explain how and why — the most popular being that Disney's wife hated the name and suggested its replacement — but soon he was ready for his debut as Mickey.

The first two Mickey shorts drew no attention, but then came Steamboat Willie, the first animation to feature synchronized music and sound effects, hit the screen. The film premiered in New York on Nov. 18, 1928 and was an instant hit. A series of Mickey Mouse shorts appeared within a matter of months — including Plane Crazy, a short that predated Steamboat Willie in which Mickey plays a rodent Charles Lindbergh. The mouse was a national fad by the end of the year, and it wasn't long before the real genius of Walt Disney kicked in: marketing. Walt quickly started up a line of Mickey merchandise, and within two years the Mickey Mouse Club, a fan club for children, was up and running.

In 1935, a young animator named Fred Moore gave Mickey his first makeover. Earlier animators had drawn the mouse as a series of circles, which limited his movement. Moore — who later animated Fantasia's Sorcerer's Apprentice segment — gave him a pear-shaped body, pupils, white gloves and a shortened nose, to make him cuter. Mickey also appeared in color for the first time that year; The Band Concert's use of Technicolor was so innovative that critics still consider it to be a masterpiece. (Click here for a list of the All-TIME 100 Movies)

By 1937, Disney Studios was producing about 12 Mickey shorts a year, with Disney himself providing the mouse's high-pitched voice. Mickey became a football hero, a hunter, a tailor, and a symphony conductor. He accidentally sprayed himself with insecticide, rescued Pluto from the dogcatcher, crashed a car into a barn, fell behind on his rent, enlisted in the army, had his house repossessed, and lost Minnie to an innumerable string of muscular bad boys (although he always won her back in the end). The cartoons' vaudevillian overtones made liberal use of slapstick and puns, and Mickey's close association with children required that he always remain upstanding and moral (leaving the cantankerous Donald Duck to get into all the trouble).

By the 1950s, Mickey had theme park, a newspaper comic strip, and The Mickey Mouse Club, the hit television variety show that has launched the careers of teen stars from Annette Funicello to Justin Timberlake. But soon Disney feature films like Bambi and Sleeping Beauty began to rake in the accolades — and box office receipts — the mouse faded into the background. Between his last 1953 cartoon short, The Simple Things, and the 1983 Christmas special Mickey's Christmas Carol, the mouse that built the house of Disney would remain out of work for 30 years.

Yet despite Mickey's semi-retirement, his ears are still one of the most famous cultural icons of the 20th and 21st centuries. He has posed for photographs with every U.S. President since Harry Truman, save one (Lyndon Johnson never visited a Disney theme park). Disney claims that Mickey had a 98% awareness rate among children between ages 3-11 worldwide. Mouse-related merchandise sales have declined from their 1997 high, but they still make up about 40% of the company's consumer products revenue. Mickey returned to the big screen for a cameo in 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Warner Brothers' Bugs Bunny was also in the film and the two companies demanded that each character receive the same amount of screen time, down to the very last second. A semi-secret 2001 image revamp put Mickey's logo in trendy places: on celebrities, in a Sex and the City episode — he was printed on a t-shirt and stretched across Sarah Jessica Parker's chest — as well as in high-end boutiques. In 2002, he appeared in the PlayStation2 video game Kingdom Hearts. And in 2006, he became 3-D for the very first time. Now you can see him on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, an early morning Disney Channel show designed for children ages 2-6. Or you can book a flight to Disney World and shake his oversized glove yourself.

Ronaldo rejects chance of Champions rest

VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) -- Cristiano Ronaldo wants a starting place when holders Manchester United fight to retain top spot in their Champions League group against Villarreal in Spain on Tuesday.

The Portugal winger limped out of a frustrating 0-0 draw with Aston Villa that left the defending Premier League champions eight points behind pacesetters Chelsea and Liverpool.

Manager Alex Ferguson said Ronaldo had a taken "a couple whacks on Saturday and a few cuts, but nothing serious."

"I'd rather leave him out but he wants to play," Ferguson said. "When a player shows that kind of enthusiasm you don't curtail it, you encourage it."

The clubs are tied atop Group E with eight points -- six clear of Celtic and Aalborg -- with a draw being enough to see both progress to the last 16.

United have not lost in eight away matches but have only one prior victory in 17 trips to Spain. The Red Devils are unbeaten in 17 straight European games.

Ronaldo provides a boost to Ferguson's offense, which will be without striker Dimitar Berbatov because of a hamstring injury.

The Red Devils are already without the injured Wes Brown, Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves and recent matches have taken their toll with defender Gary Neville and striker Danny Welbeck also out.

Darren Fletcher is racing to return from a knee injury while Tomasz Kuszczak will replace Edwin van der Sar in goal.

"It's a matter of judging the right time and occasions of when you are going to introduce different players," Ferguson said. "The rest is when you have injuries. Circumstances dictate."

Villarreal has never lost a home game in European Cup play, but are coming off an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Valladolid for their first defeat at El Madrigal stadium in nearly a year.

Coach Manuel Pellegrini expects a better outing after the club saw their 17-match unbeaten run -- stretching to last season -- snapped as Villarreal dropped to third, four points behind leader Barcelona.

But consecutive league disappointments -- Villarreal allowed a last-minute equalizer the week before at Malaga -- had Pellegrini sounding like he would be happy with another draw.

"Clearly, our first objective is to qualify and then to finish first. If we are, even better, but we qualify with a draw and that would keep us happy," the Chilean coach said.

Giuseppe Rossi looks set to start against his former club with fellow strikers Nihat Kahveci and Joseba Llorente out to injury and Jozy Altidore unavailable. Midfielder Diego Godin is also missing because of a hamstring problem.

The Red Devils fear that Rossi could come back to haunt them after the 21-year-old striker left Old Trafford in 2007 after three years and just five appearances.

Ferguson praised Rossi and Pellegrini, whose success at Villarreal he compared to the late Nottingham Forest coach Brian Clough and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger.

"To do that from small resources which Villarreal have, which are nowhere near the resources of Real Madrid, Barcelona and even Valencia, they are a fantastic team," Ferguson said. "Pellegrini sculpts Villarreal as his team."

It will be Rossi's first meeting against his former club after missing the first-leg match to injury. The young striker has sounded a warning about his former teammates.

"English football is much faster, more direct and more physical, while in Spain it's much more technical with more possession," he said. "It's going to be a game with a lot of options and dangerous chances at both ends, and I hope we can take advantage of our own."

United are eager to secure a place in the knockout phase after having missed a chance earlier this month when held 1-1 by Celtic

Gibernau knows what needs to be done

MotoGP Legend Angel Nieto will be a keen observer of the progress made by Sete Gibernau in the latters World Championship return, as part of the Onde 2000 team run by his sons Gelete and Pablo. The paddock veteran is talking up the work done in preparation for Gibernaucomeback season, not least by the rider him self.

I saw Sete this weekend, and he is very excited. Gelete and Pablo are working extremely hard in the team, and Francisco Hernando (the backer of the project) is happy now we just have to turn the effort into results, says Nieto.

Gibernau will be back onboard the Ducati Desmosedici on Wednesday and Thursday of this week at the MotoGP Official Test in Jerez –the chance to undertake further laps cited as crucial for his 2009 campaign by the former 12+1 lower cylinder category World Champion.

The most important thing now for Sete is that he rides as many laps as possible. He has a lot of experience and a strong will to ride, Nieto continues.

However, I dont think that he needs telling what needs to be done; hes been here for a long time, all the way back to 500cc, so he knows perfectly well what the demands are.

Nieto himself was back in action at the Montmelo track in Barcelona this past weekend, participating in a 24 Hour car race. The rider-turned commentator was unable to complete the race after his team Seat Leon was involved in a crash, putting the mechanics to work for three hours. On the experience, Nieto said that I havent done road racing in over 20 years, but I had a great time

How I learnt to lose and love my bike

From the disappointment of 2006 and 2007, Valentino Rossi came back strong in 2008. The MotoGP World Champion with a record-breaking points total, the Fiat Yamaha rider used the bad experiences of his dry two years to his own advantage this past season, as he himself acknowledges.

`I think that in those two years I learnt to lose, which is an important thing because everybody loses sometimes. The style and the character that you show when you lose is so important for when trying to win another time,´ says the Italian on reflection of his most recent MotoGP campaign.

`There are a lot of different keys to my success in 2008. For sure the physical and mental preparation was very important, because I tried to fix one-by-one all the problems around me to arrive at the first race very concentrated on the target,´ adds Rossi, who had attempted to address one of said problems with a switch in tyre manufacturers before the season´s start.

I´m very happy with my work together with the team when Bridgestone had some problems, especially at the beginning of the year. I had a lot of pressure on me, because Michelin did a great job at the start and everybody said that I had made a mistake in changing tyres.

`The change gave me a lot of extra motivation, but to start with it was difficult; we had to modify the settings on the bike and also my own riding style.´

`The Doctor´ is also much more at home with his bike, despite having to make the radical changes to suit his new rubber. A step up in quality from Yamaha was a welcome move for the now six-time MotoGP World Champion, and appears high up on his list of explanations for personal improvement.

`Last year our bike was very slow, it wasn´t just the tyres. I felt a great improvement and a great effort from Yamaha to improve the M1. I felt in my skin that in every test the Japanese worked very strong so I tried to do even better,´ he explains.

As Yamaha continue work on the bike for 2009, Rossi´s rival will also be pushing hard. All of the top five gave the MotoGP king a hard time in various races this past season, and he expects nothing less of them in the coming year.

`Stoner I expected to challenge for sure, because in 2007 he was very, very strong. I always like Pedrosa because for me he rides very well, so I expect him to be very strong. Lorenzo arrived from two World Championships in 250cc was strong from the beginning; I know he has a good talent. Also Dovizioso. He is very strong and he was good on a bike that this year was a bit slower than the factory bike. In the future he will be a difficult enemy.´