Apple's ranking in China's smartphone market slipped to sixth in July-September

Apple's ranking in China's smartphone market slipped to sixth in July-September, according to research firm IDC, [ID:nL4N09G1QK] but investors, primed to look to China product launches for an uptick in Apple's quarterly sales, have good headline numbers to digest - more than 300,000 iPhones pre-ordered on one carrier alone. But it's the lack of a deal with the No.1 carrier that prevents those numbers being stronger.

The iPhone is currently sold through Apple's seven stores, resellers and through China Unicom and China Telecom- which together have fewer than half the mobile subscribers of bigger rival China Mobile.

The Tigers will see Vogelsong

"Sometimes you can't explain it," Tigers catcher AlexAvila said before a workout Friday. "In our case, we've had trouble all year with left-handed pitching, which is strange because we have a lot of good hitters on the team."

"It'll be a nice change, obviously, to face a right-hander because we've had more success."

The Tigers will see Vogelsong, followed by fellow right-hander Matt Cain in Game 4.

"We've gone through spurts this whole season where we've thrown the ball like this as a staff," Vogelsong said. "We obviously had our downtime there in the middle of September and at the end of August."

"And we're just all kind of hitting our stride here at the same time. It's up to me and Matt now to keep it going over here in Detroit."

Zabriskie, who raced with Armstrong on the U.S. Postal team

Wednesday's report reveals that evidence in vivid detail, describing hotel rooms riders transformed into makeshift blood-transfusion centers and chronicling how Armstrong'sex-wife rolled cortisone pills into foil and handed them out to all the cyclists.

It is the most detailed, unflinching portrayal yet of Armstrong as a man who, day after day, week after week, year after year, spared no expense — financially, emotionally or physically — to win.

In his sworn testimony, Zabriskie, who raced with Armstrong on the U.S. Postal team from 2001-2004, said cycling was a "refuge" for him and helped him deal with his father's history of substance abuse. He noted the irony that he himself turned to drugs at the behest of team management in 2000.

Noting that so many of the world's best players are at Medinah Country Club

Still, there was a certain charm about having the team arrive as one.

U.S. captain Davis Love III remembers his first RyderCup in 1993 at The Belfry, when Tom Watson assembled his group in New York and spoke of a grand adventure to Europe with the sole purpose of bringing back the cup.

Golf is different now.

"I miss that a little bit," Love said. "We all gather and fly over. They fly over here. That was a really cool thing. But I think what we have got now is a much bigger event."

Noting that so many of the world's best players are at Medinah Country Club, Love said that golf has become "incredibly better."

"What we have in our team rooms now and the camaraderie between the two teams is just incredible, and it's amazing how much it's changed over the years," Love said. "And we're playing against our friends, but it's still as intense — maybe even more — because we are more familiar with them."

Debates are unique, unlike the highly choreographed campaign event

Incumbents usually are at a disadvantage, defending a record against a challenger critiquing four years of work. Obama will be trying to avoid the fate of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, who turned in flat debate performances in their first encounters with rivals. In the end, though, it didn't hurt either one as they both won re-election.

"Debating is a muscle that doesn't get used very often," said Alan Schroeder, a journalism professor at Northeastern University and the author of "Presidential Debates: Forty Yearsof High-Risk TV." ''Mitt Romney is better toned because he came off 20-plus primary debates. President Obama has not been on a debate stage in four years."

Debates are unique, unlike the highly choreographed campaign event or stump speech marked by over-the-top rhetoric. Schroeder said debates require a different dynamic — candidates need to be respectful, differing in opinion but avoiding any impression that it's personal.

The announcement comes just over six months after a heated battle

But the two men expressed caution and urged Google to carry out the change with the vigorit adopted in combating pirated videos on YouTube, which Google owns.

"The devil is always in the details," Mr. O'Leary said. While Mr. Sherman added, similarly, that changing the search algorithm "is not the only approach and of course, the details of implementation will matter."

The announcement comes just over six months after a heated battle between big media companies and technology companies, who were sparring over proposed legislation intended to crack down on pirated online content, particularly by rogue foreign Web sites.

Boyle, one of Britain's most successful filmmakers

The evening started with fighter jets streaming red, white and blue smoke and roaring over the stadium, packed with a buzzing crowd of 60,000 people, at 8:12 p.m. — or 20:12 in the 24-hour time observed by Britons.

Boyle, one of Britain's most successful filmmakers, who directed "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Trainspotting," had a ball with his favored medium, mixing filmed passages with live action in the stadium to hypnotic effect, with 15,000 volunteers taking part in the show.

Actor Rowan Atkinson as "Mr. Bean" provided laughs, shown dreaming that he was appearing in "Chariots of Fire," the inspiring story of a Scotsman and an Englishman at the 1924 Paris Games. 

The tour uses a very narrow

The tour uses a very narrow, if not convenient, definition of "appearance fee." If a player has deeper business dealings with a corporate entity beyond taking cash to play, then he's generally free to ink a personal-services deal for whatever dollar figure he can command. If this sounds mostly like semantics, well, the line forms here.

As one very high-profile international player put it on Tuesday, "This week marks a change. Appearance money [is being paid in the] U.S. but not in Europe."

After arriving Tuesday, Woods was not specifically asked if he was being compensated by Justice this week, though a local reporter did ask if Justice resorted to "pulling his arm" to get him there. 

The former Soviet Union star had been prickly

Blokhin's observations were overshadowed by an extraordinary argument with a local journalist over his side's performance.

The former Soviet Union star had been prickly before the game. However, that was nothing compared to what happened after his side had crashed out of the competition.

First Blokhin suggested the journalist should "come outside and have a man talk".

Then, when the conference had finished, Blokhin pointed to the journalist, and then to the door from which he made his exit.

The journalist declined the offer.

"Respect my job," he said. "Let's go this one on one. You want to go with me? Let's have a 'man conversation'. 

The teams met four straight years from 1997-00

It starts Saturday with the Chicago Bulls, the overall No. 1 seed, hosting the Philadelphia 76ers. Then it's Miami against New York, with James and Anthony just a couple of the big names in a series loaded with star power.

And with history.

The teams met four straight years from 1997-00, the Knicks winning three of the series and earning a draw in the fights. The animosity doesn't exist between these players — James and Anthony have known each other since high school before entering the league together in 2003 — but you bet it's still around for the organizations and fans.

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Lin was scratched from the Pawtucket lineup Friday night

Lin was scratched from the Pawtucket lineup Friday night for its game at Rochester, N.Y. Lin is an excellent center fielder with an above-average arm. It appears Valentine will pare down to 12 pitchers and designate someone for assignment (possibly Justin Thomas).

A long-term injury to Ellsbury would be devastating, as it was two years ago when he broke his ribs and played only 18 games.

The Sox' offense had been struggling until Friday's 12-2 victory, but it always works best when Ellsbury is getting on base. Ellsbury was 2 for 3 before his injury. When Ellsbury gets on base, it makes life easier for Gonzalez, David Ortiz, and Youkilis to drive in runs.

Calipari is perfecting the art of luring a player for one

And so, while there are no little vs. big stories this year -- the way tiny Butler or overlooked VCU beat the odds last season to make it to basketball's pinnacle -- we're regaled with tall tales of redemption and resurrection: Teams and coaches that overcame their problems and got everyone thinking about basketball instead of the underside of a business driven by a $10.8 billion TV contract.

"There are a lot of good players out there who are performing right now," Kentucky coach John Calipari said.

For his part, Calipari is perfecting the art of luring a player for one, maybe two seasons, to contend for a championship, then saying a guilt-free goodbye. During his more candid moments, he'll tell you he's no fan of the rule that allows players to leave college after a single year. But it's out of his hands. It's the NBA that put in the rule stating players must be 19 before they can enter the draft.

Johnson clawed his way back toward the front to finish fourth

Johnson did the best he could after his right rear wheel started shaking midway through the race.
The five-time Sprint Cup champion led early in the race, but had to pit twice during a caution because of a vibration and returned to the track in 25th.
Johnson clawed his way back toward the front to finish fourth, a nice result after he was docked 25 points for his car failing inspection the first day of Speedweeks and wrecked two laps into the Daytona 500.
"We'll take it," said Johnson, still 71 points behind Hamlin. "I'm not really satisfied. I really felt like we had a car to win the race with. Unfortunately, things didn't work out there. We had a little hiccup early in the race, but we still rebounded back and got a strong finish."
Johnson wasn't the only one feeling a little pride.

Duke’s Hall of Fame coach

When Boston College trotted onto the court at Conte Forum last night for its Atlantic Coast Conference meeting with Duke, the Eagles were greeted by a sold-out crowd, with more students in the stands than at any home game this season.
The added support helped for the first 3:39 as BC made its first five shots and took a 13-7 lead. Visions of the Eagles' upset of Florida State danced in the heads of BC fans among the 8,606 who filled the place for the first time this season.

Duke's Hall of Fame coach, Mike Krzyzewski, had some concerns.

"We respect them,'' said Coach K. "We came in here respecting Boston College, which we should. One of the huge wins of all the conference games was their win against Florida State. Florida State could go to the Final Four. And they beat them. I watched about eight of their games. This game worried me so much. These kids can beat us. I wasn't telling myself fairy tales or anything like that.''