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Coca-Cola profits jump on sales to China and Russia

  Coca-Cola said the price of its best-selling drink would have to rise by between 3-4%
The bottle maker and drinks giant Coca-Cola reported an 18% rise in profits to $2.8bn (£1.73bn) in the second quarter compared with last year.
The increase was fuelled by sales to Asia and Europe, with Chinese demand up 24%.
Despite higher worldwide sales, the company saw no quarterly growth in North America.
Coca-Cola plans to raise prices on its range of drinks, which include Fanta and Sprite, to reflect higher costs.
The price, said the company, would go up by between 3-4%.
The results were "well ahead" of the company's long-term growth targets according to its Chairman and Chief Executive, Muhtar Kent.
"We are delivering these strong results at a time when global macroeconomic conditions are at best mixed." said Mr Kent.
The slowdown in North American sales comes as the outlook for US consumer demand remains uncertain amid a weak labour market.
The volatility in commodity markets was also cited as a factor which would continue to drive up costs for packaging and sweeteners.

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Baidu signs deal with music labels

  Baidu has often been accused of not doing enough to protect copyrights and intellectual property 

Chinese search engine Baidu has struck a deal with leading music labels ending years of legal wrangling over rights.

Baidu signed an agreement with a joint venture owned by Universal Music, Warner Music and Sony Music to distribute music through its mp3 search service.
Baidu, China's biggest search engine, will pay the owners of the music rights on a per-play and per-download basis.
China is the world's biggest internet market with close to 470 million users.
Baidu has been involved in legal tussle with the music labels. It has been accused of steering consumers to third-party websites where pirated material is hosted.
However, the company said that all outstanding litigation between the parties involved had ended as part of the deal.


Baidu, the Chinese music fans, recording artists and the record companies will all benefit from this win-win partnership”

Jennifer Li Baidu

Baidu has a near-75% share of China's search engine market.

Analysts said the deal was likely to help the company strengthen its position even further, as the Chinese internet market grew and more users were added,
"It [the deal] will be very positive for Baidu in terms of user experience and it also fits in with Baidu's box computing strategy, which is to make a lot of information available on the Baidu site," said Dick Wei of JP Morgan.
While the deal sees the end of a long legal tussle for Baidu, it also opens up extra revenue streams for music companies who have often complained of seeing their profits hit by piracy.
"Baidu, the Chinese music fans, recording artists and the record companies will all benefit from this win-win partnership," said Jennifer Li, chief financial officer of Baidu.
However, some analysts warned that although the deal was a step in the right direction, it may increase Baidu's cost of operations in the short term.
"I think there will be a higher cost involved and I am not very sure they can generate the revenue," said Wallace Cheung of Credit Suisse.
Baidu said it was in the process of uploading the music catalogues onto its servers.

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Bank of America posts record quarterly loss of $8.8bn

  The bank has had to pay investors who claimed they had used misleading information 
Bank of America (BoA) has posted its biggest quarterly loss after agreeing an $8.5bn (£5.2bn) settlement related to sub-prime mortgages.
The US's largest bank made a loss of $8.8bn in the three months to the end of June, lower than analysts had expected.
Included in the losses are payments to investors and insurers, and charges for future claims over home loans.
The bank's revenues for the quarter were $13.2bn, down 55% from a year ago.
On 29 June, BoA announced it would take a series of one-off charges after private investors demanded the bank repurchase toxic home loans held in mortgage-backed securities.
The investors claimed BoA's home loans division used misleading information when it sold mortgage-backed securities that later defaulted during the global financial crisis.
Excluding the charges, analysts said the BoA's core operations were making progress.
"At least they're making progress. Their losses do continue to come down, away from mortgages," said Brian Charles, analyst at RW Pressprich.

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Phone hacking: 'Humbled' Murdoch rejects blame

  Rupert Murdoch has said he cannot be held responsible for the scandal at the News of the World, saying he was let down by "people I trusted". The News Corp boss said he was not aware of the extent of phone hacking there and had "clearly" been misled by some of his staff.
His son, James, apologised to victims, saying hacking was "inexcusable".
Two hours into the hearing, a man tried to throw a foam pie at Rupert Murdoch and proceedings were briefly suspended.
The protester appeared to lunge towards the News Corp chairman and chief executive but was fought off by a group of people, including Mr Murdoch's wife, Wendi.
A man has reportedly been detained by police.
Rupert Murdoch's appearance before the Commons media committee is the first time he has faced direct scrutiny by MPs during his 40-year UK media career.
He said he was "humbled" to have to explain his firm's conduct to MPs.

Faced with a series of questions from Labour MP Tom Watson, Mr Murdoch paused extensively and his son James made several attempts to intervene.
However, Mr Watson made clear that he wanted to hear answers from the father and not the son.
He added: "Your father is responsible for corporate governance, and serious wrongdoing has been brought about in the company.
'Humbled' "It is revealing in itself what he does not know and what executives chose not to tell him."
Rupert Murdoch said his questioning by MPs - who are investigating alleged criminal behaviour at the News of the World and the extent of what senior executives knew - was the "most humble day of my life".
The News Corp boss said he was not aware of the extent of phone hacking at the company until earlier this year when it handed over new information to the police - triggering a new inquiry.
"I was absolutely shocked, appalled and ashamed when I heard about the Milly Dowler case two weeks ago," he told MPs.
Arguing that he ran a global business of 53,000 people and the paper was "just 1%" of this, he said he was not ultimately responsible for what went on at the News of the World.
Asked who was responsible, he said: "The people I trusted to run it and maybe the people they trusted".



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Murdoch's 'shock' at News International paying some of Glenn Mulcaire's legal fees
Mr Murdoch said he was focused on his US newspaper interests and that he had "perhaps lost sight" of what was going on at the paper, saying he spoke to the editor "very seldom".
James Murdoch, chairman of News International, said the firm failed to live up to "the standards they aspired to" and was "determined to put things right and make sure they do not happen again".
He added: "I would like to say just how sorry I am and how sorry we are to particularly the victims of illegal voicemail interceptions and to their families."
Legal fees Rupert Murdoch said he had not been made aware by News International management of out-of-court settlements made to a handful of victims of hacking.
James Murdoch said he was "surprised and shocked" to learn that News International had still been paying the legal fees of Glenn Mulcaire - the private investigator jailed for phone hacking in 2006 - while his father said he would like to end this arrangement.
In other developments: Rebekah Brooks tells MPs that she never sanctioned payments to police, and News International had acted "quickly and decisively" when new evidence of hacking emerged
    The Conservative Party says former NoW journalist Neil Wallis may have provided "informal advice" to Andy Coulson, David Cameron's ex-press chief, before the last election
    A post-mortem examination is being carried out on the body of former NoW reporter Sean Hoare who was found dead on Monday
    The Met Police's public affairs director Dick Fedorcio tells MPs 10 out of 45 members of his department had once worked for the News of the World
    Police are examining a laptop and paperwork found in a bin near the London home of Mrs Brooks, items believed to belong to her husband
    David Cameron is returning to the UK - cutting short a trip to Africa - to prepare for a Commons debate on the hacking scandal on Wednesday
Asked by MPs about the closure of the News of the World, Rupert Murdoch said this was necessary since it had "lost the trust" of the people after recent allegations and was not done for commercial reasons.
One of the reasons he had been forced to withdraw his bid to take full control of BSkyB, he added, was that its competitors had "caught us with dirty hands and created hysteria".
On his relationships with senior British politicians, he said he had been asked to No 10 "for a cup of tea" by David Cameron shortly after he entered Downing Street as a recognition of his support for the Conservatives before the election.



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Rupert Murdoch 'often entered Downing St by back door'
He said he had been asked to enter Downing Street by the back door - both by Mr Cameron and former prime minister Gordon Brown - because it would attract less attention.
Tory MP Louise Mensch asked whether - as "captain of the ship" - Rupert Murdoch would resign.
"No, because I feel that the people I trusted, I don't know at what level, let me down and I think they behaved disgracefully, betrayed the company and me and it's for them to pay," he replied.
"I think that frankly I'm the best person to clear this up."
In a closing statement, Rupert Murdoch said he had made his "share of mistakes" but at no time had he felt as "sickened" as when he found out what the Dowler family had been through.
He said he would work tirelessly to win the forgiveness of phone-hacking victims and had great respect for the people of Britain.
It was his understanding, he said, that when two men went to prison in 2007, he thought the situation had been resolved.
'Shocked and angered' The Murdochs initially declined to appear before the committee but changed their minds after they were issued with a summons to attend.



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Rupert Murdoch struggling with MP's questions: "That is the first I've heard of that"
Opening the hearing, culture, media and sport committee chairman John Whittingdale said abuses had been uncovered "which had shocked and angered the country" and it was clear Parliament had been misled by News International staff.
Earlier on Tuesday, Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson denied any impropriety in the hiring of Mr Wallis to provide media support to the police force but said he now regretted the appointment.
Mr Wallis was recently arrested as part of the phone-hacking inquiry.
Sir Paul, who quit on Sunday amid criticism of his force's handling of the phone-hacking saga, told the Home Affairs Select committee he had not "taken a swipe" in his resignation letter at David Cameron's decision to employ Andy Coulson - Mr Wallis' ex-boss - as an aide.

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Greece debt: Merkel dampens expectations of deal

  German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants private investors to share the pain of Greece's debt crisis 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has played down the chances of Thursday's emergency eurozone summit resolving Greece's debt crisis.
She told a news conference that there would not be anything as "spectacular" as a restructuring of Greek debt.
The meeting will attempt to agree a second bail-out of Greece in a hope of calming financial markets and stop contagion spreading.
She said: "Thursday will help in this, but further steps will be needed."
At the weekend Mrs Merkel indicated that she may not attend the meeting unless there was a likelihood of a concrete deal on a second Greek rescue.
Germany has been at odds with the European Central Bank (ECB) over its insistence that private investors in Greek bonds share the pain of another rescue deal.
The ECB believes that forcing private investors to take losses on their loans is effectively a default by Greece on its debts.

But Germany, Finland and the Netherlands are in the forefront of calls for private investors to share the burden rather than just leave it to the taxpayer.
It has emerged that one possible compromise being considered is the raising of money through a special tax on eurozone banks.
France's European Affairs Minister Jean Leonetti said the bank tax proposal "would have the advantage of not involving the private banks directly and so avoid the problem of a potential default".
French banks are heavily exposed to the Greece economy.
But the French Banking Federation said on Tuesday that the idea was a "strange logic".
Compromise Jean-Claude Trichet, ECB president, repeated his strong belief that a "credit event", or default, must be avoided. Otherwise the ECB would cease financing the Greek bank sector.
However, ECB council member Ewald Nowotny appeared to break ranks with a suggestion on Tuesday that the bank may compromise and allow a temporary credit event.
"There are some proposals that deal with a very short-lived selective default situation that will not have major negative consequences," he told CNBC television.
Eurozone officials have also considered a complex plan to lend Greece money to allow Athens to buy back its own debt at a reduced price on secondary bond markets.
This would help Greece to delay debt repayments.

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Luxury Contact lens made of Gold and Diamond

Luxury Contact lens made of Gold and Diamond, Beside helps people with visually impaired nowadays contact lens was used as one of the fashion accessories especially for woman to give a color impression for their eyes, there's so many cool looking contact lens on the market today but there's only one Luxury Contact lens made of Gold and Diamond which sold for $15,000. This Cool amazing contact lenses could be worn throughout life, at any time of the day without any hassle. So would you afford to buy these bling luxurious contact lenses?



This Luxurious Gold and Diamond Contact lens was made by Shekhar Eye Research, in India, They created a limited edition of this Luxurious contact lenses embedded with diamonds and gold that will make the wearer’s eyes perfectly glittering. The sparkling lenses are conceptualized by Dr Chandrashekhar Chawan and designed by Sanjay Shah. This Contact lens was Encrusted with 18 diamonds on a gold plate, the lenses can be customized as per the requirement. The gold plate used in the lenses will be set 6-9 mm away from the cornea, and also hold water to give the eyes a soothing effect. These weigh only 5g in total.

The Luxury Gold and Diamond encrusted contact lenses by Shekhar Eye Research can be worn by both men and women. Although, it will be preferred by women for many reasons. Only 3,996 pairs of this luxury contact lenses will be created as these are special edition for the people who can afford around $15,000 for a pair of these bling lenses.

If you are worried about the diamonds on the lenses, Chawan also provides with a guarantee certificate for these luxury contact lenses. All the proceedings from the sale of these amazing pairs will be gone to treat a person suffering from Stevens Johnson Syndrome free of cost. The ailment is a skin disease that usually results from a drug reaction, mostly sulphur-based drugs. Rotary Club’’s Mumbai District Chairman, B M Shivraj became the first customer to buy these pairs supporting the charitable cause.

Beside this Cool luxury Contact lens made of Gold and Diamond there's another Amazing contact lens that was encrusted by a Swarovski studded diamonds for those who loves a luxury lifestyle. Here's the Pictures of the Swarovski Studded Diamonds Contact Lenses.

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Golf Connection an Online Digital Golf Simulator by Konami

Golf Connection an Online Digital Golf Simulator, Konami the famous toy maker and game company has made an Online digital golf simulator called Golf Connection, this simulator will help all the people who loves to play golf to learn about how to do a precise hit, and many other required skills for playing golf.

So what's different of this Online Digital Golf simulator by Konami? It does not require marking of the ball or placing it in a certain direction. The player can simply put the ball freely, within the range of the sensors of the golf simulator, which is incidentally enough for someone to play freely.



Golf Connection is the latest digital Golf Simulator and what makes it one step ahead from its counterparts is the fact that it uses advanced camera and sensors to measure the angle of the ball along with its spin and speed. User can also get clues form the simulator about how well they can hit upon the ball as the program senses, whether you have hit the sweet spot or not. You can also access the videos of your performance about the game, later, either through a computer or a phone with the help of a swing.

You can also better your golf performance by reviewing your last performance via Golf connection facility, It's not hard to use this cool amazing online simulator, all you have to do is just register yourself with a mobile phone that supports NFC Features. Through these facilities, you can continue with the same game even on later dates also and will be able to join online leaderboards also. If you wish, you can also share your data on facebook and other social networking sites. When you are still learning to play, you can review your last games and can see the areas, where you have improved and the areas where you need to put in some more effort.

Watch the Video of this Golf Connection an Online Digital Golf Simulator by Konami Below



So if you really want to learn how to play golf or even to raise your golf swing skills why don't you try this cool amazing Online Digital Golf Simulator by Konami ? The simulator will make its first appearance in the market in the month of September, 2011

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Versetta Bags and iPad Case a Fashionable Woman Bags

Versetta Bags and iPad Case a Fashionable Woman Bags, Nowadays there's so many fashionable ipad case for woman such as this one from Versetta, this is a woman hanbags that including a case for an iPad. This versetta bags has a special designs iPad case in front of it to protect your iPad. and uniquely you don't need to pick out the iPad from your Versetta bags just to use it. Isn't it more efficient?



It seems there's so many breakthrough case design for an iPad and any other Gadget these days, See also this Dokkiri Beetle Case and also this Luxurious but Fashionable Dolce and Gabbana iPad Case. so woman which will you choose for your iPad case?

You can simply open the case and your iPad will be ready to used directly. Efficient right? Versetta Bags and Cases for the iPad sold under various types and models and you can buy it later in mid-September. There's no further information about the price of this cool amazing iPad case for woman from Versetta. well let's wait for Versetta Bags and iPad Case price announcement

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Painkillers 'may ease agitation' in dementia patients

  By Jane Hughes Health correspondent, BBC News

Dementia often causes agitation
Many dementia patients being prescribed "chemical cosh" antipsychotic drugs could be better treated with simple painkillers, research says.
The British and Norwegian study, published on the BMJ website, found painkillers significantly cut agitation in dementia patients.
Agitation, a common dementia symptom, is often treated with antipsychotic drugs, which have risky side effects.
The Alzheimer's Society wants doctors to consider other types of treatment.
Experts say that each year about 150,000 patients in the UK are unnecessarily prescribed antipsychotics, which have a powerful sedative effect, and can worsen dementia symptoms, and increase the risk of stroke or even death.
They are often given to patients whose dementia makes them aggressive or agitated.
But researchers from Kings College, London, and Norway speculated that the behaviour may sometimes be caused by pain, which patients were unable to express in other ways.
They studied 352 patients with moderate or severe dementia in nursing homes in Norway.
Half were given painkillers with every meal, the rest continued with their usual treatments.
Supervised treatment 'key'
After eight weeks, there was a 17% reduction in agitation symptoms in the group being given painkillers - a greater improvement than would have been expected from treatment with antipsychotics.
The researchers concluded that if patient's pain was properly managed, doctors could reduce the number of prescriptions for antipsychotic drugs.



Click to play
Prof Clive Ballard, Alzheimer's Society: "Simple painkillers... had a a very, very substantial impact”
Professor Clive Ballard, one of the report authors and director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said the finding was significant.
"At the moment, pain is very under-treated in people with dementia, because it's very hard to recognise," he said.
"I think this could make a substantial difference to people's lives - it could help them live much better with dementia."
However, he said painkillers should only be given to patients under the supervision of a doctor.
The Alzheimer's Society is issuing new guidance calling on doctors to think much harder before prescribing antipsychotics, and to look at prescribing pain medication instead.
The National Care Association said the study highlighted some of the complexities of dementia.
"Pain in itself is debilitating, so to identify it as the route cause of agitation and aggressive behaviour is a major breakthrough which will enable us to support people appropriately," said its chairman, Nadra Ahmed.
A government programme to reduce the inappropriate prescription of antipsychotic drugs is already under way in England.
The care services minister Paul Burstow welcomed the study.
"It should act as a further call for GPs to carefully examine the reason why those with dementia display agitated behaviour, rather than immediately resorting to antipsychotic medication," he said.

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Lady Gaga's UK website is hacked, Universal confirms

Page last updated at 10:09 GMT, Monday, 18 July 2011 11:09 UK


Lady Gaga's UK music website has been hacked, her record company Universal has confirmed.
The firm said a number of its sites had been targeted but that no passwords or financial information had been taken in the attack last month.
"The hacker took a content database dump and a section of email, first and last name records were accessed.
"There were no passwords taken and no financial information taken," a Universal statement said.
"Universal Music takes information protection very seriously and has put in place additional measures to protect personally identifiable information.
"All those affected have been advised of the intrusion into our sites. We also informed the Information Commissioner's Office, the police and our trade body, the BPI."
In June, an 18-year-old computer hacker who stole songs from Lady Gaga and other artists was sentenced to 18 months detention in Germany.
Last week the singer's official YouTube channel was blocked over a copyright dispute before being restored. Rihanna has recently overtaken her to become the most popular female star on Facebook.

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HTC to appeal against Apple patent ruling

  Sales of HTC's smartphones have surged making it a big player in the industry 
Taiwanese mobile phone company HTC has said it will appeal against a US ruling that it infringed two Apple patents.
If Friday's ruling by the US International Trade Commission is not overturned, the US may ban imports of some HTC phones.
HTC and Apple are rivals in the smartphone market and analysts said the ruling may have industry-wide implications.
Shares in HTC fell as much as 7% on Monday following the news.
Tough battle? The US trade commission said that HTC was guilty of violating two Apple patents when it produced mobile phones based on the Android operating system.
Apple had filed a complaint against HTC for infringing ten of their patents.
However, the findings are preliminary and are subject to review by the full six-member committee in Washington. A final decision is due on 6 December.
HTC said that it was confident it had a strong case for appeal, and maintains that it has not violated any of the patents mentioned in the case.
This is the latest move in a longer running battle between Apple and HTC.
Last year, HTC filed a complaint with the trade commission claiming that Apple was infringing its patents.
The Taiwanese company is not the only firm wrestling with Apple over the rights to technology, with the US firm also in disputes with South Korea's Samsung and US-based Motorola.
Buy back The announcement by the US International Trade Commission came late on Friday, and in an effort to boost its share price HTC said over the weekend that it would buy back some of its listed equity.
HTC plans to snap up as much as 2.4% of the listed shares, about 20 million shares, at between 900 Taiwanese dollars and 1,100 Taiwanese dollars per share.
Half of the repurchased shares will be transferred to the firm's employees and the remaining half cancelled.
In early afternoon trading on Monday, HTC shares were trading at close to T$871.

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Orange and T-Mobile chief executive quits

 

Everything Everywhere was launched in May 2010 with the merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK 

The boss of Everything Everywhere, the parent group of UK mobile phone networks Orange and T-Mobile, is standing down for "personal reasons".

Tom Alexander, who will leave the chief executive role on 31 August, said he wished "to pursue other interests".
He will be replaced by Olaf Swantee, who is currently executive vice president at France Telecom.
Everything Everywhere is a joint venture between Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom.
It started operations in May 2010 when the two companies merged their UK operations.
Telecoms analysts have questioned whether the merger has been carried out as smoothly as had been intended.
Mr Alexander was Everything Everywhere's first chief executive. He had previously held the same position at Orange UK from 2008.
"It's been my privilege to serve Everything Everywhere these past twelve months, and Orange before that," he said.
"Olaf will be an excellent chief executive and leader for Everything Everywhere moving forward."
Mr Alexander will continue in an advisory role at the company until the end of the year.
Mr Swantee is already on the board of Everything Everywhere. Prior to joining France Telecom, he worked for computer maker HP.
Everything Everywhere is the UK's largest mobile phone network operator, with about 28 million customers across the Orange and T-Mobile brands. It has 16,000 employees and 700 stores.
Its number of new contract customers slowed in the first quarter of 2011.

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BBC to survey UK mobile coverage

 



Click to play
Technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones explains the ambitious BBC project which aims to map mobile coverage across the UK. 
The BBC is conducting a major survey into the state of mobile phone coverage in the UK.
Over the course of the next month, the project will attempt to chart the availability of 3G and 2G services up and down the country.
Mobile operators offer their own coverage maps but no independent survey has yet been carried out.
Measurements will be made using an app developed by network analysis firm Epitiro.
The software can be downloaded by anyone with an Android handset and will record street level coverage across Britain.

Download via QR code
There is no iPhone app at present, because of the difficulty in making Apple devices collect such information in the background while other programmes are running.
At the end of the test period, the BBC aims to display the results on a clickable map.
"Coverage is the number one issue for consumers," said Gavin Johns, chief executive of Epitiro.

HOW TO BE A PART OF THE UK MOBILE MAP
• You will need an Android handset
• Download the app below or from Android Marketplace
• Once downloaded, data will be collected without you having to do anything more
• If you wish to see what coverage is like in a particular place, simply click on the app
• The app is free to download
• It uses very little bandwidth
• The data is anonymised and neither Epitiro nor the BBC will collate or store any personal data 
Data hungry

According to Ofcom, there are over 12 million smartphones being used around the UK and a good service is crucial for the web browsing that more and more people demand from their handsets.
"Our coverage app will provide the information consumers need to see if 3G services are available and from which mobile operator. As mobile broadband is important to many of us, we hope people volunteer and make the project a success," said Mr Johns.
Most people have an anecdote about poor mobile coverage and it depends on a variety of factors including whether the user is indoors or out and what time of day they are using the network.
When a phone connects to high-speed 3G broadband services it will typically display a 3G or H symbol by the signal bars. The UK's average mobile download speed is 1.5Mbit/s. In areas of good 3G coverage, that figure rises to 2.1Mbit/s.
Alternative technologies include EDGE, which has a maximum speed of 0.3Mbit/s. Phones typically display an E symbol when using the system.
When consumers get a circle or 'o' symbol it is unlikely that broadband services will work satisfactorily, regardless of the number of signal strength bars.

Switching from 2G to 3G can make a dramatic difference to data speed
Compare the market Coverage is an issue that regulator Ofcom describes as a priority. It estimates that in terms of land mass, 91% of the UK has 2G coverage and 76% has 3G coverage.
It is conducting its own tests on UK mobile notspots - areas of low or no service. The research is due to be published later this year.
A consultant report, commissioned by Ofcom stated: "More information on coverage is required, and this should be in a standardised format enabling comparison between operator services such that users can make an informed decision about coverage in their area.
"Whilst postcode-based checkers go some way to this, their accuracy is limited to the point at which they have limited value."
O2's chief technology officer Nigel Purdy agrees that the current coverage checkers which rely on predictive modelling are not entirely accurate.
His company, along with other operators, conducts its own, more in-depth tests - including drive-bys - to see what coverage is like in a particular area and to plan where to place new base stations.
The challenge is "to get that data in a format for easy access for our customers," he said.
A similar project to map mobile signal strength globally has been carried out by
Building blocks Operator 3 is calling for change in the way consumers are informed about coverage.
"There is no common standard for measuring coverage and some operators tend to grossly exaggerate. We like to manage people's expectations," said Phil Sheppard, 3's director of network strategy.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES
• EDGE - stands for Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution, a hybrid between 3G and 2G, offering speeds of around 0.3Mbit/s
• 3G - covers a variety of technologies. Minimum speed should not be less than 300 Kbit/s
• HSPDA - High Speed Packet Downlink Access is an upgrade of 3G offering up to 7.2Mbit/s
• 4G - not currently available but services will roll out in 2013. Theoretical maximum of 1Gbit/s
One of the biggest challenges for 3, which owns high frequency 3G spectrum that is not great at penetrating buildings, is ensuring coverage when people use their phones indoors.
The problem will be solved, to an extent by gaining access to lower frequency spectrum that will be freed up by the digital switch-over.
Ian Fogg, an independent telecoms analyst, said that all operators struggle with indoor coverage.
"It is much easier to predict outdoor coverage. Indoors it will depend on the structure of the building. Thick concrete walls will block signals much more than a wooden structure," said Mr Fogg.
As homes become ever more energy-efficient, so the problem is exacerbated as highly insulated houses tend to block mobile signals.
Spectrum that will allow 4G services is not due to be released until at least 2012.
Meanwhile 3 is busy adding more base stations. It now has 12,653 sites around the UK. It site-shares with T-Mobile and will gain more locations following the T-Mobile and Orange merger.
But mobile masts bring their own challenges, according to Mr Purdy.
"Everyone craves good coverage but when we rock up to build a site near them it can cause problems," he said.
In urban centres, where more masts are needed at roof-top level, the challenge is finding a suitable rental price, he added.
Need for speed

Users can find out what coverage they get in any location around the UK
The BBC survey will not measure speeds, but this is becoming increasingly crucial as people use their handsets for downloading and web browsing.
Ofcom, in conjunction with Epitiro, recently carried out a national test.
In those speed tests, O2 and Vodafone came out on top, averaging between 2 and 3Mbit/s, compared to Orange which managed between 1Mbit/s and 1.5Mbit/s.
Broadband comparison website Top10.com released its own 3G speed app this year and it found that Milton Keynes had the slowest 3G speeds at around 1.73Mbit/s compared to 3.6Mbit/s in Peterborough.
Mr Fogg thinks that, if enough people download the UK mobile map app, it could play a valuable role in helping improve coverage.
"One of the key solutions is identifying the problem. X network's may only be terrible in certain locations and this survey will provide better information for operators," he said.

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John Yates quits Met Police amid phone-hacking scandal

  Assistant Commissioner John Yates decided not to reopen the phone-hacking investigation in 2009 

Met Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates has quit after growing pressure amid the phone-hacking scandal.

Mr Yates checked the credentials of Neil Wallis before the Met employed the former News of the World executive, arrested last week over hacking claims.
Mr Yates decided to resign after the Metropolitan Police Authority told him he was to be suspended. Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson quit on Sunday.
London mayor Boris Johnson said it had been right for both men to stand down.
'Distracting questions' Mr Yates said in a statement that his conscience was clear and spoke of his "deep regret" over his resignation.
In other developments on Monday:    The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it had received referrals from the Metropolitan Police Authority about the conduct of four current or former senior Met officers
    Labour leader Ed Miliband again attacked Prime Minister David Cameron for hiring former News of the World editor Andy Coulson at Number 10
    Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks confirmed she would appear before a committee of MPs on Tuesday, alongside Rupert and James Murdoch, despite her arrest and questioning by police on Sunday
    News Corporation established an independent body headed by senior barrister Lord Grabiner QC to lead its internal inquiry into the News of the World phone-hacking scandal
    Shares in News Corporation dropped by 7.6% to a two-year low in trading in Australia, and suffered a 4.3% fall in New York
    The Serious Fraud Office said it would give "full consideration" to a request by Labour MP Tom Watson to investigate out-of-court settlements made to hacking victims
    Press Association reporter Laura Elston will face no further action, her lawyer said. She had been arrested last month by police investigating allegations of phone hacking by journalists

The Mayor of London said Deputy Commissioner Tim Godwin would be in charge at Scotland Yard until Sir Paul's replacement was appointed. Mr Yates will be replaced in the interim as the Met's head of counter-terrorism by Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick.
Mr Johnson told a news conference at City Hall in London: "There is absolutely nothing that has been proven against the probity or the professionalism of either man.
"But in both cases we have to recognise that the nexus of questions about the relationship between the Met and the News of the World was likely to be distracting to both officers in the run-up to the Olympic Games."
Home Secretary Theresa May said in a statement to MPs that she was "sorry" over Sir Paul's decision to resign and that the Met was "stronger operationally today than it was when he took over".




Click to play

London mayor Boris Johnson: "The right decision has been made"

She added: "I want to put on the record my gratitude to John Yates for the work he has done while I've been home secretary to develop and improve counter-terrorism policing in London and indeed across the whole country."
Ms May announced that HM Inspectorate of Constabulary would launch an inquiry into corruption in the police, and Independent Police Complaints Commission investigations on the same issue would be part of the judge-led inquiry into the hacking scandal.
Mr Cameron, who is on a trade visit to Africa, said: "John Yates was a well-respected detective, and has more recently provided strong leadership on counter-terrorism policing. What matters now is that we ensure swift and effective continuity at the Metropolitan Police Service."
The prime minister is cutting short his trip to prepare for a statement to the Commons on Wednesday. He earlier announced the recall of the Commons to debate the latest developments in the phone-hacking scandal.
'Lengthy deliberations' The resignation of Sir Paul, the most senior policeman in Britain, came after he faced criticism for the Met's recruitment of Mr Wallis as a PR consultant.
Mr Wallis, a former NoW deputy editor, was arrested and released on bail on Thursday on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications.


• Cressida Dick, who has taken over John Yates's responsibilities as the Met's head of counter-terrorism, is said to be popular among rank-and-file officers, who rallied to her defence in the wake of the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes
• She was the gold commander whose job it was to co-ordinate the attempts to catch the men behind the 21 July 2005 failed bombings
• When, in 2007, an Old Bailey jury found the Met guilty of endangering the public, they took the unusual step of declaring there was "no personal culpability for Commander Cressida Dick"
• She was born and brought up in Oxford, went to university there and graduated from Balliol College
• She started out in accountancy but switched careers in 1983 and worked her way up the ladder
• After a spell at Thames Valley Police, she was promoted to deputy assistant commissioner before becoming the first female assistant commissioner in 2009 

The day after the commissioner's resignation, Mr Yates told Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) chairman Kit Malthouse that he was also standing down.

Scotland Yard said in a statement: "Assistant Commissioner John Yates has this afternoon indicated his intention to resign to the chair of the MPA. This has been accepted."
Mr Yates's resignation came after he was informed he would be suspended pending an inquiry into his relationship with Mr Wallis.
The officer had been confronted with new information about the friendship between the two men, sources told BBC political editor Nick Robinson.
After a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority's professional standards committee, the MPA said in a statement: "The committee considered allegations concerning Assistant Commissioner John Yates and after lengthy and careful deliberations decided to suspend the assistant commissioner.
"Suspension is not a disciplinary sanction and it is emphasised that suspension should not be taken as a presumption of guilt. Assistant Commissioner Yates has been informed of this decision.
"A number of matters have been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, including one involving Assistant Commissioner Yates."

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Emma Watson: 'Epic' Doesn't Do 'Harry Potter

Former Chief executive of News International, Rebekah Brooks leaves a hotel in central London, in this Sunday, July 10, 2011 file photo. Sky television sources reported on Sunday July 17 2011 that Brookes had been arrested by police investigating a phone hacking and corruption scandal that has engulfed Rupert Murdoch's British media company. Scotland Yard confirmed that a 43 year old woman had been arrested. Photo: Sang Tan / AP
FILE - Former Chief executive of News International, Rebekah Brooks leaves a hotel in central London, in this Sunday, July 10, 2011 file photo. Sky television sources reported on Sunday July 17 2011 that Brookes had bee

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Ex-London policy deputy explains his resignation

  Former London police deputy John Yates says he acted with complete integrity in Britain's phone hacking crisis.

Yates was the second high-profile casualty from the Metropolitan Police to resign in the past 24 hours. His resignation earlier Monday followed the decision of his boss, Paul Stephenson, to leave his post Sunday night.

Yates was the official who decided two years ago not to reopen police inquiries into phone hacking, saying he did not believe there was any new evidence.

He expressed his "deep regret" on Monday but said his "conscience is clear."

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.  British Prime Minister David Cameron is cutting back his trip to Africa even further so he can prepare for an emergency session of Parliament on the phone hacking crisis.

Cameron's office announced Monday that the trip was being cut short by seven hours. The high-profile resignations are making it harder for Cameron to contain the intensifying scandal on the eve of an unwelcome public grilling by lawmakers for Rupert Murdoch and his son James.

Cameron had had initially intended to spend five days traveling to four countries, including Rwanda and South Sudan.

He had already cut back his trip, dropping stops in Rwanda and South Sudan. He cut back the trip further on Monday.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers return with new single 'The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie': Hear it here

The last time the Red Hot Chili Peppers released a debut single from a forthcoming album, Barack Obama was still a freshman senator, Rebecca Black was only nine years old, and the music world was irrationally obsessed with Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day.”

Today Obama is president, Black is a pop star, and people remember Susan Powter better than they remember Daniel. And in the middle of it all, the Red Hot Chili Peppers remain steadfast. Sure, they have a new guitarist (longtime collaborator Josh Klinghoffer, replacing the once-again-departed John Frusciante), but if their new single “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” (the first track from their end-of-summer album I’m With You) is any indication, things are still cool in Pepperland.

Sticking with the same mid-tempo groove that colored recent successes like “Dani California” and “Can’t Stop,” “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” lays out a checklist for RHCP hits. Extra-funky Flea bassline? Check. Easy walking drum beat? Yup. Complementary shards of funk guitar? Indeed. Chaise-lounge philosophizing care of Anthony Kiedis? Of course. A heaping ton of cow bell? Yes and yes.

And yet something might be missing. Maybe the chorus isn’t as big as past hits, or perhaps the “Hey now” in the hook evokes too many memories of the sleepy “Snow (Hey Oh).” Still, it does feel like a back-to-basics return for the band after the circus rock excesses of their 2006 double album Stadium Arcadium, and any time the Chili Peppers take a step back (as they did on the now-classic 1999 album Californication), good things tend to happen. “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” is no “Scar Tissue,” but the groove still feels good.

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Betty White

 The Marine Corps Ball is set to be one hot event. Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake will be there. And now Betty White has scored an invite from one Sgt. Ray Lewis. The fan said of the 89-year-old, 'She's funny, she's sweet, she's mature. She's the all-around perfect woman.' The star has yet to RSVP.

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Ivanka Trump Announces Baby's Birth on Twitter

Ivanka Trump gave birth to a baby girl Sunday -- and she took to Twitter shortly after to announce the news to the world.

Trump, Celebrity Apprentice judge and daughter to Donald Trump, is married to Jared Kushner. This is their first child and no word yet on the baby's name.

Twitter and Facebook are becoming the go-to sources for celebrities to share news of their newborns. David and Victoria Beckham shared photos of their week-old daughter, Harper Seven, recently on Facebook and Twitter.

And a week ago, Kate Hudson and Muse frontman Matt Bellamy announced the birth of their son on Twitter. The newborn's name is Bing -- short for Bingham.

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Bionic Eye Glasses Concept for People with vision problems

Bionic Eye Glasses Concept for People with vision problems, The Advance of technology has bring a cool amazing concept for the visually impaired people. this was called as Bionic Eye Glasses. as we know eyes was one of the most complicated organs. There's so many people on the world has a vision problem including me.

The Medical world's today still can't make an artificial eyes since eyes was the most complicated human organs, Many people who has a vision problems today searching for an alternative to maintain their eye health. and now thanks to this great concept of bionic eye glasses that could helps people with vision problems to see this world more clearly. So how does this Bionic Eye Glasses work to help our vision?



Bionic Eye Glasses uses computer vision to aid visual scene and improve the ability of visually impaired to recognize things around them. The prosthetics are worn like a pair of glasses while a tiny camera is placed on these glasses which in turn is connected to a small sophisticated computer. LEDs are used to light up objects around the user. The camera consists of sensors that function as eyes own photo cells. They detect light and accordingly control the output of computer and LEDs while the computer behaves like a robot and helps the user in recognizing objects around him with help of an array of LEDs placed on the glasses.

We hope that Bionic Eye Glasses concept will be realized soon. We're really sure that this Bionic Eye Glasses could help improve vision for visually impaired people.

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Transparent 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six Ghost Car

Transparent 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six Ghost Car, This Cool Amazing vehicle was called as Ghost car since it's has a transparent body. What makes this 1939 Pontiac Deluxe six ghost car different and unique was half of this car body was covered with a plexiglass the world’s first transparent acrylic sheet product so you can see through of this vehicle body. This Cool amazing vehicle first displayed at 1940 World Fair in General Motors Highways and Horizons pavilion, New York.



The body, including fenders and doors of the Pontiac are all molded in Plexiglass, and they have held up very well over the past 70 plus years, it only has a few minor cracks and chips. this vehicle was created in 1939 by General Motors and Rohm and Haas chemical company with cost of $25,000 and became the first transparent car, made ​​in America.

This Transparent 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six Ghost Car will soon be auctioned on this 30th July. plexiglas 139 Pontiac Deluxe Six could fetch up to $475,000. Well this is the Video of Transparent 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six Ghost Car who will go in auction on the end of this month.

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Kibot Monkey Faced Robot for your Kids

Kibot Monkey Faced Robot for your Kids, Need an Educating and playing stuff for your kids? This Cute monkey faced robot could be a greatest present for your kids, it can sings, reads and also teaches english to your kids. with this cute little kibot your kids will be happy and learn to speak english while their playing with this Kibot. This kiBot could be a Hi Tech Educating and playing partners for your Kids.

Actually this kiBot robots was made for a busy working parents who didn't have enough time to play and educate their kids. the Kibot can move around and monitor the kids when operated by the parents using the smart phone (Like the concept of this Mirai Sanzo Robot). Some mothers, however, feel that they have to be always connected to the robot to monitor. New games can also be downloaded and used by the robots for playing with the kids. If the child wants to speak to her mother, all she has to do is hit the ‘mommy’ button on the robot’s nose.



The Memory cards used inside of this Cute Monkey faced Robots are filled with a lot of data that include songs, books and words. They are equipped with smart barcodes making it easy for the robot to identify the messages and take the necessary actions. With the use of the Radio Frequency Identification, the users can operate the device very easily. This technology is usually used for systematized high-tech warehouses. This robot can be used by most of the homes in Korea because more than 98 percent of the homes have broadband access making Korea one of the most wired countries in the world.

This special robot can be bought for $450. It has a monthly service fee of $6.5 or 7,000. So, parents who feel that they need someone to take care of their children when they are away can now look forward to buying this expensive toy for both playing and educating as well.

Here's the Video of this Cool Amazing Monkey Faced Robot for your Kids Kibot



So Would you buy this Kibot for your children as their educating and playing partner?

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Sanyo Mirai Sanzo Home Automation Robots based on Android OS

Sanyo Mirai Sanzo Home Automation Robots based on Android OS, Thanks to the advance of technology today, sanyo has made cool amazing concept of Mirai Sanzo a home automation robots that based on Android System Operating System, this Robots has a touch sensor, Voice recognition sensor and can speak japanese, they can also express emotions by glowing a 7 different colors. So how did this Sanyo Mirai Sanzo works as Home Automation tools?

Home Automation is a system that allows us to control all equipment and fixtures in a house with one tool only and can even over the internet.

With Mirai Sanzo Robots we simply say "turn off the AC" then the AC will turn off or " fill the bath tub " then you just wait a minute without having to go to the bathroom and ready to bath. isn't it really cool?

The pictures below will tell you about How Sanyo Mirai Sanzo Home Automation Robots can do.

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Internet's memory effects quantified in computer study

Memory chips The collective memory of the internet may make us simply remember less
Continue reading the main story

Computers and the internet are changing the nature of our memory, research in the journal Science suggests.

Psychology experiments showed that people presented with difficult questions began to think of computers.

When participants knew that facts would be available on a computer later, they had poor recall of answers but enhanced recall of where they were stored.

The researchers say the internet acts as a "transactive memory" that we depend upon to remember for us.

Lead author Betsy Sparrow of Columbia University said that transactive memory "is an idea that there are external memory sources - really storage places that exist in other people".

"There are people who are experts in certain things and we allow them to be, [to] make them responsible for certain kinds of information," she explained to BBC News.

Co-author of the paper Daniel Wegner, now at Harvard University, first proposed the transactive memory concept in a book chapter titled Cognitive Interdependence in Close Relationships, finding that long-term couples relied on each other to act as one another's memory banks.

"I really think the internet has become a form of this transactive memory, and I wanted to test it," said Dr Sparrow.
Where, not what

The first part of the team's research was to test whether subjects were "primed" to think about computers and the internet when presented with difficult questions. To do that, the team used what is known as a modified Stroop test.

The standard Stroop test measures how long it takes a participant to read a colour word when the word itself is a different colour - for example, the word "green" written in blue.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

    I don't think Google is making us stupid - we're just changing the way that we're remembering things…”

Dr Betsy Sparrow Columbia University

Reaction times increase when, instead of colour words, participants are asked to read words about topics they may already be thinking about.

In this way the team showed that, after presenting subjects with tough true/false questions, reaction times to internet-related terms were markedly longer, suggesting that when participants did not know the answer, they were already considering the idea of obtaining it using a computer.

A more telling experiment provided a stream of facts to participants, with half told to file them away in a number of "folders" on a computer, and half told that the facts would be erased.

When asked to remember the facts, those who knew the information would not be available later performed significantly better than those who filed the information away.

But those who expected the information would be available were remarkably good at remembering in which folder they had stored the information.

"This suggests that for the things we can find online, we tend keep it online as far as memory is concerned - we keep it externally stored," Dr Sparrow said.

She explained that the propensity of participants to remember the location of the information, rather than the information itself, is a sign that people are not becoming less able to remember things, but simply organising vast amounts of available information in a more accessible way.

"I don't think Google is making us stupid - we're just changing the way that we're remembering things... If you can find stuff online even while you're walking down the street these days, then the skill to have, the thing to remember, is where to go to find the information. It's just like it would be with people - the skill to have is to remember who to go see about [particular topics]."

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Mobile 'pinging' claim raises legal questions

 

Designated police officers can ask mobile networks to "ping" a customer's location. 

A former News of the World journalist's allegation the newspaper paid police to track mobile phones raises serious questions about the UK's eavesdropping laws, according to experts.

Sean Hoare said it was possible to "ping" a handset's location for £300.
While there is no firm evidence to support the accusation, if true it would undermine safeguards within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.
The law outlines a system of checks intended to prevent it being abused.
Police can ask mobile networks to determine the location of a phone, based on information from nearby radio masts.
Only a handful of officers in each force is authorised to make such enquiries, and their requests are supposed to be approved by a senior colleague.
Poor compliance The system is regulated and audited by the Interception of Communications Commissioner, Sir Paul Kennedy.In his most recent report, Sir Paul found in 10% of cases where law enforcement bodies sought communications information, there was poor compliance with the rules.
Such audits are based on a sampling of police requests - something that leaves the system open to abuse, according to solicitor advocate Simon McKay, author of Covert Policing: Law and Practice.
"The resources of the commissioner empowered by statute to review it are fairly restrictive, so circumstances dictate that a tiny proportion of authorisations obtained will ever be reviewed meaningfully or critically by the commissioner," he told BBC News.
Mr McKay added he would not be surprised if leaks had been made in return for cash.


Mobile phone networks have the ability to locate their customers' handsets.
At a basic level, they can determine which cell the phone is using. In a city, that might narrow-down the location to a few hundred metres. In the countryside it could be several kilometres.
It is also possible to triangulate the position of a phone more precisely using its relative position to several masts.
Additionally, many modern phones contain GPS technology to help determine their exact longitude and latitude.
Mobile operators are reluctant to discuss exactly what level of detail they are able to provide to law enforcement, although there are examples of police tracking criminals, accident victims and missing persons by their mobile phones.


"You are generally dealing with people that are experienced in using and deploying covert policing techniques and therefore their tradecraft equips them particularly well to minimise the risk of detection," he said.

Freedom lawA new law, currently being considered by parliament - the Protection of Freedoms Bill - would require judicial approval for some Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) disclosures, but not those requested by police.

The BBC approached the government to see if it planned to ask Sir Paul to re-examine the safeguards around police use of RIPA.

A Home Office spokesman said it would not be taking such action before the prime minister had outlined the terms of reference for his two enquiries into the phone-hacking scandal.

Daniel Hamilton, the director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said he was happy to wait, provided there was eventually a review."I would have preferred if action had been taken earlier and intercepts had not been used on such a wide basis, but I think it makes sense now an inquiry has been set up and we have received assurances from the PM and the police that there will be a thorough investigation.
"I hope at the end it will be an opportune time to revisit these processes," he said.

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Eight banks fail EU stress test with 16 in danger zone

  Banks both inside and outside the eurozone were tested. Eight out of 90 European banks have failed stress tests designed to ensure they can withstand another financial crisis. The European Banking Authority (EBA), which carried out the healthcheck, said another 16 banks were in the danger zone.
The EBA called on national financial regulators to ensure that capital shortfalls would be quickly resolved.
Five Spanish banks failed, as well as one in Austria and two in Greece.
On Wednesday, Germany's Helaba pulled out of the stress tests, effectively making it the ninth bank to fail.
Eight banks named In Austria, the Oestereichische Volksbank failed the test, while in Greece two state-controlled banks - ATEbank and EFG Eurobank - fell at the hurdle.
In Spain, Catalunya Caixa, Pastor, Unnim, Caja3 and CAM failed, with seven others just scraping through the test.

Banks will be under pressure to build their capital buffers, regardless of how they fared in the stress test”
Jason Karaian Economist Intelligence Unit
However, Bank of Spain governor Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez said there was no need to inject further capital into the banks as the sector was already undergoing a fundamental restructuring.
The EBA added that 16 banks only just passed the tests. All the banks should "promptly" take steps to strengthen their financial cushion, the EBA said.
After the EBA announcement, the Bank of Portugal said two of the country's banks would immediately begin bolstering their finances.
Banco Comercial Portugues, the country's largest listed bank, and Espirito Santo Financial Group, will strengthen their balance sheets within three months.
Debt-heavy Portugal took a 78bn euro (£68bn) bail-out earlier this year. Its economy is forecast to contract 4% over the next two years.
The news came just as Italy's parliament approved a 70bn euro austerity package. The country's central bank said that all Italian banks had passed the tests with "an ample margin".
Default A key benchmark for passing the test was whether the banks have at least 5% "core tier 1" capital, which describes the best form of capital a bank can hold to make up any losses.
One analyst told the BBC that, while some people would find the results reassuring, others would see them as evidence that the tests were not credible.
He said that demands from the financial authorities that banks began immediately to bolster their core capital "is an acknowledgement that there is a risk of sovereign default".
The failed banks would have to find an estimated 2.5bn euros in new funding by the end of the year, he said.

German bank Helaba disputes the way the authorities carried out its assessment
But analyst Jason Karaian of the Economist Intelligence Unit said that the total extra funding needed by banks would be far higher in the long run.
"Given that the markets are rewarding safety and security over growth and risk, banks will be under pressure to build their capital buffers, regardless of how they fared in the stress test.
"In the end, it would not be surprising to see hundreds of billions of euros raised in the coming quarters, with the most frenzied activity centred on banks with the greatest exposure to the euro area's wobbly periphery," he said.
As expected, the four UK banks passed the test - Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group.
The Financial Services Authority said: "The results support our own stress tests and we are pleased that the major UK banks have capital above the minimum required in the test, reflecting the work we and the banks have undertaken to improve resilience since the crisis."
Stringent The tests are a key element in fighting Europe's debt crisis, intended to identify weak banks and ensure they are made robust enough to survive a possible default on government bonds by heavily indebted countries such as Greece.
However, the tests did not consider the impact of Greece defaulting, something some analysts believe is increasingly likely.
There have been concerns, including from the ratings agency Standard & Poors, that the tests were not strict enough. However, the EBA said they were more stringent than those it carried out last year.
In 2010, both Irish banks tested, Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Bank, were given a clean bill of health. But just months later, AIB needed a government bail-out.
Each country's national banking regulators carried out a test that simulated what would happen to a bank's finances during a recession where growth falls more than 4 percentage points below EU forecasts.
On Wednesday, German bank Helaba withdrew from the stress tests to avoid public failure.
It said it would have passed the test if regulators counted a debt-equity hybrid, called "silent participation", as a capital reserve, but the EBA, having initially said it would accept this, then changed its mind.
"Under the EBA conditions the bank failed, that is clear," Helaba spokesman Wolfgang Kuss told the AFP news agency on Friday. "From our point of view we were successful," he added.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the 17 eurozone countries will hold an emergency summit next week in a bid to agree a deal on a second bail-out for Greece, the EU president announced Friday night.
Herman Van Rompuy called the meeting after disagreement over the contribution of banks and other private investors to a second rescue package.
The disagreement has overshadowed the financial markets, prompting some of the biggest share price falls for months.

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