(CNN) -- Real Madrid and Barcelona face disciplinary action from European football's governing body following Wednesday's fiery Champions League semifinal between the two Spanish clubs.
UEFA said on Thursday that Real coach Jose Mourinho could be punished for being sent to the stands after Pepe was sent off, and then making an "inappropriate statement" after his team's 2-0 home first-leg defeat.
His club could also be in trouble due to missile-throwing by fans and a pitch invasion at the Santiago Bernabeu, as well as Portugal international Pepe's dismissal for a lunge at Barcelona's Daniel Alves.
Barcelona may also be charged at the May 6 hearing -- which comes after Tuesday's second leg in the Catalan capital -- due to the sending-off of reserve goalkeeper Jose Pinto during a halftime scuffle between both sets of players.
CNN Blog: Has Jose gone too far this time?
Barca later said on Thursday that the club would report Mourinho to UEFA for his astonishing tirade, which came despite the European body delaying the post-match interviews in order to give both teams time to calm down.
Lionel Messi's double saw Barca plant one foot in the final, with both goals coming after makeshift midfielder Pepe was sent off by German referee Wolfgang Stark.
Mourinho, who was sent to the stands after the red card for his ironic applause at the match officials, suggested that UEFA shows favoritism towards Barcelona.
He claimed Barca's relationship with world children's charity UNICEF, and with Spanish football federation president Angel Maria Villar, contributed to their "power" and that the return leg next week was "mission impossible."
Barcelona's official website reported Mourinho as saying: "Josep Guardiola is a fantastic football coach, but he has won one Champions League which would embarrass me after the scandalous goings on at Stamford Bridge and this year if he wins it again it will be after the scandalous goings on at the Bernabeu.
"I don't know if it's the UNICEF publicity or the friendship of Villar at UEFA, where he is vice-president, I don't know if it's because they are so nice, but they have got great power. The rest of us have no chance."
Messi magic sinks 10-man Real Madrid
After an extraordinary meeting of the club's board of directors, Barcelona spokesman Tony Freixa said a complaint would be made to UEFA's disciplinary committee.
"We want to defend the history, prestige and reputation of our members, fans, players, coaches and directors, who with their hard work and their effort succeeded in winning the Champions League in 2009," Freixa said.
"It's unacceptable that someone questions our titles and our links with UNICEF."
The build-up to the match had been dominated by a war of words between Mourinho and Guardiola.
Barca's players have been criticized for the pressure they put on the referee during the match but Guardiola refused to be drawn on Mourinho's outburst, telling reporters: "I have nothing to say."
Mud-slinging continued between the players, however, with Real striker Emmanuel Adebayor telling Spanish newspaper AS: "Whenever you play against Barca, whenever you touch them, they are on the floor crying like a baby."
Real also responded on the club's official website, posting a video that purportedly shows that Pedro made contact with the ball and not Alves.
Madrid also claimed that Barcelona players Pedro and Sergio Busquets overly reacted when challenged by Alvaro Arbeloa and Marcelo during the game.
The website published quotes from England footballers Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen condemning Alves for diving, along with Irish golf star Rory McIlroy and NFL player Chad Ochocinco -- who also plays soccer.
comment: I think that it is faair that both teams should be punished because both over reacted over certain things. I also thinlk that the red card wasn´t a foul becuase Pepe didné touched Dani Alves
Thursday, April 28, 2011
notice thursday
Southern storms death toll nears 300
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 28, 2011 -- Updated 2346 GMT (0746 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Death toll increases in Georgia
Two University of Alabama students are killed
Nearly 1 million customers without power
Death toll nears 200 in Alabama
Read more about this story from CNN affiliates WBMA-TV and WIAT-TV. Is severe weather affecting you? Share stories, photos and video with iReport.
Tuscaloosa, Alabama (CNN) -- Dazed Southerners on Thursday comforted one another and began the process of rebuilding after a barrage of storms claimed nearly 300 lives and reduced once-familiar neighborhoods to piles of bricks and lumber.
The grim death toll from the 24-hour storm period continued to rise, with 285 counted in six states. Among them were two university students in Alabama. Nearly 1 million customers were without electricity.
The vast majority of fatalities occurred in Alabama, where at least 195 people perished, said Gov. Robert Bentley.
The governor and other officials stood in the bright sunshine in Tuscaloosa, the epicenter of the state's misery, to detail the damage and recovery effort.
"People's lives have just been turned upside down," Bentley said. "It affects me emotionally. When I fly over this, it is difficult."
The South endured the second deadliest tornado outbreak in the nation's history since 1950.
A breakdown provided by Bentley's office showed that violent weather claimed lives in 18 Alabama counties. Thirty-six people perished in DeKalb County in northeastern Alabama, and 14 died in Jefferson County, home to Birmingham.
The death toll in the hard-hit city of Tuscaloosa, in west-central Alabama, was at 36 as of Thursday, said Mayor Walter Maddox.
"I don't know how anyone survived," Maddox said. "We're used to tornadoes here in Tuscaloosa. It's part of growing up. But when you look at the path of destruction that's likely 5 to 7 miles long in an area half a mile to a mile wide ... it's an amazing scene. There's parts of the city I don't recognize, and that's someone that's lived here his entire life."
Track the severe weather
Tornadoes by the numbers
Hundreds of Tuscaloosa homes destroyed Tuscaloosa tornado 'absolutely shocking'
Thirty-two people died in Mississippi, emergency officials said. Tennessee emergency officials said 34 people died in that state. Fifteen were dead in Georgia, eight in Virginia and one in Arkansas. The outbreak officially started Monday, and Arkansas officials said they have lost 13 residents since then.
CNN iReporter Thomas I. Carroll Jr., 47, who grew up in Smithville, Mississippi, took photos of the town, which suffered at least 13 deaths. He said at least half the city was gone.
"It looks like something out of Kansas. It's not expected in Mississippi," said the dentist, who rushed over to check on his parents, whose house was damaged but they were uninjured.
Entire neighborhoods were leveled and hundreds of thousands of people were without power in the affected regions. As of 5 p.m. (6 p.m. ET), Alabama Power said about 310,000 customers had no electricity. The Tennessee Valley Authority reported 677,000 customers were without power, at least half of them in northern Alabama.
About 51,000 people in Georgia were without power, according to Georgia Power and the Georgia Electric Membership Corp.
"This could be one of the most devastating tornado outbreaks in the nation's history by the time it's over," CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said.
But it wasn't just the incredible winds and funnel clouds that made conditions miserable for millions.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency in preparation for the Mississippi River cresting well above flood level. In Mississippi, Gov. Haley Barbour advised residents to prepare for levels 3 feet higher than in 2008.
Long before the death toll mushroomed, governors in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia had declared states of emergency within their borders. Virginia followed suit Thursday.Barbour said he was asking for a statewide emergency declaration.
"Our efforts are to put lives and businesses back together," Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said.
President Barack Obama on Thursday called the loss of life from storms in the South "heartbreaking," especially in Alabama. The "federal government will do everything we can to help (people affected by the deadly storms) recover," he said.
Obama announced late Wednesday he had approved Bentley's request for emergency federal assistance, including search and rescue support. The White House said Obama will travel to Alabama on Friday.
Bentley said Thursday he is asking Obama for a major disaster declaration. According to FEMA, such declarations are made when "an incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond state and local capabilities and that federal assistance is necessary."
In the DeKalb County, Alabama town of Rainsville, 25 bodies were recovered near a trailer park, said Police Chief Charles Centers. Many people are unaccounted for, Centers said, and authorities haven't even been able to reach all the affected areas yet, because some roads are impassable. Patrol cars are running out of fuel, and buildings including a school, homes and several businesses have been damaged or destroyed.
Israel Partridge, a local business owner who teaches search-and-rescue and who volunteered to help the Rainsville Fire Department Wednesday night, said one tree that had been uprooted and tossed still had a dog alive, tied to it. Partridge said he freed the dog and gave it to a family to take care of.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it was monitoring the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant near Athens in north Alabama, about 32 miles west of Huntsville, after it lost offsite power Wednesday night due to the storms. The three units at the plant shut down automatically when power was lost, it said.
Witness to a dangerous tornado Georgia town trashed by tornado 'The trees landed on top of us' Severe storms, tornadoes pummel South
RELATED TOPICS
Tornadoes
Alabama
Natural Disasters
Weather
Tuscaloosa
TVA spokeswoman Barbara Martocci told CNN no radiation was released as a result of the shutdown, and the plant is currently in a safe shutdown mode.
At least one strong tornado swept through Tuscaloosa, leaving dozens of roads impassable and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses.
Resident James Sykes said the massive twister was "like a silent monster. It was just moving at a steady rate and just demolishing everything in its path."
"It literally obliterated blocks and blocks of the city," Maddox, the Tuscaloosa mayor, said. He told CNN Thursday morning the devastation was "unparalleled ... the city's infrastructure has been absolutely decimated."
The University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, escaped mostly unscathed, but two students died.
"From my understanding, these were two separate incidents," spokesman Bill McDaniel said. "The students are not believed to have been together."
McDaniel did not have details on who the students were or where they were at the time.
The university will not conduct final exams as scheduled next week and commencement has been rescheduled from May 7 to August 6, according to the school's website.
Bentley activated 2,000 National Guard troops Wednesday night and said he will activate more if necessary. In Mississippi, Barbour said he had also activated the National Guard. National Guard spokesman Maj. Tom Crosson in Washington said about 120 troops were in Mississippi and 50 more in Arkansas.
More than 1,700 people were treated for injuries at trauma centers and hospitals in Alabama, including those treated and released.
A Facebook page was set up for users to claim photos and documents found strewn by the storms.
"House mortgage from Tuscaloosa found in Rainbow City," said the caption on one photo. The two cities are 116 miles apart.
Several meteorological conditions combined Wednesday to create a particularly dangerous mix, CNN's Morris said.
"It is tornado season, but an intensive event like this only will occur maybe once or twice a year," he said. "It's very rare to have all these ingredients come together."
The town of Ringgold, Georgia, about 17 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was hit particularly hard, officials said. The storm also unleashed as many as 80,000 chickens in Pickens County, Georgia, after four huge coops were destroyed.
A tornado severely damaged Reba Self's Ringgold home in a matter of seconds. For a time, she thought she had lost much more than just a place to live, as she frantically searched for her mother, who also lives in the house.
"I'm screaming for her, 'Answer me, Mom -- please, Mom, answer me.' I didn't hear anything. It turns out she had gotten out of the house and walked around to the basement door, and she asked me if I was OK."
Self told CNN Radio she believes her mother is still in shock over what happened.
The storms are being compared to the "super outbreak" of tornadoes April 3 and 4, 1974, Craig Fugate, the FEMA administrator, said Thursday. In that period, 148 tornadoes were reported in 13 states, and 330 people died. States affected were Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 28, 2011 -- Updated 2346 GMT (0746 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Death toll increases in Georgia
Two University of Alabama students are killed
Nearly 1 million customers without power
Death toll nears 200 in Alabama
Read more about this story from CNN affiliates WBMA-TV and WIAT-TV. Is severe weather affecting you? Share stories, photos and video with iReport.
Tuscaloosa, Alabama (CNN) -- Dazed Southerners on Thursday comforted one another and began the process of rebuilding after a barrage of storms claimed nearly 300 lives and reduced once-familiar neighborhoods to piles of bricks and lumber.
The grim death toll from the 24-hour storm period continued to rise, with 285 counted in six states. Among them were two university students in Alabama. Nearly 1 million customers were without electricity.
The vast majority of fatalities occurred in Alabama, where at least 195 people perished, said Gov. Robert Bentley.
The governor and other officials stood in the bright sunshine in Tuscaloosa, the epicenter of the state's misery, to detail the damage and recovery effort.
"People's lives have just been turned upside down," Bentley said. "It affects me emotionally. When I fly over this, it is difficult."
The South endured the second deadliest tornado outbreak in the nation's history since 1950.
A breakdown provided by Bentley's office showed that violent weather claimed lives in 18 Alabama counties. Thirty-six people perished in DeKalb County in northeastern Alabama, and 14 died in Jefferson County, home to Birmingham.
The death toll in the hard-hit city of Tuscaloosa, in west-central Alabama, was at 36 as of Thursday, said Mayor Walter Maddox.
"I don't know how anyone survived," Maddox said. "We're used to tornadoes here in Tuscaloosa. It's part of growing up. But when you look at the path of destruction that's likely 5 to 7 miles long in an area half a mile to a mile wide ... it's an amazing scene. There's parts of the city I don't recognize, and that's someone that's lived here his entire life."
Track the severe weather
Tornadoes by the numbers
Hundreds of Tuscaloosa homes destroyed Tuscaloosa tornado 'absolutely shocking'
Thirty-two people died in Mississippi, emergency officials said. Tennessee emergency officials said 34 people died in that state. Fifteen were dead in Georgia, eight in Virginia and one in Arkansas. The outbreak officially started Monday, and Arkansas officials said they have lost 13 residents since then.
CNN iReporter Thomas I. Carroll Jr., 47, who grew up in Smithville, Mississippi, took photos of the town, which suffered at least 13 deaths. He said at least half the city was gone.
"It looks like something out of Kansas. It's not expected in Mississippi," said the dentist, who rushed over to check on his parents, whose house was damaged but they were uninjured.
Entire neighborhoods were leveled and hundreds of thousands of people were without power in the affected regions. As of 5 p.m. (6 p.m. ET), Alabama Power said about 310,000 customers had no electricity. The Tennessee Valley Authority reported 677,000 customers were without power, at least half of them in northern Alabama.
About 51,000 people in Georgia were without power, according to Georgia Power and the Georgia Electric Membership Corp.
"This could be one of the most devastating tornado outbreaks in the nation's history by the time it's over," CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said.
But it wasn't just the incredible winds and funnel clouds that made conditions miserable for millions.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency in preparation for the Mississippi River cresting well above flood level. In Mississippi, Gov. Haley Barbour advised residents to prepare for levels 3 feet higher than in 2008.
Long before the death toll mushroomed, governors in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia had declared states of emergency within their borders. Virginia followed suit Thursday.Barbour said he was asking for a statewide emergency declaration.
"Our efforts are to put lives and businesses back together," Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said.
President Barack Obama on Thursday called the loss of life from storms in the South "heartbreaking," especially in Alabama. The "federal government will do everything we can to help (people affected by the deadly storms) recover," he said.
Obama announced late Wednesday he had approved Bentley's request for emergency federal assistance, including search and rescue support. The White House said Obama will travel to Alabama on Friday.
Bentley said Thursday he is asking Obama for a major disaster declaration. According to FEMA, such declarations are made when "an incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond state and local capabilities and that federal assistance is necessary."
In the DeKalb County, Alabama town of Rainsville, 25 bodies were recovered near a trailer park, said Police Chief Charles Centers. Many people are unaccounted for, Centers said, and authorities haven't even been able to reach all the affected areas yet, because some roads are impassable. Patrol cars are running out of fuel, and buildings including a school, homes and several businesses have been damaged or destroyed.
Israel Partridge, a local business owner who teaches search-and-rescue and who volunteered to help the Rainsville Fire Department Wednesday night, said one tree that had been uprooted and tossed still had a dog alive, tied to it. Partridge said he freed the dog and gave it to a family to take care of.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it was monitoring the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant near Athens in north Alabama, about 32 miles west of Huntsville, after it lost offsite power Wednesday night due to the storms. The three units at the plant shut down automatically when power was lost, it said.
Witness to a dangerous tornado Georgia town trashed by tornado 'The trees landed on top of us' Severe storms, tornadoes pummel South
RELATED TOPICS
Tornadoes
Alabama
Natural Disasters
Weather
Tuscaloosa
TVA spokeswoman Barbara Martocci told CNN no radiation was released as a result of the shutdown, and the plant is currently in a safe shutdown mode.
At least one strong tornado swept through Tuscaloosa, leaving dozens of roads impassable and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses.
Resident James Sykes said the massive twister was "like a silent monster. It was just moving at a steady rate and just demolishing everything in its path."
"It literally obliterated blocks and blocks of the city," Maddox, the Tuscaloosa mayor, said. He told CNN Thursday morning the devastation was "unparalleled ... the city's infrastructure has been absolutely decimated."
The University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, escaped mostly unscathed, but two students died.
"From my understanding, these were two separate incidents," spokesman Bill McDaniel said. "The students are not believed to have been together."
McDaniel did not have details on who the students were or where they were at the time.
The university will not conduct final exams as scheduled next week and commencement has been rescheduled from May 7 to August 6, according to the school's website.
Bentley activated 2,000 National Guard troops Wednesday night and said he will activate more if necessary. In Mississippi, Barbour said he had also activated the National Guard. National Guard spokesman Maj. Tom Crosson in Washington said about 120 troops were in Mississippi and 50 more in Arkansas.
More than 1,700 people were treated for injuries at trauma centers and hospitals in Alabama, including those treated and released.
A Facebook page was set up for users to claim photos and documents found strewn by the storms.
"House mortgage from Tuscaloosa found in Rainbow City," said the caption on one photo. The two cities are 116 miles apart.
Several meteorological conditions combined Wednesday to create a particularly dangerous mix, CNN's Morris said.
"It is tornado season, but an intensive event like this only will occur maybe once or twice a year," he said. "It's very rare to have all these ingredients come together."
The town of Ringgold, Georgia, about 17 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was hit particularly hard, officials said. The storm also unleashed as many as 80,000 chickens in Pickens County, Georgia, after four huge coops were destroyed.
A tornado severely damaged Reba Self's Ringgold home in a matter of seconds. For a time, she thought she had lost much more than just a place to live, as she frantically searched for her mother, who also lives in the house.
"I'm screaming for her, 'Answer me, Mom -- please, Mom, answer me.' I didn't hear anything. It turns out she had gotten out of the house and walked around to the basement door, and she asked me if I was OK."
Self told CNN Radio she believes her mother is still in shock over what happened.
The storms are being compared to the "super outbreak" of tornadoes April 3 and 4, 1974, Craig Fugate, the FEMA administrator, said Thursday. In that period, 148 tornadoes were reported in 13 states, and 330 people died. States affected were Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Tuscaloosa, Alabama (CNN) -- Public and private assistance -- in the form of food, tarps and hugs -- began arriving Thursday in storm-battered Southern communities that lost nearly 300 people and saw once-familiar neighborhoods reduced to piles of debris.
The grim death toll continued to rise across the region, with 284 counted in six states. Nearly 1 million customers were without electricity in seven states.
The vast majority of fatalities occurred in Alabama, where at least 195 people perished, said Gov. Robert Bentley.
The governor and other officials stood in the bright sunshine in Tuscaloosa, the epicenter of the state's misery, to detail the damage and recovery effort.
"People's lives have just been turned upside down," Bentley said. "It affects me emotionally. When I fly over this, it is difficult."
A breakdown provided by Bentley's office showed that violent weather claimed lives in 16 Alabama counties. Thirty-five people perished in DeKalb County in northeastern Alabama; the death toll in the hard-hit city of Tuscaloosa, in west-central Alabama, was at 36 as of Thursday morning, said Mayor Walter Maddox.
"I don't know how anyone survived," Maddox said. "We're used to tornadoes here in Tuscaloosa. It's part of growing up. But when you look at the path of destruction that's likely 5 to 7 miles long in an area half a mile to a mile wide ... it's an amazing scene. There's parts of the city I don't recognize, and that's someone that's lived here his entire life."
Thirty-two people died in Mississippi, emergency officials said. Tennessee emergency officials said 34 people died in that state. Fourteen were dead in Georgia, eight in Virginia and one in Arkansas.
Entire neighborhoods were leveled and hundreds of thousands of people were without power in the affected regions. As of 4 p.m. (5 p.m. ET), Alabama Power said nearly 316,000 customers had no electricity. The Tennessee Valley Authority reported 677,000 customers were without power, at least half of them in northern Alabama.
Track the severe weather
Tornadoes by the numbers
Hundreds of Tuscaloosa homes destroyed Tuscaloosa tornado 'absolutely shocking'
As of Thursday afternoon, about 51,000 people in Georgia were without power, according to Georgia Power and the Georgia Electric Membership Corp. Bentley estimated as many as half a million to a million people had no electricity in Alabama.
"This could be one of the most devastating tornado outbreaks in the nation's history by the time it's over," CNN Meteorologist Sean Morris said.
But it wasn't just the incredible winds and funnel clouds that made conditions miserable for millions.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency in preparation for the Mississippi River cresting well above flood level. In Mississippi, Gov. Haley Barbour advised residents to prepare for levels 3 feet higher than in 2008.
Long before the death toll mushroomed, governors in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia had declared states of emergency within their borders. Virginia followed suit Thursday. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Thursday he was asking for a statewide emergency declaration.
"Our efforts are to put lives and businesses back together," Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said.
President Barack Obama on Thursday called the loss of life from storms in the South "heartbreaking," especially in Alabama. The "federal government will do everything we can to help (people affected by the deadly storms) recover," he said.
Obama announced late Wednesday he had approved Bentley's request for emergency federal assistance, including search and rescue support. The White House said Obama will travel to Alabama on Friday.
Bentley said Thursday he is asking Obama for a major disaster declaration. According to FEMA, such declarations are made when "an incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond state and local capabilities and that federal assistance is necessary."
In the DeKalb County, Alabama town of Rainsville, 25 bodies were recovered near a trailer park, said Police Chief Charles Centers. Many people are unaccounted for, Centers said, and authorities haven't even been able to reach all the affected areas yet, because some roads are impassable. Patrol cars are running out of fuel, and buildings including a school, homes and several businesses have been damaged or destroyed.
Israel Partridge, a local business owner who teaches search-and-rescue and who volunteered to help the Rainsville Fire Department Wednesday night, said one tree that had been uprooted and tossed still had a dog alive, tied to it. Partridge said he freed the dog and gave it to a family to take care of.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it was monitoring the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant near Athens in north Alabama, about 32 miles west of Huntsville, after it lost offsite power Wednesday night due to the storms. The three units at the plant shut down automatically when power was lost, it said.
TVA spokeswoman Barbara Martocci told CNN no radiation was released as a result of the shutdown, and the plant is currently in a safe shutdown mode.
At least one strong tornado swept through Tuscaloosa, leaving dozens of roads impassable and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses.
Resident James Sykes said the massive twister was "like a silent monster. It was just moving at a steady rate and just demolishing everything in its path."
"It literally obliterated blocks and blocks of the city," Maddox, the Tuscaloosa mayor, said. He told CNN Thursday morning the devastation was "unparalleled ... the city's infrastructure has been absolutely decimated."
Witness to a dangerous tornado Georgia town trashed by tornado 'The trees landed on top of us' Severe storms, tornadoes pummel South
RELATED TOPICS
Tornadoes
Alabama
Natural Disasters
Weather
Tuscaloosa
"We've lost two water tanks on the east side of the city, which is crippling the water supply," he said. "We're facing an overwhelming situation in which we are short of men, materials and equipment." But he said Bentley has been "outstanding" in mobilizing resources.
"We've lost our environmental services," he said. "We've lost police precincts. We've lost fire stations. So our own infrastructure itself, which would deal with these issues, has been crippled. It's just compounding the situation."
"Except for the sirens, it had an eerie quiet this morning," said Brian Wilhite, an internist at Tuscaloosa's Druid City Hospital. "It looks like an atomic bomb went off in a straight line. It's probably close to a mile wide."
The University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, escaped mostly unscathed, but Bentley said some students living off-campus were among the dead, and Maddox said there is a "strong possibility" that that is true. Classes were canceled Thursday.
The university will not conduct final exams as scheduled next week and commencement has been rescheduled from May 7 to August 6, according to the school's website.
Bentley activated 2,000 National Guard troops Wednesday night and said he will activate more if necessary. In Mississippi, Barbour said he had also activated the National Guard. National Guard spokesman Maj. Tom Crosson in Washington said about 120 troops were in Mississippi and 50 more in Arkansas.
Witnesses also reported tornado touchdowns in Birmingham, Alabama. "It looked like it was probably a mile wide," said Mayor William Bell.
The northwest corner of the city was particularly devastated, he said, with hundreds injured and many others missing.
The Birmingham neighborhood of Pratt City and the suburb of Pleasant Grove were among the hardest hit areas.
"It's just bare land, debris everywhere," Cierra Brown of Jefferson County, where Birmingham is located, told CNN affiliate WBMA about her devastated neighborhood. "There's no house."
"My bathroom is across the street," Talesha Oliver told WBMA.
More than 1,100 people were treated for injuries at trauma centers in the affected areas, including those treated and released.
A Facebook page was set up for users to claim photos and documents found strewn by the storms.
"House mortgage from Tuscaloosa found in Rainbow City," said the caption on one photo. The two cities are 116 miles apart.
Several meteorological conditions combined Wednesday to create a particularly dangerous mix, CNN's Morris said.
"It is tornado season, but an intensive event like this only will occur maybe once or twice a year," he said. "It's very rare to have all these ingredients come together."
The town of Ringgold, Georgia, about 17 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was hit particularly hard, officials said. The storm also unleashed as many as 80,000 chickens in Pickens County, Georgia, after four huge coops were destroyed.
The storms are being compared to the "super outbreak" of tornadoes April 3 and 4, 1974, Fugate, the FEMA administrator, said Thursday. In that period, 148 tornadoes were reported in 13 states, and 330 people died. States affected were Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
bad nexs for alabamma and the usa becaus the tornadoes are very dengerous and the thestroy houses and families
The grim death toll continued to rise across the region, with 284 counted in six states. Nearly 1 million customers were without electricity in seven states.
The vast majority of fatalities occurred in Alabama, where at least 195 people perished, said Gov. Robert Bentley.
The governor and other officials stood in the bright sunshine in Tuscaloosa, the epicenter of the state's misery, to detail the damage and recovery effort.
"People's lives have just been turned upside down," Bentley said. "It affects me emotionally. When I fly over this, it is difficult."
A breakdown provided by Bentley's office showed that violent weather claimed lives in 16 Alabama counties. Thirty-five people perished in DeKalb County in northeastern Alabama; the death toll in the hard-hit city of Tuscaloosa, in west-central Alabama, was at 36 as of Thursday morning, said Mayor Walter Maddox.
"I don't know how anyone survived," Maddox said. "We're used to tornadoes here in Tuscaloosa. It's part of growing up. But when you look at the path of destruction that's likely 5 to 7 miles long in an area half a mile to a mile wide ... it's an amazing scene. There's parts of the city I don't recognize, and that's someone that's lived here his entire life."
Thirty-two people died in Mississippi, emergency officials said. Tennessee emergency officials said 34 people died in that state. Fourteen were dead in Georgia, eight in Virginia and one in Arkansas.
Entire neighborhoods were leveled and hundreds of thousands of people were without power in the affected regions. As of 4 p.m. (5 p.m. ET), Alabama Power said nearly 316,000 customers had no electricity. The Tennessee Valley Authority reported 677,000 customers were without power, at least half of them in northern Alabama.
Track the severe weather
Tornadoes by the numbers
Hundreds of Tuscaloosa homes destroyed Tuscaloosa tornado 'absolutely shocking'
As of Thursday afternoon, about 51,000 people in Georgia were without power, according to Georgia Power and the Georgia Electric Membership Corp. Bentley estimated as many as half a million to a million people had no electricity in Alabama.
"This could be one of the most devastating tornado outbreaks in the nation's history by the time it's over," CNN Meteorologist Sean Morris said.
But it wasn't just the incredible winds and funnel clouds that made conditions miserable for millions.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency in preparation for the Mississippi River cresting well above flood level. In Mississippi, Gov. Haley Barbour advised residents to prepare for levels 3 feet higher than in 2008.
Long before the death toll mushroomed, governors in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia had declared states of emergency within their borders. Virginia followed suit Thursday. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Thursday he was asking for a statewide emergency declaration.
"Our efforts are to put lives and businesses back together," Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said.
President Barack Obama on Thursday called the loss of life from storms in the South "heartbreaking," especially in Alabama. The "federal government will do everything we can to help (people affected by the deadly storms) recover," he said.
Obama announced late Wednesday he had approved Bentley's request for emergency federal assistance, including search and rescue support. The White House said Obama will travel to Alabama on Friday.
Bentley said Thursday he is asking Obama for a major disaster declaration. According to FEMA, such declarations are made when "an incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond state and local capabilities and that federal assistance is necessary."
In the DeKalb County, Alabama town of Rainsville, 25 bodies were recovered near a trailer park, said Police Chief Charles Centers. Many people are unaccounted for, Centers said, and authorities haven't even been able to reach all the affected areas yet, because some roads are impassable. Patrol cars are running out of fuel, and buildings including a school, homes and several businesses have been damaged or destroyed.
Israel Partridge, a local business owner who teaches search-and-rescue and who volunteered to help the Rainsville Fire Department Wednesday night, said one tree that had been uprooted and tossed still had a dog alive, tied to it. Partridge said he freed the dog and gave it to a family to take care of.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it was monitoring the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant near Athens in north Alabama, about 32 miles west of Huntsville, after it lost offsite power Wednesday night due to the storms. The three units at the plant shut down automatically when power was lost, it said.
TVA spokeswoman Barbara Martocci told CNN no radiation was released as a result of the shutdown, and the plant is currently in a safe shutdown mode.
At least one strong tornado swept through Tuscaloosa, leaving dozens of roads impassable and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses.
Resident James Sykes said the massive twister was "like a silent monster. It was just moving at a steady rate and just demolishing everything in its path."
"It literally obliterated blocks and blocks of the city," Maddox, the Tuscaloosa mayor, said. He told CNN Thursday morning the devastation was "unparalleled ... the city's infrastructure has been absolutely decimated."
Witness to a dangerous tornado Georgia town trashed by tornado 'The trees landed on top of us' Severe storms, tornadoes pummel South
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Tornadoes
Alabama
Natural Disasters
Weather
Tuscaloosa
"We've lost two water tanks on the east side of the city, which is crippling the water supply," he said. "We're facing an overwhelming situation in which we are short of men, materials and equipment." But he said Bentley has been "outstanding" in mobilizing resources.
"We've lost our environmental services," he said. "We've lost police precincts. We've lost fire stations. So our own infrastructure itself, which would deal with these issues, has been crippled. It's just compounding the situation."
"Except for the sirens, it had an eerie quiet this morning," said Brian Wilhite, an internist at Tuscaloosa's Druid City Hospital. "It looks like an atomic bomb went off in a straight line. It's probably close to a mile wide."
The University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, escaped mostly unscathed, but Bentley said some students living off-campus were among the dead, and Maddox said there is a "strong possibility" that that is true. Classes were canceled Thursday.
The university will not conduct final exams as scheduled next week and commencement has been rescheduled from May 7 to August 6, according to the school's website.
Bentley activated 2,000 National Guard troops Wednesday night and said he will activate more if necessary. In Mississippi, Barbour said he had also activated the National Guard. National Guard spokesman Maj. Tom Crosson in Washington said about 120 troops were in Mississippi and 50 more in Arkansas.
Witnesses also reported tornado touchdowns in Birmingham, Alabama. "It looked like it was probably a mile wide," said Mayor William Bell.
The northwest corner of the city was particularly devastated, he said, with hundreds injured and many others missing.
The Birmingham neighborhood of Pratt City and the suburb of Pleasant Grove were among the hardest hit areas.
"It's just bare land, debris everywhere," Cierra Brown of Jefferson County, where Birmingham is located, told CNN affiliate WBMA about her devastated neighborhood. "There's no house."
"My bathroom is across the street," Talesha Oliver told WBMA.
More than 1,100 people were treated for injuries at trauma centers in the affected areas, including those treated and released.
A Facebook page was set up for users to claim photos and documents found strewn by the storms.
"House mortgage from Tuscaloosa found in Rainbow City," said the caption on one photo. The two cities are 116 miles apart.
Several meteorological conditions combined Wednesday to create a particularly dangerous mix, CNN's Morris said.
"It is tornado season, but an intensive event like this only will occur maybe once or twice a year," he said. "It's very rare to have all these ingredients come together."
The town of Ringgold, Georgia, about 17 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was hit particularly hard, officials said. The storm also unleashed as many as 80,000 chickens in Pickens County, Georgia, after four huge coops were destroyed.
The storms are being compared to the "super outbreak" of tornadoes April 3 and 4, 1974, Fugate, the FEMA administrator, said Thursday. In that period, 148 tornadoes were reported in 13 states, and 330 people died. States affected were Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
bad nexs for alabamma and the usa becaus the tornadoes are very dengerous and the thestroy houses and families
Air France crash 'flight recorder' part found
(CNN) -- Search teams have found a part of the crucial "data recorders" of the Air France flight which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, says France's Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA).
The orange-colored recorder 'chassis' was found on Wednesday during the second day of an operation which also hopes to retrieve bodies from the wreckage site.
All 228 people aboard the Airbus A330 Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris were killed.
The find - which comes more than three weeks after search teams found the tail section of the aircraft -- does not include the "memory unit" which holds the recorded data that could eventually help investigators determine the cause of the crash.
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Martine Del Bono, a spokeswoman for the Paris-based BEA says there is a good chance the memory unit, which records any instructions sent to the aircraft's electronic systems, will still hold retrievable data.
Del Bono said: "Our priority is to recover the flight recorder and then we will start to recover bodies. The images are in color the (flight recorders) are orange, it is not black and white, so we are hopeful we can find them. We believe they (flight recorders) are still on the accident site, but it takes times to analyze the photos. We need to be optimistic and confident."
Phil Seymour, chief operating officer of the International Bureau of Aviation, a British aviation consultancy, said: "I remain skeptical about how useful this device (memory unit) will be. If you were to throw a computer into the ocean imagine how all the parts would eventually split and you have the corrosive effects of seawater and the depths involved.
"It may be that the more wreckage they find will help them to piece it all together which bit by bit could help them build a picture of what caused the plane to come down."
The Airbus A330's pilots lost contact with air traffic controllers while flying across an area of the Atlantic Ocean known for constant bands of severe turbulence, officials said.
But exactly what caused the plane to plunge into the sea has remained a mystery, with only small portions of the wreckage and a small number of bodies found in the remote area where it went down.
Del Bono said Thursday that weather conditions for the recovery were good and that the operation would continue on a 24-hour basis.
Steve Saint Amour, director of commercial operations, Phoenix International, offered the BEA use of a remote-controlled submarine known as the Remora 6000.
Each round trip for the Remora takes some 14 to 16 hours says Del Bono, taking over two hours to descend to the wreck site, estimated to lie at a depth of between 2,000 to 4,000 meters (6,562 to 13,124 feet).
When asked about the likelihood of finding the crucial part of AF447's data recorders, Amour declined to comment directly but did say "Our past performance has been 100% success."
Coment:
I think it is very incredible that the crash was in 2009 and they can still fin pieces.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A NATO airstrike Wednesday on the seaside town of Misrata killed 11 rebel fighters and wounded two others, witnesses told a reporter, who saw the bodies.
Angry survivors told Marie Colvin of The Sunday Times that they and the victims were on the coast, east of a steel plant, when a NATO plane bombed them. There were no other planes in the sky, the survivors said.
NATO spokesman Eric Povel said he knew nothing about the report and would likely not learn more for several hours.
The incident occurred on a day in which pro-government forces launched the heaviest shelling yet on the port of Misrata, much of which appeared to be a wasteland, rebels said.
"I'm looking around, I can't find a single building that's not either damaged or destroyed," CNN's Reza Sayah said from Tripoli Street, the city's major thoroughfare.
From the time NATO began its operation on March 31 until Tuesday, the organization had conducted 3,981 sorties, of which 1,658 were strike sorties, according to an update issued Wednesday.
Comentary: I think tahat was a bad ac of the otan i libya because can kill inocent people of libia and make a war with libia and cause alot of money and life's of many person inosent people of libia .
Angry survivors told Marie Colvin of The Sunday Times that they and the victims were on the coast, east of a steel plant, when a NATO plane bombed them. There were no other planes in the sky, the survivors said.
NATO spokesman Eric Povel said he knew nothing about the report and would likely not learn more for several hours.
The incident occurred on a day in which pro-government forces launched the heaviest shelling yet on the port of Misrata, much of which appeared to be a wasteland, rebels said.
"I'm looking around, I can't find a single building that's not either damaged or destroyed," CNN's Reza Sayah said from Tripoli Street, the city's major thoroughfare.
From the time NATO began its operation on March 31 until Tuesday, the organization had conducted 3,981 sorties, of which 1,658 were strike sorties, according to an update issued Wednesday.
Comentary: I think tahat was a bad ac of the otan i libya because can kill inocent people of libia and make a war with libia and cause alot of money and life's of many person inosent people of libia .
news
Witness: NATO airstrike kills 11 rebels in Misrata
Misrata, Libya (CNN) -- A NATO airstrike Wednesday on the seaside town of Misrata killed 11 rebel fighters and wounded two others, witnesses told a reporter, who saw the bodies.
Angry survivors told Marie Colvin of The Sunday Times that they and the victims were on the coast, east of a steel plant, when a NATO plane bombed them. There were no other planes in the sky, the survivors said.
NATO spokesman Eric Povel said he knew nothing about the report and would likely not learn more for several hours.
The incident occurred on a day in which pro-government forces launched the heaviest shelling yet on the port of Misrata, much of which appeared to be a wasteland, rebels said.
"I'm looking around, I can't find a single building that's not either damaged or destroyed," CNN's Reza Sayah said from Tripoli Street, the city's major thoroughfare.
From the time NATO began its operation on March 31 until Tuesday, the organization had conducted 3,981 sorties, of which 1,658 were strike sorties, according to an update issued Wednesday.
Ships chartered by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) departed port Wednesday, carrying people intent on fleeing the violence.
The ICRC-chartered ship evacuated more than 600 civilians from the city, it said.
The IOM-chartered ship was carrying about 935 migrants and Libyans en route to Benghazi, the organization said in a news release.
Also aboard was a group of journalists, including a French journalist who was in intensive care after being shot in the neck, it said.
In Washington, President Barack Obama on Wednesday authorized up to $25 million in nonlethal commodities and services to be made available to "support key U.S. government partners such as the Transitional National Council in efforts to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack in Libya."
The United States considers the Libyan opposition group the Transitional National Council worthy of U.S. support, but has not formally recognized the group, Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz said Wednesday. But Cretz said the lack of formal recognition has not stopped the United States from aiding and supporting the opposition.
A three-member panel arrived in Libya on Wednesday to begin a U.N.-ordered inquiry into reports of violence and human rights abuses. The team, led by Professor Cherif Bassiouni, an Egyptian jurist and war crimes expert, was sent by the Human Rights Council. Last month, the U.N. General Assembly suspended Libya's membership in the Human Rights Council.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Wednesday it has established an international aid presence in Tripoli, with humanitarian workers also in Benghazi and the neighboring countries of Tunisia, Egypt, Chad and Niger. Aid agencies are seeking about $310 million for relief operations and have received $129 million, the U.N. office said.
Also Wednesday, government officials took reporters to the city of Tarhuna, south of Tripoli, where they said civilians were volunteering to be trained to defend Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi from NATO. At a training camp there, reporters observed civilians learning basic military skills. Some of the volunteers appeared to be as young as 15 years old, the reporters said.
NATO is leading an international military operation in Libya that includes airstrikes targeting Gadhafi's military resources. It is operating under a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing any means necessary -- with the exception of foreign occupation -- to protect civilians.
Witnesses said three people were killed and several were wounded after government shells detonated Tuesday near a refugee camp in the critical port area. Thousands of migrants have been housed there as they wait for ships to carry them to safety.
Opposition forces said they believe that, had NATO forces not intervened with air attacks Tuesday night, the shelling would have continued.
NATO said six military vehicles, seven technical vehicles and a surface-to-air missile launcher were targeted on Tuesday in the vicinity of Misrata.
Though Gadhafi's regime said last week that it was going to suspend operations in Misrata and let tribes deal with the rebels, heavy shelling suggests pro-government forces aren't done with the city.
As many as 1,500 migrants are believed to remain in Misrata in need of evacuation, IOM said. In recent weeks, nearly 626,000 people have abandoned Libya for Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Algeria, Chad and Sudan, it said.
Some 615,000 people, including large numbers of third-country nationals, have fled Libya, more than 10,000 from Misrata.
Misrata, the third-largest city in the North African country, has been hemmed in on three sides by Gadhafi's forces. Though rebels said they had gained control of the city's center and had pushed government forces outside the city, they said Gadhafi's forces were continuing to attack Misrata with heavy weaponry.
The port has served as a crucial route of escape and as a lifeline to humanitarian aid.
Misrata, Libya (CNN) -- A NATO airstrike Wednesday on the seaside town of Misrata killed 11 rebel fighters and wounded two others, witnesses told a reporter, who saw the bodies.
Angry survivors told Marie Colvin of The Sunday Times that they and the victims were on the coast, east of a steel plant, when a NATO plane bombed them. There were no other planes in the sky, the survivors said.
NATO spokesman Eric Povel said he knew nothing about the report and would likely not learn more for several hours.
The incident occurred on a day in which pro-government forces launched the heaviest shelling yet on the port of Misrata, much of which appeared to be a wasteland, rebels said.
"I'm looking around, I can't find a single building that's not either damaged or destroyed," CNN's Reza Sayah said from Tripoli Street, the city's major thoroughfare.
From the time NATO began its operation on March 31 until Tuesday, the organization had conducted 3,981 sorties, of which 1,658 were strike sorties, according to an update issued Wednesday.
Ships chartered by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) departed port Wednesday, carrying people intent on fleeing the violence.
The ICRC-chartered ship evacuated more than 600 civilians from the city, it said.
The IOM-chartered ship was carrying about 935 migrants and Libyans en route to Benghazi, the organization said in a news release.
Also aboard was a group of journalists, including a French journalist who was in intensive care after being shot in the neck, it said.
In Washington, President Barack Obama on Wednesday authorized up to $25 million in nonlethal commodities and services to be made available to "support key U.S. government partners such as the Transitional National Council in efforts to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack in Libya."
The United States considers the Libyan opposition group the Transitional National Council worthy of U.S. support, but has not formally recognized the group, Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz said Wednesday. But Cretz said the lack of formal recognition has not stopped the United States from aiding and supporting the opposition.
A three-member panel arrived in Libya on Wednesday to begin a U.N.-ordered inquiry into reports of violence and human rights abuses. The team, led by Professor Cherif Bassiouni, an Egyptian jurist and war crimes expert, was sent by the Human Rights Council. Last month, the U.N. General Assembly suspended Libya's membership in the Human Rights Council.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Wednesday it has established an international aid presence in Tripoli, with humanitarian workers also in Benghazi and the neighboring countries of Tunisia, Egypt, Chad and Niger. Aid agencies are seeking about $310 million for relief operations and have received $129 million, the U.N. office said.
Also Wednesday, government officials took reporters to the city of Tarhuna, south of Tripoli, where they said civilians were volunteering to be trained to defend Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi from NATO. At a training camp there, reporters observed civilians learning basic military skills. Some of the volunteers appeared to be as young as 15 years old, the reporters said.
NATO is leading an international military operation in Libya that includes airstrikes targeting Gadhafi's military resources. It is operating under a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing any means necessary -- with the exception of foreign occupation -- to protect civilians.
Witnesses said three people were killed and several were wounded after government shells detonated Tuesday near a refugee camp in the critical port area. Thousands of migrants have been housed there as they wait for ships to carry them to safety.
Opposition forces said they believe that, had NATO forces not intervened with air attacks Tuesday night, the shelling would have continued.
NATO said six military vehicles, seven technical vehicles and a surface-to-air missile launcher were targeted on Tuesday in the vicinity of Misrata.
Though Gadhafi's regime said last week that it was going to suspend operations in Misrata and let tribes deal with the rebels, heavy shelling suggests pro-government forces aren't done with the city.
As many as 1,500 migrants are believed to remain in Misrata in need of evacuation, IOM said. In recent weeks, nearly 626,000 people have abandoned Libya for Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Algeria, Chad and Sudan, it said.
Some 615,000 people, including large numbers of third-country nationals, have fled Libya, more than 10,000 from Misrata.
Misrata, the third-largest city in the North African country, has been hemmed in on three sides by Gadhafi's forces. Though rebels said they had gained control of the city's center and had pushed government forces outside the city, they said Gadhafi's forces were continuing to attack Misrata with heavy weaponry.
The port has served as a crucial route of escape and as a lifeline to humanitarian aid.
news Why did the iPod win and TiVo lose?
A decade ago, two products were introduced that would change the way we consume media. One of them allowed us to carry hundreds, even thousands of songs around in our pocket so we could listen to whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. It was called the iPod.
The other device allowed us to record dozens of television shows on a digital hard drive, allowing us to watch whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. It was called TiVo (TIVO).
At the time, both had a lot in common. Apple (AAPL) wasn't the first to introduce an mp3 player and had to compete with Creative Labs' Nomad Jukebox. TiVo launched its digital video recorder in 1999, the same year ReplayTV and Microsoft (MSFT) launched similar products.
Soon, both products established small, but rabidly loyal fan bases that spread good word of mouth. Both were powered by software that was not only easy to use, but remarkably intuitive. Both products were hailed in 2004 as new technologies that would disrupt stodgy, complacent old media giants.
And that's where the similarity ends. Today, the fate of the iPod and the TiVo recorder couldn't be more different. The iPod mp3 player grew up to become the iPod Touch (and the iPhone, which is an iPod Touch with phone service). Apple has moved onto to the next front in its battle for digital dominance, taking on Google's (GOOG) Android ecosystem in both the smartphone and tablet categories.
And TiVo? The good news is that TiVo won an appeals court ruling last week in its patent lawsuit against Echostar's Dish Network (DISH). The bad news is that this is pretty much the only good news: TiVo is a company about patents and not so much about getting innovative products to consumers.
The divergent fates are evident in Apple's and TiVo's financial statements. Revenue from the iPod and iPod Touches totaled $1.6 billion in Apple's most recent quarter (while iPhone revenue topped $12 billion). Tivo's revenue declined 19% to $55.8 million in its most recent quarter, largely because it continues to lose subscribers.
TiVo lost a net 556,000 subscribers in its last fiscal year, causing its total subscribers to decline by 21% to to 2.05 million. In a filing with the SEC, the company said it believes the decline "was largely due to continued pressure on subscription gross additions resulting from increased competition from DVRs distributed by cable and satellite."
Cable and satellite providers have offered cheaper, dumbed-down versions of TiVo boxes for years, with the result of digital video recorders becoming mainstream devices without the most innovative pioneer, TiVo, sharing in the success of the market it helped create. The iPod dominated the mp3 market, and helped shape its evolution into newer markets, like smartphones.
So why did the iPod succeed while the TiVo box floundered? There are a few key reasons.
For one, Apple simply has more wherewithal to push the iPod. In April 2005, Apple had a $10 billion market cap, dwarfing TiVo's $700 million value. Apple buttressed the iPod's word of mouth with an aggressive, seductive ad campaign. And it had built a strong, global brand as well as a core constituency of hard-core customers for its computing products. TiVo had none of these advantages.
So when Apple critics initially dismissed the iPod as an overpriced mp3 player that would lose share to cheaper rivals, Apple proved them wrong. The iPod was by far the best designed player on the market, just as TiVo was the best DVR on the market, but Apple's brand, fan base and marketing skills enticed millions into paying the premium.
Meanwhile, cable companies like Comcast (CMCSA) were marketing their own DVRs to their customers. The cable company interfaces were (and still mostly are) clunky, and while consumers liked the freedom to record shows for later, they simply couldn't be persuaded to pay more for a superior alternative like TiVo.
Apple also had iTunes, its proprietary software that let iPod users purchase and manage their music collections. iTunes was much more than this, however: It was pitched to music labels as a viable response to music piracy -- certainly much better than any solution the industry had come up with. This helped Apple win over not just consumers, but the providers of digital music.
TiVo had no such allure to television programmers. Instead, its software made it a snap for people to skip ahead 30 seconds -- a little feature that scared TV executives into thinking the TV commercial was an endangered species. Few DVRs offered by cable companies allowed users to skip commercials without a complex reprogramming of their remotes.
So TiVo is left with a superior DVR technology, and a shelf full of patents for many of its features. If TiVo does prevail in its lawsuits against Dish, it could bring in as much as $3 billion in a settlement. And it could give the company a war chest to take on other pay-television providers who sell Tivo knockoffs to their subscribers.
For TiVo, that would be a happy enough ending. But it would fall far short of the disruptive potential the company held just a few short years ago. And watching Apple move into the digital set-top box market with Apple TV must be a bitter pill to swallow. Had fate turned out a little differently, TiVo might be a successful company with big new products --say, a smartphone that could compete with the iPhone.
comment:
i think that the TiVo is the best because has more than the ipod i do not know how ipod won
(CNN) -- A pair of second half goals from Lionel Messi gave Barcelona a 2-0 win over 10-man Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal in the Bernabeu Wednesday.
A scrappy and ill-tempered affair saw Real's Portuguese international defender Pepe sent off after 61 minutes with manager Jose Mourinho also dismissed to the stands for complaining about the decision.
Earlier, a melee in the tunnel at halftime had Barcelona reserve goalkeeper Jose Pinto shown a red card by German referee Wolfgang Stark.
It took a moment of typical Messi magic to break the deadlock, connecting with a fine cross from substitute Ibrahim Afellay for his 76th minute opener.
And with four minutes remaining, Messi rounded off a fine night for Barcelona with a majestic second, weaving his way through the Real defense to beat Iker Casillas with ease.
El Clasico: The billion dollar grudge match
Why did Pepe get sent off? I just want someone to explain. Why did it happen?
--Jose Mourinho
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FC Barcelona
Real Madrid FC
Lionel Messi
Jose Mourinho
It takes his tally for the season to 52, with 11 coming in the Champions League and leaves Real with an almost insurmountable task in the second leg in the Nou Camp next week.
Mourinho's men had worked hard to cancel out Barcelona as they had to such good effect in beating them in the final of the Copa del Rey last week and the tactics worked well in the first half.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the match winner in that final, came close with a shot which surprised Victor Valdes in the Barca goal and Mesut Ozil might have scored from the rebound.
Barcelona had the bulk of the possession without looking their threatening best until the match turned on Pepe's dismissal as he lunged for a high bouncing ball and caught Dani Alves.
The decision looked harsh and Mourinho was quick to show his displeasure and with the extra man it was Barcelona who capitalized with David Villa forcing a fine save from Casillas before Messi's double strike.
An angry Mourinho hit out at the referee's decision after the match.
"Another miracle with ten men wasn't possible," he told AFP.
"Yes, I think we are eliminated. We will go to Camp Nou with everything and to get a result but I can't see it.
"We will be without Pepe and (Sergio) Ramos who didn't do anything and neither did I. I just want to know why? Why did Pepe get sent off? I just want someone to explain. Why did it happen?"
messi left them with out speach with the impressionant actuation and the 2 goals the game was the most important game fot barca and sheal i like the game becaus its my team
V.I.S.C.A .B.A.R.C.A
A scrappy and ill-tempered affair saw Real's Portuguese international defender Pepe sent off after 61 minutes with manager Jose Mourinho also dismissed to the stands for complaining about the decision.
Earlier, a melee in the tunnel at halftime had Barcelona reserve goalkeeper Jose Pinto shown a red card by German referee Wolfgang Stark.
It took a moment of typical Messi magic to break the deadlock, connecting with a fine cross from substitute Ibrahim Afellay for his 76th minute opener.
And with four minutes remaining, Messi rounded off a fine night for Barcelona with a majestic second, weaving his way through the Real defense to beat Iker Casillas with ease.
El Clasico: The billion dollar grudge match
Why did Pepe get sent off? I just want someone to explain. Why did it happen?
--Jose Mourinho
RELATED TOPICS
FC Barcelona
Real Madrid FC
Lionel Messi
Jose Mourinho
It takes his tally for the season to 52, with 11 coming in the Champions League and leaves Real with an almost insurmountable task in the second leg in the Nou Camp next week.
Mourinho's men had worked hard to cancel out Barcelona as they had to such good effect in beating them in the final of the Copa del Rey last week and the tactics worked well in the first half.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the match winner in that final, came close with a shot which surprised Victor Valdes in the Barca goal and Mesut Ozil might have scored from the rebound.
Barcelona had the bulk of the possession without looking their threatening best until the match turned on Pepe's dismissal as he lunged for a high bouncing ball and caught Dani Alves.
The decision looked harsh and Mourinho was quick to show his displeasure and with the extra man it was Barcelona who capitalized with David Villa forcing a fine save from Casillas before Messi's double strike.
An angry Mourinho hit out at the referee's decision after the match.
"Another miracle with ten men wasn't possible," he told AFP.
"Yes, I think we are eliminated. We will go to Camp Nou with everything and to get a result but I can't see it.
"We will be without Pepe and (Sergio) Ramos who didn't do anything and neither did I. I just want to know why? Why did Pepe get sent off? I just want someone to explain. Why did it happen?"
messi left them with out speach with the impressionant actuation and the 2 goals the game was the most important game fot barca and sheal i like the game becaus its my team
V.I.S.C.A .B.A.R.C.A
Android or iPhone? Surveys show smartphone users are fickle
In the summer of 2010, the iPhone was most popular. Now 31% of consumers plan to purchase an Android device.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Nielsen says consumer tastes in smartphones may be as variable as fashion trends
- Almost 20% of consumers are unsure of [which smartphone] to choose next
- Companies developing mobile content will increasingly deliver via web browser
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Editor's note: Amy Gahran writes about mobile tech for CNN.com. She is a San Francisco Bay Area writer and media consultant whose blog, Contentious.com, explores how people communicate in the online age.
(CNN) -- Is Android "the new black"? New research from Nielsen indicates that consumer tastes in smartphones may be as variable as fashion trends.
Way back in the summer of 2010 -- ages ago in mobile-phone technology time -- a third of U.S. consumers who were planning to purchase a new smartphone reported a preference for the Apple iPhone.
About one fourth planned to get an Android phone, and 13% planned to get a BlackBerry.
Today, Nielsen reports: "Those same surveys for January-March 2011 show just how much things have changed: According to the latest figures, 31% of consumers who plan to get a new smartphone indicated Android was now their preferred OS. Apple's iOS has slipped slightly in popularity to 30%, and RIM Blackberry is down to 11%."
Perhaps even more telling: "Almost 20% of consumers are unsure of [which smartphone] to choose next."
This variability makes one thing clear: It's difficult to predict with any level of certainty which mobile devices will be popular in the future.
So whenever you hear predictions such as International Data Corp's recent forecast that by 2015, Windows Phone 7 will be the #2 smartphone platform worldwide, take it with a huge grain of salt.
Because of this variability, it's likely that companies which develop mobile services and content will increasingly deliver their offerings via a mobile web browser, rather than via "native" mobile apps designed to run on a specific mobile platform.
Developing several versions of a native app is a big, costly software development and maintenance effort.
Browser-based experiences are inherently cross-platform. While such mobile "web apps" cannot deliver the full range of features as native apps, often they are good enough to get the job done for most mobile users, while substantially improving the economics of those offerings.
The opinions expressed in this post are solely those of Amy Gahran.
r step toward reconciliation Wednesday when the rival movements of Hamas and Fatah announced a deal to form a unity government, officials from both groups said.
The move comes amid international efforts for statehood advanced by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah. It could portend unity in the fractious Palestinian territories.
The two political factions have been close to civil war, culminating in 2007 when Hamas took control of Gaza after deadly fighting with Fatah partisans. Fatah retained control of the other Palestinian territory, the West Bank.
Azzam al-Ahmad, the head of Fatah's negotiating team, formally announced the deal in Cairo.
"Today, we signed a memorandum of understanding outlining points that we agree on regarding what the Egyptian proposal suggested," al-Ahmad said. "We also added our agreement to form a government made up of independent figures.
"We agreed on a date for elections and talked about national participation and cooperation in the post-elections period," he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the authority must decide whether it wants "peace with Israel or peace with Hamas."
"It is impossible to have peace with both since Hamas is looking to destroy the state of Israel and says it openly," he said, emphasizing that projectiles have been fired on cities and children.
"I think that the mere idea of reconciliation shows the weakness of the Palestinian Authority and raises wonders whether Hamas will take over Judea and Samaria as it took over the Gaza Strip. I hope that the Palestinian Authority chooses right -- that it chooses peace with Israel. The choice is theirs," Netanyahu said.
Many Israelis refer to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria.
On Wednesday, U.S. officials continued to express concerns about Hamas.
"We have seen the press reports and are seeking more information," said Tommy Vietor, National Security Council spokesman.
"As we have said before, the United States supports Palestinian reconciliation on terms which promote the cause of peace," Vietor said. "Hamas, however, is a terrorist organization which targets civilians. To play a constructive role in achieving peace, any Palestinian government must accept the quartet principles and renounce violence, abide by past agreements and recognize Israel's right to exist."
The Mideast Quartet -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- has called on the new government to renounce terror and recognize Israel.
The deal would establish a new parliament and a date for general elections, Hamas officials said Wednesday.
They've also reached an agreement over security issues that have kept the two sides apart, the Hamas officials said.
Fatah officials said Hamas' reservations have been discussed and resolved and also confirmed that the two parties have agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in a year's time.
Fatah leader Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal are going to meet soon in Egypt, a Hamas official said.
For years, there has been a big divide between the hard-line and anti-Israel Hamas and Fatah, which has engaged in peace negotiations with Israel.
In the recent past, both sides sought reconciliation, but those efforts failed.
Israel and militants in Gaza have fought continually for years. Israel has retaliated against Ga
notice wednesday
Devastation mounts in Misrata after heavy shelling on port
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 27, 2011 -- Updated 2114 GMT (0514 HKT)
Libyan city looks like a wasteland
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Structures along a major thoroughfare in Misrata are damaged or destroyed
Witnesses say three people died after shelling near a refugee camp in coastal Misrata
The Libyan government claims Western forces are trying to assassinate Gadhafi
The British defense secretary says NATO has been targeting capabilities, not individuals
Misrata, Libya (CNN) -- In the wake of what rebels describe as the heaviest shelling yet by pro-government forces on the port of Misrata, much of the western Libyan city appeared to be a wasteland Wednesday morning.
"I'm looking around, I can't find a single building that's not either damaged or destroyed," CNN's Reza Sayah said from Tripoli Street, a major thoroughfare in the city.
Witnesses said three people were killed and several were wounded after shells detonated near a refugee camp in the critical port area Tuesday. Thousands of migrants have been housed there as they wait for ships to carry them to safety.
Opposition forces said they believe if NATO forces had not intervened with air attacks Tuesday night, the shelling would have continued.
Map: Conflict in Libya
Reporter in Misrata: 'We're under siege' U.S. Ambassador to U.K. talks Libya 'Brutal' day in Misrata
The latest destruction in Misrata comes amid renewed discussion about what NATO's intentions are -- and whether the alliance is trying to kill Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
NATO is leading an international military operation in Libya that includes airstrikes targeting Gadhafi's military resources. It is operating under a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing any means necessary -- with the exception of foreign occupation -- to protect civilians.
In Washington Wednesday, President Barack Obama authorized up to $25 million in non-lethal commodities and services to be made available to "support key U.S. government partners such as the Transitional National Council in efforts to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack in Libya."
The United States considers the Libyan opposition group the Transitional National Council worthy of U.S. support, but is not yet ready to formally recognize the group, Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz told reporters Wednesday. But Cretz said the lack of formal support has not stopped the United States from aiding and supporting the opposition.
The Libyan government has claimed the coalition is going further, and trying to assassinate Gadhafi, pointing to a recent attack on the Libyan leader's compound in Tripoli.
On Wednesday, government officials took reporters to the city of Tarhuna, south of Tripoli, where they said that civilians were volunteering to be trained to defend Gadhafi from NATO. At a training camp there, reporters observed civilians learning basic military skills. Some of the volunteers looked as young as 13 or 15 years old, the reporters said.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also criticized the Western coalition.
"At first, they spoke about the need to close the air space," Putin told reporters in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday. "All right, but how does that correspond with bombings of Gadhafi's palaces every night? They say they don't want to eliminate him. But why are they bombing his palaces then?"
British Defence Secretary Liam Fox said Tuesday evening that the alliance has been targeting "not individuals, but the capabilities of the regime."
"We don't discuss specific targets, but in the general point, we've made it very clear that our responsibility is the protection of the civilian population," Fox told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room."
U.S. National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor reiterated Tuesday that NATO's mission is to enforce "the arms embargo, no-fly zone and conduct a civilian protection mission," but it's not regime change.
Libyan forces attack Misrata UK official: Gadhafi regime will fall Building frequented by Gadhafi hit Libya's volunteer weapons makers
RELATED TOPICS
Tripoli
Moammar Gadhafi
Libya
Misrata
NATO
"As part of that mission, the coalition has targeted command-and-control sites that are being used by regime forces to wage attacks against Libyan civilians -- brutal attacks that this week alone have reportedly killed dozens of civilians in Misrata alone," Vietor said. "There is no change in U.S. policy regarding assassination."
The British Embassy in Washington issued a statement Tuesday saying it was on the same page as the United States -- though it hoped Gadhafi would go away.
"British Government policy is that we don't target (Gadhafi) either, but we do think he should go," the British Embassy statement said. "That is not the same as regime change. Our aim is to protect the civilian population, we're not acting to remove him, but if he went that would be a good thing."
"We've never discussed specific targeting and we've always said, anyone or anything involved in carrying out or directing attacks on civilians is a legitimate target" under the Security Council resolution, the embassy said.
On Wednesday, the African Union called for an end to military operations targeting Libyan officials.
"Council urges all involved to refrain from actions, including military operations targeting Libyan Senior Officials and socio economic infrastructure, that would further compound the situation and make it more difficult to achieve international consensus on the best way forward," the AU's website states.
Though Gadhafi's regime said last week that it was going to suspend operations in Misrata and let tribes deal with the rebels, heavy shelling suggests pro-government forces aren't done with the city.
"As fighting continues to rage in Misrata, the families recently evacuated by boats to Tobruk from the embattled city describe a catastrophic situation with many having lived in fear of indiscriminate shelling," the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said Tuesday. "Many houses and buildings have been destroyed and some families had to move several times."
Misrata, the third-largest city in the North African country, has been surrounded on three sides by Gadhafi's forces. Though rebels say they have gained control of the city's center and have pushed government forces outside the city, they say Gadhafi's forces have continued to attack Misrata with heavy weaponry.
The port area has served as a crucial route of escape -- and as a lifeline to humanitarian aid.
Jean Michel Monod, who heads the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Tripoli, said a ship that was in Misrata to pick up foreigners had to depart prematurely Tuesday morning because of shelling close to the port.
He said the ICRC would have liked to help more than the approximately 630 people it did take.
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 27, 2011 -- Updated 2114 GMT (0514 HKT)
Libyan city looks like a wasteland
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Structures along a major thoroughfare in Misrata are damaged or destroyed
Witnesses say three people died after shelling near a refugee camp in coastal Misrata
The Libyan government claims Western forces are trying to assassinate Gadhafi
The British defense secretary says NATO has been targeting capabilities, not individuals
Misrata, Libya (CNN) -- In the wake of what rebels describe as the heaviest shelling yet by pro-government forces on the port of Misrata, much of the western Libyan city appeared to be a wasteland Wednesday morning.
"I'm looking around, I can't find a single building that's not either damaged or destroyed," CNN's Reza Sayah said from Tripoli Street, a major thoroughfare in the city.
Witnesses said three people were killed and several were wounded after shells detonated near a refugee camp in the critical port area Tuesday. Thousands of migrants have been housed there as they wait for ships to carry them to safety.
Opposition forces said they believe if NATO forces had not intervened with air attacks Tuesday night, the shelling would have continued.
Map: Conflict in Libya
Reporter in Misrata: 'We're under siege' U.S. Ambassador to U.K. talks Libya 'Brutal' day in Misrata
The latest destruction in Misrata comes amid renewed discussion about what NATO's intentions are -- and whether the alliance is trying to kill Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
NATO is leading an international military operation in Libya that includes airstrikes targeting Gadhafi's military resources. It is operating under a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing any means necessary -- with the exception of foreign occupation -- to protect civilians.
In Washington Wednesday, President Barack Obama authorized up to $25 million in non-lethal commodities and services to be made available to "support key U.S. government partners such as the Transitional National Council in efforts to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack in Libya."
The United States considers the Libyan opposition group the Transitional National Council worthy of U.S. support, but is not yet ready to formally recognize the group, Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz told reporters Wednesday. But Cretz said the lack of formal support has not stopped the United States from aiding and supporting the opposition.
The Libyan government has claimed the coalition is going further, and trying to assassinate Gadhafi, pointing to a recent attack on the Libyan leader's compound in Tripoli.
On Wednesday, government officials took reporters to the city of Tarhuna, south of Tripoli, where they said that civilians were volunteering to be trained to defend Gadhafi from NATO. At a training camp there, reporters observed civilians learning basic military skills. Some of the volunteers looked as young as 13 or 15 years old, the reporters said.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also criticized the Western coalition.
"At first, they spoke about the need to close the air space," Putin told reporters in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday. "All right, but how does that correspond with bombings of Gadhafi's palaces every night? They say they don't want to eliminate him. But why are they bombing his palaces then?"
British Defence Secretary Liam Fox said Tuesday evening that the alliance has been targeting "not individuals, but the capabilities of the regime."
"We don't discuss specific targets, but in the general point, we've made it very clear that our responsibility is the protection of the civilian population," Fox told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room."
U.S. National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor reiterated Tuesday that NATO's mission is to enforce "the arms embargo, no-fly zone and conduct a civilian protection mission," but it's not regime change.
Libyan forces attack Misrata UK official: Gadhafi regime will fall Building frequented by Gadhafi hit Libya's volunteer weapons makers
RELATED TOPICS
Tripoli
Moammar Gadhafi
Libya
Misrata
NATO
"As part of that mission, the coalition has targeted command-and-control sites that are being used by regime forces to wage attacks against Libyan civilians -- brutal attacks that this week alone have reportedly killed dozens of civilians in Misrata alone," Vietor said. "There is no change in U.S. policy regarding assassination."
The British Embassy in Washington issued a statement Tuesday saying it was on the same page as the United States -- though it hoped Gadhafi would go away.
"British Government policy is that we don't target (Gadhafi) either, but we do think he should go," the British Embassy statement said. "That is not the same as regime change. Our aim is to protect the civilian population, we're not acting to remove him, but if he went that would be a good thing."
"We've never discussed specific targeting and we've always said, anyone or anything involved in carrying out or directing attacks on civilians is a legitimate target" under the Security Council resolution, the embassy said.
On Wednesday, the African Union called for an end to military operations targeting Libyan officials.
"Council urges all involved to refrain from actions, including military operations targeting Libyan Senior Officials and socio economic infrastructure, that would further compound the situation and make it more difficult to achieve international consensus on the best way forward," the AU's website states.
Though Gadhafi's regime said last week that it was going to suspend operations in Misrata and let tribes deal with the rebels, heavy shelling suggests pro-government forces aren't done with the city.
"As fighting continues to rage in Misrata, the families recently evacuated by boats to Tobruk from the embattled city describe a catastrophic situation with many having lived in fear of indiscriminate shelling," the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said Tuesday. "Many houses and buildings have been destroyed and some families had to move several times."
Misrata, the third-largest city in the North African country, has been surrounded on three sides by Gadhafi's forces. Though rebels say they have gained control of the city's center and have pushed government forces outside the city, they say Gadhafi's forces have continued to attack Misrata with heavy weaponry.
The port area has served as a crucial route of escape -- and as a lifeline to humanitarian aid.
Jean Michel Monod, who heads the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Tripoli, said a ship that was in Misrata to pick up foreigners had to depart prematurely Tuesday morning because of shelling close to the port.
He said the ICRC would have liked to help more than the approximately 630 people it did take.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Rafael Nadal beat David Ferrer 6-2, 6-4 in their second all-Spanish final in two weeks to claim his sixth Barcelona Open title Sunday.
The top-ranked Spaniard won his 29th straight match at the clay court event when the fourth-seeded Ferrer hit his backhand wide.
"It is a dream for me to win here six times,'' said Nadal, whose sole loss at Barcelona came against another countryman, Alex Corretja, in 2003. "I think it will be difficult to repeat. Six years is a long time in the life of a tennis player.''
It was Nadal's 45th career ATP title and his second consecutive trophy after beating Ferrer at Monte Carlo in straight sets April 17.
Nadal won at Barcelona from 2005-09, including finals victories over Ferrer in 2008 and 2009, before sitting out last year's edition to rest.
"I feel bad for David because no one deserves to win here more than him for what it means to him and the work he has put in to reach three finals,'' Nadal said after improving his career record against Ferrer to 13-5, including a 5-0 record in finals.
Nadal has beaten Ferrer 10 straight times on clay since losing to him in 2004. Ferrer has played in four finals this year, winning two and finishing as runner-up to Nadal twice.
The 24-year-old Nadal became the first player to win two tournaments six or more times -- he has won Monte Carlo seven times -- in the tour's Open era.
His 31st clay court title also moved him into third place all time. The last time he lost on his preferred surface was to Robin Soderling at the 2009 French Open.
"I think my first set today was my best of the season,'' Nadal said. "My forehand was also better today. Last week I felt like I wasn't causing enough pain for my opponents with my forehand, but today I could change its direction and send it down the line.''
Both players struggled to hold their serve in a match that saw six breaks for Nadal and three for Ferrer.
"He served better in the first set, but we both struggled with our serves and there were a lot of breaks,'' Ferrer said. "We have both had better days.''
Nadal hit one of his patented left-hand drives into the corner to break Ferrer in the first game of the second set, but Ferrer began to show some of the fight from Monte Carlo when he tested Nadal before falling 6-4, 7-5.
The second-highest-ranked Spanish player saved a break point to hold in the third game and broke Nadal's serve when he forced Nadal to return long in the fourth, pulling even at 2-2.
As Ferrer reduced his errors, Nadal's volleys started to drift wide and he was broken for a second straight game when Ferrer's forehand winner gave him a 4-2 lead.
But Nadal responded, swatting Ferrer's drop shot to break him in the seventh game, and he broke his opponent again in his next service game to regain the lead for good when Ferrer's cross shot landed wide.
"I don't know why, but I wasn't able to keep up the rhythm of play,'' Ferrer said. "I didn't serve well in the second set at this important moment when maybe I had a chance.''
Coment:
I think that Nadal is the best actual tenis player but he is especially good in cly courts. I think he is one on the best tenis player in clay courts. Finally I find verr y awesome that he has won that tournament for 6 times in a row.
The top-ranked Spaniard won his 29th straight match at the clay court event when the fourth-seeded Ferrer hit his backhand wide.
"It is a dream for me to win here six times,'' said Nadal, whose sole loss at Barcelona came against another countryman, Alex Corretja, in 2003. "I think it will be difficult to repeat. Six years is a long time in the life of a tennis player.''
It was Nadal's 45th career ATP title and his second consecutive trophy after beating Ferrer at Monte Carlo in straight sets April 17.
Nadal won at Barcelona from 2005-09, including finals victories over Ferrer in 2008 and 2009, before sitting out last year's edition to rest.
"I feel bad for David because no one deserves to win here more than him for what it means to him and the work he has put in to reach three finals,'' Nadal said after improving his career record against Ferrer to 13-5, including a 5-0 record in finals.
Nadal has beaten Ferrer 10 straight times on clay since losing to him in 2004. Ferrer has played in four finals this year, winning two and finishing as runner-up to Nadal twice.
The 24-year-old Nadal became the first player to win two tournaments six or more times -- he has won Monte Carlo seven times -- in the tour's Open era.
His 31st clay court title also moved him into third place all time. The last time he lost on his preferred surface was to Robin Soderling at the 2009 French Open.
"I think my first set today was my best of the season,'' Nadal said. "My forehand was also better today. Last week I felt like I wasn't causing enough pain for my opponents with my forehand, but today I could change its direction and send it down the line.''
Both players struggled to hold their serve in a match that saw six breaks for Nadal and three for Ferrer.
"He served better in the first set, but we both struggled with our serves and there were a lot of breaks,'' Ferrer said. "We have both had better days.''
Nadal hit one of his patented left-hand drives into the corner to break Ferrer in the first game of the second set, but Ferrer began to show some of the fight from Monte Carlo when he tested Nadal before falling 6-4, 7-5.
The second-highest-ranked Spanish player saved a break point to hold in the third game and broke Nadal's serve when he forced Nadal to return long in the fourth, pulling even at 2-2.
As Ferrer reduced his errors, Nadal's volleys started to drift wide and he was broken for a second straight game when Ferrer's forehand winner gave him a 4-2 lead.
But Nadal responded, swatting Ferrer's drop shot to break him in the seventh game, and he broke his opponent again in his next service game to regain the lead for good when Ferrer's cross shot landed wide.
"I don't know why, but I wasn't able to keep up the rhythm of play,'' Ferrer said. "I didn't serve well in the second set at this important moment when maybe I had a chance.''
Coment:
I think that Nadal is the best actual tenis player but he is especially good in cly courts. I think he is one on the best tenis player in clay courts. Finally I find verr y awesome that he has won that tournament for 6 times in a row.
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