LATEST NEWS OF THE WORLD: 04/09/13

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

'Dancing' recap: Aly flips, Lisa faint

Emotions ran high on 'The best year of your life' night.

Drama from the opening moment!

The Dancing With the Stars theme for Week 4: The best year of your life. But it was not the best night of Lisa Vanderpump's life. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star blogged today that on Thursday she fainted during rehearsals. Her doctor told her it was a "viral infection with fever and swollen glands." She said she was "still under the weather."

As the couples were introduced for Monday's show, Lisa was not there. Her pro partner, Gleb Savchenko, descended the ballroom stairs alone. "She sat out rehearsal. She's getting some rest right now," said host Tom Bergeron, building suspense. "We'll leave it up to her whether she's going to dance tonight."

Here's how judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli sized up the stars:

Aly Raisman: Summer 2012 was the best year of Aly's life because of the Olympics. Her song was David Guetta's Titanium and her contemporary dance was emotion-filled as USA TODAY blogger Mark Ballas showed off his buff bod by dancing shirtless. Aly incorporated gymnastic moves including a cartwheel, handstand and a backflip as she twirled in a short red dress. The crowd loved it. Len joked that the flip "could have been higher." Bruno shouted that she was "going for gold." Carrie Ann said she was "mesmerized." Scores: 9, 9, 9 = 27 (The highest score of the competition so far.)

More: Mark Ballas' 'DWTS' blog

Zendaya: The young Disney star (she's 16) chose 2009 as the best year of her life. "It was the year I really started working in L.A. ... That was the year I got discovered." She and partner Val Chmerkovskiy danced a samba to Beyonce's Love On Topbecause, Zendaya said, she's inspired by the star. It was amazingly professional. "Whoo-ooo!" said Carrie Ann, "You are baby Beyonce! ... Beyonce better watch her back!" Len quibbled about wanting more "content" in her solo section. "Having said that," he added, "there's no question you are a fantastic dancer." Said Bruno: "So cool. So hip. ... Every kid that watches you wants to go out and dance like it." Scores:9, 8, 9 = 26

Kellie Pickler: "The best thing that ever happened to me was my husband," said the country singer, who wed Kyle Jacobs in 2011. Kellie spoke of her dad struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction, and her mom not really being part of her life. Her husband introduced her to real love. She and partner Derek Hough did a sexy rumba that showed off her flexibility as Kyle sang Say I Do. During her solo, Kellie rolled around on the stage before walking up to give her hubby a kiss and a hug. Carrie Ann said, "Every single shape you hit is like a work of art." But she said the movements were a little "clipped" at times. Len loved the music and agreed: "The movement was a tense staccato." Bruno said it was "Beau-ti-ful." Scores: 9, 8, 9 = 26

Jacoby Jones: The fart jokes continued in a pre-dance snippet when the NFLer asked partner Karina Smirnoff to pull his finger and the camera shook as he put his hand to his stomach. But Jacoby got serious when talking about 2012, the best year of his life because that's when his son was born. "I didn't have a daddy growing up. He left when I was 2." Their fox trot to Rodney Atkins' Watching You was a crowd-pleaser, including a jaunty solo part of the song in which he kicked his heels together. "That dance was just phenomenal," said Carrie Ann, noting the "joyous" feeling of it. Len said he "liked it!" Bruno said he has a "trademark flash and flair" and loved his "exuberance," but said sometimes his hands are a "bit like spatulas." Scores: 8, 8, 8 = 24

Ingo Redemacher: The soap star chose 2009 as the best year of his life. It's "when I got married to my beautiful wife, Ehiku," he said, adding, "My life really started when I met her." And the song he chose for their Viennese waltz: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. Bruno said it was "deeply romantic." Len liked his footwork. Carrie Ann noticed that his posture had improved. Scores: 8, 7, 8 = 23

Andy Dick: This year, 2013, is "so far the best year of my life," said the comedian, because of his sobriety and his kids. He says his daughter Meg, 15, is the "apple of my eye," and so he dedicated his dance to her. "It will be the most important dance I do," he vowed in rehearsals. His Viennese waltz to Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah was not comic in any way. He lilted and swooped and completely won over the crowd, giving his daughter a hug and kiss in the crowd when it was over. Bruno: "Simple. Effective. Straight from the heart. The best you've danced since Show 1." Carrie Ann was crying so much she could hardly speak. Instead she gave Andy a big hug. "It was like the simplest poem. ... Your movement vocabulary's small, but what you said with those few movements was so beautiful." Len mocked Carrie Ann, rubbing his eyes. "I'll tell you this, Andy... You came onto this show a man; no matter what happens you'll go out a hero." Scores: 7, 7, 7 = 21

D.L. Hughley: The best year of his life was "when I was in 8th, 9th grade. Everything was sweeter. ... Nothing says Compton like a fox trot," he cracked. "I want to show the world I can be a stuffy old English person, too!" He threw in some comic moves in his dance to Etta James' I Just Want to Make Love to You. His solo included swiveling his hips in front of the judges, pointing to his rear, and crawling on the floor on all fours. Bruno said it "worked!" Carrie Ann shouted, "That's a real breakthrough, my friend." Said Len, "This had far more content. It was far better" than previous performances. "And it was much smoother." Scores: 7, 7, 7 = 21. The scores prompted D.L. to fall to his knees. "That's higher than my SAT scores!" he said.

Sean Lowe: "Without question the best year of my life was 2012," he said. That's the year he found fiancee Catherine Giudici on The Bachelor. He wanted to incorporate her into the dance somehow. "I owe everything to Catherine... I hope she sees how much I love her in this Viennese waltz." The sweeping, twirling dance to Jason Mraz's I Won't Give Up including a solo with Lowe dancing by himself through a smoky floor as he made his way over to plant a kiss on Catherine. (That ought to squelch tabloid buzz of trouble in the relationship!). Len: "He was steaming and I'm beaming." Overall, a "very good dance." Bruno said it was "so sweet." Both of them noticed he stumbled a bit and was rushed at times. Carrie Ann called them out for two not-allowed lifts.Scores: 6, 7, 7 = 20

Victor Ortiz: The boxer was celebrating the year he won the WBC Welterweight Championship — 2011. "It was a very emotional moment for me," he said. Dancing the paso doble, an aggressive dance, made sense. Especially to Queen's We Will Rock You. That's the song that played when he walked into the boxing ring. Shirtless, Ortiz stomped around partner Lindsay Arnold, a matador to her bull. He looked buff but didn't overwhelm with his moves. Bruno said, "You're supposed to dance it, not destroy it." Carrie Ann loved his power and his commitment, but said his dancing "needs a lot of work." Len, too, said he admires his "spirit." Scores: 6, 6, 6 = 18

Lisa Vanderpump: The reality show star was saved until last. Would she dance? Of course she would! There was show time to fill! Host Brooke Burke-Charvet said Lisa decided "15 minutes" before she went on. Lisa said the best year of her life was when her daughter, Pandora, got married — 2011. "Just to have that moment with her ... was very special to me." But in rehearsals, an exhausted Vanderpump fell to the floor, out cold. Her doctor told her she probably had "early flu going on." He warned her against pushing herself. "I'm really worried about her," said Gleb. But their cha cha was pretty lively, with Lisa shaking her spangled outfit around the ballroom floor to Celebration. Ripping off Gleb's shirt didn't hurt, either. Len noticed "a few mistakes," but said "well done." Bruno said, "What you did, you did well." Carrie Ann agreed. "I would have loved to see that without what happened this week." She told Gleb that lifts are not allowed and she'd take off a point for it. He looked puzzled. Lisa looked ready to go home. Scores: 6, 6, 6 = 18

Toddler shoots Tenn. deputy's wife in unguarded moment

4-year-old gained access to gun at family gathering and fatally shot woman.

LEBANON, Tenn. — Only a few seconds passed from the time the handgun was placed on a bed to when a 4-year-old boy picked it up and pulled the trigger. Only a few seconds for a friendly cookout at a Wilson County deputy's home to turn tragic.

An accidental shooting. One person dead. Lifelong consequences.

On Saturday, Josephine G. Fanning, 48, was killed at her Wilson County home when the boy got ahold of a handgun owned by her husband, Sheriff's Deputy Daniel Fanning, who worked as an elementary school resource officer. Gun-friendly Tennessee has one of the highest rates of fatal accidental shootings in the nation, according to federal health statistics. While charges can be brought in some cases, prosecutors must prove negligence or recklessness.

No matter what, though, the fallout can lead to lifelong emotional scars for everyone involved.

"It looks to be a tragic accident," said Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan. "He did not normally have small kids at his house, and his guns were locked prior to coming out. I don't want the perception that guns were everywhere."

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is examining the shooting, at the request of prosecutors, to see whether any adults may have broken the law. The weapon was not Bryan's service weapon and the shooting appears to be an accident, said TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm.

And since the shooting involved a child, the Tennessee Department of Children's Services also has opened a case.

Daniel Fanning, 51, has been placed on personal leave. Bryan said he didn't anticipate any disciplinary action.

Sam Walker, emeritus professor of criminal justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a widely consulted expert on police accountability, said that because the shooting didn't involve a service weapon, it will likely have no bearing on the deputy's employment. But he said the public has high expectations of law enforcement officers when it comes to firearms safety.

"I think that's common sense," Walker said. "Anybody who has any kind of experience — a hunter, a veteran — these people understand the danger of these items."

'A sad case'

On Saturday, the Fannings were hosting a cookout at their home with 15-20 people. Bryan said Daniel Fanning wanted to show another relative a rifle he had in his bedroom. He went to the locked gun cabinet and had to remove a handgun to retrieve the rifle, Bryan said.

The handgun, which was placed on the bed for just a moment, was loaded.

Bryan said Josephine Fanning walked into the bedroom with the 4-year-old. There the boy grabbed the gun from the bed and fired a single round. Josephine Fanning died at the home.

It was unclear whether the boy was a relative, though he was not the Fannings' child.

The TBI said there was alcohol at the gathering.

District Attorney General Tom Thompson said he requested the TBI's help investigating the death. Talking generally about accidental shootings, he said that prosecutors can file charges in certain cases.

"You always look to recklessness or negligence or something like that in a particular case. That would be decided after we know everything," he said.

The mixing of alcohol and firearms can also lead to charges, he said. "This is a sad case any way you look at it and one that requires a careful investigation."

Former Wilson County Sheriff Terry Ashe, who resigned last year to become executive director of the Tennessee Sheriffs' Association, hired Fanning and said he was a good employee.

"He was a good officer who did his job," Ashe said.

Accidental deaths

Tennessee has the sixth-highest rate of accidental shooting deaths in the nation, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which was able to collect data from 45 states and the District of Columbia. From 1999 through 2010, 427 people were killed in such incidents in Tennessee, and more than 8,300 were killed nationwide.

Minors in Tennessee accidentally shot and killed three people in 2012, according to TBI. The minors in those cases were 2, 12 and 15 years old, and no charges were filed against any of them, Helm said.

The state outpaced much larger states, including Florida and Pennsylvania.

While the current gun control debate across the nation has focused heavily on controlling access to guns, less has been said about properly securing firearms at home. Firearms groups such as the National Shooting Sports Foundation advocate storing guns unloaded, with trigger locks in a locked container and the ammunition locked up elsewhere.

Bill Gibbons, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, said the state takes handgun safety very seriously and recommends education to prevent such tragedies.

"Anytime an innocent life is lost is tragic," Gibbons said. "It is even more traumatic when it is due to an accident."

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Punchlines: Conan, Stewart, Leno compare Obama to Clinton

What recent comment makes President Obama look more like Clinton than Bush? It's the one that comedians are still talking about, his statement that California Attorney General Kamala Harris is good looking. Is that comment sexist? Or was it just a compliment?

The late-night talk show hosts chime in again about it, and this time, it looks like first lady Michelle Obama made an interesting statement of her own. Take a look at some of our favorite jokes from last night, then vote for yours in the quick poll to the right. If you're watching this from your smartphone or tablet, visit opinion.usatoday.com to cast your ballot.

The late-night comedians take another look at President Obama's statement about Kamala Harris. And what did first lady Michelle Obama have to say? It might surprise you. Vote for your favorite joke at opinion.usatoday.com.

Microsoft escalates ad assault on Google

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Microsoft is skewering Google again with scathing ads that say as much about the dramatic shift in the technology industry's competitive landscape as they do about the animosity between the two rivals.

The missive that began Tuesday marks the third phase in a 5-month-old marketing campaign that Microsoft derisively calls "Scroogled." The ads, which have appeared online, on television and in print, depict Google as a duplicitous company more interested in increasing profits and power than protecting people's privacy and providing unbiased search results.

This time, Microsoft is vilifying Google for sharing some of the personal information that it gathers about people who buy applications designed to run on smartphones and tablet computers powered by Google's Android software. Earlier ads have skewered Google's long-running practice of electronically scanning the contents of people's Gmail accounts to help sell ads and attacked a recently introduced policy that requires retailers to pay to appear in the shopping section of Google's dominant search engine.

"We think we have a better alternative that doesn't do these kinds of nefarious things," said Greg Sullivan, Microsoft's senior manager for Windows Phone, the business taking aim at Google's distribution of personal information about buyers of Android apps.

Microsoft's advertising barbs could potentially backfire. Even as they help draw attention to Google practices that may prod some consumers to try different services, they also serve as a reminder of Microsoft's mostly futile - and costly - attempts to trump its rival with more compelling technology.

"It's always the underdog that does negative advertising like this, and there is no doubt that Microsoft is now the underdog," said Jonathan Weber, who has been following Microsoft's "Scroogled" campaign at search consulting firm LunaMetrics.

On the flip side, Google has evolved from an endearing Internet startup to an imposing giant running Web and mobile services that vacuum intimate details about people's lives. Despite repeated management assurances about respecting personal privacy, Google has experienced several lapses that have resulted in regulatory fines, settlements and scorn around the world.

Beyond privacy, Google has been the subject of complaints that its practices are anti-competitive. On Tuesday, a group of companies led by Microsoft said it has asked European authorities to investigate whether Google is acting unfairly by giving away its Android operating system to mobile device manufacturers on the condition that Google's own apps, such as YouTube and Google Maps, are installed and prominently displayed.

Microsoft's latest ads revolve around concerns already raised by privacy watchdogs. Critics argue that Google hasn't adequately disclosed that customers' names, email addresses and neighborhood locations are routinely sent to the makers of apps sold in Google's online Play store.

At least one group, Consumer Watchdog, has complained to the Federal Trade Commission that Google's apps practices represent an "egregious privacy violation." Citing agency policy, FTC spokesman Jay Mayfield declined to comment on whether the complaint has triggered a formal investigation.

Google says it shares a limited amount of personal information about customers to ensure they get better service and faster responses if any problems arise. The company says the practice is allowed under its terms of service - a document that most people rarely read in its entirety.

Microsoft says it doesn't pass along personal details about customers buying apps for devices running its Windows Phone software. But there aren't as many Windows Phone users or apps for that system as there are for Android.

The notion of Microsoft being well behind Google once seemed inconceivable.

A decade ago, Microsoft was the world's most powerful technology company, with its Windows operating system and Office productivity software pervasive on personal computers. Microsoft's dominance had grown so extensive that U.S. and European antitrust regulators spent years trying to rein in the Redmond, Wash., software company.

Although Google was growing rapidly at the time, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and other skeptics dismissed the company as a "one-trick pony" that hadn't proven adept at doing anything besides searching the Web and selling ads next to the results.

Google, which is based in Mountain View, Calif., has since morphed into a multi-faceted juggernaut relentlessly trying to muscle into new markets. The company now runs the world's most watched online video service in YouTube, the largest email service in Gmail and the most widely used operating system for mobile devices in Android. All of those services provide more opportunities to show the ads that generate the bulk of Google's revenue. Google is now the company facing the scrutiny of regulators - and Microsoft has been active in making those complaints, including the one announced Tuesday.

"Google is certainly the biggest challenge that Microsoft has ever had to deal with," said Michael Cusumano, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management and author of several books about Microsoft.

Microsoft has tried to thwart Google by investing heavily in online services, to little avail. Since Google went public in August 2004, Microsoft's online division has accumulated more than $17.5 billion in operating losses. The losses include an accounting charge of more than $6 billion for Microsoft's acquisition of aQuantive, an online advertising service that didn't pan out.

Google, meanwhile, has been steadily increasing profits and share of the Internet search market. Google processes about two out of every three search requests in the U.S. and handles an even larger percentage of queries in many parts of Europe.

Although Microsoft has remained profitable companywide, the Windows franchise that provides its financial backbone has been weakening as a growing preference for smartphones and tablet computers undercuts sales of desktop and laptop computers. Besides doing damage with Android, Google is also trying to dent Microsoft by selling a less expensive, Internet-based alternative to Microsoft's Office suite. Google also is pushing a laptop operating system built on its popular Chrome Web browser in an attempt to divert even more sales away from Windows machines.

Microsoft has countered with a dramatic overhaul of the Windows operating system, one designed to bring tablet features such as touch screens to desktops and laptops. But Windows 8 has gotten off to a tepid start since its October release.

The changing fortunes of Microsoft and Google have been reflected in the stock market's appraisal of the two companies.

Google's market value has soared from nearly $25 billion at the time of its initial public offering to $255 billion. Microsoft's market value has fallen by about 20 percent during the same period, declining from nearly $300 billion at the time of Google's IPO to $239 billion today. Apple Inc., a rival of both Google and Microsoft, is the only technology company worth more than Google, with a market value hovering around $400 billion.

In morning trading Tuesday, after the latest campaign kicked off, Microsoft's stock gained 36 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $28.95, while Google's increased $6.85, or nearly 1 percent, to $781.70.

Microsoft developed its anti-Google ad campaigns shortly after hiring former political operative Mark Penn in August as a corporate strategist who reports directly to Ballmer. Penn is best known as a former pollster for President Bill Clinton and a campaign strategist for Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful bid for president in 2008. Penn left his job as CEO of public relations firm Burson-Marsteller to help Microsoft generate more usage of its Bing search engine and other online services.

Microsoft isn't saying how much it is spending on these ad campaigns beyond saying the amount will run in the "multimillions" of dollars.

Although there isn't any evidence that the ads have hurt Google yet, Sullivan said Microsoft is pleased with the response. The company says about 117,000 people have signed Microsoft's online petition protesting Gmail's ad-driving scanning of content. That's a sliver of the more than 425 million Gmail accounts worldwide. Microsoft says about 4 million people have visited Scroogled.com, the website that serves as the hub of the company's anti-Google screed.

Although the attack ads are something new for Microsoft, denigrating the competition isn't. Most notably, Microsoft tried to undermine Web browser pioneer Netscape Communications beginning in the mid-1990s. Most of that sniping remained behind the scenes until a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Microsoft's business practices exposed the cut-throat tactics deployed to overcome Netscape's early lead in the Web browser market.

Given that history, Microsoft's marketing assault on Google isn't that surprising, said Cusumano, who has been following the company for 20 years.

"Nothing is below Microsoft," Cusumano said. "They have been playing dirty for a long time. In this instance, they probably sincerely believe this can give them a little marketing edge and help them capitalize on the growing discomfort with the size and influence of Google."

Focus is most popular car in the ... world!

A Camry? A Corolla? A big honking pickup truck? Nope, no and nay

What is the best-selling vehicle in the world?

Americans might say a Ford F Series pickup, since it's the perpetual biggest seller in the U.S. Others, recognizing their international appeal, might say it's a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic.

It's not. The most best-selling model in the world for the second year running is the Ford Focus. More than a million were sold last year, up from 879,914 in 2011, says Ford Motor, citing data from research service R.L. Polk.

Next, also for the second year, is the Corolla a perennial leader that formerly topped the list.

Only then comes Ford F Series trucks, and Ford's lucky to have it there, considering it moved up several places on the list from 2012 to 2011.

The only vehicle on the list that's likely completely unknown to most Americans is a Chinese family hauler in fourth place, the Wuling Zhiguang (Sunshine) made by a joint venture of General Motors, China's SAIC and China's Wuling. Overall, the list is dominated by small sedans.

Others in the Top 10 -- the Camry, Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Golf and Chevrolet Cruze, to name a few -- underscore how global the auto industry has become.

The 2012 list top 10 with global registrations:

1 Ford Focus....... 1,020,410

2 Toyota Corolla.. 872,774

3 Ford F-Series,... 785,630

4 Wuling Zhiguang 768,870

5 Toyota Camry..... 729,793

6 Ford Fiesta......... 723,130

7 VW Golf ..............699,148

8 Chevrolet Cruze ....661,325

9 Honda Civic .......651,159

10 Honda CR-V...... 624,982

The figures validate Ford's "One Ford" global strategy of designing, engineering, building, marketing and selling vehicles in all markets.

The strategy is embossed on wallet-size cards that executives carry. CEO Alan Mulally has repeated it like a mantra since he joined the company in 2006. Mulally found a composite of regional products and business practices, then spent years changing Ford so a compact car like Focus is built the same way at a plant anywhere in the world in order to save money from economies of scale.

"Focus and Fiesta (No. 6 on the list) represent the culmination of our One Ford global product strategy," said Ford marketing chief Jim Farley.

A car known by a single name anywhere in the world reduces cost and can boost brand equity.

"As companies build more vehicles locally, around the world, they are using a global name. Even in countries like China they are not changing model names as much," said Haig Stoddard, industry analyst with WardsAuto.

Michael Robinet, managing director of IHS Consulting, said a single name helps in emerging markets.

"With the impact of the Internet and name awareness, there are definitely economies of scale and the ability to build brand equity around the world," Robinet said. "When you pick a name that is universally accepted, like Focus or Corolla or Fiesta or Beetle, it reduces marketing costs." Ford may be ahead of some of its peers, but other carmakers are pursuing the strategy.

Chevrolet Cruze, for example, bears the same name everywhere but Australia where General Motors sells under the Holden brand, said GM spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin.

There is a compact Opel Astra sold in Europe and the Vauxhall Astra in the U.K., but it is a different vehicle, although close in size to the Cruze. Chevrolet also sells the Cruze in Europe, Martin said. Chrysler revived the Cherokee name for a new generation of what was the Jeep Liberty, because a version of the small SUV is sold as a Cherokee in other parts of the world.

Even Ford has naming discrepancies to address. The Ford Escape is sold as the Kuga in Europe; the Fusion is sold as the Mondeo. But executives are considering single names in the future and which names should prevail if they make the change.

Ford sales analyst Erich Merkle said the Focus is particularly strong in the U.S. and China. Ford sold almost 246,000 in the U.S. last year, up 40%.

China now accounts for one in four Focus sales. In China, consumers can buy a more affordable "classic" or previous-generation Focus or the more expensive current model.

Ford invested $490 million in Chongqing to produce the current Focus. Last year in China, Focus sales rose 51%, mostly in the second half of the year, Merkle said.

It ranked as the best-selling passenger car in China, Farley said.

"With additional manufacturing capacity added last year, we now have a tremendous opportunity to further strengthen our global small-car sales in 2013," Farley said.

4 ways the iPad has changed travelers' hotel stays

The iPad has revolutionized the way many travelers work and relax in hotels since Apple started selling it three years ago.

So, with the device's third birthday in mind, Hotel Check-In asked a variety of travelers and hotel industry workers to identify the top ways that the iPad and tablet computers have changed the lodging experience. Here are their picks:

TWITTER: Barb DeLollis shares trends, photos

1.Replacing old binders, hotel directories and menus. At hotels including the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and the Boston Marriott Long Wharf, the concierges are equipped with iPads so they can give inquiring guests images of the restaurants, clubs and tourist attractions that they're recommending. "Today, all of our concierges have most of their restaurant choices and tourist attractions on the iPad," says Marc Hoffman of Sunstone Hotel Investors, which owns 26 upscale chain hotels. "In an old-fashioned hotel, they'd flip through a three-ring binder," Hoffman adds.

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The Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel recently installed six iPads mounted in brackets around its bar so that guests can read digital menus instead of paper ones. There are potential drawbacks to using tablet computers as menus, however, says hotel design expert Patrick Goff, who publishes HotelDesigns.net. He's seen some hotel restaurants give a table of two just one iPad forcing them to share, he says, calling the practice "pretty useless."

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iPads also are helping force changes to the old-fashioned business center.

At Eventi in New York City, one of Kimpton's boutique hotels, the business center has been replaced with the "Business Bar." There, guests can choose from a number of options, including six iPads, two iPad Minis and a reading tablet, says hotel publicist Erica Cohen.

2. Less to pack. Since Los Angeles-based media trainer Clint Arthur bought his iPad, he stopped traveling with his old-fashioned video camera equipment. "The iPad is much more elegant and easy to travel with," he says. Arthur trains people on how to get on television shows, and shoots training videos in hotel rooms with his iPad. Hotel rooms are "good studio environments" for filming because they're quiet and they also give his students a change of scenery, he says.

Steve Moore, a petroleum industry executive, recently began relying on his iPad and a special home security app when on the road in hotels to stay connected to a new home he's building in Nashville. "I'm real connected to the house," he says. "I can change the temperature, turn off the lights, and turn the alarm on and off." While he also has the app on his laptop, the iPad is what he uses most often because it's the right size for bringing to the dinner table or hotel bar, usually his location when he needs to deal with home security. Plus, when he travels for less than a week, he doesn't bring his laptop. He also has the app on his smart phone, "but sometimes you just don't want to squint at your iPhone."

3. Entertainment. Some travelers are using their iPads to replace the hotel TV, even if it's a luxurious 50-inch flat screen. Puneet Mehta, a New York City tech entrepreneur, usually doesn't turn on the hotel-room set because he rarely watches TV shows, but when he does, he uses his iPad. "I don't watch much TV, but I do haveMad Men on my iPad to watch when I need to unwind before bed," he says.

Frequent traveler Kevin Chin says his iPad also serves as his handy entertainment library.

"I hardly ever turn on the TV in my hotel room anymore, now that I have a virtual library of entertainment at my fingertips between Hulu, Netflix, and iTunes. It allows me to get caught up on all my TV series while on the road," he says.

4. iPad as tour guide. When San Francisco digital marketing strategist David McCormick tried to find the best local playground in Palo Alto, Calif., he didn't even think to turn to the concierge at his hotel. Instead, he turned to his iPad. He called up a Google map of the neighborhood, changed it to "satellite view" and took a virtual tour of the nearby parks "to find the one with the biggest and best play structure," he says.

"Instead of going to a 'boring' park or driving all over town, I drove straight to what ended up being a fantastic park and had a great, stress-free day with my kids," McCormick says. "It was awesome and left me marveling at the wonder that some technology has become."

Readers: How has the iPad changed your hotel stay?

How Louisville hero Luke Hancock celebrated his title night

ATLANTA — The unlikeliest Most Outstanding Player in Final Four history snakes his way around boisterous, delirious men, women and children inside the JW Marriott ballroom early Tuesday morning, stopping exactly 36 times to pose for pictures or sign autographs.

"Damn," sighs an exasperated Luke Hancock, wearing a crooked national title hat and admittedly overwhelmed by newfound fame that the 23-year-old won't shake the rest of his life. Hours after becoming the first non-starter in NCAA history to win the MOP award, he puts his arm around a USA TODAY Sports reporter, urging him and girlfriend Kaycee Loucka to follow the Louisville junior through a sea of fans celebrating their first national title since 1986.

JC Penney: Can this company be saved?

NEW YORK (AP) — J.C. Penney late Monday brought back former CEO Mike Ullman after Ron Johnson's risky turnaround strategy backfired and led to massive losses and steep sales declines.

But will Ullman try to save the struggling retailer or just keep the seat warm until the board hires a fireballing successor?

Penney's board of directors ousted Johnson as CEO Monday after only 17 months on the job and rehired Ullman, 66, who was CEO of the department store chain for seven years until November 2011.

The announcement came after a growing chorus of critics, including a former Penney CEO, Allen Questrom, called for Johnson's resignation as they lost faith in an aggressive overhaul that included getting rid of most discounts in favor of everyday low prices and bringing in new brands.

The biggest blow came Friday from Ullman's strongest supporter, activist investor and board member Bill Ackman. Ackman had pushed the board in the summer of 2011 to hire Johnson to shake up the retailer's dowdy image. Ackman, whose Pershing Square Capital Management is Penney's biggest shareholder, reportedly told investors that Penney's execution "has been something very close to a disaster."

On Saturday, Ullman received a phone call from Penney Chairman Thomas Engibous asking him to return to his old job, according to Penney spokeswoman Kate Coultas. The board met Monday and decided to fire Johnson.

Neither Johnson nor Ullman was available for an interview for this story.

Early investor reaction to the shake-up was negative. J.C. Penney shares (JCP) fell $1.44 or 9% in early trading to $14.43.

Until early last week, some analysts thought the board would give Johnson, a former Apple and Target executive, until later this year to reverse the sales slide. A key element of Johnson's strategy was opening "mini-shops" in Penney stores featuring hot brands. They began opening last year and had been faring better than the rest of the store.

"I truly believed that he had until holiday 2013," said Brian Sozzi, CEO and chief equities strategist at Belus Capital Advisers. Monday's announcement "is an indictment of his (Johnson's) strategy."

Under incoming CEO Ullman, the chain brought in new brands such as beauty company Sephora and exclusive names like MNG by Mango, a European clothing brand. But he didn't do much to transform the store's stodgy image or to attract new customers. Ullman is expected to serve mostly as a stabilizing force, not someone who will make the kind of changes that will completely turn the company around.

"What they need is a little bit of stability and essentially adult supervision," said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail consultancy. "(Ullman) did nip-and-tuck surgery. But this was a place that needed radical surgery."

Sozzi believes Ullman will serve as an interim CEO. He expects the Plano, Texas, company's board to hand the job to another executive who may want to take the company private.

Ullman is getting a base salary of $1 million and the company didn't sign an employment agreement, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Johnson's removal marks a dramatic fall for the executive who came to Penney with much fanfare. There were lofty expectations for the man who made Apple's stores cool places to shop, and before that, pioneered Target's successful "cheap chic" strategy by bringing in products by people such as home furnishings designer Michael Graves at discount-store prices.

Few questioned Johnson's savvy when Penney hired him away from his job as Apple's retail chief in June 2011 to fix a chain that had gained a reputation for boring stores and merchandise.

But Johnson's strategy led to sputtering sales and spiraling losses. The honeymoon with Wall Street ended soon after customers didn't respond favorably to his changes. Johnson revised his strategy several times to try to bring back shoppers, with little success.

The turnaround plan was closely watched by industry observers who wanted to see if Johnson could actually change shoppers' behavior. The plan failed. And now worries are mounting about the company's future.

Penney's stock price Monday showed investors' frustration with Johnson and it's uncertainty about Penney's future. When news began to leak after the market closed that Penney was ousting Johnson, the stock, which had closed at $15.87 in the regular session, climbed nearly 13% to $17.88 in after-hours trading. But after Penney announced Ullman would take over, the stock reversed course, falling as far as 11% from its regular closing price, to $14.10. That was 21% off its after-hours high.

Johnson's future at Penney became uncertain after the department store retailer reported dismal fourth-quarter results in late February that capped the first full year of a transformation plan gone wrong. Penney amassed nearly a billion dollars in losses and its revenue tumbled almost 25% from the previous year to $12.98 billion.

Under Johnson, 54, Penney ditched coupons and most of its sales events in favor of everyday low prices. It's bringing in hipper designer brands such as Betsey Johnson and updating stores by installing specialty shops devoted to brands such as Levi's to replace rows of clothing racks.

Johnson's goal was to reinvent Penney's into a trendy place to shop in a bid to attract younger, wealthier shoppers. The plan turned off shoppers who were used to heavy discounting. Once-loyal customers have strayed from the 1,100-store chain. It hasn't been able to attract new shoppers to replace them.

Initially, Wall Street supported Johnson's ideas. In a vote of confidence, investors drove Penney's stock up 24% to $43 after Johnson announced his vision in late January 2012. But as the plans unraveled, Penney's stock lost more than 60% of its value. Credit rating agencies downgraded the company deeper into junk status. On Monday, the stock closed down about 50% from when Johnson took the helm.

In one of the biggest signs of the board's disapproval of Johnson's performance, Johnson saw his 2012 compensation package plummet nearly 97% to about $1.9 million, according to an SEC filing last week. He didn't get any stock or option awards, or a bonus. In 2011, he had received a stock award worth $52.7 million on the day it was granted. The award was given to Johnson after he was named CEO and made a $50 million personal investment in the company.

In yet another blow to Johnson's turnaround strategy, Vornado Realty Trust, one of Penney's biggest shareholders, sold more than 40% of its stake in the company last month. The company's chairman and CEO, Steve Roth sits on Penney's board.

A court battle with department store Macy's over a partnership with Martha Stewart also has raised questions about Johnson's judgment. Macy's, which has had long-term exclusive rights to the Martha Stewart brand for products such as bedding and bath items, is trying to block Penney from opening Martha Stewart mini-shops, planned for this spring.

Macy's contends that Penney's deal with Stewart infringes its own deal. If Penney loses, it will have to take a big loss on the products that it ordered from Martha Stewart Living.

While acknowledging that Penney made some mistakes during the fourth-quarter conference call with investors, Johnson said Penney would start offering sales in stores every week. And it would bring back coupons.

Critics have said one of Johnson's greatest missteps was that he didn't test the pricing plan with shoppers. He argued that testing would have been impossible because the company needed quick results and if he hadn't taken a strong stance against discounting, he would not have been able to get new, stylish brands on board.

"Experience is making mistakes and learning from them, and I have learned a lot," Johnson said at the time. "We worked really hard and tried many things to help the customer understand that she could shop any time on her terms. But we learned she prefers a sale. At times, she loves a coupon."

During his tenure, Johnson had spoken of being around for the long-haul and referred to his plan as a multiyear strategy. His plans were only partially realized. Shops for Joe Fresh featuring brightly colored clothes were launched last month. A new home area sporting names like Jonathan Adler and Michael Graves is set to launch this spring. Other brands were expected to be unveiled as the stores transformed into a collection of up to 100 mini-shops.

But the company's board wasn't willing to wait. Now that Johnson is out, the worry on Wall Street is that Ullman won't be able to turn around business fast enough.

"Ullman is in a crisis zone," said Sozzi. "This is not a normal situation. He has a short window to get in and see what's wrong with the company and put a Band-Aid on the fundamental problems."