New operating system for space: High-tech tycoons

The tycoons of cyberspace are looking to bankroll America's resurgence in outer space, reviving "Star Trek" dreams that first interested them in science.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen made the latest step Tuesday, unveiling plans for a new commercial spaceship that, instead of blasting off a launch pad, would be carried high into the atmosphere by the widest plane ever built before it fires its rockets.

He joins Silicon Valley powerhouses Elon Musk of PayPal and Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com Inc. in a new private space race that attempts to fill the gap left when the U.S. government ended the space shuttle program.

Musk, whose Space Exploration Technologies will send its Dragon capsule to dock with the International Space Station in February, will provide the capsule and booster rocket for Allen's venture, which is called Stratolaunch. Bezos is building a rival private spaceship.

Allen is working with aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan, who collaborated with the tycoon in 2004 to win a $10 million prize for the first flight of a private spaceship that went into space but not orbit.

Allen says his enormous airplane and spaceship system will go to "the next big step: a private orbital space platform business."

The new system is "a radical change" in how people can get to space, and it will "keep America at the forefront of space exploration," Allen said.

Their plane will have a 380-foot wingspan - longer than a football field and wider than the biggest aircraft ever, Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose.

It will launch a space capsule equipped with a booster rocket, which will send the spacecraft into orbit. This method saves money by not using rocket fuel to get off the ground. The spaceship may hold as many as six people.

"When I was growing up, America's space program was the symbol of aspiration," said Allen, who mentioned his love of science fiction and early human spaceflights. "For me, the fascination with space never ended. I never stopped dreaming what might be possible."

For those attracted to difficult technical challenges, space is the ultimate challenge, Allen said.

"It's also the ultimate adventure. We all grew up devouring science fiction and watching Mercury and Gemini, Apollo and the space shuttle. And now we are able to be involved in moving things to the next level," he said, adding that he admires people like Simonyi who have gone into space to experience it.

Allen is not alone in having such dreams, and the money to gamble on making them come true.

Bezos set up the secretive private space company Blue Origin, which has received $3.7 million in NASA start-up funds to develop a rocket to carry astronauts. Its August flight test ended in failure.

"Space was the inspiration that got people into high-tech ... at least individuals in their 40s and 50s," said Peter Diamandis, who created the space prize Allen won earlier and is a high-tech mogul-turned space business leader himself. "Now they're coming full circle."

Diamandis helped found a company that sends tourists to space for at least $25 million a ride, and seven of the eight rides involved high-tech executives living out their space dreams. One is a former Microsoft colleague of Allen's, Charles Simonyi, who paid at least $20 million apiece for two rides into orbit and attended Allen's Tuesday news conference, saying he wouldn't mind a third flight.

"Space has a draw for humanity," not just high-tech billionaires, Simonyi said, but he acknowledged that most people don't have the cash to take that trip.

Space experts welcome the burst of high-tech interest in a technology that 50 years ago spurred the development of computers.

"Space travel the way we used to do it has a `50s and `60s ring to it," said retired George Washington University space policy professor John Logsdon. "These guys have a vision of revitalizing a sector that makes it 21st century."

But Logsdon said the size of the capsule and rocket going to space seemed kind of small to him, only carrying 13,000 pounds. It didn't seem like a game-changer, he said.

Stratolaunch's air-launch method is already used by an older rocket company, Orbital Sciences Corp., to launch satellites. It's also the same method used by the first plane to break the sound barrier more than 50 years ago.

Stratolaunch, to be based in Huntsville, Ala., bills its method of getting to space as "any orbit, any time." Rutan will build the carrier aircraft, which will use six 747 engines. The first unmanned test flight is tentatively scheduled for 2016.

NASA, in a statement, welcomed Allen to the space business, saying his plan "has the potential to make future access to low-Earth orbit more competitive, timely, and less expensive."

Unlike its competitors, Allen's company isn't relying on start-up money from NASA, which is encouraging private companies to take the load of hauling cargo and astronauts to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station. The space agency, which retired the space shuttle fleet earlier this year, plans to leave that more routine work to private companies and concentrate on deep space human exploration of an asteroid, the moon and even Mars.

Allen said his interest comes not just because of the end of the shuttle program or changes in government funding for space, but he does see an incredible opportunity right now for the private sector to move the needle on space travel.

Allen's company is looking at making money from tourists and launching small communications satellites, as well as from NASA and the Defense Department, said former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, a Stratolaunch board member who spoke at a Tuesday news conference.

Just three months ago, Griffin was testifying before Congress that he thought the Obama administration's reliance on private companies for space travel "does not withstand a conventional business case analysis."

This is different because it's private money, with no help or dependence on government dollars, said Griffin, who served under President George W. Bush.

Allen and Rutan collaborated on 2004's SpaceShipOne, which was also launched in the air from a special aircraft in back-to-back flights. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic licensed the technology and is developing SpaceShipTwo to carry tourists to space. But Allen's first efforts were more a hobby, while this would be more a business, Logsdon said.

SpaceShipOne cost $28 million, but this will cost much more, officials said.

Allen left Microsoft Corp. in 1983, and has pursued many varied interests since then. He's the owner of the Seattle Seahawks football team as well as the NBA's Portland Trailblazers. He also founded a Seattle museum that emphasizes science fiction.

Allen said this venture fits with his technology bent.

"I'm a huge fan of anything to push the boundaries of science," Allen said.

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Tiniest babies are growing up healthy despite odds

One is a healthy first-grader, the other an honors college student majoring in psychology. Once the tiniest babies ever born, both girls are thriving, despite long odds when they entered the world weighing less than a pound.

A medical report from the doctor who resuscitated the infants at a suburban Chicago hospital is both a success story and a cautionary tale. These two are the exceptions and their remarkable health years later should not raise false hope: Most babies this small do poorly and many do not survive even with advanced medical care.

"These are such extreme cases," said Dr. Jonathan Muraskas of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill. They should not be considered "a benchmark" to mean that doctors should try to save all babies so small, he said.

The report involves Madeline Mann, born in 1989 weighing 9.9 ounces, then the world record; and 7-year-old Rumaisa Rahman, whose 9.2-ounce birth weight remains the world's tiniest. Rumaisa's birth weight was initially reported as 8.6 ounces, but that figure was based on a different conversion scale.

Two other babies born since 1989 weighed less than Madeline, and a German girl was born last year at her same birth weight.

The report was released online Monday in Pediatrics.

It addresses a question that was hotly debated when Madeline was born 22 years ago, remains hot now - and still has no answer: "What is the real age of viability? No one knows," said Dr. Stephen Welty, neonatology chief at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.

Muraskas and the report's co-authors say most newborn specialists consider babies born after 25 weeks of pregnancy to be viable - likely to survive - and so they should receive medical intervention if necessary to breathe. Younger babies are generally in a "gray zone," where intervention isn't always so clear cut, the report suggests.

In Japan, doctors have lowered that threshold - the gestational age - to 22 weeks. Normal pregnancies last about 40 weeks.

Some U.S. doctors will attempt to save babies at 22 weeks, but that is not done routinely, said Dr. Edward Bell, a University of Iowa pediatrics professor.

Bell runs an online registry of the world's tiniest babies, born weighing less than about 14 ounces, or slightly less than 1 pound. Since 1936, 124 have been listed. The registry is compiled from doctors' voluntary reports and so does not represent all survivors.

Bell estimates that about 7,500 U.S. babies are born each year weighing less than 1 pound, and that about 10 percent survive.

Sometimes tiny babies with zero chance of surviving show signs of life at birth, and may be able to breathe for a short time if put in an incubator and hooked up to a breathing machine and intravenous treatments. "But even so, if it's a baby that doesn't have a chance, we don't want to put the baby and the family through the discomfort," Bell said.

Muraskas says his report highlights a sometimes overlooked fact: gestational age is even more critical for survival than size.

Rumaisa and Madeline were both palm-sized, weighing less than a can of soda pop - the average size of an 18-week-old fetus but they were several weeks older than that. Their gestational ages - almost 26 weeks for Rumaisa and almost 27 weeks for Madeline - meant their lungs and other organs were mature enough to make survival possible.

But both required intensive medical intervention. They were delivered by cesarean section more than a month early because their mothers had developed severe pre-eclampsia, dangerously high blood pressure linked with pregnancy. Both babies were hooked up immediately to breathing machines with tubes as slender as a spaghetti strand slipped down their tiny airways.

Rumaisa has a twin who was more than twice as big at birth. Few details about her are included in the report.

Before the births, both mothers were given steroid drugs to speed up growth of the babies' immature lungs. Even so, Rumaisa and Madeline were on breathing machines for about two months, and hospitalized for about four months.

Madeline had mild brain bleeding, common in tiny preemies, but with no lasting effects. Severe cases can cause serious mental disabilities. She and Rumaisa got treatment for an eye condition common in preemies called retinopathy, which in severe cases can cause blindness.

Madeline has asthma and remains petite - 4 foot 8 and about 65 pounds at age 20; Rumaisa at age 5 weighed 33 pounds and was 3 1/2 feet tall, smaller than about 90 percent of kids her age. Current information on the girls' size was not in the report; Madeline is now 22 and a senior at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.; Rumaisa is 7 and attends first grade in suburban Chicago.

Jim Mann, Madeline's father, said having a baby born so small was "terrifying" at first. But other than asthma, the only lasting effect his daughter has mentioned is having trouble finding age-appropriate clothes because she remains so small, he said.

That she has done so well is a source of pride, and wonder, her dad said.

"I don't know why, we were just extraordinarily lucky," Mann said.

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Emerson Launches Data Center Management Hardware

Emerson Network Power has introduced the Avocent Universal Management Gateway, a product it calls the first data center appliance to enable true real-time, integrated monitoring, access and control across information technology and facilities systems in a data center.

The appliance is an integral part of Emerson’s Trellis data center management platform and acts as the real-time data processing hardware link between a data center’s management software and IT and facilities systems, Emerson says.

Emerson says that the device can manage the embedded service processors from any brand of server in their data center without having to buy additional management software.

The device also integrates capabilities delivered traditionally through multiple, disparate IT and facilities devices into a single product with four times the functionality in 25 percent of the size, Emerson says. It goes on sale in February 2012.

Earlier this month, AEG Power Solutions released its super-efficient Protect Blue family of modular uninterruptible power supplies for data centers.

The product range is engineered around AEG Power Solutions’ 250kW building blocks. Up to 16 units can be connected in parallel to support the redundancy requirements of larger critical loads, according to AEG.

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A second earth in our galaxy

A 'habitable' earth-like planet, which is orbiting around a sun-like star 600 light years away, has been discovered in our galaxy for the first time, researchers say.

A team of researchers from NASA's Kepler Mission has discovered what could be a large, rocky planet with a surface temperature of about 72 degrees Fahrenheit, comparable to a comfortable spring day on earth.

The discovery team, led by William Borucki of the NASA Ames Research Centre, used photometric data from the NASA Kepler space telescope, which monitors the brightness of 155,000 stars.

Earth-size planets whose orbital planes are aligned such that they periodically pass in front of their stars result in tiny dimmings of their host star's light dimmings that can only be measured by a highly specialized space telescope like Kepler.

The host star lies about 600 light-years away from us toward the constellations of Lyra and Cygnus.

The star, a G5 star, has a mass and a radius only slightly smaller than that of our sun, a G2 star. As a result, the host star is about 25 per cent less luminous than the sun.

The planet orbits the G5 star with an orbital period of 290 days, compared to 365 days for the earth, at a distance about 15 per cent closer to its star than the earth from the Sun.

This results in the planet's balmy temperature. It orbits in the middle of the star's habitable zone, where liquid water is expected to be able to exist on the surface of the planet.

Liquid water is necessary for life as we know it, and this new planet might well be not only habitable, perhaps even inhabited.

This new exoplanet is the smallest-radius planet discovered in the habitable zone of any star to date. It is about 2.4 times larger than that of the earth, putting it in the class of exoplanets known as super-earths.

"This discovery supports the growing belief that we live in a universe crowded with life," Carnegie's Alan Boss said.

"Kepler is on the verge of determining the actual abundance of habitable, Earth-like planets in our galaxy," Boss added.

The study will be published in the Astrophysical Journal.

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The Time is Right for Service

In today’s current economic times, companies are looking at all scenarios to minimize costs, including delaying the purchase of new equipment and squeezing as much as possible from existing equipment. While this may assist an organization from incurring capital costs in the short run, it may result in increased costs due to data center outages if preventive and proactive maintenance activities are not regularly performed by a certified, factory-trained technician.

In fact, according to a recent Emerson Network Power/Ponemon Institute report, “Calculating the Cost of Data Center Outages (PDF),” the average cost of a data center outage to an organization can exceed half a million dollars.

Maintenance Planning

While data center and IT managers have been working feverishly to avoid expensive outages and support companies that have been on the go for months, year’s end may be an opportune time to review data center infrastructure service strategies and perform much needed maintenance. In many organizations, the IT infrastructure has evolved into an interdependent, business-critical network that includes data, applications, storage, servers and networking. A power failure at any point along the network can affect the entire operation — and have serious consequences for the business.

A proactive view of service and maintenance in the data center enables a data center manager to maximize availability, capacity and efficiency of critical infrastructure. Performing regular preventive maintenance significantly reduces the chances of downtime.

Power Equipment Maintenance

Regular service activities on critical power equipment should include:

A complete visual inspection of the equipment. This should include sub-assemblies, wiring harnesses, contacts, cables and major components.

Visual inspection of all breakers including counting temperature, connections and associated controls.
Checking air filters for cleanliness.
Reviewing AC and DC power capacitors for swelling and/or leaking.

Taking the time to record all voltage and current meter readings on the module control cabinet or the system control cabinet.

Measuring and recording harmonic trap filter currents.

Inspecting and recording all electronics and bring to system specifications as needed.

Installing or performing any Engineering Field Change Notices (FCN) as needed.

Determining and recording all low-voltage power supply levels.

Calculating and recording phase-to-phase input voltage and currents.

At the end of this service, perform operational test of the system including unit transfer and battery discharge. In addition to the mission critical power and distribution equipment, all mechanical systems require preventive maintenance to ensure optimum performance.

Service for Cooling Products

Cooling modules have moving parts that eventually wear out. The purpose of maintenance of this equipment is to make those components last as long as possible, perform within their originally designed operating parameters and to replace parts before they fail. This is especially crucial in today’s data center environment where downtime can have catastrophic effects on a business.

Maintenance tasks can vary from model-to-model. Users should collaborate with their local authorized service representative and consult their user manual for a complete list of applicable tasks for their equipment.

Common preventive maintenance activities for cooling infrastructure should include:

Inspection and replacement of air filters. Clogged air filters reduce the airflow through the systems and increase the load on the blower drive system. This may result in reduced system cooling performance, higher operating costs, reduced component life of the blower drive systems, and higher operating temperatures of the equipment in the data center.

Blower drive system inspection and maintenance. Wear or damage to blower belts, bearings, motors and wheels may result in loss of airflow or reduced cooling performance.

Steam generating and infrared humidifiers. Humidifiers may be connected with valves and hoses that may leak and drains may become clogged over time. IR Humidifier bulbs may burn out. These components should be inspected regularly.

Condensate drains and pumps. Confirm proper pump function and verify drains are not clogged. Obviously, the combination of a clogged drain and a failed level sensor results in pan overflow.
Inspect and clean reheat elements – review and tighten the supporting hardware.

Examine the oil level of compressors and check for leaks. Compressors running with too much or too little oil will see diminished service life. Always use the same type of oil supplied with the compressor from the OEM.

Evaporator coils should be checked periodically to verify they are clean and free of debris. As you might imagine, dirty coils are less efficient at removing heat.

Condenser coils should be checked periodically to verify they are clean and free of debris. Motor mounts should be tight and bearings should be uninhibited and in good condition.

To minimize unit-related failures, comprehensive maintenance programs with OEM-trained and certified technicians are recommended. When correctly implemented, maintenance programs ensure maximum reliability of data center equipment by providing systematic inspections that can lead to detection and correction of initial failures, either before they occur or before they develop into major defects that can result in costly downtime. Typical PM programs include inspections, tests, measurements, adjustments, parts replacement and housekeeping practices.

An Emerson Network Power study of the impact of preventive maintenance (PM) on UPS reliability revealed that the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) for units that received at least two preventive maintenance service visits a year is 23 times better than a UPS with no preventive maintenance visits. According to the study, reliability continued to steadily increase with additional visits when conducted by highly trained engineers.

The outcome of the model can be seen in the figure below, which depicts the expected MTBF figures projected up to six PM events per year. The mathematical model incorporated real-world data to arrive at the result. The MTBF estimate for the “no PM” group is substantially lower than the observed MTBF for units with emergency service only contracts, but is in line with the lifespan of components that must be replaced. There is a substantial increase in MTBF from zero to six PM visits per year. When projected out farther than six PM visits, the MTBF begins to level off at 19 PM visits per year and then declines at higher levels of maintenance. This decline can be attributed to the fact that every service event introduces the possibility of service-related human error.

At least two PM visits per year are recommended, but additional maintenance visits maybe needed for facilities where downtime is unacceptable. Depending on the cost of downtime for a particular application, a high return on investment can be realized in many cases by increasing PM frequency.

A formal service strategy that includes regular preventive maintenance visits will increase the availability and reliability of your UPS, PDU, and batteries. It should be noted however, that this is only a first step. You must also protect your entire electrical infrastructure – from the service entrance switchgear down to the rack mounted PDU to ensure and maintain Business Critical Continuity.

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Rapid urbanization calls for smart city solutions

Global energy management specialist Schneider Electric wants to help develop and modernize Makkah province. The company’s country president Christophe Campagne said this on Saturday at the second edition of the Modern Makkah Summit and Awards.

The event gathers government officials as well as project developers, construction companies, architects and contractors looking to capitalize on the province’s huge bank of opportunities. The two-day summit focuses on the city of Makkah and other cities in the Kingdom to discuss the investment opportunities that will develop these cities.

With urbanization increasing rapidly, it is estimated that cities consume 75 percent of global energy. By 2050, cities will accommodate 70 percent of the world’s population, up from the current 50 percent. Therefore, governments and municipalities are looking for solutions that ensure efficiency, sustainability and affordability.

Campagne said such projects would save 30 percent in the construction and utilities industry by offering unified solutions to help improve infrastructure for cities worldwide. These solutions range from mature cities in developed countries to hyper-growth destinations in emerging regions.

In panel discussions, real estate experts from companies such as Al-Saedan Real Estate Company, ACAW Holding Company, Saudi Green Building Council, Alfanar Group and Schneider Electric will share ideas on planning, designing and implementing advanced infrastructure to facilitate traffic flow and services to pilgrims as well as plans for the Grand Mosque expansion.

Campagne spoke about his company’s SmartCity concept. It combines hardware, software and services to deliver higher infrastructure efficiency, increased sustainability and improved city facilities to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the province.

“Our innovative SmartCity can help realize energy savings of up to 30 percent. Solutions for SmartCity include Smart Grid for managing demand in electricity, Smart Water for managing water hazards and growing water demand and Smart Building and Homes, optimizing resource consumption and comfort through green buildings for hospitals as well as residential and commercial centers,” he said.

Campagne believes this summit provides a stage to introduce concepts of integrated solutions. “These will make cities efficient, livable and sustainable. We present smart solutions for smart cities.”

Schneider Electric is working on projects in more than ten cities across the Kingdom, said Campagne. “These days we focus on Makkah and its development extension project. To observe the working area, we will open our new office in Makkah by the end of this year,” he said.

“We are confident that our solutions will increase efficiency at all levels throughout the Kingdom and improve the quality of life for the residents and pilgrims of Makkah.”

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Top 5 Data Center Stories, Week of December 9th

The raised-floor area at the Telx data center in Clifton, NJ. Telx unveiled major West coast expansion this week.

For your weekend reading, here’s a recap of five noteworthy stories that appeared on Data Center Knowledge this past week. Enjoy!

Telx Expands With Vantage in Santa Clara – Telx announced a major expansion in Silicon Valley, where the company has leased 32,000 square feet of in a new data center being built by Vantage Data Centers in Santa Clara, Calif. The new Cloud Connection Center (C3) facility offers colocation customers direct access to Telx’s global marketplace of customers.

Facebook Brings Open Compute into its Colo Space- Facebook developed its Open Compute servers for its custom-built data centers. But the social network will soon be deploying those servers in some of its leased data center space as well.

Sabey Completes Its First Data Center in Quincy- Sabey Data Centers has completed the first facility on its Intergate.Quincy campus in Quincy, Washington and.the first tenant has occupied its space in the 139,000 square foot data center.

CyrusOne Scales Up its Team and its Data Centers – CyrusOne, the colocation business of Cincinnati Bell, is mobilizing for growth across its data center infrastructure.

Tech Vault: Small Company in Spotlight at Gartner- TechVault, a managed hosting provider in South Burlington, Vermont has built its business and its highly-efficient data center during a brutal economic downturn. The small company received its moment in the sun this week at the Gartner Data Center Conference.

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Russia's stunning protests end with hint of change

Tens of thousands of people held the largest anti-government protests that post-Soviet Russia has ever seen to criticize electoral fraud and demand an end to Vladimir Putin's rule. Police showed surprising restraint and state-controlled TV gave the nationwide demonstrations unexpected airtime, but there is no indication the opposition is strong enough to push for real change from the prime minister or his ruling party.

Nonetheless, the prime minister seems to be in a weaker position than he was a week ago, before Russians voted in parliamentary elections. His United Party lost a substantial share of its seats, although it retains a majority.

The independent Russian election-observer group Golos said Saturday that "it achieved the majority mandate by falsification," international observers reported widespread irregularities, and the outpouring of Russians publicly denouncing him throughout the country undermines Putin's carefully nurtured image of a strong and beloved leader.

Putin "has stopped being the national leader - in the eyes of his team, the ruling political class and society," analyst Alexei Malachenko of the Moscow Carnegie Center wrote on his blog.

Putin, who was the president of Russia in 2000-2008 before stepping aside because of term limits, will seek a new term in the Kremlin in the March presidential elections. The protests have tarnished his campaign, but there is not yet any obvious strong challenger.

A statement released late Saturday by Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, acknowledged the day's protests by people "displeased" with the elections but noted demonstrations in support of the elections in recent days.

"We respect the point of view of the protestors, we are hearing what is being said, and we will continue to listen to them," the statement said. "The citizens of Russia have a right to express their point of view, in protest and in support, and those rights will continue to be secured as long as all sides do so in a lawful and peaceful manner."

The most dramatic of Saturday's protests saw a vast crowd jam an expansive Moscow square and adjacent streets, packed so tight that some demonstrators stood on others' toes. Although police estimated the crowd at 30,000, aerial photographs suggested far more, and protest organizers made claims ranging from 40,000 to 100,000 or more.

Elsewhere in Russia, some 7,000 protesters assembled in St. Petersburg, and demonstrations ranging from a few hundred people to a thousand took place in more than 60 other cities. Police reported only about 100 arrests nationwide, a notably low number for a force that characteristically quick and harsh action against opposition gatherings.

The police restraint was one of several signs that conditions may be easing for the beleaguered opposition, at least in the short term. Although city authorities generally refuse opposition forces permission to rally or limit the gatherings to small attendance, most the protests Saturday were sanctioned. In a surprise move, Moscow gave permission for up to 30,000 people to rally and police took no action when the crowd appeared to far exceed that. Just as striking, police allowed a separate unauthorized protest to take place in Revolution Square.

State-controlled television, which generally ignores or disparages opposition groups, broadcast footage not only of the Moscow protest - which was so big it would have been hard not to report - but in several other cities as well.

United Russia official Andrei Isayev on Saturday acknowledged that the opposition "point of view is extremely important and will be heard in the mass media, society and the state."

Yet the concessions may be only a way of buying time in hope the protests will wither away. The opposition says the next large Moscow protest will be on Dec. 24. What it will do in the interim to keep morale high is unclear. In addition, the social media that nourished Saturday's protests may be coming under pressure. A top official of the Russian Facebook analog Vkontakte said this week his company has been pressured by the Federal Security Service to block opposition supporters from posting. On Friday, he was summoned by the service for questioning.

Meanwhile, though United Russia may be shaken by the last week's events, it still can count on a large cadre of supporters. The head of its youth wing, Timur Prokopenko, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying he had nearly 170,000 activists "who are ready at moment to go to rallies" in support of the government.

Saturday's Moscow protest was notable not only for its size, but also for attracting political forces from across the spectrum - from liberals to communists to extreme nationalists.

"United Russia made a miracle, prompting all of us to unite against it," nationalist leader Konstantin Krylov told the rally.

Thousands of protesters also were allowed to march from a gathering place near the Kremlin across downtown to a square where the main rally was held. Police were out in force, blocking all side lanes to prevent the demonstrators from approaching government buildings.

"Russia will be free!" "Russia without Putin!" "United Russia is a Party of Crooks and Thieves!" protesters chanted.

"We will fight to the end, to the cancellation of this shameful, false election," said Grigory Yavlinsky, leader of the liberal Yabloko party that failed to make it to parliament in last Sunday's vote. "We are launching a campaign to drive Putin from power."

The organizers sought to send a message of unity, urging the crowd to respect the diversity of speakers' views. At one point, the audience booed a military veteran when he called for the restoration of the Soviet Union, but chanted slogans of support when he denounced the vote-rigging and said the army was with people.

"The army is with us, 80 percent of officers hate the defense minister," retired Maj.-Gen. Yevgeny Kopyshev shouted.

The organizers also praised police for helping maintain order, as demonstrators chanted "Police with people!"

The rally demanded the cancellation of the election results, the punishment for officials responsible for vote-rigging, registration of the opposition parties that were denied it, liberalization of the electoral law and holding new elections. The organizers urged protesters to brace for another rally in two weeks.

"We'll come again!" the crowd chanted.

The Moscow organizers appeared to realize they are facing a tough challenge of keeping protest momentum.

"Nothing will change it if it remains a single rally," said Sergei Parkhomenko, the editor of Vokrug Sveta monthly magazine who was one of the demonstration's organizers. "It must be the first in a long series of protests."

Vladimir Milov, a former energy minister who is now an opposition activist, also acknowledged that the organizers need to plan their strategy to preserve the protests' energy. "Otherwise people will just grow tired and stop attending the rallies," he said, adding that the opposition must focus on next year's presidential election.

Yevgeniya Albats, editor of the liberal New Times weekly, said the opposition must gather signatures for the cancellation of the vote results and for Putin to step down. "This is only the beginning of a long and difficult struggle," she said. "This is our land, and we must get it back."

Oleg Orlov, the head of Memorial rights group, said the rally turned a new page in history.

"We are now changing the nation's history to the better," Orlov said. "We will force the government to realize that they will have to pay a price for rigging the vote, and the price is their legitimacy."

Orlov said the protests must focus on challenging Putin's re-election bid. "We can deal a blow on this rule of thieves next March and show the real price to that "national leader,'" he said.

The organizers read a letter from Ilya Yashin, an opposition leader jailed for taking part in a protest earlier this week. "Even behind bars we are feeling free, unlike those who are hiding from the people in the Kremlin," Orlov said.

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Gingrich assailed by rivals, fires back at Romney

Attacked as a lifelong Washington insider, newly minted Republican front-runner Newt Gingrich parried criticism from Mitt Romney in campaign debate Saturday night, telling the former Massachusetts governor, "The only reason you didn't become a career politician is because you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994."

Romney retorted that he might have been a football lifer, too, if he'd made the NFL as he'd hoped.

Gingrich also defended himself against attacks from Texas Rep. Ron Paul and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann in the first debate since he soared to the lead in polls nationally and in Iowa. The state's caucuses on Jan. 3 will kick off the competition for Republican National Convention delegates who will pick an opponent to President Barack Obama.

All six Republicans on stage assailed Obama's handling of the economy, the overriding issue of the election, yet split down the middle on legislation making its way toward a year-end vote in Congress to extend a Social Security payroll tax cut into 2012.

Romney, Gingrich and Paul said they favored it. Bachmann, Texas Gov., Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said they opposed the measure.

Whatever the impact of their differences on the presidential race, the internal disagreement could well portend difficulties for legislation that Obama has proposed and Republican leaders in Congress view as essential if the party is to avoid being tagged for raising taxes.

The tone of the debate was generally respectful, the stakes ever higher as six rivals met onstage in the Iowa capital city. The debate was the 12th since the long campaign began and the first since Herman Cain's candidacy imploded after allegations of sexual harassment and an extra-marital affair.

For Gingrich, the debate brought new standing - a center position onstage that comes with being a leader in the polls - as well as the challenge of fielding criticism from his rivals.

Other contenders sought to stand out.

Bachmann referred to the former speaker and the one-time Massachusetts governor as "Newt-Romney," saying the two men hold similar views on health care, illegal immigration, cap-and-trade legislation and the payroll tax cut extension.

Paul said he, unlike the others, often took lonely conservative stands in Congress. "I end up sometimes, believe it or not, voting all by myself, thinking why aren't there people paying attention?"

Gingrich also defended his recent statement that Palestinians were an "invented" people. Several of his rivals said they generally agreed with his description, but Romney said that with the remark, the former speaker may well have made it more complicated for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to move toward peace with Palestinians.

He said it is important to show sobriety, care and stability, an unspoken accusation against Gingrich, adding, "I'm not a bomb thrower, rhetorically or literally."

Gingrich responded by declaring he was a conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan, a president who he said spoke the truth, as when he called the Soviet Union the "evil empire."

Gingrich's decision to invoke Kennedy, the late senator from Massachusetts, served as a dual reminder - that Romney has been running for office since the mid-1990s and also that he lost to the man whose politics conservatives detested above all others.

As for the question of whether he would have become a career politician if he'd beaten Kennedy, Romney replied with a smile that if he'd been good enough to play in the National Football League, as he had hoped, "I would have been a football star all my life, too."

He then tried to turn the tables, saying his defeat in 1994 "was probably the best thing I could have done for preparing me for the job I am seeking, because it put me back in the private sector."

One of Romney's campaign calling cards is his career as a businessman, a time he says helped him understand how jobs are created.

Paul has been airing television commercials in Iowa attacking the former House speaker, and Romney's campaign has become increasingly critical of him, bolstered by a multimillion-dollar television ad campaign that is financed by allies. Under questioning from Paul, Gingrich said he had never lobbied for Freddie Mac, a quasi-government agency that paid him at least $1.6 million to provide strategic advice. Paul shot back, "It's the taxpayers' money, though. We were bailing them out."

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Police evict Occupy Boston protesters; 46 arrested

Police officers swept through Dewey Square early Saturday, tearing down tents at the Occupy Boston encampment and arresting dozens of protesters, bringing a peaceful end to the 10-week demonstration.

Officers began moving into the encampment at about 5 a.m. to "ensure compliance with the trespassing law," police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said.

The city had set a deadline for midnight Thursday for the protesters to abandon the site but police took no action until early Saturday, making Boston the latest city where officials moved to oust protesters demonstrating against what they call corporate greed and economic injustice.

As police moved in, about two dozen demonstrators linked arms and sat down in nonviolent protest and officers soon began arresting them. The protesters were "very accommodating" to the officers, Driscoll said. Forty-six people were arrested on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct, police said. No injuries were reported. The entire operation lasted less than an hour.

"In the interest of public safety, we had to act," Mayor Thomas Menino said.

Occupy Boston said though its space was gone, the movement would continue. The group planned a meeting for Saturday evening in Boston Common.

"We might have been evicted, but we shall not be moved," the group said on its website Saturday. "We remain invested in the future of our movement. We will continue to challenge Wall Street's occupation of our government."

On Saturday afternoon, Dewey Square was blocked off by metal barricades, and about 15 police officers were stationed at points around the small park as workers aerated the compacted soil, spread new soil and prepared to lay turfgrass, probably by early next week.

Graffiti and signs that marked a bordering building had been washed off, and workers cleared out shrubs and flower beds.

Steve Anderson, director of park operations at the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, which Dewey Square is part of, said he conceded to protesters early on that the lawn would be ruined, but they cooperated with his requests to spare shrubs and trees and not camp on certain areas.

"In general, they were very respectful. There was a couple of wise guys, but in general," Anderson said. "This is really just bringing the lawn back and getting it to the place where the public can enjoy it again."

A couple people who'd been part of Occupy Boston lingered around the outskirts of the former tent city as workers removed all traces of it.

A 25-year-old Boston artist, who would only give her first name, Katherine, because she did not want to seem to be speaking for the group, watched the work across the street from her bicycle.

"I feel like, `Oh no, you guys don't get it. You're gardening?'" she said. "If they think they can like, you know, plant grass and the movement's going to go away, it kind of makes me laugh."

The Occupy Boston eviction won't have any effect on other Occupy movements, said protester Mike McCarthy of Occupy Providence in Rhode Island. He called it a "continuous movement" that no longer needs to be linked to a specific physical space.

"It was very important in the beginning, but we've kind of made our network now," he said. "The movement isn't really the park anymore."

Protesters first erected the encampment on Sept. 30. Many pulled up stakes and left the encampment Thursday after learning of the midnight deadline Menino had set for them to leave the square, but others stayed, and some said they were prepared to be arrested.

While Menino previously had said the city had no plans to forcibly remove the encampment, he appeared to become increasingly impatient with the protesters in recent days, saying the occupation had become a public health and safety hazard. He issued his ultimatum after a judge ruled on Wednesday that the protesters had no right to stay in Dewey Square.

Protesters estimate that 100 to 150 activists lived in the Boston encampment. Demonstrators were forcibly removed from similar encampments in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

Menino said overtime costs for police patrolling Dewey Square were nearing $1 million, out of this year's $30 million police overtime budget.

As an officer stood near the empty plaza Saturday, a stray sign blew over the bricks before sliding to a stop next to him. It read: "Thanks everyone for your love ... Chapter Two starts now!"

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Coroner IDs gunman who stalked Hollywood streets

Authorities on Saturday identified the gunman who was shot and killed by police after he fired at passing cars on a Hollywood street, wounding one driver while screaming that he wanted to die.

The body of Tyler Brehm, 26, was scheduled to be examined later Saturday, Los Angeles County Coroner's Lt. Larry Dietz said.

Brehm walked down the middle of Sunset Boulevard on Friday, firing on motorists with no clear target until two police officers who just happened to be in the area - an off-duty motorcycle officer working movie set security and an LAPD detective - shot and killed him, authorities said.

In amateur video taken at the scene, the gunman appeared to have short hair and wore jeans and a white tank top. He paced back and forth near the busy intersection with Vine Street, firing close to 20 rounds from what appeared to be a .40 caliber handgun, police said. Several witnesses reported seeing him reload at least once.

"He was screaming he was going to die and that he wanted to die," Gregory Bojorquez, a photographer who captured images of the shooting's aftermath, told the Los Angeles Times.

Investigators were trying to determine a motive for the attack.

Ramon Hernandez, who lived in the apartment next door to Brehm, said Brehm and his girlfriend had recently broken up and moved out.

He told KABC-TV Saturday that the pair kept to themselves but he at times heard them arguing.

"I could tell that he was an unstable person," Hernandez said, "but I don't know the details on what actually made him snap."

Chris Johns captured video of the gunman from his apartment window several stories above the street, and tried to distract and divert the gunman from shooting anyone on the street.

"Hey why don't you come up here! Come up here buddy!" Johns yelled.

Johns told KABC he saw a plainclothes officer shoot the man.

"I started shouting out to the officer, saying `take him out, that's the guy!'" Johns said.

He continued shooting at vehicles and in the air when he was confronted by the officers.

They ordered the suspect to stop and drop his weapon. He was shot when he pointed his weapon at the officers. The gunman was pronounced dead at the scene, Los Angeles police Officer Cleon Joseph said. No officers were hurt.

The area was cordoned off and the gunman lay under a white sheet in the street hours after the gunfire, leaving traffic tangled on busy Hollywood streets, an area packed with stores and restaurants.

The 40-year-old male driver of a Mercedes-Benz was wounded in the face and upper torso.

Paramedics took him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and police said in a statement he was in "guarded and critical condition."

Authorities have not released his name.

A truck and another car were struck by bullets.

Two people were treated at the scene for minor injuries. One man suffered a grazing wound to his left thigh when a bullet passed through his car door. Another man had minor cuts from broken glass after bullet struck the driver door where it met the window.

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Strong quake shakes from Mexico City to Acapulco

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck in Mexico's western Guerrero state Saturday night, shaking buildings and causing panic in the nation's capital and the Pacific resort of Acapulco. There were no reports of deaths or serious damage.

The U.S. Geological Service initially estimated the quake at magnitude at 6.8, but downgraded it to 6.7 and then 6.5. A quake of that magnitude is capable of causing severe damage.

The USGS said the quake occurred 40.3 miles (64.9 kilometers) deep and was centered about 26 miles (42 kilometers) southwest of Iguala in Guerrero. That is 103 miles (166 kilometers) south-southwest of Mexico City.

A Twitter message from President Felipe Calderon said one person had been reported injured by a collapsed ceiling in the Guerrero town of Tuxpan, which is near Iguala. It said there were no other reports of casualties in the quake area.

High-rises swayed in the center of Mexico City for more than a minute, and shoppers were temporarily herded out of some shopping centers until the danger passed.

Mexico City's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, reported by Twitter that no major damage had been reported. He said power failed in some parts of the city.

People in one part of Mexico City's upscale Condesa neighborhood ran out of their houses and gathered in the streets, hugging each other while some shook and began to cry.

On one street, a group of women joined hands in a circle, closed their eyes and began to pray.

"Please God, help us and let everything be OK," said one. "It's OK. It's OK. Everything is OK."

Parts of Mexico City rest on the shaky soil of a former lake bed, which tends to magnify the effect of earthquakes. An 8.1-magnitude quake in 1985 killed as many as 10,000 people in the city.

In Acapulco, which is in Guerrero, hundreds of anxious tourists congregated in the street after fleeing rocking buildings that are strung along the coastal boulevard. Patrons also left a movie theater complex.

Authorities said they found no structural damage and had no reports of injuries in the Pacific resort, which was about 87 miles (140 kilometers) from the quake's epicenter.

Rogelio Trujillo, chief of security at a Soriana department store in Acapulco, said perfume bottles, groceries and paintings had been shaken off shelves and customers ran out.

Alberto Orbe, a radio operator for the city's Civil Protection agency, said the office had received many phone calls from panicked residents.

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Steve Jobs to be remembered with statue in Hungary

In the Hungarian capital, Steve Jobs has been cast in bronze.

Graphisoft, a Hungarian software company, will unveil a bronze statue commemorating the co-founder of Apple on Dec. 21 in recognition of his leadership and vision, and appreciation for Jobs' support of the fledgeling firm while Hungary was still under communist rule.

Hungarian sculptor Erno Toth's statue depicts Jobs with all his trademark characteristics - a mock turtleneck, jeans and sneakers, round glasses and well-trimmed stubble.

The nearly 7-foot-tall statue weighing 220 kilograms (485 pounds) will be placed in Graphisoft Park, a Budapest complex home to several high-tech businesses.

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To thwart porn, colleges are buying up .xxx sites

The University of Kansas is buying up website names such as http://www.KUgirls.xxx and http://www.KUnurses.xxx . But not because it's planning a Hot Babes of Kansas site or an X-rated gallery of the Nude Girls of the Land of Aaahs.

Instead, the university and countless other schools and businesses are rushing to prevent their good names from falling into the hands of the pornography industry. Over the past two months, they have snapped up tens of thousands of ".xxx" website names that could be exploited by the adult entertainment business.

"Down the road there's no way we can predict what some unscrupulous entrepreneur might come up with," said Paul Vander Tuig, trademark licensing director at the Lawrence, Kan., school.

The university spent nearly $3,000 in all. It plans to sit on the .xxx names and do nothing with them.

The brand-new .xxx suffix is an adults-only variation on .com. The .xxx name went on sale to the public for the first time this week, promoted as a way to enable porn sites to distinguish themselves and a means of making it easier for Internet filters to screen out things parents don't want their children to see.

ICM Registry of Palm Beach, Fla., is the exclusive manager of the .xxx names and sells them through a dozen middleman companies such as GoDaddy.com for an average of $100 a year.

Indiana University spokesman Mark Land said the school spent $2,200 to buy http://www.hoosiers.xxx and 10 other such names. Other Indiana schools took the same step, including Purdue University and Ball State University.

"This is just a modest cost of doing business in the world we live in," Land said.

ICM sold .xxx names for the past two months exclusively to companies and others that wanted to protect their brands from the porn industry. During the so-called sunrise sale, ICM registered nearly 80,000 names, said chairman and CEO Stuart Lawley.

A search of ICM's database finds prominent brand names - including Nike.xxx, Pepsi.xxx and Target.xxx - among those purchased.

"Target has applied to block a number of the .xxx domains that correspond with our registered trademarks," said Lee Henderson, a spokesman for the Minneapolis-based store chain. He added, dryly: "We do not plan to use the domains."

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, which the U.S. government established in 1998 to run the Internet's address system, authorized creation of .xxx earlier this year.

The strongest opposition to the suffix has come from the adult entertainment industry. The Free Speech Coalition, the industry's trade group, lobbied against its creation, complaining among other things about the registration fees.

Allison Vivas, president and CEO of Pink Visual Productions, an adult website operator in Van Nuys, Calif., said her company and others like it were also given the chance to buy up .xxx sites matching their existing .com addresses, but Vivas and many others opted not to.

Vivas said she doesn't think her company - or any organization, adult-oriented or not - should have to pay to protect its trademarks. Otherwise, "it kind of becomes extortion."

Lawley said ICM will take steps to protect existing trademarks even if companies or schools fail to lock down certain website names.

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HP to offer webOS as open-source software

It may be one of the technology world's most expensive efforts to give something away: Hewlett-Packard Co. said Friday that it's making its webOS mobile system available as open-source software that anyone can use and modify freely.

HP snagged the intuitive webOS software when it paid $1.8 billion in 2010 for Palm Inc. in what became a failed effort to revive the flailing smartphone pioneer. HP said it still plans to develop and support webOS.

First released on the Palm Pre smartphone in 2009, webOS ultimately ran on several smartphones. In July, HP also used it on its tablet computer, the TouchPad.

The webOS software was marked by its multitasking capabilities and the ability to view open apps as "cards" that you can slide across the screen, tap to enlarge or flick to dismiss. Initially, it was generally well-reviewed by technology critics.

The mobile devices never caught on with consumers, though, many of whom were more enticed by Apple Inc.'s iPhone and iPad and smartphones running Google Inc.'s Android software. Developers also weren't that interested in creating apps for such a small audience.

HP hopes that by offering it to the open-source community, more mobile apps will be developed. The move could also mean that other consumer-electronics manufacturers would decide to make devices that use the software.

Forrester Research analyst Frank Gillett called HP's decision creative. He suspects companies would have been interested in buying webOS from HP, but he's not sure how much they would have wanted to pay for it. This way, HP gets to make a limited investment in webOS' future and keep a hand in mobile software.

"If you decide you can't afford to get in the game fully with both feet, absolutely at least keep your options open," he said.

HP's decision is not unlike what AOL did with the Netscape browser years ago. After losing to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Netscape was released to the open-source community. Its successor, Firefox, is now one of IE's leading rivals.

Google also has seen success letting developers use its open-source Android software.

The future of webOS had been uncertain since August, when HP said it would stop making tablet computers and smartphones - part of a blundered announcement by then-CEO Leo Apotheker, who also said then that HP was looking into putting its PC business up for sale.

In September, Apotheker was fired and replaced by former eBay CEO Meg Whitman. Whitman said in late October that HP wouldn't be selling off its personal computer business after all, but said then that the future of webOS was still unclear.

Todd Bradley, the head of HP's PC unit, said at the time that it was "fair to say Apple got a great jump-start in the tablet space" and HP was trying to figure out its own best approach. He said HP was focused on building a tablet that uses Microsoft Corp.'s upcoming Windows 8 software.

He added that consumers shouldn't be keeping an eye out for a TouchPad 2, but that the company would "clearly look at what's the right path forward for WebOS." With Friday's announcement, it appears HP believes it has found it.

Shares of HP, which is based in Palo Alto, rose 24 cents to finish trading at $27.90. The stock rose 22 cents to $28.12 in after-hours trading.

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RG3 wins first Heisman Trophy for Baylor

Robert Griffin III beat out preseason favorite Andrew Luck for the Heisman Trophy, dazzling voters with his ability to throw, run and lead Big 12 doormat Baylor into the national rankings.

The junior quarterback known as RG3 became the first Heisman winner from Baylor on Saturday night by a comfortable cushion over the Stanford star.

Griffin started the season on the fringe of the Heisman conversation, a talented and exciting player on a marginal team, while Luck was already being touted as a No. 1 NFL draft pick.

Draft day might very well still belong to Luck, but Griffin diverted the Heisman to Waco, Texas, to a school that has never had a player finish better than fourth in the voting - and that was 48 years ago.

Right before his name was called, Griffin took a deep breath. When it was announced he broke into a bright smile. Then it was hugs all around, for his coaches, his parents, his sister and his fiance.

He took a few long strides up to the stage and let out a laugh when he got there, making a joke about the Superman socks - complete with capes on the back - he was wearing before going into his acceptance speech.

"This is unbelievably believable," he said. "It's unbelievable because in the moment we're all amazed when great things happen. But it's believable because great things don't happen without hard work.

Griffin received 405 first-place votes and 1,687 points.

"Everybody associated with Baylor has a reason to celebrate tonight," he said.

Luck received 247 first-place votes and 1,407 points to become the fourth player to be Heisman runner-up in consecutive seasons and first since Arkansas running back Darren McFadden in 2006 and `07.

He was also first to congratulate Griffin

"Very much well deserved," Luck said.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson was third with 138 first-place votes and 978 points. Wisconsin running back Montee Ball (348 points) was fourth and the other finalist, LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (327) was fifth.

Griffin's highlights were simply spectacular - his signature moment coming on a long, cross-field touchdown pass with 8 seconds left to beat Oklahoma - and he put up dizzying numbers, completing 72 percent of his passes for 3,998 yards with 36 touchdown passes and a nation-leading 192.3 efficiency rating.

More importantly, he lifted Baylor (9-3) to national prominence and one of the greatest seasons in school history. The 15th-ranked Bears won nine games for the first time in 25 years, beat the Sooners for the first time ever and went 4-0 in November.

That was after winning a total of four November games in their first 15 Big 12 seasons. And the last three games? Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas.

Luck was the front-runner from the moment in January he surprised many by returning to Stanford for one more season instead of jumping to the NFL to become a millionaire. He didn't disappoint, with 3,170 yards receiving, 35 touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 70 percent and a rating of 167.5.

Griffin put up better numbers and, essentially, out-Lucked Luck, who became a star by lifting a forlorn program at a private school out of the shadows of its powerful conference rivals.

Luck made a sensational one-handed catch early in what turned out to be a blowout victory against UCLA. Nice.

Griffin made a 15-yard reception in traffic to convert a key third down on the game-winning drive in Baylor's opening 50-48 victory against TCU. Better.

The 6-foot-2, 220 pounder with sprinter's speed - he was an all-American in the 400-meter hurdles - grabbed plenty of headlines and attention with that first Friday performance against the Horned Frogs and ended the first month of the season with more touchdown passes than incompletions.

He was an early Heisman front-runner, but he faded in October as Baylor lost three of four. Griffin continued to pile up video game numbers, but not enough to compensate for the Bears' leaky defense.

He finished with a kick and shot up the Heisman charts on Nov. 19, when Baylor beat Oklahoma 45-38. Griffin passed for 479 yards and four touchdowns against the Sooners, including that sensational 34-yard, game-winner to Terrance Williams in the closing seconds.

He stated his case one last time - emphatically - on championship Saturday, capping his season with 320 yards passing and two TD passes and two touchdown runs in a 48-24 victory against Texas. It was the second straight year Griffin led the Bears past those longtime bullies from Austin.

At that point it become obvious that quarterback Don Trull's fourth-place finish in 1963 would no longer be the Heisman standard at Baylor.

Landing Griffin, the son of two U.S. Army sergeants who settled in central Texas, was a recruiting coup for Baylor, though it was something of a package deal.

Griffin had committed to Houston and coach Art Briles, but when Baylor hired Briles away, Griffin switched up and followed the coach to a program that hadn't even played in a bowl game sinve 1994.

He started 11 games as an 18-year-old freshman in 2008 and tore a knee ligament three games into the 2009 season.

He returned last year as good as new and with a newfound commitment and love of football. He threw for 3,501 yards and led Baylor to a 7-6 record and its first bowl appearance since 1994.

This season, his passing has improved and he's still a dangerous runner (644 yards and nine DS). He has left little doubt that he's a pro prospect, though he's got one more game - the Alamo Bowl against Washington on Dec. 29 in San Antonio - to show his stuff.

An aspiring lawyer who is working on a master's degree in communications, he holds 46 school records and adoring Bears fans are praying he comes back for more.

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Pageant contestant not guilty of girlfriend murder

A former contestant on Fox-TV's "The Sexiest Bachelor in America" pageant has been acquitted in the killing of his girlfriend, a former adult film actress.

After deliberating for two days, a Southern California jury found 47-year-old Brian Randone not guilty of the murder and torture of 31-year-old Felicia Lee, who was found dead Sept. 11, 2009, in their apartment in Monrovia near Pasadena.

Prosecutors argued that Randone had severely beaten and suffocated Lee, while his defense attorneys insisted she died of a drug overdose.

Lee appeared in several adult films under the name Felicia Tang, and had bit roles in the mainstream movies "Rush Hour 2" and "The Fast and the Furious."

Randone was a losing contestant on "The Sexiest Bachelor in America," a 2000 special on the Fox network.

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Gaga gives a naughty and nice concert in NYC

Lady Gaga was in the Christmas spirit at Z100's annual Jingle Ball concert, but her version of "White Christmas" would have made Bing Crosby blush.

Gaga performed a slightly naughty rendition of the holiday classic Friday night as part of her mini-concert at the radio station's event at Madison Square Garden. Gaga - sporting tight studded leather pants, matching top and a bare midriff - gyrated on a set that included antlers, Christmas trees and holiday lights as she performed "White Christmas."

"So I recently added a couple of lyrics to this song because I think it's too short. It's like when you really start to enjoy it it stops. It's like a really bad orgasm. Merry Christmas New York!" she shouted. Later, she made a suggestive pose as she gave a come hither coo to Santa.

But her performance wasn't all saucy. She was nostalgic and appreciative as she thanked the radio station for allowing her to be the headliner of this year's show, which included performances from Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovato, LMFAO, Pitbull, David Guetta, Foster the People, Hot Chelle Rae and more.

Gaga said her first concert as a young girl growing up in New York City was the Z100 Jingle Ball.

"I worked so hard and when I was 11 ... my mom got me tickets to Jingle Bell Ball," she said.

Gaga opened the Jingle Ball concert three years ago, she said: "I'll never forget there were a whole lot of superstars and no one knew who the hell I was. ... Some people thought I was going to be a one-hit wonder."

The singer, recently nominated for three Grammys, proved to be otherwise, and sang a few of her best-known songs, including "Telephone," "Just Dance" and "Edge of Glory."

She opened her performance by singing between several Christmas trees; later, she performed on a keytar shaped like a Christmas tree, and she ended the night dressed in a hospital gown, re-enacting the theme of her latest video, "Marry the Night."

A portion of the evening's proceeds will go to "STOMP Out Bullying," a program designed to reduce and prevent bullying, a cause close to Gaga's heart. Earlier this week, she went to the White House to meet with officials about the matter.

"It's important to keep everybody safe in school," Gaga told the audience before launching into her inspirational anthem "Born This Way."

She also told her fans that she was happy to be in New York City during the holidays.

"This city gave birth to me and I will always come home," she said.

The concert will air Dec. 18 on the Fuse network.

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'Skyrim' wins top prize at Spike Video Game Awards

"The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" flew away with the game of the year trophy at the Spike Video Game Awards.

The dragon-slaying epic also won as best role-playing game and "Skyrim" developer Bethesda Softworks was selected as the studio of the year at Saturday's ninth annual Spike Video Game Awards, which honors outstanding achievements within the gaming industry over the past year.

Other winners at the ceremony at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City included "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" as best shooter, "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception" as best graphics, "Mortal Kombat" as best fighting game, "Portal 2" as best PC game and "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" as best motion game.

Nintendo's "Zelda" franchise was the first series to be inducted into the show's hall of fame.

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NASA OKs Feb. launch of private space station trip

A private California company will attempt the first-ever commercial cargo run to the International Space Station in February.

NASA announced the news Friday, one year and one day after Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, became the first private business to launch a capsule into orbit and return it safely to Earth.

On Feb. 7, SpaceX will attempt another orbital flight from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This time, the unmanned Dragon capsule will fly to the space station and dock with a load of supplies.

NASA stressed it is a target date.

"Pending all the final safety reviews and testing, SpaceX will send its Dragon spacecraft to rendezvous with the International Space Station in less than two months," said NASA's No. 2, deputy administrator Lori Garver. "So it is the opening of that new commercial cargo delivery era."

NASA has turned to industry to help stock the space station now that the space shuttles are retired, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in this startup effort. The station currently is supplied by Russian, European and Japanese vessels.

SpaceX's Dragon capsule will fly within two miles of the space station, for a checkout of all its systems. Then it will close in, with station astronauts grabbing the capsule with a robotic arm. The Dragon ultimately will be released for a splashdown in the Pacific. None of the other cargo carriers come back intact; they burn up on re-entry.

If the rendezvous and docking fail, SpaceX will try again. That was the original plan: to wait until the third mission to actually hook up with the station and delivery supplies. SpaceX wanted to hurry it up.

None of the supplies on board the Dragon will be one-of-a-kind or crucial, in case of failure.

SpaceX - run by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk - is one of several companies vying for space station visiting privileges. It hopes to step up to astronaut ferry trips in perhaps three more years. In the meantime, Americans will be forced to continue buying seats on Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

"Every decision that we make at SpaceX is focused on ... taking crew to space," SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said Friday at a forum in Seattle about NASA's future. She said the company is "thrilled" at the prospect of delivering cargo to the space station early next year, and noted that the company is shooting for 2014 with astronauts.

Congress has appropriated $406 million for the commercial crew effort for 2012, considerably less than NASA's requested $850 million.

"It is nevertheless a significant step," Garver said at the forum, televised by NASA. She said NASA is evaluating whether it can speed up when U.S. companies "deliver our precious astronauts to and from the space station."

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Climate conference approves landmark deal

A U.N. climate conference reached a hard-fought agreement Sunday on a complex and far-reaching program meant to set a new course for the global fight against climate change for the coming decades.

The 194-party conference agreed to start negotiations on a new accord that would put all countries under the same legal regime enforcing commitments to control greenhouse gases. It would take effect by 2020 at the latest.

The deal also set up the bodies that will collect, govern and distribute tens of billions of dollars a year for poor countries. Other documents in the package lay out rules for monitoring and verifying emissions reductions, protecting forests, transferring clean technologies to developing countries and scores of technical issues.

Currently, only industrial countries have legally binding emissions targets under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Those commitments expire next year, but they will be extended for another five years under the accord adopted Sunday.

The proposed Durban Platform offered answers to problems that have bedeviled global warming negotiations for years about sharing the responsibility for controlling carbon emissions and helping the world's poorest and most climate-vulnerable nations cope with changing forces of nature.

The United States was a reluctant supporter, concerned about agreeing to join an international climate system that likely would find much opposition in the U.S. Congress.

"This is a very significant package. None of us likes everything in it. Believe me, there is plenty the United States is not thrilled about," said U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern. But the package captured important advances that would be undone if it is rejected, he told the delegates.

The breakthrough capped 13 days of hectic negotiations that ran a day and a half over schedule, including two round-the-clock days that left negotiators bleary-eyed and stumbling with words. Delegates were seen nodding off in the final plenary session, despite the high drama, barely constrained emotions and uncertainty whether the talks would end in triumph or total collapse.

The nearly fatal issue involved the legal nature of the accord that will govern carbon emissions by the turn of the next decade.

A plan put forward by the European Union sought strong language that would bind all countries equally to carry out their emissions commitments.

India led the objectors, saying it wanted a less rigorous option. Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan argued that the EU proposal undermined the 20-year-old principle that developing countries have less responsibility than industrial nations that caused the global warming problem through 200 years of pollution.

"The equity of burden-sharing cannot be shifted," she said in angry tones.

Chinese negotiator Xie Zhenhua gave heated support for the Indians, saying the industrial nations have not lived up to their promises while China and other developing countries had launched ambitious green programs.

"We are doing whatever we should do. We are doing things you are not doing. What qualifies you to say things like this," he said, raising his voice and waving his arm.

The debate ran past midnight and grew increasingly tense as speakers lined up almost evenly on one side or the other. Conference president Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who is South Africa's foreign minister, called a recess and told the EU and Indian delegates to put their heads together and come up with a compromise formula.

Coming after weeks of unsuccessful effort to resolve the issue, Nkoana-Mashabane gave Natarajan and European Commissioner Connie Hedegaard 10 minutes to find a solution, with hundreds of delegates milling around them. They needed 50 minutes.

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New method boosts blood-clotting for hemophiliacs

In what's being called a landmark study, researchers used gene therapy to successfully treat six patients with severe hemophilia, a blood-clotting disorder.

The study was preliminary and involved only six patients, and other promising early attempts to use gene therapy against hemophilia ultimately failed. But a single infusion using the new treatment worked in some patients for more than a year, boosting their clotting ability significantly.

"I think this is a terrific advance for the field. It's a good lesson in terms of don't give up on good ideas," said Dr. Ronald Crystal, chairman of genetic medicine at New York City's Weill Cornell Medical College,

It's "truly a landmark study," said Dr. Katherine Ponder, a Washington University School of Medicine physician. She praised the research in an editorial that accompanies the study's publication in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research also was being presented Saturday at an American Society of Hematology conference in San Diego.

Hemophilia is an inherited, potentially life-threatening disorder affecting an estimated 20,000 Americans, almost all of them males. Their blood doesn't clot properly because of a faulty gene.

In severe cases, they can spontaneously start bleeding internally, even in the brain. Internal bleeding in the joints leads to debilitating movement problems and intense pain.

Past gene therapy experiments on hemophiliacs improved blood-clotting for only a few weeks. "We couldn't make it last," said Val Bias, chief executive of the National Hemophilia Foundation.

Experts said the new method needs to be tested on many more patients to confirm it's effective and prove there are no risks. Even if all goes right, it's still several years away from being available to most patients.

Since the late 1960s, doctors have given hemophiliacs infusions of clotting proteins. It's been a success, increasing their average lifespan to 63. But for severe cases, treatment can involve two or three infusions every week and cost more than $250,000 annually.

The new study was led by researchers at the University College London Cancer Institute and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. All six of the patients in the study were men seen in London who had severe forms of type B hemophilia.

The six men each got a single, 20-minute infusion of healthy genetic material delivered by a virus found in monkeys. Viruses are often used to transport DNA into cells. Each saw the amount of clotting proteins in their blood increase from less than 1 percent of normal levels to at least 2 percent, and in one case as much as 11 percent.

That may not seem like a lot, but it was enough to allow all the men to ease back on the number of regular treatments they needed, and four stopped conventional treatment altogether.

It's not yet clear how risky the treatment is. In one patient, the level of liver enzymes shots up to five times normal levels. It did not cause symptoms but there are concerns about liver inflammation and he was treated with steroids. Researchers noted it's possible the treatment could trigger hepatitis in some patients.

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FDA panel backs birth control patch despite risks

A panel of federal health advisers said Friday that a birth control patch from Johnson & Johnson probably carries a higher risk of blood clots than older drugs, but should remain available as an option for women who have trouble taking a daily pill.

The Food and Drug Administration's panel of reproductive health experts voted 19-5 that the benefits of the Ortho Evra patch outweigh its risks, specifically a potentially higher risk of dangerous blood clots in the legs and lungs. Panelists said the patch can be especially useful for younger women who have difficulty sticking to a daily pill regimen.

"I have many teenagers and it's the only method they'll use - for them it's the perfect method," said Dr. Melissa Gilliam of the University of Chicago. The FDA sought the experts' advice as it reviews the safety of newer hormone-based contraceptives launched in the past decade. The agency is not required to follow their advice, though it often does.

Johnson & Johnson's weekly Ortho Evra patch was approved in 2001 and has been marketed for its convenience as an "option for busy women who are looking to simplify life." The drug works about as well as other contraceptive medications, allowing about one unplanned pregnancy per year for every 100 women.

Studies assessing Ortho Evra's blood clot risk have reached differing conclusions over the years. At least two studies found that patch users have twice the risk of clots as women taking birth control pills. Even a slightly higher risk can be critical because blood clots can trigger heart attacks, strokes and blockages in lungs or blood vessels, which in rare cases have been fatal, even among young women.

The most recent study by the FDA found that women using the patch have a 50 percent higher risk of clots than women taking various oral contraceptives. However, agency scientists said the data was not definitive.

Panelists voted 20-3 with one abstention that the drug's current label is inadequate and should be updated with the latest information about the potentially higher risk. In discussion, a majority of panelists said Ortho Evra probably carries a higher risk than older birth control pills, though the risk is less clear when compared with newer birth control pills launched in the last decade.

Despite the safety concerns, the experts stressed that Ortho Evra fills a unique niche among birth control products.

"There is no alternative in this range for women who desire hormonal contraception but can't take the pill, so I think it is important to maintain that option," said Dr. Michele Orza of the George Washington University.

Prescriptions for Ortho Evra have declined steadily over the last five years, from 5 million in 2006 to about 1.3 million last year.

The decline has followed repeated updates by J&J of New Brunswick, N.J., to the product's labeling, including language indicating that patients absorb up to 60 percent more estrogen via the patch than with the pill.

"The company will continue to collaborate with the FDA on a product label that adequately reflects the known risks and benefits of the product, including new information," said Jeff Christensen, communications manager with J&J's Janssen unit.

Ortho Evra is part of a new generation of contraceptives that use recently-developed, laboratory-made forms of the female hormone progesterone. In the past decade the medications have overtaken older medications, though studies have reached conflicting conclusions on whether the drugs carry a higher risk of blood clots. On Thursday, the same panel recommended clearer risk labeling on Yaz, Yasmin and similar birth control pills marketed by Bayer and Teva Pharmaceuticals. As with Ortho Evra, the panel affirmed their overall benefit of the pills for women.

Ortho Evra sales last year totaled $124 million, trailing Merck & Co. Inc.'s NuvaRing, which posted sales of $437 million, according to health care data firm IMS Health. NuvaRing is the most widely used, non-pill contraceptive drug.

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Upsets in Big Ten leave Michigan State on top

Iowa knocked off Michigan and Northwestern upset Nebraska, leaving Michigan State the big winner in the Big Ten's Legends Division on Saturday.

And the Spartans barely escaped a close call against Minnesota.

In Iowa City, the Hawkeyes made a late goal line stand to preserve a 24-16 lead and beat No. 13 Michigan.

That was a mild upset because just last week Iowa had lost to Minnesota. What happened in Lincoln, Neb., was far more surprising.

With backup quarterback Cain Colter playing for Dan Persa, Northwestern upset the ninth-ranked Cornhuskers 28-25.

The loss by Nebraska put No. 15 Michigan State (4-1) alone in first in the Legends Division, the only team with one loss. The Spartans rallied in the second half to beat Minnesota 31-24.

Michigan, Iowa and Nebraska are all 3-2.

No. 1 LSU 9, No. 2 Alabama 6

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - No. 1 LSU gained the inside track to the BCS title game, beating No. 2 Alabama 9-6 on Drew Alleman's 25-yard field goal in overtime after a fierce defensive struggle in which neither team reached the end zone.

The Crimson Tide missed four field goals, including Cade Foster's 52-yard attempt after Alabama got the ball first in the extra period. LSU appeared to win the game on Michael Ford's run around left end after taking a pitch, but he stepped out of bounds at the 7.

After two plays gained nothing, LSU (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) sent on Alleman to attempt his third field goal of the game on third down. Alabama (8-1, 5-1) tried to freeze him by calling timeout, but he calmly knocked it through to set off a wild celebration by the visiting team.

The crowd of more than 100,000 at Bryant-Denny Stadium - most of them dressed in crimson - sat in stunned silence as LSU celebrated its victory in only the 23rd regular-season matchup between the top two teams in The Associated Press rankings.

LSU still must win its last three regular-season games - No. 8 Arkansas is the toughest test - and then would have to get through the SEC championship game. But the Tigers are the clear favorite after winning another huge game away from home, emerging with the victory in a matchup between the two teams generally considered the best in the land.

No. 3 Oklahoma State 52, No. 17 Kansas State 45

Brandon Weeden threw for a school-record 502 yards and four touchdowns, and Joseph Randle scored the tiebreaking 23-yard touchdown with 2:16 remaining to lift Oklahoma State over Kansas State.

The Cowboys (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) matched the best start in school history and withstood quite a scare from K-State (7-2, 4-2), which had three shots at the end zone in the final 12 seconds.

Collin Klein missed on 5-yard passes intended for Tyler Lockett and Chris Harper and then overshot Tramaine Thompson as time expired.

All-America receiver Justin Blackmon caught 13 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, atoning for his two-fumble game with a 54-yard touchdown catch with 4:47 remaining that pulled the Cowboys out of a 38-37 deficit. He also caught the 2-point conversion for a 45-38 lead.

No. 4 Stanford 38, Oregon State 13

Andrew Luck shook off the rain and the chill to throw for 206 yards and three touchdowns as Stanford extended the nation's longest winning streak to 17 games.

The victory was costly for the Cardinal, who lost senior receiver Chris Owusu to a concussion in the second quarter after a helmet-to-helmet collision with Beavers cornerback Jordan Poyer. Owusu was taken from the field by ambulance.

The Cardinal (9-0, 7-0 Pac-12) are off to their best start since 1952.

Redshirt freshman Sean Mannion threw for 252 yards and a touchdown for Oregon State (2-7, 2-4), which is guaranteed a losing season with the defeat. The Beavers' only wins have come against Arizona and Washington State.

No. 5 Boise State 48, UNLV 21

Kellen Moore threw five touchdown passes to become college football's winningest quarterback and Boise State brushed off a first-half scare from UNLV.

Moore threw two touchdowns each to Tyler Shoemaker and Matt Miller, racking up 224 yards through the air on 18-of-31 passing for Boise State (8-0, 3-0 Mountain West Conference) despite leaving the game early in the fourth quarter.

The victory gave Moore 46 career wins, one more than former Texas star Colt McCoy.

Moore, in his fourth year as Boise State's starting quarterback, is 46-2, tops all-time among FBS quarterbacks in winning percentage (95.8 percent). Stanford's Andrew Luck is second at 85.3 percent (29-5).

UNLV (2-6, 1-2) matched the Broncos' first two touchdowns, but a pass interference call close to halftime set up Boise State's go-ahead score.

No. 6 Oregon 34, Washington 17

Oregon's LaMichael James ran for 156 yards and a touchdown, and the sixth-ranked Ducks forced three key turnovers and extended the longest win streak in the rivalry with their foes to the north.

On a night filled with Washington nostalgia as the school honored the 1991 co-national championship team and said goodbye to Husky Stadium in its current incarnation before a $250 million renovation, the Ducks (8-1, 6-0) ruined the party.

Eddie Pleasant picked off Keith Price twice in the first half and Terrance Mitchell stripped tight end Michael Hartvigson late in the third quarter. The Ducks converted the three turnovers by Washington (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12) into 14 points.

No. 7 Oklahoma 41, Texas A&M 25

Landry Jones threw two touchdown passes during Oklahoma's 28-point third-quarter surge, but the Sooners lost All-America receiver Ryan Broyles for the year with a knee injury.

Broyles came out in the third quarter and the school announced after the game the senior had torn a ligament in his left knee. He had two catches for 87 yards and both helped set up touchdowns.

The Sooners (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) led just 13-10 at halftime, but Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3) had its second-half troubles continue - the Aggies gave up big second-half leads in its previous three losses.

The Aggies, headed for the Southeastern Conference, won't miss coming to Norman. They're now 0-7 on Owen Field during the Bob Stoops era; the previous six losses had come by an average of 41 points.

No. 8 Arkansas 44, No. 10 South Carolina 28

Tyler Wilson threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns as No. 8 Arkansas held on for a win.

Jarius Wright added four catches for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Dennis Johnson had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for the Razorbacks, who won their fifth straight.

Arkansas (8-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) outgained the Gamecocks (7-2, 5-2) 435-207, but a pair of missed field goals and key dropped passes kept the Razorbacks from securing the win until late.

The Razorbacks led 24-14 at halftime, but South Carolina pulled within 30-28 early in the fourth quarter on a touchdown run by quarterback Connor Shaw.

Northwestern 28, No. 9 Nebraska 25

Second-string quarterback Kain Colter ran for two touchdowns and passed for another to lead Northwestern to an upset.

Filling in for injured starter Dan Persa in the second half, Colter scored from the 1 with 1:34 left to finish a 13-play, 66-yard drive that chewed more than 7 minutes off the clock after the Cornhuskers had pulled to 21-18.

Taylor Martinez, who passed for 289 yards and two scores, hurriedly moved Nebraska (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten) down the field. He hit Kenny Bell for a 14-yard touchdown with 18 seconds to play, but Charles Brown recovered the onside kick and Northwestern (4-5, 2-4) ran out the clock.

Persa injured his left shoulder in the second quarter when he was slammed to the ground by Eric Martin.

Colter ran for 58 yards and completed four of six passes for 115 yards.

Iowa 24, No. 13 Michigan 16

Marcus Coker ran for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Iowa held off a late Michigan rally.

James Vandenberg added 171 yards passing and a TD for the Hawkeyes (6-3, 3-2 Big Ten), who have won three straight over Michigan for the first time in school history.

Michigan drove to Iowa's 3-yard line with 16 seconds left. But Denard Robinson missed on four straight throws, with Iowa's B.J. Lowery breaking up Robinson's final toss to seal the win.

Vincent Smith appeared to pull the Wolverines (7-2, 3-2) within 24-22 on an 82-yard TD run after bouncing off Iowa's James Morris and going untouched for the score. Replay officials overruled the call, but Michigan drove to the Hawkeyes doorstep before being stopped.

Robinson finished 17-of-37 passing for 194 yards and two TD passes.

No. 14 Houston 56, UAB 13

Case Keenum threw for 407 yards to become the most prolific passer in NCAA history and he added his first two rushing touchdowns of the season for Houston.

Keenum passed Timmy Chang's career record of 17,072 yards passing for Hawaii from 2000-04. Keenum finished the game with 17,212 yards passing.

Houston (9-0 overall, 5-0 Conference USA) has won its first nine games for the first time in school history. It also was 8-0 in 1979 and 1990.

Keenum completed 39 of 44 passes for 407 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The senior completed a 16-yard pass to Justin Johnson in the third quarter to pass Chang's mark. Kennum tied Chang's record with a 26-yard pass to Johnson on the previous play.

Keenum, who threw nine TD passes against Rice last week, completed his first 11 passes against UAB (1-8, 1-5). He began the night 267 yards away from matching Chang's mark.

No. 15 Michigan State 31, Minnesota 24

Le'Veon Bell's 35-yard touchdown run with 10:58 remaining helped Michigan State hold off upset-minded Minnesota.

Bell ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns, and Kirk Cousins threw for 296 yards and a pair of TDs. The Spartans (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) trailed 24-21 after three quarters before rallying.

MarQueis Gray threw three touchdown passes to Da'Jon McKnight for the Golden Gophers (2-7, 1-4), who upset Iowa last weekend but were unable to shake up the conference title race again.

With the score tied at 24, Bell found running room to the right and went all the way to the end zone to put the Spartans ahead. Minnesota had the ball at the Michigan State 45 with 15 seconds left, but Gray threw an interception.

No. 18 Georgia 63, New Mexico State 16

Aaron Murray threw five second-quarter touchdown passes, former walk-on receiver Brandon Harton ran for 98 yards and Georgia won its seventh straight game.

The Bulldogs (7-2) turned to Harton this week after Isaiah Crowell and Carlton Thomas were suspended one game for failing a drug test. Georgia was also without top reserve tailback Richard Samuel, who will miss the next month after undergoing ankle surgery.

But with Murray running the offense, Georgia had little reason for concern against New Mexico State (3-6).

Murray completed 18 of 23 passes for 238 yards in one half of play.

No. 19 Wisconsin 62, Purdue 17

Montee Ball rushed for a career-high 223 yards with three touchdowns and Wisconsin rebounded from back-to-back losses.

Russell Wilson threw two touchdowns and scored on a scramble for the Badgers (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten). The lopsided victory was a boost to the Badgers after their late collapses at Michigan State and Ohio State the past two weeks.

Raheem Mostert had five kickoff returns for 206 yards for the Boilermakers (4-5, 2-3), helping them stay in the game early on. Caleb TerBush started at quarterback for Purdue, with Robert Marve also getting some time.

Wilson was 15 of 20 for 205 yards, and had 76 yards rushing for the Badgers.

UCLA 29, No. 20 Arizona State 28

Derrick Coleman scored the go-ahead touchdown for UCLA on a 1-yard run with 49 seconds to play, and Alex Garoutte missed a 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

Coleman's dive capped a perilous 79-yard drive featuring a fumble by Coleman, an offensive pass-interference penalty and a third-and-29 conversion by the Bruins (5-4, 4-2 Pac-12), who improbably moved into first place in the Pac-12 South for the first time since early last season.

Brock Osweiler passed for 264 yards and moved the Sun Devils 47 yards in 38 seconds to set up Garoutte's final attempt, but the freshman pushed it wide right - his second miss of the half.

Osweiler rallied Arizona State from a nine-point deficit in the second half, capping a 93-yard drive with a 1-yard TD dive with 7:48 left.

No. 23 Cincinnati 26, Pittsburgh 23

Zach Collaros threw for 214 yards and ran for two touchdowns as Cincinnati took firm control of the Big East race.

Isaiah Pead rushed for 118 yards and Tony Miliano kicked four field goals for the Bearcats (7-1, 3-0 Big East), who won their sixth straight and took a significant step toward winning the program's third conference title in four years.

Pitt (4-5, 2-2) led by 10 early in the third quarter but a pair of turnovers deep in its own territory allowed Cincinnati to get back in the game.

Tino Sunseri ran for a touchdown and passed for another but Kevin Harper's 50-yard field goal attempt with 14 seconds left was wide right.

Louisville 38, No. 24 West Virginia 35

Teddy Bridgewater threw for one touchdown, Andrew Johnson returned a blocked field goal for another score and Louisville upset West Virginia.

Not expected to be a factor in the Big East this season, the surprising Cardinals (5-4, 3-1) won their third straight in a tight race and dealt a severe blow to West Virginia's title chances.

Louisville also got a payback of sorts after being overlooked in the recent Big 12 expansion sweepstakes, a bid that went to the Mountaineers.

Geno Smith threw for 410 yards and three scores but couldn't bring the Mountaineers (6-3, 2-2) back from 10 points down in the fourth quarter.

Louisville broke a four-game losing streak in the series.

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