Mark Wahlberg apologizes for 9/11 comments (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Actor Mark Wahlberg apologized on Wednesday for saying events may have turned out differently had he been on one of the planes that crashed on 9/11, after incurring the wrath of critics and one victim's widow.

"If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn't have went down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, 'OK, we're going to land somewhere safely, don't worry,'" the actor said in an interview with Men's Journal magazine that was released one day earlier.

"The Fighter" star, 44, was scheduled to be on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2011 and made the comments in that context, but after media outlets reported that a widow of one 9/11 victim called his comments "disrespectful," the actor issued a formal apology.

"To speculate about such a situation is ridiculous to begin with, and to suggest I would have done anything differently than the passengers on that plane was irresponsible. I deeply apologize to the families of the victims that my answer came off as insensitive, it was certainly not my intention," Wahlberg said in a statement.

The Oscar-nominated actor, who started his career in music as rapper Marky Mark, transitioned into film and is currently promoting "Contraband," a high-octane action movie in which he plays a former smuggler forced to protect his brother-in-law.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/en_nm/us_markwahlberg

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US top officer goes to Israel amid Iran fears (AP)

JERUSALEM ? The U.S. military's top officer headed to Israel on Thursday at a time of mounting international anxiety over Iran's nuclear intentions and the possibility that the Jewish state might take military action to keep Tehran from building bombs.

The arrival of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, comes at a charged time when Israel has grown increasingly vocal about its impatience over the international community's failure to curb Iran's nuclear program through sanctions.

Israel, like the West, believes Iran is developing nuclear weapons technology. Iran says its program is intended for peaceful purposes.

In the past few weeks, the U.S. and Europe have moved to step up sanctions against Iran, a top Iranian nuclear scientist was killed in a mysterious assassination, and Tehran has threatened to shut down a key channel for the world's oil supply.

The Israeli and U.S. militaries, meanwhile, have postponed large-scale war games, in part to avoid aggravating growing tensions between the international community and Iran over its nuclear program, Israeli defense officials said.

A former Israeli military intelligence chief stoked the growing jitters by contending Iran already has all the components to build a nuclear bomb.

"If the Iranians get together tonight and decide to secretly develop a bomb, then they have all the resources and components to do so," Amos Yadlin was quoted Thursday as telling the Maariv daily.

It was not clear whether Yadlin, who retired in November 2010, was referring to the mechanical elements of a bomb, or implying the Iranians have sufficient weapons-grade uranium, a critical ingredient for bombmaking.

Still, his remarks reflect the prevalent view in Israel that Iran is on the cusp of producing a bomb ? a view at odds with the American assessment that Iran won't have bombmaking capabilities for years.

Israel considers a nuclear-armed Iran to be a threat to its survival, given Iran's repeated threats against Israel and its support for Arab militant groups. Israeli leaders have repeatedly called for military action against Iran if sanctions, the current strategy favored by the international community, fail to curb the nuclear program.

U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapira portrayed Dempsey's visit as part of the ongoing coordination between the two allies and a reflection of Washington's "unshakable commitment to Israel's security."

But looming large over all discussions is the threat of an Israeli military strike. Israeli analysts have speculated that in his meetings with Israeli military and political leaders, Dempsey will warn Israel against attacking Iran, fearing it would ignite a broad regional conflagration.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak denied that Dempsey would carry such a message ? and added that Israel was "very far" from deciding whether to strike.

He did not give a timeline and said Iran has not started to actually make bombs because it feared that would draw harsher international sanctions and other actions against it.

But Israeli officials have in the past repeatedly questioned whether the international community will be able to agree on penalties forceful enough to pressure Iran.

In Washington, a senior U.S. State Department official insisted the sanctions have been effective, disputing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's assessment to the contrary, Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported.

The official said the sanctions were gradual to avoid a sudden jump in oil prices but could be ramped up to include an embargo on Iran's central bank.

Netanyahu had told lawmakers earlier this week that "the current sanctions have harmed the Iranians but not in a way that would stop their nuclear program."

Israel has attacked nuclear sites in foreign countries before. In 1981, Israeli warplanes destroyed an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor. In 2007, Israeli aircraft destroyed a site in Syria that the U.N. nuclear watchdog deemed to be a secretly built nuclear reactor.

An assault on the Iranian program would be more complicated because facilities are scattered and some are located in fortified underground bunkers.

Israeli leaders say they hope economic and diplomatic sanctions will pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. But they don't rule out a military strike as a last resort.

In an interview with Time magazine published in excerpt on Wednesday, President Barack Obama took a similar line, saying, "We don't take any options off the table in preventing (Iran) from getting a nuclear weapon."

At the Pentagon on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the U.S. military was "fully prepared" to deal with any Iranian effort to close the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has threatened to close the strategic waterway, the route for about one-sixth of the global oil flow, because of new U.S. sanctions.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_iran

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Asian shares steady as China data eyed (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? Asian shares inched higher and the euro stayed above a 17-month trough on Tuesday as investors focused on economic data from China to gauge the impact of the euro zone debt crisis on global growth.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was up 0.3 percent, after hitting its lowest in about a week on Monday, while Japan's Nikkei average (.N225) opened up 0.5 percent, off a four-week low hit the day before.

European shares and the euro recovered on Monday, shrugging off the latest move by Standard & Poor's to cut a top-notch credit rating on the euro zone's bailout fund, following mass downgrades late last week which stripped France and Austria of their prime AAA ratings. U.S. markets were closed for a holiday on Monday.

The euro stood at $1.2663, hovering above a low of $1.2624 hit on Friday, its lowest since late August 2010, according to trading platform EBS. It also held steady against the yen at 97.29 yen, having hit an 11-year low near 97 yen on Monday.

Sentiment was subdued in Asian credit markets early on Tuesday, keeping spreads barely changed on the iTraxx Asia ex-Japan investment grade index.

For now, investors were turning to economic data, although sentiment remained pressured by persistent concerns about Europe's ability to resolve its two-year-old debt crisis, with Greece struggling to break a deadlock on its debt-swap talks, keeping intact fears of a default.

"As EUR/USD tumbles toward a key long-term support level, it is interesting to note that the positive correlation between EUR/USD and equities is starting to erode," RBC Capital Markets said in a report, referring to a recovery in S&P 500 index futures from mid-December as the euro eased against the dollar.

"The key take-away here is that the 'risk on/risk off' dynamic may be starting to have less of an influence on markets, with pure 'fundamentals' becoming more relevant as the Eurozone crisis is now infecting core markets," it said.

CHINESE GDP DATA DUE

The main focus on Tuesday is Chinese GDP data, forecast for a fourth successive quarterly slowdown in growth to around 8.7 percent from 9.1 percent previously.

December industrial production and retail sales are also due. Chinese data will provide clues to policy options including monetary easing to support growth in the world's second-largest economy, which could help underpin sentiment.

For Europe, market attention will likely switch to the latest ZEW survey due later on Tuesday on the health of the giant German economy.

In the first test of investor appetite for French debt since the S&P rating downgrade, yields on French treasury bills eased marginally on Monday.

Euro zone faces further tests later in the week when France and Spain offer longer-dated debts.

Reflecting the fragility in investor confidence, the European Central Bank more than tripled its bond purchases in the week to January 13 to calm market fears, while commercial banks parked a record amount of overnight deposits at the ECB, defying the central bank's aim to spur lending via its massive cash injection into the system.

The cost of insuring Italian, Spanish and other euro zone government debt against default rose on the S&P ratings cuts, while a flight to safety pushed shorter-dated UK government bond yields down on Monday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120117/bs_nm/us_markets_global

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Romney looking to clinch GOP nomination in Florida

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Four years ago, Florida crushed Mitt Romney's presidential ambitions. This time, the GOP front-runner is working to ensure the state seals his nomination - regardless of what happens in South Carolina's primary on Saturday.

The Romney political machine has been grinding here for months. The former Massachusetts governor has been aggressively courting absentee voters, blanketing the state's television airwaves and wooing local evangelical leaders.

"Romney has been here and established longer than any other presidential candidate that's running on the Republican ticket," said Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who hasn't endorsed anyone in the race. "He has the money and the organization and that's always an advantage."

It's especially an advantage in Florida, which has its primary on Jan. 31.

Romney's big push here is partly out of necessity, given that there's lingering distrust among the state's conservative voters over his candidacy. But while shoe leather and town hall-style meetings may be the mark of successful campaigns in the first two voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, the logistics of running for president in Florida - a state roughly the size of six New Hampshires with double the combined populations of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina - require the kind of organization and money that only Romney appears to possess.

His Florida team has been making phone calls and knocking on doors since last September. He and his allies have been running television ads here for almost a month. No other campaign is on the air.

To date, Romney's campaign has spent $2.3 million on Florida television advertising, including videos promoting his business credentials in English and Spanish. And the pro-Romney political action committee, Restore Our Future, has spent an additional $4 million so far on Florida television, most recently for an ad to attack rival Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator who is a favorite among some of the state's evangelical voters.

Santorum has little ability to fight back here. He announced the hiring of a Florida staff just last week. And his campaign released the endorsement of a lone prominent social conservative on Tuesday.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is running second to Romney is most Florida polls. He has no television presence but does have a staff of 14 with a growing network of volunteers across the state. With absentee voting already well under way, it's hardly clear that that will be enough to compete with Romney, who holds a double-digit lead in recent surveys.

Roughly 460,000 Republican absentee ballots have already been mailed - to military personnel, overseas residents and other Floridians - and about 120,000 have been returned in a state that has 4 million registered Republican voters. Romney's campaign has implemented a program to contact each of the absentee voters, first by mail and then with follow up phone calls and personal visits from volunteers.

The other campaigns have barely opened offices.

Romney also has captured the endorsements of many of the state's leading Republicans, although Gov. Rick Scott - who initially indicated he was leaning toward Texas Gov. Rick Perry - has remained uncommitted. Some of the support remains from Romney's first run four years ago, when he finished 5 points behind Sen. John McCain in a Florida primary that would largely push him out of the race.

A noticeable confidence has emerged inside Romney's Tampa headquarters after back-to-back wins in Iowa and New Hampshire as well as a commanding standing in South Carolina.

"If you look at what the other guys are trying to do in Florida, I really think it's the difference between someone trying to play at the Super Bowl level versus someone trying to put together a sandlot football team on the fly," said Romney's top Florida strategist, Brett Doster.

Despite that posture, some conservatives here remain wary of a Romney candidacy.

"They don't believe him to be a true conservative," said Sherri Ortega, a committee woman for the Suwannee County Republican Party who counts herself a skeptic partly because of the health care overhaul Romney signed into law in Massachusetts. "It's just how I see it."

Recognizing weakness among the state's vocal evangelical voters, the Romney campaign months ago established a coalition of social conservatives who host weekly conference calls. It's a group that includes former leaders from the Christian Coalition, who help sell Romney's conservatives credentials to the voting bloc known as "values voters."

Romney's Mormon faith is still an issue for some local Christians, according to Robert Skura, a 49-year-old roofing contractor from Altamonte Springs.

"We're pretty conservative down here in Florida," said Skura, who's been a Romney supporter since meeting him at a campaign stop four years ago. "But you're not going to get Jesus Christ himself to run for president."

Conservatives here seem to have the same concerns of their counterparts in Iowa and New Hampshire. And Romney won those contests, largely because his opponents struggled to unite anti-Romney conservatives and prove they could assemble an organization capable of defeating President Barack Obama next fall. Indeed, electability has emerged as a top concern among Republican voters like Ortega and Skura.

"It's essential. Anybody but Obama," Ortega said.

Skura agreed while standing at a Romney rally at an Orlando pizza parlor this week. After eating free pizza and making sure the campaign had his name and contact information, Skura left holding a Romney lawn sign.

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ROMNEY_FLORIDA_PUSH?SITE=WWL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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Beyonce And Jay-Z's Baby Girl: What Does Her Nursery Look Like?

PoshTots' Andrea Edmunds shows MTV News what Blue Ivy's nest might look like.
By Christina Garibaldi

Beyonce arrives at the 2011 VMAs
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

<P>Last week, <a href="/news/articles/1677033/blue-ivy-beyonce-jay-z-leaves-hospital.jhtml">Beyonc&#233; and Jay-Z left Lenox Hill Hospital</a> with their new bundle of joy, Blue Ivy Carter. Born on January 7, baby Blue already made history when she became the youngest to make it on a <a href="/news/articles/1677163/beyonce-jay-z-baby-blue-carter-glory-song.jhtml"><i>Billboard</i> chart</a>, so it's safe to assume that Blue is destined for success. For now, Blue and Mom are hopefully resting at home in what is sure to be a very chic nursery. So what could <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/knowles_beyonce/artist.jhtml">Beyonc&#233;</a> and <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/jay_z/artist.jhtml">Jay-Z</a>'s nursery for Blue look like? To get an idea, MTV News caught up with Andrea Edmunds, the president of PoshTots, a designer of choice for celebrity parents looking to create a dream nursery. <CENTER><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:725377/cp~name%3Dnews%26id%3D1676907%26vid%3D725377%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A725377" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed></CENTER> Edmunds has worked with Heidi Klum, Kimora Lee Simmons, Gwyneth Paltrow and a host of other stars to help get their homes ready for a baby. On Thursday, Edmunds stopped by MTV News and put together a dream nursery for Blue Ivy, which included a star favorite item, the <a href="http://www.poshtots.com/baby-furniture/baby-furniture/bassinets-cradles/dynasty-cradle/18/207/1315/1550/poshproductdetail.aspx" target="_blank">Dynasty iron cradle</a>. "A cradle is a must for moms who want babies close by. We have a lot of celebrity moms who have purchased this actual cradle." Edmunds said of the cradle, which retails for $2,000. "It's sophisticated, it's elegant and &#8212; look at it &#8212; I think it says Beyonc&#233;." Edmunds also brought along some of her most popular baby gifts, which include angora booties (a popular gift among celebrities like George Clooney and Paltrow). "A silk charmeuse blanket retails for $450, and it's a favorite gift. Gwyneth Paltrow has given this as baby gifts and it's a favorite among celebrities." Now, Edmunds would not divulge if Beyonc&#233; is a client, but rumors have been swirling that she and Jay-Z registered for her <a href="http://www.poshtots.com/interior-design-guide/nursery-necessities/all-baby-cribs/fantasy-carriage-crib/3378/3381/1313/12867/poshproductdetail.aspx" target="_blank">Fantasy Coach Carriage Crib</a>, which retails for $20,000. "I will tell you that we do have a coach carriage, and we have sold the coach carriage." Edmunds said. "We do work with a lot of celebrities, and we do respect our clients' confidentiality." <i>What do you think Blue's nursery looks like? Let us know in the comments.</i> </p>

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677307/beyonce-jay-z-blue-ivy-carter-nursery.jhtml

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Russia's Putin promises change, warns of new crisis (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) ? Vladimir Putin said he would not plunge Russia into stagnation in a third presidential term but offered stability for what he warned would be a long and painful period of global turbulence.

Putin, who ruled Russia since 2000 as both president and prime minister, looks set to win the March election but is facing a growing wave of public discontent after a contested parliamentary vote last month.

His critics liken the 59-year-old prime minister, who has dominated politics in both positions and has no serious rivals in the forthcoming vote, to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev who presided over a period of stagnation in 1970s.

"In the modern world stability is an asset which can only be earned by hard work, by showing openness to change and readiness for thought-out, calculated reforms," Putin wrote in the pro-government daily Izvestia on Monday, adding that stability "has nothing in common with stagnation."

In an article which opponents said was short on specifics, he said he supported neither "subversives" who want rapid change nor "self-satisfied gentlemen" who favour the status quo.

Russia was threatened by bankruptcy and disintegration when he took over, he said, referring to an economic crisis and separatist conflicts in Chechnya after the Soviet Union's collapse and saying the current situation would have seemed then like "superoptimistic science fiction."

Now the challenge was to find ways to boost Russia's growth, he said, adding that he knew which of his policies were wrong and needed adjustment without going into details.

He made no direct mention of the biggest political protests of his rule by demonstrators who say his rule has been characterized by corruption, weak institutions and nepotism.

But he said society's readiness to apply "the highest standards of life and democracy to Russia" was itself proof of the success of his policies.

Fitch Ratings agency downgraded Russia's outlook to "Stable" from "Positive" on Monday saying it was "unclear how the country's leadership will respond to the unexpected wave of protests," which increased uncertainty in the country.

Tens of thousands of people rallied in Moscow on December 24 and the opposition plans new rally on February 4.

OMISSIONS

President Dmitry Medvedev submitted a bill on the direct election of governors to parliament on Monday in a bid to respond to the protests by reversing a 2004 decision by Putin seen by critics as his most serious attack on democracy.

Putin, who made regional governors appointed by the president, did not mention Medvedev's initiative in what his opponents said was one of several glaring omissions.

"What is interesting in this article is not what he talks about but what he does not talk about," said opposition politician Vladimir Ryzhkov.

"He does not talk about a growing wealth gap, capital outflows, an increase in corruption and the enrichment of his friends."

Putin said he regretted that the pre-election debate focused on political "renewal" but did not touch on the post-election course, calling for a "broad dialogue about the future."

"Let's first talk about the election fraud," said opposition Yabloko party leader Sergei Mitrokhin.

"The society he wants to have a dialogue with is asking precisely this question. He is offering a dialogue about something else, dodging the question."

Putin said Russia would soon be hit by a new global economic crisis and touted his achievements as a crisis manager who steered the country through a time of low oil prices in 2008-09.

"The world is entering a period of turbulence. This period will be lengthy and painful. There should be no illusions about it," Putin wrote.

Alluding to the United States and the European Union, Putin said the global economic centers generated problems and risks instead of serving as "locomotives of development."

PEOPLE'S INITIATIVES

In a clear reference to the popular uprisings that swept through the Middle East Putin said "destructive forces" were acting in different parts of the world with the help of countries which were "trying to export democracy."

Putin also appealed to Russia's emerging middle class, seen as the driver for the protests, while saying the group, which he estimated at 20 to 30 percent of the population, should incorporate people like teachers and medical staff, considered to be among his core supporters.

"The middle class are the people who can choose policies, their level of education lets them consciously pick candidates, not just vote 'with their hearts'," Putin wrote, in an ironic reference to the 1996 campaign slogan of his predecessor Boris Yeltsin.

Addressing a major criticism of his rule, that Russia's economy remains far too dependent on oil revenues, Putin said "the initiative of the people" should be the main driver for growth rather than oil, calling on Russians to step up self-governance, entrepreneurship and charitable activities.

Oil and gas still provide nearly half of all Russia's budget revenues and attempts to diversify the economy have been hampered by red-tape and corruption which scare potential entrepreneurs from non-energy sectors.

"We will lose out if we only rely on decisions of bureaucrats, large investors and state corporations," Putin wrote. "We will lose out if we encourage the passive position of the people."

(Additional reporting by Maria Tsvetkova and Darya Korsunskaya; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120116/wl_nm/us_russia_putin

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Asus VG278H

Armed with Nvidia's new 3D Vision 2 technology and a 120Hz panel, the Asus VG278H ($699 list) brings multidimensional gaming and movies to the desktop. This pricey 27-inch monitor offers outstanding 3D imagery and delivers excellent color and grayscale performance, video and gaming action, and text readability. Moreover, it has a stand with multiple ergonomic adjustments so you can position it for maximum comfort. Its issues are minor; viewing angles are less than ideal and a few USB ports would be nice. Though the VG278H is certainly more expensive than a typical 27-inch monitor, the things it gives you that you can't easily find elsewhere?including 3D Vision 2 and the associated LightBoost technologies?make it worthy of being an Editors' Choice.

Design and Features
The VG278H uses a 1,920-by-1,080-resolution TN+ panel that is protected by a matte antiglare coating, a plus on a larger screen like this one. The cabinet, black with thin (0.75-inch) piano-black bezels, sports a silver Asus logo on the lower bezel and an angle-adjustable 3D emitter on the top bezel. The flexible emitter is a nice touch as it lets you achieve the best possible 3D reception without having to move the screen. Beneath the lower-right bezel are six clearly marked function buttons and a power switch. In addition to acting as navigation buttons for the On Screen Display (OSD) menus, several of them can be used as hotkeys for toggling through picture modes, raising and lowering the speaker volume, adjusting the brightness level, and selecting an input source.

The 17.5-pound cabinet is supported by a round base and arm assembly that lets you make nearly any adjustment you'll need, whether tilt, swivel, or height. A pair of three-watt speakers provides better-than-average volume, but they are rear-firing and thus sound louder from behind than in front where the action is. At the rear of the cabinet are HDMI 1.4, dual-link DVI, and VGA video inputs, as well as two audio jacks (PC audio in and headphone out).

The OSD provides a typical array of picture settings and offers six Asus Splendid Video picture presets: Standard, Game, Scenery, Theater, NightView, and sRGB. We tested the VG278H using the Standard mode, which delivers the best all-around picture quality. Picture settings include Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Color Temperature, Skin Tone, and SmartView, which is supposed to improve viewing angles when the screen is tilted but does not work very well. Granted, side-angle viewing is somewhat improved with this setting enabled but the picture degrades when viewed from other angles, including front and center. You're better off leaving this feature disabled. There's also an Nvidia LightBoost setting that allows you to adjust the luminance level while using the 3D glasses. More on that later.

Standard Display Performance
Robust colors, solid grayscale and text reproduction, and beautiful HD image detail all come through on the VG278H. Swatches from the DisplayMate Color Scales test were evenly saturated and maintained intensity across the scale from dark to light. The panel produced dark blacks, which helped give colors some pop. It also did a very good job of displaying the darkest shades of gray on the 64-Step Grayscale test, which accounts for the impressive shadow detail on my test photos. Light grayscale performance was not as good; there was compression at the high end of the scale that caused the lightest shades of gray to appear white. There was no noticeable tinting across the scale, however.

With its 120Hz technology and 2ms (gray-to-gray) pixel response the VG278H does a remarkable job of displaying smooth 2D video and gaming action. The PC version of Assassin's Creed II looked terrific and played flawlessly without a trace of smearing. Gamers will appreciate the rich colors and lag-free game play that this panel delivers. The Blu-ray of The Polar Express also looked awesome, with sharp image detail and a relatively noise-free picture. For those who want to mix work with play, the VG278H is ideal for viewing very small text; with the font set to 5.3 points text was well defined and very easy to read. As with most TN+ panels, off-angle viewing is limited. Color shifting occurs at around 160 degrees from the side, and the screen darkens at around 150 degrees from the top and bottom.

The VG278H uses LEDs for backlighting but it's not what you would call a power miser. It required 41 watts of power during testing, which is almost twice the power consumption of the ViewSonic VX2753mh (28 watts) and the HP 2711X (24 watts), both of which are also 27-inch LED-backlit monitors.

3D and LightBoost Performance
Because the VG278H was intended for use with Nvidia's 3D Vision technology (and has the price to prove it), we pulled out our 3D Vision 2 kit to test it with a variety of recently released games, including Battlefield 3, L.A. Noire, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Batman: Arkham City.

Though your experience ultimately depends on the quality of 3D implementation within any given game, the VG278H turned out spectacular results across this spectrum of titles. Image quality, even during the highest-flying (and -gliding) action scenes of Batman: Arkham City, remained clear and crisp-moving, with no visible artifacts distorting the video at any point. Colors, likewise, were vivid and consistent throughout.

Particularly impressive was the VG278H's use of the new LightBoost technology. LightBoost pulses the display's LED backlight at a level twice that of normal, coordinating the changes with those of the lenses in the active-shutter 3D Vision glasses. This lets the lenses stay "open" for a longer period of time, letting in more surrounding light and counteracting the deleterious dimming effect the lenses' dark tint has traditionally imposed.

The difference between utilizing LightBoost or leaving it off when testing in a dim environment was like night and day (pun and clich? intended). When activated, LightBoost bumped up the display's brightness so much that it appeared through the glasses to be just as intense as any monitor in a brightly lit room. Colors and shadows alike remained strong and distinct, with no obvious loss of detail appearing in any of our test titles. Quite the opposite, in fact: LightBoost let us see nuances the darker lenses had previously made more difficult to detect. We never felt the need to adjust LightBoost levels during our testing, but doing so within the OSD menus is very easy if you want to fine-tune the way the display behaves in your gaming environment.

The VG278H comes with all the necessary components you need to take full advantage of 3D Vision, including the newer (and larger) glasses. If you have glasses and an emitter from the previous version of 3D Vision, that will work with both the VG278H and its LightBoost feature with no replacements or tweaking required.

Conclusion
In addition to the Nvidia 3D Vision 2 glasses and emitter, the VG278H comes with a dual-link DVI cable, a VGA cable, and an audio cable; if you want to use the HDMI port you're on your own. There's also a Resource CD containing a comprehensive user guide and Nvidia 3D Vision drivers. The monitor is covered by a three-year warranty that includes free two-way shipping and Asus' Rapid Replacement service, whereby the company will send out a replacement unit as soon as you ship the defective unit to them (in other words, you won't have to wait for Asus to receive your unit first).

You'll pay a premium price for the Asus VG278H, but this is a premium 120Hz monitor. Its off-angle viewing could be better, and a built-in USB hub would be handy. But with superb motion and color performance, good ergonomics, and the latest 3D technology, the VG278H more than has the chops necessary to earn it our Editors' Choice Award for gaming monitors.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Asus VG278H with several other monitors side by side.

More monitor reviews:
??? Lenovo ThinkVision LT1421
??? Asus VG278H
??? Acer S231HL
??? Asus PA246Q
??? Sony PlayStation 3D Display
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/PXPq434tXnM/0,2817,2398791,00.asp

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