China is Apple's second-largest and fastest-growing market

Cupertino, California-based Applehas been in talks about a tie-up with China Mobile for four years. A deal with China's biggest carrier is seen as crucial to improve Apple's distribution in a market of 290 million users - which is forecast to double this year.

China is Apple's second-largest and fastest-growing market - it brings in around 15 percent of total revenue - but the company's failure to strike a deal with China Mobile means it is missing out on a large number of phone users. As the China pie grows, Apple's sales increase, but without China Mobile, it's losing ground at a faster rate compared to other brands.

"In absolute terms, this (iPhone 5) launch will certainly result in strong sales for Apple in China. However, in relative terms, I don't believe it will move the needle enough in market share," said Shiv Putcha, a Mumbai-based analyst at Ovum, a global technology consultant.

Maybe that's what these slumping Detroit hitters need in this World Series

Toting his tiny aluminum bat, 5-year-old Gage Brookens wandered toward the cage and watched Austin Jackson, OmarInfante and a few other Tigers take batting practice on a chilly afternoon at Comerica Park.

Maybe that's what these slumping Detroit hitters need in this World Series. Metal bats, rather than their weak wood.

"Oh, I don't know if they'd allow that," kidded Gage's grandpop, Tigers first base coach Tom Brookens. "But the hitters definitely wouldn't mind."

Something better change for Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and the Tigers real soon or their year is going to end real shortly. They totaled only three runs and 10 hits in San Francisco while falling into a 2-0 deficit against the Giants.

He's even greeted by President Barack Obama

Still holding his wallet, he addresses the viewers: "You see this? It's called a wallet. Inside of a wallet, well, that's where money goes. Now do you know what money is? I'm guessing no because you're watching public television. Therefore, you don't have cable. Therefore, you're probably poor.

"Now you may be wondering: Where does money come from? Well, it comes from a magical place called our parents."

He's even greeted by President Barack Obama, working his second job as a mailman. Fallondidn't hesitate to take some shots at Obama either.

"You remember Mr. Obama, right?" Fallon's Romney says. "Last week at the debate, Mr. Obama taught us all a new word: Choke," with Fallon holding up a flashcard with the word on it.

When Obama delivers the new unemployment statistics, Romney then politely slams the door in his face and moves on throughout the house. 

Jose Maria Olazabal stepped off the plane carrying the Ryder Cup

Jose Maria Olazabal stepped off the plane carrying the Ryder Cup, a familiar sight considering that Europe has won six of the past eight times.

It was who followed the captain off the plane that showed how much the dynamics of this event have changed over the years.

Olazabal flew over from Londonwith only three of his 12 players — Paul Lawrie, Francesco Molinari and Ryder Cup rookie Nicolas Colsaerts.

Everyone else was already here.

Five of the Europeans — Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Peter Hanson, Graeme McDowell and Sergio Garcia — have homes at Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla.

Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, among four players who were in Atlanta on Sunday for the Tour Championship, are moving to south Florida. Luke Donald lives about 45 minutes away on the north side of Chicago.

Typically the top political draw in the final sprint to Election Day

Finally, the fall season offers the matchup sure to attract the biggest audience of the campaign: President Barack Obama goes one-on-one with Republican rival Mitt Romney in three prime-time debates.

Typically the top political draw in the final sprint to Election Day, the debates assume outsized importance this year with the race a dead heat. The two polished candidates will have their sound bites and rhetoric down cold so any slip or inadvertent move — like President GeorgeH.W. Bush's exasperated glance at his watch or Democrat Al Gore's repeated sighing — could roil the campaign for days and linger in voters' mind until Nov. 6.

Big media companies won a battle in the fight to combat online piracy

Big media companies won a battle in the fight to combat online piracy on Friday when Google said it would alter its search algorithms to favor Web sites that offered legitimate copyrighted movies, music and television.

Google said that beginning next week its algorithms would take into account the number of valid copyright removal notices Web sites have received. Web sites with multiple, valid complaints about copyright infringement may appear lower in Google search results.

Boyle sprang another giant surprise and picked seven teenage

Boyle sprang another giant surprise and picked seven teenage athletes for the supreme honor of igniting the Olympic cauldron. Together, they touched flaming torches to trumpetlike tubes that spread into a ring of fire.

The flames rose and joined elegantly together to form the cauldron. Fireworks erupted over the stadium to music from Pink Floyd. And with a singalong of "Hey Jude," Beatle Paul McCartney closed a show that ran 45 minutes beyond its scheduled three hours.

Organizers said the cauldron would be moved Sunday night to the corner of the stadium where a giant bell tolled during the show. 

Forking over a hundred grand apiece to select players

Lamented one middle-tier tournament director, who feels as though the firing spitwads against Justice's billion-dollar battleship: "We don't have the resources to throw another $1 million into the budget to buy players. It just doesn't fit our tournament model ... It's not a fair fight."

It's all the latest rage, really. In essence, select tournaments have become evermore clever and resourceful in finding ways to attract top players while skirting, albeit barely, the appearance-fee regulations. For the sake of propriety, let's call them inducements. Two of the tour's deep-pocketed sponsors, Zurich and Royal Bank of Canada, over the past 2-3 years launched what have become known as ambassador programs, wherein a handful of notable players have been signed to endorsement deals.

Forking over a hundred grand apiece to select players isn't against the rules, as long as the lone requirement in the contract agreement isn't to merely show up and play. That would connote an appearance fee, and as most fans know, they are verboten in the States, although not on other global tours. 

One proposal on the table would involve having a selection

"In terms of the selection process, we'd be comfortable with a compromise, and I think there's going to have to be a compromise on it," Swofford said. "I think you can mix those two (selection proposals) and come out with something that's sensible and that people can agree on."

One proposal on the table would involve having a selection committee choose the four teams, while taking into consideration certain criteria -- such as winning a conference and strength of schedule -- while selecting and seeding the teams.

"I think winning a conference championship should matter," Swofford said. "It doesn't have to be the end-all, be-all, but I think it should matter. It keeps the focus on winning a conference championship during the regular season."

The Celtics have their own Big Three that's winding down

The Celtics have their own Big Three that's winding down. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen won one and fell just short a second time and they may not get another shot.

"We don't know what's going to happen in the future," Pierce said. "There's definitely a sense of urgency there. A lot of things are going to be up in the air this summer. We want to try to get it done one last time."

The Heat want their first one with James, Wade and Chris Bosh but won't look too far ahead toward another berth in the finals just yet. Not with an opponent that's ended too many Miami seasons.

"We've been looking to this postseason with incredible anticipation and excitement. The regular season has been terrific for us. We've been able to accomplish a lot of things we wanted to," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "But this is the time of year that everybody looks forward to, and we have an opponent that we really respect. They've been playing as well as anybody." 

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The Sox probably would have given up their 12-2 victory

The Sox probably would have given up their 12-2 victory if they could keep their center fielder, leadoff hitter, and last year's American League runner-up in the MVP voting, upright for a full season.

This was the last thing the Sox needed during a season that had already begun without left fielder Carl Crawford, who is out with wrist and elbow discomfort.

"He's a huge part of our team,'' Pedroia said of Ellsbury. "You don't want your guys to go down. We hope he's fine.''

Kevin Youkilis said Ellsbury told him, "He felt something move in his shoulder.''

"Hope the MRI shows there's no structural damage and that it's just sore and he'll be back in a few days,'' Adrian Gonzalez said. "I feel badly for him. He's a guy who loves to play and he helped us win a game today. He's very valuable to our team. All we can do now is pray for him.''

Dirk Nowitzki kept the Mavericks afloat early with 16

Dirk Nowitzki kept the Mavericks afloat early with 16 first-half points on 8-of-10 shooting. He closed with 25, at 9 of 19 from the field. But with Finals foils Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea having moved on in offseason free agency, Dallas simply lacked the pop they produced in winning the final three games of last season's Finals.
Like so many recent Heat opponents, the Mavericks came out firing from beyond the 3-point line.
The Mavericks shot 5 of 11 on 3-pointers in the opening period, which tied their previous high in attempts for any period this season and was their high for a first quarter.

Hamlin started 13th at PIR and briefly led a couple of times

Trying to get away from the constant race chatter around the Charlotte, N.C., area, Hamlin rented a house in Paradise Valley for seven weeks during the offseason. He came back strong to start this season, finishing fourth at the Daytona 500 with new crew chief Darian Grubb after qualifying 31st.
Hamlin started 13th at PIR and briefly led a couple of times before beating Kevin Harvick off the line after a caution with 59 laps left. Harvick, NASCAR's best finisher, put a scare into him toward the end, but ran out of gas on the final lap.
Hamlin was concerned about gas as well, but had just enough for a celebratory burnout after his 18th career win and his first lead in the points since dejectedly leaving Phoenix in 2010.

Brown took the top spot in the Top Fuel standings

Antron Brown won the Top Fuel division in the NHRA Arizona Nationals on Sunday at Firebird International Raceway, holding off Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tony Schumacher in the final round with a run of 3.793 seconds at 319.82 mph.

Robert Hight topped the Funny Car field and Jason Line won the Pro Stock competition in the second of 23 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season.

Brown took the top spot in the Top Fuel standings, 32 points ahead of Schumacher.

Schumacher is winless in his last eight finals. He last win came in Las Vegas in Oct. 2010.