Rory Mcilroy the amateur golfer is 8 th most searched keyword in Google US

Rory McIlroy (born May 4, 1989) is an amateur golfer from Holywood, Northern Ireland. His home golf club is Holywood Golf Club.

McIlroy was a member of Europe's winning 2004 Junior Ryder Cup team. In 2005 he became the youngest ever winner of both the West of Ireland Championship and the Irish Close Championship. He retained the West of Ireland Championship in 2006 and followed that up with back to back wins at the Irish Close Championship. In August 2006 he won the European Amateur Championship at Biella Golf Club, near Milan, Italy.

In July 2005 he shot a course record 61 at Royal Portrush Golf Club.[1] In October 2006 McIlroy represented Ireland in the Eisenhower Trophy, the Amateur World Team Championship. On 6 February 2007 he became the second man to top the World Amateur Golf Rankings, though he lost the top spot after just one week.[2]

McIlroy made his first appearance in a European Tour event a few days after turning sixteen, when he took part in the 2005 British Masters. He made the cut on the European Tour for the first time as a seventeen year old at the 2007 Dubai Desert Classic, where he had to forego prize money of over €7,600 due to his amateur status.[3] He plans to turn professional in autumn 2007, soon after the Walker Cup, and hopes to win a place on the European Tour at the 2007 Qualifying School.[4]

Shot an opening round 3 under 68 at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie. Is only 3 shots off Sergio Garcia's lead.

Harry Potter Ending Spoiler

Now we're not going to spoil it for those die-hard fans, but for those who just can't wait to find out what happens, scroll down and highlight the white area below for some key plot lines.
Don't say we didn't warn you - click out of here if you don't want to know what Autumn has heard.

OKAY ... FINAL WARNING: If you scroll text below, you will be ruining the story for yourself. Also, the validity of the plot lines cannot be verified.

Good News: Dumbledore IS ALIVE!!
Bad News: Snape is forced to kill Dumbledore.
Ron Weasley dies.
Then later; Hermione dies.

AND they are REALLY dead and not coming back by the end of the book!

So then: Harry kills himself in order to destroy Voldemort!

In the end of the book Harry is reunited in the Deathly Hallows Ghost World with his parents, Ron, Hermione, Sirius and Dumbledore…kind of like the end of Return of the Jedi!


Though i seriously doubt the credentials of the source i really hope dumbledore is really alive

If you wonder what is this , read more about it!!!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. The book is scheduled to be released globally in English-speaking countries immediately after midnight (00:01), British Summer Time, on 21 July 2007. In the United States, it is to be released for sale within each separate time zone at 00:01 local time, a few hours after other English-speaking countries.[3]

The book reached the top spot on both the Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble bestseller lists just a few hours after the date of publication was announced on 1 February 2007.[4] Retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Borders are reporting that more orders have been placed for this book than for any other in history,[5] and American publisher Scholastic announced an unprecedented initial print run of 12 million copies.[6] The book is expected to be 608 pages in the British edition,[7] and has been confirmed to be 784 pages in the US edition.

Background to the series
For more details on this topic, see Harry Potter.
The Harry Potter series was originally published as a children's book by British publisher Bloomsbury, and American publisher Scholastic Press. It rapidly became a phenomenal success among children and adults. Each book chronicles one year at school for the characters concerned and follows a long tradition of children's series about life in schools.[9] Perhaps unlike some of the traditional series following this format, each new book has matured along with its original target audience (roughly keeping pace with the age of the principal characters), expanded in complexity and scope, and darkened in tone in comparison to previous volumes.[10] The books began as relatively slim volumes (223 pages Philosopher's Stone UK ed. 309 pages Sorcerer's Stone US ed.), but have grown as the series progressed (766 pages Order of the Phoenix UK ed. 870 pages Order of the Phoenix US ed).

The books contain significant elements of fantasy and magic, combined with a detective-novel approach to the story. Each volume involves a self-contained problem and task for the heroes to complete and adds to the background information about the fictional wizarding world. The books often provide seemingly innocuous pieces of information, the importance of which only becomes apparent in later volumes (one of many methods of foreshadowing used by Rowling, known as a Chekhov's gun). Rowling comprehensively plotted the entire series of seven books before the first was published, and although the overall plot remains unchanged, she has stated that it has undergone a number of revisions.

A number of books about the Harry Potter series have now become highly popular, with some 190 books written.[11] A book produced by the fan site MuggleNet reached position #2 on the New York Times children's paperback best seller list with over 335,000 copies in print.[12] Rowling has stated that she takes great pleasure from the interest of fans in the series: "I love [fan] theories more than I can possibly say. I take it as the highest compliment that people analyse the books so much and think about what might happen next so much. There are people who have got very close to the end of the final series."[13]

In a web update on 6 February 2007, she wrote,

While each of the previous Potter books has strong claims on my affections, 'Deathly Hallows' is my favourite, and that is the most wonderful way to finish the series.[14]


Book cover artwork release

UK editions

UK Children's Cover
UK Adult CoverThe UK children's cover depicts Harry, Ron and Hermione apparently falling into a large treasure of silver and gold; the trio appears frightened in the picture. Some creature's (presumably a house-elf) hand grips Harry's right shoulder, and wields a silver sword with a ruby mounted on the hilt with its other hand. The sword matches the description of Godric Gryffindor's sword in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The cover spine features a circle inscribed in a triangle with a vertical line bisecting the pair. The meaning of the symbol is uncertain. The front flap depicts Harry's Patronus (a stag) while the back flap shows a snake in a crystal ball.

The UK adult cover shows Salazar Slytherin's locket as described in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: golden with a large engraved serpentine S in green gems.

Bloomsbury has released the inside flaps and full jacket covers alongside their respective covers.:[15]

Inside Flap:

“ Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety, and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him.
In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectacular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again.
”

Back Cover:

“ Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing – if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with? ”


U.S. editions

The U.S. book cover
The Deluxe U.S. book cover
This image is a candidate for speedy deletion. It will be deleted after Wednesday, 25 July 2007.Scholastic has also released the American cover. The cover is a wraparound, meaning that it depicts a single panoramic image spanning over the entire front, back and spine of the book. David Saylor, art director at Scholastic, described the cover:[16]

The structures around Harry show evident destruction and in the shadows behind him, we see outlines of other people. On the back cover, spidery hands are outstretched toward Harry. Only when the book is opened does one see a powerful image of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, his glowing red eyes peering out from his hood.

Mary GrandPré, the illustrator of the U.S. edition books, has not used a monochromatic colour scheme, as she did with Order of the Phoenix (blue hues) and Half-Blood Prince (green hues). Instead, she has reverted to the colour schemes of the first four books.

The U.S. Deluxe Edition features a different cover picture, with Harry and company flying on the back of a dragon above a small village that is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains.


Choice of title

The book's title revealed on J. K. Rowling's website.Shortly before the release of the title, J. K. Rowling announced that she had considered three different titles for the book.[17][18] The final title "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was released to the public on December 21, 2006 via a special Christmas-themed hangman puzzle on Rowling's website, confirmed shortly afterwards by the book's publishers.[19] The particular date has given rise to some interest, due to two prophecies included in Order of the Phoenix, that state "...at the solstice will come a new... and none will come after..."[20]

When asked "What does 'Deathly Hallows' mean?" J.K. Rowling responded, "Any clarification of the meaning of 'Hallows' would give away too much of the story – well, it would, wouldn't it? Being the title and all. So I'm afraid I'm not answering."[21] She also declined to say what her other shortlisted title had been, at least until after publication. The phrase "Deathly Hallows" was trademarked under the name "Stone Connect (UK) Limited" on December 5, 2006, along with 5 other phrases.[22] It was later denied that any of the others had ever been contenders for the actual title.[23] The word "hallows" had already appeared in phrases registered by representatives of Warner Brothers before publication of Half-Blood Prince. "Hallows of Hogwarts" and "Hogwarts Hallows" were registered as trademarks by Seabottom Productions Ltd in 2003-2004, amongst a number of fake titles.[9][24]


Marketing campaigns
The launch will be celebrated by an all night book signing and reading at the Natural History Museum in London which Rowling will attend along with 1700 guests chosen by ballot.[25] Rowling intends to tour the USA in October, where another event will be held at Carnegie Hall in New York with tickets allocated by sweepstake.[26]

Scholastic Inc., the American publisher of the Harry Potter series, launched a multi-million dollar "THERE WILL SOON BE 7" marketing campaign with a 'Knight Bus' travelling to forty libraries across the United States, online fan discussions and competitions, collectible bookmarks, tattoos, and the staged release of seven Deathly Hallows questions most debated by fans.[6]

Scholastic will also host "Harry Potter Place" - a magical and interactive street celebration for kids and adults at Scholastic headquarters in New York City, where the first U.S. signed edition of Deathly Hallows will be unveiled on July 20.[27] The festivities will include a 20 foot high Whomping Willow, face-painting, wand-making, fire-eaters, magicians, jugglers and stilt-walkers.

Several bookstores have set up small kiosks displaying free-to-take bookmarks. The Bookmarks show reasons why Severus Snape should be considered a friend or a foe on opposite sides along with the Deathly Hallows logo at the bottom.[28]

J. K. Rowling has arranged with her publishers for a poster bearing the face of the missing Madeleine McCann to be made available to book sellers when Deathly Hallows is launched on 21 July and said that she hoped that the posters would be displayed prominently in shops all over the world.[29]


What is known about the plot
Rowling completed the book while staying at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh in January 2007, and left a signed statement on a marble bust of Hermes in her room which read: "JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (652) on 11 January 2007".[30] She has stated that the final volume relates very closely to the previous book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, so much so that the two books are "almost as though they are two halves of the same novel."[31] Prior to completing the manuscript, Rowling stated that she could not change the ending of the book, even if she wanted to. "These books have been plotted for such a long time, and for six books now, that they're all leading a certain direction. So, I really can't."[13]


Unresolved plot elements from previous books
Harry will return to the home of his Muggle relatives, the Dursleys (whose cooperation has been requested by Albus Dumbledore), during the school holiday. The magical protection Dumbledore arranged, which requires Harry to have a home with them, is set to expire on his upcoming birthday, when he comes of age.HBP Ch.4
Harry plans to visit the remains of his parents' home in Godric's Hollow. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger plan on accompanying him on this trip.HBP Ch.30
Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour plan on getting married in August. Several of the main characters have been invited.HBP Ch.30
Bill Weasley has been bitten by a werewolf (Fenrir Greyback); however, Fenrir was not fully transformed (he was not bitten on the day of a full moon), and we have yet to see the full effect of the bite. So far it has been said that Bill has merely developed a taste for steak cooked very rare.
It is unclear what will happen to Hogwarts after the attack on the school at the end of Half-Blood Prince, but Harry has said he will leave school to continue his battle against Voldemort. If the school reopens, replacements will be required for Severus Snape (Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor and head of Slytherin house) and possibly Minerva McGonagall (Transfiguration instructor, head of Gryffindor house and deputy Headmistress) in the event that she becomes Headmistress.HBP Ch.29 HBP Ch.30
Wormtail owes Harry a life debt that has not yet been repaid.
Harry must destroy all of Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes before Voldemort can be defeated. Dumbledore believed there were a total of six, and that two so far have been destroyed (the Gaunt ring and Riddle's diary).
There is no explanation at the end of Half-Blood Prince as to the true identity of the mysterious "R.A.B.", who claimed to have stolen one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, a locket, with the intent to destroy it, while replacing it with a fake locket, later recovered by Harry and Dumbledore.HBP Ch.28 Rowling said Regulus Black was "a fine guess" for R.A.B.'s identity in an interview.[32]
The true loyalty and motivations of Severus Snape have been unclear throughout the series. At different points in the series, Snape's actions have either conflicted with his stated intentions or with his previous actions. Because of the contradictions in his behavior, Snape remains a potential wild card. This is in contrast to the other main characters who have very clearly chosen allegiances.
It has not been explained why, when Dumbledore heard that Voldemort had used Harry's blood to resurrect himself, Harry sees a "gleam of triumph" in Dumbledore's eyes. GF Ch.36 Rowling has said that this is still "enormously significant".[33]
Since the first book, Harry has shown the ability to speak Parseltongue - the language of snakes. It is speculated at various points in the series that his acquisition of this skill was one of the many by-products of Lord Voldemort's attempt on his life when he was a child. However, the ability could also have been inherited. Given that Salazar Slytherin prized this ability in his top students, including Voldemort, it raises the question about a deeper relationship or similarity beteween Harry, his parents, and Voldemort.
It is still unclear if Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather, is indeed dead or just trapped behind the arch. (He was not hit with the "Killing Curse" as shown in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
No one was credited with performing the magic involved with the spectacular flaming raising of the white marble tomb of Dumbledore. Whether or not this is significant taken along with Scrimgeour's hasty assertion a few plot moments later that "He's gone... not even Dumbledore can return from the—" creates a slight opening to hopeful speculation. However, J.K. Rowling has repeatedly quashed theories that state Dumbledore is alive.

Hints from Rowling
Rowling drafted the last chapter of the book several years ago to give herself an ending to work towards. The chapter contains details of what happens to the surviving characters:
This is the thing that I was very dubious about showing you... this is the final chapter of book seven. This is really where I wrap everything up, it's the epilogue. And I basically say what happens to everyone after they leave school - those who survive - because there are deaths - more deaths coming. It was a way of saying to myself, 'Well, you will get it, you will get to book seven one day. And then you'll need this!' So I'd just like to remind all the children I know who come around my house and start sneaking into cupboards that it's not there anymore - I don't keep it at home anymore for very, very, very obvious reasons. So there it is.[34]

Rowling has stated that there will be no Quidditch matches in Deathly Hallows.[35]
J. K. Rowling said in 2001 that Harry might get another pet at some point.[36] Although Buckbeak may have filled this role (Harry obtained possession of the Hippogriff after the death of Sirius Black, albeit under Hagrid's care), she also hinted that Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, might have another role.[37]
We will learn something very important about Lily:
Now, the important thing about Harry's mother - the really, really significant thing - you're going to find out in two parts. You'll find out a lot more about her in book five, or you'll find out something very significant about her in book five, and you'll find out something incredibly important about her in book seven.

—– J. K. Rowling[38]
Rowling has long said that the fact that Harry has "his mother's eyes" is "very important."[39]
Severus Snape has been an important and enigmatic character throughout the books, as his true loyalty has always remained unclear. It is to be anticipated that as a surviving major character, his loyalty will be settled in the final confrontation of the book.[40][41]
Questioner: There’s an important kind of redemptive pattern to Snape.
Rowling: He, um, there’s so much I wish I could say to you, and I can't because it would ruin. I promise you, whoever asked that question, can I just say to you that I'm slightly stunned that you've said that and you'll find out why I'm so stunned if you read Book Seven. That's all I’m going to say.[38]
At the Edinburgh book festival, Rowling mentioned that something more would be revealed about Petunia Dursley. Nothing of note occurred in book 6, so this remains to be discovered.[42]
..there is a little bit more to Aunt Petunia than meets the eye...She is not a squib, although that is a very good guess. Oh, I am giving a lot away here. I am being shockingly indiscreet.

Rowling repeated this comment at the Radio City charity reading in August 2006.[43] She clarified by stating that Aunt Petunia will not perform magic.[44]
Rowling has said that some non-magical character will perform magic late in life under desperate circumstances.[45] However, Petunia will not be the one to perform magic (see above).
Also at Edinburgh, Rita Skeeter was mentioned: "She is loathsome . . . but I can't help admiring her toughness. . . . There is more to come on Rita."[42]
On Dolores Umbridge, "It's too much fun to torture her not to have another little bit more before I finish."[35]
Rowling has said that Ginny Weasley is quite powerful, that we have seen a taste of that in the past, and we will see it again.[35]
Viktor Krum is set for a reappearance.[46]
Kreacher, the former Black Family house elf which passed to Harry's ownership with the death of Sirius Black, may make an appearance. Rowling told the filmmakers of Order of the Phoenix to include the character in the movie, because he is "very important", after they had omitted him in a draft of the script.[47][48]
Sirius Black's flying motorbike and the two-way mirror he gave Harry will return.[46] In fact, Rowling has mentioned in one of her FAQs that the two way mirror "will help more than you think." Rowling refused to comment whether Sirius himself might in some way reappear, but she has also said that there was a reason why he had to die.[49]
Arthur Weasley's flying car, which was last seen in the Hogwarts forest,[HP2] will reappear.[50]
Rowling refused to comment when asked whether the locked door in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic would feature in the final book.[51]
Rowling revealed in a 1999 interview that one of Harry's classmates will become a Hogwarts teacher, though not Harry himself and 'not who you think'. When asked, Rowling also ruled out Ron. This implies that Hogwarts will re-open at some point.[38]
In an interview after the completion of the Prisoner of Azkaban film, she commented that director Alfonso Cuarón had "put things in the film that, without knowing it, foreshadow things that are going to happen in the final two books. So I really got goosebumps when I saw a couple of those things, and I thought people are going to look back on the film and think those were put in deliberately as clues."[52]
There are indications that at least two of the main characters will die. In a June 2006 interview about the previously-written ending, Rowling stated that:
One character got a reprieve, but I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die...A price has to be paid. We are dealing with pure evil...They go for the main characters...well, I do".[10]

When further questioned in June 2006 about authors who kill off their main characters, Rowling said "I can completely understand, however, the mentality of an author who thinks, well, I'm going to kill them off because that means there can be no non-author-written sequels."[10]
Rowling clarified that "Dumbledore is definitely dead", when asked by Sir Salman Rushdie and others at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Rowling answered the same question three times, each time with increasing conviction.[53] However, on the set of the Order of the Phoenix film, she remarked; "Dumbledore's giving me a lot of trouble". When asked "But isn't he dead?" by Daniel Radcliffe, she explained; "Well, yeah, but it's more complex…."[54]
When asked what questions she should have been asked, she admitted that "the final book contains a couple of pieces of information that I don't think you could guess at", and declined to explain further.[43] On 13 September, 2006 she updated her website saying that when she was asked that question, her mind went blank. Since she couldn't make amends, she created a NAQ section of her website, in tribute to the girl who asked the question. In her NAQ section, she states:
Why did Dumbledore have James' invisibility cloak at the time of James' death, given that Dumbledore could make himself invisible without a cloak?

On 29 September 2006, she revealed that Severus Snape was not under the cloak the night of the Potters' death in the Rumours Section of her website.
Asked which five of her characters she would like to invite to dinner, she chose Harry, Hermione and Ron, but then hesitated before choosing her last characters, saying "See... I know who's actually dead," unsure whether she was permitted to invite those who are 'dead'.[43]
Responding to the news that Lord Voldemort was voted best villain at the Big Bad Read poll, Rowling commented:
I hope those of you who voted for him in the big bad read enjoy reading about him in book seven, where he finally gets the leg room for which he has been aching all those years in exile.[55]

During a July 2007 interview broadcast on the BBC One's Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Rowling announced that "scar" was no longer the last word in the book. Although long reported and confirmed by Rowling to be the final word of book 7, Rowling went on record as saying that "Scar is quite near the end, but it's not the last word." She refused to say what the last word was.[56]
During an interview for the New York Times, Jim Dale claims there is a surprise ending. [57]

Pre-release controversy

Anticipation
Rowling made a public request that anyone with advance information about the content of the last book should keep it to themselves, in order to avoid spoiling the experience for other readers.[58] To this end, Bloomsbury invested 10 million pounds in an attempt to keep the book's contents secure until the July 21 release date.[59] However, there was speculation that some shops would break the embargo and distribute copies of the book early, as the penalty imposed for previous installments — that the distributor would not be supplied with any further copies of the series — would no longer be a disincentive.[60]


Online leaks
In the week prior to its release, a number of texts purporting to be genuine leaks appeared in a number of forms. On July 16, a set of photographs, claimed to be all 759 pages of the US edition, were leaked to the internet,[61] appearing on websites and peer-to-peer networks, leading Scholastic to seek a subpoena in order to identify one source.[62] Scholastic described the content of the texts as "convincing" but refused to comment on their authenticity, noting only that several texts had conflicting content, with a similar reaction from the publishers.[63] If proven to be a genuine leak, it would be the most serious security breach in the Harry Potter series' history.[64]


Early delivery
One reader in Maryland received a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the mail from DeepDiscount.com four days before it was launched, with incredulous responses on part of both Scholastic and DeepDiscount. Scholastic initially reported that they were satisfied it had been a "human error" and wouldn't discuss whether they would be penalized.[65] However, later the following day, Scholastic announced that approximately 1 ten-thousandth (0.01%) of the US supply had been shipped early, which would constitute around 1200 copies,[66] and that it would would be launching legal action against DeepDiscount.com and its distributor, Levy Home Entertainment.[67]


ASDA
A shipment of 500,000 copies, to the UK's second-largest supermarket chain ASDA (a Wal-Mart subsidiary) of the book was cancelled by the publishers. Bloomsbury cited a disagreement over "unsettled bills" as the reason, although ASDA asserted that it was due to its accusations of "blatant profiteering" in the publisher's decision to charge a price of £17.99 for a children's book — ASDA had chosen to charge a price under half of this in its stores, in line with many booksellers, and claimed that Bloomsbury was "holding children to ransom". However, after apologising for its earlier comments, and paying the outstanding balance, Bloomsbury confirmed that it would restore the shipment.[68][69]


Israel
The book's early Saturday morning release in Israel was criticized for violating the Sabbath; Trade and Industry Minister Eli Yishai commented that "It is forbidden, according to Jewish values and Jewish culture, that a thing like this should take place at 2 a.m. on Saturday. Let them do it on another day."[70]


After Deathly Hallows
As of 2007, Rowling has been working on the Harry Potter stories for 17 years.

In a 2000 interview through Scholastic, Rowling stated that there isn't a university after Hogwarts and that she did not plan on further Harry Potter books:[71]
Q: Do you think that you will write about Harry after he graduates from Hogwarts? Isn't there a University of Wizardry?
A: No, there's no University for Wizards. At the moment I'm only planning to write seven Harry Potter books. I won't say "never," but I have no plans to write an eighth book.
When asked about writing other books similar to Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, she has said that she might consider doing this with proceeds donated to charity, as was the case with those two books. Another suggestion is an encyclopedia-style tome containing information that never made it into the series, also for charity.[10][11]
Rowling jokingly posted on her website saying that if she was to make an eighth book, then it could be called: "Harry Potter and the Mid-Life Crisis."[citation needed]
Shortly before the release of book 5, in an interview for the BBC, she was asked about Harry's future by Jeremy Paxman:[72]
Jeremy Paxman: So you know what is going to become of all the major characters over the span of the series?
J.K. Rowling: Yeah...yeah.
Jeremy Paxman: Why stop when they grow up? Might be interesting to know what becomes of Harry as an adult.
J.K. Rowling: How do you know he'll still be alive?
Jeremy Paxman: Oh. At the end of book seven?
J.K. Rowling: It would be one way to kill off the merchandising.
Rowling issued the following statement on her website about finishing the final book:[14]
I always knew that Harry's story would end with the seventh book, but saying goodbye has been just as hard as I always knew it would be. Even while I'm mourning, though, I feel an incredible sense of achievement. I can hardly believe that I've finally written the ending I've been planning for so many years. I've never felt such a mixture of extreme emotions in my life, never dreamed I could feel simultaneously heartbroken and euphoric.

Some of you have expressed a (much more muted!) mixture of happiness and sadness at the prospect of the last book being published, and that has meant more than I can tell you. If it comes as any consolation, I think that there will be plenty to continue arguing and speculating about, even after Deathly Hallows comes out.

Mike Vick/Michael Vick: 4th most searched keyword in Google US

Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980 in Newport News, Virginia) is an American football quarterback for the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons franchise. He is the older brother of former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Marcus Vick, and is the cousin of former New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders quarterback Aaron Brooks.

At 6'-0" and 215 pounds, the left-handed passing Vick is one of the smaller quarterbacks in the league but is regarded by many pundits and fans as being one of the NFL's most exciting players for his speed, agility, and arm strength. However, Vick's detractors have pointed to his mediocre passing statistics and ratings, as well as his inability to lead his team to consistent playoff appearances.

Vick rose from a youth living in a public housing project to become one of the highest paid NFL players, as well as earning lucrative commercial product endorsements. In Virginia and Georgia, he has been involved in charitable activities, especially those which benefit economically-disadvantaged youth such as after-school programs, football camps, and the Boys and Girls Clubs. In 2006, he joined his mother and brother in forming the Vick Foundation.

Beginning in April 2007, Vick came under media scrutiny when authorities discovered extensive evidence of dog fighting activities at a 15-acre property he owned in Surry County, Virginia. An initial search for narcotics developed into parallel investigations by local, Virginia and federal authorities in the following weeks and months. Vick, along with three others, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 17, 2007 for "conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in animal fighting venture" known as "Bad Newz Kennels".[1] Vick an the co-defendants face $350,000 in fines and six years in prison if convicted of the federal charges. [2] The 18 page federal indictment [3] outlines an extensive operation based in Surry County, Virginia which included not only unlawful fighting, but violence against dogs which did not perform well including executions by electrocution, hanging, and shooting, and well as involving tens of thousands of dollars in gambling activity. The operation was based at Vick's 15-acre property near Smithfield, Virginia, valued at over $700,000, which could conceivably be forfeited to the government, as the indictment also puts them on notice that the government intends to take possession of property used in the illegal operations and any proceeds.

Possible additional state charges are still under investigation, and may be brought before grand jury on July 24, according the Surry County Sheriff Harold D. Brown.


Early life
Michael Vick was born to Brenda Vick (16) and Michael Boddie (17) on June 26, 1980, in Newport News, Virginia. His parents married five years later, by which time they had four children, Michael's older sister Christina, and younger siblings Marcus and Courtney. The children elected to continue to use their mother's name as their surname after their parents wed.

The children grew up living in Ridley Circle, a public housing project in a financially depressed and crime-ridden neighborhood located in the East End section of the port city on Hampton Roads, not far from its massive shipyard and coal piers. Their mother worked jobs such at a local Kmart and driving a school bus part-time.

During the children's early years, Vick's father had a job which required a lot of travel, but taught football skills to his sons at an early age. Vick was only three years old when his father, nicknamed "Bullet" for his blinding speed during his own playing days on the gridiron, began teaching him the fundamentals.

Vick also learned a lot about football from a second cousin 4 years older, Aaron Brooks. Vick and Brooks both spent a lot of time as youths at the local Boys and Girls Club.[4][5]


High school career
Vick first came to prominence while at Ferguson High School in Newport News. As a freshman, he impressed many with his athletic ability, throwing for over 400 yards in a game that year. In 1996, as a junior, Vick and coach Tom Reamon both moved to Warwick High School, also in Newport News, after Ferguson High School was closed as part of a school building modernization program of Newport News Public Schools.

At Warwick High School, Vick was a three-year starter where he passed for 4,846 yards with 43 touchdowns during his career. He once ran for six touchdowns and threw for three touchdowns in a single game. He also added 1,048 yards and 18 scores on the ground and accounted for ten passing and ten rushing touchdowns as a senior as he passed for 1,668 yards.


College career

Vick on the cover of ESPN The MagazineAfter high school, Michael Vick attended Virginia Tech. In his first collegiate game as a redshirt freshman in 1999, he scored three rushing touchdowns in just over one quarter of play. His last touchdown was a spectacular flip in which he landed awkwardly on his ankle, forcing him to miss the remainder of the game in addition to the following game. During the season, Vick led a last-minute game-winning drive against West Virginia in the annual rivalry game. He led the Hokies to an 11-0 season and to the 2000 Bowl Championship Series national title game in the Nokia Sugar Bowl against Florida State University. Although Virginia Tech lost 46-29, Vick was able to bring the team back from a 21 point deficit to take a brief lead. During the season, Vick appeared on the cover of an ESPN The Magazine issue.

Vick led the NCAA in passing efficiency that year, setting a record for a freshman (180.4), which was also good enough for the third-highest all-time mark (Colt Brennan holds the record at 185.9 from his 2006 season at Hawaii). Vick was awarded an ESPY Award as the nation's top college player, and won the first-ever Archie Griffin Award as college football's most valuable player. He was invited to the 1999 Heisman Trophy presentation and finished third in the voting behind Ron Dayne and Joe Hamilton. Vick's third-place finish matched the highest finish ever by a freshman up to that point, first set by Herschel Walker in 1980 (Adrian Peterson has since broken that mark, finishing second in 2004).

Vick's 2000 season did have its share of highlights, such as his career rushing high of 2 yards against the Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Against West Virginia in the Black Diamond Trophy game, Vick accounted for 288 total yards of offense and two touchdowns in a 48-20 win. In his final collegiate season, Virginia Tech finished 11-1, with the lone loss coming against the highly-ranked University of Miami, a game where Vick saw limited action due to injury. Vick's final game at Virginia Tech came in the Toyota Gator Bowl, where he was named MVP of the game.


College awards
1999 Big East Conference Rookie of the Year
1999 Big East Conference Offensive Player of the Year
1999 Archie Griffin Award
2000 Best College Football Player ESPY Award
2001 Toyota Gator Bowl MVP

NFL career

NFL Draft
Vick was selected in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft with the first overall pick. The San Diego Chargers had the number one selection spot in the draft that year but traded the rights to the first overall choice to the Atlanta Falcons a day before the draft, for which they received the Falcons' first round pick (5th overall) and third round pick in 2001 (used to draft CB Tay Cody), a second round pick in 2002 (used to draft WR Reche Caldwell) and WR/KR Tim Dwight. With the Chargers' downgraded spot (the 5th overall), they selected Texas Christian University running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who went on to become league MVP in 2006 (although Vick has never become league MVP, he finished second in voting in 2004).[6] In this way, Tomlinson and Vick are linked as having been "traded" for each other, although the transaction was actually the result of traded draft picks and contract negotiations.[7]


Early career and success
Vick made his NFL debut at San Francisco on September 9, 2001, and saw limited action. He completed his first NFL pass with an 18-yard strike to WR Tony Martin in the second quarter vs. Carolina on September 23 and first NFL touchdown on a two-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter to help the Falcons to a 24-16 victory. Vick made his first career start at Dallas on November 11 and threw the first touchdown pass of his career on a nine-yard toss to TE Alge Crumpler in a 20-13 victory. In his two starts of the eight games played that season, Vick completed 50 of 113 passes for 785 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, including accounting for 234 of the team's 255 yards at the team’s season finale at St. Louis on January 6, 2002. He also rushed 29 times for 289 yards (9.9 avg.) and one touchdown.

In 2002, Vick became a bona fide star and MVP candidate in his first season as a full-time starter at the age of 22. He was named to his first Pro Bowl after starting all 15 games played, only missing a game to the New York Giants on October 13 due to a sprained shoulder. He completed 231 of 421 passes for 2,936 yards (both career-highs) and 16 touchdowns, while he also tallied 113 carries for 777 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. In this season, Vick established numerous single-game career-highs, including passes completed with 24 and pass attempts with 46 at Pittsburgh on November 10, as well as passing yards with 337 vs. Detroit on December 22. He also completed a career-long 74 yards for a touchdown to WR Trevor Gaylor vs. New Orleans on November 17. Vick registered an NFL record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single a game with 173 yards at Minnesota on December 1. Vick also tied for third in team history for the lowest interception percentage in a season at 1.90 and continued a streak of consecutive passes without an interception that began at St. Louis on January 6, 2002 in the season-finale of the 2001 season and extended to the first quarter vs. Baltimore on November 3, 2002. His streak covered 25 straight quarters and 177 passes without an interception. On January 1, 2003, Vick led the Atlanta Falcons to an upset victory over the heavily favored Green Bay Packers 27-7 in the NFC playoffs, ending the Packers' undefeated playoff record at Lambeau Field. The Falcons would later lose 20-6 to the Donovan McNabb-led Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional playoff game.


Injury and return to success
During a pre-season game against the Baltimore Ravens on August 16, Vick suffered a fractured right fibula and missed the first 11 games of the regular season. In Week 13, Vick made his season debut in relief of QB Doug Johnson in the third quarter at Houston on November 30, completing 8 of 11 passes for 60 yards and recording 16 rushing yards on three carries. He posted his first start of the season vs. Carolina on December 7 and amassed the third-highest rushing total by a quarterback in NFL history with 141 yards on 14 carries and one score to lead the Falcons to a come-from-behind 20-14 overtime victory. The 141 yards trail Tobin Rote's 150 yards on November 18, 1951 with Green Bay and his own NFL record of 173 at Minnesota December 1, 2002 on the NFL's all-time list for quarterbacks. He also completed 16 of 33 passes for 179 yards and accounted for 320 of the team's 380 total yards worth of offense. On December 20, Vick engineered a 30-28 victory at Tampa Bay completing 8 of 15 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns for a passer rating of 119.2. Vick closed out the season with a 21-14 victory vs. Jacksonville on December 28, where he completed 12 of 22 passes for 180 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Ending the season starting four of five games played, Vick completed 50 of 100 passes for 585 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions and also rushing 40 times for 255 yards and one touchdown while guiding the Falcons to a 3-1 record in the final four weeks of action.

In 2004, Vick was named to his second Pro Bowl after starting all 15 games played and completing 181 of 321 passes for 2,313 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while he also posted career-highs with 120 carries for 902 yards along with three rushing touchdowns. The 902 rushing yards with a 7.52 average per carry ranked third and second, respectively, in NFL annals for quarterbacks. Vick was also named NFC Offensive Player of the Week on two separate occasions during the season, one for his performance at Denver on October 31 when he became the first quarterback to throw for more than 250 yards and rush for over 100 yards in the same game. He led the team to an 11-4 record, which was the third-best record for a starting quarterback in team history behind Chris Chandler (13-1 in 1998) and Steve Bartkowski (12-4 in 1980). Overall, the Falcons finished the season with an 11-5 record, earning a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs for only the third time in franchise history. The Vick-led Falcons rushed for a playoff record 317 yards. (Vick himself had 119 of them, setting an NFL playoff record for a quarterback). He also threw two touchdown passes against the Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. However, the Eagles again played the role of heart breaker, beating them in the NFC title game 27-10.


Recent years

Vick scans the field against the SaintsIn 2005, Vick was named to his third Pro Bowl after starting all 15 games played and completing 214 of 387 passes for 2,412 yards with 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Vick’s 2,412 passing yards moved his career totals to 9,031 in 2005, which bumped him into fourth place all-time in Falcons history. His 597 rushing yards on 102 carries (5.9 avg.) with six scores led all NFL quarterbacks and his 5.9 average yards per carry led all NFL rushers with at least 100 carries. Vick also helped three players have career years in RB Warrick Dunn, TE Alge Crumpler, and WR Michael Jenkins. With eight wins in 2005, Vick moved into third place on the Falcons all-time career wins list for quarterbacks. Only Steve Bartkowski (55) and Chris Chandler (34) have won more games for the team.


Vick (#7) watches from the sidelines while the defense is on the field against the GiantsVick entered the 2006 season ranked sixth in winning percentage among current NFL starting quarterbacks (.618). On October 22, 2006, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Vick had his first game in which he threw three or more touchdowns. After three quarters, Vick had four touchdowns, three of which went to Alge Crumpler. The following week against the Cincinnati Bengals, he threw three more with no interceptions and was honored with the NFC Player of the Week award. Vick also had a career high-tying four TD passes vs. Dallas in Week 15. During the 2006 season, Vick connected on 204 of 388 passes for 2,474 yards with a career-high 20 touchdowns. He was also third in the league in rushes of ten or more yards with 44, behind only the Giants' Tiki Barber (50) and Kansas City's Larry Johnson (49).

Only Randall Cunningham and Steve Young have more rushing yards at the quarterback position than Vick, who is ranked first in career rushing yards among active QB's. Vick is also first among QB's all-time in rushing yards per game, at 53.5 yards per game. Cunningham is second (30.6/g), Bobby Douglass is third (29.8/g). Vick also holds several NFL quarterback rushing records, including most rushing yards in one game (173), most 100-yard rushing games (7), and most rushing yards in a single season (1,039).


NFL awards
2003 Best NFL Player ESPY Award
2005 Galloping Gobbler

College records and milestones
Led the Hokies to a 20-1 record over two seasons and carried the school to the National Championship Game in his first season as a college starting quarterback in 1999.
Applied for early entry into NFL draft (as a redshirt sophomore) after two seasons as Virginia Tech's starter and one appearance in a National Championship Game.
Completed 87 of 161 passes for 1,234 yards with eight touchdowns while carrying 104 times for 607 yards as a sophomore in 2000.
Captured the first-ever Archie Griffin Award as college football Player of the Year as a (redshirt) freshman when he led the nation in passing efficiency at 180.37, the second-highest total ever, and guided the Hokies to a perfect 11-0 regular season record.
Set an NCAA record for a freshman and established single-season school records for highest yards passing per completion (20.4), per attempt (12.1), highest completion percentage (59.2) and most yards per play (9.3).
Appeared in ten games, completing 90 of 152 passes for 1,840 yards with 12 touchdowns, and rushed 108 times for 585 yards with eight more scores. He averaged 242.5 yards of offense per game.
His performance in the Sugar Bowl vs. Florida State for the National Championship included completing 15 of 29 pass attempts for 225 yards with a 49-yard touchdown pass, as well as gaining 97 yards on 23 carries with a three-yard score, to total 322 yards of offense in almost single-handedly engineering an upset before falling, 46-29.
Finished third in the balloting for the coveted Heisman Trophy (matching the highest finish ever by a freshman) while coming away with the hardware for Big East Conference Offensive and Rookie of the Year and finished runner-up in voting for the Associated Press Player of the Year.
Became the first player in Division I history to win a league's Player of the Year Award in the same season he won Rookie of the Year.
Finished his career with a 20-1 record as starter at Virginia Tech.
Prior to the Virginia Tech-LSU contest on September 1, 2002, Vick's No. 7 jersey was retired by the school in a special ceremony. (Under Virginia Tech's then-new policy, the No. 7 jersey continues to be worn as Tech retires jerseys but not numbers.) The school added a banner featuring Vick's jersey and his name in the north end of the end zone.

NFL records and milestones
In 2006, Vick became the only quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards during the regular season.
In 2006, Vick set the NFL record for most yards per carry in a season, at 8.4.
When Vick and RB Jerious Norwood both ran for over 100 yards in Week 4 of the 2006 season, the Falcons became the only NFL team to ever record two games in a franchise's history where both the quarterback and a running back on the same team surpassed the 100-yard mark in the same game. (Vick and Warrick Dunn both eclipsed 100 yards in Week 2 of the same season.)
Vick (1,039 yards) and Dunn (1,140) became the first QB/RB tandem in NFL history to each go over the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the same season. They also became the fourth set of teammates in league history to each have 1,000 or more yards. The last set of teammates to accomplish the feat were Cleveland RBs Kevin Mack (1,104 yards) and Earnest Byner (1,002) in 1985.
Earned his second consecutive and third overall Pro Bowl nod in 2005 as he passed for 2,412 yards and 16 touchdowns in addition to leading all NFL quarterbacks with 597 rushing yards and six scores.
Named to the second Pro Bowl of his career after leading the Falcons to their third division title in team history and breaking numerous NFL and team records in 2004.
Set an NFL postseason record for a quarterback with 119 rushing yards in the 2004 NFC Divisional Playoff win against the Rams.
Became the first quarterback to ever throw for more than 250 yards and rush for over 100 yards in the same game at the Broncos (10/31/04).
Named to the 2002 Pro Bowl, becoming the sixth quarterback to be voted to the NFL All-Star game in his first year as a starter since 1970, joining Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins (1983), Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers (1992), Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams (1999), Daunte Culpepper of the Minnesota Vikings (2000), and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots (2001). This group would later include Marc Bulger of the St. Louis Rams (2003), Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers (2006), and Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys (2006).
Top overall NFL draft choice in 2001 after a celebrated college career at Virginia Tech. Was the fourth Falcons #1 overall pick in club history (Tommy Nobis in 1966, Steve Bartkowski in 1975, Aundray Bruce in 1988)

NCAA career passing statistics

Year Team Conference CMP ATT YDS TD INT RAT
1999 Virginia Tech Big East 90 152 1,840 12 5 180.37
2000 Virginia Tech Big East 87 161 1,234 8 6 127.36
Career Virginia Tech Big East 177 313 3,074 20 11 153.10


NFL career statistics
Year Passing Rushing
Comp Att Yds TD Int Rating Att Yds Avg TD
2001 50 113 785 2 3 62.7 31 289 9.3 1
2002 231 421 2,936 16 8 81.6 113 777 6.9 8
2003 50 100 585 4 3 69.0 40 255 6.4 1
2004 181 321 2,313 14 12 78.1 120 902 7.5 3
2005 214 387 2,412 15 13 73.1 102 597 5.9 6
2006 204 388 2,474 20 13 75.7 123 1,039 8.4 2
Total 930 1,730 11,505 71 52 75.7 523 3,859 7.3 21


Style of play

Vick (far left) runs the offense against the Lions in a 2005 Thanksgiving Day gameVick is noted for his unique, explosive playing style. Some commentators consider him the most exciting player in the game of football, and he has given himself the nickname "Superman".[8] Gifted with agility, speed, and a strong arm, he can engineer big plays with both his arm and his legs. Notable is the fact that while he throws left-handed, he is otherwise right-handed. In the 2004 football season (including post season), he rushed for over 1000 yards. Vick's mobility has often caused major problems for opposing defenses, which have to defend against him differently than they would against a conventional-style quarterback. Whereas most quarterbacks are not a major threat to run the ball for a lot of yards, Vick is capable of breaking huge runs from anywhere on the field or evading defenders to give his receivers time to get open.

The Falcons are one of the few teams in the NFL to have a large number of specifically-designed running plays for their quarterback. His speed and arm strength also pose a threat to "Cover 2" defenses, which can be neutralized by short and medium range passes, which requires a quarterback with a strong arm.[9]

While Vick is not the first scrambling, lefty-throwing quarterback (Bobby Douglass was a dual threat with the Chicago Bears in the 1970s, and Steve Young of the 49ers in the 1990s), few present-day quarterbacks possess Vick's mobility.

Vick is an elite runner but only has average accuracy when it comes to his passing game. His career completion percentage is 53.8%.

Despite his past injuries, which include knee and hamstring ailments, former Falcons head coach Jim Mora Jr. implemented an offensive scheme obviously derived from the option offense early in the 2006 season to take advantage of Vick's athleticism. The option offense is generally not used in the National Football League due to the punishment quarterbacks often receive.

Adding to Vick's exciting image, he stated after the 2004 season that he wouldn't cut his hair until he won a Super Bowl.[10]


Debate and criticism
The most frequent criticisms of Vick are that he has poor fundamental skills and that he puts himself at unnecessary risk of injury. Critics cite the leg fracture he suffered in the 2003 pre-season against the Ravens, and a knee injury he suffered early in the 2005 season (which reoccurred a few weeks later), that hampered his mobility throughout the year as prime evidence that Vick needs to learn to "pick his spots" as a runner, citing the example of Steve Young, another mobile left-handed signal caller who had a mediocre professional career before being placed in an offensive system with the San Francisco 49ers that optimized his talents. Young eventually won a Super Bowl and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, becoming the first left-handed quarterback to be so honored.

The aforementioned playoff win against the Packers remains perhaps Vick's biggest career win as a starter. But while Vick does deserve some credit in engineering the victory, he finished the game with a 52 percent completion rate, throwing for just 117 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, the Falcons' defense forced three fumbles from three different players and forced future Hall of Famer Brett Favre into throwing two interceptions while limiting running back Ahman Green, at the time one of the league's top rushers, to just 34 yards. Atlanta's special teams unit also blocked a punt and returned it for one of the Falcons' three touchdowns.

Critics have stated that while Vick has a powerful arm, his passes are not nearly as accurate as those of other top quarterbacks in the league, such as New England's Tom Brady or Indianapolis' Peyton Manning, both of whom have better quarterback ratings. Vick supporters argue that the quarterback rating doesn't take into account Vick's rushing yards, and is not an accurate benchmark of Vick's contribution to the team. However, another counterpoint from critics is that sacks and yards lost are not integrated into an NFL quarterback's rushing stats, making it technically impossible for Vick, or any other quarterback, to carry a negative rushing average. This in turn masks the cost of Vick's unsuccessful attempts to rush.

In a November 2005 press conference, Vick scoffed at the notion that he was a weak "pocket" passer.[11] Vick's knee problem had limited his mobility, and his quarterback rating actually improved modestly. However, the Falcon's winning percentage did not likewise increase.

Other pundits also believe that the Falcons, while replete with competent "possession" receivers, lack a fast, "deep threat" wideout who can make yards after the catch. To help remedy this, the Falcons acquired former Buffalo Bills wideout Peerless Price prior to the 2003 season. But Price proved to be a massive disappointment, catching just six touchdowns passes over the course of two seasons. He was released by the organization prior to the 2005 season and re-signed with Buffalo. Arguably, Vick's favorite target is tight end Alge Crumpler, a very good receiver, but certainly no speedster. Receiver Brian Finneran, another favorite target of Vick's (but, like Crumpler, no speedster), suffered a devastating left knee injury in the Falcons' training camp and missed the 2006 season.

Vick's critics have countered that it's unfair to cast the blame on the receivers alone, though, since Vick remains the common denominator in the Falcons offense. There have also been reports that Vick and the Falcons coaching staff do not always see eye to eye, and that Vick struggled to understand the intricate West Coast playbook, which led to the implementation of the option-esque offense. Other pundits have stated that they believe that traditional "rules" about what a quarterback should be and how the position should be played do not apply to Vick due to his effective, non-traditional style.

A few critics have been even harsher than simply singling out Vick's accuracy woes, derisively labeling him an "athlete" who happens to play the quarterback position rather than a true quarterback. He has shown the potential to be at least an adequate passer, however. He amassed a quarterback rating of 81.6 in 2002, which is his best performance in that statistical category.

Vick's visibility has earned him some backlash as well. Some fans have reacted negatively to the constant media hype that surrounds Vick, and feel that the over exuberant American sports media anointed him as the best player in football without sufficient proof for the accolade. For instance, Vick's selection to the Pro Bowl for the 2005 season was a controversial one, given that in addition to his 15 touchdown passes, he threw 13 interceptions, and that his 2,412 passing yards is extremely below average.[12] However, he did rush for over 500 yards and scored six touchdowns. Following Vick's Pro Bowl selection, sports columnist Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News called Vick "the most overrated player in the league." Likewise, in an NFL season preview article in the August, 2006 issue of Maxim, the magazine's readers crowned Vick as "Most Overrated." A Sports Illustrated poll taken in 2005 also showed that the Vick is considered to the most overrated player in the NFL.


Controversy

Ron Mexico lawsuit
In March 2005 a woman named Sonya Elliott filed a civil lawsuit against Vick alleging she contracted genital herpes from Vick and that he failed to inform her that he had the disease.[13] Elliot further alleged that Vick had visited clinics under the alias "Ron Mexico" to get treatments and thus he knew of his condition. This led to a deluge of fans ordering customized #7 Atlanta Falcons jerseys on NFLShop.com with the name "Mexico" on the back.[14] Due to the media interest surrounding the case, the National Football League disallowed the use of the jersey/name combination two days after the lawsuit. On April 24, 2006 Vick's attorney revealed that the lawsuit had settled out of court with a undisclosed settlement.[15]

Video game developer Midway Games has alluded to Vick and his Ron Mexico alter-ego in their 2006 title, Blitz: The League. Due to Midway's loss of the National Football League license (EA Sports now has exclusive NFL licensing), all teams and players in the game are fictitious. However, the "Washington Redhawks"' star quarterback is a mobile, left-handed passer named "Mike Mexico."


Obscene gesture incident
After a Falcons loss to the New Orleans Saints in the Georgia Dome on November 26, 2006, Vick made an obscene gesture at Atlanta fans, holding up two middle fingers.[16] Vick has said, "I'm sorry and I apologize to all the young kids and to whoever saw me make that gesture. I just let my emotions get the best of me in that situation and it won't happen again."[17] Vick was fined $10,000 by the NFL for his obscene gesture, and agreed to donate another $10,000 to charity.


Water bottle incident

On January 17, 2007 Vick surrendered a water bottle to security at Miami International Airport. Due to Vick's reluctance to leave the bottle behind, it was later retrieved from a trash receptacle. The bottle was found to have a hidden compartment that contained "a small amount of dark particulate and a pungent aroma closely associated with marijuana," a Miami police report said. "The compartment was hidden by the bottle's label so that it appeared to be a full bottle of water when held upright," police said. On Monday, January 22, 2007, the test results indicated there were no illegal substances in the water bottle and Vick was cleared of any wrongdoing. Vick also was drug tested and the results were negative.[18]

The security tape from the airport documenting the incident has also been erased because, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami-Dade Police Department spokesman Robert Williams wrote in an e-mail: "That information was shown to the State's Attorney's office and it was determined by them that no criminal act was committed and no charges were filed. Therefore, this video was deleted from the flash drive since it was not being used in a criminal case."[19]

The Falcons later released the following statement: "We appreciate the speed at which the Miami authorities concluded their investigation, and we are pleased to learn of the outcome of the investigation. This is another reminder of the high-profile nature of a professional athlete and the close scrutiny players undergo related to their conduct on and off the field. We look forward to putting this matter behind us."[20]

On March 22, 2007, Vick announced that the water bottle was a jewelry stash box, and that the substance in question had been jewelry. Vick indicated that he keeps his jewelry there to prevent theft.[21]

Before the test results indicated there were no illegal substances in the water bottle and Vick was cleared of any wrongdoing, Saturday Night Live went on to do a parody of the incident in which they questioned Vick's actions in a skit called "Oh Really?"


Missed appearance on Capitol Hill
On April 24, 2007, Vick was scheduled to lobby on Capitol Hill, hoping to persuade lawmakers to increase funding for after-school programs. Vick missed a connecting flight in Atlanta on Monday and failed to show for his Tuesday morning appearance.[22]

Vick's publicist, Susan Bass, said it wasn't his fault. Vick was in Tampa, Florida, on Monday to play in teammate Warrick Dunn's charity golf tournament, then caught a flight to Atlanta that was supposed to arrive in time for him to make another flight to Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. However, the AirTran flight was late leaving Tampa, and Vick missed his connection, and wound up stuck in Atlanta, Bass said. "He was really mad," Bass added. AirTran booked Vick on a later flight Monday evening in time to make the Tuesday morning appearance, but Vick failed to show for the flight.

Vick's mother, Brenda Vick Boddie, accepted an award from the Afterschool Alliance on her son's behalf. Vick was honored for his foundation's work with after-school projects in Georgia and Virginia.


2007 dog fighting investigations

Federal authorities stated in court documents obtained under the federal Freedom of Information Act that they believe that Vick's property was used as the "main staging area for housing and training ... pit bulls involved an [interstate] dog fighting venture called "Bad Newz Kennels" had operated over a period of five years and ... "was the scene of fights over the last five years." According to an ESPN attorney, a new "tough" federal law passed by the U.S. Congress earlier in 2007 is being used in many ongoing investigations of dog fighting around the country.

Vick, along with three others, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 17 for "conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in animal fighting venture".[1] It is alleged that Vick and co-defendants Purnell A. Peace, Quanis L. Phillips and Tony Taylor spent six years "knowingly sponsoring and exhibiting in an animal fighting venture."

The grand jury also charged the men with establishing a kennel to represent dogfighting competitions, purchase and train pitbulls in dogfighting competitions and "destroying or otherwise disposing of dogs not selected to stay with the ongoing animal fighting venture." The charges outline not only dog fighting, but tens of thousands of dollars in gambling activity, and extensive violence against dogs which did not perform well including executions by electrocution, hanging, drowning, shooting, and other brutality, which some commentators have noted, seem to go well beyond that usually inherent in dog fighting, including alleging Vick's direct participation in executing 8 dogs in or about April 2007. Vick faces $350,000 in fines and six years in prison if convicted of the federal charges. [23] On the Travel Act portion of the conspiracy charges, he faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The dogfighting charges carry a possible sentence of one year in prison and $100,000 fine or both.

Regarding the investigation of state laws, Sheriff H. D. Brown said they "possibly might be looking at something" when the county's grand jury meets July 24."[24]


Contract
On December 23, 2004, Vick signed a 10-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons worth $130 million with a $37 million signing bonus, making him the highest paid player in NFL history and one of the highest paid ever in sports.[25] Vick's deal surpasses the $98 million contract the Indianapolis Colts' Peyton Manning signed in March 2005. Manning, who signed for seven years, is guaranteed $34.5 million in bonuses. Vick's $130 million potential value tops Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb's 12-year, $115 million deal that runs through 2013.


Endorsements
Vick is a spokesperson for many companies; his endorsement contracts include Nike, EA Sports, Coca-Cola, Powerade, Kraft, Rawlings, and Hasbro.[26][27] His contract along with his endorsements had Vick ranked 33 among Forbes' Top 100 Celebrities in 2005.[26] However, on May 8, 2007, Vick's contract with AirTran Airways expired and was not renewed; he had been a pitchman for the airline since 2004.


Charity work
In June 2006, Vick, along with his brother Marcus Vick and mother Brenda Vick Boddie, established The Vick Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports at-risk youth and the after school programs that serve them in the Metro Atlanta and Hampton Roads areas. The announcement of the organization came just before the start of the foundation’s first fundraiser, the Michael Vick Golf Classic. The inaugural event was held at the prestigious Kingsmill Golf Course in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia in partnership with The Virginia Tech Alumni Association Tidewater Chapter, and netted more than $80,000 for charity.[1]

After the Virginia Tech massacre in April 2007, Vick teamed up with the United Way to donate $10,000 to assist families affected by the tragedy.[28] Vick explained, "When tragic things like this happen, families have enough to deal with, and if I can help in some small way, that's the least I can do." The Vick Foundation is collecting donations from local communities in both Atlanta and Virginia that will be placed in the United In Caring Fund for Victims of the Virginia Tech Tragedy and the special fund at the United Way of Montgomery, Radford and Floyd counties, which serves the Virginia Tech area. Vick's foundation said the money will be used to provide help with funeral expenses, transportation for family members and other support services.

It was announced in June 2007 that the "Michael Vick Football Camp" to be held at Christopher Newport University in Newport News was canceled for the summer 2007 session because of "scheduling issues."[29] The university on Warwick Boulevard in Newport News is partially located on the site of the former Homer L. Ferguson High School (which closed in 1996), the school where Vick began his football fame. He also canceled participation in another football camp to be held at the College of William and Mary. According to that university, his place was to be taken by Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell.[30]

On June 22, 2007, a charity golf tournament featuring Vick, intended in part to raise scholarships in memory of Virginia Tech's shooting victims, was rescheduled for September.[31] The tournament at Kingsmill Resort & Spa had been set to begin on June 29, and a reason for the change was not announced. The tournament is the latest in a series of Virginia appearances either canceled or delayed since Vick's name surfaced in a dog fighting investigation.


Trivia

Vick on the cover of Madden NFL 2004Vick is a spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta and the Empty Stocking Fund and gives credit to the Boys & Girls Club in his hometown for helping him grow as a youth and provides a monetary donation through a player performance pledge to the local chapter for every touchdown pass. Vick also invited more than 100 kids from the Boys & Girls club locally to the team’s facility after a Saturday practice for a punt, pass and kick competition, as well as a flag football game. He purchased tickets for the kids to attend a Falcons game the next day.
As a part of ESPN.com's "Jocks to GI's", he had a GI e-mail pen pal overseas during the war with Iraq that he communicated with in the spring of 2003. He and USAF Staff Sgt. Angela Geist from Lawrenceville, Georgia, shared emails and life experiences.
Named to Sports Illustrated's "101 Most Influential Minorities In Sports" in May of 2003 at #77 and was chosen to be the EA Sports cover athlete and spokesman for (John) Madden NFL 2004.
Became the 11th quarterback selected with the top overall pick in the NFL draft since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 and the first African-American quarterback ever taken with the #1 overall choice.
Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 30th round of the 2000 MLB draft despite not playing baseball since the 8th grade.
Hails from talent-rich Hampton Roads area of Virginia that has also produced the likes of athletes such as Allen Iverson (Denver Nuggets), Ronald Curry (ex-UNC football and basketball player), Bruce Smith (ex-Virginia Tech football and Buffalo Bills player).
Is referenced in the game World of Warcraft by the character Kasamoto. This character will yell MICHAEL VICK! eight times in a row, once every hour, as part of a scripted event.
Vick holds the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a regular season game. He rushed for 173 yards on December 1, 2002 versus Minnesota at the Metro Dome. Vick ran for a 46 yards touchdown to win the game 30-24 in overtime.
Vick is mentioned in Yung Berg's "Sexy Lady".

Tyler Christopher: The most searched keyword on Google US

Can anyone tell me why is he so popular all of a sudden
plz do leave a comment

Tyler Christopher (born Tyler Christopher Baker on November 11, 1972 in Joliet, Illinois, USA) is an American actor, best known for his role as Nikolas Cassadine on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital, a character which he originated in 1996 and has played off and on ever since. He was nominated for Daytime Emmys for the role in 1998, 2005, and 2006. He is sometimes credited as Tyler Baker

Biography
Christopher was born in Joliet, Illinois and grew up in Delaware, Ohio,[1] the youngest of four children.[2] He is of Native American heritage, as his mother Jimi-Ann is Choctaw and his father Jimmy Baker is Seneca.[3] His original goal was to be a professional athlete, but his physically small size made this difficult. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University for two years, and then moved to Los Angeles. His first couple years in L.A., he worked at "hard labor" jobs, and then he decided to save his money and make a career change after talking to his actor cousin Derk Cheetwood (who plays Sonny Corinthos's bodyguard, Max Giambetti on General Hospital). Christopher's first major acting job was in his 20s, when he took the role of Prince Nikolas Cassadine. The character was a major success, and Christopher won the "Best Newcomer" award in 1997 from Soap Opera Digest magazine. He played the character until 1999, and then quit the show to try other acting opportunities. The role of Nikolas Cassadine then went to Stephen Martines.

Christopher played a regular role (Ethan) in The Pretender and performed in pilots such as, "Sam's Circus", "One for the Money", but neither show was picked up. He also guest starred on several other series, and more recently has been trying another pilot, "Secrets of a Small Town."[citation needed]

In 2002, he branched into theater. Christopher was one of a group of several friends including Ronnie Marmo and other East Coast actors from locations such as Philadelphia and New York, who routinely rented out some theater space on Theater Row on Santa Monica Boulevard to practice and work on various scenes. After a time they decided to formalize the arrangement, and co-founded a theater group known as the "68 Cent Crew Theater Company", which renovated a warehouse on Sunset Boulevard to use as a 99-seat theater. They put on five shows in their first year. Christopher recently received critics' praise for his portrayal of Max in the Martin Sherman play Bent.[citation needed]

In 2003 he returned to General Hospital, playing Connor Bishop, a character with amnesia, that was later revealed to again be Nikolas Cassadine.[4] He received more Daytime Emmy nominations, as well as a nomination for the NAACP Image Award.

In the mid-1990s, he was engaged to General Hospital co-star Vanessa Marcil. From 2002-2004 he was married to Eva Longoria (now of Desperate Housewives fame), while she was working on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. From 2004-2006, he dated his General Hospital co-star and on-screen wife Natalia Livingston, and in November 2006, he announced his engagement to Brienne Pedigo, a sports reporter from Indiana.

In Steven Spielberg's 2005 mini-series Into the West, he played Jacob Wheeler Jr, a man who was half white and half Lakota Indian. He has also made an appearance in the music video for LeAnn Rimes' single "And It Feels Like", playing Leann's love interest. In 2006 he played the lead in the independent feature Face the Music.

In June 2007 it was announced that Tyler has signed a new three-year contract with General Hospital.[5]

He has two actor cousins, Derk Cheetwood and Drew Cheetwood, who play Max Giambetti and Milo Giambetti on General Hospital. Christopher also shares and has been rehabbing a house with Derk.


Awards
1997, Won "Best Newcomer" Soap Opera Digest
1997, Won "Outstanding Performer in a Television Series", First Americans in the Arts
1998, Won "Outstanding Performer in a Television Series", First Americans in the Arts
1998, Nominated at Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Younger Actor
1998, TV Guide's list of "12 Hottest Daytime Stars[6]
2004, NAACP's Image Awards, Outstanding Actor (nominated)
2005, Nominated at Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor
2006, Nominated at Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor

Selected works

Television
General Hospital, 1996-1999, 2003-present (Connor Bishop, Nikolas Cassadine)
The Pretender, 1999 (Ethan)
Into the West, 2005 (Jacob Wheeler Jr.)

Filmography
Frogmen Operation Stormbringer as Rick (2002)
Face The Music as Dan/Danielle (2000)
Out of the Black as Cole Malby (2001)
Catfish in Black Bean Sauce as Micheal (1999)

Edwar Ramirez: The pitcher who made his debut with yankees is the most searched keyword in Google US

Who is Edwar Ramirez?
Edwar Ramirez (born March 28, 1981, in San Juan, Dominican Republic) is a relief pitcher for the New York Yankees.

Ramirez was in the Angels system for two years, but was released. He played independent ball last year before the Yankees signed him in July 2006. He pitched well for the single A Tampa Yankees (4-1, 1.17, 30.2, 47 K) in 2006, and then pitched well for the AA Trenton Thunder and AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in 2007, before he was called up to the major leagues for the first time on July 1, 2007.

Why is he popular?
In his major league debut on July 3, 2007, against the Minnesota Twins, Ramirez pitched the ninth inning for the Yankees and struck out all three batters he faced, securing a 8-0 win for the Yankees.

The Yankees have promoted 26-year-old right-handed reliever Edwar Ramirez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and he will report today to provide support for a bullpen that has been wretched.

Ramirez, who threw three scoreless innings and struck out six Friday night, was 0-0 with an 0.67 ERA in 15 appearances with Scranton. In 262/3 innings, he allowed 13 hits and nine walks, and struck out 47.

To make room for Ramirez, the Yankees are expected to send infielder Chris Basak down to Scranton.

This is by far the most productive minor-league season for Ramirez. He was playing with the Edinburg (Texas) Coyotes of the United League, an independent league, last year, when the Yankees signed him as a minor-league free agent on July 9. He went 4-1 with a 1.19 ERA in 19 appearances (302/3 innings) for Class-A Tampa last summer.

*

Whenever Joe Torre sees the slightest sign Bobby Abreu is swinging the bat better, the slumping right fielder will return to the No. 3 spot in the Yankees order.

Despite being in a 4-for-35 (.114) slide and going 1-for-4 with an infield single and hitting into a double play Friday night, Abreu was re-inserted into the third hole yesterday against A's righty Chad Gaudin.

"His at-bats were good [Friday]," said Torre, who batted Abreu eighth, sixth, sixth and sixth in the previous four games with little success. "That's where I am most comfortable with him. That's where I want to see him."

It helped Torre's decision that Hideki Matsui was 2-for-15 (.133) in the four games he batted third. Abreu went 0-for-3 with a walk in yesterday's 7-0 loss and is 4-for-his-last-38 (.105).

Torre returned Johnny Damon to the designated hitter spot after using Jorge Posada there Friday night. Damon's one-out single in the sixth was the only Yankees hit.

*

When Derek Jeter exited after the home eighth, it was assumed the foul ball he took off his left foot in the bottom of the inning was the reason. But according to Torre, Jeter has been nursing tendinitis in his right knee.

"He jumped for a ball in the middle of the game," Torre said. "I anticipate he will play [today]."

As usual, Jeter said, "I am fine."

*

Alex Rodriguez drove in a major league-leading 34 runs in June, the most since Roger Maris drove in 35 in June, 1961. . . . The Yankees were blanked for the second time in four days and fifth time this season. It's the first time in three years the Yankees have been shut out twice within a week.

*

Having passed Leo Durocher for ninth place on the all-time win list for managers with 2,010, Torre is in position to pass Walter Alston for eighth place. Alston had 2,040 victories.

"I will appreciate it more when I stop doing what I am doing," said Torre, who doesn't have a contract for next year

Mirthal salinas: The Tv reporter who admitted having relations with LA Mayor is hottest keyword on Google US

Who is Mirthala Salinas and why did she became so popular?
Telemundo Spanish-language television reporter who became popular for acknowledging her relationship with LA Mayor(who BTW just ended his 20 year marriage with his wife last month only)

What does the Mayor has to say about that?
"It is true that I have a relationship with Ms. Mirthala Salinas. As I've said I take full responsibility for my actions, and I once again ask that people respect my family's privacy. For my part, I intend to stay focused on my job, and to work as hard as I can every day to be the best mayor I can be," Villaraigosa said.

Salinas however declined an interview with the paper

Telemundo spokesman Alfredo Richard said the station wouldn't comment on employees' personal lives, but described her duties at the station.

"We think she is a great reporter and professional," Richard said.


What about Mayor's ex-wife?
She seeks spousal support and primary physical custody of the couple's 14-year-old daughter, Natalia, with visitation terms to be worked out with the mayor, according to the filing.

She previously filed for divorce in 1994, but the couple reconciled after a two-and-a-half year split.

Note:If you have any other information about mirthala salinas and the affair do leave a comment

Get a free Apple Iphone

Apple Iphone is finally out and if you want yourself to get a piece for yourself for free than leave a comment here and go to this link and post a comment there to win a NEW 8 GIG APPLE IPHONE FREE OF COST

What is Apple Iphone?

The iPhone is a multimedia and Internet-enabled mobile phone by Apple, announced by company CEO Steve Jobs during the keynote at the Macworld Conference & Expo on 9 January 2007, that was released on 29 June 2007[1][2][3] in the U.S.[4][5][6]

The iPhone's functions include those of a camera phone, a multimedia player and mobile phone. It also offers Internet services including e-mail, text messaging, web browsing, Visual Voicemail and local "wi-fi" connectivity. User input is accomplished via touchscreen with virtual keyboard and buttons. The iPhone is a 2.5G quad-band GSM phone, though Jobs mentioned in his keynote that Apple has a "plan to make 3G phones" in the future.[7]

The iPhone is available from the Apple Store and from AT&T Mobility, formerly Cingular Wireless, with a price of US$499 for the 4 GB model and US$599 for the 8 GB model, based on a two-year service contract. Apple intends to make the phone available in Europe in Q4 2007 and in Mexico, Australia and Asia in 2008.

History
The genesis of the iPhone was Jobs' direction that Apple engineers investigate touch-screens. At the time he had been considering having Apple work on tablet PCs.[8][9][10] Many have noted the device's similarities to Apple's previous touch-screen portable device, the Newton MessagePad[11][12][13][14]—like the Newton, the iPhone is nearly all screen. Its form factor is credited to Apple's head of design, Jonathan Ive.[8][15] Comments made by Jobs in April 2003 at the "D: All Things Digital" executive conference expressed his belief that tablet PCs and traditional PDAs were not good choices as high-demand markets for Apple to enter, despite many requests made to him that Apple create another PDA. He did believe that cell phones were going to become important devices for portable information access, and that what cell phones needed to have was excellent synchronization software. At the time, instead of focusing on a follow-up to their Newton PDA, Jobs had Apple put its energies into the iPod, and the iTunes software (which can be used to synchronize content with iPod devices), released January 2001.[16][17][18][19] On September 7, 2005, Apple and Motorola released the ROKR E1, the first mobile phone to use iTunes. However Jobs was unhappy with the ROKR, feeling that having to compromise with a non-Apple designer (Motorola) prevented Apple from designing the phone he wanted to make.[20] In September 2006, Apple discontinued support for the ROKR and released a version of iTunes that included references to an as-yet unknown mobile phone that could display pictures and video.[21] On January 9, 2007, Jobs announced the iPhone at the Macworld convention, receiving substantial media attention.[22] On June 11, 2007 Steve Jobs announced at Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference that the iPhone would support third-party applications using the Safari engine on the device. Third-parties would create the Web 2.0 applications and users would access them via the internet.[23] Such applications appeared even before the release of the iPhone; the first being "OneTrip", a program meant to keep track of the user's shopping list.[24]


Advertising

People waiting in line for the iPhone release in New York CityThe first advertisement for iPhone, titled "Hello," aired during the 79th Academy Awards and took place on 25 February 2007 on ABC. The ad features clips from several notable films and television shows over the last seventy years, showing iconic characters answering telephones and saying "hello" or a similar greeting. The iPhone is shown at the end with the caption "Hello. Coming in June."

The commercial was created by TBWA\Chiat\Day, Apple's ad agency since CEO Steve Jobs' return to the company in 1997. TBWA's Media Arts Lab will continue to handle all upcoming advertising for iPhone, much as it has for iPod.[25]

On June 3, 2007, Apple released four advertisements that announce a June 29, 2007 release date, and which concluded, "Use requires minimum new 2 year activation plan."; the footnote has since been removed from all four of the ads.[26] A fifth ad featuring YouTube was released on June 21, 2007. All five advertisements feature a voice over describing various iPhone features, demonstrated on-screen. The song "Perfect Timing (This Morning)" by a band called Orba Squara plays in the background[27].


Features
Apple has released a Guided Tour video explaining all of iPhone's features through a series of simple demonstrations.[28]


Touch screen
The 3.5 inch (8.9 cm) liquid crystal display (320×480 px at 160 ppi) HVGA touch screen topped with optical-quality glass[29] is specifically created for use with a finger, or multiple fingers for multi-touch sensing. No stylus is needed, nor can an ordinary one be used, as the touch screen requires touch by something with the physical properties of bare skin to operate.[30]

For text input, the device implements a virtual keyboard on the touchscreen. It has automatic spell checking, predictive word capabilities, and a dynamic dictionary that learns new words. Notably, the predictive word capabilities have been integrated with the dynamic virtual keyboard so that users will not have to be extremely accurate when typing — i.e. touching the edges of the desired letter or nearby letters on the keyboard will be predictively corrected when possible. Additionally, an optional landscape mode for text entry with the virtual keyboard has been mentioned by Apple executives as a possibility for iPhone, but Apple has not yet come to a final decision as to its inclusion in the shipping version of iPhone. A possible advantage of landscape text entry would be the availability of larger keys to ease text entry, especially for individuals with larger fingers.

The iPhone varies from common desktop interfaces by using a direct manipulation model of scrolling. Where a typical desktop GUI achieves scrolling by using a scroll-arrow to push a view-window down and thus the content itself up (or the reverse, clicking up to move content down), the iPhone interface enables the user to move the content itself up or down by a touch-drag-lift motion of the finger, much as one would slide a playing card across a table. Additionally, the speed desired for scrolling is computed based on the speed and acceleration with which the drag motion is performed.

Scrolling through a long list works as if the list is pasted on the surface of a wheel: the wheel can be "spun" by sliding a finger over the display. After the finger is lifted from the display the wheel continues to "spin" for a short moment before coasting down. In this way, the iPhone seems to simulate the physics of a real object, which, it is thought, should give a natural feel to the whole process.

The UI also features other visual effects, such as horizontally sliding sub-selections and co-selections from right and left, vertically sliding system menus from the bottom (e.g. favorites, keyboard), and menus and widgets that turn around to allow settings to be configured on their back sides.

The photo album and web page magnifications are examples of multi-touch sensing. It is possible to zoom in and out of objects such as web pages and photos by respectively "unpinching" and "pinching" them, that is, placing two fingers (usually thumb and forefinger) on the screen and moving them farther apart or closer together as if stretching or squeezing the image. This scaling is done uniformly and proportionally based on the image in question so there is no distortion of the image itself, as would be the case if the image were actually stretched or squeezed.


Other inputs
The display responds to three sensors: a proximity sensor that shuts off the display and touchscreen when the iPhone is brought near the face to save battery power and to prevent spurious inputs from the user's face and ears, an ambient light sensor that adjusts the display brightness which in turn saves battery power, and an accelerometer, which senses the orientation of the phone and changes the screen accordingly, albeit in only one 90 degree direction.

A single frontal hardware button brings up the main menu. Subselections are made via the touchscreen. The iPhone utilizes a full-paged display, with context-specific submenus at the top and/or bottom of each page, sometimes depending on screen orientation. Detail pages display the equivalent of a "Back" button to go up one menu.

The iPhone has three physical switches on its sides: sleep/wake, volume up/down, ringer on/off. All other multimedia and phone operations are done via the touch screen.


Phone
The iPhone allows conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID, and integration with other cellular network features and iPhone functions. For example, a playing song fades out when the user receives a call. Once the call is ended the music fades back in.

The iPhone will include a Visual Voicemail feature in conjunction with AT&T Mobility, formerly Cingular Wireless, which allows users to view a list of current voicemail messages onscreen, without having to call into their voicemail. Unlike most other systems, messages can be listened to in a non-chronological order, by choosing messages from an on-screen list. AT&T completely reworked their voicemail infrastructure to accommodate this new feature designed by Apple.

SMS messages are presented chronologically in a mailbox format similar to Mail, which places all text from recipients together with replies. Text messages are displayed in speech bubbles (similar to iChat) under each recipient's name.


Camera
The iPhone features a built in 2.0 megapixel camera located on the back, though it cannot record video at this time. It also includes software that allows the user to upload, view, and e-mail photos. The user zooms in and out of photos by "unpinching" and "pinching" them through the Multi-touch interface. The software will interact with iPhoto on the Mac.


Multimedia
The layout of the music library differs from previous iPods, with the sections divided more clearly alphabetically, and with a larger font. The Cover Flow, like that on iTunes, shows the different album covers in a scroll-through photo library. Scrolling is achieved by swiping a finger across the screen.

Like the fifth generation iPods introduced in 2005, the iPhone can play video, allowing users to watch TV shows and films. Unlike other image-related content, video on the iPhone plays only in the landscape orientation, when the phone is turned sideways. A two-fingered tap is used to switch between the video's true wide-screen aspect ratio (with black bars on the top and bottom of the screen) and a zoomed mode (to fill the iPhone's screen).


Internet

Wikipedia on the iPhone's Safari web browserThe iPhone has built-in Wi-Fi, with which it will be able to access the Internet (through a wireless network) via a modified version of the Safari web browser. The iPhone will also be able to connect to the Internet through AT&T's EDGE network but will not be able to utilize AT&T's 3G/HSDPA network, however Steve Jobs' mentioned at the Keynote presentation that 3G support would be a future feature.[30] The web browser displays full web pages as opposed to simplified pages as on most non-smartphones. However, as of WWDC 2007, the iPhone does not support Flash technology.[31] Web pages may be viewed in portrait or landscape mode and support automatic zooming by "pinching" or double-tapping images or text. The iPhone also has Bluetooth 2.x+EDR built in. It works with wireless earpieces that use Bluetooth 2.0 technology and allows file transfer.

An agreement between Apple and Google provides for access to a specially modified version of Google Maps — in map, local list, or satellite form, optimized for the iPhone. During the product's announcement, Jobs demonstrated this feature by searching for nearby Starbucks locations and then placing a prank call to one with a single tap.[7]


E-mail
The iPhone also features an HTML e-mail program, which enables the user to embed photos in an e-mail message. Yahoo! will be providing a free Push-IMAP e-mail service similar to that on a BlackBerry; IMAP and POP3 mail standards are also supported, including Microsoft Exchange. The iPhone will sync with e-mail programs such as Outlook, entourage and web based email accounts such as Gmail, .Mac mail and AOL.[32]


OS X
Apple has confirmed an optimized version of the Mac OS X operating system (without unnecessary components) will run on the iPhone, although differences between the operating system (OS X) running on Macs and the iPhone have not been officially explained.

It takes up around 700 MB.[33] It will be capable of supporting as-yet undetermined bundled and future applications from Apple.

Apple intends to offer a smooth method for updating the iPhone's operating system, in a similar fashion to the way that Mac OS X and iPods are updated, and touts this as an advantage compared to other cell phones.[34]

Widgets, similar to the ones available in Mac OS X v10.4's Dashboard, are included on the iPhone. They include Stocks and Weather widgets.

The iPhone's version of OS X includes the software component "Core Animation" which is responsible for the smooth animations used in its user interface. Core Animation has not yet been released for Macs, but will be part of Mac OS X v10.5.


Applications
The phone has several applications located at iPhone's "Home" Screen, including YouTube. It will stream the videos over Wi-Fi and/or EDGE after encoding them using QuickTime's H.264 codec, to which YouTube has converted about 10,000 videos. They are expected to convert the entire catalog by Fall 2007, implying that the YouTube application on iPhone will initially only be able to view a certain selection of videos from the site.[citation needed]

At the WWDC 2007 Conference on June 11th, 2007 Apple, Inc. announced that the iPhone will support third party applications via the Safari web browser. The applications must be created in Ajax or JavaScript to maintain device security.[35]


Other
The iPhone features a built-in battery that is not intended to be user-replaceable, similar to existing iPods. The battery is stated to be capable of providing up to seven hours of video, six hours of web browsing, or eight hours of talk time (depending on configuration). The battery life for music playing is stated to be 24 hours.[29] The battery will also allow for up to 250 hours of standby time.

There will be new headphones which are similar to those of current iPods, but which incorporate a microphone. Calls can be answered and ended by squeezing the microphone. The 3.5 mm TRS connector for the headphones is located on the top left corner (as seen from front upright). Wireless earpieces that use Bluetooth technology to communicate with the iPhone will be sold separately.

The loudspeaker is used both for handsfree operations and media playback.

The SIM card is located in a slot at the top of the device[28], and the device is activated through iTunes[36].


Pricing and availability

Customers leave the Apple store of Fashion Valley, San Diego after waiting in line for hours for the iPhone.The first advertisement for iPhone, titled "Hello," aired during the 79th Academy Awards and took place on 25 February 2007 on ABC. The ad features clips from several notable films and television shows over the last seventy years, showing iconic characters answering telephones and saying "hello" or a similar greeting. The iPhone is shown at the end with the caption "Hello. Coming in June."

In a deal concluded through secretive discussions which began in February 2005,[37] AT&T Mobility, formerly Cingular Wireless, will be the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the United States and will remain so until 2009 or later.[38][39] The iPhone may be purchased only with a two-year service plan with AT&T.[40]


Customers line up outside the Apple Store in Cupertino, three hours after it goes on sale. The line continues through the mall. As each customer exits, they are greeted by a round of applause from Apple Store staff and onlookers. This is the nearest store to Apple HQApple received FCC approval for the iPhone on May 17, 2007.[41] Jobs announced that the iPhone will first be available in late June 2007 in the U.S.,[42] during the fourth quarter 2007 in Europe (possibility of the use of 3G networks as provided by Vodafone), and in 2008 for Asia, Mexico and probably the rest of the Americas[43]. Also, Mac OS X v10.5, which was originally planned for release on June 11 at the Worldwide Developers Conference, is now delayed until October 2007, due to the fact that engineers from the Mac OS X team were diverted to work on the iPhone.[44] New commercials for the iPhone began airing on television starting on June 3, confirming a release date of June 29, 2007.

The initial U.S. release will be offered in two configurations with two different prices: a 4 GB model for US$499 and an 8 GB model for US$599.

Apple also announced that its goal is to capture 1% of the global mobile phone market, which would be approximately 10 million units being sold in the first full calendar year of iPhone availability. For comparison, Jobs announced that the Apple iPod commands 62% of the U.S. market share for MP3 players.[45]

On June 28 2007, during an address to Apple employees, Steve Jobs announced that all full-time Apple employees and those part-time employees that have been with the company at least one year would receive a free iPhone. Employees will get their phones in July after the initial demand subsides.[46]

iPhone Pricing Plans USD/month 59.99 79.99 99.99 119.99 169.99 219.99
Minutes 450 900 1350 2000 4000 6000

All plans include visual voicemail, unlimited data (Email/Web), 200 SMS text messages, unlimited nights/weekends (with the exception of the 59.99 plan, which only includes 5000 minutes), Rollover minutes, and unlimited mobile to mobile (AT&T customers only) minutes.[47]


Specifications
The specifications as listed on Apple's website are:[48]

Screen size: 8.9 cm (3.5 in)
Screen resolution: 320×480 pixels at 160 ppi
Input method: Multi-touch screen interface (the "Home" button is the iPhone's only physical front panel button)
Operating System: OS X
Storage: 4 or 8 GB Flash memory
Quad band GSM (GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900)
Wi-Fi (802.11b/802.11g), EDGE and Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
2 megapixel camera
Built-in rechargeable, non-removable battery with up to 8 hours of talk, 6 hours of internet use, 7 hours of video playback and up to 24 hours of audio playback, lasting over 250 hours on standby.[29]
Size: 115×61×11.6 mm (4.5×2.4×0.46 in)
Weight: 135 g (4.8 oz)


Package Contents
iPhone
Stereo Headset
Dock
Dock Connector to USB Cable
USB Power Adapter
Documentation
Cleaning/polishing cloth
A separate dock will be sold which will charge the iPhone and the Bluetooth headset. Apple has filed more than 200 patents related to the technology behind the iPhone.[49]


Processor(s)
It is not yet known what processors power the iPhone. However, on 24 January 2007, AppleInsider stated that Samsung will provide a unified CPU.[50] On 7 February 2007, EE Times Europe published a report that three ARM processors are used in iPhone, but did not confirm exactly what chips might be used.[51] Earlier, Intel Italy executive manager Dario Bucci claimed that one of Marvell's XScale series of ARM processors is to be found in iPhone.[52]


Controversies

The iPhone allegedly copied the design of the LG Prada
LG PRADA dispute
LG Electronics has claimed the iPhone's design was copied from the LG Prada. Woo-Young Kwak, head of LG Mobile Handset R&D Center, said at a press conference, “We consider that Apple copied Prada phone after the design was unveiled when it was presented in the iF Design Award and won the prize in September 2006.”[53]

LG later claimed that Apple stole both the ideas and concept of the Prada phone. A lawsuit by LG had been rumored prior to this announcement;[53] however, LG has remained silent on whether or not they will file a lawsuit.


Trademark dispute
On 3 September 1993, Infogear filed for the U.S. trademark "I PHONE"[54] and on 20 March 1996 applied for the trademark "IPhone".[55] "I Phone" was registered in March 1998,[54] and "IPhone" was registered in 1999.[55] Since then, the I PHONE mark has been abandoned.[54] Infogear's trademarks cover "communications terminals comprising computer hardware and software providing integrated telephone, data communications and personal computer functions" (1993 filing),[54] and "computer hardware and software for providing integrated telephone communication with computerized global information networks" (1996 filing).[56] Infogear released a telephone with an integrated web server under the name iPhone in 1998.[57] In 2000, Infogear won an infringement claim against the owners of the iphones.com domain name.[58] In June 2000, Cisco Systems acquired Infogear, including the iPhone trademark.[59] On 18 December 2006 they released a range of re-branded Voice over IP (VoIP) sets under the name iPhone.[60]

In October 2002, Apple applied for the "iPhone" trademark in the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore and the European Union. A Canadian application followed in October 2004 and a New Zealand application in September 2006. As of October 2006 only the Singapore and Australian applications had been granted. In September 2006, a company called Ocean Telecom Services applied for an "iPhone" trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and Hong Kong, following a filing in Trinidad and Tobago.[61] As the Ocean Telecom trademark applications use exactly the same wording as Apple's New Zealand application, it is assumed that Ocean Telecom is applying on behalf of Apple.[62] The Canadian application was opposed in August 2005 by a Canadian company called Comwave who themselves applied for the trademark three months later. Comwave have been selling VoIP devices called iPhone since 2004.[59]

Shortly after Steve Jobs' 9 January 2007 announcement that Apple would be selling a product called iPhone in June 2007, Cisco issued a statement that it had been negotiating trademark licensing with Apple and expected Apple to agree to the final documents that had been submitted the night before.[38] On January 10, 2007 Cisco announced it had filed a lawsuit against Apple over the infringement of the trademark iPhone, seeking an injunction in federal court to prohibit Apple from using the name.[63] More recently, Cisco claimed that the trademark lawsuit was a "minor skirmish" that was not about money, but about interoperability.[64]

On 2 February 2007, Apple and Cisco announced that they had agreed to temporarily suspend litigation while they hold settlement talks,[65] and subsequently announced on 20 February 2007 that they had reached an agreement. Both companies will be allowed to use the "iPhone" name[66] in exchange for "exploring interoperability" between Apple's products and Cisco's iPhone.[67]


Criticisms
Analysts have made several public criticisms of the iPhone, such as:

The iPhone's virtual keyboard has been considered its chief weakness and a risk for Apple.[68] The New York Times' David Pogue and Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, who both tested the iPhone for two weeks, found learning to use it initially difficult, although eventually usable, with Pogue stating use was "frustrating" and "text entry is not the iPhone’s strong suit" but Mossberg considered the keyboard a "nonissue". Both found the typo-correcting feature of the iPhone was the key to using the virtual keyboard successfully.[33][69]
When the user is not in a Wi-Fi hot spot, the iPhone's network connection will use AT&T's older EDGE network. The data rate for this network is 40kbps, similar to a landline dial-up connection.[70] David Pogue of the New York Times found that the EDGE network was "excruciatingly slow," with the iPhone taking as long as 100 seconds to download the Yahoo! home page for the first time.[33] The EDGE network is being boosted from 40kbps to 80kbps to coincide with project launch.[71]
The rechargeable battery is non-removable, and once depleted, will need to be replaced by the manufacturer for a fee.[33]
iPhone lacks any type of firewall, which some experts claim is posing a data security risk.[72] However, without unsafe applications to firewall, this might be a moot point, if the built in applications do not open unsafe communication ports.
iPhone is only available for those who subscribe to a two-year AT&T service plan.[73]
There is no way to opt out of the data plan and thus people who do not want to use the iPhone's Web capability may find the fee superfluous.[74]
iPhone cannot install full programs from anyone but Apple. [75]
The Safari browser in iPhone supports neither Adobe Flash nor Java.[68]
iPhone lacks a number of common handheld features,[76][77][73] including voice dialing, capacity to sync with corporate internal email systems, voice recording, instant messaging, memory card slot, MMS, A2DP (stereo bluetooth), text copy and paste, video recording with the built-in camera, and support for MP3 files as ringtones.
The iPhone’s virtual keypad won’t work when wearing gloves, which is a concern for wintertime phone calls in cold areas.[78]
The camera in the iPhone is only 2 megapixels, which is small compared to other smartphones, most notably the Nokia N95, which contains a 5 megapixel camera.
The iPhone cannot be added to an AT&T Business account, and any existing business account discounts cannot be applied to an iPhone AT&T account.