2 in 1 by Claudia Sonea

Are you enjoying a good piece of news on the Internet? Or you're placing the regular bets that had lead until now only to small petty losses? Well you can do them both starting next Monday when Nigel Eccles, a news junkie and former online betting site employee, and three colleagues in Edinburgh, Scotland will launch the newest site that they assembled: Hubdub. Eccles will release it on Monday because he plans to try to lure some investors before at the technology conference in Palm Desert, California. He sees great opportunities in this new site that works in everyone's benefit, without having to actually lose money. After signing up, the user will receive 1,000 "Hubdub dollars," play money that works only on the site. You can look at stories like from politics or sportsand then place a bet on the outcome. Guess right, and you'll win more Hubdub dollars. Lose, and your account will draw down. Following the pattern of the board game Monopoly, even sticking it out is rewarded, you'll also get 20 new Hubdub dollars ever day you log in. He worked on business strategy at Johnston Press PLC, a major regional newspaper publisher in the U.K. and later on at Flutter, a European online betting exchange that was sold to Betfair, an Internet wagering site. He saw how exciting was sport's betting and then he come up with the idea of a sitewhere customers will bet for fun, not money, on the outcomes of real news stories. The people who like to bet on events are more interested in the bragging rights of being right than in actually winning money and this is one of the reason for which his three partners â€" Tom Griffiths, Chris Stafford and Rob Jones â€" from another startup called Groopit, a social networking site launched last year in Edinburgh, accepted to do it. Hubdub may transform in a business model like that of a fantasy sports league, where participants pay a fee in order to join and then win rewards at the end of a certain period of time based on overall performance in the league. Those who will make the most successful predictions will be rewarded with being listed on a board of stars. Due to the fact that most of the founders live in Scotland, Hubdub has its headquarters there, but is focused mainly on the U.S. market, therefore by compling with U.S. betting rules, no money bets can be placed through Hubdub. It sounds interesting; however it is still in its early phase. Stay connected to enjoy the launch of Hubdub!

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080128/ap_on_hi_te/demo_tech_show_hubdub;_ylt=ApDPRP_u3vA_xOjvaAfCWQWs0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.

Check your suitcase first, you may carry a cat inside! by Milota Sidorova

Sounds unbelievable, but that is a story of Gracie Mae, little cat from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, that has been accidentally packed by her owner, Seth Levy. The large black Samsonite suitcase with his 10 months old cat inside passed the X-rays control, flew almost four hours on the plane leading to Texas, where it has been grabbed by another rushing passenger by a mistake. When Kelly Levy, a wife of Seth Levy realized that their beloved cat was missing, she searched thorough all the house and spent evening wandering around calling for Gracie Mae. At that time, Rob Carter opened the suitcase on the bed at his home, Fort Worth, Texas. "I went to unpack and saw some of the clothes and saw it wasn't my suitcase," said Rob adding that he was about to close it, when a kitten jumped out and ran under the bed. He was so shocked that he screamed like a little girl. In the morning he was able to touch scarred Gracie, who spent a night hiding under his bed. " I got close enough to see its collar and the phone number on it," he said. Then he called back the family Levy. According to various U. S. Government Agencies have rules for pet transports, especially the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and units of USDA, requires a health certificate, and a proof of Rabies Vaccination. Gracie breaking all those regulations took a trip in a suitcase by just in front of the eyes of baggage inspectors. After a call from Texas, Gracie was luckily sent back home. In a case, Mr. Carter couldn't find good home for her, he would keep her. He would give her a new name, simply & Suitcase!

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080123/ap_on_fe_st/odd_missing_cat;_ylt=AvPz5ooePrH8g6VyCtSQWp8DW7oF

by Milota Sidorova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.