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Miss Venezuela Crowned MISS UNIVERSE 2008

Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza Crowned MISS UNIVERSE(R) 2008 During Live NBC Telecast on July 13th 2008.Slippery Shoes: Miss USA continues the trend of falling on stage during the Miss Universe contest.This evening, during one of the year's most exciting live international television events, a star-studded panel of judges chose Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza, as MISS UNIVERSE(R) 2008 live from the Crown Convention Center in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. Ms. Mendoza is 22 years-old and her career ambition is to become an Interior Designer. She also enjoys photography and is interested in advertising. The judging panel for the 2008 Miss Universe Pageant included: Donald Trump Jr., Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization; fashion designer and entrepreneur Roberto Cavalli; Nadine Velazquez, international cover girl and star of NBC's "My Name Is Earl"; Jennifer Hawkins, television presenter and Miss Universe 2004; Louis Licari, celebrity colorist and "Today Show" ambush makeover expert; Joe Cinque, President of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences; Bollywood film & TV star, dancer, model Eesha Koppikhar; Nguyen Cong Khe, Editor in Chief of Thanh Nien newspaper and international shoe designer Taryn Rose. Jerry Springer and Mel B hosted the telecast of the 57th Annual Miss Universe competition where Lady GaGa performed her hit "Just Dance". Throughout the two-hour event, contestants from 80 countries and territories around the world competed in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and personality interview. Riyo Mori, Miss Universe 2007, crowned her successor at the conclusion of the two-hour primetime telecast, before an estimated worldwide viewing audience of more than 1 billion viewers. Final Results: First Runner Up: Miss Colombia, Taliana Vargas; will assume the duties of MISS UNIVERSE 2008 if the titleholder for some reason cannot fulfill her responsibilities. Second Runner Up: Miss Dominican Republic, Marianne Cruz Gonzalez; Rest of Top Five: Miss Mexico, Elisa Najera; and Miss Russia, Vera Krasova. Rest of Top Ten: Miss Kosovo, Zana Krasniqi; Miss Australia, Laura Dundovic; Miss Spain, Claudia Moro; Miss USA, Crystle Stewart; and Miss Italy, Claudia Ferraris. Rest of Top Fifteen: Miss Vietnam, Lam Thuy Nguyen; Miss South Africa, Tansey Coetzee; Miss Japan, Hiroko Mima; Miss Hungary, Jazmin Dammak; and Miss Czech Republic, Eliska Buckova. National Costume Award: Miss Thailand, Gavintra Photijak. The general public voted on www.nbc.com for the international delegate whose national costume best reflected her country's culture, originality in preparation and the delegate's personal demeanor. She received a $1,000 cash prize and a trophy from Rogaska Crystal. Miss Congeniality Universe(TM) Award: Miss El Salvador, Rebeca Moreno. This award reflects the respect and admiration of the delegate's peers, who voted for her as the most congenial, charismatic and inspirational participant. She also received a $1,000 cash prize and a trophy from Rogaska Crystal. The MISS UNIVERSE(R) 2008 prize package includes: the Miss Universe tiara created by CAO Fine Jewelry (a division of PNJ) designed by Mrs. Dang Thi Kim Lien and Rosalina Lydster valued at more than $30,000 dollars; a 2 year scholarship from the New York Film Academy worth more than $100,000 dollars to its acting or film-making programs; eveningwear gowns from Scala, designed by Sherri Hill; a national and international multi-media advertising campaign and a complete denim wardrobe from YMI Jeanswear; a custom swimsuit wardrobe from BSC Swimwear Thailand; a shoe collection from Nina Footwear; a trophy from Rogaska Crystal; year-long supply of Farouk Systems products, makers of CHI, the original Ceramic Technology tools; membership to Gravity Fitness and pampering at John Barrett Salon; fashion portfolio by leading fashion photographer Fadil Berisha; consultations with nutritionist and creator of The F-Factor Diet(TM) Tanya Zuckerbrot; dermatology and skincare services by Dr. Cheryl Thellman-Karcher; consultations with personal stylist Billie Causieestko and access to an event wardrobe from leading fashion designers; a New York City apartment for the year of her reign including living expenses and professional representation by the Miss Universe Organization to further her personal and professional goals. ABOUT THE MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION The MISS UNIVERSE(R), MISS USA(R) and MISS TEEN USA(R) Pageants are a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture. Utilizing its nationwide grass roots infrastructure, the Miss Universe Organization is committed to increasing HIV/AIDS awareness by focusing on women's health and reproductive issues. By forging relationships with organizations committed to research and education such as the Latino Commission on AIDS, God's Love We Deliver, APICHA and Gay Men's Health Crisis, Miss Universe is armed to impact women today. For more information visit: www.missuniverse.com. SOURCE The Miss Universe Organization http://www.missuniverse.comCopyright (C) 2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

iPhone 3G - You Can Buy It But You Cant Use It

By pcheruku

iPhone 3G - You Can Buy It But You Cant Use It.You would think that after six months of nearly nonstop iPhone hype, Apple would have been ready for the big day when it finally came. But soon after the iPhone 3G went on sale in the Eastern time zone this morning, Appleâ€™s iTunes registration system collapsed, leaving buyers with unusable phones. Nearly four hours later, the systems were still down. The problems also prevented upgrades of original iPhones or the iPod Touch to the new version 2.0 software.There were also reports that AT&T activation was failing and that, contrary to announced policy, customers were being allowed to leave stores with unactivated phones. Computerworld reported problems in the UK, where carrier O2's Web-based activation process required the use of Microsoft's Windows-only Internet Explorer browser. Apple stores had to scramble to set up Windows virtual; machines on their Macs to get customers activated. All in all, a rough start for the biggest launch event since, well, the original iPhone launch a bit more than a year ago.