Danny Puff

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Beyonce Knowles can't seem to leave the house without catching flak from somebody these days.

First, the "Halo" singer was criticized last month for her less-than-live performance of the National Anthem at Barack Obama's inauguration.

Now, Knowles has attracted the ire of animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for wearing leather during her halftime performance at Sunday's Super Bowl.

According to the New York Times (which - who knew? - keeps track of such things), Knowles' outfit, which was conceived by New York designer Rubin Singer - consisted of a cropped leather motorcycle, matched with a leather bodysuit made with strips of python and iguana.

Knowles' use of all that animal hide, surprisingly, did not sit well with PETA, who accused the singer of being out of touch with shifting fashion trends.

"We would take a bet that if Beyonc watched our video expos s ... she'd probably not want to be seen again in anything made of snakes, lizards, rabbits, or other animals who died painfully," PETA said in a statement. "Today's fashions are trending toward humane vegan options, and Beyonc 's Super Bowl outfit missed the mark on that score."

Of course, Knowles could have ditched the offending outfit altogether - at which point she'd have the Parents Television Council hounding her instead of PETA.

PETA did, however, show some love for Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs - even though he covets a leather-covered ball for a living.

"The game was great, however, and so is Baltimore Ravens linebacker and yesterday's Super Bowl champion Terrell Suggs, who has just joined PETA in protesting the fur industry by starring in PETA's 'Ink, Not Mink' campaign," the organization added.

A spokeswoman for Knowles has not yet responded to TheWrap's request for comment because, really, if you were her, would you willingly place yourself in the middle of this?

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TORONTO (AP) -- A modern BlackBerry with a physical keyboard might not arrive in the U.S. until May or June, a month or two behind other parts of the world, the chief executive of the smartphone maker suggested in an interview.

Although Research in Motion Ltd. CEO Thorsten Heins said the exact release date will depend on each wireless provider, he said the physical keyboard version, the BlackBerry Q10, will likely be released eight to 10 weeks after a carrier releases a model with only a touch screen, the BlackBerry Z10. The Z10 is expected in the U.S. in mid-March, so eight to 10 weeks brings the U.S. date for the Q10 to mid-May to early June.

"We're trying to get it as close as we can," Heins said in an interview this week with The Associated Press.

Both models are part of RIM's attempt at a comeback after the pioneering brand lost its cachet not long after Apple's 2007 release of the iPhone, which reset expectations for what a smartphone should do.

RIM promised a new system called BlackBerry 10 to catch up, using technology it got through its 2010 purchase of QNX Software Systems. But it has taken more than two years to unveil new phones that are redesigned for the new multimedia, Internet browsing and apps experience that customers are now demanding.

RIM said last week that the Q10 should be out on some global carriers in April, but it wouldn't say then whether that schedule applied to the U.S.

In the interview, Heins said it was up to the carriers to do the necessary testing and to decide whether they can shorten the process. He said eight to 10 weeks after the Z10 launch was "a good range" of what to expect.

Such a delay would further complicate RIM's efforts to hang on to customers tempted by Apple's trend-setting iPhone and a range of devices running Google's Android operating system. Even as the BlackBerry has fallen behind rivals in recent years, many BlackBerry users have stayed loyal so far specifically because they prefer a physical keyboard over the touch screen found on the iPhone and most Android devices. But the temptations to switch grow with each additional delay.

Heins told the AP that he's disappointed the touch-only BlackBerry won't be released in the United States until mid-March, but he said the U.S. and its phone carriers have a rigid testing system.

"We need to respect that. Am I a bit disappointed? Yeah, I would be lying saying no. But it is what it is, and we're working with all our carrier partners to speed it up as much as we can," Heins said in Monday's interview at the Ritz Carlton in Toronto, ahead of Tuesday's debut of the touch-only model in Canada.

RIM unveiled new BlackBerrys last week after excruciating delays allowed Apple, Samsung and others to build commanding leads in the industry. The stock fell 12 percent after Wednesday's kickoff, despite mostly favorable reviews about the new BlackBerry 10 operating system. There's concern the phone isn't coming out sooner than the March date for the U.S. announced last week.

Black and white versions of the touch-screen Z10 were released in the U.K. last Thursday and in Canada on Tuesday.

Heins said early data suggests a substantial number of U.K. users are moving from other platforms to BlackBerry, even though RIM initially targeted longtime BlackBerry users.

"It's beyond expectations," Heins said. "White is sold out already. The black is hard to stock up again. It's very encouraging. I won't share the number because I need to verify it, but we are getting a substantial number of users moving from other platforms to BlackBerry."

In Canada, telecom provider Bell said advance orders for the Z10 exceeded that of any previous BlackBerry model. "We're seeing intense interest today," Bell spokesman Mark Langton said. "Sales are quite robust."

RIM's stock increased nearly 8 percent to $16.15 in midday trading Tuesday after closing up 15 percent Monday following initial reports of strong U.K. sales and an upgrade of the stock by an analyst.

Heins said the company would have to regain market share in the U.S. for BlackBerry to be successful. The U.S. has been one market in which RIM has been particularly hurting, even as the company is doing well in many places overseas. According to research firm IDC, shipments of BlackBerry phones plummeted from 46 percent of the U.S. market in 2008 to 2 percent in 2012. The iPhone and Android now dominate.

Heins, who one year ago replaced longtime executives who had presided over BlackBerry's fall, said he's confident BlackBerry can become the third ecosystem behind the iPhone and Android.

"We need to win back market share to be relevant," Heins said. "We have to be aggressive in the U.S. market."

To send a message that the BlackBerry is back, RIM ran an ad during Sunday's Super Bowl game in the U.S. suggesting that there's so much the new phones could do, it'd be easier to list the outlandish things that they can't. The Canadian company is also in the process of changing its name to BlackBerry to emphasize that brand.

Some analysts have questioned RIM's decision to release a touch-only version first considering that its most loyal users love the physical keyboard for typing.

Heins said the full touch screen was more complicated and they needed to focus on releasing that first. He has also acknowledged that RIM failed to quickly adapt to the emerging "bring your own device" trend, in which employees bring their personal touch-screen iPhones or Android devices to work instead of relying on BlackBerrys issued by their employers

Heins said the company wants to participate in that trend by releasing a touch version first.

Heins also addressed possible interest other companies might have in RIM should BlackBerry 10 prove successful and whether the Canadian government might block a foreign takeover.

"The recognition for BlackBerry 10 and what we built is pretty high. We got good reviews," he said. "That moves you into the middle of the radar screen so I expect some activity around it but we'll look at it one by one. We'll assess it and we'll make decisions with the board on what make sense."

Heins recently chatted with top Canadian government ministers, including the industry minister, at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"These guys are reasonable, rational people. At the end of the day it's about employment, it's about economic health, it's about Canada playing a major role," Heins said. "If the right logic and rational applies I don't think they will just block it for their own sake. They could have done it with Nortel and the patents."

Several months ago RIM's decline evoked memories of Nortel, a former Canadian tech giant, which declared bankruptcy in 2009 and was picked over for its patents.

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NEW YORK (AP) Next stop for Alicia Keys? NBA All-Star weekend.

The superstar, fresh off her national anthem performance at the Super Bowl, is set to be the halftime entertainment at the Feb. 17 game in Houston.

She's just one of several musicians on tap for the big game. Ne-Yo will sing during the player introductions, while John Legend will sing the national anthem. Singer and "Lincoln" actress Gloria Reuben will sing the Canadian anthem.

The day before, Nick Cannon is set to host that evening's festivities, which will include performances by "American Idol" Phillip Phillips, Ellie Goulding and the first live TV performance in three years by a reunited Fall Out Boy.

The All-Star game, set to feature superstars like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, will air live on TNT.

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Online:

http://www.nba.com

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ATHENS (Reuters) - With his red beanie hat and rickety three-wheeler, 56-year-old Dimitris cuts an unlikely figure as he dives head-first into the garbage to scour for scrap in Athens's wealthy suburbs.

The unemployed builder is one of the few Greeks to defy taboos by becoming a scrap dealer in a country where the job is considered the lowly domain of illegal migrants.

But Dimitris, who worked on construction sites for 42 years before losing his job, has grown proud of a trade he turned to as a last resort to make ends meet during Greece's worst economic crisis in decades. And he learned it can pay well too.

"In the beginning I used hoods and scarves to cover my face. I didn't want people recognising me. I was ashamed," he said, declining to give his last name because much of the scrap trade is done informally and off the books.

"It was difficult but I got into the spirit of things. What else can you do when there's no work?"

About half of the country's construction workers have lost their jobs since 2007 as demand for new homes collapsed amid the crisis, and debt-laden Greece's unemployment rate is the highest in the European Union.

Unlike the dozens of poor, usually African or Asian migrant scrap hunters spotted in rundown areas balancing supermarket trolleys stacked with metal, plastic and paper, Dimitris ventures to posh neighbourhoods where surprised residents at times even call him in to hand over used items.

Though it's an open secret that money made in the scrap business is rarely declared - he says he has never run into trouble with the police, who have detained thousands of migrants doing similar work as part of sweeps that began in August.

"Being Greek is definitely an advantage and my neighbours tell me: good for you, we commend you!" he said.

Clad in jeans and a loose-fitting jacket, the white-haired father of two is now a familiar face to shopkeepers in his working-class neighbourhood, who hand over disused radiators and air conditioners.

Over at the weigh station - an old warehouse covered wall to wall with tall piles of glossy magazines, dismantled laptops and vacuum cleaners - dealers divide up the findings and offer Dimitris anything from 10 euros to 200 euros in cash for a day's work.

That is enough to get by on for now, but Dimitris worries about the future of his children - a 26-year-old unemployed son and a daughter who will soon complete high school - and others facing Greece's impossible job market.

At least some of them could try collecting scrap despite the stigma, he says.

"Rather than sitting around in cafes all day the youth could give this a shot," he said. "People laugh but you can make a decent day's work from trash. We lost our dignity (during the crisis) but we can still try to make a decent living."

(Writing by Karolina Tagaris, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Research In Motion Ltd. is changing its name to BlackBerry as the Canadian company develops two new phones with a modern operating system called BlackBerry 10. RIM is counting on the new system to help with a turnaround. Here's a look at recent developments as the company struggles to regain market share lost to Apple's iPhone and devices running Google's Android operating software.

Sept. 15, 2011: RIM says it has sold far fewer PlayBook tablet computers than it expected, as the company reports a sharp drop in net income and revenue in the fiscal second quarter.

Oct. 25: RIM says it is delaying the launch of an upgraded operating system for the PlayBook until February, saying it isn't up to its standards yet. The company also says the new version initially won't have the popular messaging service BlackBerry Messenger. It's the third delay announced since the features were promised in April.

Dec. 2: RIM says it is writing off much of its inventory of PlayBook tablets after it had to sell them at a deep discount. The model originally priced at $500 now costs $200. The company says it's taking a pre-tax charge of $485 million in the just-ended quarter. RIM also says it will sell fewer BlackBerrys in the holiday quarter than in the one that just ended. It also says it won't meet full-year earnings guidance of $5.25 to $6 per share, the third cut in a row.

Dec. 6: RIM says "BlackBerry 10" will be the new name for its next-generation system after the company loses a trademark ruling on its previous name, BBX.

Dec. 15: RIM says new phones deemed critical to the company's future won't be out until late 2012. The company says the BlackBerry 10 phones will need a highly integrated chipset that won't be available until mid-2012, so the company can now expect the new phones to ship late in the year. The company also says BlackBerry sales will fall sharply in the holiday quarter compared with the three months that ended Nov. 26. RIM says it would only ship between 11 million and 12 million BlackBerrys in the fourth quarter, down from 14.1 million in the third quarter.

Jan. 22, 2012: RIM founder Mike Lazaridis and long-time executive Jim Balsillie announce they will step down as co-CEOs. Thorsten Heins, a chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG, was named as their replacement. Lazaridis and Balsillie remain on the board.

Feb. 21: RIM finally releases an upgraded operating system for its PlayBook. The free upgrade allows for built-in email, calendar and contacts on the tablet features promised within 60 days after the PlayBook's launch last April. The PlayBook had received negative reviews because it launched without an email program and the popular messaging service BlackBerry Messenger. The new version still doesn't include the messaging service.

March 29: RIM says Balsillie has resigned from its board, and two top executives are leaving. RIM also writes down the value of its product inventory again as the company reports a loss of $125 million, its first quarterly loss since fiscal 2005. Heins doesn't rule out a sale, but he says it is not the main direction of the strategic review he's overseeing.

April 26: Newest board member of RIM says a turnaround could take three to five years. Prem Watsa, RIM's third-largest investor, says he sees his investment in the company as a long-term one, adding that RIM's fortunes won't be reversed soon.

May 1: RIM unveils a newly designed smartphone prototype powered by its upcoming BlackBerry 10 system. The prototype BlackBerry has a touch screen, but no physical keyboard like most BlackBerry models. No update was given on the new system's launch date.

May 2: Company stresses that while the prototype has no physical keyboard, RIM will continue to make some models with one.

May 8: RIM announces hiring of two senior executives from struggling tech companies. Frank Boulben, the new chief marketing officer, comes from LightSquared. Kristian Tear, the new chief operating officer, is from Sony Mobile Communications.

May 29: RIM says it will have an operating loss in the current quarter and significant layoffs. The company says it has hired J.P. Morgan and RBC Capital Markets to help evaluate various strategies, including opportunities to partner with other companies and to license software.

June 20: RIM says it has started laying off employees as part of a restructuring plan aimed at saving about $1 billion in 2012.

June 21: Company says the first BlackBerry device running BlackBerry 10 will not have a physical keyboard, only a touch-screen one. Ones with hard keyboards will eventually be made, but the company declines to say when.

June 28: RIM says it's cutting 5,000 jobs, or about 30 percent of its workforce, and delaying the launch of BlackBerry 10 yet again, to the first quarter of 2013. It also reported worse results for its latest quarter, which ended June 2, than analysts had expected.

June 29: Stock hits nine-year low on day after earnings announcements.

July 10: At RIM's annual shareholders meeting, Heins asks disgruntled investors for patience as the company develops new devices to rival the iPhone and Android smartphones. He says the past year has been very difficult for RIM, and he says the company is "around the clock" to get BlackBerry 10 out.

Nov. 12: RIM says it will hold an official launch event for BlackBerry 10 smartphones on Jan. 30.

Nov. 28: Nokia Corp. says that it is suing RIM for breach of contract in Britain, the United States and Canada over cellular patents the two companies agreed on nine years ago. RIM says it "will respond to Nokia's petitions in due course."

Nov. 29: RIM's stock rises after Goldman Sachs upgraded the company's shares, saying there's a "30 percent chance" that BlackBerry 10 smartphones will be a success.

Dec. 20: RIM announces that it lost subscribers for the first time in the latest quarter, as the global number of BlackBerry users dipped to 79 million. RIM also says it is changing the way it charges service fees, putting an important source of revenue at risk. Only subscribers who want enhanced security will pay fees under the new system.

Jan. 30, 2013: RIM announces it will change its name to BlackBerry and trade under the ticker symbol "BBRY" on the Nasdaq Stock Market. It comes as RIM unveils its first two phones with the new BlackBerry 10 system after lengthy delays. The Q10 will have a physical keyboard, while the Z10 has only a touch-screen keyboard. U.S. availability isn't expected until March for the Z10 and at least April for the Q10.

Jan. 31: The Z10 model goes on sale in the U.K.

Monday: New ticker symbol takes effect, though name change isn't official until shareholders vote on it.

Tuesday: The Z10 model goes on sale in Canada.

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TORONTO (Reuters) - Barely a week after launching an all-new, make-or-break line of smartphones, BlackBerry is already looking at a future in which it is a leader in "mobile computing," Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said on Tuesday.

Heins said BlackBerry is aiming to reclaim its spot as an innovator in a world where smartphones already have the processing power to replace tablets and laptops.

The company, which changed its name from Research In Motion when it launched its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones a week ago, pioneered on-the-go email before losing ground to nimbler rivals with faster devices. It is now out to explore new territory.

"This isn't just about smartphones and tablets," Heins, who took over as CEO just over a year ago, said in an interview soon after the launch of the BlackBerry 10 devices.

"The architecture we have built is true mobile computing architecture. It's not a downgraded PC operating system. It is a whole new innovation built from scratch. It's built for mobile."

While speaking at the Empire Club of Canada on Tuesday, Heins reiterated his message: "BlackBerry 10 is not just a device. It is a whole new mobile computing platform," he said.

Despite a number of glowing reviews for the BB10 and reports of strong initial sales, however, some analysts and technology pundits are skeptical about BlackBerry's chances of mounting a comeback, doubting its ability to sell either enough smartphones or manage to transform the way people work.

"The Street cares about how many units of these (devices) they're going to sell and that is the balancing act," said John Jackson, an industry analyst at consulting firm IDC.

Jackson said he can see a future in which the BlackBerry 10 operating system will allow users to control a vast array of devices, but added: "They need to sell devices to keep the lights on while they transform themselves into a next-generation computing platform."

BlackBerry's marketing head, Frank Boulben, said the company is moving quickly enough to do just that.

"The vision is going to start to materialize this year," he said. "You will be able to plug the (Z10) device into a docking station at the office and then all you need is a keyboard, a mouse and a screen. Combined with cloud services this would mean you don't need a laptop or a desktop."

BlackBerry last week unveiled two versions of devices that run on the BB10 OS, a touchscreen smartphone dubbed Z10 and one with a physical keyboard called the Q10, betting they will help it win back some of the market share it has bled to the likes of Apple and Samsung Electronics.

IT'S ABOUT THE PLATFORM

On launch day, Heins spent the first 20 minutes of the event talking about the BlackBerry 10 platform, rather than about the new smartphone models themselves.

"Over the short term, yes, we have to be successful with the devices, we have got to win back the enterprises, we've got win back consumers," he said. "But in the longer term, we have to understand where this company is going."

Initial checks from analysts point to strong sales for the Z10 in its early launch countries of Canada and Britain. The Q10 device will not be on sale until April.

"We spoke to a range of U.K. vendors over the weekend who indicated BlackBerry's Z10 sales were strong," Barclays analyst Jeff Kvaal said in a note. "Some store locations were completely sold out of the Z10 device, while others had limited stock."

Two of Canada's largest wireless carriers, Rogers and Bell, say demand for the new devices is strong. Rogers said pre-orders for the Z10 device are already in the thousands, while Bell said customer pre-registration numbers for the new smartphone are unprecedented for a new BlackBerry device.

Analyst upgrades, coupled with the Z10 sales reports, have sparked a surge in BlackBerry's shares this week. The stock is up more than 24 percent from Friday's close of $13.03 on the Nasdaq.

The stock, which remains some 90 percent below its 2008 peak, fell more than 20 percent in the two days following the BlackBerry launch, partly on disappointment that the new devices will not hit the crucial U.S. market until next month.

ALL OPTIONS OPEN

At the launch, BlackBerry did not address its so far unsuccessful foray into the tablet market, but Heins said the company remains committed to this segment.

"I'm not getting out of the tablet business, I've asked my teams to build another one, but I need to make money from it. If the hardware doesn't provide the margins I need, then it makes no sense in doing it," he said.

BlackBerry's PlayBook tablets debuted in 2011, but never gained traction against Apple's iPad and other devices. The company was forced to write down the value of the devices and it has since sold them at sharply reduced prices.

Heins said BlackBerry will remain focused on expanding its business in mobile computing over the next two to four years.

BlackBerry's QNX operating system, which forms the basis of its new BlackBerry 10 OS, already runs cars, nuclear reactors and manufacturing plants, and Heins said this opens new vistas for the company, although he gave no clear description of what they are.

"What we need to decide is where do we play? It could be a software play, a licensing play, an end-to-end horizontal play, we'll figure that out," he said. "In five years, yes we might still be in hardware, but we may not be in hardware ... I'm not ruling anything out."

"Mobile computing is not going to be decided in the next quarter ... We have got to figure out as an industry how we get there. All I know is that I want us to be a leader there."

(Reporting by Euan Rocha; Editing by Janet Guttsman; and Peter Galloway)

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TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index closed higher on Tuesday as reports of strong sales of the new BlackBerry device boosted the smartphone maker and energy stocks rose with oil prices after data showed signs of economic growth in Europe and the United States.

BlackBerry, whose shares jumped 15 percent on Monday, climbed another 6.3 percent after analyst reports indicated robust sales of the new Z10 model in Canada and Britain.

Recovering from a 2-1/2 week low reached the previous session, the market benefited from news that the U.S. services sector expanded again last month, extending a three-year run of growth, and European business optimism hit an eight-month high, suggesting the euro zone economy was starting to recover.

Markit's Eurozone Composite PMI showed business activity across thousands of companies had risen in January to a 10-month high.

"Retail investors are starting to see missed opportunities as they don't want to miss the boat," said Arthur Salzer, executive director and chief executive officer of Northland Wealth Management.

"People are feeling better because money is coming into the system, and they are willing to put capital at risk," he added.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index gained 28.03 points, or 0.22 percent, to 12,745.65. Nine of the 10 main sectors on the index advanced.

"It's a buy-on-dips mentality," said Ian Nakamoto, director of research at MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier. "People are getting nervous when the market moves up too quickly. So yesterday we had a sell-off and then people started to buy.

"Europe has been the sore point. Any positive news coming out of Europe would be treated well," he added.

The energy sector gained 0.6 percent, benefiting from higher oil prices.

Suncor Energy Inc , Canada's largest energy company, gained 0.6 percent to C$34.38, and TransCanada Corp added 0.6 percent to C$48.24.

BlackBerry's stock surged to C$15.94 and helped the information technology sector climb 2.3 percent.

The materials sector, which includes mining stocks, was the lone group to decline, shedding 0.2 percent.

In other company news, Canadian National Railway Co , the country's largest rail operator, said it would invest C$1.9 billion ($1.9 billion) in 2013 to upgrade its rail system, improve service and expand business. The stock rose 0.4 percent to C$95.49.

(Additional reporting by Euan Rocha; Editing by Dan Grebler)

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PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) Scottie dog has a new nemesis in Monopoly after fans voted in an online contest to add a cat token to the property trading game, replacing the iron, toy maker Hasbro Inc. announced Wednesday.

The results were announced after the shoe, wheelbarrow and iron were neck and neck for elimination in the final hours of voting that sparked passionate efforts by fans to save their favorite tokens, and by businesses eager to capitalize on publicity surrounding pieces that represent their products.

The vote on Facebook closed just before midnight on Tuesday, marking the first time that fans have had a say on which of the eight tokens to add and which one to toss. The pieces identify the players and have changed quite a lot since Parker Brothers bought the game from its original designer in 1935.

Rhode Island-based Hasbro announced the new piece Wednesday morning.

Other pieces that contested for a spot on Monopoly included a robot, diamond ring, helicopter and guitar.

Fans from more than 120 countries voted.

"We put five new tokens out for our fans to vote on and there were a lot of fans of the many different tokens, but I think there were a lot of cat lovers in the world that reached out and voted for the cat to be the new token for Monopoly," said Jonathan Berkowitz, vice president for Hasbro gaming marketing.

The Scottie Dog was the most popular of the classic tokens, and received 29% of the vote, the company said. The iron got the least votes and was kicked to the curb.

The cat, which has no name, received 31% of votes for new tokens.

The online contest to change the tokens was sparked by chatter on Facebook, where Monopoly has more than 10 million fans. The initiative was intended to ensure that a game created nearly eight decades ago remains relevant and engaging to fans today.

"Tokens are always a key part of the Monopoly game ... and our fans are very passionate about their tokens, about which token they use while they play," Berkowitz said.

Monopoly's iconic tokens originated when the niece of game creator Charles Darrow suggested using charms from her charm bracelet for tokens. The game is based on the streets of Atlantic City, N.J., and has sold more than 275 million units worldwide.

To make the game relevant to fans abroad, the names are changed to well-known streets in when it is introduced to a new country.

The other tokens are a racecar, a shoe, thimble, top hat, wheelbarrow and battleship. Most of the pieces were introduced with the first Parker Brothers iteration of the game in 1935, and the Scottie dog and wheelbarrow were added in the early 1950s.

"I'm sad to see the iron go," Berkowitz said. "Personally, I'm a big fan of the racecar so I'm very relieved it was saved but it is sad to see the iron go."

The social-media buzz created by the Save Your Token Campaign attracted numerous companies that pushed to protect specific tokens that reflect their products.

That includes garden tool maker Ames True Temper Inc. of Camp Hill, Penn., that spoke out in favor of the wheelbarrow and created a series of online videos that support the tool and online shoe retailer Zappos which pushed to save the shoe, Berkowitz said.

"We've even had some companies like Jolly Time Pop Corn reach out and petition to have a popcorn token added to the game, even though that's not one of the new five tokens," he said.

Versions of Monopoly with the new token will come out later this year.

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Monopoly: https://www.hasbro.com/monopoly

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Rodrique Ngowi can be reached at www.twitter.com/ngowi

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NEW YORK (AP) Online games company Zynga said its loss narrowed in the latest quarter even though revenue was largely unchanged as the company cut expenses by laying off workers, closing offices and shutting down older games.

The results exceeded Wall Street's muted expectations and Zynga Inc.'s battered shares increased 8 percent in after-hours trading after the release of the results. After a difficult 2012 in which Zynga saw its stock price decline by 75 percent, CEO Mark Pincus called 2013 a "pivotal transition year" for the company as it seeks to cut costs further and broaden revenue sources, especially from mobile games.

The San Francisco company behind "FarmVille" and "CityVille" lost $48.6 million, or 6 cents per share, in the October-December period. That compares with a loss of $435 million, or $1.22 per share, in the same period a year earlier. Zynga began trading publicly on Dec. 16, 2011, and was privately held for most of the 2011 quarter.

Zynga's revenue was largely unchanged at about $311 million. But it was well above analysts' average estimate of $250 million, as polled by FactSet.

For the current quarter, Zynga said it expects an adjusted loss of 5 cents to 4 cents per share and revenue of $255 million to $265 million. Analysts were predicting a loss of 1 cent per share and revenue of $268 million.

Zynga cut fourth-quarter expenses by two-thirds, to $274 million from $798 million, as demand for its games, which are played mainly on Facebook, has weakened. In October, the company announced that it was cutting about 5 percent of its full-time workforce of roughly 3,200 employees. It also killed 13 older games and closed development studios in Boston and elsewhere.

Shares climbed 22 cents, or 8 percent, to $2.96 in after-hours trading after gaining 18 cents to close at $2.74 during the regular session. Zynga's stock has traded from $2.09 to $15.91 in the past 52 weeks.

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SEATTLE (Reuters) - U.S. tech writers have given Microsoft Corp's new Surface tablet-laptop hybrid largely negative reviews, casting a shadow over the software group's hopes to take a bite out of sales of Apple Inc's iPad and MacBook Air.

The latest Surface runs on an Intel Corp chip and features the full Windows 8 Pro operating system, which Microsoft hopes will make the device attractive to people who want to produce as well as consume material.

It also hopes to appeal to businesses who want to give employees lightweight, mobile machines that fit easily into their technology and security infrastructure.

The "Surface with Windows 8 Pro", as it is officially called, is available from Saturday. Windows co-chief Tami Reller said earlier this week it is a key part of revving up interest in Windows 8, launched last October but which has not gripped consumers' imaginations.

The Surface Pro is thicker, heavier and several hundred dollars more expensive than the first Surface RT, which runs on an ARM Holdings Plc-designed chip and is not compatible with old Microsoft programs.

Available in 64 and 128 gigabyte versions, both with wifi-only connectivity, the Surface Pro starts at $899, excluding a $120-plus keyboard. That is $200 more expensive than a comparable iPad and closer in price to the 64 GB MacBook Air laptop at $999.

Microsoft has said the device is the first to bring a full operating system to the tablet format without compromising quality. But reviewers found the device uncomfortably stranded between a tablet and a PC, with many compromises.

"It ran all the software I threw at it - both the new type and the old desktop type - speedily and well," wrote Walt Mossberg on the All Things D tech blog.

"But the Pro has some significant downsides, especially as a tablet ... It's too hefty and costly and power-hungry to best the leading tablet, Apple's full-size iPad. It is also too difficult to use in your lap. It's something of a tweener - a compromised tablet and a compromised laptop."

Mossberg said the Surface lasted less than four hours on his standard battery test, half the performance of an iPad. He also expressed concerns about the usable memory on the 64 GB version.

NOT AS GOOD

"The Pro is definitely snappier and more performant' (to use a bit of Microspeak)," wrote Mary Jo Foley on the ZDNet tech blog.

However, she added: "I keep scratching my head over who Microsoft expects to buy the Surface Pro. It's not as good of a tablet, in terms of weight/battery life, as the Surface RT is. But it's also not as good of a Windows 8 PC as other OEM-produced devices, coming in at lower price points with better battery life and other specs."

Steve Kovach, writing for Business Insider, praised the specifications on the new Surface, but not the experience as a whole.

"The Surface Pro has some impressive hardware specs for such a unique form factor. It can go toe-to-toe with any other thin and light laptop," he wrote.

"(But) you can't rest the Surface Pro comfortably on your lap without it flopping around. You can't adjust the angle of the screen when it's propped on a table with the built-in kickstand," Kovach added.

"You need to spend at least another $100 to get the full laptop-like experience with one of the special keyboard covers. At 10 inches, the screen feels a bit small for traditional desktop computing.

"The cheapest model only has 23 GB of free storage, so you'll have to buy a separate memory card because you'll definitely need more than that."

David Pierce, writing on The Verge tech news site, singled out the high quality of the screen, quick startup time, the USB port on the charging hub and pressure-sensitive stylus.

But he criticized the lack of Microsoft's Office suite of applications - which have to be purchased separately - and its general awkwardness.

"Even a well-executed Surface still doesn't work for me, and I'd bet it doesn't work for most other people either," Pierce wrote.

"It's really tough to use on anything but a desk, and the wide, 16:9 aspect ratio pretty severely limits its usefulness as a tablet anyway," Pierce added.

"It's too big, too fat, and too reliant on its power cable to be a competitive tablet, and it's too immutable to do everything a laptop needs to do. In its quest to be both, the Surface is really neither."

(Editing by David Holmes)

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