Can a MP3 sound better than a high-resolution FLAC or Apple Lossless file?

A great-sounding recording will sound its best only when it's properly mastered to LP, SACD, DVD-Audio, or a high-resolution file. Those formats will reveal the full glory of the music in ways that lower-resolution formats like MP3 or analog cassette always miss. But if you didn't have access to the high-resolution file to compare it with, a great recording will still sound pretty terrific as an AAC,...

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Hillary Clinton faints, suffers concussion

WASHINGTON Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton fainted and suffered a concussion, the U.S. State Department reports. She is recovering at home. In a statement issued by the State Dept. Saturday, it was reported that "While suffering from a stomach virus, Secretary Clinton became dehydrated and fainted, sustaining a concussion. "She has been recovering at home and will continue to be monitored...

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'Good Evidence' on Massacre Motive

Police indicated today they have "some very good evidence" about the motive behind Adam Lanza's massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School and said that the sole person to survive being shot by Lanza will be "instrumental" in the probe.Authorities also finished the grim task of identifying all of Lanza's 27 victims, which included 20 children. Families, who already feared...

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Egyptians vote on divisive constitution

CAIRO/ALEXANDRIA (Reuters) - Egyptians queued in long lines on Saturday to vote on a constitution promoted by its Islamist backers as the way out of a political crisis and rejected by opponents as a recipe for further divisions in the Arab world's biggest nation. Soldiers joined police to secure the referendum after deadly protests during the buildup. Street brawls erupted again on Friday...

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Football: Benteke rampant as Aston Villa curb Liverpool's revival

LIVERPOOL, United Kingdom: Christian Benteke scored twice and made another goal as Aston Villa checked Liverpool's recent resurgence with a 3-1 win at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday.Liverpool were bidding for a fourth consecutive win in all competitions but failed to convert a string of first-half chances and were punished when goals from Benteke and Andreas Weimann put Villa...

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Sony, Watchdata tag-team to hook more mobiles into NFC tech

Sony and Watchdata have teamed up in the latest effort to further the use of contactless payments. The consumer electronics giant has signed an agreement with Singapore-based smart card company Watchdata to integrate near field communication (NFC) and Sony's FeliCa technology into Watchdata's SIMpass solutions next year. As part of the agreement, Sony and Watchdata will "provide NFC functions to a...

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Chatter over cabinet picks shifts to Kerry, Hagel

After U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name yesterday from consideration to be secretary of state, speculation quickly shifted to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., both of whom are now reportedly serious contenders for Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. Rice, who in her decision not to seek the nation's top diplomatic post cited an ongoing political...

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More Than 20, Mostly Kids, Killed at Grade School

More than two dozen people, mostly elementary school children, were shot and killed at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school this morning, federal and state sources tell ABC News.The massacre involved two gunmen at a Connecticut school this morning, prompting the town of Newtown to lock down all of its schools and draw SWAT teams to the school, authorities said today.State Police...

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U.S., rebels urge gloomy Moscow to help oust Assad

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's rebel leadership and the United States seized on Russian pessimism over President Bashar al-Assad's future to urge Moscow to help push its ally into ceding power and end the battles closing in around his capital. "We want to commend the Russian government for finally waking up to the reality and acknowledging that the regime's days are numbered," the U.S. State...

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I'll answer crime questions in neutral country: McAfee

MIAMI: Anti-virus software pioneer John McAfee said in a TV interview Friday that he was willing to answer questions about the murder of his neighbor in Belize in a neutral country.McAfee, who insists he is innocent, also admitted that he was worth "less than" US$5 million -- a day after saying he was broke -- though it was unclear how he would access that money."I've said in any neutral...

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Nook HD tablets now available at Walmart

Consumers looking for a Nooktablet can now pick one up at Walmart.The retail outlet is selling the Barnes & Noble tablets at their usual prices. So the Nook HD tablet will run you $199 for the 8GB version and $229 for the 16GB model. The Nook HD+ will cost you $269 for the 16GB edition and $299 for the 32GB model.All four versions and their related accessories are available through Walmart's online...

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Golden Globes: "Lincoln" leads with 7 nominations

Nominees for the 70th Golden Globe Awards were announced Thursday morning, and "Lincoln" is in the lead. The Civil War epic is up for seven nominations, among them best drama, director for Steven Spielberg and acting honors for Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. Tied for second-place with five nominations each, including best drama, are Ben Affleck's Iran hostage-crisis thriller...

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Fiscal Cliff Talks' Latest Victim? Sandy Relief

President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner just can't seem to break through an impasse in their "fiscal cliff" talks, increasing pessimism about a deal by Christmas and now threatening to sidetrack billions in federal aid for victims of superstorm Sandy.After weeks of public posturing and private negotiations, both sides remain firmly dug in with their opposing positions...

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Russia says Syrian rebels might win

MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels are gaining ground and might win, Russia's Middle East envoy said on Thursday, in the starkest such admission from a major ally of President Bashar al-Assad in 20 months of conflict. "One must look the facts in the face," Russia's state-run RIA quoted Mikhail Bogdanov as saying. "Unfortunately, the victory of the Syrian opposition cannot be ruled...

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Golf: US 2014 Ryder Cup captain Watson wants Tiger on team

NEW YORK: Eight-time major golf champion Tom Watson, named on Thursday to be captain of the 2014 US Ryder Cup squad by the PGA of America, said that he sees Tiger Woods being on that team.Citing the 14-time major champion's hunger for victory, Watson said a healthy Woods would be a certainty on the 12-man US lineup by virtue of a captain's selection even if he is unable to qualify on points."I...

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Samsung knocks Apple maps in Sydney marketing stunt

Samsung is apparently not keen on letting Apple's recent Maps mishap in Australia go unnoticed, and is poking fun of its rival in downtown Sydney today.CNET Australia has snapped pics of a little guerrilla marketing by Samsung featuring a muddied-up vehicle with a tent and other camping supplies. Next to it is a sign that says, "Oops, should have gotten a Samsung Galaxy S III. Get navigation you can...

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Police: Ore. mall shooter didn't know his victims

PORTLAND, Ore. A gunman who opened fire on shoppers at a Portland mall had no connection to the two people he fatally shot and wanted to kill as many people as possible, police said Wednesday. The shooter, who wore a mask, was a young man who fired randomly, investigators said. The only person wounded was a young woman, Kristina Shevchenko, whose age could not be confirmed. She was in serious condition...

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Oregon Mall Shooting Hero Gets Customer to Safety

A store employee at the Clackamas Town Center mall used his knowledge of the shopping complex to hustle a customer out of the building during Tuesday's shooting rampage and then twice went back inside to guide other shoppers to exits and safety.Allan Fonseca, who works at Lancome counter in Macy's and was waiting on Jocelyn Lay when they heard shots fired about 3:30 p.m. Thinking...

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North Korea launches rocket , raising nuclear arms stakes

SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea successfully launched a rocket on Wednesday, boosting the credentials of its new leader and stepping up the threat the isolated and impoverished state poses to opponents. The rocket, which North Korea says put a weather satellite into orbit, has been labeled by the United States, South Korea and Japan as a test of technology that could one day deliver...

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UN court sentences Srebrenica commander to life for genocide

THE HAGUE: The UN's Yugoslav war crimes court found Bosnian Serb general Zdravko Tolimir guilty of genocide for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe's worst atrocity since World War II, and sentenced him to life in jail."The majority of the court finds you guilty" of crimes including genocide, judge Christoph Flugge told the Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the...

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Sony launches new entertainment app for Xperia users

Sony is launching an app aimed at Xperia smartphone users that grants access to additional music, film, and sports content. Sony Mobile Communications, a subsidiary of Japanese electronics maker Sony, announced today that a new app, called the Xperia Lounge, has been released in beta. Available on Google'sAndroid operating system, Xperia Lounge contains "backstage" content based around music, film,...

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Ecuador leader: Hugo Chavez undergoing surgery

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez blows a goodbye kiss prior to boarding his plane at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Dec. 10, 2012, in this picture released by Miraflores Press Office. / AP Photo/Miraflores Press Office Updated at 11:55 a.m. ET QUITO, Ecuador Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba, Ecuador's president said Tuesday....

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Video of Columbus Circle Killer Released

The hunt for New York's Columbus Circle killer took on a new impetus today as police released surveillance video showing the killer moments before he calmly walked up to Brandon Lincoln Woodard and put one bullet from a silver colored handgun into the back of the Los Angeles man's head in full view of holiday shoppers.The video confirms the details of the hit man's calculated...

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IMF loan to Egypt delayed as crisis deepens

CAIRO (Reuters) - A vital $4.8 billion International Monetary Fund loan to Egypt will be delayed until next month, its finance minister said on Tuesday, intensifying the political crisis gripping the Arab world's most populous nation. As rival factions gathered in Cairo and Alexandria for a new round of demonstrations, Finance Minister Mumtaz al-Said said the delay in the loan agreement...

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