Oil futures dropped for a fourth day as pressured by a disappointing economic data from the United States, world’s biggest energy consumer, Thursday.

According to reports, crude futures for June delivery declined as much as 81 cents to $108.43 a barrel in a global electronic trading session on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract went $108.61 from 109.27 yesterday, which is considered the lowest since April 19.

Analysts said that the futures dropped was greatly pressured after the US Energy Department announced Wednesday that crude stockpiles grew as much as 3.4 million barrels even as imports fell, beating median forecast of two million barrel-gain. An analyst from Melbourne said that the data only signals a slow growth in US economy. He said that if this situation continues, it will surely slow grind back for the US.

Prices, on the other hand, are up 36 percent from a year earlier. Analysts said that it prices were also weighed down by the US data, showing a sharp regression in the vast services sector and less hiring by private companies in April. Another analyst from Hong Kong said in an interview that the inventory figures and increasing concern over the US economy are the main factors driving the markets lower today.

In other market, Brent crude futures for June delivery also fell 45 cents to $120.74 a barrel by on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. On Wednesday, the contract fell $1.26, or one percent to $121.19, which is considered the lowest settlement since April 12.

Toyota resumed its production in Japan Monday, which will continue until the 27th this month, but with limited parts supply only.

This is still due to parts supply shortage, which is gradually improving but is still struggling to get around 150 types of parts. Akio Toyoda, president of the Japan-based automaker, said in a press conference Friday that despite the ongoing dearth in automotive parts the company is still trying its best to improve the conditions and to deliver the cars to many customers.

The March 11 earthquake and tsunami incident, followed by the radiation leakage in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, have greatly affected many major industries in the world’s third-largest economy. Almost all facilities, private or governmental, were forced offline. Electric supply was also disrupted in Tokyo and neighboring areas, which is expected to continue for months.

As a matter of fact, Toyota has already suffered a production loss of 260,000 cars from March 14 through Friday last week. It is because the auto company has suspended all car productions in Japan from March 14 to 26 and has only resumed with limited production at a handful of plants. Analysts said that there is a strong possibility for the automaker to report a loss for this year’s second quarter.

They added that the shortage is because approximately 90 percent of Toyota’s auto components are coming from other Japan-based automotive parts companies. Last week, the company has also announced temporary production shut down in North American and European plants still because of parts shortage.

A recent study showed that losing weight was not only beneficial to the heart, but it can also enhance the memory.

John Gunstad, Kent State University’s professor in psychology, who led the research, said that losing weight may enhance the overall ability and awareness of cognitive. Gunstad also said that they have recognized for a long period of time that obesity is a risk aspect for things, such as stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.

He added that more current work really confirms that being obese has a connection to concentration and memory problems before that even starts. Gunstad also added that if too much weight causes these dilemmas, can weight loss aid reverse these facts and that is what they wanted to know.

Furthermore, Gunstad analyzed the concentration and memory of 150 obese individuals. Then, some of the volunteers underwent gastric bypass surgery while the others did not. He stated that what they found out Id that by people who underwent the surgery for weight loss showed developments in memory for almost 12 weeks after their surgery.

These volunteers were capable to show developments that are moving from the sort of gently damaged range into the normal range, which clinically is somewhat better, is an appealing significant change. With regard to the surgery, 23.9 percent of all the volunteers showed weakened learning and 22.9 percent had poor memory recognition.

In addition, 12 weeks after the surgery, the performance average of participants who underwent through surgery was in the average range or over the average on all the tests for cognitive, enhancements that were not observed in the group of volunteers that decisive to not undergo to gastric bypass operation.

James Faucette, Pacific Crest research firm’s analyst, said that the sales of Atrix and Xoom of Motorola have been inadequate.

Faucette does not give any particular figures and the company has not issued its sales report. However, the analysts from Deutsche Bank are approximating Xoom’s sales at 100,000 units sold in the first and half month of its availability in the market.

Cost is a huge problem for the company and Consumer Reports ranked the 3G, 32GB version of Motorola Xoom worth $800 as equal to the 3G, 32GB version of the first generation iPad of Apple, which cost for $580. The latter recently launched iPad 2 and topped the list of Consumer Reports for the Ten Most Promising Tablets.

Consumer Reports also said that the Xoom stays the most feasible rival of iPad 2. Both Apple’s and Motorola’s tablets have 10 inches screens, Wi-Fi Capability, and 3G, but the magazine admits that Motorola Xoom provides few features that the iPad 2 does not possess.

In addition, Xoom will also be upgradable for use on the 4G network of Verizon Wireless that is for free in the future, while Apple has no abrupt plans to employ any of the recent 4G networks with its gadgets. Each of the tablets on Consumer Reports’ list was assessed on 17 criteria, including screen glare, adaptability, touchscreen responsiveness and ease of use.

On the other hand, the tablets from Viewsonic, Samsung, Archos and Dell were also among those tested and assessed. Paul Reynolds, Consumer Reports’ electronics editor, said that so far Apple is heading the tablet market in both cost and quality. Still, it is expected that consumers will see more viable pricing in tablets as other models start to hit the market.

Hall of Famer Robbie Robertson is out with a new album entitled “How to Become Clairvoyant,” and it will be released this day.

The album is his first collection of songs ever since 1998 and it is just the fifth album he released soon after his band departed ways in 1976. On the other hand, he had worked in several movie soundtracks, with songs such as “Casino,” “Raging Bull,” “Shutter Island,” and “Gangs of New York.”

In his time with his original group the Band, Robbie did not actually sing a lot, which was because he has a limited vocal range alongside weathered tone. However, his voice can still be one of those voices that can struck people and give them chills.

Moreover, there are different musicians who penned with Robbie and lend their talents in the album. Legendary guitarist and singer Eric Clapton helped Robbie on seven of the songs in the album and they even sing a duet in one of the songs.

Steve Winwood and Robert Randolph also made contributions in the album. Furthermore, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, likewise sit down and helped to shape up the album.

In addition, Robbie is looking up in writing a memoir of him. Moreover, Robbie’s co-band member actually wrote a memoir, but it turned out that some of the parts of the said book are very detrimental for Robbie. Drummer Levon Helm’s book entitled This Wheel’s on Fire, charged Robbie, 67, of not being able to share credits with him when it comes to songwriting, and also, how Robbie edit the Band’s farewell film, The Last Waltz, in 1978 just for him to look more of a leader than he ever was.

Just recently, Robertson was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame due to his accomplishments and works in his years with his original group The Band.

The White House requested Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president of Yemen, to solve the political standoff in their nation and guarantee the security and protection of all Yemenis.

The White House stated that President Saleh needs to solve the political standoff with the opposition so that significant change in politics can occur in the near term in a systematic and nonviolent way. Furthermore, the White House also calling on all parties to take on a positive political discussion and to plan a course that will put development, unity and future success of Yemen with individual plans.

The country has seen long weeks of anti-government disputes that demand an abrupt end to the 33 years of President Saleh’s ruling, causing over 100 mortalities up to date. Conflicts between the protesters of anti-government and the backers of the government continued in main provinces of Hadramout, Ibb, Abyan, Aden, Al-Bayda, Al-Hodayda, Taiz and Sanaa on Tuesday.

The White House also stated that the United States robustly criticizes the use of hostility by the government forces of Yemen against the activists in Al-Hodayda, Taiz and Sanaa for the past weeks. Moreover, the house added that they already remind President Saleh with regard to his responsibility to guarantee the security and protection of all the people in Yemen who are implementing their entire right to take on political term.

In addition, the White House also requests the Yemen’s government to do complete investigations into these circumstances and to keep those responsible individuals for their actions. President Saleh has been a key U.S. supporter in the clash against the Al Qaeda that is based in Yemen Arabian Peninsula, but the officials of Yemen and the United States stated that the administration of President Obama has concluded that Yemen’s president is not likely to bring the necessary reforms that are demanded by the activists.

An earthquake agency in Indonesia issued a tsunami warning after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the Southern coast of Java Island Monday.

According to reports, the earthquake was at the depth of ten kilometers south of the coastal city of Cilacap. In an interview with the agency representative, he said that many residents have already evacuated from Cilacap to settle at higher ground.

Officials said that the warning is due to a strong possibility of tsunami occurrence. It is basically because Indonesia lies between the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area where large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. In fact, the volcanoes located in Indonesia are among the most active of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Moreover, Indonesia was also one of the countries hardest hit by the massive 2004 tsunami that took hundreds of thousands of lives.

Agency representative said that there was in fact one person who was killed after eastern province Papua New Guinea was struck by tsunami last month that devastated Japan’s northeast coast. Meanwhile, state energy firm Pertamina said that its 348,000 barrels per day refinery, which is also situated in Cilacap, was not damaged by the quake and production was still running normally.

However, a company representative said that the plant was still battling a fire that broke out on Saturday at storage tanks. In a report early Monday morning, Presidential spokesperson said that the government will deploy large-capacity fire engine to drench the flames that were still seen raging today. The fire was expected to be extinguished early Tuesday.

Warner Bros. announced Wednesday that they have chosen Anne Hathaway to play the role of Catwoman in the latest sequel of Batman.

The announcement confirmed the various rumors leaked online in November 2010, saying that the 28-year old The Princess Diaries star has been casted on the film to play the femme fatale character of Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman.

A source who has direct knowledge with the casting said that Christopher Nolan, director of Batman, has seen something in Hathaway’s fantastic acting skills. In addition, Hathaway has grown from being a vulnerable Disney princess into a more mature and sexy character. The studio source said that Hathaway simply fits the character and seems prepared for the next great leap.

Hathaway’s acting career started in 1998 where she joined stage acts in New Jersey, until she was discovered and was offered to play in the short-lived Fox television series Get Real at the age of 16. In 2001, she played Mia Thermopolis, an average teenager and a princess of royal descent, in the movie Princess Diaries. It was followed by another family film where she appeared as the title character in Ella Enchanted in 2004.

In 2005, Hathaway proved her dramatic side in the films Havoc and Brokeback Mountain. She also starred in the comedy-drama film The Devils Wear Prada in 2006 and played a lead role in the 2008 drama film Rachel Getting Married. Hathaway received acting acclaim for playing the role of Kym Buchman and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress.

Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in Arizona, underwent a successful operation on Saturday to fix a rupture in the roof of her right eye socket.

Dr. Michael Lemole, University Medical Center’s chief of neurosurgery, stated that U.S. Rep. Giffords endured the minor operation well that lasted for two hours. The doctor also said that the representative is back at that similar standard where she was before the operation.

Dr. Lemole added that the surgery was needed because the bone fragments were pressing down on the eye of Giffords. When the U.S. representative arrived at the hospital in a minute after the mass shooting, physicians did a fast procedure but did not want to do the complete operation because Giffords was in serious condition.

In addition, the doctors said that the procedure involved cutting a window in the skull of Giffords through a slit over her eyebrow, eliminating the edge of her eye socket, getting rid of the bone fragments and then reforming the eye socket with the aid of metal mesh.

They also said that Giffords will need to undergo another repair surgery in her skull, but that will be done afterwards. When Dr. Lemole was asked when the U.S. representative may be released into a rehabilitation center and from the hospital, the doctor answered that it can be as soon as days to weeks.

The physicians also removed a breathing tube out in the nose of Giffords, but put in a second breathing tube into her neck. According to Dr. Randall Friese, a trauma surgeon, the tube in her neck does not let Giffords to acquire air past her vocal cords, meaning she cannot talk. He also said that the breathing tube can be replaced out later with a tube that will let her to speak. The doctor added that she can say words when she is ready to do that.

Verizon Wireless recently announced its new agreement with Apple stating that the company will start selling iPhone on February 10.

Verizon, a venture between Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group, said that they will start selling iPhone on February 10, 2011 and pre-orders of their existing customers will all be cleared online from February 3, 2011.

Customers can now buy the famous gadget of Apple, iPhone, at Verizon stores. They can buy 16GB model for $199.99 and 32GB model for $299.99. The two models of iPhone will carry a new two-year contract agreement.

Verizon’s iPhone will run a third generation (3G) technology so it will run in a CDMA network, a standard that is employed by Sprint Nextel and other carriers in South Korea and China. However, the handset will not support the high speed 4G network provided by the company that uses long term evolution technology. It has an average download speed that is almost five times faster than the phone that runs on a 3G network.

Because of this, Verizon will deploy lower data speed against the upgraded 3G network that is offered by AT&T. Verizon and AT&T iPhones are almost identical. However, the difference is that Verizon iPhone has the capability to simultaneously connect five laptops and other devices to its 3G network with the use of Wi-Fi.

Since 2007, the sale of iPhone is already enjoyed by AT&T. They enjoyed a lot of sales and drawed more subscribers even the U.S. mobile phone market is nearly saturated. Due to strong iPhone activations, AT&T was able to add more than 2.6 million subscribers in the third quarter of 2010. They obtained 92.8 million subscribers which is 29.9 percent higher year over year.