Hot Ticket Entertainment to Produce Galveston World Classic Billiard Events to be Produced for Streaming and Broadcast Taylor Road Productions is pleased to announce that Hot Ticket Entertainment, LLC has been contracted to produce the Galveston World Classic which takes place September 11-20, 2009 at Moody Gardens in Galveston, TX. Hot Ticket Entertainment will provide professional quality video [...]

Galveston World Classic Moves Women's Tournament Dates Taylor Road Announces Date Change Taylor Road Productions is pleased to announce new dates for the Women's 9-Ball Open event. The previous dates conflicted with a Women's Professional Billiard Association tournament, the Colorado Classic, which is scheduled September 16-20, 2009. The new dates of the Women's 9-Ball Open at the Galveston World Classic are September 11-15, 2009. The change of dates for the tournament is due to the conflicting schedule with the WPBA. At the time of the Galveston World Classic tournament inception, the WPBA schedule was not released and Taylor Road Productions was unaware of the schedule conflict. With this change, the top players in women's billiards are capable of competing. Bobby Rone of Taylor Road Productions said, "It is our intention to promote the sport in the best way possible. With us having no prior knowledge of the schedule conflict, we went forward with our event. As the late comer to promoting pool, we felt it was only fitting to make a change that was so easily done and benefited so many." Visit The Galveston World Classic for more information or to register to play in events. About Taylor Road Productions Taylor Road Productions is the producer and promoter of the Galveston World Classic. The vision of the company is to produce pool and billiard events that promote the sport to a new level by large cash prizes, televised events and high profile events for all to experience. The company web site is The World Classic.

Great Southern Billiard Tour crowns another winner in Chattanooga By Joshua Johnson, Inside POOL Once again a new champion was crowned as Daniel “Lil D” McKenney went through an impressive 61 player field undefeated to take down the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s Choo Choo Amateur 9-Ball Classic. McKenney, from Hattiesburg, MS, put on an impressive display [...]

Great Southern Billiard Tour whittles field down to 32 By Joshua Johnson, Inside POOL Thirty-two of the original 61 players who started the day are moving into Sunday play in the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s Choo Choo Amateur 9-Ball Classic. The tournament, which is taking place at Diamond Billiard Club in Chattanooga, TN, features some of [...]

Great Southern Billiard Tour Climbs aboard the Diamond Express in Chattanooga, SC By Joshua Johnson, Inside POOL Sixty-one of the best amateur players the south has to offer made the trek to Diamond Billiard Club this weekend to participate in the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s $1500 added Choo Choo Amateur Classic in Chattanooga, TN. Top amateur [...]

We Californians love our computers. We surf and tweet and friend and link. We have a need for (broadband) speed and can't get enough fiber … optics.

A new statewide study this week confirms that, especially in today's economy, we're using our computers more than ever.

"At a time when people are cutting back on luxuries, we seem to be seeing the computer as a necessity," said Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California. "I find it remarkable that in these tough economic times Californians ... are continuing to increase their use of Internet."

In a PPIC statewide study released Wednesday, the number of California residents who own computers, have access to the Internet at home and use social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook is up from a year ago.

Overall Internet usage climbed to 76 percent, up from 70 percent a year ago, based on the June survey of more than 2,500 adult Californians.

Baldassare said computers have become increasingly indispensable for everything from looking for work to finding housing to consuming news.

Consider the numbers:

• Four percent more Californians have home Internet access than last year – 67 percent compared to 63 percent in 2008.

• Computer ownership is also up slightly. Today, 75 percent of Californians own a computer, compared to 72 percent in 2008.

• Use of social networking sites climbed 11 points to 37 percent.

The latter figure "really jumped out at us," Baldassare said. "(Social networking) has certainly taken over the 18-34 age group, but we're also seeing it used by those 35 and older," he said. "In tough economic times, you can cut out the car. It's an economical way to look for work."

Not surprisingly, income was directly tied to computer usage. In households with incomes of $80,000 or more, 97 percent use computers or have access to the Internet. For those with annual incomes less than $40,000, just 65 percent used computers and 58 percent used the Internet.

Given Californians' increasing computer usage and access, users should be vigilant against identity theft when online, said John Harrison with Symantec, a Cupertino-based Internet security firm.

In 2008, Californians filed more identity theft complaints – 51,140 – than any other state in the nation, according to a recent compilation of Federal Trade Commission data.

To prevent becoming an ID victim, Harrison recommended using more than one password for your online accounts, such as banking, shopping, Facebook or MySpace.

"If you use the same password in all of your accounts, that can lead to problems," Harrison said.

He also advised regular updates of your computer's operating system to protect against viruses and Web attacks.

"Your computer can be compromised and you'd have no idea," he said.

And amid the growing popularity of social networking Web sites, discretion can go a long way in protecting vital personal and financial information.

"(Users) often put more information out there than they should," Harrison said. "Be careful with the information you share. It's going to more than just the people you're communicating with."

For more information, go to: www.privacy.ca.gov and click on "Identity Theft."

SureWest Communication's Sacramento-area customers will receive free Internet speed upgrades Tuesday.

Subscribers to the 10-megabyte-per-second plan will now be able to upload and download files at 15 megabytes per second; those with the 20-megabyte-per-second plan will now be able to upload and download at 25 megabytes per second.

Customers with 3-megabyte-per-second packages will see download speeds increase from 1 megabyte to 3 megabytes per second.

– Darrell Smith

UPA Launches Newest Venture - League of Champions PHOENIX, AZ (June 23, 2009) - The United States Professional Poolplayers Association (the “UPA”) has come into the final phases of testing its newest collaboration and the organization is finally ready to launch its amateur league nationwide to be known as the League of Champions. The handicapped league offers [...]

The Mezz Classic Features 14.1 and 10-Ball Big time pool returns to Orlando after five long years! Mezz Cues and Dragon Promotions are pleased to announce the 2nd Annual Mezz Classic to be held at Corner Pocket Billiards on August 6-9,2009. The Mezz Classic will feature two pro events with the Mezz Classic Straight Pool Invitational [...]

Four King of Prussia Champions Crowned Valley Forge 8-Ball Bar Box Championships / King of Prussia, PA by InsidePOOL Staff Allen Hopkins did it again with his Valley Forge 8-Ball Bar Box Championships, a multi-level pool extravaganza that crowned winners in four different divisions. The summertime event was held June 19-21 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in [...]