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VIDEO: Today's Headline News from Associated Press

KING, MESSIAH: NEW BABY NAMES SUGGEST HIGH HOPES

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Talk about high expectations for a newborn: King and Messiah are among the fastest-rising baby names for American boys.

 

They're just a little behind Major, the boy's name that jumped the most spots on the Social Security Administration's annual list of popular baby names.

 

Jacob is the most popular for boys - again - and Sophia is the top name for girls, according to the list released Thursday.

 

It was Jacob's 14th straight year at the top. Next were Mason, Ethan, Noah and William. Liam cracked the top 10 for the first time, coming in at No. 6. Daniel slipped out of the top 10 for the first time since 1998, to No. 11.

 

It was Sophia's second year in a row at the top for girls. Next were Emma, Isabella, Olivia and Ava.

 

The list shows that top names for boys have been more stable over the years than names for girls. William, for example, has been a popular boy's name for more than 100 years, never falling out of the top 20. Mason is an exception, entering the top 100 for the first time in 1997.

 

Today's top names aren't nearly as popular as the top names were a generation ago.

 

For example, 18,899 babies were named Jacob last year. Two decades ago, that wasn't good enough to crack the top 25. In 1992, Michael was the top name for boys, with more than 54,000 boys getting the name.

 

"We're seeing a total revolution in terms of the diversity of naming," Wattenberg said. "Parents are really focused on choosing a distinctive name that will make their child stand out."

 

WEARABLE ROBOTS GETTING LIGHTER, MORE PORTABLE

 

CHICAGO (AP) -- When Michael Gore stands, it's a triumph of science and engineering. Eleven years ago, Gore was paralyzed from the waist down in a workplace accident, yet he rises from his wheelchair to his full 6-foot-2-inches and walks across the room with help from a lightweight wearable robot.

 

The technology has many nicknames. Besides "wearable robot," the inventions also are called "electronic legs" or "powered exoskeletons." This version, called Indego, is among several competing products being used and tested in U.S. rehab hospitals that hold promise not only for people such as Gore with spinal injuries, but also those recovering from strokes or afflicted with multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.

 

Still at least a year away from the market, the 27-pound Indego is the lightest of the powered exoskeletons. It snaps together from pieces that fit into a backpack. The goal is for the user to be able to carry it on a wheelchair, put it together, strap it on and walk independently. None of the products, including the Indego, are yet approved by federal regulators for personal use, meaning they must be used under the supervision of a physical therapist.

 

Gore, 42, of Whiteville, N.C., demonstrated the device this week at the American Spinal Injury Association meeting in Chicago, successfully negotiating a noisy, crowded hallway of medical professionals and people with spinal injuries in wheelchairs.

 

YOUTUBE LAUNCHES PAY CHANNELS WITH CAMPY FLICKS

 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Roger Corman's campy B movies, children's shows like "Sesame Street" and "Inspector Gadget," and inspirational monologues by celebrities - these are among the offerings on 30 channels that will soon require a paid monthly subscription on YouTube.

 

Although the world's largest video site has rented and sold movies and TV shows from major studios since late 2008, most people watch videos on YouTube for free.

 

It's the first time YouTube is introducing all-you-can-watch channels that require a monthly fee. The least expensive of the channels at will cost 99 cents a month but the average price is around $2.99.

 

In the field of paid video content online, YouTube is playing catch up to services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, all of which have millions of paying customers.

 

But with a billion monthly visitors from around the globe, the Google-owned video service hopes to quickly add subscribers and add to the money it already makes from online advertising.

 

"This is just the beginning," said Malik Ducard, YouTube's director of content partnerships. The site plans to roll out a way for a broad number of partners to also launch pay channels on their own soon.