On the Radar: Van der Sloot charges, Google notebooks, hockey final
Joran van der Sloot is suspected in the death of Stephany Flores in Peru.
June 15th, 2011
06:01 AM ET

On the Radar: Van der Sloot charges, Google notebooks, hockey final

Three things you need to know today.

Van der Sloot case: Formal charges against Joran Van der Sloot, who is suspected of killing a woman in a Peruvian hotel, could be filed on Wednesday.

Van der Sloot and his new private defense attorney were in court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing. The hearing was held behind closed doors at the Castro Castro prison outside of Lima. No cameras were allowed.

The hearing was postponed last week because Van der Sloot did not have legal representation.

Van der Sloot was once the prime suspect in the disappearance in Aruba of American teenager Natalee Holloway, who vanished at age 18 while on a graduation trip. He was arrested twice but never charged in connection with her disappearance.

He was arrested in May 2010 following the death of Stephany Flores in Peru.

Once charges are filed against him, a three-judge panel will set the date for an oral trial to begin.

Google notebooks: Notebook computers running Google's new operating system, called Chrome OS, come out on Wednesday.

The new operating system is based on Google's Chrome Web browser but adds some extra features for connecting digital cameras and offline usage. Google says 160 million people actively browse the Web using Chrome, up from 70 million a year ago.

Because the laptop runs on a stripped-down system, first-time setup takes three minutes, and the computers boot up in 8 seconds, Sundar Pichai, an executive for the Chrome group, said during a presentation on the system last month.

The notebooks will run Web-based apps and store files in the cloud instead of on a hard drive. "Your apps, games, photos, music, movies and documents will be accessible wherever you are and you won't need to worry about losing your computer or forgetting to back up files," Google said in a blog post announcing the computers.

Samsung Electronics will sell a version with a 12.1-inch screen and Wi-Fi for $429, and another model with Verizon Wireless 3G connectivity for $499. Acer will also make a Chromebook with prices as low as $349.

Stanley Cup final: The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins square off for the seventh and final game to determine the winner of the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup.

The home team has won each of the previous six games. Wednesday night's Game 7 is in Vancouver, British Columbia.

SI.com's Stu Hackel looks back at the series and what to expect tonight.

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Filed under: Crime • Google • Hockey • Joran van der Sloot • NHL • Peru • Sports • Technology
soundoff (23 Responses)
  1. Trish

    Hey Guys, will you visit HelpFaye.ORG .... A friend of mine is fighting for her life.... Thanks

    June 15, 2011 at 10:47 am | Report abuse |
  2. pmk1953

    I wonder what all these "cloud" providers are doing with your imformation. You know they are snooping around in it.

    June 15, 2011 at 11:18 am | Report abuse |
    • Pleo

      Well, Google's ad systems read all of your personal GMaill and use it to send you targeted ads in GMail. That much is obvious based on the types of ads you start getting based on the content of your email.

      June 15, 2011 at 11:21 am | Report abuse |
  3. anonymous

    Very important and clear information went out years ago that Van der Sloot should have been considered more than a "person of interest", while in custody the first time. He was let go because his dad was a judge and the police didn't want to ruffle feathers. It's still maintained that he knows where Natalie's body can be found.

    Why the sudden interest in the case?

    By the way, is the reward still available for info that leads to a conviction or has that been spent by somebody who had nothing to do with the case?

    June 15, 2011 at 1:00 pm | Report abuse |
  4. RayRay

    This is a sad story but would it have got near the attention had Natalie been African American or overweight? There are thousands of missing young women in the US whose cases barely get mentioned on local television.

    July 5, 2011 at 2:02 pm | Report abuse |
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