Big Brother

It took Brazil's most important television network two days to take action after social networks exploded in disgust at what may have been one of the most shocking moments in reality television's sordid history. According to some interpretations, a suspected sexual assault was broadcast live from the house of Brazil's "Big Brother" Jan. 15. Though it was ignored on the following night's show, the country became obsessed by the case, and police are now investigating 31-year-old model Daniel Echaniz, who was suspended from the show and has been forced to hand over his passport to prevent him from fleeing the country.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — If you write about golf, the two biggest days at a major tournament are Tiger Tuesday and Whomever Sunday. This is Masters week, a cherished time in the sport. Tuesday was Tiger Tuesday, when he met the media to keynote his current state. It was a time not so much to be cherished as dissected. To be clear, there are other stories here, many worth expanding on. Young Rory McIlroy returns to a place where, a year ago, he imploded on Sunday, turning a four-shot lead into an 80 and a 15th-place finish.

Want to fool merchants with a fake ID? Hack someone's text messages? Or how about tracking where your co-workers are, without their knowing it? There's an app for that. The explosion in smartphone and tablet applications that enable people to check the weather, follow their stocks and play Words With Friends has a dark side: apps that facilitate questionable if not outright illegal behavior. Apple's App Store, for example, offers Drivers License software that promises "unlimited access to realistic-looking licenses" for all 50 states.

The Federal Trade Commission, stepping confidently into the murky waters of online privacy and personal data mining, has released an amended series of best practices and recommendations for government and technology leaders alike. The new report, “Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change,” builds on the framework established in a 2010 report, addressing concerns that have arisen from the public and private sectors over the practices outlined and language previously used.

He remembers the form. You filled it out to become a "citizen watcher" for the party of Zine el Abidine ben Ali. It meant you would spy. Inform on your friends, your family, the people at work and get paid for it. Again and again over the years, Ahmad Chebil says, they approached him. They offered him perks and advantageous jobs, home loans and car credit. But each time he refused entreaties to join the president's Constitutional Democratic Rally, or RCD, its French initials. He pushed them away because he had read a book in his early teens that explained everything he needed to know about the party and political life of his country: a French translation of "1984," George Orwell's dystopian vision of a totalitarian society.

A 21st century Orwellian twist: Big Brother turns out to be the private sector. BILL COLESON Camarillo

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning says it's tough watching younger brother Eli play on TV, says it's nerve-racking, says it can be aggravating, especially when Joe Buck is calling the New York Giants' game for Fox. "Of course Joe Buck's just ripping Eli, just because that's what he seems to enjoy doing," Peyton said during an interview with NBC's Bob Costas. "So I'm yelling at Joe Buck, 'Just call the play-by-play, Joe. Let [Troy] Aikman do the commentary!' " Manning said he quickly composed himself.

James Gurley, a virtuoso guitarist with Big Brother & the Holding Company, the psychedelic rock band that launched Janis Joplin to stardom, died Sunday, two days before his 70th birthday. Gurley was pronounced dead at a Palm Springs hospital after suffering a heart attack at his Palm Desert home, according to the band. "James was the spirit and the essence of the band in its early days," Sam Andrew, a Big Brother singer-guitarist, wrote on the band's website. "James was the most unusual person I ever met, a pioneer, a real original.

Erratic behavior has again led to an eviction on the CBS series "Big Brother," as one of the contestants on the unscripted show was removed over the weekend after an outburst during which he threw chairs and caused fear among the other "houseguests." After becoming agitated, Scott Weintraub, a 33-year-old waiter from Chicago, also initially refused to go to the "diary room" to speak with producers.

Reporting from Indianapolis   Next to his senior picture at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, a young Peyton Manning listed the typical cryptic acknowledgments and farewell shout-outs to friends, teachers, coaches and family. He also included this tidbit: "Thanks to the best lil' brother, Eli (Watch out World, he's the best one). " Well, accuracy has always been Peyton's strong suit. Eli, who Sunday led the New York Giants to a 21-17 victory over New England, will soon have two of the Mannings' three Super Bowl rings - proving, at least in this case, that Peyton doesn't just know how to make profits, but prophecies too. If only big brother could see his own future as clearly.

It took Brazil's most important television network two days to take action after social networks exploded in disgust at what may have been one of the most shocking moments in reality television's sordid history. According to some interpretations, a suspected sexual assault was broadcast live from the house of Brazil's "Big Brother" Jan. 15. Though it was ignored on the following night's show, the country became obsessed by the case, and police are now investigating 31-year-old model Daniel Echaniz, who was suspended from the show and has been forced to hand over his passport to prevent him from fleeing the country.

Big Brother was watching . . . over little brother. Not in the Orwellian sense, as depicted in George Orwell's "1984" novel, but just in the way brothers do, with the eldest using an almost paternal approach. This was in December, when Memphis center Marc Gasol spent a week with his older brother Pau Gasol in Los Angeles while Marc mused about his future with the Grizzlies. The two 7-foot Spaniards dined out, worked out, and Pau, 31, the Lakers' forward-center, handed down advice, such as patience.

Looking to boost its international presence, Time Warner Inc. made an unsolicited bid earlier this week for Endemol NV, creator of TV hits such as "Deal or No Deal" and "Wipeout" and one of the world's largest television production companies. The media giant and parent of Warner Bros. has offered about $1.4 billion for the highly leveraged Endemol, according to a person with knowledge of the bid. Time Warner is interested in the company because it can provide a steady stream of product to its channels around the globe.

At some point before kickoff, Evan Cascio will slip into that old New York Giants jersey, the one his big brother used to wear. Friends will gather around and they will put the game on television. "My brother Paul loved sports," Cascio says. "He was a very big Giants fan. " This is a tough time of year, a time when he cannot escape the pain of losing Paul, who was at the World Trade Center the morning terrorists hijacked two jetliners and steered them into the towers. "He was 23," Cascio says.

The television production company best known for reality and game shows including "Big Brother" and "Wipeout" is making a big push into scripted programming in the United States. Endemol USA, a unit of Dutch-based Endemol Group, plans to focus primarily on developing dramas for cable networks. The company has already had some success in that arena, selling the series "Hell on Wheels" to AMC, the cable channel whose other shows include "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad. " The move echoes the strategy of its parent company, which has increased its scripted programming output by almost 50% in the last three years.

I get lots of mail from inmates proclaiming their innocence, but early last month I got a letter from an 88-year-old Marina del Rey man confessing to a crime. A minor crime, to be sure. Petty theft. But it was a crime against my family, and it was committed roughly 77 years ago. Henry "Hank" Cervantes saw in a column that I grew up in the little fishing and industrial town of Pittsburg, near San Francisco. So he wondered if, by chance, I was related to the people who ran the Lopez market on Black Diamond Street.

It's not easy being a pedestrian boxer whose older brother is a world champion, and it's even more painful being a 14-to-1 underdog to a 20-year-old kid projected as the sport's next big thing. But Matthew Hatton has the same blood lines that his big brother Ricky Hatton used to rally from the beer-and-darts pub crawl in Manchester, England, to claim world titles in two divisions. So when a promoter asked if Matthew Hatton, 29, would move up a weight class to fight Mexican phenom Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (35-0-1, 26 knockouts)