WordPress vs. Tumblr vs. Blogger

Deciding to start a blog is not even close to half the battle, but it is a step in the right direction.

A blog short for "Web log" is a great way to share your interests, hobbies, and causes with the world.

Many have even used their blogs to launch full-fledged careers. But before you can revel in the glories of blogging, you have to make one big choice: What blogging platform are you going to use?
Although there numerous Web-publishing services out there, there's no denying WordPress, Tumblr, and Blogger are the three most popular given their wide-reaching acceptance and deep integration on the Web.

Moreover, each blog is custom-tailored for a different user and audience.

Whereas WordPress is best suited for professional users who want to outfit their blog with upgrades and plugins, Tumblr finds grounding in quick, community-driven posts usually lined with images. And Blogger walks the middle ground between the two with a sheer level of simplicity and easy-to-use use design anyone can master.

Below is a breakdown of three popular blogging platforms. Now, let's explore the pros and cons of each, shall we? Also, check out our top picks for the best WordPress themes and the best free blogging sites, along with our straightforward guide on how to start a blog.

WordPress (free, or $99-a-year premium package)

WordPress offers two separate but similar products: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The first option provides free hosting and presents users with hundreds of customizable themes, along with an enormous bounty of plugins and widgets users can add or remove as needed. For only $13 a year, users can also upgrade to a custom domain name if they don't want ".wordpress.com" in the URL.

However, although the former options basks in simplicity, the latter provides an entirely new level of customization and control if users are willing to host their blog and perform the necessary administrative work to maintain the domain. Either way, both WordPress.com and WordPress.org are absolutely free, and users can even opt for the $99 upgrade package if they're in need of additional features. It's not as robust as the $300 business packages designed for eCommerce, but it does provide email support and 13GB of storage space while nixing advertisements in the process.

As a fully-fledged content management system and blogging platform, WordPress is indisputably the most powerful of the three aforementioned blogs. It's perfect for those planning on expanding their site with multiple contributors with varying levels of access — such as authors, editors, and administrators — but it's also somewhat daunting for many users given that the WordPress back-end can be rather confusing at first glance.

However, the site is also relishes in a strong, knowledgeable community and user base given nearly 20 percent of all Internet sites utilize the platform. If users run into any trouble or have a specific question, the solution is often found within the active forums and the site's thorough tutorials. Chances are, someone has asked the question before, so finding the appropriate solution is often easy.

Considering the WordPress offers the most freedom to grow and experiment with customization, though, the platform is generally ideal for the larger, more ambitious projects than those first-time bloggers typically undertake. It also touts a free mobile app compatible with Android, BlackBerry and iOS devices, allowing user to post or edit content, manage comments and explore other WordPress blogs on the go. 

Best for: Building a site from the ground up, turning a blogging hobby into an eCommerce site, and those looking for robust customization via widgets and plugins.

Tumblr (free, or $19-$49 for premium themes)

Whereas WordPress is a turbo-charged powerhouse with every possible widget, plugin and add-on you could imagine, Tumblr is a straightforward exercise in sleek minimalism. Described as a "micro-blogging" platform, it's more of a social media site than a publishing service — think Twitter with slightly more words — one in which users strive to follow other blogs, like posts, and get their own posts liked or reblogged. The heavy social component is ideal if that's what users are looking for, but for some, the platform is a bit too sleek and minimalist for its own good. Sure, the platform offers a plethora of premade themes designed for limited customization should you know  HTML or CSS coding, but Tumblr doesn't offer the buffet of widgets and plugins WordPress does. However, Tumblr does offer an attractive mobile app for Android, iOS and Windows device, additionally allowing users to follow their favorite blogs and post their own content while on the move. Users can also purchase one of the many premium themes, costing anywhere between $9 and $49, thus granting greater customization and administrative abilities than their free counterparts. Moreover, the designers even support the premium themes should users encounter implementation issues or have questions.

Unlike WordPress or Blogger, Tumblr's biggest asset is undoubtedly the community of users that share content with one another. The majority of blog posts you'll see on Tumblr are "reblogs," or content one user originally posted that another posted again via a handy "reblog" button. Said content can include everything from beloved quotes to the latest music, but most posts consist of self-explanatory photos or Internet memes. Unlike the WordPress dashboard, where users can view all the administrative functions and mechanisms of their site, the Tumblr dashboard is an ongoing feed that includes their blog posts and those of the people they follow. Again, it's like Twitter, but spliced with Pinterest's emphasis on viral imaging. That said, most Tumblr posts revel in the short and sweet stuff, such as a quick link to an article or caption photo, in lieu of long-form theses. If your main concern is usability and you want your blog to be a catalog of things you find on the Internet, then Tumblr is a great platform. If you want to be able to fully customize your site and you plan on blogging in-depth about subjects of interest, then look elsewhere. Either way, give it a shot. Unlike Yahoo, which paid a billion dollars for the site, you can start a blog on Tumblr for free.

Best for: Quickly posting and reblogging others' content (particularly images), following other bloggers, and those with little blogging experience.

Blogger (free)

Blogger is a happy medium between Tumblr and WordPress — not too sparse but not too loaded, either. It's also the oldest of the three, having launched in 1999, and helped popularize blogging as a mainstream hobby and profession. Blogger is synonymous with blogging itself for many reasons given its history. And because Google bought the service in 2003, anyone with a Gmail account automatically possesses a Blogger account by default. Moreover, all Blogger blogs are already integrated into Google's AdSense program, meaning users could start raking in the big blogging bucks with far less effort than WordPress or Tumblr.

The main downside to Blogger is that, because it's essentially operates as a non-profit, it lacks many desirable widgets and plugins adorning other platforms. The free themes aren't the most stylish in the blogosphere either, but there are plenty of for-hire Web designers out there willing to create a custom theme given a little economic incentive. Still, Blogger provides a multitude of site themes and a drag-and-drop template designer, along with ability to add media to posts and free hosting with the option of using a custom domain name. On top of that, the platform offers support for up to 100 authors on a single blog and touts a free mobile app for viewing and editing content on Android and iOS devices. Like Tumblr, the tools and customization options are geared more toward the causal blogger, so users will have to look to WordPress for more advanced offerings.

On the other hand, Blogger is great as a sort of "starter service" for people just getting into the blogging scene given users can sign up almost instantly with little hassle. The layout of the dashboard is simple and easy to use — reveling in a "what you see is what you get" sensibility — and starting a new post is as easy as clicking "New Post" in the main interface. Users can even craft posts in Microsoft Word, or whatever their preferred word processor is, and simply paste the content to Blogger without formatting issues.

Best For: Simple customization and beginners seeking a middle ground between WordPress and Tumblr.

What do you think of our direct comparison between WordPress, Tumblr, and Blogger? Which blogging platform do you prefer and why? Let us know in the comments below.
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Flight MH370: Chinese ships searching for objects in new area

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on the latest debris sightings
Chinese ships are scouring a new search area of the Indian Ocean in the hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet.

The two vessels are trying to find and retrieve a number of items spotted by planes on Friday.

Chinese aircraft are also flying over the area, north-east of the previous zone, and have spotted more objects, China's Xinhua news agency says.

The Beijing-bound airliner disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board.

Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01, and a navy vessel, Jinggangshan, which carries two helicopters, reached the new search area in the past few hours.

The BBC's Jon Donnison spent the day with Australian air crews looking for the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370,
Xinhua said the Jinggangshan was expected to focus on searching for debris, oil slicks and life jackets.

Eight aircraft are also taking part in the operation, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) Amsa said in its latest statement.

Later on Saturday one of them, a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft, spotted three orange, white and red objects floating in the ocean. Some were very small, and officials have cautioned that they may be sea junk.

On Friday five search planes spotted multiple objects of various colours in the same area - about 1,100km (700 miles) north-east of the previous search zone.

Investigators will not know whether the objects are connected to the missing plane until they have been recovered by ships.

Bad weather has hampered the search efforts in recent days.

Saturday's conditions are expected to be favourable initially but to deteriorate later in the day.

Meanwhile Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says he has reassured the families of the missing passengers that the search for any survivors will continue.

Some relatives of the flight's 153 Chinese passengers have refused to accept the Malaysian account of events and have accused officials of withholding information.

Acting Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein: "If there is any lead or information that involves survivors, that has been our priority"
"No matter how remote the search, I am always hoping against hope that we will find survivors," Mr Hishammuddin told the latest news conference following a meeting with the families on Saturday.

Burning more fuel

The Australian and Malaysian governments said on Friday the search area had been changed following further analysis of radar data that showed the plane had been travelling faster, thus burning more fuel.

This would reduce the possible distance the aircraft travelled south into the Indian Ocean, officials said.

Search efforts had until Friday morning focused on an area some 2,500km (1,550 miles) to the south-west of the Australian city of Perth.

The Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01 has started searching the new area

Relatives of Chinese passengers have been anxiously waiting for news of their loved ones
Malaysian officials have concluded that, based on satellite data, the missing plane flew into the sea somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. So far no trace of it has been found.

Various theories about what went wrong have been suggested - including the captain hijacking his own plane.

The speculation was fuelled by reports that files had been deleted on the pilot's home flight simulator.

However Mr Hishimmuddin said investigators who had looked at the equipment had turned up no new information.

"There is nothing sinister from the simulators but of course that will have to be confirmed by the chief of police,'' he said.

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 vanished less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.

The airliner diverted off course and lost contact with air traffic controllers between Malaysian and Vietnamese air-traffic control areas.

The vast expanse of ocean has turned the search into a major challenge.
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Preston baby death: Man and woman released on bail

The boy was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital.

Two people arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a baby boy have been released on bail.

The 13-month-old died after emergency services went to an address on Church Street, Preston, on 22 March after reports that he was not breathing.

A man and a woman, both aged 25, had been bailed "pending further inquiries", Lancashire Police said.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out but the exact cause of death has not been established.
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Ukraine's Klitschko not running for president

Kiev, Ukraine - Boxer-turned-politician Vitali Klitschko on Saturday pulled out of the race for Ukraine's president, throwing his weight instead behind a billionaire businessman.

Klitschko, one of the most familiar faces of the opposition during the anti-government protests that ousted pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych last month, also told members of his UDAR party that Ukraine should aim to join the European Union fully.

"We need to have a joint democratic nominee. It has to be a candidate with the highest chances of winning. Today, I believe such a candidate is Petro Poroshenko," he told a party convention in Kiev, referring to the billionaire businessman. "Our goal is full membership of Ukraine in the EU."

Klitschko said that instead he would run for mayor of Kiev. "All reforms start in Kiev," he said.

Klitschko's withdrawal from the presidential race would set up a battle between confectionary businessman Poroshenko and Ukraine's former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, in the May 25 elections.

Russian forces

Klitschko's announcement came as Russia reiterated it had no intention of ordering its armed forces to cross over the Ukrainian border.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the comments to Russian state television, according to local media reports.

Last week, Moscow's ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, said nobody has anything to fear from Russia and that the country does not have any "expansionist views."

Kiev and Western officials have voiced alarm about Russia's reported military buildup on Ukraine's eastern border -- following Moscow's annexation of Crimea this month -- which has raised fears of further incursions.

Russia may have 40,000 troops near its border with Ukraine, two U.S. officials told CNN on Thursday. The officials said that this estimate was largely based on satellite imagery and that a firm number is difficult to assess.

However, a spokesman for Ukraine's Council of National Security and Defense, Yarema Dukh, told CNN his government estimates 88,000 Russian troops are at the Ukrainian border. U.S. officials said they believe the higher estimates may reflect Russian troops on alert farther to the east.

Russia has said its troops are carrying out snap military exercises in the region.

Putin-Obama phone call

Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss the tenuous situation in Ukraine -- the latest exchange between two leaders who have been at loggerheads over the crisis and what should happen next.

According to the White House, Putin called to talk about an American proposal "for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis," and the two presidents agreed their respective top diplomats "would meet to discuss next steps."

The back-and-forth also gave Obama the opportunity to express, as he's done repeatedly in recent weeks, his opposition to what he described as Russia's taking over of Crimea, which just a few weeks ago was part of Ukraine.
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5 militants dead ends Kabul hostage situation

militants set off a deadly car bomb and then stormed a guest house used by foreigners in Afghanistan's capital Friday, holding a number of people hostage during a standoff with police before one of them was shot dead and the four others blew themselves up, the country's deputy interior minister said.

A girl was killed and a security guard was wounded in the explosion at the beginning of the attack, said Deputy Interior Minister Gen. Mohammad Ayoub Salangi. Everyone who had been held inside the building escaped unharmed, he said.

The girl's name and information on her nationality weren't immediately available. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Sediq Sediqqi, said 20 foreign nationals were moved to a safe place during the attack.

He said the target of the attack was Roots of Peace, a U.S.-based aid organization whose offices are in the building. The group works with people of war-torn communities "to provide lasting economic opportunities," according to its Facebook page.

"Our guesthouse was under attack, but all our workers are safe," the organization's country director, Mohammad Sharif Osmani, told CNN.

The Taliban claimed responsibility, with a spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, saying they attacked a location used by foreigners as a church and for converting Afghans to Christianity.

The attack began when an unoccupied car containing a bomb exploded outside the building, the deputy interior minister said. As five militants stormed the guest house, police shot and killed one, he said.

The four others held inside the five people -- three Americans, a Malaysian and a person from an unspecified African country -- as a standoff with police unfolded, he said.

The Uzbek Embassy and offices of other organizations are located nearby, police said.

The attack came three days after militants stormed an election commission office in Kabul. That led to a five-hour gunbattle with Afghan security services in which five people were killed -- two police officers, two election commission workers and a provincial council candidate, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry said.

The Taliban, who also claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack, have vowed to use force to disrupt the planned April 5 presidential election.

Last week, the Taliban also claimed responsibility for an attack on the Afghan capital's Serena Hotel in which a reporter for the Agence France-Presse news agency, his wife and two of his three children were killed. Five others were also killed. The hotel was hosting celebrations to mark the eve of the Persian New Year.
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Saturday Wedding: Same-sex marriage now legal as first couples wed

Peter McGraith and David Cabreza, John Coffey and Bernardo Marti, and Andrew Wale and Neil Allard were among the first gay couples to marry
The first same-sex weddings have taken place after gay marriage became legal in England and Wales at midnight.

Politicians from the main parties have hailed the change in the law.

David Cameron said the move sent a message that people were now equal "whether gay or straight", but some religious groups remain opposed.

Scotland passed a similar law in February; the first same-sex marriages are expected there in October. Northern Ireland has no plans to follow suit.

In an article for the Pink News website, the prime minister wrote: "This weekend is an important moment for our country.

'Feels safer'

"It says we are a country that will continue to honour its proud traditions of respect, tolerance and equal worth."

The law change would encourage young people unsure of their sexuality, he added.

Later on Saturday morning, Mr Cameron tweeted: "Congratulations to the gay couples who have already been married - and my best wishes to those about to be on this historic day."

Sean Adl-Tabatabai (left) and Sinclair Treadway married in the council chamber at Camden Town Hall in London

In Brighton, Andrew Wale and Neil Allard were among the first gay couples to get married after midnight

Peter Tatchell (left) was chief witness at Peter McGraith and David Cabreza's wedding in Islington
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said "Britain will be a different place" as a result.

He congratulated his party for being part of the reform, saying: "If our change to the law means a single young man or young woman who wants to come out, but who is scared of what the world will say, now feels safer, stronger, taller - well, for me, getting into coalition government will have been worth it just for that."

Labour leader Ed Miliband congratulated those planning to tie the knot.

"This is an incredibly happy time for so many gay couples and lesbian couples who will be getting married, but it's an incredibly proud time for our country as well, recognising equal marriage in law," he said.

However, he warned that the "battle for true equality" was not yet won.

'Not about rights'

One of the first couples to take advantage of the law change were married at Islington Town Hall in London just after midnight.

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell acted as chief witness at a packed ceremony as Peter McGraith and David Cabreza wed after 17 years together.

Mr Tatchell said the couple and all the others getting married had "made history" and "made Britain a more tolerant, equal place".

With a crowd of photographers, journalists and well-wishers waiting, the couple took the opportunity to highlight the international struggle for gay rights.

But Mr Cabreza added: "From a global and political perspective it's great too, but for us it's also about us and our marriage."

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said on Friday night the Church of England would now drop its opposition to same-sex marriage, as Parliament had spoken.

"The law's changed; we accept the situation," he told the BBC.

But some religious groups remain opposed to gay marriage.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said: "We can't just redefine an institution - redefine something that always has been - because we say it's something that we want.

"This is actually very self-centred. This is not about rights, it's about seeking cultural dominance and seeking to redefine marriage for all of us."

There will now be two legal definitions of marriage, says the BBC's social affairs correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti - that recognised by the CofE and many other religious groups, and that recognised by the state.

"The Church of England believes marriage is between one man and one woman for life," the Bishop of Norwich, the Right Reverend Graham James confirmed.

"It's untidy for the law to have two definitions... but I think we can live untidiness."

The law prohibits the Church of England from performing same-sex weddings, and allows other religious organisations to refuse to perform them.

The CofE has urged clergy to support members of the congregation who are in same-sex marriages, but has ruled that priests themselves must not enter into one. The Roman Catholic Church opposes the change in the law.

Some gay vicars, though, have said they are prepared to defy their bishops by insisting they have a right to marry.

The Rev Andrew Cain says he does not want confrontation with the Church, but "must do what is right"

Helen Brearley and Teresa Millward decided a civil partnership would not mean as much as marriage
Among them is the Reverend Andrew Cain, who said the Church was entering uncharted territory, but he would not be "frightened" out of doing what he believed was right.

Mr Cain, who plans to marry his partner in the summer, said he would do so whether the Church approved or not.

"It is more important to do what is right than to be frightened into not doing what I believe to be true.

"And I won't be frightened by what the possible consequences are for me. I could lose my job, absolutely. Lose my job, my home and my place."

Long-term couple Teresa Millward and Helen Brearley plan to get married on Saturday morning.

The pair, who will wed in Halifax, have not had a civil partnership because they believed it did not offer the same rights as marriage.

"The certificate we get on the day will be the same as the certificate that my dad has with his wife, that my mum has with her husband, that my brother has with his wife and that my sister has with her husband," Ms Millward said.

"There will be no difference, so in that case, there is true equality."

A BBC survey found a fifth of British people would turn down an invitation to a same-sex wedding - a finding the Roman Catholic group Catholic Voices suggested meant people remained "deeply uncomfortable" with the move.
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Stepping Hill deaths: Nurse Victorino Chua appears in court

Ed Thomas at Manchester Magistrates' Court says Mr Chua was "handcuffed and surrounded by security guards"
A nurse has appeared in court charged with murdering three patients at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport in 2011.

Victorino Chua, 48, of Churchill Street, Heaton Norris, is also charged with 31 other offences including GBH and attempted poisoning.

He is accused of murdering patients Tracey Arden, 44, Arnold Lancaster, 71, and Alfred Derek Weaver, 83.

At Manchester Magistrates' Court, he confirmed his name, age and address.

Mr Chua was remanded in custody to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday.

He faces one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, 22 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, seven counts of attempting to administer poison and one count of causing poison to be administered with intent.

Investigators have been examining the contamination of various medical products, between June 1 and July 15 2011 at the hospital.
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Two arrests over baby boy's death in Preston

An investigation into the boy's death is underway.

A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a baby in Lancashire.

Emergency services went to an address on Church Street, Preston, after reports that a 13-month-old boy was not breathing on Saturday.

He was taken by ambulance to the Royal Preston Hospital but died.

Police said the death was being treated as unexplained. The man and woman, both aged 25, are being questioned in custody.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out but police said the exact cause of death was "unascertained at this stage".

Det Supt Paul Withers said: "This is a tragic incident where a little boy has lost his life.

"A full investigation is under way to try to establish exactly what has happened."
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Google now requires ‘Powered by Android’ branding on new phones

First reported by Geek.com this week, Google is now requiring smartphone manufacturers to include a 'Powered by Android' logo on the screen when the phone first boots up. Likely an attempt to increase visibility of the Android brand among mainstream consumers, this logo will appear on both the new HTC One M8 as well as the Samsung S5. If the logo is not placed on the boot-up screen on all newly released smartphones, the manufacturer will be denied access to the Google Play Store. It's likely that Google will retroactively enforce this policy change on older phones, easily changed by the manufacturer with a firmware update.

Google has also included a number of design restrictions for smartphone manufacturers. For instance, absence of the phrase 'powered by' in front of the Android logo would be misuse. The same goes for altering spacing between the letters, changing the aspect ratio of the logo, changing the color of the letters, reducing the logo size significantly or crowding the logo on the screen with other elements such as text or pictures. Google also requires that the logo be no less than 40 percent of the screen width and be centered on the screen during boot-up.

By including the logo, consumers will be able to tell that different brands of smartphones are powered by the same operating system, despite the variety of software skins that are created by manufacturers. It's unclear if Google will also require the branding on tablets that are powered by Android, but that's a possible next step to increase the notoriety of the Android brand. By including the branding on both smartphones and tablets, this shift could also make Google's Nexus line of devices more recognizable to consumers, since all of those devices have been using the 'Powered by Android' branding for some time.
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Is Yahoo planning its own version of YouTube?

If the weekend tech press reports are to believed, Yahoo is planning to take the fight to Google with a video sharing platform of its own, and is prepared to poach the biggest YouTube stars in order to make it successful. According to a report by Re/code, the plans are still being worked out, and no definitive decision has yet been made.

Yahoo will certainly have a challenge on its hands if it decides to go ahead: YouTube attracts over a billion visitors a month who watch more than 6 billion hours of videos between them. Over 100 hours of content are uploaded to the site every single minute.

Re/code says that Yahoo's plan is not to duplicate the YouTube platform but to provide a showcase for the most popular content producers: "Yahoo executives have told video makers and owners that the company can offer them better economics than they're getting on YouTube, either by improving the ad revenue or by offering guaranteed ad rates for their videos."

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer spent many years working at Google and has been busy trying to turn the Web giant's fortunes around — the Yahoo portal has been attracting a larger share of overall traffic, while the company's Flickr service has been through not one but two redesigns in recent months. Yahoo also bought the social blogging platform Tumblr last year.

Sources suggest we could see Yahoo launch its own video streaming platform within the next couple of months. Whether or not it can attract some of the stars of YouTube — together with their faithful followings — will play a big part in determining whether or not it gets off the ground. Would you welcome another alternative to YouTube? Or has Yahoo left it too late?
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Will Mark Zuckerberg use his Internet-laser drones for good or for evil?

Mark Zuckerberg may be on the cusp of something great – or something sinister. 

"In our effort to connect the whole world with Internet.org, we've been working on ways to beam Internet to people from the sky," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. "Today, we're sharing some details of the work Facebook's Connectivity Lab is doing to build drones, satellites and lasers to deliver the Internet to everyone."

I don't know if the Facebook CEO is actively trying to not sound like an evil super-villain from a James Bond movie.

That's right – drones, satellites, and lasers!

I don't know if the Facebook CEO is actively trying to not sound like an evil super-villain from a James Bond movie. But in the off chance that he is, perhaps avoiding this particular word grouping would be a good idea. This is especially true considering the public's general reaction to Facebook (read: Zuckerberg) buying Oculus VR, maker of the Rift virtual-reality headset. To sum it up: People really dislike Facebook. They see it as a force of bad in our world, or at least a force of lame. Which explains why a Zuckerberg-backed plan to deploy an army of drones, satellites, and lasers strikes this author as, well, a bit creepy.

Of course, there's likely nothing creepy or sinister about it. As of 2013, an average of only 39 percent of the world's population has Internet access, according to International Telecommunications Union estimates (PDF). For the developed world, that number is much higher – about 77 percent – compared to the developing world, where just 31 percent can get online.

What Zuckerberg aims to do through the Internet.org coalition, which includes companies like Ericsson, Samsung, Qualcomm, and Nokia in its ranks, is bring these Web-withouts into the 21st century by blanketing the entire planet in Wi-Fi. Google has a similar ambitious plan in the works – but instead of solar-powered drones and lasers, it's using giant balloons and specialized antennas.

Is that so wrong? 

Titan Aerospace Solara 50 Aircraft
Of course, cynics will tell you that, in the case of both Facebook and Google (and any other company involved), efforts for global Wi-Fi access are only "semi-altruistic" as Recode's Mike Isaac put it, since more people online likely means more revenue-generating users for them.

But so what? Just as automotive manufacturers, tire makers, gas-station owners, and other pro-driving profiteers pushed for the creation of new roads (and later the national highway system) in the early 1900s, so too are Internet companies and hardware makers laying the groundwork (skywork?) for the next generation of Web surfers. Simply because the motivations for spreading Internet access around the globe are, almost certainly, fueled by profit motives doesn't make the results any less beneficial to those who reap the rewards of a Wi-Fi connection.

On the flip side, however, we are seeing the potential for increasing consolidation of power on the Internet. Google has a massive head start, and accounts for some 25 percent of all North American Internet traffic as of 2013, according to Internet monitoring firm Deepfield – more than Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix combined. Facebook, it is safe to assume, would love to make those numbers more even – and the work of the Connectivity Lab is surely part of that plan.

On the flip side, however, we are seeing the potential for increasing consolidation of power on the Internet.

To help accomplish its goal of providing global Internet access, Facebook has reportedly purchased "drone" maker Titan Aerospace, according to CNBC and TechCrunch, whose solar-powered Solara 60 unmanned aircraft can remain aloft for up to five years. Perhaps more importantly, it can fly at altitudes that put it outside the reach of government regulations. With experts from Ascenta, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA's Ames Research Center, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, all working on Connectivity Labs projects, it would be unwise to brand these efforts as untenable.

If Facebook succeeds, that would present us with a situation in which a near-30-year-old billionaire, who's known for brushing aside personal privacy concerns for business success, holds the keys to the Internet for billions of people around the world – many of whom, I must imagine, have far greater things to worry about than metadata collection and the creeping rise of insanely accurate facial recognition software.

If that doesn't have the ingredients for the making of a global super-villain, I don't know what does.

This will be Andrew Couts's last column for Digital Trends, but you can follow him on Twitter as he continues to cover the intersection of technology and policy.
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Sony to launch ‘Digital Paper’ e-ink screen in U.S., acts like paper

Detailed on a Sony splash page for the product and originally announced about ten months ago for the Japanese market, Digital Paper from Sony is a $1,100, 13.3-inch e-ink screen that allows users to read PDF documents as well as take written notes using the included stylus. While the product has been available in Japan for a while, Sony is teaming up with a legal and financial document management company called Worldox to bring the tablet to the United States during May 2014.

However, the tablet won't be marketed directly at the average consumer. Instead, it will be targeted at the professional market, specifically for general businesses, legal practitioners and educators. Regarding specifications, the 13.3-inch screen offers a 1200 x 1600 16-level grayscale display, but does not include a backlight for reading in dimly lit areas. However, the large screen allows users to read full page documents without re-sizing or scrolling around the page.



In addition to the internal storage space of 4GB, Sony has included a microSD card slot on the device to increase document storage. About as thick as 30 sheets of paper when stacked, the Digital Paper includes Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n connectivity and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts up to three weeks before requiring a recharge. 

Oddly, the Digital Paper only works with PDF files and requires the conversion of Word, Excel or PowerPoint files to PDF format before those files can be accessed. Using the stylus, users can take notes on the page and save the PDF files with the additional notes on the page. Hypothetically, that feature could be particularly helpful to any college student taking notes in class. They could load a digital version of the class textbook and take notes on the book's pages during class. Of course, Digital Paper users can also load a blank page that looks like notebook paper in order to take detailed notes during a meeting or class.
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Porsche plans new 911-beating boxer four-cylinder for Cayman and Boxster

Alright Porsche purists, whether you like it or not, Porsche is preparing to launch a new four-cylinder Boxer engine in the Boxter and Cayman.

Don't like the idea? Maybe you should. This is no humdrum four-cylinder. It might actually be a 911 beater.

According to Automotive News, the engine could produce as much as 395 horsepower. No nose-thumbing should be going on here, as that is already more horsepower than the current flat-six-powered Cayman GTS that makes a romping 340 hp.

To reassure you; Boxer-fours are nothing new to Porsche. Flat fours found their way under the hoods of the 356, 912, and 914.

As a matter of fact, the 944 also had a thumping four-cylinder, which was one of the largest displacement four-cylinders ever made at 3.0-liters. 

Whether or not the backwards-engined fiends find it acceptable doesn't matter, because Porsche seems to know what it's doing.

Personally, I am looking forward to a lighter, higher-reving, screaming boxer four in the future of amazing German engineering. To  me, it's a good thing the flat-six is getting chopped.

To the those Porsche purists who say otherwise, just tell them, "Auf Wiedersehen!"
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India reach World T20 semi-finals

India 141-2 (18.3 overs) beat Bangladesh 138-7 (20 overs) by eight wickets

Match scorecard
India cruised to a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Dhaka to seal their place in the semi-finals of the World Twenty20.

Virat Kohli (57) and Rohit Sharma (56) shared a second-wicket partnership of 100 to ensure a third successive Group Two win with nine balls to spare.

Bangladesh had been restricted to 138-7 in their 20 overs, leg-spinner Amit Mishra (3-26) again impressing.

Anamul Haque (44) and Mahmudullah (33) offered the only real resistance.
It was the Tigers' second successive defeat in the Super 10 phase, following their opening loss to West Indies, and leaves the tournament hosts facing imminent elimination.

"The batsmen that get set end up throwing away their wickets, so big partnerships are just not happening," said Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim. "We thought 150-plus would be a good total, but unfortunately we ended up below that."

Rahim's men struggled to compete against a powerful India side who coasted to their target - victory achieved when skipper MS Dhoni, who promoted himself up the batting order, hit a six straight down the ground to finish on 22 not out from 12 balls.

"There were no celebrations at all because the next few games are going to be extremely tough," said Dhoni. "I had not batted for a while, so I asked Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) if I could go in ahead of him."

Dhoni will be thankful for his short time at the crease, with established batsmen like Yuvraj, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja all left in reserve - a sign of India's strength in depth.

However, as they showed in their previous victories over Pakistan and West Indies, their bowling is equally as powerful on the turning wickets of Bangladesh and the hosts became the third team to be restricted to less than 140 by the Indian bowlers.

Mishra was once again a key weapon, taking another three wickets to take his combined figures in the tournament to 7-66.

He took the big wicket of fluent opener Anamul, who was bowled by a googly, and also accounted for Nasir Hossain and Ziaur Rahman while keeping run-scoring opportunities to a minimum.

His fellow spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also impressed with 2-15 as he had dangerous strokemaker Tamim Iqbal caught behind and dismissed number three Shamsur Rahman with his next ball.

Only some powerful late hitting from Mahmudullah, who struck five fours and a six, got Bangladesh to a respectable total - but it was not enough to trouble the classy Indians.
Shikhar Dhawan's poor run of form continued when he dragged on to Al-Amin Hossain for just one, but Rohit and Kohli assumed control as they exploited the gaps in the field with aplomb while also scoring regular boundaries to keep the run-rate down to manageable levels.

It was left to Dhoni to finish the job with a four and two sixes as India, who won the inaugural tournament in 2007, reaffirmed their status as strong favourites for the title.
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Need space but hate SUVs? Volvo V90 luxury wagon could be your perfect car

Volvo completed its concept-car trifecta at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show with the Concept Estate, a streamlined shooting brake that banishes all memory of the old V70. 

The Concept Estate was meant to show off Volvo's new styling theme and the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform that will underpin most of the company's upcoming models. However, the wagon itself isn't slated for production.

Or is it? According to Autobild (via Motor Authority), Volvo is considering a high-end luxury wagon that would be based on the Concept Estate and wear V90 badges. While it's unclear whether the V90 would retain the concept's three-door shooting brake layout, it would sit above the V60 in the Volvo hierarchy. Unlike that more utilitarian wagon, the V90 would be a genuine luxury car.

With a couple of exceptions, luxury wagons are just about the only station wagons left in the United States. It's not hard to picture well-off Volvo fans flocking to an upscale Swedish wagon, but the V90 may have a tough time competing with crossovers, including Volvo's own XC90.

A redesigned XC90 based on the Concept XC Coupe is due later this year, and a production V90 would probably be almost the same mechanically, except lower to the ground.

If all goes well, Volvo would reportedly expand the range to include an S90 sedan, and possibly even a C90 coupe based on the fantastic Concept Coupe from the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.

In the past, Volvo has shied away from more-expensive luxury cars, so the V90 and its potential variants would mark a change of strategy for the company. The Swedish firm has always been what analysts like to call a "premium" brand, rather than a full luxury brand, but perhaps that will change.
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Renault and Caterham break up but the all-new Alpine isn’t dead yet

Renault has been diligently searching for a way to bring back its sports car of old, the Alpine. A car with a very nimble chassis and lightweight would be the perfect vehicle, so Renault partnered with an apt suitor, Caterham, in 2012.

The partnership was "creatively" named Societe des Automobiles Alpine Caterham … or "SAAC". Pardon me while I giggle.

Sadly, SAAC was, well, sacked. According to Autocar, SAAC has indeed fallen apart. Renault informed the French Union of ending the Caterham partnership. The split will take place in the beginning of April. 

Both automakers are unwilling to publicly discuss any possibility of their imminent separation. However, no words are needed to confirm that the companies are preparing to mangle SAAC.

If the partnership is not meant to be, and the car is still slated for production in late 2016, then where does that leave Caterham?  

It seems that this would be a huge step forward for Renault, a relatively small automotive company. A new Alpine would really boost its reputation for consumer sports cars.

Across the pond, the Seven is still the core business for Caterham, and this little Lotus-based kit car is still selling well. The Seven sales are unlikely to provide much help for the Caterham F1 team, but this company seems to be doing just fine on its own.  

The breakup with Renault is a slight bump in the road for Caterham. Hopefully the company will continue to do well, unlike the Caterham AeroSeven concept failure.

This is not the end of Caterham, but rather a sign that this great company should keep moving forward. As for Renault, well, those cheese eating surrender moneys should be just fine for now. 

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Tesla adds titanuim panels to Model S to prevent fires, NHTSA closes inquiry

Looks like Tesla has dodged a bullet … or, rather, another roadway object.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officially closed its investigation in to the Tesla Model S, after the upstart EV automaker announced it has begun adding titanium underbody battery shields to its cars beginning this month.

The upgraded underbody protection is a response to safety concerns raised after several Model S burned to the ground late last year. The fires were all linked to collisions with objects in the road, which punctured the front-mounted battery packs.

Immediately after the first few incidents Tesla sent out a software upgrade, which raised the vehicle suspension ride height at highway speeds. Despite this move, the NHTSA launched an inquiry into the safety of the luxury EVs.

"In this case, Tesla's revision of vehicle ride height and addition of increased underbody protection should reduce both the frequency of underbody strikes and the resultant fire risk. A defect trend has not been identified. Accordingly, the investigation is closed," the NHSTA said in a release, according to Automotive News.

In a characteristic show of braggadocio, Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk followed the NTHSA announcement with a few statements of his own: "With a track record of zero deaths or serious, permanent injuries since our vehicles went into production six years ago, there is no safer car on the road than a Tesla," Musk wrote. "The addition of the underbody shields simply takes it a step further."

According to Tesla, Model S owners whose vehicles were built before March 5th, 2014 can have the auxiliary titanium protectors added if they wish.

Will this solve all of Tesla's fire issues? We'll have to wait and see. Should anything happen, however, we'll be sure to bring it to you.
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DBA’s Speedback GT wraps a modern Jag in retro, Bond-approved style

The Aston Martin DB5 is one of the world's most iconic cars, and not just because James Bond drove one. It also has a timeless look that upstart firm David Brown Automotive sought to recreate with its Speedback GT.

When it first announced the car back in February, David Brown said that the Speedback GT, which at that time was known as Project Judi, would combine modern innards with retro styling.

The Speedback GT looks like a carbon copy of a DB5. It's got the same oval grille, spear-shaped front fenders, and stacked tail-lights that look like rocket exhausts. It's all rendered in lightweight aluminum as well.

The proportions are a little different though, because David Brown stretched the DB5′s styling over the modern chassis of a Jaguar XK. It features the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 from the XKR, which produces the same 510 horsepower as it does in the Jag.

Performance is also similar to the XKR. David Brown says its auto will do 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, and reach a top speed of 155 mph.

The XK base should also make it easy to find parts when something breaks. Fixing perpetually broken components is an integral part of the classic British sports car experience, but we can only hope that David Brown didn't carry that trait over to the the Speedback GT.

Keen Aston Martin fans may note one more similarity between the Speedback GT and the DB5: the name David Brown itself.

David Brown was a British industrialist who revitalized Aston after World War II, and is the "DB" in DB. However, there is no relation to David Brown of David Brown Automotive.

The Speedback GT will make its public debut at the Top Marques show in Monaco, which begins April 20. Pricing will be announced at a later date, and the company only plans to build 50 of these cars per year.
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Homeland Security didn’t want this Freightliner Gymkhana-style video to happen

Shipping yards are not really on the forefront of exciting places to go.

Containers move from dock to ship – and vice versa – all day long. It's a wonder how those crane operators stay awake … I guess getting paid the big bucks to play a life-size version of "The Claw" has its advantages.

Imagine how exciting a shipping yard gets, though, when a Nissan 240sx bursts out of a shipping container, followed by a drifting Freightliner Semi-Truck.

That's right. Someone made a semi truck Gymkhana video.   

The video, led by Pikes Peak extraordinaire Mike Ryan, is indeed a sequel to Size Matters. Drifting a semi-truck is just something the human brain has difficulty comprehending, but, this example in particular, isn't exactly stock.

You might think this one might have hard time actually pulling a trailer. It doesn't, though. The last truck Ryan drove packed 1,950 horsepower and 3,400 pound-feet of torque. You can thank Banks for those numbers … and Castrol for being a proud sponsor.

Banks took a Detroit Diesel engine and ingeniously twin-charged it. That means a supercharger and turbocharger are used to boost the engine into a tire-eating monster. Straight-Shot methanol is another power boosting feature used to cool down that smoke-belching diesel. A performance semi is extremely hard to build, but, boy, did it pay off.

Usually semi-trucks fly off cliffs but this one will take a ramp with no problem. There is indeed no better way to end a crazy, semi-truck drifting, Ken Block-killing Gymkhana video than flying over a row of Smart Fortwo mini-cars.

"Between Homeland Security and the insurance company, we almost didn't get to do the jump," Banks admitted.
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Man Utd fans defend plane protest

Disgruntled Manchester United fans say Saturday's controversial plane banner protest will prove manager David Moyes does not have the backing he claims.

A banner with the words: "Wrong One - Moyes Out" in seven-foot high red lettering will be flown above Old Trafford before the Aston Villa game.
"The rumblings of discontent have started in the stands," said protest organiser Wes Jones.

"We wanted to show that support isn't as 100% as Moyes would like to think."
The move has split opinion among supporters, some of whom feel the protest is heaping unnecessary humiliation on Moyes, who has endured a torrid debut campaign at Old Trafford.

The protest, which will take place before the 12.45 GMT kick-off, mocks the 'Chosen One' banner on the Stretford End at Old Trafford which refers to former manager Sir Alex Ferguson's role in Moyes' appointment as his successor.

For pilot Chris Mustow, who will be responsible for flying the light plane trailing the banner, it is just a bit of fun.
"I am not a football fan, so it doesn't bother me in that sense," he told BBC Sport.

"But of course I am aware of the situation.

"I just find it all quite amusing really. No-one is going to miss the message, that's for sure."

It has also been confirmed that a second plane has been booked to fly around the ground at the same time.
While the company involved in that venture is refusing to say who has arranged the flight, or what the second banner will say, it merely heightens an already surreal situation.

"I have heard of it and what they are saying about it, but this is a long journey," said Moyes of the 'Wrong One' protest in his Friday news conference.
"This is only the start of the journey. People are entitled to do that."

The latest developments underline the massive shift that has taken place at United following Ferguson's departure as manager last summer.

Vice-chairman of the Manchester United Supporters Trust Ian Stirling accepts the sentiments of the protest.
He told BBC Sport: "I can totally understand the feelings of the supporters that have got together to put this banner in place.

"It's a manifestation about how they feel about the seriousness of the problem. They feel passionately about the club and they see it as a way to display how they feel."

Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor said he was not impressed by the supporters' plans.

"I don't think it's something you need to see or want to see," he told BBC Sport.

"Sometimes as supporters you can feel quite upset but sometimes you've also got to show a bit of class.

"Everybody can support a team when they're doing well - that's easy. But it's like life, the time you find out who your friends and supporters are is when things are going wrong.
"That is a real test of good supporters."
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EXCLUSIVE: HACKERS on Pinterest spam pics flooded all over butt pics

Pinterest is never devoid of butt pics, but its rarely flooded with them. Multiple Pinterest accounts were hacked today, replacing people's collections of wedding gown and cupcake photos with butt pics and weight loss ads.

In a statement sent to TechCrunch, a representative for Pinterest said: "Our systems were alerted to some incidents of spam yesterday evening. These reports did not come in at a large scale. We began working on cleaning up and placing the accounts in safe mode immediately. The accounts have since been secured. As a precaution, Pinners should use unique and strong passwords, and can get more information in our Help Center."  

Pinterest has become a popular target for scammers, enough that the Better Business Bureau was compelled to send out a spam alert on what it calls "spam pins," which direct people to sites selling counterfeit products or promoting work from home job opportunities. 

According to the BBB, scammers gain entry into user accounts by taking advantage of security holes in third-party applications that connect to Pinterest and inserting malicious code into the "Pin This" button on websites. Several users have reported being hacked from countries such as Argentina, Malaysia, Bolivia, Brazil, India, Iran, Indonesia, Morocco, Russia, and Vietnam.        

To prevent the takeover of butt pics on your boards, the BBB's advice is to only log in through pinterest.com and the site's official mobile app.
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Amazon denies having a free, ad-supported streaming media service in the works

Though the Wall Street Journal reported this week that Amazon may be developing a free, ad-supported video- and music-streaming service, a spokeswoman for the media giant straightforwardly rejected the theory on Thursday.

"We're often experimenting with new things, but we have no plans to offer a free streaming media service," Amazon spokeswoman Sally Fouts told Variety.

According to the Journal, "people close to the company" suggested the potential service could launch as soon as this summer with both original and syndicated content. In addition to TV and movies, music videos would allegedly be part of the service, accompanying site searches made by people visiting Amazon; for example, you might be presented with the option to watch a David Bowie music video while scanning the site for a Ziggy Stardust t-shirt.

It seems that Amazon has been finding a way to work its way into headlines just about every day this year. Just this week the company invited media outlets to New York on April 2 for an "update" on its video business. Insiders speculate that Amazon will unveil a much-anticipated set-top box that's been in the works for the last year or so. For a few months now, Amazon has also been in "serious talks" over a new Spotify-like music-streaming expansion within its Prime service, which might have had something to do with the recent and controversial hike in Prime fees.

While Amazon has specifically ruled out a totally free service, we wouldn't be surprised to see changes to its Prime streaming service, or other new features roll out with its set-top box next month. Check back with us for updates as these stories unfold.
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Chromecast may soon get Slingbox, and that means DVR

If we're to believe a Slingbox employee posting on a forum, Slingbox support is definitely coming to Chromecast. And that could mean that very shortly, Chromecast will have a whole new bag of tricks.

For those unfamiliar, Slingbox is an ingenious system that helped to pioneer the "TV Everywhere" format, allowing users to connect to their home DVR, and send live and recorded TV virtually anywhere over a mobile device or PC. Reported by TechCrunch, a back and forth discussion this morning on a Slingbox forum about hopes for incorporating Chromecast into the Slingbox fold resulted in an encouraging message from Slingbox employee going by the moniker Matt.Sling. "I checked in with engineering, and although I can not give you a timeline yet, I'm happy to report Chromecast support is in development," the employee said. 

Over the past year or so, we've seen Google's Chromecast grow from its infancy with only a few minor apps like Netflix and YouTube, into a burgeoning powerhouse on the verge of all out dongle domination, thanks to a slew of new apps, and the company's release of its software developer kit.

With Slingbox support, here are a couple ways users could exploit their $35 investment:

Chromecast as a DVR tuner: One possible use for a fully armed Slingbox app would be to employ Chromecast as a separate tuner, sending DVR content into other TVs in the house. Just grab the Chromecast, stick it into the upstairs TV, and you've got all of your DVR content at hand, without buying or renting a new DVR box.
DVR everywhere: And much like Roku's Slingbox app, Chromecast users will also likely be able to go to a vacation home, a hotel, or even just Grandma's house. As long as they've brought their Chromecast along, all of their favorite DVR content is ready to transfer from a computer or mobile device straight to the big screen.

Of course, with the recent release of a new Roku Streaming Stick, which already incorporates Sling software in a very convenient dongle design, the Chromecast news is less ground shaking. Still, the Roku stick is priced around $15 more than the Chromecast, and for those who have already invested into Google's design, it's an exciting addition.

As the message states, no word has yet been given as to when the new app will make its way to Google's device. We'll keep an eye out as this story develops, so stay tuned.
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Philips’ latest Hue line includes these gorgeous 3D-printed Luminaire lamps

In the wake of smart lighting announcements from giants like LG and Samsung, Philips just pulled the curtain back on not one, but three new additions to its Hue line of connected lights, and in the process ensured everyone that it's still the king of Smart Lighting Mountain.

The first and strangest addition is these things that Philips has dubbed "Hue Luminaires." They're basically a set of limited-edition, abstract, 3D-printed lamps that change colors. The company is touting them as the artistic "design addition" to the family, and unfortunately they've got a price to match. The lamps will reportedly be up for preorder starting on March 31, and will sell for €2,999 and €2,499, depending on which model you opt for. That's roughly $4,125 and $3,437 respectively. For that price, you could buy yourself a brand new MakerBot Replicator, print your own lamp, and still have over $1,000 bucks left to spend on beer.

The second addition is a much more practical bulb called Hue Lux. Generally speaking, it's the exact same thing as the original Hue, just without all the extra colors. It's got the same A19 shape, the same dimming capabilities, uses the same amount of power, and can be controlled using the same mobile application as the original – it just only puts out warm white light. The good news, however, is that this simpler design makes it considerably cheaper. Individual bulbs will be $39.95 in the U.S. or €29.99 in Europe, and starter kits containing a Hue Bridge and two bulbs will be available for just $99.99 in the U.S. or €89.99 in Europe.

Last but definitely not least is the Hue Tap: an innovative wall switch designed to give you better control over your smart lights with a physical switch. This helps solve one of the most fundamental flaws of smart lighting – the fact that switching bulbs on and off with a smartphone application can be cumbersome and inconvenient at times. To give you a wider range of controls than just on or off, Tap has four different buttons that can be pre-programmed to activate/deactivate user-defined scenes. It's completely wireless and – get this – doesn't require outside electricity to run. It's actually powered by kinetic energy, so it uses the force you apply with your finger to generate a tiny bit of electricity, and uses that energy to fire off an RF signal that tells the Hue Bridge what to do. Pretty brilliant if you ask us. Tap will be released at the same time as Lux, and will be priced at $59.95 in the U.S. or €59.95 in Europe.

For more details on all three, head over to the official Philips Hue website.
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