Wednesday, 2 April 2014

Viral sensation Kid President gets TV series on Hub Network

Robby Novak, a.k.a. Kid President, a.k.a. the cutest kid ever, posted a YouTube video Wednesday announcing some, as he says, "big news, big news!": Kid President is getting his very own TV show beginning this summer.

Kid President first inspired YouTube viewers when his pep talk video went viral. Since then, the suit-wearing 10-year-old has gone on to meet Adult President Barack Obama and interview Beyoncé, and even got Office alum and SoulPancake founder Rainn Wilson's support — he's executive producing the series.

The show, Kid President: Declaration of Awesome, was created (and is also executived produced) by Novak's brother-in-law Brad Montague and will be produced by SoulPancake Television. Its 10-episode run begins this summer on Hub Network.

"Kid President is not just about one kid," Novak says in the video announcement. "It's about every kid. It's about all grown-ups. It's about everybody, everywhere using what they have to make the world a better place."
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Android 4.4 KitKat: LG G2 phones on Sprint are ready to receive KitKat

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Windows 9 ‘Threshold’ is coming: Here are the latest rumors

Microsoft has spent the last two years cleaning up the mess caused by the release of Windows 8, a widely panned operating system that's endured slow sales and a general downturn of the PC market. In response, the company is struggling to replace Windows 8 with a new operating system likely to be named (unsurprisingly) Windows 9.

While no concrete information has been released, leaked rumors provide some indication of where Microsoft is headed with its next OS.

Cross-platform app compatibility

App compatibility among Windows platforms is likely to be a key feature of Microsoft's new operating system. The company wants developers to be able to create a single app and port it between Windows 9, RT, Windows Phone and the Xbox One with ease. Microsoft hinted at this during the last BUILD conference by suggesting that developers will be able to use tools for Windows apps to create Xbox One apps, and this could be expanded upon during the company's April 2014 event.

Rumors indicate that Microsoft will attack cross-platform compatibility with a three-pronged initiative in which Windows is tailored to the primary input used with a device; mouse-first, touch-first, or voice first. Mouse-first will be the traditional desktop/laptop experience, touch-first will be for smartphones and tablets, and voice-first will be for large-screen devices like televisions and, of course, devices that connect to a television (like the Xbox One).

This approach would make sense, considering Microsoft's confusing array of platforms as well as the lack of apps. With that said, the devil is clearly in the details. Windows 8 proved that designing an operating system across multiple platforms is not easy, and the particulars of the interface and the development tools will make the difference between success and failure.

Native gestures

Another way for Microsoft to enable support for multiple devices would be the introduction of gesture recognition. This, of course, is within the company's area of expertise, as Kinect has provided plenty of experience.

Adding built-in gesture support would make sense given that Intel is heavily pushing the technology, and that Microsoft has its own Kinect sensor to sell. The gesture control technology that we've used so far has not convinced us that it's useful, however, and we're not sure what Microsoft could do to change our minds. The Kinect sensor may have the resolution and processing power needed to provide a better experience than other products, but it's also rather expensive. We don't think anyone would pay $100 to add gesture support to their PC.

Of course, it's possible that Microsoft will simply add developer tools for gestures and leave it up to hardware and software companies to figure out the details themselves. While this wouldn't give the company a chance to leverage Kinect, it would pass responsibility of developing the technology onto others. That may be necessary given the broad range of devices that Windows needs to support.

A new Start…menu

Microsoft is likely to continue back-pedaling on its decision to remove the Start menu on mouse-first devices. Windows 8.1 brought the Start button back, but only added a new "Apps View," which is essentially a Metro-fied launch screen. Now, with Windows 9, the company may completely reverse its earlier removal with a new, re-designed Start menu (which may or may not debut under that name).

What will it look like, and what will it do? No one but Microsoft knows. With that said, what little information has leaked suggests that it will not be a carbon copy of the old Start menu, or an expansion on the App View. Instead, it will be a new approach that re-thinks the Start menu for the realities and capabilities of modern systems. We think that's likely to mean a greater reliance on Windows search, integration of web search, and the potential for significant customization.

More Metro, everywhere

Don't get your hopes up for Microsoft abandoning the Metro design. While it hasn't gone over well on the desktop, it has worked everywhere else, and it's key to the company's goal of making Windows a cross-platform operating system.

This means the development of new Metro interface features. What will they be? That's unknown. We can guess that they'll focus on the evolution of features like multi-tasking, desktop search and the Charms bar, but such changes would hardly be Earth-shattering.

There is one concrete change rumored; the introduction of Metro apps to the desktop. Currently, Metro apps cannot run on the desktop, a trait that's particularly frustrating on desktops with large, high-resolution displays. Windows 9 could fix that flaw. If true, it would give desktop owners a reason to check out the Windows Store, a place most PC enthusiasts avoid at all costs.

Conclusion

Current rumors indicate that Windows 9 is scheduled for release in April of 2015. If that's true, new information could be revealed at this week's BUILD festivities – but, with the OS still a year out, the reveals are likely to be about vague, big-picture ideas rather than specific features. We'll probably hear about how Windows 9 will be easy to develop for, how it'll promote cross-platform apps, and how it'll make touch better while also improving the desktop for users who just want a keyboard and mouse.

Whatever Microsoft says, it needs to make an impression. Windows 8 has flopped, damaging both the company and the PC market as a whole. Major changes are needed, and they were needed yesterday; there's no more time for Microsoft to sit on its hands. 
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Pluto.tv aims to make YouTube work like old-school TV

Video curation services are positioned to be a powerful new tool in the expanding realm of online video. A few companies are already making a go at categorizing the frustratingly scattered mosaic of content that is Youtube, including an intriguing set-top box from the cofounders of TiVo, called Qplay. Now, Pluto.tv is making a play at cleaning up the video landscape, offering up to 100 organized 'channels' on its site with an aim to make perusing online videos more like old school TV.

Like Qplay, and even Mohu's Channel device, which organizes websites and over-the-air TV alongside streaming apps, Pluto.tv has unabashedly employed an interface that's extremely similar to the program guide viewers are used to seeing on standard cable TV. If it ain't broke, well, you know.

As reported by the New York Times, Pluto.tv's familiar sprawl of channels source video from around the web into categories like sports, news, comedy, etc. and organizes them into 30 minute 'programs.' There are specialty channels for music videos such as a top 40 channel, and even one called "Happy," that (no joke) shows a 24 hour stream of the Pharell Williams video of the same name. 

Users can navigate through the guide both vertically and horizontally from their PC or mobile device to select content at their leisure, with pause/play, fast forward, and rewind controls that are extremely similar to a DVR. The site also incorporates a social media aspect in the right hand corner for chatting with friends.

Interestingly, Pluto.tv actually employs real live human curators to set up the channels. As Pluto.tv co-founder Nick Grouf told the Times, "We have people who are literally sitting and watching videos all day to decide what goes into the channels." Not exactly state-of-the-art technology, but for now, it might help give the service an edge over others that employ algorithms for curation, potentially providing richer, better organized content.

While the $50 Qplay set-top box has an advantage over Pluto.tv with its direct connection to the big screen, Pluto.tv has its own advantage: the service is completely free, requiring no proprietary equipment to watch. And with the ability to download Pluto.tv apps to Android and iOS devices, viewers are just a short step away from sending content to their flat screen via an Apple TV, or other mirroring device.

Check out the service for yourself, and let us know how Pluto.tv measures up in the comments below.
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Apple exec Phil Schiller sticks to script on day one of Apple-Samsung patent trial

With the selection of the eight-person jury taken care of on Monday, the latest Apple-Samsung patent trial kicked off for real in a San Jose, California court yesterday, with Apple's senior vice president of marketing, Phil Schiller, taking the stand as the tech company's first witness.

Apple is accusing Samsung of infringing five of its patents, each relating to software features found on its iOS mobile operating system. It's seeking damages of $2 billion from the Korean electronics company, as well as a sales ban on several Samsung devices including the Galaxy S3 smartphone. A verdict is expected toward the end of the month.


Apple's Phil Schiller.
According to reports, Schiller pretty much stuck to the script in his testimony, going over the same kind of points he made to a jury back in November during a retrial in another patent case with Samsung.

Using various graphs and charts sporting stats that won't have looked out of place in one of Apple's high-profile product launches, Schiller described the success and popularity of the company's iPhone.

When asked about how he felt when he first set eyes on Samsung's original Galaxy smartphone, Schiller replied, "It looked so much like an attempt to copy the iPhone."

He added that Samsung's alleged copying had "caused people to question some of the innovations we created," adding, "I think it has confused people as to which products are creating this experience."

The iPhone maker says it believes that in the US Samsung sold more than 37 million smartphones that violated its patents, and that 10 percent of those are, for Apple, lost sales.

Prior to Schiller's testimony, opening arguments were laid out by both sides. While Apple pressed home the idea that Samsung had infringed a number of its patents by incorporating similar features into its own products, lawyers for the Korean tech firm argued that the Cupertino company's damage claims are hugely exaggerated, while the patents relate to relatively minor software features.

The patents at the center of the court case include a "system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data," where addresses and times are shown as links within messages, and "unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image," otherwise known as the 'slide to unlock' feature.
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Samsung’s not done with tablets this year, and its next models could have AMOLED screens

An FCC filing may have revealed a new Samsung tablet is headed our way. The device has the model number SM-T800, and it joins the equally unofficial SM-T801 and SM-T805, which passed through the FCC's certification process late last month. Samsung has used the SM-T model number on the majority of its 2014 tablets, including the Galaxy Tab Pro series launched at CES, and the Galaxy Tab4 models made official this week.

This isn't the first time we've seen references to the SM-T800. A benchmark test gave us an idea of the tablet's specification, indicating it will use one of Samsung's octa-core Exynos 5 processors, and sport 3GB of RAM. This raises it above the affordable Galaxy Tab4 range. Expect two cameras fitted to the T800, an 8-megapixel on the rear, and a 2-megapixel on the front, plus Android 4.4.2 as the operating system.

One of the models spotted in the benchmark figures had a 10.5-inch screen with a 2560 x 1600 pixel screen. There's some speculation the T800 will be Samsung's return to producing large AMOLED tablet screens, something it hasn't toyed with since the Galaxy Tab 7.7 released in late December 2011. This is primarily sourced from a Korean rumor published in January.

Apparently, Samsung was readying its production teams to start making 8-inch and 10-inch (or perhaps even 10.5-inch) AMOLED panels in February. The timeframe sounds tight, but it's possible the two are related. If so, the new tablets would feature the largest AMOLED panels fitted to a Samsung mobile device yet. However, before we get too excited, rumors surrounding Samsung's return to big AMOLEDs have been circulating for at least a year, with no pay off.

There's no information on when the SM-T800 and its variants will be announced, but as the Galaxy Tab4 range has only just debuted, we'd give Samsung a while to collect itself before expecting anything official.
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EXCLUSIVE Lenovo unveils new 4 A-series tablets aimed at budget market

Lenovo has just unveiled four new tablets aimed at budget-conscious consumers.

Sounding more like aircraft than mobile devices, the A7-30, A7-50, A8, and A10 slates expands the company's A-series line-up and cover a range of screen sizes. All run Android, though the company is yet to clarify which version.

Specs for the new machines are a little thin on the ground just now – we've reached out to Lenovo for more details and will update when we hear back.

Essentially, they're all very similar, differing for the most part in display sizes. The A7-30 and A7-50 both sport a 7-inch display, the A8 an 8-inch display, and the A10 a 10.1-inch display.

All are powered by quad-core processors and come with Dolby-enhanced dual front speakers. While the A7-30 comes with a standard display and no camera, the other three feature HD displays as well as back and front cameras. The A7-50′s cameras are both 2 megapixels, while details on the other tablets' shooters are yet to be revealed.

"With these latest additions to our tablet portfolio, we've introduced devices that speaks directly to each consumer's habits, whether it's enjoying music, reading e-books or watching videos on the go," Lenovo vice president Shao Tao said in a release, adding, "Our Android family of tablets will appeal to users around the world as we've built our products to be highly flexible to serve multiple needs and budgets."

The Chinese tech firm's new A-series tablets are set to start shipping worldwide in the next couple of months. There are so far no specific details on a US launch for the new machines, though we'll add the information when it becomes available. In the UK, pricing for the new slates starts at £100 ($166) for the A7-50 (no mention of the A7-30′s cost!), topping out at £170 ($282) for the A10.

Lenovo shipped 3.4 million tablets in the three-month period ending December 31, 2013 – marking a rise of more than 300 percent year-on-year – with sales reportedly driven by the strong performance of its Yoga tablets.
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This little button will let you snap photos without unlocking your phone

This clever little accessory could change the way you use your smartphone, particularly if you're always missing that all important photo opportunity while messing around unlocking your phone. It's a small button mounted on a 3.5mm headphone jack, which you plug into your smartphone. A press will then take a picture without needing to unlock your device.

That's not all. It will have 10 different, programmable functions, including being used to turn on the phone's flashlight, or – slightly dubiously – record phone calls. All this will be controlled through a dedicated app, and each feature is activated using a certain number of button presses.

If that reminds you of the Pressy Kickstarter campaign from last year, you'd be right, but this one is the work of Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi. Vice President of Xiaomi Global and former Google executive, Hugo Barra, posted images and a brief description of the button on his Facebook page. It's not an official announcement yet though, and Barra is asking his followers to help name the device. Xiaomi uses the letters M and I on its phone hardware, and Barra suggests it may be named the Mi Key, Mi Press, or simply the Mi Button. It's also not clear whether the button will only operate with Xiaomi phones.

Barra states the company wants to release the button to Xiaomi owners all over the world. He is tasked with expanding the brand internationally, and has already overseen an expansion to Singapore this year. We're still hoping for some news regarding America or Europe in the future.

Fun little side projects like this button make Xiaomi stand out, but it already has a strong following in its home country. The initial run of 100,000 Redmi Note smartphone/tablet hybrids, which went on sale last week, sold out in just over 30 minutes.
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Apple delays Mac Pro shipping window again, now ’5-6 weeks’ away

Apple has once again delayed the estimated shipping window for the new Mac Pro, according to the company's North American retail sites. Those interested in picking up one of Apple's new top-of-the-line desktop computers will now have to wait "5-6 weeks" to get their hands on the hardware, according to Mac|Life. To this point, Apple's site stated that new customers would receive their rigs sometime this month.

The Mac Pro has been plagued by a series of shipping delays since its release in December. First, Apple changed the ship date from December to February. Then, in January, the ship date was bumped back to March, then again to April, with the previous delay occurring while the calender was still on February. 

Apple's new projection suggests that the supply chain issues that have been keeping the company's newest systems out of customer hands will not be going away any time soon. The specific reason for the delays are currently unknown.

There is a slight glimmer of hope for some buyers though: 9to5Mac claims that the European Apple sites still have Mac Pros arriving in "April," though that could soon change as well. The delay that pushed the Mac Pro's shipping date to March first appeared on non-U.S. Apple Store sites, only to show up on the U.S. version of the page a short time later.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments below.
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EXCLUSIVE BlackBerry severs ties to T-Mobile following spat

It's over between BlackBerry and T-Mobile. Following a spat between the two companies a couple of months back, the struggling mobile maker has announced it'll no longer allow the wireless carrier to sell any of its devices. T-Mobile will lose its license to sell BlackBerry products once the contract between the companies ends on April 25.

However, the Canadian firm said that current BlackBerry customers on T-Mobile's network should see no difference in the service or support they receive.

"BlackBerry has had a positive relationship with T-Mobile for many years," BlackBerry boss John Chen said in a statement released Tuesday night. "Regretfully, at this time, our strategies are not complementary and we must act in the best interest of our BlackBerry customers. We hope to work with T-Mobile again in the future when our business strategies are aligned."

Troubling times

The first sign of trouble between the two firms came in September last year when T-Mobile decided to permanently remove BlackBerry phones from its stores. At the time, David Carey, the carrier's executive vice president for corporate services, said that keeping stock in the retail distribution system was "inefficient" because sales of BlackBerry handsets were so poor. However, T-Mobile said it would continue to allow consumers to order a BlackBerry phone, though it'd have to be shipped to the customer.

But in February, the relationship took a turn for the worse when the carrier emailed its BlackBerry customers with a "great offer" encouraging them to switch to an iPhone 5S.

The curious marketing strategy caused loyal BlackBerry users to vent their anger on social media sites. Acknowledging their disgruntlement, T-Mobile boss John Legere tweeted, "We give our customers choices, but you don't have to give up your loyalty. We will continue to support."

A few days later, Chen publicly thanked BlackBerry users for expressing their irritation, adding that his company was "outraged" at the "inappropriate and ill-conceived" promotion.

In an effort to patch things up, T-Mobile started offering current BlackBerry owners a $250 trade-in credit if they switched to one of BlackBerry's newer Z10 or Q10 handsets. However, this evidently wasn't enough to appease Chen and co.

With BlackBerry's market share in the US pretty much at rock bottom, it's of course unlikely that the move will have much impact on the fortunes of the Waterloo, Ontario firm. As for T-Mobile, we assume it'll simply go on pushing the iPhone 5S.
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BlackBerry launches stickers for BBM in bid to monetize its messaging app

While stickers may not have been the most sought after feature for BBM users keen to see the service develop, BlackBerry nevertheless clearly sees them as a major revenue-making opportunity, on Tuesday rolling out sticker packs as an in-app purchase for users of its messaging service.

The new feature is part of a cross-platform app update that also includes support for sending larger files via the service and the ability to share photos in multi-person chats.

As for the stickers, BBM users can now download packs for $1.99 from the BBM Shop, with each one containing between 20 and 25 images.

Besides original artwork, content also relates to themes or characters such as CosCat, Gilbert's Tales or Bubble Bot, or could include material from popular brands including Shaun the Sheep and WWE, explained Jeff Gadway, BBM's head of product and brand marketing.

To get you started, Gadway said some packs will be offered for free, so keep your eyes peeled if you fancy adding a bit of color to your messages or just want an alternative to your run-of-the-mill emoticons.

BlackBerry is making a number of moves to try to monetize BBM as the company seeks to get back in the black in the next couple of years. If the success of rival messaging service Line is anything to go by, stickers could certainly bring in a few bucks – the Japan-based service made $31.5 million through sticker sales in Q3 last year, accounting for 20 percent of its revenue. Stickers have, in recent years, gained huge popularity in parts of Asia – an area of the world where BBM is widely used – though such a feature is yet to really take off in locations such as the US.

Besides stickers, BlackBerry's BBM monetization strategy also includes ads in the form of sponsored channels to give brands the chance to connect directly with users, as well as a person-to-person money transfer service, which is currently undergoing trials in Indonesia.

The update also allows users to send files of up to 16MB, up from 6MB, and to share images in multi-person chats, "making it easy to send a pic to several people and chat about it together."

The latest versions of BBM, which is available now, are as follows: BlackBerry 10 (v10.3.1); BlackBerry OS (v8.2); Android, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (v.2.1).
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A car for the 12 percent: McLaren working on track-taming 650S variant

614 horsepower. 0 to 60 in 3.0 seconds. 207 mph in 10.5 seconds. And you want more? There must be far more spine-hating millionaires out there than I expected.

Although it packs a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6, the McLaren 650S is a supercar designed primarily for road use. That's because only 12 percent of McLaren 650S owners are expected to use their cars on the track.

So for those who want a 650S but also want to look like they have scoliosis, McLaren is planning a more track-focused version of its mid-range supercar. You know, because enjoying the drive to work in your $300,000 car is for suckers.

McLaren's Chief development driver, Chris Goodwin, said of the 650S, "This is not as far as we're going to go – there's plenty more we can do," according to Autoexpress.

What might a more extreme version of the 650S might look like? Probably not too different. If I had to guess, it might not be much more powerful but rather less luxurious on the inside. Think P1 without an electric motor … or 903 hp.

Stripping out amenities would save weight without rejiggering the turbochargers too much, which could add unwanted turbo lag. It'd also make the 650S a far less fun place to be.

Why would you want something like that? Because you can, I guess.

If you're one of the masochists who wants a tracky 650S, it'll run you about $40,000 more than the road-going version.
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Captain America to take on Batman and Superman (at the box office)

Several months ago, Marvel Studios announced that it wold be releasing at least two films in 2016, the first on May 6 and the second on July 8, although it didn't reveal what those films would be. Soon after, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. announced that they were delaying their big budget superhero film Man of Steel 2, commonly known as Batman vs Superman, and that it would also be released on May 6, setting up a game of chicken to see which studio would blink first and move.

Most assumed it would be Marvel. The studio claimed the date, but didn't have anything to back it up. Earlier this week though, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige claimed that Marvel had no intention of giving up the date, and shortly after sources close to Marvel confirmed to THR that the film in question that is poised to challenge Batman and Superman will be a third Captain America movie. 

Although the second Captain America movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, won't hit theaters until April 4, Marvel has already shown a lot of confidence in the film. It still needs to deliver at the box office, of course, but early reactions have been positive – so much so that Marvel has already talked to directors Anthony and Joe Russo about returning for a third film.

One of the studios will almost certainly change the date of its film. It would ultimately hurt both productions to open on the same weekend, as they'd be stealing audiences from each other. The question though, is who will blink first. WB and DC currently have the inside track, as Man of Steel 2 is set to begin filming this month, while production on a third Captain America film wouldn't begin for months. Star Chris Evans is locked in to return for a sequel, but even if everything were ready to go tomorrow, he is committed to The Avengers: Age of Ultron first, which began filming in February.

Still, with Feige seemingly adamant that it won't be Marvel that gives up the date, May 6, 2016 just became a very interesting day.
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Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

"On your left." Those are the first words uttered by Steve Rogers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He's out on a morning run near the Washington Monument when he blasts past a man who is about to become one of his only friends in the world. It's an appropriate opening line too, as co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo have come out of left field to deliver the best Marvel movie this side of The Avengers.

World War II is over. The Battle of New York is won. Red Skull's forces, Loki's invading Chitauri army — that's all in the past. But there's always a new war on the horizon. Where there's war, there's a call for soldiers — and there's no soldier better than the super-soldier himself. Years after his overdue wake-up call at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger and the assembling of Earth's mightiest heroes in The Avengers, Captain America has stayed true to his calling, serving as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside old comrades like Black Widow, and newer (but no less morally gray) faces like Brock Rumlow.

Co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo came out of left field to deliver the best Marvel movie this side of The Avengers.

But modern warfare isn't a game that comes naturally to Cap. (Not the video game, mind you, though that's something Steve might want to put on his to-do list.) The all-access, free-information world he now calls home isn't as foreign as it was when he woke up years ago, but it's a world that demands tactics and beliefs he's uncomfortable with — like a top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier program designed to assassinate targets before they become threats, for instance.

As it happens, the feeling is mutual. The high-tech world of shadowy spies and ambiguous agendas disagrees with Cap just as much as he disagrees with it. It's not long before those opposing viewpoints collide, courtesy of a shocking assassination, a top-level betrayal, and a ghost from the past. On the bright side? At least Cap knows who he's fighting.

The Winter Soldier takes the Captain America franchise from Nazi Germany to present-day Washington, from war movie to political thriller. It's a big leap, but not a jarring one. The Russo brothers tip their hats to the era that Cap left behind, all while keeping their eyes, hearts, and minds on the modern world and its clear and present dangers. There are enough callbacks to The First Avenger to keep the films connected, from flashback sequences to cameos. By and large, however, Winter Soldier moves fast and furious into our world; it's a new start for the series, one that's completely earned by how the star-spangled superhero left things at the end of Avengers.

As it leaves the frontlines of World War II, Winter Soldier slips into the shadows of covert ops, and the action follows suit. The movie's opening action scene sees Cap stealthily and systematically working his way through a hostage situation, the camera capturing every landed punch, every bone-crunch, every slam of the shield. There's a car chase centered on Nick Fury that wouldn't feel out of place in a Fast & Furious film. And there's the Winter Soldier himself, spraying bullets and launching grenades through most of his scenes. The action is brutal and breathtaking. The Russos take a grounded, street-level approach to violence that stands out from the rest of the Marvel Studios pack.

But even as Winter Soldier wheels and deals in darkness, the movie doesn't step away from the light that makes Marvel's movies work. It never veers toward comedy the way that Iron Man, or even the Thor films, typically swing. But there are big laughs in Winter Soldier, thanks in large part to great performances, and how the characters interact with one another. For instance, Anthony Mackie brings immeasurable warmth and charisma as Sam "Falcon" Wilson; the fun he's having on screen is infectious, and impossible to ignore. The film even makes use of Chris Evans' comedic chops, infusing the vanilla Captain America with the right hit of spice.

The film carries the Captain America title, but it could just as easily go by Secret Avengers.

The levity flows freely from every corner of the ensemble cast, from Scarlett Johansson's dry wit as brilliantly badass Black Widow to Robert Redford's old-school World Security Council leader Alexander Pierce. Really, much of the movie's success comes from the ensemble. The film carries the Captain America title, but it could just as easily go by Secret Avengers. Make no mistake: as Cap, Evans turns in some of the most enjoyable work of his career, and serves as the lynchpin that holds the movie together. But between Cap, Widow, Falcon, Nick Fury, and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), there's an argument that Winter Soldier is as much a team-up movie as it is a solo superhero act.

The other reason to take issue with the title is the Winter Soldier himself — or lack thereof. Sebastian Stan, returning from his First Avenger tour of duty, speaks little more than 10 lines of dialogue in the entire film. He's less a character and more a walking, talking, Terminator-modeled MacGuffin. It's thrilling to watch the Winter Soldier in action, but the film's focus and interests mostly lie elsewhere. Ultimately, it's a minor complaint in the face of everything the movie gets right — especially because there's big potential for improvement in the sequel, rumored for release in 2016.

Conclusion

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is populated by quippy playboy billionaires, thunder-fueled aliens, and giant green rage monsters — but as of now, it's the straight-jawed, 90-year-old stiff that stands out as the most compelling and dynamic of the bunch. That's a testament to Evans, Marvel, and the Russo brothers' vision, and their combined ability to create a high-stakes political thriller starring a guy wearing star-spangled tights. "On your left," indeed.


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USB gets a Lightning cable makeover: First glimpse of reversible USB 3 cables

The ubiquitous USB cable is set for a major revamp — and here's the first image of its new look.

Announced in December by the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, a trade association that controls the USB specification, the new cables aim to solve a problem that's likely frustrated anyone who's ever fumbled behind their computer to plug in a pesky digital camera or other gadget: Which way is up? The new cable will come in an entirely new design that's reversible, calling to mind Apple's anything-goes Lightning cables. 

Called USB Type-C, the new connectors will feature an entirely new design with a smaller size, and most important, users will no longer need to be concerned with plug orientation — no more fumbling behind that PC, in other words. Seen here are the first-ever renderings of the cable, obtained by The Verge from Foxconn. They look more like Micro HDMI than the standard, wide-body USB plugs we're all familiar with,

The new cables will also support USB 3.1, and a bandwidth of up to 10Gbps. According to The Verge, the design and the full spec have not been finalized just yet, but the folks in charge are confident enough to release these images.

Needless to say, the plugs aren't compatible with anything you currently own.  Next stop, dongle city. 
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Davido Apologizes Over Poor Performance In The USA

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-----Original Message-----
From: "BEN Latest News" <cwizard123@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 22:38:53
To: Ben Latest News<cwizard123.news@blogger.com>; Ben Latest News<cwizard123.bennews3@blogger.com>; Ben Latest News<cwizard123.bennews2@blogger.com>; 2Blogger Emails<cwizard123.world@blogger.com>; 2Blogger Emails<cwizard123.bennews4@blogger.com>; 2Blogger Emails<cwizard123.9janews@blogger.com>; 2go Number All Bloggers<cwizard123.bsnm@blogger.com>
Reply-To: cwizard123@gmail.com
Subject: Davido Apologizes Over Poor Performance In The USA

Nigerian superstar singer, Davido, has sent an apology to his disgruntled fans in the USA after his show last Friday left many dissatisfied.

Earlier reports had revealed that the show was set to end at 4.30am, and Davido didn't hit the stage till very late, and shortly after, the show was shut down by city police.

Davido was reported to have given 20-25 minutes of lip-syncing performance, refused to take pictures with those who had paid for the privilege on their VIP tickets, and brought some distasteful ladies to the stage during his brief performance.

This left a lot of fans pissed, with many taking to his Instagram pictures to lash out at him, and his stage performance. Some even called for a refund of their money.

The singer has acknowledged that, and has sent an apology within a 12-minute video of his tour.
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Davido Apologizes Over Poor Performance In The USA

From BEN Latest News: www.benlatestnews.com
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/benlatestnews

-----Original Message-----
From: "BEN Latest News" <cwizard123@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 22:38:53
To: Ben Latest News<cwizard123.news@blogger.com>; Ben Latest News<cwizard123.bennews3@blogger.com>; Ben Latest News<cwizard123.bennews2@blogger.com>; 2Blogger Emails<cwizard123.world@blogger.com>; 2Blogger Emails<cwizard123.bennews4@blogger.com>; 2Blogger Emails<cwizard123.9janews@blogger.com>; 2go Number All Bloggers<cwizard123.bsnm@blogger.com>
Reply-To: cwizard123@gmail.com
Subject: Davido Apologizes Over Poor Performance In The USA

Nigerian superstar singer, Davido, has sent an apology to his disgruntled fans in the USA after his show last Friday left many dissatisfied.

Earlier reports had revealed that the show was set to end at 4.30am, and Davido didn't hit the stage till very late, and shortly after, the show was shut down by city police.

Davido was reported to have given 20-25 minutes of lip-syncing performance, refused to take pictures with those who had paid for the privilege on their VIP tickets, and brought some distasteful ladies to the stage during his brief performance.

This left a lot of fans pissed, with many taking to his Instagram pictures to lash out at him, and his stage performance. Some even called for a refund of their money.

The singer has acknowledged that, and has sent an apology within a 12-minute video of his tour.
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150 Awesome iPhone Apps (Updated Spring 2014)

If you've noticed that we haven't updated our Favorite iPhone Apps list in a few months, below is the reason why. We've been adding apps for a few years now, but our old list was built for an iPhone that could do a few dozen things – it wasn't built for the sheer variety of apps available today. This one is. We don't know what kind of app you're looking for, but we're hoping you'll find it here. We've got more than a hundred of our favorite apps spanning a bunch of different categories, all of which you can find in the Key. Click on any category or subcategory to jump right to it, and click on the name of any app to link directly to the iPhone App Store. 

Below are our app picks for Entertainment, Work and Organizing, Security and Utility, What's Around Town, Social and Chat, Fitness and Health, Travel and Maps, and The Dark Arts. We'll add new categories in the coming weeks and months. We hope you enjoy and please give us app suggestions or feedback in the comments.

Updated on 3-31-2014 by Jeffrey Van Camp: We just added Blogging, VOIP, Sports Playing, Places To Visit, and Things To Do categories to the roundup. 15 new apps, in all.

Click these links to jump around the article

Entertainment

Movies and TV
Books
News
Radio and Podcasts
Music
Sports
Games
Work and Organizing

Email
Word and Spreadsheets
Cloud Storage
Money Management
Task Management
Calendars
Note Taking
Security and Utilities

Secure Your Phone
Track Your Phone
Basic Utilities
Wallpapers
Ringtones
Benchmarking Apps
Browsers
What's Around Town

Dining In
Restaurants and Bars
Things To Do
Places To Visit
Movies and Theater
Social and Chat

Chat and Texting
Social Networking
Dating
Internet Calling (VOIP)
Blogging
Fitness and Health

Getting Fit
Medical Advice
Sports Players
Travel and Maps

Maps and Turn-by-Turn
Traveling Abroad
Language Translating
Public Transit and Taxi
Outdoors Apps
Photos and Creativity

Photography
Image Editing
Photo Backup
Drawing
Stylus Apps
The Dark Arts

Bitcoins
Hacks and Add Ons
Alternative App Stores
Apps for Jailbroken Phones
Entertainment

There are times to be productive and times to just relax and have fun. These are our favorite apps for sitting back and enjoying movies, TV, books, news, radio, podcasts, music, sports, and games. (Our game picks are pretty thin. We'll fix that soon.)

Movies and TV

Netflix

Nobody can match Netflix. It's the best streaming service around with thousands of movies, TV shows, and original shows like Orange is the New Black. A subscription costs $8 per month.

Hulu Plus

If you want to keep up with TV shows, but can't stand cable, Hulu is the best place to go. It has most major network and cable channel shows. A Hulu Plus subscription costs $8 per month.

Amazon Instant

You can't buy movies and TV shows on the Amazon Instant app, but you can watch purchased or rented videos. Amazon Prime subscribers also get a library of free videos if they pay $80 a year.

IMDB

What's that guy's name again?! Anytime you're wondering about an actor or director of a movie or TV show, this is the app that will help you find out. It also has movie showtimes and news.

Crackle

We mark Hulu and Netflix as "free," but Crackle really is. It requires no subscription. There isn't a lot of Crackle content, it turns over quickly, and it's full of really weird crap sometimes.

TVTAG

Nope. This isn't an elementary school supplies app. TVTAG, formerly GetGlue, is a great place to find things to watch, converse with other TV show fans, and keep up to date on your favorite programs.

YouTube

YouTube used to come with your phone, but with iOS 6, Apple removed it. Luckily, Google brought it back. If you need to know what YouTube is, please meet us back in 2005.

Books

Audible

What's better than reading a book? That's right: having it read to you. Audible is owned by Amazon and has the best selection of audiobooks out there. It's just as good as reading, we swear.

Kindle

Amazon rules the ebook reader world, but you can also get its Kindle app just about everywhere else, including iPhone. Download it and read up on any device you want. Reading's fun!

iBooks

You're clearly an Apple user, and this is Apple's book shop. It's as good as any other, but the downside is that your books will only be readable on Apple products. Only the loyal should apply.

News

Flipboard

If you like news readers that make things look like pretty magazines, you can thank Flipboard for that. It's the reigning king and a best first app for those delving into digital news reading.

Zite

Instead of reading through topics like 'Tech,' Zite lets you choose topics and then magically mixes them together. At first it will confound you, then you won't be able to stop. Zite knows you.

News Republic

It's kind of like Flipboard, but has thousands of topics to choose from and nicer animation. It also has a very pretty 3D constellation view of hot keywords for each topic you like. Check it out.

Feedly

Remember Google Reader? This is its replacement. Feedly is for news junkies and people who remember what RSS means. No reader is more customizable, but beware of the 'Pro' upsell.

Pocket

The number of tabs in our browser tells us that we should use Pocket. It lets you store articles you plan to come back to and is integrated into 300+ apps. (Formerly known as 'Read It Later.')

Circa

Circa's goal is to condense news so that you can more easily read it on the go. It will keep you up to date as you wait in line or for a train, and has a decent notification system to boot.

Radio and Podcasts

Pocket Casts ($4)

We've used all the podcasting apps and this is the best. It's far better than Apple's Podcasts app, it looks clean, has access to the iTunes Podcast library, and has all the options you need.

TuneIn Radio

TuneIn Radio's specialty is live radio, whether it be for sports, news, talk, or music. It has a lot of local, niche stuff as well, so check it out if you're hunting for a show that isn't anywhere else.

Stitcher

Stitcher's claim to fame is that it 'stitches' your favorite shows and preferences together to make stations (a la Pandora) that you'll enjoy. But really, it's a one-stop shop for talk radio shows.

Music

Spotify

Spotify is disrupting the entire music industry. It's free on PCs and tablets, but $10/mo if you want to fully use it on iPhone. It's worth it. You can listen to full albums, and create playlists.

Pandora

If you haven't used Pandora by now, go turn your AM radio back on. Pandora uses music science to create stations out of a song or artist. You tell it what you like and what you hate. It learns.

Shazam

Does that song sound familiar? Shazam it and you'll find out. Shazam detects songs in a single second sometimes and now works on TV shows, too. Best of all: It connects to Spotify.

Sports

ESPN SportsCenter

ESPN has a monopoly on this sports stuff. Its SportsCenter app is the best place to keep up to date with sports scores from all your favorite professional or college teams on the go.

Watch ESPN

This one is self-explanatory. If your cable provider allows it, you can watch ESPN on this app. It's great, but again, completely up to your service provider whether you have access at all.

TheScore

If you're tired of ESPN, TheScore is a good alternative. It keeps track of scores, news, and everything much like ScoreCenter, but with a different look and feel that we prefer (at times).

Games

Oceanhorn ($9)

Think of this like an indie version of Zelda. Oceanhorn is a good example of a full-fledged, old-school adventure game on iOS. Bonus: the music is by the composer of Final Fantasy.

Infinity Blade III ($3)

This is the first game to take advantage of the 64-bit A7 chip in the iPhone 5S. It's a series of boss fights where you strategically swipe to dodge, slice, and shield yourself from large villains.

Limbo ($2)

It looks like Tim Burton made it (back when Tim Burton was still inspired). This side scroller is moody and very creative. Check it out if you're game for something a little strange and tough.

Work and Organizing

When you're on the go, you need apps that help you get things done. Below are our favorite email, office, cloud storage, money management, task management, calendar, and note-taking apps. 

Email

Mailbox

Swipe and tap to zoom through your inbox at breakneck speed, and rid yourself of the crap you don't want to see. You can even set it have mail return later, like a snooze button for emails.

Sparrow ($3)

If you're suffering under the weight of an overstuffed inbox, this app can help. Add multiple accounts and labels, and power through a unified inbox in record time. It's well designed.

Triage ($3)

This app transforms your incoming emails into cards that you can tap on to view and reply, or quickly swipe up or down to archive/delete or keep for later. It's a fast way to keep things clean.

Word Processing and Spreadsheets

Documents To Go ($17)

Create, edit, and view your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with this handy office suite with cloud sync support. (Support for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and PDF).

Pages ($10)

New iPhone owners can download it for free, but even at $10 Apple's word processor is tough to beat. Packed with templates, editing tools, and change tracking, there isn't much it can't do.

Numbers ($10)

Apple's spreadsheet app is beautiful, but the minimalist UI hides a multitude of power user options covering everything you need to combine your numbers with charts, text, and images.

Browsers

Chrome

Google's lightweight browser is slick and fast, and it enables easy sharing of bookmarks, password data, and open tabs between your desktop and iPhone. We prefer it over Safari.

Dolphin Browser

Dolphin supports tabs and syncing between PC and mobile, but also boasts features like Wi-Fi broadcast to share links, or the customizable gestures for hitting your favorite sites.

Atomic ($2)

Atomic is not much of a looker, but geeks, you'll soon forgive that when you dive into features like Adblock, download management, multi-touch gestures, and browser spoofing.

Cloud Storage

Dropbox

One of the first big cloud services on the scene, offering 2GB free and the chance to earn more space, Dropbox is still a good way to share files across devices and back them up in the cloud.

Google Drive

Anyone using Google services probably already has documents, photos, and videos in Google Drive. It gives you 15GB for free, making it a handy cloud backup place for your precious files.

SugarSync

You get 5GB of free storage in this well organized, attractive app, which lets you share your documents, photos, videos, or music across all of your devices. You can even upload files by email.

Money Management

Mint

It takes some time to set up, but once Mint can track all of your spending and create a sensible budget for you. You can monitor all of your credit card purchases and banking through Mint.

Manilla

Stay on top of your bills and consolidate your financial accounts under one password. It sends auto reminders to pay bills and offers a digital cabinet for bills, statements, notices, and offers.

PayPal

Use PayPal to check up on the transactions in your account, send or request money, and photograph checks or credit cards to add them to your account without messing with the details.

Task Management

Clear ($2)

Clear understands the benefit of clarity when it comes to increasing productivity. It's controlled with gestures – pull down to create a task, swipe to mark it complete, and pinch to switch lists.

Air To-Do ($1)

Air-To-Do doesn't jumble your chores together; it lets you control how to organize them. You can check off your list with boxes, versus other task apps that delete a task when it's complete.

Any.Do

This customizable, elegant app is perfect for creating task lists and reminders. Entries sync to the cloud, you can type or talk to start tasks, and gestures make management quick and easy.

Calendars

Fantastical 2 ($4)

This app is like Apple's built-in Calendar app. Use it to create reminders and events by typing. It also understands natural language, so you can say "lunch with dad tomorrow" and it works!

Tempo Smart Calendar

By pulling in data from your email accounts, calendars, documents, and apps, Tempo helps you stay on top of your meetings and arrive prepared. It can even dial you into conference calls.

Cal

Here's a calendar that's ideal if you already use Any.Do for task management. It gives you an at-a-glance view of your appts, lets you create events, and pulls in relevant data for each entry.

Note Taking

Evernote

Never forget your best ideas, notes, or to-do list items with this comprehensive note-taking app. You can label photos, record voice notes, and enter text to create notes. Available everywhere.

Drafts ($3)

Drafts is quick and easy access to a blank page. You can search, sync, send, and share everything you create and there are customization options to make your default actions more efficient.

Vesper ($5)

A simple and accessible layout lets you create notes with images and links, and then organize those notes in whatever way you see fit. This is a versatile tool that's easy to pick up and use.

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Life After Banky W's EME! Skales Drops Emotional 'Shining' Song On His Birthday

Today, Nigerian musician and rapper, Skales, is a year older, and he drops a song 'Shining', which totally explains the state of his mind and career.

After an eventful 3-year stint with Banky W-led EME Record Company, the 23-year old was dropped unceremoniously amidst huge public outcry and debate. In 'Shining' Skales reveals the true state of his mind, baring his soul, with thinly veiled lines directed at his recent bad patch.

Unconfirmed reports had stated that he was signed unto Timaya's Dem Mama Records, but neither party has come out to confirm the news or deny it.

Listen to 'Shining', and you'll no doubt feel Skale's emotions overwhelm you. What's next for him? A new deal? Maybe he'll start his personal label.
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Comedy Central’s new iOS app has full episodes for free

If you're planning to cut ties with your cable company, Comedy Central just made your impending break-up a little less painful. The network today launched its new iPhone and iPad app, conveniently bundling its shows into a single app with full episodes.

Spotted by 9to5Mac, the app contains full episodes for the network's most popular shows, including The Daily Show with John Stewart, The Colbert Report, and South Park. These shows are available for free, as are episodes for the show @Midnight and the network's selection of digital shorts. No cable subscription is needed, but if you have one, you're in luck. A cable subscription will grant you access to even more content, including unaired (in the sense that you get to watch it before it's shown on the network) episodes of Inside Amy Schumer and full seasons of Kroll Show, Tosh.0, Reno 911, and Workaholics. If you miss the good old times, the app also contains archived episodes of Chappelle's Show and Futurama.  

The app, similar to streaming service Hulu, puts up new episodes the day after they air. It is currently available for free for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The network also promises AirPlay Support in the future, saying: "AirPlay support is coming soon, we promise. We've chained our tech guy to his desk." 

Download Link below:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/comedy-central/id799551807?mt=8&affId=2104132
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Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 desktop OS shares rise, XP takes a dip, but is still going strong

Last month, Windows 8.1′s desktop OS share rose. However, so did Windows 7′s, and while Windows XP's numbers took a bit of a dip, it's still significantly more popular than Windows 8.1 by a wide margin.

According to Net Marketshare, Windows 8.1′s desktop OS share enjoyed an uptick from 4.3 percent in February to 4.89 percent last month. Meanwhile, Windows 7′s share rose from 47.31 percent in February to 48.77 percent in March. That's an increase of almost a point and a half, which is impressive for an operating system that's roughly four and a half years old. Windows 8′s share rose ever so slightly, from 6.38 percent in February, to 6.41 percent last month.

Then there's Windows XP. Though its desktop OS share fell from 29.53 percent in February to 27.69 percent last month, a drop of almost two percentage points, it's clearly miles ahead of Windows 8.1 in terms of use.

It's worth noting that the increase in share for Windows 8.1, Windows 8 and Windows 7 likely cannibalized Windows XP. This could be due to two factors. Firstly, Windows 8.1 is a free download for Windows 8 users. Secondly, and perhaps more significantly, Microsoft's support for Windows XP is set to conclude next week, and some may be scrambling to upgrade to a more modern version of the OS before the April 8 Windows XP end of support deadline arrives.

Microsoft could be steering people back to the desktop after trying to ween them off it with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, as indicated by a reportedly leaked version of an upcoming Windows 8.1 update that boots straight to the classic UI by default. This combined with dominant marketshare enjoyed by its predecessors points to a continued pattern of anemic OS marketshare levels, especially considering that Windows 9 is rumored to be released sometime in the middle of 2015.

We could know more about Windows 8.1 Update 1, as it has been called, as well as Windows 9 tomorrow, when Microsoft kicks off its Build conference.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments below.
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Verizon’s outrageous 2TB, 12-tuner media server might talk to your Xbox, iPad

Subscribers to Verizon's Fios cable service will soon have a new toy to play with as the company released its highly-capable new VMS1100 media server today. The anticipated device boasts a host of new features, including a 1TB hardrive, 6 on-board tuners, and the ability to combine with extender boxes to allow up to 12 shows to be recorded at once.

The VMS 1100 is the centerpiece of Verizon's new Fios QuantumTV service. The box is being billed as a "next generation media hub," and it brings along some impressive new abilities as a part of that billing. Along with the single box's sextet of tuners, users can add small extender boxes for an extra 6 tuners and a combined 2 TB of storage space, which translates to around 200 hours of programming. Working from the hub source, the extender boxes will also allow users to pause and play live TV, and even pause a source program in one room and continue it in another, with the ability to connect up to 10 TVs.

Perhaps trying to build a buzz, Verizon played coy with the box for its initial unveiling. According to an Engadget report, Verizon posted and then pulled a commercial for the box with a video hosted on Youtube, only to repost that same Youtube hosted video on zatsnotfunny.com

Engadget also uncovered some forum postings on DSLReports.com of actual VMS1100 users in parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California who are part of Verizon's "phased roll-out" for the device. First impressions are that the system is extremely fast, though it's still got a few hitches. There's no word yet as to an official full launch date.

As one might imagine, Verizon isn't setting the VMS1100′s talents loose for free. A break down of the cost for the box's new powers amounts to $22 per month for the single box, $32 for the dual setup with 12 tuners, and $10 for connection boxes for each additional TV, without adding in the actual cable bill. Then again, if your home hosts 10 TVs, you can likely afford that kind of monthly rent.

While the VMS1100 already offers some promising features for the roving couch potato, a bigger buzz is centered around its "phase 2" services, which Zats Not Funny claims Verizon has looked at in the near future for its hub. Among potential tools in the VMS1100's future is the possibility to send video feeds to other IP-connected components in your home arsenal,  such as Xbox, Roku devices, and iPads – a feature already available from TiVo and Dish Network devices. The new service will also potentially provide easy access to "TV Everywhere" technology for watching programming on the go, and QuantumTV will come with a built-in mobile app to make for a seamless transition to mobile devices, potentially serving up everything from your home network.

Still more intriguing is conjecture that the new server could incorporate some of the powers from Intel's ill-fated OnCue device, which was purchased by Verizon in January for somewhere in the $300-400 million range. Intel's OnCue system was proposed as a portal to the future of Internet TV, combining streaming apps, live TV, on-demand content, and mobile delivery in a box unbound by standard cable delivery methods – before Intel was unable to secure programming from content providers, that is. With Verizon owning all of that technology, many are wondering just how powerful this long awaited media server may prove to be. 

For now, we can only speculate on Verizon's future plans for the VMS1100 and its new QuantumTV service. However, you can check out the device on Verizon's homepage now, and even investigate its instruction manual here.
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Owner gives up fight to save 'Chagall' painting

Martin Lang paid £100,000 for the painting, which he believed was by Chagall
The owner of a painting he believed was by Marc Chagall has given up on his fight to save it from being destroyed.

Martin Lang, a businessman from Leeds, sent the painting to be assessed by the Chagall committee in Paris, but they declared it a fake and kept it.

Under French law, forgeries can be confiscated and destroyed.

Mr Lang paid £100,000 for the work in 1992. He originally wanted it back but has now said he will "walk away totally disillusioned with the French".

The case was featured on BBC One's Fake Or Fortune in February, when experts informed Mr Lang that his work was painted after the 1930s.

The painting of a reclining nude was dated 1909-10. Chagall died in 1985.

The artist, an early modernist, experimented with various styles including cubism and expressionism.

'Lost cause'

Mr Lang said he had been issued with a writ by the Chagall Committee, which controls the artist's estate and wants the painting destroyed.

"They're trying to get a hearing but I've said I don't want to go along that route," Mr Lang said. "I don't see there's a point. It's a lost cause, so I've just said, 'No, it's not worth it.'

"There's no point contesting [it]. It's in France, it's a French court, they will come back on their side. It's a terrible shame."

A spokeswoman for the committee said the matter was "in the hands of the courts".

"There has never been any doubt that this work is a counterfeit," she said. "It's very evident."

Asked whether the court would now decide if it would be destroyed, she said: "There is a whole procedure going on now but that is part of the procedure, yes."
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Former Nokia CEO to lead Microsoft devices, work with Xbox team

Stephen Elop, who was once considered as a possible replacement for departing CEO Steve Ballmer, will rejoin Microsoft to run its devices division. Elop used to head Nokia, which struck a deal with Microsoft last September to sell its phone business.  

In an internal memo sent to employees, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced Elop's new position, saying:

"Effective with the close of our deal with Nokia, Stephen Elop will join Microsoft as Executive Vice President, Microsoft Devices Group, reporting to me … I've had a chance to work closely with Stephen, when he was previously a senior leader with Microsoft, as a key partner during his tenure as Nokia CEO, and again in the last several months as we've worked through the initial stages of integration planning. I look forward to working with Stephen as a key member of the senior leadership team and welcoming the Nokia Devices and Services employees to the Microsoft family."  

With his new position, Elop will take charge of handsets and the Microsoft Surface. He is also expected to play a role in the company's Xbox business. Elop's appointment has further fueled speculation over the future of the Xbox. Ever since Nadella was named CEO in February, there have been rumblings that Microsoft would sell off its Xbox division in spite of valuable assets such as its Gears of War and Halo franchises. Back in November, when Elop was still in the running for the Microsoft CEO job, Bloomberg reported that he was in favor of selling Xbox. Nadella says he'll work closely with the Xbox division head Phil Spencer, likely to create future Xbox hardware.

The Microsoft-Nokia deal expected to be completed in April. However, a report from the Wall Street Journal, a tax audit on an Indian cell phone factory may delay the sale by another 6 months. 
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Want to know what it’s like to drink and drive? Ford has a suit for that

Ford recently been organized events across Europe for drivers ages 17 to 24. Besides improving their driving skills, students also get to experience a suit that makes them feel drunk.

Convincing people not to drive drunk, especially in Europe where the drinking age is lower, is a difficult task. The suit that Ford made for its Driving Skills for Life program simulates all the effects of drinking such as: reduced vision, reaction times, and hearing.

Sadly, the suit is not all that ingenious of an idea. However, I will afford Ford the applause for implementing it. The suit consists of weights strapped around the wearers, ankles, wrists, and arms. A neck brace restricts movement and goggles reduce peripheral vision.

Ford is adamant about implementing these free driving events, considering a recent survey conducted revealed that 66 percent of of 17-to-24-year-olds in Europe do not know the legal alcohol blood level. A reported 56 percent of individuals in the survey also say their friends have driven under the influence.
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Injured Tiger Woods to miss the Masters

Four-time champion Tiger Woods will miss the Masters after having surgery on a pinched nerve in his back.

The world number one missed his usual warm-up, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, because of back spasms.
"This is frustrating, but it's something my doctors advised me to do for my immediate and long-term health," said the 38-year-old American.

"It also looks like I'll be forced to miss several upcoming tournaments to focus on my rehabilitation."

Woods, who will be absent from the Masters for the first time in 19 years, won his maiden Augusta title in 1997 and also claimed the Green Jacket in 2001, 2002 and 2005.

A statement on the 14-time major winner's website (external) said the surgery was a success but he had failed to "make the necessary progress" to play at Augusta and would need rest for the "next several weeks".
Woods added: "I'd like to express my disappointment to the Augusta National membership, staff, volunteers and patrons that I will not be at the Masters.

"It's a week that's very special to me."
Woods aggravated his back in March's WGC-Cadillac Championship after withdrawing from the Honda Classic.

He has suffered a string of injuries since 2008, missing two Opens, a US Open and a PGA Championship, but he has been present for every Masters since making his debut as an amateur in 1995.

Woods still trails Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major titles, while Sam Snead won a total of 82 PGA Tour titles compared to Woods's current total of 79.

"It's tough right now, but I'm absolutely optimistic about the future," said Woods.

"There are a couple of records by two outstanding individuals and players that I hope one day to break.

"As I've said many times, Sam and Jack reached their milestones over an entire career. I plan to have a lot of years left in mine."

Billy Payne, chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club, said: "Tiger was gracious in keeping us updated of his condition and making us aware of his decision.

"We wholeheartedly offered our best wishes for his immediate and long-term recovery. Tiger will be in our thoughts and will be missed by our patrons and all of us at the Masters Tournament next week.

"He is one of our most decorated champions and we look forward to his healthy return in 2015 and beyond."
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Groundbreaking new laser technology could be used to control lightning

This is not an April Fools Day joke. We promise.

Optical scientists at the University of Arizona and University of Central Florida have developed a new type of laser technology capable of sending high-intensity beams through the atmosphere much farther than what was previously possible. The research, which was recently published in the journal Nature Photonics, is still in the laboratory phase. However, with further development, this technology could be used to divert lightning bolts away from buildings in the future.

Here's how that works. When the laser is fired, the high intensity beam leaves a channel of plasma (ionized molecules stripped of their electrons) in its wake. This column of plasma, in theory, could provide lightning bolts with a path of least resistance to the surface of the Earth, and thereby encourage them to strike in a specific place.

Up until recently, sending a laser beam high enough into the atmosphere to make this possible was difficult because, despite their intensity, singular high-intensity beams tend to disappear over distances greater than a few feet. This is due to diffraction –the effect of light being bent and diffused as it passes through the air, which ultimately causes the beam to lose its focus as it travels further.

The researchers were able to overcome this phenomenon and achieve considerably greater distances with a clever trick: embedding the primary high-intensity beam inside of a second beam of lower intensity. As the inner beam travels through the air, the second beam (called a dress beam) refuels it, and provides it with enough energy to travel much greater distances than what was previously achievable. In lab tests, scientists were able to extend the range of the lasers from 10 inches to around seven feet — more than a tenfold increase. Simulations have shown that by scaling up the technology to atmospheric proportions, the range of laser filaments could reach as high as 165 feet, thereby making lightning control a viable possibility.

The development of the new laser technology was supported by a five-year, 7.5 million-dollar US Department of Defense grant awarded to a group of researchers led by Jerome Maloney, a mathematics and optical sciences professor at the University of Arizona. Maloney is heading up the multidisciplinary, multi-institution research effort to investigate ultra-short laser pulses, with a focus on how they affect the atmosphere and ways to improve their propagation over large distances.

We're sure the military is thrilled by the prospect of raining down lighting on its enemies. Find out more here.

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Hotel bought by Wimbledon champion Andy Murray opens

Tayside and Central Scotland

Murray was best man at his brother's wedding at the country house hotel near Dunblane in 2010.

A hotel owned by Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has opened its doors.

The 26-year-old tennis star bought Cromlix House, near his home town of Dunblane, last year.

He has transformed the former country house into a 15-room, five-star luxury hotel, which includes a restaurant overseen by legendary French chef Albert Roux.

The hotel, which also has its own loch, chapel and tennis court, is already fully booked for the Ryder Cup.

Cromlix had previously operated as a private residence and then a five-star country house hotel before closing in 2012. Murray was best man at his brother Jamie's wedding there in 2010.

The British number one said the hotel venture was aimed at attracting new visitors to the area, creating jobs and supporting other local businesses. The development has created up to 40 jobs in the area.

He added: "I'm pleased to be able to give something back to the community I grew up in."

VisitScotland has already included the hotel in a James Bond-themed guided tour of the country being offered to Russian holiday operators, as it features rooms named after 007 actor Sean Connery and series creator Ian Fleming.

And VisitScotland chairman Mike Cantlay said he was "delighted" to see the nation's top tennis player joining the tourism game.

He added: "As a local boy, from nearby Callander, the hotel itself has a very personal, special place in my heart and to see such an amazing redevelopment is truly inspirational."
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AfroCandy Wants You To See What She Has Got

She's got it.

Nigerian born Queen of Porn, Judith Mazagwu, alias Afrocandy, is not relenting in her passion to unleash her nude photos for all to see, irrespective of whose Ox is gored.

The actress and producer of pornographic movie, Destructive Instinct, who is based in the United States of America, while preparing to hit the studio to churn out another movie, decided to do a nude posture on Twitter, to 'keep her fans in the mood' in anticipation.
 
She also wrote this on her Facebook wall:

Chilling with my 'Tight Ass'...Can you beat that? I am so Firm and so Endowed Baby!
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