One Direction's new film to top US box office

LOS ANGELES -- Boy mega band One Direction's new film is set to top this holiday weekend's North America box office, in the latest British invasion, an expert said Friday.


"One Direction: This is Us," which has also just opened in Britain and much of Europe, will likely depose Oscar-tipped civil rights epic "Lee Daniels' The Butler" in the number one spot over the three-day Labor Day weekend.


The movie, by Oscar-nominated director Morgan Spurlock, made $2.7 million on opening Thursday evening alone, preliminary figures show.


"The British Invasion seems to be upon us again. And by us, of course, I mean gaggles of tween girls," said Jeff Bock, analyst at box officer tracker Exhibitor Relations.


He did point out that the Labor Day weekend, the last of the summer season, is traditionally one of the slowest periods of the year at the box office.


Spurlock was nominated for an Academy Award in the best documentary category of the Oscars in 2005, for his film "Super Size Me," in which he explored the consequences of eating nothing but McDonald's food for a month.


The One Direction film shows the group in concert at London's O2 Arena, along with fly-on-the-wall footage of life inside one of the world's most famous bands.


The band -- Irish-born Niall Horan, 19, Zayn Malik, 20, Liam Payne, 19, Harry Styles, 19, and Louis Tomlinson, 21 -- have topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, becoming the first British act to top the Billboard chart with their debut album.


"Lee Daniels' The Butler," a celluloid depiction of the US civil rights battle as seen by an African-American who served in the White House, has topped the North America box office for the last two weeks.


Starring Forest Whitaker and US talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, it is already being spoken of as a multiple contender for the Academy Awards, the climax of Hollywood's annual awards season on March 2 next year. -- Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Parental controls for Google Chrome coming soon

Google's Chrome browser may soon be a preferred choice of parents for their children in browsing the internet, due to what looks like a new parental control feature.

A post on BrowserFame.com cited new controls allowing for a "supervised" account, which has fewer privileges than the normal account.


"These user accounts, now termed as 'Supervised Accounts,' would have less privileges as compared to the standard users and can be used for granting limited and controlled access to other users. For example, it can be used by parents to control browsing activities and other settings for their kids," it said.

However, the feature is still in its early stages, and is being tested in Chrome's Canary (early testing) edition.

Users can test the feature by enabling the flags “Enable supervised users” and “Enable new profile management system” from the chrome:flags page, BrowserFame.com said.

A separate report on The Next Web said this could be a step forward for Chrome's support for separate accounts, which lets users to store their personal settings in the same browser.

"Once a supervised account is set up, it appears that the limitations can be configured via a dedicated Web page, allowing parents and controlling accounts to manage the parameters easily," it said. 

 

 

The Next Web also said it is possible the feature may be used for Chromebooks, which Google is pushing for the education sector. – KDM, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Miley Cyrus' twerking dance officially enters lexicon

LONDON - "Twerking", the raunchy dance that set tongues wagging when enthusiastically performed by Miley Cyrus at the MTV awards, is one of the new terms to make the latest Oxford dictionary update.

The former Disney child star, now 20, left audience members gobsmacked when she bent over and gyrated provocatively with singer Robin Thicke on his song "Blurred Lines".

The moves, borrowed from US hip-hop culture, have been colloquially known as twerking for around 20 years, but the term has now received official recognition after being included in the latest revision of Oxford Dictionaries Online, it revealed Wednesday.

"By last year, it had generated enough currency to be added to our new words watch list, and by this spring, we had enough evidence of usage frequency in a breadth of sources to consider adding it to our dictionaries of current English," explained Katherine Connor Martin, from Oxford Dictionaries Online.

"There are many theories about the origin of this word, and since it arose in oral use, we may never know the answer for sure.

"The current public reaction to twerking is reminiscent in some ways of how the twisting craze was regarded in the early 1960s, when it was first popularised by Chubby Checker's song, the Twist," she added.

Other new words recognised by the English language gatekeeper include "selfie", for a self-photograph taken on a mobile phone, online currency "Bitcoin" and "hackerspace". -- Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

iPhone 5S to come in graphite too?

Is the iPhone 5S, Apple's next smartphone, coming in a fourth color—graphite, or gray?

This was the suggestion of an Apple enthusiast site that leaked photos of what it said could be the graphite-colored iPhone 5S.

"Up to this point, it has widely been thought that the iPhone 5S will only come in three colors: Gold, Slate, and white with silver trim. According to a new images we’ve obtained, however, it appears the iPhone 5S may also come in a fourth color—a gray or graphite color with a black trim," SonnyDickson.com said.

It showed several photos of the gray variant of the upcoming smartphone on a stand.

The site displayed as well some shots of the gray iPhone next to its gold counterpart.

A separate article on Mashable said the new photos show the gold version looking "more golden and less of a champagne color, with a white Apple logo on its back instead of a black one."

It also noted recent rumors indicating the 5S may be 31 percent faster than the iPhone 5, using a new A7 chip. — VC, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

'One Direction' movie predicted to outgross 'Skyfall' in UK

The "intimate, all access" 3D concert film “One Direction: This Is Us” premiered in UK's Leicester Square August 20, with hordes of fans turning up to catch a glimpse of the British boy band. But what's interesting is that odds-maker Ladbrokes is offering unprecedented odds of 4/1 for the film to overtake James Bond movie “Skyfall,” which took £102m last year, at the top of the all-time UK box office chart.

“One Direction: This is Us,” which is directed by “Super Size Me” filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, will benefit from the huge following for One Direction members Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Niall Horan in the UK and across the globe.

They are the most followed British band on Twitter, with more than 14 million followers, and have more than 19m "likes" on Facebook. Twitter has reported more than 3.6m tweets were posted on the social network site about One Direction and the One Direction world premiere in London August 20.



Styles told reporters: "We made this for the fans. We just want to say a massive thank-you to them." X-Factor creator and “This Is Us” producer Simon Cowell, who signed the band to his label Syco, said: "It has been my dream come true to produce a film. But without their fans, this couldn't have happened. They have the best fans in the world."

The other films in the current UK all-time box office top five are “Avatar,” “Titanic,” “Toy Story 3” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two.” No other concert movie has even made the top 100, so “This Is Us” has a challenge on its hands to live up to bookmakers' expectations. Ladbrokes is also offering odds of 5/1 for the film to win a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut in 2014.

"One way or another this film is going to break records and win awards," said spokesperson Jessica Bridge. "The '1D' phenomenon is showing no signs of slowing down and the odds suggest they could be adding a BAFTA to their tour bus mantelpiece."


 More than just a filmed concert and tour documentary, “One Direction: This Is Us” is a chance to get up close and personal with the world’s biggest band.

Filmed while the guys were taking their world tour to arenas around the globe -- from Mexico to Japan to London’s famed O2 arena -- the movie mixes high-energy performance footage, candid interviews, and behind the scenes footage to offer a one-of-a-kind perspective into the talent, hard work and mischief that goes into being One Direction.

It’s a remarkable story of humble origins, an unprecedented rise to fame and a fan-driven phenomenon that enabled One Direction to conquer the world.

Opening across the Philippines on Friday, August 30, “One Direction: This Is Us” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

source: gmanetwork.com

Original Palpatine makes pitch for Angry Birds Star Wars II

With no less than the original Emperor Palpatine extending the invitation to "join the pork side," how can you resist?

Actor Ian McDiarmid, who portrayed Palpatine in the "Star Wars" series, has joined Rovio in promoting the latest "Angry Birds" game.

McDiarmid, who earned the nickname "The Emperor," also signed a limited run of "Join the Pork Side" posters.

Fans who want to get one were encouraged to follow @AngryBirds on Twitter. 



On Friday, Rovio released on YouTube a behind-the-scenes video of McDiarmid working on the latest promotional video for "Angry Birds Star Wars II," which rolls out on September 19.


"We also got to find out how The Emperor's legendary throne caused so many issues when shooting the original Star Wars movies!" it said.

Rovio's new game will roll out to iOS, Android and Windows Phone, and will cost $0.99.

"It will also be a universal app, so will work across iPhone & iPad!" it said.


 A separate article on Mashable said the new game will let players play on the dark side for the first time.

"Players can fire pigs instead of birds from the slingshot while appropriately dressed in Imperial Gear," it said. — VC, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Indian police make second arrest in Mumbai rape case

NEW DELHI - Indian police arrested a second man in connection with the gang-rape of a journalist in Mumbai, an official said on Saturday, in a case that has drawn comparisons with an attack in December that led to nationwide protests and a revision of rape laws.

News of Thursday's attack sparked street protests and uproar in parliament and put the spotlight back on women's safety in India, where memories of the rape and murder of a student in New Delhi last December are still fresh.

Many Indians have questioned whether, despite a toughening of rape laws after last year's attack, India is any safer. The latest assault was in the financial capital Mumbai, which is generally considered India's safest city for women.

The 22-year-old victim, a photo journalist, was admitted to hospital where she is in a stable condition. Police have released sketches of three other suspects and say they will ask the government to have the case conducted in a fast-track court.

One man was arrested on Friday in connection with the attack and Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh told reporters a second suspect had been arrested.

"He has admitted that he has done wrong," Singh said, adding that the other suspects may have fled to the city's suburbs.

The attack took place shortly before sunset in a former industrial district that is now one of the city's fastest-growing neighborhoods. The woman was at an abandoned textile mill on assignment with a male colleague.

They were separated by the attackers and the woman's colleague was tied up with a belt while she was assaulted, Singh told a Friday news conference.

Indian TV news channels and newspapers, citing police sources and statements purportedly made by the victim, have disclosed some details of the assault.

According to the Mumbai daily Mid Day, the attackers threatened to slash the victim with a broken beer bottle. They also threatened to reveal her identity if she reported the incident, it reported.

The Times of India on Saturday quoted a statement by the victim from her hospital bed.

"I want no other woman in this city and country to go through such brutal physical humiliation," she was quoted as saying. "The perpetrators should be punished severely as they have ruined my life."

Reuters was unable to independently verify those statements. Himanshu Roy, Mumbai's joint commissioner of police, declined to comment when contacted by telephone. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

International art project paints colorful murals on Nepal's walls

KATHMANDU - Nepal's capital has been given a facelift thanks to a team of local and foreign artists who painted dozens of elaborate and meters-high murals on walls, some depicting social issues like child trafficking.

Gone are political flyers, movie posters and other advertisements slapped on some of Kathmandu's drab walls, replaced by colorful paintings, some as high as 25 feet (7.6 meters).

Some 60 artists have been involved in the project called "Kolor Kathmandu" which began in January and will culminate Thursday with the launch of a book of photographs on the murals.

"Kathmandu used to be a city of art and culture," said Yuki Poudyal, director of the project.

"But when I returned home after five years studying in the United States, I saw that it was bombarded with posters and negative visuals," said Poudyal.

The artists targeted the walls of public and private buildings, in a months-long project that features 75 murals on religious and abstract themes but also on some of Nepal's problems including caste discrimination.

Poudyal said the artists, from some 20 countries, have tried to represent Nepal's 75 districts in the paintings so that Kathmandu residents can "know stories from different parts of the country."

One mural shows girls displaced from their families, during annual flooding that occurs in Banke district on the Indian Nepal border, and falling into the hands of human traffickers.

Poudyal, who studied sociology at St Lawrence University in New York state, said she launched the project after drawing inspiration from street art in US cities like Philadelphia.

"Art like this was limited to the Western world. But now we have introduced it in Kathmandu," she said.

The project received financial backing from Prince Claus Fund, a Dutch charity, and artists were encouraged to apply to take part. Permission was gained from the buildings' owners before the artists started work on their murals, some of which took two weeks to complete.

"Curiosity is a hallmark of street arts and murals. People would stop and watch," the artists work, Poudyal said.

She said the murals also appear to have impressed the poster boys who slap flyers on walls around the city as well as graffiti artists, who have left the murals alone.

"Not a single mural has been painted over by someone. People seem to respect our works," she said. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Actor Wentworth Miller says he's gay, turns down Russian festival invite

LOS ANGELES - Actor and screenwriter Wentworth Miller, best known for his leading role in Fox television drama "Prison Break," came out as a gay man on Wednesday in a letter declining an invitation to attend a Russian film festival in light of Moscow's recently adopted anti-gay laws.

Miller, 41, turned down an offer to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival as a "guest of honor" in a letter posted on the website of advocacy group GLAAD, which monitors media representation of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people and issues.

"Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes. However, as a gay man, I must decline," Miller wrote to festival director Maria Averbakh.

Miller wrote that he was "deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government," and did not want attend a festival in a country where "people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly."

Russia's parliament banned the spread of gay "propaganda" among minors in a law passed in June, which includes imposing fines on those holding gay pride rallies, has attracted international condemnation.

Miller, who played incarcerated structural engineer Michael Scofield in Fox's "Prison Break" from 2005 to 2009, has recently turned his hand at screenwriting, penning the script for this year's dark thriller "Stoker," starring Nicole Kidman.

Miller's letter comes after Bravo channel host and executive producer Andy Cohen told E! News last week that he would not be co-hosting Donald Trump's Miss Universe pageant this year in Moscow because he "didn't feel right as a gay man stepping foot into Russia." — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Why Are My Rates Higher?

Car accidents, no matter how minor they may seem at first, are always serious business. Even when it involves just two cars, the effects ripple far beyond the people involved in the actual accident. Accidents affect the families and loved ones of the people involved, the onlookers and all the other support people that go into processing and rectifying the matter. Once all the mandatory paperwork and insurance details are sorted out, chances are, those directly involved want the opportunity to walk away, forgetting it ever happened. But it is difficult to do this—an accident stays with you, no matter how small. It doesn’t just affect the memories of the injured or offending parties—car accidents affect your car insurance premium. Even if you’ve looked up insurance rates online and sourced the cheap insurance rates to match your budget, once there’s an accident, your life and wallet are changed. The average consumer is aware that certain things can happen to impact a raise in insurance rates. Some of the more popular or well-known catalysts include car accidents, speeding tickets and even the inclusion of a young driver. But when the time comes to open that car insurance bill, you might see a much higher premium than anticipated facing you on the paper. By all honest estimations, you’re a carful driver, you have no teenagers grabbing for your keys…what’s going on? Here are a couple reasons that your bill may be higher than you thought:

Turning 50 may be a milestone for you personally, but many insurance companies look at this birthday as a liability. In their eyes, you’re older and more prone to accidents. Now, we must state again with clarity: not EVERY car insurance company feels this way, particularly since some of them feel that this age group, and older, is less prone to drinking and driving and will more likely wear their seat belts. Time to shop around for car insurance? We think so…

Your credit rating is not something you can hide from. An inability to meet your credit card payments on time, speaks to car insurance companies as an inability to make premium payments on time. Many don’t often care WHY you have a low credit score, just the fact that you do is enough for them to mark you as a high risk. The important thing to do while you’re shopping for car insurance is to find out if the company takes your credit score into consideration, BEFORE you sign up with them.

If for some reason you start driving more miles, this hike in rate should come as no surprise. The more miles you accrue, means more time on the road, more wear and tear on both you and your car, thus making you a liability. If you’re driving for work, however, there are comprehensive plans that will take this into consideration. Let your insurance company know in case you’re entitled to concessions.

source: insurancequotesfast.com

Mobile Devices & Proof of Car Insurance

Today, the government, at both the federal and state level, seems to be promoting an Eco-friendly and paperless environment. As such, states like Alaska now authorized the use of the “E-card” a term coined for the demonstration of proof of auto insurance on a digital device such as a Smartphone or tablet.

Alaska, the most recent state to join the “E-card” authorization regulation puts the law into effect on July 1st. According to the legislative sponsors, the purpose in this law is to push for a paperless environment, simplify routine traffic stops and create an easier insurance verification processes.





Traditional Car Insurance Validation Takes Too Long

Traditionally, validating insurance takes several hours at the courthouse, whereas the use of “E–cards” takes just a few minutes to validate. The use of the digital cards is also legal in other states like, North Dakota, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota and a few others. In total, about half the nation now accepts this form of proof of car insurance, a real milestone as of its inception just two years ago.

Because this is a more efficient way of showing verifiable insurance, there are proposals to pass the “E–card” verification process in other states as well. These proposals are almost guaranteed to pass and to be confirmed by state governors.

Consumers looking for car insurance quotes should make sure that any insurance carrier they consider carries this new feature, as it is much more convenient than carrying a little piece of paper in the glove apartment.

Indications of Modernization

This new adoption is more than just a convenient method of proving that you have auto insurance. It is a sign that government laws are changing and modernizing. It means legislators are making room for consumer electronics, and businesses that conduct transactions over the Internet.

Other New Laws

Besides proof of insurance over mobile devices, there are other laws that will make buying car insurance online more practical. These will allow providers to send insurance quotes and other insurance related information, such as renewal forms, over the Internet to customers. These laws are now active in Kansas, Idaho, Kentucky, and Minnesota. Legislators from other states are also reviewing this future possibility in Florida, Missouri, California, Pennsylvania and Texas.

What Does This Mean for You?

Of course, this means more convenience for insurance providers, customers and government agencies; it saves time for everyone. However, the electronic delivery of insurance documents also means you have more choices and more flexibility when it comes to car insurance quotes or policies. Policyholders and auto insurance directives believe that these laws are a step in the right direction; a foot forward towards 21st-century modernization. These regulations will make car insurance comparison shopping easier, and help consumers find cheap car insurance rates that fully cover their needs.

Other laws are also soon to go into effect; these will allow for car insurance providers to place policy information online so policyholders can easily access it over the Internet. Such laws already exist in Arizona, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Alaska. Governors in other states are also considering such legislation. The benefit in doing this is to allow auto insurance companies to be more competitive, but also for consumers to look for these types of features in their new online insurance policy options.

source: insurancequotesfast.com

5 Car Insurance Myths

Buying car insurance can sometimes be akin to going to the dentist – painful but necessary. In the case of insurance, complicated and expensive.

No one really knows how premium costs are determined, and when you ask an agent, he usually “Hems and has,” or gives you long complicated explanations you can’t understand. That could very well be the reason why there are so many myths related to insurance coverage and pricing. The following are five common auto insurance misconceptions you should know about.





Misconception-1:The Color of the Car Influences the Price of Your Auto Insurance Policy

Many people believe that the color of a vehicle is the deciding factor in a car insurance premium. In fact, those that believe the myth say the more vibrant a color your car is, for example, red, the higher your insurance will be. In truth, the color of your car does not influence the cost of your insurance premium. However, your auto insurance premium is influenced by the make, model, body type, engine and vehicle age. When buying a new car some good questions to ask yourself are: is it popular with thieves? Is it expensive to repair? And does it have an excellent safety record? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, you should look them up as they will influence the cost of your insurance.

Misconception-2:The Older You Are the More You Pay for Insurance

It may be true that life insurance rates go up when you get older, but that doesn’t hold true for car insurance. To the contrary, drivers who are 55 or older can often get their rates reduced by as much as 10% – especially if they complete an accident prevention course.

Misconception-3: Your Car Insurance Policy Covers Any Damage to Your Car

This is a half-truth. It really depends on the type of insurance you have. If, for instance, you only have liability insurance, which only offers you coverage if you hurt the other driver or damage his/her property. This type of insurance doesn’t offer coverage for your vehicle if you are at fault. 

Comprehensive and collision insurance coverage, on the other hand, does offer you property protection and injury protection. However, this is only an optional coverage, unless your car loan or lease requires you to have it. Comprehensive insurance also offers you compensation for damage to your vehicle, including damage caused by something other than a collision with another vehicle. This might be damage as a result of fire, vandalism, weather, theft and other types of damage. Note: if your car is worth less than a couple of thousand dollars, this optional coverage may not be worth the price.

Misconception-4: Military Personnel Pay More for Car Insurance

This seems to be a very popular misconception, when, in fact, just the opposite is true. Military personnel, no matter what the branch, usually qualify for auto insurance discounts. Of course, you’ll have to document your military rank and the length of time of service.

In some cases, an insurance company will also offer former members of the military or a military family, discounts as well. So this is one question you should ask any car insurance provider.

Misconception-5: Your Policy Offers Coverage when You Drive the Car for Business
 
Your personal auto insurance coverage will not compensate you if you are self-employed and using your own car for business needs. For example, if you take on a pizza delivery job and use your own car, the company’s insurance policy does not cover you. Your personal insurance could also deny your claim. To compensate for this issue you should get business auto insurance, or refrain from using your personal vehicle for business needs.

Bottom Line

When it comes to car insurance, there are many influencing factors. The type of car you drive, your driving record, your age and even your credit score will influence the rate you get. However, none of the above misconceptions will affect your insurance rates either positively or negatively.

source: insurancequotesfast.com

Sid Bernstein, promoter of Beatles, other legends, dead at 95

NEW YORK - Music promoter Sid Bernstein, who worked with legends from Judy Garland to Jimi Hendrix and orchestrated the Beatles' historic concert in New York's Shea Stadium in 1965, died on Wednesday aged 95.

Bernstein, an agent and manager who according to his friend, publicist Merle Frimark, died in New York, worked with some of the biggest names in show business, including Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones and Ray Charles.

But it was through his concept of staging concerts at stadiums, and his help launching the so-called British invasion by first bringing the Beatles to the United States, that he made his biggest mark.

Bernstein once said of managing the Beatles that he had to convince Carnegie Hall and his financial backers to take a chance on "this then-unknown group" after he became "fascinated with the hysteria that surrounded them."

Other top acts Bernstein worked with over the years included Tito Puente, Fats Domino and Tony Bennett. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Nokia to launch large-screen smartphones next month -sources

Nokia plans to unveil new, large-screen mobile handsets next month to revamp its Lumia smartphone lineup and challenge rival Samsung's dominance in increasingly popular phablet devices, sources said.

Nokia has developed more than one new mobile device and is due to announce them at an event in New York in late September, said the sources familiar with the plan.

The sources would not elaborate on details such as specifications and price but said the new models will include a phablet, a common name for smartphones with screens over 5 inches. Technology blogs have also said that Nokia plans to launch a tablet device.

Nokia officials were not immediately available for comment.

The move comes as the Finnish mobile phone company, which has fallen behind Samsung and Apple in smartphones, has stepped up its pace of product launches in the past year in a bid to stem a decline in sales.

Market leader Samsung has led the way in phablets, proving wrong early critics who said they were too clunky. Apple is the top seller of tablet devices.

Analysts expect demand for large screens to grow further as more consumers watch videos and look at photographs on their smartphones.

A phablet would be the latest addition to Nokia's range of Lumia smartphones which use Microsoft's Windows Phone software.

In July, it announced the Lumia 1020, which comes with a 41-megapixel camera. Gaining share in smartphones is considered particularly crucial in the long run as more consumers want to use social media and video services from their phones.

Some analysts, however, have raised doubts over whether Nokia's recent efforts will help turn its business around.

The company has bet its future in smartphones on Windows Phone software, but Windows' share in the market is still at 3 percent, while Google's Android operating system and Apple's iOS together control over 90 percent.

While Nokia shipped 7.4 million Lumia smartphones in the second quarter, up 32 percent from the first quarter, Bernstein Research analyst Pierre Ferragu said it appeared much of the growth came from cheaper models.

Ferragu questioned whether Nokia's focus on high-end models, such as the Lumia 925, 928 and 1020, will pay off, forecasting a weak third quarter.

"This is a risky bet, as high-end smartphones are slowing overall, competition is intense, and ... Windows has had limited traction in the high end," he said in a research note on Tuesday. "Nokia appears to be heading for a disastrous September quarter."  — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Apple readying two iPhone versions for launch - report

NEW YORK CITY - Apple has asked its Taiwan-based supplier to begin shipping two new versions of the iPhone next month, including a lower-cost model, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The Journal, citing unnamed sources, said Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision, the parent company of Foxconn in China, was readying both a standard iPhone with new upgrades and a less expensive model with fewer features.

Last week, the news site AllThingsD, part of the same company as The Journal, said Apple had scheduled a September 10 event to unveil the new smartphones as part of an effort to regain momentum.

An Apple spokesman declined to comment. 


Apple's move comes with its chief rival Samsung reportedly set to unveil its own smartphones and other devices, including a smartwatch.

Speculation has centered around whether Apple will shift its strategy to include a lower-cost handset to appeal to more consumers, especially in emerging markets.

A survey released by Gartner last week said Apple's share of the smartphone market worldwide fell to 14.2 percent in the second quarter, while Samsung's share rose to 31.7 percent.

Gartner said the Google Android operating system was used on 79 percent of smartphones sold in the period. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Jeff Bezos has two words for you: ‘No comment’

When journalists pressed William Henry Vanderbilt in 1882 about his plan to discontinue his railroad’s popular but unprofitable mail run, the richest man in the world reportedly exclaimed, “The public be damned!” Whether Vanderbilt said “be damned” or not — he claimed to have been misquoted — business titans of the Gilded Age routinely assumed this default posture.

Extending the big buzz-off to the press and the public is a tradition that Jeff Bezos’s Amazon.com Inc. has restored to the commonweal, as the New York Times slyly noted yesterday in its business section feature about the $25 billion man. As many journalists noted, the piece quotes James Marcus, former Amazon employee and current executive editor of Harper’s magazine, talking about the company’s sense of reserve. “Every story you ever see about Amazon, it has that sentence: ‘An Amazon spokesman declined to comment,’” said Marcus. The next line of the Times story went completely meta, reading, “Drew Herdener, an Amazon spokesman, declined to comment.”

It doesn’t matter whether the topic is Amazon operations, the number of Kindles it has sold, the company’s video plans, a new Kindle commercial that tweaks the iPad, Bezos’s plans for his Blue Origin rocket or Bezos’s recent salvage of the sunken Apollo 11 rocket engines: “no comment” is the default response by Bezos and the company. Today, when the entire Amazon site went down for about 45 minutes, some reporters couldn’t even reach a company spokesman to gather an explanation for the outage.

The company’s disdain for the press seems to know no limits. In 2011, for example, when the Allentown Morning Call reported that Amazon workers in Pennsylvania warehouse were being baked alive, the company offered only a mechanical response to the paper’s questions. After consumers protested the working conditions but before next summer’s heat hit, Amazon spent $52 million on air conditioners. But even then, company avoided the Morning Call’s specific questions about the ameliorations.

Amazon and Bezos aren’t alone in avoiding the press corps’s questions. Unless the product cycle has produced a new gadget that needs selling, Apple habitually sneers at questions from non-captive reporters. Amazon probably keeps its lips tight because 1) it rarely has a new product to sell and 2) Bezos so dominates the company no rogue powers exist inside it to dare speak out of turn. Or perhaps Bezos and Amazon think they can remain mute and avoid criticism because the good-will bucket overflows with warm fuzzies of their happy customers.

“No comment,” of course, is a comment, as the many guides to public relations explain. It makes the speaker look like he’s hiding something embarrassing. It sounds like a guilty plea or like stalling. It makes the speaker sound like he’s saying “it’s none of your business.” To a reporter’s ear it sounds like, “Hey, you might be onto something there. Keep on digging and you might find a story.”

As much as journalists would like to believe they’re proxies for the public and the people’s court all wrapped up in one, companies have every right to remain silent to their inquiries. Only the courts and the regulators can demand them to speak, and even then the lawyers act as mediators.

Ever since the courts had bestowed upon corporations the legal status of “person” in the 1886 case Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad, the public has had good reason to regard corporations as “soulless,” as historian Roland Marchand put it in his 1998 book Creating the Corporate Soul: The Rise of Public Relations and Corporate Imagery in American Big Business. Considered cold and aloof by the public from the beginning, fixated on profits above all, the large corporations birthed by the industrial revolution did little to counter this image. “I owe the public nothing,” said J.P. Morgan. “Silence is golden,” John D. Rockefeller said to his questioning public, presaging Bezos’s refusal to brindle his actions with explanation and qualification.

Some early corporations played offense, as Chris Roush reported in his history, Profits and Losses: Business Journalism and Its Role in Society. Hotels, railroads, and steamboat lines started using public relations firms in the 1880s to manage and sometimes “thwart” newspaper articles. As far as corporations were considered, the less the public knew about corporate operations the greater the profit, as one scholar wrote.

As the muckrakers of the 1890s and early 20th century exposed corporate perfidy, some firms employed public relations firms to temper the journalistic message. Over the 20th century, Marchand wrote, much of corporate America adapted to this kind of criticism by reshaping their identities through public relations gestures and advertisements. The outreach and ads were designed to make the corporations to appear neighborly (General Motors), a member of your family (Westinghouse), patriotic (Ford), or heralds of a brighter future (General Electric).

For the most part, Amazon has avoided such image fluffery, probably to its credit. But that leaves it more vulnerable to critics who would brand it a sweatshop operator. Some wealthy corporations and tycoons committed massive acts of philanthropy (Ford, Rockefeller, Carnegie, et al.) in part to transmute their namesakes into beneficent overlords. This almost always works. Does anybody who matters have a mean word to say about Bill Gates now that he’s giving his Microsoft billions away? So far, Bezos has been a philanthropic low-baller, giving little to charity while building a 10,000-year clock for his own amusement. Meanwhile, he has expressed the view that for-profit systems are a better way to solve social problems than philanthropy. While I think he’s right, this libertarian position is still a very hard sell with the public.

Depending on your personal temperament, a Bezos-style snub angers you less than the image-massages so many company’s engage in. After all, when a company spokesman snubs you, at least he isn’t giving you the runaround. Idealists will find equal outrage in both tactics, and wonder why corporations just won’t speak straight. (The answer, of course, is their lawyers often won’t let them because the truth can be incriminating.) As long as we’re at it, let’s rebuke the corporate press for shunting questions about its conduct and content to its own neutered mouthpieces. Bezos can honestly say his company does the same thing the New York Times and scores of lesser newspapers do regularly.

Bezos’s recent purchase of the Washington Post will make him both the person who declines inconvenient questions from the press and the commander in chief of an army of inconvenient question-askers. Cracking this paradox will be one of Bezos’s first tasks as owner of the Post. I hope he doesn’t decide the 1-click solution is “silence is golden.” — Reuters

 

source: gmanetwork.com

 

Experience the band's life on the road in 'One Direction: This is Us'

Global superstars, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson introduce to you their big screen debut: TriStar Pictures' “One Direction: This Is Us.”


More than just a filmed concert and tour documentary, this is a chance to get up close and personal with the world’s biggest band. Filmed while the guys were taking their world tour to arenas around the globe -- from Mexico to Japan to London’s famed O2 arena -- the movie mixes high-energy performance footage, candid interviews, and behind the scenes footage to offer a one-of-a-kind perspective into the talent, hard work and mischief that goes into being One Direction. It’s a remarkable story of humble origins, an unprecedented rise to fame and a fan-driven phenomenon that enabled One Direction to conquer the world.

The film is directed by Academy Award-nominee Morgan Spurlock and produced by Simon Cowell, Adam Milano, Spurlock, and Ben Winston.

In the summer of 2010, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson entered Britain’s biggest talent show “The X Factor,” as talented individual artists. At the boot camp stage of the competition “X Factor” judge Simon Cowell offered the guys the opportunity to stay in the competition as a group.

“I saw five solo artists who were five solo stars, but would be stronger in a group, it was that simple,” says Cowell. “I liked each of them individually, and something made me think they would work really well as a group.”




Calling themselves One Direction, they were immediate sensations. A group of talented and cheeky guys who immediately captured a nation of young girls. They didn’t look or sound pre-packaged, they just exuded talent, friendship and charisma both on and off stage.

Says Cowell, “Right from the get-go, if I’d be honest … I was very much of the attitude, ‘I’m not gonna tell you what to do. You can probably tell me what to do,’ you know? ‘You’ve got to sort it out for yourself, ‘cause I think you’re smart enough.’ And that’s always been the way it’s worked with these boys. I had this just amazing confidence in them.”

Fans responded in their thousands, flooding social media, waiting for hours outside TV studios, and voting the boys through each round of the competition through to the grand final. Though they came in third overall on the show – narrowly missing the record deal awarded the first prize winner – the boys knew instinctively that this was not the last the world would see of One Direction.

That instinct to stay together instantly paid off. The band signed to their “X Factor” mentor Cowell’s record label, Syco Records and quickly got to work recording their debut album whilst performing across the UK and Ireland on the X Factor Live Tour. A book chronicling their experience on the road – Forever Young – went straight to number 1 on The Times Best Seller List. The album, meanwhile, was coming together with a stellar team of writers and producers, from Steve Mac (Westlife, Leona Lewis) to Rami Yacoub (Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys) and Red One (Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez).

The band’s debut album, Up All Night, released in October 2011, was an instant smash; a feat forecast by the fact that their first single, What Makes You Beautiful, had already become the biggest single pre-order in Sony Music’s history. In the United States, the boys sought North American success with a string of appearances and performances that not only turned What Makes You Beautiful into an iTunes hit, but led Up All Night to a feat never before achieved by a British band: entering the Billboard chart at number one with their debut record. With three MTV Video Music Awards, a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award (for Favorite UK artist), and three MTV Europe Music Awards (including Best New Act and Best UK & Ireland Act), it truly seemed there was no stopping their rise to the top.



The band’s sophomore album, Take Me Home turned 2012 into a banner year for the boys, hitting the top of pre-order charts in 50 countries. The album’s first single, Live While We’re Young, went straight to No. 1. All in all, Take Me Home topped the charts in 37 countries. The Take Me Home tour, which continued into 2013, was a global sellout, taking Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry, and Louis to Europe, North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

In July, they released Best Song Ever, a track written specifically for the film. The fun and cheeky video for the song (Directed by Ben Winston) broke records on VEVO with 12.4 million views in one day, making it the most viewed debut video ever on the platform.

Cowell says, “What I’ve loved about working with the boys is that they haven’t taken anything for granted, and they still appreciate and still are in awe of what’s going on. They’ve survived, and they’ll continue to survive because first of all, they’re smart, and secondly they understand their audience and respect their fans. They’ve matured really, really quickly.”

During the tour, though, the notion of a film came together, giving the boys a chance to conquer an entirely different medium.

Opening across the Philippines on August 28, “One Direction: This Is Us” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit the Columbia Pictures website to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

source: gmanetwork.com

iPhone 5S to get sapphire home button fingerprint reader?

 

Will the immediate successor of Apple's iPhone 5S have a sapphire home button?

 

 

The sapphire is not as much for glitz as it is for function - it may also double as a fingerprint reader, enthusiast site9to5mac.com said.

 

 "We’ve expected a fingerprint scanner for quite some time and even found code that seems to point to a biometric input for the new iPhone," it said.

It quoted KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo as saying the iPhone 5S may have a sapphire fingerprint reader home button that may protrude slightly in a convex manner.

However, the site quoted Kuo as saying the assembly could be difficult as the space under the home button is already limited.

The space under the home button already includes the Lightning connector, speaker and microphone.

"Thus, we think the shape of the home button could be changed from concave to convex to create more space for a fingerprint sensor," Kuo said.

On the other hand, Kuo said sapphire makes sense as it prevents the home button from being scratched.

"We believe Apple will switch from plastic to sapphire, whose hardness is second only to diamond. Sapphire would protect the home button from being scratched and the fingerprint sensor from being damaged," he said.

Kuo also said the sapphire home button-cum-fingerprint sensor might become a staple of iOS devices by 2014.

Meanwhile, 9to5mac.com said the upcoming iPhone 5S will likely have an improved camera system, and a faster A7 processing chip. — TJD, GMA News

 

source: gmanetwork.com

Cisco revenue in line, investors await CEO comments

Network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc on Wednesday reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue in line with Wall Street expectations, helped by continued strength in its enterprise business.

Shares of the world's biggest network equipment maker fell 2 percent after hours, as investors waited for the company's latest forecasts and comments on its business later on Wednesday.

Cisco Chief Executive John Chambers' commentary is closely watched by investors as Cisco is regarded as a strong indicator of the general health of the technology industry because of its broad customer base.

Cisco had a net profit of $2.3 billion, or 42 cents per share, in the quarter. That compared with a profit of $1.9 billion, or 36 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue rose 6 percent to $12.4 billion, matching analysts' expectations, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Excluding some items, the company reported profit of 52 cents per share, which was a penny better than analysts' average estimate.

The results were in line with the company's forecasts three months ago, based on what it called "encouraging" signs.  — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.om

7-year-old liver transplant survivor gets a birthday surprise from the Cake Boss

It's common for children to get cake on their birthday, but one Filipino girl got a greeting from the Cake Boss when she turned seven last June.


An avid viewer of the TLC reality show "Cake Boss", it was Erin Pasimio's wish to meet its star, celebrity chef Buddy Valastro.

Erin's father Sonny knew it wouldn't be easy to make his daughter's wish come true, but that didn't stop him from reaching out to the New Jersey-based Valastro.

Sonny decided to post a message on Facebook: “I am Sonny, father to our beautiful miracle daughter Erin. She is your biggest fan and thinks you are the best baker in the universe, especially after watching you frost a cake and make a flower blindfolded!"

As a two-month-old baby, Erin was diagnosed with a rare disease called biliary atresia, in which there is the congenital absence of the ducts that drain the bile from liver.

Because pediatric liver transplant was not available in the Philippines, Erin had her liver transplant in Singapore.

"She was born with a defective liver and came very close to dying. But with God’s blessing, Erin’s fighting spirit and a liver donation from her mom, she miraculously bounced back after a transplant when she was one year old," wrote Sonny, telling Valastro about Erin's birthday wish to meet him.

"I promised her that I would save up to make her dream come true someday, but in the meantime, any greeting from you would mean the world to Erin. Hope you can grant our little request Buddy,” he wrote.

The post was brought to the attention of Discovery Networks Asia Pacific (DNAP), which operates TLC, and DNAP made the request directly to Valastro's team, according to a press release from the network.

“It was a long shot, but one Erin believed can really happen. When she saw my letter in Facebook, she was so thrilled that we were chasing that dream together,” Sonny said.


Around one month after her birthday, Erin got a special video greeting on Facebook.


Wearing his Cake Boss uniform, Valastro said, "Hey Erin, I hear you’re a big fan of Cake Boss and I appreciate it so much."

"We love all the fans in the Philippines and I want to wish you a happy belated seventh birthday. Hope you feel better. Cake Boss loves you, Erin!" said Valastro, blowing Erin a kiss.

source: gmanetwork.com

US firm looking for Tagalog-speaking sales staff

Vonage, the voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) provider, which lets you make and receive calls using your Internet connection rather than a telephone line, is looking to hire sales people, especially those fluent in Tagalog.

The hiring will be done by Retail Business Development (RBD), which will train the staff and boost sales of retail stores.


RBD provides a wide range of retail services geared toward revenue generation and product and services sell-through. Our expertise is in augmenting retail sales as a whole – assisted sales, event sales, and kiosk sales – and providing sales force management and retail consulting services. We have the experience and know-how to support your retail business from planning to execution, including go-to-market strategies, pop-up retail design, retail sales training and operations management.

RBD is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, and operates nationwide.

After decades spent operating and owning retail companies of their own, our executive team created RBD to provide two resources they found sorely lacking in the retail industry.

The first was a company that could deliver an instant sales force… one that could provide dozens or even hundreds of qualified sales consultants at a moment’s notice, allowing store owners to quickly meet staffing needs, augment campaigns, expand into new markets, and immediately impact the bottom line.

The second was an organization led by people who truly understood the core competencies of the retail industry… a team that could deliver the consistent qualities necessary to execute retail “the right way.”

With the launch of Retail Business Development in 2003, retailers could finally work with a team that understood the ins and outs of the retail business and knew how to solve its pain points. Since that time, the company has grown to provide a whole suite of services that reflect our commitment to “Retail Done Right.”



Over the years, RBD has established a niche in tailoring our in-demand services to retail environments and products that require a more hands-on, consultative approach to making the sale. Examples include selling wireless plans, Internet services, satellite subscriptions, home improvement products and technology solutions. And with sales teams at the ready nationwide, we can move quickly to address your needs. Tell us what your goals are and let us craft a solution to help you reach them. - The FilAm Metro DC

source: gmanetwork.com

Korean movie star Lee Byung-Hun marries actress Lee Min-Jung

SEOUL -- Top South Korean movie star Lee Byung-Hun, one of the best known faces of the "Korean Wave" of popular culture, married actress Lee Min-Jung on Saturday.

The 43-year-old, who starred in last year's blockbuster costume drama "Masquerade", told reporters the wedding was "a dream come true" shortly before tying the knot with longtime girlfriend Lee.

"There was thunder and lightning this morning. There is an old saying that thunder and lightning are a good sign for newlyweds. We will do our best to live a long, happy life", the bride said.

Lee Byung-Hun is well known as the star of a number of popular television dramas, including the spy series "Iris", as well as for his films.

His role as a swashbuckling gambler in the pan-Asian hit series "All In" has earned him a particularly devoted following in Japan.

As well as "Masquerade," which swept last year's national film awards, Lee starred in the 2000 hit "Joint Security Area" and this year he reprised his role as the villainous ninja Storm Shadow in the Hollywood action blockbuster "G.I. Joe: Retaliation".

He also features in the Hollywood action comedy "Red 2" starring Bruce Willis.

Lee Min-Jung became a household name for her supporting role in the mega-hit high-school TV drama series "Boys Over Flowers". -- Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Disney reaches for the skies with 'Planes'

LOS ANGELES -- As a lifelong aviation enthusiast and qualified pilot, filmmaker Klay Hall was the logical choice when Disney was seeking a director for its latest animated offering, "Planes."

A spin-off of Pixar's phenomenally successful "Cars" franchise, "Planes" was initially envisioned as a video project, released through the Disney Toon Studios division.

However, Disney took the rare step of giving the movie a theatrical release, confident the film, which opens in the United States this week, has potential to be a commercial success at the box office.  



The sky-high hopes for the project are a testament to the work of Hall, a pilot who comes from a long line of aviators. Both Hall's father, a former US Navy pilot, and grandfather were fliers.

As a child growing up in California, Hall would accompany his father to a local airfield to watch planes taking off and landing, often sketching what he saw.

Decades later, Hall's affinity with aircraft meant the director was in his element as he got to work on "Planes."

While the project bears obvious similarities to "Cars," Disney's legendary animation chief John Lasseter -- who directed both "Cars" and "Cars 2" -- encouraged Hall to "create his own universe."

"John told me: 'Cars is established, we've got that whole world. That's all good. Learn from that world, learn what we did over there as far as personality and animation and then forget about it ... I want you now to go out and create a whole new world, a whole new universe,'" Hall told AFP in a recent interview.

"The aesthetics are the same. We have eyes and the characters talk, and it's a charming design of a vehicle. But that's where the similarities stop," the director added.

"Planes" follows the adventures of a feisty crop-dusting plane called Dusty who dreams of competing in a prestigious round-the-world race.

"I always loved the underdog stories, the little guy, the weak guy able to rise above. I think it's a classic story, it's universal," Hall said.

"I also like the idea that he's built one way but deep down he feels he can do more."

Hall paid particular attention to the mechanics of his characters' flying sequences.

"One of the hardest things is to make airplanes fly and make their flight believable," he said. "It took us at least six months to crack that code. We had aviation experts in, flight experts and consultants."

The other main challenge was deciding how to "humanize" the planes at the center of the action.

"A car is on the ground. Everyone knows how a car rolls and works -- they have a big windshield for the eyes, a big grill area for the mouth," he said.

"We have wings, that are constantly in the way, we have little windshields, the mouth is on the bottom. Then we have the propellers, always in the way of the camera. Tons of challenges," he added.

The last time Disney turned a plane into a cartoon character was way back in 1942, when the animated short "Pedro" was released in conjunction with "Saludos Amigos."

"That plane sort of bent and picked things up with its wings, it was really cartoony, charming in its own right," Hall said. "But we would never do anything like that. I don't think the audience would see them as real airplanes."

While perfecting the look of the aircraft in "Planes" was a lengthy process, it was second nature to Hall, who joined Disney as an animator when the studio's fabled founding fathers -- the so-called "Nine Old Men" -- were still around.

"Sometimes I would go back with a drawing and ask them 'What do you think about this?'" Hall recalled. "And they would ask 'How many times have you drawn this? Three or four times. Do it another 20 times and then come back.'"

"It was all about due diligence and put your very best foot forward before you show anything that represents yourself. Go for the gold, always." - Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Britain opens world's second-largest offshore wind farm

LONDON - The world's second-largest offshore wind farm, capable of generating enough electricity to power over half a million homes, was opened officially off England's east coast on Wednesday.

Energy and Business Minister Michael Fallon opened the 500 megawatt Greater Gabbard wind farm off the Suffolk coast, a 1.3 billion pound ($2 billion) project that is a 50-50 joint venture between SSE Plc and RWE Innogy.

Britain is banking on offshore wind technology to help it reach legally binding targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions. It aims to develop 18 gigawatts of power from wind by 2020. The addition of Greater Gabbard pushes the total so far to about 3.6 GW, according to RenewableUK.

Greater Gabbard has 140 turbines, which were manufactured by Siemens, and it is expected to double in size when an extension, called Galloper, is completed in 2017.

It was launched just a month after Prime Minister David Cameron opened the world's largest wind farm, the 630 MW London Array project, also off the south-east coast.

The UK government says offshore wind could provide enough power for 11 million homes by the end of this decade. — VC, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

YouTube adds icon to show video in browser tab is playing

Here's good news for YouTube addicts who open videos in several tabs simultaneously, then can't tell which tab is playing.

YouTube had added a Play icon to the tab's title area so a user can tell which tab is playing a video, enthusiast blog site GoogleSystem reported.


"YouTube started to add a 'play' Unicode character to the title of the YouTube page, but only when the video is playing. Pause the video and the 'play' character disappears. It's a great way to find a 'noisy' tab, especially if you open more than one YouTube video," it said.

It said the "play" symbol is the black right-pointing triangle Unicode character and is thus "small, subtle, and it's better than an animated favicon."

A separate article on The Next Web said the new feature is a relatively minor tweak but will be very useful for YouTube users.

"Because the service auto-plays content when you open a video, if you have multiple YouTube tabs it is often tedious to figure out which ones need to be paused or closed," it said.

 The Next Web also noted this works not just on later versions of Google's Chrome but also on Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox.

"On the whole, both these changes are minor but they can significantly improve the user experience. It’s great to see that YouTube went ahead and implemented its own solution while its parent company Google continues to work on a broader one for all websites," it said. — VC, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Princess Snell denies rumors linking her to Hayden Kho Jr.

Starstruck alumna Princess Snell once again denied rumors of being romantically involved with Hayden Kho Jr. According to Princess, she met the controversial doctor once during a podcast and that was it.

To put end to the said controversy, Princess admitted that the French guy she was often seen with is indeed her boyfriend for more than a year now. She named the said French guy “Mark,” and endearingly called him “baby.”

Princess took the hot seat in the showbiz-oriented talk show Startalk TX last Saturday to promote Playboy Philippines’ July-August issue where she graced the cover.

The issue featured a double cover where Princess donned a black corset in one, and a gold tube dress with a thigh-high slit in the other. In her poses, Princess exuded Marilyn Monroe-like elegance and classic beauty.

“Hindi sya super sexy, it was very classy. Makikita na lang nila pag binili nila 'yung issue, it was really nice,” was Princess’ description of the said cover.

When asked if her boyfriend Mark did not oppose to her doing the said photo shoot, “Ba’t sya magagalit, tingnan mo naman yung suot ko dito dress lang,” Princess answered with a smile.

Being the cover girl of the famous magazine is the latest addition to the 21-year-old actress’ achievements. Catch Princess Snell every Saturday in Startalk TX.-- CJ Mendoza, GMANetwork

source: gmanetwork.com

Bob Dylan to exhibit his new artwork in London gallery

LONDON - New pastel portraits by American singer Bob Dylan will go on show for the first time at London's National Portrait Gallery next month, the gallery said on Monday.

The 12 new works in the "Bob Dylan Face Value" exhibition in September represent the latest portrait studies from the "Blowin' in the Wind" singer who has sketched and drawn since childhood, but only began exhibiting six years ago.

"Bob Dylan is one of the most influential cultural figures of our time," National Portrait Gallery Director Sandy Naime said in a statement.

"I am delighted that we can now share these 12 sketches which were made for display at the National Portrait Gallery."

The portraits represent characters, with an amalgamation of features Dylan has collected from life, memory and his imagination and fashioned into people, some real and some fictitious.

Dylan, 72, has exhibited previous art collections of sketches, gouaches and watercolors in the past in other cities around the world.


The singer's ballads like "Blowin' in the Wind" became anthems of the civil rights and anti-war movement in the United States, while the musical innovation and cynical lyrics of "Like a Rolling Stone" established him as a counter-culture symbol. —Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Obama administration overturns ban on some iPad, iPhones

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has overturned a U.S. trade panel's ban on the sale of some older iPhones and iPads, reversing a ruling that had favored Samsung Electronics Co Ltd over Apple Inc in their long-running patent battles.

The U.S. International Trade Commission in June banned the import or sale of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G distributed by AT&T Inc, saying the devices infringed a patent owned by the South Korean electronics giant.

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman on Saturday vetoed the ban, saying his decision was in part based on its "effect on competitive conditions in the U.S. economy and the effect on U.S. consumers." He said Samsung could continue to pursue its case through the courts.

Samsung said it was "disappointed" at the lifting of the ban. "The ITC's decision correctly recognized that Samsung has been negotiating in good faith and that Apple remains unwilling to take a license," it said in a statement.

Apple welcomed the news and applauded the administration "for standing up for innovation." It added, "Samsung was wrong to abuse the patent system in this way."

The Apple products targeted by the ITC ban are more than a year old, though some models such as the iPhone 4 remain solid sellers. Apple sells more than 100 million iPhones annually, but it does not break down sales by models.

Apple and Samsung have been waging a global patent war since 2010, filing multiple lawsuits against each other over the design and functionality of their devices.

This ITC ban is specific to a Samsung patent on technology that allows devices to transmit multiple services simultaneously and correctly through 3G wireless technology.

Such patents are called "standard essential patents" and they cover technology that must be used to comply with standards set by industry organizations.

The Obama administration has been pressing for most infringements of standard essential patents to be punished by monetary fines instead of sales injunctions.

Froman on Saturday said the ITC should thoroughly examine the public interest ramifications of its rulings in disputes over standard essential patents.

Designed to be a trade panel, the ITC has become a popular venue for patent lawsuits because it acts relatively quickly and can order import bans, which are more difficult to get from district courts.

While the ITC was created to ensure that U.S. companies can compete fairly against imports, a number of foreign companies with U.S. manufacturing plants have filed patent complaints with the agency. Samsung has a plant in Austin, Texas.

ITC cases can be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and from there to the Supreme Court.

Apple has a parallel complaint filed against Samsung at the ITC, accusing the South Korean company of copying the iPhone and iPad. An ITC judge in that case found that Samsung had violated four out of six patents listed in the complaint. A final decision is due in August.

Samsung makes phones that run on Google Inc's Android operating software, the market leader. Apple has also sued other Android phone makers including HTC Corp for patent infringement.

The case at the International Trade Commission was No. 337-794.  — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

'2 Guns' shoots past 'Smurfs', 'Wolverine' to claim box office

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK - "2 Guns," starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg as rival federal agents, shot through its weekend competition at movie theaters, collecting $27.4 million to lead the North American box office, according to studio estimates.

"The Wolverine," last weekend's box office leader, finished second with $21.7 million in ticket sales, and has totaled $95 million during its two weeks in theaters.

"Smurfs 2," the newly-released sequel to Sony's 2011 movie "The Smurfs" starring Neil Patrick Harris and a band of small blue elf-like creatures, was third with $18.2 million in ticket sales. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Manny Pacquiao seeks return to top of boxing heap

Filipino boxer and congressman Manny Pacquiao said on Friday he was hoping to get his name back to the top of the boxing world.

Pacquiao and U.S. boxer Brandon Rios stopped in Singapore during their Asia promotional tour for their welterweight fight in Macau, where the Filipino pound-for-pound champion is looking to redeem his knockout loss to Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez.

"Great opportunity for me to give a good show for the people, to get back my name into the top of boxing," Pacquiao said.

The Filipino champion is hoping to fight Marquez again, if possible, in Asia.

"Yes I like that, I want that fight (to) happen again especially if the fight we can bring in the Philippines or in Asia it's good and looking forward to that fight," he added.

The 27-year-old lightweight champion Rios says he is prepared to face Pacquaio.

"I can't really answer that question because I'm not Pacman (Manny Pacquiao), but we're getting ready for the best Manny Pacquiao, the one that was dominating the game, the one that was beating everybody so we're getting ready for him. I'm not worried about his last fight, or about the last fight after that, I'm worried about the Manny Pacquiao that is going to come out and he's going to show the world that he's not done yet. So we're getting ready for that guy," Rios said.

Pacquiao is taking time off from his legislative duties, having won unopposed a second term as congressman for Sarangani province in last May's election. His wife Jinky won as vice-governor of Sarangani, but his brother Rogelio lost his bid to be congressman of the South Cotabato province.

Speculation is rife that Pacquiao is contemplating a run for the country's highest office, but he had said that it is far from his mind at the moment.

Top Rank Boxing Promotion Company CEO, Bob Arum believes Manny Pacquiao has a bright future out of the boxing world.

"I think what is the end game with Manny. The end game with Manny is to run and win for the highest possible office in the Philippines. I mean that is, boxing is just way-station for Manny Pacquiao. I think he has so much to offer his country so he will know when to call it quits in boxing," he said.

Regarded as a national hero in the Philippines where his rags-to-riches story has inspired millions, the 34-year-old entered politics in 2010 but many fans had said he should just stick to boxing.

The fight in November will be Pacquiao's first since his loss to Marquez last December, a defeat that prompted many to suggest he should retire after being left unconscious, face down on the canvas.

However, Pacquiao, winner of world titles at eight different weight divisions said retirement is not in his mind right now, and he would fight for two or three more years.  — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Pope urges 'mutual respect' with Islam in personal message

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis called on Friday for "mutual respect" between Christianity and Islam and an end to "unfair criticism" in a personal message congratulating Muslims on the feast of Eid al-Fitr.

"We are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values," he said in a statement distributed by the Vatican press office.

"I have decided to sign this traditional message myself and to send it to you, dear friends, as an expression of esteem and friendship for all Muslims, especially those who are religious leaders.

"We all know that mutual respect is fundamental in any human relationship, especially among people who profess religious belief," he said.

The statement was addressed "To Muslims Throughout the World" and the Vatican explained that the message has been traditional since 1967 but only John Paul II in 1991 previously sent a similar personal message.

The feast of Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan for all Muslims, a period of prayer and fasting.

Francis has called for stronger ties with Islam and the saint he chose for his pontifical title, St Francis of Assisi, is widely respected in the Muslim world. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Motorola unveils its first Google smartphone

SAN FRANCISCO - Motorola on Thursday introduced the keenly-anticipated Moto X, a Google-centric smartphone that buyers get to design themselves.

Moto X is the first Motorola smartphone created in collaboration with Google since the Internet titan completed its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility in May of last year.

"At Motorola our roots are deep in mobile hardware -- we invented mobile communications," Motorola Mobility Canada general manager Odile Guinot said in a release.

"Now, as a Google company, we've become the kind of company that can build a smartphone like Moto X," Guinot added. "It fuses our history of mobile innovation with the best of Google mobile services."

Moto X will be available in the US by the end of August or early September at a starting price of $199 if bought along with a two-year service contract with a telecom service company.

It will also be available at that time in Canada and Latin America.

People can visit an online Moto Maker studio to customize colors, accents, memory capacity and other aspects of handsets, which will be assembled in the United States and delivered free of charge within four days, according to Motorola.Cand

Moto X smartphones are powered by Google's Android software and features include sophisticated voice controls and anticipating what users might want from the Internet at any given moment.

Motorola also streamlined the ease with which smartphone pictures can be taken.

"Moto X promises to be unlike any device we've offered before," said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of devices at US telecom giant AT&T.

Moto X will work on an array of telecom networks, according to Motorola. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com