Manny Pacquiao goes hard in sparring as training rolls on for Broner fight

MANILA, Philippines—Manny Pacquiao isn’t slowing down on his preparations for his title defense against American Adrien Broner.

Boxing’s only eight-division World champion schooled three of his sparring mates on Saturday at Wild Card Boxing Gym—the house where he built his legacy with former head trainer Freddie Roach.


Pacquiao (60-7-2) sparred for a combined 10 rounds against Arnold Gonzalez, Lydell Rhodes, and George Kambosos Jr.

Gonzalez, who suffered a bloodied nose, and Rhodes went three rounds each with Pacquiao, while Kambosos, who owns a 15-0 professional record, fought for four.

Pacquiao, 40, will defend his WBA World welterweight title against Broner (33-3-1), who is 11 years his junior, on January 19 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

This will be the first title defense for Pacquiao of his welterweight championship that he took via seventh round technical knockout from Lucas Matthysse on July 15 in Malaysia.

And if Pacquiao’s been steamrolling in his preparation, Broner hasn’t had the same path after he was arrested days before Christmas for a driving-related case.

Broner, who was quickly released, hasn’t won a fight in almost two years after his split decision win against Adrian Granados in a non-title fight in February of 2017.

The American’s last two fights ended in a loss to Mikey Garcia and a draw with Jessie Vargas.

source: sports.inquirer.net

iPad mini 5 leak reveals better camera setup, headphone jack

The most recent iPad mini rendition was released in September 2015; over three years later, the next generation may finally be arriving.

According to a report by China Times released last week, the iPad mini 5 (the actual name of the device is not yet known) could be launched as soon as early 2019.

Adding weight to that claim, Slash Leaks tweeted an image of a purported case for the device on Monday.

The clear case sports a headphone port, the other typical functional ports of the iPad, and an additional mysterious cutout in the center of the right side. This may potentially be a feature of the case unrelated to the device it will protect; users will have to wait to find out.

The front has an oval cutout in the top left corner which suggests that the front camera may be accompanied by a proper flash. The image also shows that the rear microphone has been shifted to the center.

The iPad mini 4 currently starts at $399 (about P21,000) for 128 gigabytes. Several reports suggest that its successor will be about $100 (about P5,200) cheaper. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Blue sky at night lights up social media in New York

An alien invasion? The Rapture? The sky flashed an eerie blue over New York City on Thursday night and social media users feared the worst.

Extraterrestrial activity was a leading theory: “IM SORRY WHAT???? THE SKY JUST TURNED BLUE???? literally so confused I think aliens just tried to steal new york,” one user wrote on Twitter.

“Apparently aliens are landing in New York City right now bcs the sky’s blue,” wrote another.

In this trying time, some saw the hand of God at work: “Don’t worry, New Yorkers. The blue light you saw in the sky was just the Rapture,” one tweet said.

Another Twitter user noted that people had been warned to change their ways: “What’s happening in the sky in New York? If it’s the rapture, I just wanna say I told y’all to quit it.”

Travelers at LaGuardia airport were treated to potential delays as well as a light show.

“Due to a power outage in Queens, there is partial flight operations @LGAairport. Many flights are departing, some are not,” the airport wrote on its Twitter account, later adding that power was back in “all terminals” and advising passengers to check with airlines for flight status information.


In the end, the explanation turned out to be somewhat more mundane than the end of times or invaders from outer space: a problem at a local power plant.

“The lights you have seen throughout the city appear to have been from a transformer explosion at a Con Ed facility in Queens. The fire is under control, will update as more info becomes available,” the New York Police Department tweeted.

Con Edison, the power company, tweeted that: “There was a brief electrical fire at our substation in Astoria which involved some electrical transformers and caused a transmission dip in the area. We’re currently investigating the cause of the incident.”

“The incident is under control. There are no injuries reported, and no fire,” the fire department said.

The anticlimactic explanation was disappointing to some.

“I wish the blue sky in New York was aliens and not a power plant on fire,” one Twitter user wrote. CC

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Storm whips up blizzards, dumps snow in Dakotas, Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — Post-holiday travelers were finding driving difficult as a winter storm dumped heavy snow and whipped up gusty winds across parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota on Thursday.

Up to 11 inches (28 centimeters) of snow had fallen in the Moorhead-Alexandria area of western Minnesota by mid-afternoon Thursday, and it was still snowing, said meteorologist Tyler Hasenstein of the Twin Cities National Weather Service.

The line of snow ended just northwest of the Twin Cities around Elk River, Hasenstein said. The snowfall peaked around 3 inches (8 centimeters) at the Minneapolis airport, then rain starting early Thursday melted the snowpack.

Officials in North Dakota issued a no-travel advisory for the eastern part of the state due to icy roads and reduced visibility. Blustery winds were causing blizzard conditions in Jamestown, North Dakota, and in northern South Dakota, where transportation officials reported visibility was down to a quarter-mile along a stretch of Highway 10.

Bus service for Fargo, North Dakota, and neighboring Moorhead, Minnesota, was suspended Thursday afternoon because of worsening road conditions. Service is expected to resume Friday with a normal schedule.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for central South Dakota, eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. The storm was expected to drop more than a foot of snow in the region before ending Friday.

The Minnesota State Patrol tweeted that road conditions are poor across much of western Minnesota. Transportation officials said road conditions across much of the central and northern areas of the state are completely covered with ice and snow, with windy conditions causing even more travel issues.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation said it might be better to wait for conditions to improve if travel isn’t necessary.

The weather service said an estimated 18 inches of snow had fallen by early Thursday afternoon near Finland on Minnesota’s North Shore.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol issued a travel alert for parts of North Dakota including Bismarck and Devils Lake due to whiteout conditions. Eastern North Dakota was expected to deal with winds gusting up to 50 mph, creating blizzard conditions mainly in the Red River Valley.

University campuses, courthouses and municipal buildings across North Dakota are among the places closed on Thursday, including the University of North Dakota campus in Grand Forks.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Raiders win possible final game in Oakland, beat Broncos

OAKLAND, Calif. — Dwayne Harris returned a punt 99 yards for a touchdown after Denver failed to down it, and the Raiders gave their fans plenty to celebrate in their possible final game in Oakland, beating the Broncos 27-14 on Monday night.

The Raiders (4-11) are set to move to Las Vegas in 2020 and have no lease for next year. With Oakland officials having sued the team over the move, the Raiders are looking into other options for 2019, including AT&T Park in San Francisco.


A decision is expected before the Super Bowl, but many of the die-hards came out for this game knowing it could be the last NFL game ever in the stadium that opened in 1966.

It has been almost that long since the Broncos (6-9) had gone back-to-back seasons with losing records, having last done it in 1971-72. After going 5-11 in coach Vance Joseph’s first season, Denver has done little better in year two and general manager John Elway could be ready to make a change after the season.

The Broncos opened the month with playoff aspirations, but three straight losses to teams that entered the game with losing records ended those hopes and have the team searching for answers.

Shortly after Oakland native Marshawn Lynch lit the torch in honor of late owner Al Davis before the game, Harris delivered the biggest highlight with a punt return that was tied for the second-longest ever.

Andre Holmes deflected Colby Wadman’s punt just before it crossed the goal line and Isaac Yiadom was in position to down it at the 1. But he couldn’t hold onto the ball and Harris picked it up before racing 99 yards down the sideline for the touchdown that stunned the Broncos. Only Patrick Peterson (99 yards) and Robert Bailey (103) have punt returns that long in NFL history.

The Broncos weren’t much better at the other phases of the game, committing pre-snap penalties, generating almost no consistent offense in the first half and then allowing Doug Martin to scamper 24 yards untouched around the end to make it 14-0 midway through the second quarter.

Martin, who was born in Oakland, finished with 107 yards for his biggest rushing day since 2015.

Case Keenum got the Broncos on the board with a pair of TD passes in the second half to DaeSean Hamilton and Courtland Sutton. But it wasn’t enough as Jalen Richard scored on a 3-yard run for Oakland and the Raiders sealed the win with interceptions by Marcus Gilchrist and Erik Harris.

RED FLAG ALERT


Raiders coach Jon Gruden threw his challenge flag after Keenum’s 19-yard TD pass to Sutton, believing that Keenum crossed the line before the throw. But scoring plays are automatically reviewed and the replay booth confirmed the call without a stoppage. Oakland was charged with a timeout, the second time this season Gruden has tried to challenge a TD.

FIRST-HALF SHUTOUT

The Raiders came into the game allowing the most points per game in franchise history since 1961, but gave up nothing in the opening half against the Broncos. It’s the third straight meeting between the teams where Denver failed to score in the opening half. Those are the only times in the past 90 games that Oakland has pitched a first-half shutout.

MILESTONE WATCH

Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay passed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the first half, joining Dominic Rhodes and LaGarrette Blount as the only undrafted rookies to top 1,000 in a season in the Super Bowl era. Lindsay ran for 46 yards before leaving with a hand injury and as has 1,037 on the season. He needs 68 more to break Rhodes’ record set in 2001 for Indianapolis.

UP NEXT

Broncos: Host the Chargers on Sunday.

Raiders: Visit the Chiefs on Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Are Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth now married?

After being engaged for several years, did Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth finally seal the deal as husband and wife?

Cyrus and Hemsworth reportedly got married in secret over the weekend, as shown in Instagram Stories shared by their friend, surfer Conrad Carr. The photos were then reshared on Twitter by a netizen named Nick (@tomsbizzle) on Monday, Dec. 24.

The first photo showed Cyrus and Hemsworth, wearing an off-shoulder white dress and tuxedo respectively, cutting what appears to be a tiered wedding cake.

Other photos showed Hemsworth having fun with brother Chris, who looked casual in his tropical-themed top and jeans. It could also be seen that there is a “Mr. and Mrs.” balloon display in the background.

“MILEY CYRUS AND LIAM HEMSWORTH GOT MARRIED LAST NIGHT IM SO HAPPY THEY ARE THE CUTEST COUPLE,” the netizen enthusiastically wrote. His post garnered around 200 retweets and 1,200 likes, as of writing.

The couple faced tragedy in November when they lost their Malibu home on from the California wildfire. Because of this, Cyrus told radio host Howard Stern that she considers him as her “survival partner.”

“[He’s] my partner, I call him my survival partner now.” Cyrus said in a “The Howard Stern Show” guesting last Dec.  12. “He thinks it’s not romantic, but I learned that it is. That is why you pair up with someone, for survival, and he was so incredible.”

Cyrus and Hemsworth met in the 2009 movie “The Last Song”. They dated for three years, and were engaged in 2012. They broke up in 2013, but Cyrus confirmed in October 2016 that they were engaged anew, through an appearance at “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”. JB

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Breaking up (with Facebook) is hard to do: Here’s how

NEW YORK — Every relationship has a breaking point. Even yours with Facebook.

There’s a way out, though the social network will try to win you back with promises to do better. Maybe even flowers.

For some users, though, the past two years of privacy scandals, election manipulation by Russian trolls, executive apologies and even the political disagreements with friends and relatives have become too much.

The latest: an alarming New York Times report detailing the massive trove of user data that the company has shared with such companies as Apple, Netflix and Amazon.

A growing number of people say they are deleting Facebook, or at least considering it.

While Facebook has tried to address some of these problems, it’s not enough for some users.

Hard as it might seem to quit, especially for those entwined with it for years, it can be done.

Mostly.

Goodbye forever

Before deleting your account, rescue your posts and photos.

Facebook lets you download the data you’ve shared with Facebook since you joined. This includes your posts and photos, as well as the “activity log”—the history of everything you’ve done on Facebook, such as likes and comments on posts, use of apps and searches.

The download also includes your profile, messages, list of friends and ads you’ve clicked on.

This process should give you a good—perhaps scary—idea of what Facebook has on you.

What you won’t get are photos other people shared with you, even if you’ve been tagged. You need to save those individually.

And some stuff will remain, including what others have posted about you, your chats with others and your posts in Facebook groups (though your name will be grayed out).

To delete all this, you’ll need to sift through your “activity log,” accessible through your profile page, and delete each item individually.

Once you’ve saved everything and gone through your activity log, sign in one last time. Go to http://bit.ly/198wIoI and click on the blue button. Facebook says the process could take a few days.

Your delete request will be canceled if you log back in during this time. Facebook says it may take up to 90 days for all the data associated with your account to be wiped, but you can’t change your mind after the first few days are up.

If you used your Facebook account for third-party apps and sites, you’ll need new usernames and passwords for each.

Trial separation

If you’re not quite ready for a divorce, deactivating your account is an option. To do this, go to your account settings.

Deactivating means other people won’t be able to see your profile, but if you log back in, the whole thing is canceled and you are “active” again. Ditto if you log into an outside app or site using your Facebook account.

Fomo (Fear of missing out)

Depending on whether you were a full-time Facebook addict or an occasional lurker, the psychological separation could prove harder or easier than the physical one.

Facebook has become a one-stop shop for so many things. You can keep up with friends and family, find out about or create local events, buy and sell stuff, keep up with the news, raise money for a cause or join groups of like-minded people such as parents, porch gardeners and people with a rare disease.

There are other places to do many of these things. There’s Eventbrite for events, Letgo for buying and selling stuff, Peanut for moms to connect, Meetup to find and meet like-minded people, GoFundMe for raising money and Twitter, or, gasp, your local newspaper’s website for the news.

The difference is there’s no single other place to do all these things, and your friends might not be there.

If you find your mind wandering back to Facebook as you go through your day, thinking how you might craft a post about a thought you’ve just had or an article you came across, it’s OK. Let it go. It’s all part of the breakup process.

And while you may not see updates about near-forgotten schoolmates or that random person you met six years ago, the people who matter most will stick around. For them, there’s e-mail, the phone, and meeting in person for coffee.

About those other apps

If your boycott of Facebook has more to do with your view of the company than with tiring of the Facebook service, you might consider deleting Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger as well—they are all owned by Facebook.

Deleting your Facebook account won’t affect your Instagram or WhatsApp account. If you want to keep using Messenger, you can create an account using your phone number instead of your Facebook profile.

source: technology.inquirer.net

NFL suspends Patriots’ Josh Gordon for substance abuse violation

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patriots receiver Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely Thursday by the NFL for violating an agreement that allowed him to play after multiple drug suspensions, casting doubt on whether the talented but troubled playmaker would ever play in the league again.

League officials said Thursday that Gordon was returned to the reserve/commissioner suspended list indefinitely for breaking the terms of his reinstatement under the NFL substance abuse policy.

The news came several hours after Gordon said he was stepping away from football to focus on his mental health.

Gordon said on Twitter his decision was spurred by his own feelings that he could have a better grasp on things mentally. He thanked the Patriots for their support and vowed to work his way back.

“We support Josh Gordon in his continued efforts to focus on his health. His attempt to do so is a private and personal matter, which we intend to respect,” Patriots team officials said.

Gordon has been suspended several times by the NFL for violations of its drug policies since being drafted by the Browns in 2012, and missed the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons.

After being reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in 2017, Gordon revealed in an interview with GQ magazine that he drank or used marijuana before games. “Probably every game of my career,” he said.

Gordon also said in a 2017 mini-documentary on Uninterreupted.com that he took Xanax, cocaine, marijuana and other narcotics.

Gordon’s outlook had improved with New England, where he landed in September in a trade after the Browns felt it was time to cut ties. He had 40 receptions for 720 yards and three touchdowns with the Patriots, five years removed from an All-Pro season in 2013 with 87 catches for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns.


Special teams captain and receiver Matt Slater said despite his suspension, Gordon still has support inside the Patriots locker room.

“My No. 1 concern is with him as a man,” Slater said. “I’m thankful for the approach he took here, how he was as a teammate. I enjoyed getting to know him in that process and I’ll continue to support him in any way I can.”

Safety Devin McCourty said the 27-year-old’s well-being is his biggest concern, not football.

“Life comes before all of that,” McCourty said. “I think we wish him the best and care about that more than wins or losses.”

New England officials had insulated Gordon and focused him on getting acclimated to the team’s highly-disciplined culture, while also limiting his time with reporters.

Coach Bill Belichick said last week that Gordon was thriving on the field, developing chemistry with quarterback Tom Brady and learning the offensive system.

“He’s a smart kid, so he learns well,” Belichick said. “For better or worse, he’s been in a lot of different systems. I know it was only one team, but it was a lot of different systems up there. Most everything we’ve asked him to do he’s done somewhere along the line for somebody.

“As we go through each week, I would say we’ve gained a little more ground on the overall knowledge of the system,” he said.

Gordon said earlier this month he thought he was settling in well with New England.

“It felt like home a long time ago,” Gordon said. “The atmosphere is very welcoming. It took me a little bit to get acclimated to the area. Other than that, it’s been pretty smooth so far, and that’s due in part to the facility, the organization, just everybody helping me along the way.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Elon Musk bores tunnel to revolutionize city driving

HAWTHORNE, US — Elon Musk on Tuesday took a break from futuristic electric cars and private space travel to unveil a low-cost tunnel he sees as a godsend for city traffic.

The billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX late Tuesday put the spotlight on the a 1.14 mile (1.8 kilometer) tunnel created by his Boring Company for about $10 million.

The sample tunnel is part of Musk’s vision to have an underground network that cars, preferably Teslas, can be lowered to by lifts then slotted into tracks and propelled along at speeds up to 150 mph (241 kmh).

“The only way to solve this is to go 3D, for the transport system to match the living quarters,” Musk said of solving the problem of traffic congestion in urban areas.

“It’s all relatively simple, no Nobel Prize is needed here.”

An entrance to a sample tunnel was shown publicly for the first time in this city near Los Angeles as the initial stage of Musk’s project to revolutionize city traffic by zipping along below congested streets.

Musk founded the Boring company two years ago as a self-financed, side-endeavor to his work at Tesla and SpaceX.

Specially designed equipment drills tunnels wide enough to accommodate a car on a track. The network envisioned is an infinitely expandable mesh of tunnels and elevators capable of having more than 4,000 cars pass through per hour.

“The deepest mines are deeper than the tallest buildings,” Musk said.

“The profound breakthrough is very simple: it’s the ability to turn a normal car into a passively stable vehicle by adding the deployable tracking wheels, stabilizing wheels,  so that it can travel at high speed through a small tunnel.”

Tunnels will eventually be open to all compatible self-driving electric vehicles, but for now Boring is using Teslas in the tube.


The idea for the project came to the billionaire of South African origin when he was fuming at the wheel of his car, trapped in traffic jams between his chic Bel Air villa and the SpaceX offices in Hawthorne.

It is a journey that takes him more than 90 minutes and he considered soul-crushing.

The “tunnel test” unveiled Tuesday appeared simple: a narrow tube, only 3.65m in diameter (12 feet), freshly painted white, in which a Tesla Model X is fitted with tracking wheels to stay in a track and avoid bumping the walls.

source: technology.inquirer.net

CBS denies former CEO Les Moonves $120 million severance

NEW YORK  — CBS announced Monday that former CEO Les Moonves will not receive his $120 million (around P6.3 billion) severance package after the board of directors concluded he violated company policy and was uncooperative with an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations.

The decision, which came after a five-month outside investigation, capped the downfall of one of television’s most influential figures, the biggest entertainment powerbroker to see his career derailed amid the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct.

A lawyer for Moonves said the board’s conclusion “are without merit” but did not say whether the former CEO would challenge it in arbitration.

Moonves was ousted in September after allegations from women who said he subjected them to mistreatment including forced oral sex, groping and retaliation if they resisted.

“This is an important reminder that harassment happens everywhere, and that in this moment, even someone who has been perceived as untouchable will be held accountable,” said Fatima Goss Graves, a co-founder of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, which provides legal assistance to victims of assault, harassment or abuse. “I hope other corporations are learning that lesson.”

New York-based CBS Corp. said at the time of Moonves’ departure that it had set aside $120 million in severance for him but warned that he would not get the money if the board concluded it had cause to terminate him.

“We have determined that there are grounds to terminate for cause, including his willful and material misfeasance, violation of company policies and breach of his employment contract, as well as his willful failure to cooperate fully with the company’s investigation,” the CBS said in a statement.

The board did not provide details. Earlier this month, The New York Times said a draft report from the outside investigation found that Moonves deleted numerous text messages and was “evasive and untruthful at times.”

Andrew Levander, an attorney for Moonves, said his client “vehemently denies any non-consensual sexual relations and cooperated extensively and fully with investigators.”

“Consistent with the pattern of leaks that have permeated this ‘process,’ the press was informed of these baseless conclusions before Mr. Moonves, further damaging his name, reputation, career and legacy,” Levander said.

Moonves had been widely admired for turning around the fortunes of CBS when he took over as entertainment chief in 1995 with hits as “Two and a Half Men” and “Survivor.” He was also one of the highest-paid executives in the nation, making about $70 million (around P3.7 billion) in each of the past two years.

Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents four women who have accused Moonves of misconduct, called on CBS to publicly release the details of the investigators’ findings and compensate those with provable misconduct claims.

“The public has a right to know who at CBS was aware of Mr. Moonves’ alleged misconduct and when they knew of it,” said Allred, whose clients all spoke to the investigators. “Instead of keeping this money and rewarding their corporation for Mr. Moonves’ alleged misconduct, they should share these many millions with those who can prove that they are victims.”

Three major figures at CBS have lost their jobs over misconduct allegations: Moonves, “60 Minutes” top executive Jeff Fager, and news anchor Charlie Rose.

Last week, CBS acknowledged that it reached a $9.5 million (around P504 million) confidential settlement last year with actress Eliza Dushku, who said she was written off the show “Bull” in March 2017 after complaining about on-set sexual comments from its star, Michael Weatherly.


The board said the investigation, which was conducted by two outside law firms, “concluded that harassment and retaliation are not pervasive at CBS.”

Still, the board said investigators “learned of past incidents of improper and unprofessional conduct” and that CBS has not placed a “high institutional priority on preventing harassment and retaliation.”

The 11-member board, which includes six new members who came aboard during a shake-up following Moonves’ ouster, said it has “already begun to take robust steps to improve the working environment for all employees.”

In a move criticized by women’s rights activists, CBS had previously said Moonves would stay on as an adviser for up to two years, providing him with office and security services. The board did not say whether that decision remained in effect.

CBS declined to comment beyond its statement.

Last week, the CBS revealed a list of 18 women’s rights organizations that would receive $20 million (around P1.06 billion) donations with funds the company had previously said would be deducted from Moonves’ severance.

The groups, which included Time’s Up, praised the donations but called on CBS to publicly disclose the results of the Moonves investigation. It was unclear if CBS would do so.

Some activists involved in the #MeToo movement have praised CBS for hiring outside legal firms to conduct the investigation, a decision that contrasted with NBC’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations against Matt Lauer, who was fired last year as host of the “Today” show host. NBC’s investigation, which was overseen by the company’s general counsel, concluded that there was no culture of harassment at the news division.

A search for a new CEO is ongoing to replace interim CEO Joe Ianniello. Strauss Zelnick, filling Moonves’ role as board chairman on an interim basis, said at a shareholders’ meeting last week that a recruiting firm has been hired to conduct the search and that a decision will be made in due course. MKH

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Why children believe (or not) that Santa Claus exists

(THE CONVERSATION) The holiday season is upon us, and so are its attendant myths, most prominent of which is the Santa Claus story. This is the time that many children are told about a man who lives forever, resides at the North Pole, knows what every child in the world desires, drives a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer and enters one’s house through a chimney, which most children don’t even have.

Given the many absurdities and contradictions in this story, it’s surprising that even young children would believe it. Yet research from my lab shows that 83 percent of five-year-olds think that Santa Claus is real.

Why?

An evolutionary advantage?

At the root of this paradox is a very basic question regarding the nature of the young child as an inherently credulous being – that is, believing everything he or she is told – versus a rational one.

The noted author and ethologist Richard Dawkins, in a 1995 essay, proposed that children are inherently credulous, and prone to believing in just about anything. He even suggested that it was an evolutionary advantage for children to believe.

He illustrated that quite convincingly with an example of a young child living near an alligator-infested swamp. His point was that the child who is skeptical, and prone to critically evaluating his parents’ advice not to go swimming in that swamp, has much less chance of surviving than does the child who unthinkingly heeds his parents’ advice.

This view of young children who believe easily is shared by many, including 18th-century philosopher Thomas Reid, and developmental psychologists, who argue that children are strongly biased to trust what people tell them.

Not very different from adults?

Yet research from my lab shows that children actually are rational, thoughtful consumers of information. In fact, they use many of the same tools as adults to decide what to believe.

So, what are some of the tools that adults use to decide what to believe, and what evidence is there that children possess them?

I’ll focus on three: One is attention to the context in which new information is embedded. A second is the tendency to measure new information against one’s existing knowledge base. And the third is the ability to evaluate the expertise of other people.

Let’s look first at context.

Imagine reading an article about a new species of fish – let’s call them “surnits.” Then imagine you’re reading this article in two very different contexts – one in which your doctor is late and you’re in the waiting room reading the article in a copy of National Geographic, the official magazine of a scientific society.

In another context, you encounter a report of this discovery while waiting in line at the grocery store and perusing the National Enquirer, an American supermarket tabloid. My guess is that the context surrounding your introduction to this new information would guide your judgment about the reality status of this new fish.

We essentially did this with children. We told them about animals they’d never heard of, like surnits. Some children heard about them in a fantastical context, in which they were told that dragons or ghosts collect them. Other children learned about surnits in a scientific context, in which they were told that doctors or scientists use them.

Children as young as four were more likely to claim that surnits really existed when they heard about them in the scientific context versus in the fantastical context.

How children use knowledge and expertise

One of the primary ways we, as adults, learn about new things is by hearing about them from others. Imagine hearing about a new kind of fish from a marine biologist versus from your next-door neighbor who often regales you with reports of his alien abductions. Your evaluation of the expertise and trustworthiness of these sources presumably will guide your beliefs about the true existence of this fish.

In another research project, we presented young children with novel animals that were either possible (e.g., a fish that lives in the ocean), impossible (e.g., a fish that lives on the moon) or improbable (e.g., a fish as big as a car). Then we gave them the choice to figure out on their own whether the entity really existed or to ask someone. They also heard reports from either a zookeeper (an expert) or a chef (a nonexpert).

We found that children believed in the possible entities and rejected the impossible ones. Children made these decisions by comparing the new information to their existing knowledge. For the improbable animals – ones that could possibly exist but were rare or odd – children were significantly more likely to believe in them when the zookeeper claimed they were real than when the chef did.

In other words, children use expertise, just as adults do.

It’s the adults

If children are so smart, why do they believe in Santa?

The reason is simple: Parents and others go to great lengths to support the Santa myth. In a recent study we found that 84 percent of parents reported taking their child to visit more than two Santa impersonators during the Christmas season.

The Elf on the Shelf, originally a children’s picture book about elves who inform Santa about children’s behavior around Christmastime, is now a multi-million-dollar franchise. And the United States Postal Service now promotes a “Letters from Santa” program in which it provides personal replies to children’s letters to Santa.

Why do we feel compelled to go to such great lengths? Why does Uncle Jack insist on climbing onto the roof on Christmas Eve to stomp around and shake jingle bells?

The answer is simply this: Children are not unthinkingly credulous and do not believe everything we tell them. So, we adults must overwhelm them with evidence – the bells on the roof, the live Santas at the mall, the half-eaten carrot on Christmas morning.

How children evaluate

Given this effort, it essentially would be irrational for children not to believe. In believing in Santa Claus, children, in fact, exercise their scientific thinking skills.

First, they evaluate sources of information. As ongoing research in my lab indicates, they’re more likely to believe an adult than a child about what’s real.

Second, they use evidence (e.g., the empty glass of milk and half-eaten cookies on Christmas morning) to come to a conclusion about existence. Other research from my lab shows that children use similar evidence to guide their beliefs about a fantastical being, the Candy Witch, who visits children on Halloween night and leaves new toys in exchange for candy.

Third, research shows that, as children’s understanding becomes more sophisticated, they tend to engage more with the absurditiesin the Santa Claus myth, like how a fat man can fit through a small chimney, or how animals could possibly fly.

Wondering what to tell your child?

Some parents wonder whether they are harming their children by engaging in the Santa myth. Philosophers and bloggers alike have mounted arguments against perpetuating the “Santa-lie,” some even claiming that it could lead to permanent distrust of parents and other authorities.

So, what should parents do?

There is no evidence that belief, and eventual disbelief in Santa, affects parental trust in any significant way. Furthermore, not only do children have the tools to ferret out the truth; but engaging with the Santa story may give them a chance to exercise these abilities.

So, if you think it would be fun for you and your family to invite Santa Claus into your home at Christmas time, you should do so. Your children will be fine. And they might even learn something.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/why-children-believe-or-not-that-santa-claus-exists-70518.

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Alexa’s latest update brings reminders, email screening

More of the Alexa features and skills that Amazon announced back in September concerning schedules and reminders are arriving on Echo devices.

Though Alexa won’t be able to conduct phone conversations for you, the voice assistant is now able to place calls on your behalf thanks to one of a series of new features arriving on Echo devices this week.


In fact, this Echo update is going to automate a lot of those mundane daily activities that you don’t even realize take energy. Instead of relying on yourself to remember to take the trash out when you get home, Alexa can remind you. All you have to do to enable these reminders is to tell Alexa to remind you of something at a certain time, like taking the chicken out of the fridge before you leave home. When you come back home, Alexa will vocally remind you of the task and also send a notification to your phone in case you’re not close enough to hear. Specific locations can be programmed into the Alexa app, giving you more possibilities for scheduling reminders.

Additionally, Alexa will be able to understand how to schedule time between tasks before executing each. You could ask Alexa to turn the lights on 10 minutes after you wake up which is possible thanks to Alexa’s ability to detect motion. Also, if you schedule something like dinner, Alexa can send out alerts to everyone who is involved in the activity.

Apart from the new reminder and routine functionalities, Alexa will be updated to help you find the nearest location of a particular place you’re looking for, like a Starbucks, and screen your emails to let you know if you have anything new in your inbox in general or from a certain sender. These features are rolling out now for the United States market, but elsewhere over the next couple weeks.

The other features in the release that have yet to come out are still on their way; it appears that new features will be coming out in waves as the Alexa whispering function that is also on this list came out in October. Ensure to keep your Echo devices up-to-date so you can get the most out of them. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Golden State G League team in Santa Cruz is key developer

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — As the Santa Cruz Warriors huddled after practice, Darius Morris provided a quick recap of his adventure to the Arizona desert a day earlier to interview with the Suns. Phoenix needed a point guard given Devin Booker’s hamstring injury, and Morris was at least in the mix.

Santa Cruz coach Aaron Miles, who so wishes he were still playing professionally, had a little fun leading the offense in Morris’ absence.

Just one example of life in the topsy-turvy, changing-by-the-day G League, when Golden State or another club might come calling at a moment’s notice to swipe a top player for promotion to the NBA.

Or, as is the case for Santa Cruz this week, send one of the NBA’s best big men out on rehab assignment.

Miles will have the chance to work alongside DeMarcus Cousins, assigned to Santa Cruz on Monday as he continues his rehab from left Achilles tendon surgery. Cousins’ younger brother, Jaleel, is on the team, too.

One moment, Miles might be setting a screen or bouncing a pass into the post, the next he is pacing to the other end to check out his guards at work in a shooting drill, the practice plan rolled up in his left hand and chomping gum all the while.

“Move, you gotta move!”

“Good work, fellas, good work!”

Near the end of a session, Miles walks to the scorer’s table and starts a music playlist as individual shooting work begins. He is accustomed to constant change by now.

“You just kind of know more of what to expect, and you can expect the unexpected here,” he said. “I have pretty much the same staff so we’re all kind of comfortable in understanding how the G League works, how each other work. … The G League isn’t just for players to grow, it’s an opportunity for coaches and everybody in it to grow. So we understand we aren’t going to do everything perfectly.”

Santa Cruz’s fast start drew praise from Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

The two-time defending champions’ feeder team began 8-0 in the second season under Miles, who is thrilled to be part of Golden State’s staff during the run to a third title in four years.

“He still has that fire,” forward Kevin Young said. “It’s good for him to be able to show these guys how to go to the basket and what made him successful as a player, what can help the team and what he’s looking for as well.”

The Warriors clubs have made a point to build continuity, even running the same plays to ensure a seamless transition for two-way players making the 70-mile trek from the Bay Area to the tourist beach town along the California coast.

The father of four boys, Miles strives to keep things family oriented with his players, emphasizing that they should enjoy the journey and each step, not try to rush to the next level.

“You want that to result in an NBA spot, however in the meantime you get back, you focus and get lost again in our team goals and our team aspirations,” Morris said. “Even me just going (to Phoenix) and coming back kind of influenced everybody to just buy in even more to what coach is talking about. It proves — he had players last year, Quinn Cook, Damian Jones — it makes it easier to be able to listen to him and just trust the process, trust what he’s talking about.”

After one shootaround, Miles had just begun to ponder his minutes breakdown for a game that night when he got word Damion Lee was headed out to join the big Warriors.

Jones, who began as Golden State’s starting center before recently tearing his pectoral muscle, developed his game in Santa Cruz last season. Same with Cook, who emerged to fill a huge void during Stephen Curry’s injury absence late last season and again this past month.

“You can see the impact that our Santa Cruz affiliate has had on us over the last couple years,” Kerr said. “We feel really, really good about what Aaron Miles and his staff are doing there and the affiliation and the continuity. It helps so much that we run the exact same stuff. We bring Damian up and all of the sudden he’s playing 20 minutes a game and every call he knows because they’re running the same stuff down there. That makes a huge difference, difference between winning and losing a game, really.”

The 35-year-old Miles is a former Kansas point guard who played one NBA season for Golden State in 2005-06 and has 19 career games to his name.

Sure, he wants to still be in uniform — “100 percent” — and, sure, he might want to reach an NBA bench one day. But Miles applies the same patient approach he uses with his players to his own career path.

“He’s been in a similar predicament as us,” Morris notes.

There is constant communication between the two Warriors franchises, and Luke Loucks is a two-way coach who aids in keeping Miles and Kerr connected.

Miles understands how special this time is working for the NBA’s elite coaches and franchise and so appreciates the chance to talk to Kerr or top assistant Mike Brown, who “always give me some good insight and good advice.”

“It’s amazing. I always said, ‘I’m blessed,’” Miles said. “I had the opportunity to play for Roy Williams, play for Bill Self, coach under coach Self with coach (Joe) Dooley, and now have the opportunity to coach under, in a sense, Steve Kerr and be a part of this family and organization. I’m extremely blessed and honored. It’s great. I don’t know a better situation to be in.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Celebrities flock to Indian business scions’ lavish wedding

NEW DELHI — In a season of big Indian weddings, the Wednesday marriage of two business scions is set to be the biggest of them all.

The bride, Isha Ambani, is the Ivy League-educated daughter of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, thought to be India’s richest man. Forbes estimates his net worth at over $43 billion.


The groom, Anand Piramal, is the relative pauper. His father, industrialist Ajay Piramal, is thought to be worth $10 billion.

The wedding is being held in Mumbai on Wednesday but festivities began weeks ago, starting in September with an engagement party at a lakeside Italian palace. Over the weekend, thousands attended pre-wedding parties at a 16th-century palace in the Indian desert city of Udaipur, where footage shot by partiers showed Hillary Clinton dancing with Shah Rukh Khan, one of India’s biggest movie stars, as former Secretary of State John Kerry danced just a few feet away.

The highlight, though, was a performance by Beyonce, who sang “Crazy In Love,” among other hits, with a band backing her up and a series of costume changes that included at least one India-inspired outfit.

“Beyonce Lights Up Udaipur,” the Times of India shouted on Tuesday.

Indian weddings are famously elaborate, driving many families into debt with expectations that they invite hundreds or thousands of people, and arranging professional song-and-dance shows.

The Indian media noted that the Mumbai wedding was expected to be relatively small affair, with just 600 or so people in attendance.

The competitiveness of India’s wintertime wedding season is growing more extreme, according to Archana Dalmia, a social activist in New Delhi.

“A farmer might commit suicide because he can’t save enough money to get his daughter married,” she said.

The extravagant wedding of Indian actress Priyanka Chopra and American singer Nick Jonas earlier this month — attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — was straight out of a Bollywood film.

So-called dowry deaths — brides killed when their families fail to meet in-laws’ dowry demands — constitute a substantial share of all female homicides in India, a 2018 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report found.

While opulence has always been a feature of Indian weddings, families used to hand down bridal saris as heirlooms. No more, Dalmia said.

“This generation is very different. Priyanka Chopra will never be able to wear it again and she won’t be able to pass it down,” Dalmia said. /ee

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Holloway stops Ortega by TKO at UFC 231

TORONTO — Featherweight champion Max Holloway stopped top contender Brian Ortega by TKO at UFC 231 on Saturday night

The fight was stopped by the doctor after four rounds. Ortega’s left eye was almost closed, his face bloodied.


The skills of Holloway, who was returning from an injury-plagued year, were too much for Ortega, who had rallied in the third round but was unable to take Holloway down or use his vaunted jiu-jitsu.

“Kudos to him,” Holloway said of Ortega. “On to the next (opponent).”

UFC president Dana White applauded the decision to end the fight.

“That fifth round should never have happened and I’m glad it didn’t,” he said. “The fight needed to be stopped. For us all of in here that have been in the fight game for a long time, that’s what you call too tough for your own good.

“I believe he could have done the fifth round. I believe he would have done the fifth round. But it should have never happened … He’s a young talented guy and I think going into that fifth round would have been very bad for him health-wise. The fourth round wasn’t good for him health-wise.”

Holloway improved to 20-3-0, adding to his impressive credentials, while Ortega slipped to 14-1-0 with one no contest.

It could be Holloway’s last fight at 145 pounds. White wants him to move up to lightweight (155) to avoid the grueling weight cut.

Valentina Shevchenko, a native of Kyrgyzstan fighting out of Peru, overpowered a game, but outmatched Joanna Jedrzejczyk, of Poland, for the vacant women’s flyweight title in the co-main event. Shevchenko won a unanimous five-round decision.

“I have been waiting so long for this moment,” the 30-year-old Shevchenko said.


Ortega, an accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, entered the arena to the sounds of DMX’s “X Gon’ Give It To Ya.” Holloway walked out to “Game Over” by Lil’ Flip and then “Hawaiian Kickboxer” by Moke Boy.

The crowd started chanting “Holloway, Holloway” as the two circled each other. Ortega scored with counter punches as the champion came forward and connected with an elbow. A relaxed Holloway began to find his striking distance and stuffed a takedown as the round ended.

Ortega’s nose began to bleed profusely in the second as Holloway fired punches. Another takedown was rebuffed and Holloway taunted Ortega. The two exchanged words after the round that was dominated by Holloway.

Ortega came back in the third, connected with punches and almost got Holloway to the ground. Holloway fought back with punishing blows as Ortega continued to bleed from the face.

When Ortega connected, Holloway nodded as if to give him props. Ortgea showed he can take a punch.

Holloway danced in the fourth and then hammered Ortega at the fence. He took him down later in the round.

The 27-year-old Holloway had won his last 12 fights since an August 2013 loss by decision to Conor McGregor.

It was Holloway’s first fight since Dec. 2, 2017, due to a variety of health issues.

The two 145-pounders were originally slated to meet at UFC 226 in July, but Holloway was forced to withdraw at the last minute due to what was thought to be “concussion-like symptoms.”

An ankle injury had forced Holloway out of a March bout against former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 222. Ortega filled in for Holloway, winning by a spectacular first-round TKO.

Holloway also missed out on a short-notice fight with current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 in April (after Tony Ferguson withdrew with a knee injury), pulling out during his weight cut.

The lone blemish on the 27-year-old Ortega’s record was a 2014 win over Mike de la Torre that was changed to a no contest after a positive test for the steroid drostanolone. The California native was suspended nine months and fined US$2,500.

Ortega apologized for the failed test, saying he took the drug to help with his weight cut.

Jedrzejczyk (15-3-0) and Shevchenko (16-3-0) met at 125 pounds.

Shevchenko looked bigger and bulkier, taking Jedrzejczyk down a minute into the fight. Jedrzejczyk got back to her feet but had trouble gauging her striking distance early.

While she tried to find it, Shevchenko was content to counter. Shevchenko bodied Jedrzejczyk to the ground in the second, got side control and did damage as the round ended.

Shevchenko came on the third, bloodying Jedrzejczyk’s nose. Jedrzejczyk was taken down again in the fourth.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Braekhus, Shields win decisions on HBO’s last boxing show

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Cecilia Braekhus defended her welterweight titles with a dominant unanimous decision over Aleksandra Magdziak-Lopes on Saturday night in the final fight of the last HBO boxing telecast.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields also defended her middleweight titles with a dominant unanimous decision over Belgium’s Femke Hermans, winning every round on every scorecard to improve to 8-0 in her two-year pro career.


A small, chilly crowd at the famed outdoor arena at StubHub Center south of downtown Los Angeles witnessed the final show in the 45-year history of HBO’s boxing coverage. The premium cable network has been a driving financial force behind the sport for decades, but its management has decided to bow out of the game amid stiff competition from Showtime, ESPN and new streaming service DAZN.

source: sports.inquirer.net

With Kevin Hart’s downfall, hosting the Oscars got harder

LOS ANGELES  — The “most thankless job in town” just got even more difficult.

The Oscars have a longstanding host problem, but Kevin Hart’s swift downfall over old anti-gay tweets has led to bigger questions about the gig and the liability of social media histories.


It’s just the latest controversy for the organization that puts on the Academy Awards, which is trying to combat declining ratings for its marquee event while weathering the pressure of being a focal point for the shortcomings of the entertainment industry as a whole.

“I think it’s embarrassing,” Matthew Belloni, the editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter, said about the academy’s decision to pick Hart. “It shows that they either didn’t vet this host properly, or they did vet him and didn’t think this would be an issue. And both are a little troubling.”

Hart seemed to fit the bill for what the academy was looking for.

“He checks all the boxes for a show like the Oscars,” Belloni said. “He’s a legitimate movie star. He’s a funny guy and can handle the stand-up element of the show. And he has a gigantic social following. And to the academy, that’s important. They want someone who can bring a new audience to the show.”

But Oscars hosts have always been subjected to a lot of scrutiny.

Poor or even mediocre performances can haunt people for years (Anne Hathaway and James Franco). Off-color jokes have a way of festering in the cultural consciousness (think of Seth MacFarlane’s “we saw your boobs” song, or Chris Rock’s Asian jokes). And even when things go decently enough, everyone is handed the right envelope and nobody walks away offended, the hosts can still be blamed for poor ratings.

“Oscars host has become a not very desirable job in Hollywood. Very few people see an upside,” Belloni said. “You put a huge target on your back.”

People have stepped down from being the public face of the event amid controversy, as producer Brett Ratner did in 2011 for anti-gay slurs. But Hart’s case is a little different. Ratner’s offensive remarks came after he had secured the gig. Hart’s tweets were from almost a decade ago and were well known.

But in 2018, an unsavory social media past can cost someone their job. Just this past summer, the Walt Disney Co. fired director James Gunn from the third “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie for old tweets in which he joked about subjects including rape and pedophilia. As with Hart, the problematic tweets were amplified by social media outrage.

Immediately after Hart was confirmed as host on Tuesday night, some journalists began tweeting reminders of Hart’s past comments. By Thursday morning, a few publications had written articles about them. The outrage escalated, Hart commented but did not apologize, stoking even more outrage, which culminated with Hart’s announcement on Thursday night that he was stepping down as host of the 91st Academy Awards.

As the dust settles, the situation has proved vexing for some in the entertainment business. Actor D.L. Hughley commended Hart for his decision.

“A Comedian says something that offends people and refuses to apologize?” Hughley tweeted. “(Expletive) ’em if they can’t take a joke! Well done #KevinHart.” Snoop Dogg posted an even more colorful Instagram video in support of Hart.

The advocacy organization GLAAD wishes Hart hadn’t stepped down, however.

“Hart’s apology to LGBTQ people is an important step forward, but he missed a real opportunity to use his platform and the Oscars stage to build unity and awareness,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.

The film academy has yet to address Hart’s departure. Hart said the film academy told him he had to apologize or he’d lose the gig. He bowed out on his own, and with an apology.

Now everyone has an opinion about who should be named host. A woman? A comedian? Not a comedian? Someone in the LGBTQ community? All of the above?

Many keep coming back to Whoopi Goldberg, who has hosted the awards four times. Some have said Ellen DeGeneres, who hosted one of the Oscars’ highest-rated shows, or Tom Hanks, who has a longstanding academy relationship.

Others have said Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele, Will Smith or Lin-Manuel Miranda. Busy Phillips threw her own name out there (“I AM AVAILABLE,” she tweeted). Philips also proposed Issa Rae, Sarah Silverman, Ali Wong, Samantha Bee, Robin Thede and Aisha Tyler, or “any other woman working in Hollywood right now who wants to.”

Stephen King suggested Patton Oswalt (He’s “funny, sharp-tongued, and he knows film,” King tweeted.) Some have even proposed Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty. Or no host at all, which has been done several times before, and as recently as 1989.

But the film academy will need to move quickly. The 91st Oscars are less than three months out. MKH

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Kendrick Lamar, Cooper and Lady Gaga earn Golden Globe nods

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Golden Globe nominations recognized Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s talents as actors, but Thursday’s announcement also came with a nod for their soulful duet “Shallow” from “A Star is Born”.

They join an impressive roster of music stars who earned Globe nominations Thursday, including Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Dolly Parton, Annie Lennox and Troye Sivan and Jonsi.

Cooper and Gaga were each nominated for best drama acting honors for their performances in “A Star is Born”,  and Cooper also earned a directing nod.

“Shallow” co-writer Mark Ronson received his first Golden Globe nomination for his work on the song. He told The Associated Press he sent text messages to Cooper and Gaga telling them both, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“When you go into writing a song for a movie like this, you hope that it’s good enough to make it in the film. But to be nominated is amazing,” said Ronson, who learned about the nomination after taping a talk show with Miley Cyrus in London. “It’s just a really good song. The way (Gaga and Bradley) performed the song takes it to another level.”

Gaga said in a statement, “The film has truly been a passion project for everyone involved and we’ve all become a family.”

Lamar, a Grammy winner, and SZA became first-time Globe nominees for their song from the Marvel Studios blockbuster “Black Panther”. The superhero film also received a nomination for best original score along with “A Quiet Place”, ”Isle of Dogs”, First Man” and “Mary Poppins Returns”.

“It’s a nice surprise to be woken up. I thought it was another evacuation,” said “Quiet Place” composer Marco Beltrami, who had to evacuate from his studio for a week during a massive Southern California wildfire last month.

Dolly Parton and Linda Perry were nominated for “Girl in the Movies” from the upcoming film “Dumplin”, while Annie Lennox was recognized for “Requiem for a Private War” from “A Private War” and Troye Sivan and Jónsi for “Revelation” from “Boy Erased”.

“Black Panther” composer Ludwig Goransson said he was awakened by his wife who flashed her phone in his face with the news.

“I’m just really proud, but totally surprised,” said Goransson, who worked with Childish Gambino on “This Is America”. ”You never want to take anything for granted, especially in this business.”

It’s the sixth Globes nomination for Parton.

Troye Sivan and Jónsi said it was an incredible honor to create the song “Revelation” for the film “Boy Erased” in hopes of spreading the message of love.

The 76th annual Golden Globes will air live on January 6, 2019. CC

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Drake dominates Apple Music as most-streamed artist in 2018

LOS ANGELES  — Drake was a dominate force on Apple Music as the platform’s most-streamed artist of the year globally.

Apple released its “Best of 2018” list Tuesday that Drake’s “Scorpion” was the top album, while his hit “God’s Plan” was the most popular single. The rapper’s song “Nice for What” came in second and “In My Feelings” at No. 4


Drake’s fifth studio album had four other songs in the top 100 including “Nonstop,” ”I’m Upset,” ”Mob Ties” and “Don’t Matter To Me,” featuring Michael Jackson. He was also featured on Lil Baby’s “Yes Indeed,” Migos’ “Walk It Talk It” and BlockBoy JB’s “Look Alive.”

Post Malone’s songs “Rockstar” and “Psycho” were in the top 5. His album “Beerbongs & Bentleys” was the second-most streamed followed by Cardi B’s, the late XXXTentacion and Travis Scott.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Traveling to a foreign country? Google just named a language app as best app of 2018

A language learning app that promises to teach users the basics in as little as five minutes a day has been named Google Play’s Best App of 2018.

Drops is a visual-based learning system that teaches vocabulary through illustrations and fast-paced micro-games.

For travelers headed to a foreign country, the app might come in handy, particularly in restaurants, hotels and for public transport.

Because Drops doesn’t prioritize grammar. That’s more for people who want to become fluent in a language. Instead, the basic level focuses on vocabulary, teaching 1,700 words in 99 topics.

For languages like Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and Hindi, the app teaches a beginner alphabet course.

Users can also choose between different dialects and accents, from Mandarin or Cantonese Chinese, Castilian Spanish or Latin-American Spanish, American or British English to European Portuguese or Brazilian Portuguese.

Overall, the Drops app features 31 languages.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Clippers’ Patrick Beverley fined $25K for throwing basketball at fan

NEW YORK — Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for throwing a basketball at a fan during a game in Dallas.

The fine was handed down Tuesday by league discipline executive Kiki VanDeWeghe.


The incident occurred with 9:10 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ 114-110 loss to the Mavericks on Sunday.

Beverley and Mavericks guard Dennis Smith Jr. wrestled on the floor for a loose ball, their second loose-ball scramble of the game. After Beverley got up holding the ball, he threw a bounce pass to a Mavericks’ fan sitting courtside, which the fan caught. That drew a technical foul and an ejection.

He said after the game that the fan uttered an expletive about his mother.

source: sports.inquirer.net