Global tablet usage for TV viewing doubles: survey

SAN FRANCISCO — Global usage of tablet computers by consumers for viewing TV and video content has more than doubled in the past year, said a new survey released on Wednesday.

Worldwide, over 12 percent of consumers said they watched TV or video on tablets such as Apple’s iPad and devices running on Google’s Android system, compared with nearly 5 percent a year earlier, according to the latest survey results from research firm NPD DisplaySearch.

The survey involved more than 14,000 TV owners in 14 regional markets worldwide.

It also found that more than 70 percent of consumers are using devices other than a TV set to view TV or video content.

In addition to tablets, survey respondents said they were also leveraging other alternate electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones and MP3 players to consume TV and video content.

“While the trends vary by region, it is evident that consumers around the globe are watching more video and TV content with their portable electronic devices as these provide additional means of accessing content,” Riddhi Patel, research director of consumer insights for NPD DisplaySearch, said in a statement.

“Despite this increase, however, TVs still remain the primary device of choice for viewing TV content, with 30 percent of consumers reporting that they view TV/video content on TVs alone,” she noted.

source: interaksyon.com

About The New Apple Maps

At the WWDC 2012 keynote, Apple presented the new Map app for iOS 6.0. This new Maps will replace the default iOS Map from Google. In what appears to be the last step of cleansing ritual, Apple completely rids itself of its dependence on Google technologies. Don’t get it wrong, Google apps are still available on the iOS platform, but as third party downloads, and not as a first class citizen that comes bundled with the OS!

How does the new Maps compare with Google’s iOS Maps? Well, it is unfortunate that I cannot provide full details of the new Maps due to Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA), I can, however, provide you with my comments based on information about the Maps that are available on the internet.

First, the way maps are presented is quite different. In Google Maps, you are immediately provided with a full detailed map at the default zoom level. Zooming in enhances those details more. In contrast, Apple’s Maps provides a clean map with details that are relevant at a particular zoom level. Zooming in provides more detail. Frankly, I prefer the way Apple did it -- it is simple, clean and makes more sense. You don’t need that much detail when you are zoomed out, right?

Second, accuracy is ruled by Google. Google is miles ahead of Apple in mapping technology. The map databases of Apple probably pales in comparison with Google. However, Apple’s Maps is still in beta, so we do not know how much it will improve in the next three months, but it will surely improve. I hope that Apple also gives importance to maps outside of the USA.

Google Maps on iOS does not have Turn-by-Turn navigation. I am not sure if this is a Google decision or an Apple limitation. However, Apple’s Maps is designed to have this feature. I have used Turn-by-Turn on Google Maps on Android and comparing it against Apple’s Maps, Apple’s Maps has better presentation. The large signs and arrows are easier to read, even at a distance, which is important specially when you are driving. In addition, Apple’s Maps has Siri (only for iPhone 4S and new iPad) that speaks each twist and turn to you.

Google Maps has Street View, which Apple Maps doesn’t have, but Apple Maps has Flyover (3D rendering), which Google Maps is rapidly adding to its arsenal. Google and Apple are trying to provide the best Maps for the consumers. Google, however, has a huge advantage of being in the business longer than Apple. However, with Google Maps getting booted out of iOS 6 (with no standalone Google Maps iOS app available on iTunes App Store), Apple Maps has an upper-hand here. Considering how fast iOS users take in new iOS versions, it will not take long before Google Maps will be reduced to a memory on the iOS platform (though I am sure that Google will be releasing a Google Maps app soon). And oh, did I tell you that Apple is also leveraging technologies from other mapping companies such as TomTom and Waze? Pretty cool, eh?

So - wait around 3-4 months and we will see iOS 6 out (along with the new iPhone). Only then can we determine if Apple Maps is as useful to us outside of the USA as Google Maps.

source: mb.com.ph

Finland On A Plate

Will she be serving reindeer?" That was the buzz at Edsa Shangri-La's Heat restaurant when American-Finnish celebrity chef Sara La Fountain held her one-day exclusive lunch and dinner food festival recently.

The perky and pretty "cooking sensation" confessed that this was her original intent but alas, she could not source reindeer meat in our part of the world. And lugging it around from Finland throughout her tour wasn't quite practical. Sorry, no Rudolph today. Nonetheless, she did cook up a storm, serving Finnish comfort food that warms the soul on those frigid Norse winters.

To ease the creaking of bones, of course, there's steaming soup. Sara ladled Salmon Soup with Fresh Egg Roe, accompanied by a sliver of Archipelago Bread. This dark sweet bread flavored with malt and topped with herbs is for dipping into the soup. She had been carrying pieces baked from her grandmother's original recipe, yet the bread was as soft and moist since the day she left Finland.

For her next dish, Sara offers a comment: "Finnish food is all about seasonal flavors." The countryside abounds with produce, fruits, fresh vegetables and root crops. During the long months of summer and seemingly endless sunshine, they enjoy these fruits of the earth; to stock up for winter, these same crops are preserved by pickling or smoking. A bite of summer in deep dark winter was Vorchmack with Marinated Beets, a traditional dish served at weddings; it highlights minced beef, lamb and herring settled on a row of marinated and pickled vegetables.

A fusion of the old and new worlds arrived via Crayfish Salad with Boiled Quail Eggs, Radish, Avocado and Asparagus served with Dill Mayonnaise and Cilantro-Ginger Dressing. This summer salad starring Finland's ubiquitous but tiny crayfish complemented with creamy avocado is best eaten with toast.

The main dish of Karelian Stew was another treasured recipe Sara learned from her grandmother. Made with lamb, beef, cabbage and carrots and refreshed with sour cream, this stew originated from Finland's Karelian region.

For a flourishing Finnish finish, there’s a Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake. While rhubarb is not commonly found in the Philippines, Filipino taste buds need not be totally fazed, as its caramelized pinkish flesh on this cake tastes a lot like sweet pineapple.

For more of Sara's Finnish classics, check out her program New Scandinavian Cooking on the Asian Food Channel. For details and show schedules, visit www.asianfoodchannel.com.

source: mb.com.ph

Another Pricey Rental Rises on the Upper West Side

TWO years ago, the opening of the Corner and the Aire proved there was a healthy appetite for spare-few-expenses rentals on the Upper West Side.

Units in these buildings, which have finishes like mahogany floors and amenities like washers and dryers, leased quickly, even though rents were higher than the neighborhood average.

Now a new project is trying to replicate their successes. Developed by Friedland Properties and Rose Associates, a 20-story rental building is going up at Broadway and 77th Street. The building is now known as the Larstrand, though developers say that is just a working title.

What is settled is that the high-rise will have 181 units, from 480-square-foot studios to 1,700-square-foot three-bedrooms, said Robert A. Scaglion, a senior managing director of Rose Associates.

The $135 million project, which kicked off last summer, is not expected to be complete until the end of 2013, but developers have already chosen many finishes. Kitchens will have quartz counters, Bosch appliances and Bertazzoni ovens. Bathrooms will have Italian tile walls and floors, Kohler tubs, and under-floor radiant heat. Bath mirrors will be defoggable with the flick of a switch; a portion of mirror surface will have a television built in.

Rents for the three-bedrooms, which will be on the corners with views of Broadway, are expected to be $90 a square foot, Mr. Scaglion said, and one-bedrooms, which will average 700 square feet, could cost around $80 a square foot. That comes out to around $13,000 and $4,750 per month, respectively. (Twenty percent of the units will be offered below market rents for qualifying tenants.)

The average rent in May for a one-bedroom on the Upper West Side was $3,471 a month, or about $60 a square foot, according to MNS, a real estate brokerage.

To help justify these prices, and to compete with other buildings, the Larstrand developers are putting extra effort into the common areas. The 4,800-square-foot roof deck, for instance, will have an outdoor movie theater, which is something the Corner did not offer, Mr. Scaglion said. The theater could be the scene of movie-night parties, he added.

“The evolution of the high-end luxury building is that residents are now requiring special programming in these kinds of spaces,” said Mr. Scaglion, who also marketed and leased the Aire, at 200 West 67th Street. in addition, Rose handled the marketing for the Corner, at 200 West 72nd Street.

The L-shaped Larstrand site takes up the entire eastern side of Broadway between 77th and 78th Streets (the residential address is 227 West 77th Street). It will have 40,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, as well as two lower levels. Also on the site are two other buildings, which will be preserved and renovated. So far, CVS has leased a 9,800-square-foot store, a company spokesman said. The two-story buildings that used to line the block were home to a diner, a pizza place and a taekwondo school, as well as the popular Asian restaurant Ruby Foo’s, which closed its location there in 2009.

For Friedland, which did not respond to a request for an interview, No. 227 continues a recent push into residential development. The company, led by the brothers Lawrence and Melvin Friedland, owns more than 100 buildings on the East Coast, according to its Web site, including several in the area. But brokers said the firm had not built a major new one until the 22-story Melar went up at 250 West 93rd Street in 2007.

The Melar has 143 units, ranging in size from studios to three-bedrooms, though rents, at an average of $70 a square foot, are below what No. 227 plans to charge, Mr. Scaglion said, because the Melar is north of Broadway’s liveliest shopping district.

One factor working in the Larstrand’s favor is that it will come to market with little in the way of competition, since many development plans were deferred during the recession, said Andrew Barrocas, the chief executive of MNS. With limited inventory and strong demand, vacancy rates have fallen into the low single digits, so rental projects that open in the next two years are in a great position, he said. “I was blown away by what the rents ended up being for the Corner,” Mr. Barrocas said, “and I expect this building to do just as well.”

source: nytimes.com

Pregnancy & Beyond series in Makati Medical Center

Whether mom or mom-to-be, go straight to the experts and get all the medical advice you need on the journey to and through parenthood at Makati Medical Center as the premier health institution holds Pregnancy and Beyond 2012, its annual series of free lay forums about pregnancy and baby care.

The forums will be held every last Saturday of the month from June to November, 10am to 1pm, at the MakatiMed Auditorium on the 8th Floor of Tower 2.

Topics to be discussed are: For a Healthy Baby: Spotting Red Flags: Newborn Screening, Developmental Delays, and Basic Immunization (June 30 and November 24), Nutrition for Pregnancy and Pre-natal Care (July 28); Sexy Pregnancy: Lamaze and Exercises for the Anticipating (August 25); The Baby Manual: Breastfeeding, Infant Care, Nutrition and Post-partum Care (September 29); and Looking after your Baby: Touch Therapy, Colors, and Safe Toys for Infants (October 27).

For inquiries, call 8888.999, or email mmc@makatimed.net.ph.

source: mb.com.ph

Dolphy Might Be Able To Leave ICU Next Week

MANILA, Philippines – The Quizon family is ecstatic that Dolphy's doctors have greenlighted his transfer from the intensive care unit (ICU) to a regular room next week.

“Kaming lahat, the Quizon family, it’s a relief for all of us. Kumbaga ngayon nakakahinga kami, nakaka-smile kami, nakakatawa na kami. At maganda lang dun kasi parang pati daddy ko, he smiles na rin,” Dolphy’s son Eric told members of media at the Makati Medical Center on Friday evening.

Eric said they were informed of this development earlier that day.

“We’re taking it one step at a time, you know. Because at least, for the doctors to say na pwede na siyang ilipat sa regular room, it’s all good news eh. From the doctors to the family, lahat kami parang, ‘Okay.’

“‘Yun lang kasi, parang siyempre gusto lang namin makasigurado na pwede na talaga namin siya ilipat. Then, kung pwede na siya umuwi, iki-clear naman ng doctor ‘yun eh. ‘Pag pwede na siyang umuwi, iuuwi namin siya,” he said.

Meanwhile, Eric related that Dolphy continues to be lucid that “even during dialysis, even during transfusion, nakikipag-relate siya sa ‘min.” He said the Comedy King hasn’t undergone blood transfusions in the last two days.

“According to the doctors, there's no more bleeding, no more internal bleeding, which is good,” he said, adding that Dolphy’s kidney function has likewise significantly improved.

As for the dialysis, Eric related, “Hopefully itong weekend na 'to ipapahinga muna siya sa dialysis kasi it seems like yesterday hindi siya nag-dialysis, nagkaroon ng malaking improvement eh… 'yung gagawin nila ngayon itong weekend na 'to, off muna siya sa dialysis. Titingnan natin kung ano 'yung magiging improvement ng kidney niya.”

Asked if his father is aware of what's going on, Eric shared, “The other day he said, ‘Where am I?’ So I guess he’s not, he’s not really… He knows.”

He continued, “Knowing my dad, alam niya na… Sinabi namin na nasa ICU siya. At ‘pagka nakikita niya ‘yung mga duktor niya – meron nga kaming isang duktor, ‘yung surgeon – alam niya ‘yun, kilala niya ‘yun eh. Nu’ng nakita niya ‘yung surgeon na pumasok, sabi ng daddy ko talaga… parang sort of saying, ‘May gagawin ka ba sa ‘kin, ooperahan mo ba ‘ko?’

“So parang gano’n, parang gano’n ‘yung expression ng mukha niya. And nakita namin ni Zsa Zsa nu’ng gumano’n ‘yung mukha niya, ‘uy, kilala ko ‘tong duktor na ‘to ah,’ He knows his doctors…” he said, laughing.

However, Dolphy remains to be “very susceptible” to contracting pneumonia due to poor immune system. That said, the family has decided to continue limiting visitors to family members as per the doctors’ advice.

Meanwhile, Eric said that there are no concrete plans yet to celebrate not only the improvement of Dolphy's health but also his birthday on July 25.

“We’re taking it one step at a time, on a daily basis, kung ano ‘yung magiging improvement niya. If he progresses like this, then of course we’ll probably have something.

“Ang wino-worry nga lang namin is ‘pag nag-prepare naman kami ng malaking selebrasyon na ‘yon… Usually kasi kami ‘pag meron kaming selebrasyon, dun siya nagkakasakit. Siguro ‘pag natutuwa siya, hinahalikan siya, bigla siyang nagkakasakit,” he said, before assuring that the family “will have something ‘cause we have a reason to celebrate.”

source: mb.com.ph

Eastern U.S. Storms Leave 2 Dead, 2 Million Without Power

Violent evening storms following a day of triple-digit temperatures wiped out power to more than 2 million people across the eastern United States and caused two fatalities in Virginia — including a 90-year-old woman asleep in bed when a tree slammed into her home, a police spokeswoman said Saturday.

Widespread power outages were reported from Indiana to New Jersey, with the bulk of the service interruptions concentrated on Washington, D.C., and the surrounding areas. Earlier Friday, the nation's capital reached 104 degrees — topping a record of 101 set in 1934.

More than 20 elderly residents at an apartment home in Indianapolis were displaced when the facility lost power due to a downed tree. Most were bused to a Red Cross facility to spend the night, and others who depend on oxygen assistance were given other accommodations, the fire department said.

The storms, sometimes packing 70 mph winds, toppled three tractor trailers on Interstate 75 near Findlay, Ohio. Fallen trees were blamed on both deaths in Springfield, Va. — the 90-year-old woman in her home and a man driving a car, Fairfax County police spokeswoman Mary Ann Jennings said.

In addition, a park police officer was injured by an uprooted tree in the northern Virginia county, and an 18-year-old man was struck by a power line, Jennings said. He was in stable condition after receiving CPR, she said.

"Our officers and firefighters are out there with power saws, trying to clear the streets," Jennings said.

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency after more than 500,000 customers in 27 counties were left without electricity.

At least four utility poles fell on a road in Columbus, Ohio, making it too dangerous for people in four cars to get out, police said. One person was taken to a hospital.

As of 1 a.m. Saturday, Pepco was reporting 406,000 outages in the District of Columbia and Montgomery and Prince George's counties, Md.

"We have more than half our system down," said Pepco spokeswoman Myra Oppel. "This is definitely going to be a multi-day outage."

In the Washington, D.C., area, the Metrorail subway trains were returned to their endpoints due to the storms and related damage, officials said.

"It has had a widespread effect on the region," Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said early Saturday. He said about 17 train stations were operating on backup power due to local power outages, but that he didn't anticipate service being disrupted on Saturday.

source: nytimes.com

One Direction to Release New Song From Second Album in September

One Direction are not slowing down when it comes to crafting music. The band member Niall Horan recently stated that they have already begun working on their second studio installment in between their tight schedule of Up All Night Tour dates.








"We've been recording already, actually. When we came back from Australia, we had a couple weeks off and then we went straight into the studio to get cracking on the next album," he told MTV News. "And then last week we were in L.A. and we had five days off the tour to record in L.A. so we recorded more there."

The five-piece group expect to finish the album at the end of summer for a targeted fourth-quarter release. The first single of their sophomore set, meanwhile, is planned to be released in September this year as Horan spilled, "Then obviously we've got to make a decision for a single soon, 'cause we have to get a single out towards September, I suppose."

Speaking of one material they created for the upcoming album, the 18-year-old singer gushed, "We wrote an absolutely cracking song that we're all kind of very excited about." He, however, denied rumor that the lead single off the effort was titled "Heartbreaker".

"I read that on Twitter," he said of the swirling report. "It's not true at all. We actually don't even have a song called 'Heartbreaker.' That's not gonna happen."

One Direction shot to stardom following the release of their debut album "Up All Night", which peaked at No. 1 of Billboard 200 in its debut week. The achievement made them the first UK group in U.S. chart history to debut at number one with their first album. The set boasts award-winning single "What Makes You Beautiful".

source: aceshowbiz.com

Sam Pinto is FHM’s sexiest for 2nd straight year

Sam Pinto is the sexiest woman in the land for the second year in a row, according to the results of a popular annual poll conducted by FHM Philippines. FHM made the announcement on its website on Thursday.

The 22-year-old actress and model narrowly beat fellow perennial contender and two-time winner Angel Locsin, garnering 1,249,189 votes against the latter’s 1,131,505. FHM promised to release the poll’s Top 10 results on July 1.

An alumna of “Pinoy Big Brother” and a mainstay of the gag show “Bubble Gang”, Sam is the third celebrity to achieve the feat, after Angel and Katrina Halili.

She is the second to do it in two successive years, after Katrina’s back-to-back triumphs in 2006 and 2007.

The complete results of the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World, as the poll is officially known, will appear in a supplement accompanying the July 2012 issue of the magazine.

source: interaksyon.com

Snooki Takes a Tumble in Platform Sandals

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi may be pregnant and sober, but she still couldn't stay upright while going for a stroll in platform sandals on the Jersey shore.

The Snooki & Jwoww star has taken spills before – but that's back when she and her Jersey Shore costars were partying! Now, they are back in Seaside Heights, filming Season 6, but none of her costars were around at the time.






"She's fine. She slipped. I don't know if it was the shoe that was the issue or something on the sidewalk like a bump or something that she tripped over," a source tells PEOPLE. "Sad thing was that the paparazzi all kept snapping their photos and no one went to help her. That's kind of sleazy. If you see any pregnant woman fall you should help them."

Maybe just flats from now on? Not anytime soon, adds the source: "She's feeling good and she loves her footwear. Jessica Simpson wore heels almost to the end."

source: people.com

Heart Evangelista: 'I really want to be in a relationship that leads to getting married'

Ilang buwan na ang nakalipas mula nang huling may kasintahan ang Kapuso actress na si Heart Evangelista at sa ngayon, gusto nito na ang susunod na makarelasyon ay ang lalaking mapakakasalan niya.

"I'm 27, and by this time I'd rather be alone than be with a person that I'm not gonna end up with. And I really want to be in a relationship that leads to getting married," wika ng aktres sa panayam ni Mel Tiangco sa "Powerhouse" ng GMA News TV nitong Martes.

Isa ito sa mga dahilan kung bakit nagkahiwaly si Heart at ng huli nitong nakarelasyon na si Daniel Matsunaga.

Kwento ni Heart na bagama't may magaganda ang mga katangiang taglay ni Daniel, hindi pa rin siya ang lalaking para sa kanya.

Aniya, "Oh, he's a good guy, but because it's the cultural differences... And he's a really nice guy. He's Christian, his family is wonderful, but it's just, hindi, eh. "

Dumating na nga sa yugto ng buhay si Heart na gusto na nitong magkapamilya.

Gayunpaman, sinalaysay rin ni Heart ang naging relasyon nila ng kanyang dating kasintahan na Jericho Rosales.

Si Echo (palayaw ni Jericho) ang pinakanagtagal na karelasyon ni Heart. Tumagal ito ng tatlong taon at tila ang pinaka maingay sa lahat.

Ito ang relasyon na nag-iwan kay Heart ng malalim na sugat, lalo na nang balutin ito ng isang masakit at malaking kontrobersiya.

Sa kanilang relasyon, naging balita noon na nagpalaglag di-umano ang aktres.

"That's what they said, but that's a lie. That was one thing I wanted to prove to my parents na I wouldn't end up like that. And if I did get pregnant I would definitely get married and have a family which is always what I wanted," saad niya.

Ayon pa sa Kapuso actress, naging black propaganda ang naturang balita dahil hindi sila magkasundo ng kanyang mga magulang noong mga panahong iyon.

Wika pa nito, "And it's the first time I fell in love and just the idea of separation with your parents, you know, going against them, and this abortion thing, oh wow! and then I went pa to Hawaii and really it was perfect."

Gayundin, kinuwento rin ni Heart na ang mga dati nitong nakarelasyon ay dumating sa kanya sa maling pagkakataon.

Sa katunayan, may natutunang magandang leksyon si Heart mula sa mga sakit na naranasan niya sa kanyang mga nakarelasyon.

Aniya, "If you know that you're a good person, then you're fine. If you know that you have a good relationship with God (even) if all these things are happening, then you're fine." — Mac Macapendeg/ELR, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

American beaches laden with sewage, bacteria: study

WASHINGTON - US beaches can be dirty places, making about 3.5 million people sick each year from sewage in the water, said an annual study Wednesday that rates American beaches by how dirty they are.

The Natural Resources Defense Council report included 3,000 beaches nationwide and listed 15 "repeat offenders" that have turned up again and again in the pollution rankings.

Those included four beaches in Louisiana, Avalon and Doheny State Beaches in southern California, and select waterfront beaches in Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Wisconsin.

Overall, the total number of beach closures and water quality advisories nationwide last year was the third highest in 22 years of monitoring, said the study.

"America's beaches are plagued by a sobering legacy of water pollution, including bacteria-laden human and animal waste," said NRDC Water Program Director Steve Fleischli.

"So when people dive into the ocean, it can make them sick with a range of waterborne illnesses including stomach flu, skin rashes, pink eye, ear nose and throat problems, dysentery, hepatitis, respiratory ailments, neurological disorders and other serious health problems."

Louisiana tallied the highest number of dirty samples (29 percent) that exceeded national standards for designated beach areas in 2011.

The southern state famed for its seafood and music and whose shoreline was among those sullied by the BP oil spill in 2010 ranked last out of 30 states measured for beachwater quality.

However, since the ranking was based on bacteria sampling in the waters, the problem was not solely attributable to the devastating oil spill, the NRDC said.

Instead, the main problem across most of America's beaches is polluted storm water runoff -- with more than 10 trillion gallons of untreated storm water making its way into surface waters each year, according to US Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

"The biggest known cause of beach closings and swimming advisories is polluted storm water runoff," said Fleischli.

"When it rains, the water carries trash, chemicals, oil, animal waste -- you name it -- off the paved streets of our communities into sewers and ultimately to our beach."

The environmental group appealed for tougher EPA standards on beach water quality and improved measures to halt runoff pollution and sewer overflows.

"EPA believes it is acceptable for one in 28 swimmers to become ill with gastroenteritis from swimming in water that just meets its proposed water quality criteria," said NRDC.

"This risk is unacceptably high and is not protective of public health."

As many as 3.5 million people get sick from coming in contact with raw sewage from sanitary sewer overflows every year, the EPA says.

The NRDC also listed the best beaches for water quality. The top beaches were in the northeastern states of Delaware (Dewey Beach) and New Hampshire (Hampton Beach State Park and Wallis Sands Beach).

Other five-star ratings went to Newport Beach in California, Ocean City Beach 6 in Maryland, and Gulf Shores Public Beach in Alabama.

No Florida beaches made the top 12 that received the five-star rating.

source: interaksyon.com

Olympics: Phelps seals another London berth

OMAHA - Michael Phelps booked himself into another event at the London Olympics when he won the 200 meters butterfly final at the U.S. swimming trials on Thursday (Friday, PHL time).

The greatest Olympian of all time remained on course to emulate his incredible eight-gold haul from Beijing four years ago with another powerful display in America's midwest.

Showing no sign of fatigue or weariness despite his grueling schedule, the 26-year-old powered away from his rivals over the final two laps to win in one minute 53.65 seconds, more than two seconds outside his world record but still the fastest time in the world this year.

"It's not a good enough time to win a gold medal, but I think I'm okay with it," said Phelps.

"Today was the best my stroke has felt throughout the whole meet. So, in all I'm pleased, but I think I need to go faster if I want to win that at the Olympics."

Phelps's Baltimore club teammate Allison Schmitt, who is rapidly emerging as a star in her own right, clinched her second individual swim in the English capital when she won the women's 200m freestyle final ahead of teenage sensation Missy Franklin.

Schmitt followed up her impressive victory in the 400m freestyle on Monday (Tuesday, PHL time) when she led all the way to win the 200m in 1:54.40, the quickest time recorded since synthetic bodysuits were banned at the end of 2009.

Franklin, who won the 100m backstroke final on Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time), finished second in 1:56.79 to seal her second individual swim and her third overall with the top six finishers all securing places in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Caitlin Leverenz won the women's 200m individual medley to earn her second swim in London after finishing runner-up in the 400m medley. Ariana Kukors, the world record holder, flashed home over the last length to grab second spot.

Favorite event

Phelps has now qualified for London in five events and barring any slip-ups, he will swim the exact eight-event program he contested at each of the last two Olympics, winning six golds and two bronze medals in Athens then eight golds in Beijing.

But of all his events, the 200m butterfly is his favorite and the one he has dominated the most. It was the only event he qualified for at the 2000 Sydney Olympics when he was just 15 and it was the event where he set his first world record and won his first world title.

He won the event at five world championships, has held the world record for more than a decade and won the gold medal at the past two Olympics.

"This is my fourth Olympics Games in this event, so it's special to me, special to my family, special to my mom," Phelps said.

"I have a couple of weeks to perfect some things that I'm going to need if I want to end with a good one."

Tyler Clary, who had finished third behind Phelps and Ryan Lochte in the 400m medley, qualified for his first Olympics when he finished second.

Lochte qualified equal fifth fastest in the semi-finals of the 100m freestyle but later withdrew from the final because he is already swimming the 200m medley and 200m backstroke semis on Friday night.

Lochte could still swim in the 4x100m freestyle relay in London if his time in the semis is not bettered by at least five other swimmers.

"We made a plan going into this meet that I was just going to do semi-finals of 100m free and whatever happens, happens," he said.

Lochte's withdrawal provided a lifeline for Jason Lezak to swim the final. The 36-year-old, whose stunning anchor leg swim in Beijing set the platform for Phelps's record eighth gold medal, was a reserve for the final after qualifying ninth overall. - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Miley Cyrus: Australian Guys Are 'Way Hotter' Than Americans

For the fans who coveted her fianc´ Liam Hemsworth in The Hunger Games – and envied her when the couple announced their engagement last month – Miley Cyrus may be stating the obvious.

"[Australians are] way hotter. There's no competition," she told PEOPLE at Wednesday night's Australians in Film awards, where Hemsworth received the Australians in Film Breakthrough Award. Added Cyrus, 19, who grew up in Nashville, "I think there's a masculinity about [Australian guys] that is probably like growing up in the South, like what I did. They are a little bit more respectful, I suppose."



But he's more than a pretty face (and a hunky bod).

"My dad [singer Billy Ray Cyrus] has always been a really hard worker, so I like it when men work hard," she said. "I think it's important and I always work really hard, so it's good to have someone who is as passionate about what they do, and wants to be great at what they do."

And Cyrus wasn't the only one gushing. As he accepted his award, Hemsworth, 22, paid homage to the beginning of his career – when he met his soon-to-be wife auditioning for The Last Song in 2009.

"I was fortunate enough to get called back in and read with my now fiancée, and we read together and fell in love, and got married," he told the audience, before correcting himself. "Well, not married yet."

"We will be," Cyrus yelled from her seat.

Added Hemsworth, "We will be."

source: people.com

Hilary Duff Sports a Bikini While Holding Baby Luca

Motherhood does a body good – at least in the case of Hilary Duff.

Post-pregnancy yoga and Pilates workouts are working for the former Disney star, 24, who said in April that those exercises make her "feel more clear-headed and positive."

Flaunting her fit figure in a black, low-rise bikini, Duff is photographed in Mexico carrying 3-month-old son Luca Cruz, while adjusting her sunglasses and showing off some serious abs.



As a woman in the public eye, she acknowledges, "There is a little bit of pressure" to lose baby weight. "But most of it comes from me."

source: people.com

Instagram perks up its iOS app

Popular photo sharing app Instagram is adding "visual improvements" to its update for devices running Apple's iOS operating system.

Version 2.5.0 of the app includes custom filters and borders, effects and instant sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, Foursquare, and Posterous.

Other features include unlimited uploads and the ability to interact with friends through giving and receiving likes and comments, according to its description on the iTunes Store.

The app also has a revamped profile tab and allows one to search for users and tags in the Explore tab. It also has improvements to commenting.

The app is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad running iOS 3.1.2 or later.

A separate article on CNET said the app "does seem quite a bit faster with photos loading more quickly."

But it said it is not yet clear if and when Instagram for Android will be updated. — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Ann Curry Confirms Today Show Exit in Tearful Send-Off, Reveals Future Plans

Ann Curry is getting ready to say her good-byes.

The veteran journalist and morning-show host has confirmed rampant speculation that she'll be stepping down from the Today show after 14 years, saying she'll "really miss" viewers and that media leaks about her departure have "hurt deeply."

Curry, who is set to officially announce her exit Thursday morning on the Today show, spoke at length beforehand with USA Today, telling the paper that breaking the news to viewers is "going to be a bit of a tough day."

"I'm going to have to tell our viewers," she said while reportedly choking back tears. "That's what makes me more emotional than anything. I don't want to leave them. I love them. And I will really miss them."

Particularly painful, she lamented, were early media reports about her departure. "I don't know who has been behind the leaks, but no question they've hurt deeply," she said.

Curry also gave props to cohost Matt Lauer, calling out their "terrific relationship" on a "history-making" show.

source: eonline.com

Windows 8 signals the end of Windows as we know it, analyst says

MANILA, Philippines — The impending release of Microsoft’s new operating system Windows 8 will bring forth such tectonic changes in user computing that will lessen the relevance of desktop-based computing and applications, according to analyst firm Gartner.

The shift, according to Gartner analysts, is underpinned by Microsoft’s decision to support a common core development platform for its desktop, phone, tablet and server flavors, also known as WinRT (Windows Runtime).

Microsoft announced the gist of that move last week for its next-generation Windows Phone 8 mobile OS, as well as the revelation that the software giant will soon ship its own tablet called Surface.

“Windows 8 is the start of Microsoft’s effort to respond to market demands and competitors, as it provides a common interface and programming API set from phones to servers,” said Michael Silver, vice president and analyst at Gartner, who pointed out that Microsoft will still continue support for Win32 applications but “will encourage developers to write more manageable and engaging applications using WinRT.”

Gartner said such a move is Microsoft’s response to intensifying demand from consumers for more mobile and flexible computing options, qualities found mostly among smartphones and tablets today.

More than a major upgrade, Windows 8 has been touted by the analyst firm as a major “technology shift,” similar to Microsoft’s move from DOS-based computing to Windows NT technology in the early 90′s.

“The user computing world is changing. PCs, although still critical components of the computing landscape, are no longer the only devices for delivering services and applications to users,” stressed Steve Kleynhans, vice president for client and mobile computing at Gartner.

Could enterprises keep up?

Consumers, in general, are quick to adapt to such changes and are relatively accepting of major technology shifts. It’s the enterprise segment, Gartner said, who should be keeping a close watch of developments within Microsoft, particularly its push for a Metro-style user interface, which uses a tiled design and a full-screen app-like experience in place of windows.

That said, the analyst firm predicts that most users and organizations will continue to run legacy applications for 10 or more years, but stressed that “the Windows Desktop and legacy Windows applications will decline in importance in future Windows client releases.”

It added that Metro-style apps will only gain significant traction in user-facing enterprise apps in at least five years’ time, adding that firms will take many years to move their applications to the new model, with many running Win32 apps and the desktop browser through 2015 even if they have already upgraded to Windows 8.

The turning point, Gartner said, for Metro-style apps to gain foothold in the enterprise would be by 2020, when it predicts that enterprise users would spend less than 10 percent of their time running Win32 applications.

“Organizations planning to develop new Win32 applications should switch to Metro for all new user-facing applications beginning in 2013 and should focus on external apps first and internal apps later,” it suggested.

source: interaksyon.com

US approves first obesity drug in 13 years

WASHINGTON DC - US regulators on Wednesday approved the first drug to treat obesity in 13 years, a drug called lorcaserin, marketed as Belviq and made by Arena Pharmaceuticals.

The drug works to control the appetite through receptors in the brain and was approved as additional therapy for certain overweight and obese patients, combined with diet and exercise.

Trials showed the drug helped people lose an average of three to 3.7 percent of their body weight after a year when compared to a placebo, the US Food and Drug Administration said.

It is approved for use in obese adults with a body mass index of 30 or greater, or overweight adults with a BMI of 27 or greater who have at least one other condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol.

Arena's stock opened the day at $9 per share and jumped as high as 47 percent on news of the US approval. The company said it is also seeking approval on the European market, but has no timeline yet for a decision.

Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, described obesity as "a major public health concern," and said the new drug offers a treatment option when used "responsibly in combination with a healthy diet and lifestyle."

However, the FDA warned that Belviq is not for women who are pregnant or nursing, and called for further long-term postmarketing studies on the drug's potential risks.

The label will also recommend that Belviq be discontinued in patients who fail to lose five percent of their body weight after 12 weeks of treatment.

"These patients are unlikely to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss with continued treatment," said the FDA statement.

Belviq activates the serotonin 2C receptor in the brain, and may cause serious side effects if taken in combination with certain medications for depression and migraine that increase serotonin levels or activate serotonin receptors.

"Belviq may also cause disturbances in attention or memory," said the FDA.

Common side-effects in patients without diabetes include headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, dry mouth, and constipation.

In diabetic patients, side effects may include low blood sugar, headache, back pain, cough, and fatigue.

Lorcaserin was rejected in 2010 by the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee, which advises the FDA, over concerns that it formed breast tumors in rats.

But those effects did not appear in trials on overweight and obese humans.

An independent advisory committee to the FDA recommended the drug be approved in May after three randomized, placebo-controlled trials of nearly 8,000 patients spanning one to two years.

"All participants received lifestyle modification that consisted of a reduced calorie diet and exercise counseling," the FDA said.

"Compared with placebo, treatment with Belviq for up to one year was associated with average weight loss ranging from three percent to 3.7 percent."

Some patients with type 2 diabetes experienced higher levels of weight loss, with 38 percent of these patients achieving at least five percent loss of their body weight compared to 16 percent who did the same on a placebo.

The pills will be manufactured at Arena's facility in Zofingen, Switzerland, and will be distributed in the US by Eisai Pharmaceuticals.

Arena is headquartered in San Diego, California.

According to Michael Aziz, internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, the biggest apparent drawback to the drug is the tiny amount of weight loss that patients experience while taking it.

"The only problem with this drug is the weight loss is so, so very low," Aziz told AFP, remarking that a 200 pound (91 kilogram) person might lose just six pounds (2.7 kg) in a year, based on the study data.

"That is so insignificant," he said. "I think people should also implement lifestyle changes because the fact is, people can lose one pound a week and that is perfectly healthy."

The last anti-obesity drug approved in the United States was Xenical (Orlistat) by Roche in 1999.

Sold over the counter as Alli by GlaxoSmithKline, it works by preventing the body from absorbing fat, though its tendency to cause gastrointestinal side effects such as oily, loose stools have curbed its popularity among patients.

article source: interaksyon.com

Yahoo and Clear Channel Forge Digital Radio Partnership

Yahoo and Clear Channel have anounced a distribution and cross-promotional deal.

As part of the multi-year agreement, Yahoo will begin using Clear Channel's iHeartRadio platform as its digital radio service and the station will promote both companies' content. In addition, the new joint venture will offer exclusive access to various concert series and other music events, including the two-day iHeartRadio Music Festival in September at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

This is the first agreement between the two giants.

According to Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman, the deal was forged after Yahoo's interim CEO Ross Levinsohn suggested it.

"We were thrilled when Ross approached us about this partnership," said Pittman in a statement. "We like the direction Yahoo! is going and by working together we can accelerate growth for the both of us."

Yahoo has recently been forging content relationships with the likes of ABC News and CNBC and has indicated a newfound focus on its online ad business for its media properties.

"This partnership will expand our ability to provide consumers and advertisers with the best premium content available and provide Clear Channel with unmatched digital reach," says Levinsohn.

Clear Channel, the biggest player in terrestrial radio, has been looking to bolster its digital business. Most notably, the company signed a pathbreaking deal with the Big Machine Label Group, home to Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and others. The agreement allowed Clear Channel to bypass SoundExchange -- which sets rates for digitally streamed music that some have deemed to be expensive -- in favor of a direct profit sharing deal.

The latest deal marks another noteworthy agreement for Clear Channel.

As part of the new partnership, both entities will exploit their significant assets to promote each other's content. According to the companies, the Yahoo! Media Network reaches more than 167 million monthly online users and Clear Channel stations reach 237 million monthly listeners across 150 markets.

source: hollywoodreporter.com

China Dairy Recalls Hundreds of Cartons of Tainted Milk

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese dairy company has recalled hundreds of cartons of milk after a mechanical error tainted the batch with alkaline water, the latest blow to China's scandal-plagued dairy industry.

The recall comes just weeks after China's top-selling dairy firm, Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co, pulled six months' worth of infant formula from shelves due to mercury contamination.

China's milk industry is struggling to restore consumer confidence after a series of scandals, the worst of which was in 2008 when milk and infant formula laced with the industrial chemical melamine killed at least six children and made nearly 300,000 ill.

In the latest incident, the Bright Dairy & Food Co., called Guangming in Chinese, posted a recall notice on its website after customers complained online of bad smelling and discolored liquid in the company's 950 ml cartons (about a quarter gallon) of Ubest milk, state media reported on Thursday.

A seconds-long mechanical delay during routine maintenance at one of its Shanghai factories caused a "small amount" of alkaline cleaning solution to be flushed into 300 cartons of milk produced on Monday, the company's notice said.

"We deeply apologize for any impact this has had on our customers. From today on, we will strictly strengthen relevant management procedures," it said, thanking media and customers for their "supervision".

Bright Dairy said it would provide door-to-door apologies to customers who bought the bad milk and carry out a strict factory inspection.

The Shanghai Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision said it was investigating the case.

China has struggled to rein in health violations in the unruly and vast food sector despite harsh punishments and repeated vows to deal with the problem.

The country is notorious for its food safety woes, with frequent news reports of fake cooking oil, tainted milk and even watermelons that explode from absorbing too much fertilizer.

source: nytimes.com

Alex Pettyfer Is Ready to Strip on Broadway

It sure worked for The Full Monty – taking the story of male strippers from the screen to the Broadway musical stage. So why not the new kid on the runaway, Magic Mike?

Apparently, that's the plan already in the works by Channing Tatum, whose own story loosely forms the basis for the new movie, and his screenwriter and producing partner Reid Carolin.

Furthermore, the movie's Alex Pettyfer, 22, says he would "absolutely" do the Broadway version. "I think we should all do the opening night," he tells USA Today about his fellow manscaped costars costars Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello and Matt Bomer.

"We are working on it as a Broadway show, which would be a different story," Carolin tells the newspaper. "More of a romp, more of a fun night out at a club with a story."

He adds, "I'm almost more excited about that than the movie because I think it's the perfect thing for women to go see on Broadway, to be participants in the show."

The recipient of positive early reviews, the movie Magic Mike, directed by Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh, opens Friday. Tatum plays Magic Mike Martingano, the tutor for Pettyfer's character of Adam, schooling the young newcomer in the ways of stripping, living and womanizing.

article source: people.com

Asian markets gain after Wall Street lead

HONG KONG - Asian markets rose Wednesday thanks to a positive lead from Wall Street, but gains were capped by lingering doubts about an upcoming European Union summit aimed at tackling the eurozone debt crisis.

Tokyo closed up 0.77 percent, or 66.50 points, at 8,730.49, while Sydney closed 0.75 percent, or 29.9 points, up at 4,043.2 and Hong Kong added 1.08 percent in the afternoon.

Seoul ended flat, edging down 0.16 points to close at 1,817.65, while in late trade Shanghai was also little changed.

US markets were given a boost by the S&P Case-Shiller price index for 20 major US cities, which rose for the third straight month in April.

The modest rise in the US market, caused by property prices falling less than expected, provided a fillip as the sector is a key component in the world's biggest economy.

However, separately the Conference Board reported that consumers grew more pessimistic about the economy for the fourth consecutive month in June.

The Dow gained 0.26 percent, the S&P 500 rose 0.48 percent and the Nasdaq added 0.63 percent.

Eyes are on Europe, with leaders meeting in Brussels for two days of talks from Thursday to consider proposals to give EU authorities more power over national budgets, and to centralise banking supervision.

But economists are unconvinced they will be able to overcome their differences to hammer out a coherent deal.

Some of the region's top finance chiefs met in Paris Tuesday to try to pave the way for a summit deal.

French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said the gathering would be anything but "banal" and would tackle real issues, while Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti vowed to work overtime to save the euro.

"We cannot allow this extraordinary European piece of work to which Italy has always contributed to go bust," Monti said in a speech to the Italian parliament.

A report drawn up by EU and eurozone leaders Herman Van Rompuy, Jose Manuel Barroso, Jean-Claude Juncker and Mario Draghi proposes to move "over the next decade" towards greater centralised power for the "financial sector, for budgetary matters and for economic policy."

In the report, EU president Van Rompuy said: "The euro-area level would be in a position to require changes to (national) budgetary envelopes if they are in violation of fiscal rules."

The meeting comes against a backdrop of a downgrade for 28 Spanish lenders by Moody's and an appeal by Madrid for rescue cash to prop up its banking sector.

This week also saw Cyprus become the latest eurozone member to ask for a handout as its economy struggles owing to its exposure to Greece's debt mountain.

In Sydney shares in Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation soared 2.42 percent to end at Aus$21.50 after confirming it is considering a split into two publicly traded companies, separating its publishing assets from its bigger entertainment arm.

The euro bought $1.2490 and 99.36 yen in afternoon Asian trade, compared with $1.2495 and 99.36 yen in New York late Tuesday. The dollar was trading 79.54 yen against 79.51 yen.

On oil markets New York's main contract, light sweet crude for August delivery was 18 cents lower at $79.18 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for August delivery dropped 23 cents to $92.75 79.

Gold was at $1,569.10 an ounce at 0630 GMT, compared with $1,584.76 late Tuesday.

In other markets, Wellington added 0.19 percent, or 6.46 points to 3,387.78. Telecom Corp. was up 3.74 percent to NZ$2.44 and Fletcher Building slipped 1.53 percent to NZ$5.79.

Taipei rose 0.63 percent, 45.08 points, to 7,183.01. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co ended up 0.76 percent higher at Tw$79.3 while smartphone maker HTC gained 2.31 percent at Tw$376.0.

source: interaksyon.com

Zynga plans to build a gamers’ social network

SAN FRANCISCO — Zynga Inc unveiled a social network for gamers dubbed “Zynga with Friends” on Tuesday, hoping to wean itself from a longstanding, symbiotic relationship with Facebook Inc that has shaped two of Silicon Valley’s closely watched Internet companies.

The game publisher, which has been under pressure to reverse a steep slide in stock price in recent months, said its new network will pair gamers with opponents and make features like player profiles, an activity stream and chat available for all users, regardless of whether they play Zynga games on mobile devices or on desktop computers.

Zynga with Friends is “one network, one unified experience, and one social lobby that will for the first time connect all of our players, no matter where they’re playing,” Manuel Bronstein, a senior Zynga executive, told reporters at a press event in the company’s headquarters in San Francisco.

“The new social features and services are designed for the sole purpose of bringing more people to play together,” Bronstein said.

Zynga will also provide programming tools to help third-party developers publish online and mobile games based on its own software, executives said, in order to foster a Zynga “ecosystem” that will expand its slate of titles beyond mainstays such as “Farmville” and “Zynga Poker.”

Still, Zynga shares closed nearly 5 percent lower on Tuesday as investors saw little in the announcement – which included the planned social network, as well as a bevy of new game titles – to drive strong long-term growth.

The company announced “FarmVille 2,” a sequel to its megahit resource management title, as well as “Matching with Friends,” an addition to a suite of smartphone games that includes the popular “Words with Friends.”

“One of the worries is that the whole idea of social gaming seems to be waning somewhat,” said Paul Verna, a gaming analyst at eMarketer. “There doesn’t seem to be a lot of growth left, and the idea of unveiling another Ville game or FarmVille 2 – I don’t get the sense that’s very exciting to the financial investors.”

Cozy partnership

Zynga’s moves, while long expected, have stirred speculation around the future of its cozy partnership with Facebook, a company that owed 15 percent of its first quarter revenue to fees from Zynga. The two companies also confirmed recently that Facebook has begun showing ads from its inventory inside Zynga games, which are played by some 290 million people.

Meanwhile, Facebook’s reach of close to 1 billion users has helped distribute Zynga’s games and propel the publisher to a dominant position in the social gaming industry, but analysts have warned that Zynga needs to seek greater independence to sustain growth, especially as Facebook’s expansion inevitably slows.

Colin Sebastian, an analyst at R. W. Baird, said the Zynga with Friends network “is a natural step in the right direction as they leverage their technology infrastructure and user base. On one hand it might help them become less dependent on Facebook, but from a practical perspective they will continue to remain dependent on Facebook for quite some time.”

Asked to comment, Facebook issued a statement that betrayed no concern about Zynga’s announcement. “It’s exciting to see Zynga continue to build with Facebook across web and mobile platforms.”

Responding to questions from reporters on Tuesday, Zynga executives took pains to stress that the expansion of its own social network did not threaten its existing relationship with Facebook.

“We’ve had a longstanding agreement with Facebook that we would do these kinds of things,” said Reed Shaffner, Zynga’s director of product. “In no way are we trying to use that to say you have to play on this platform.”

“The idea is that we’ll help you find the best gaming friends anywhere you play,” he added.

Executives said the platform could potentially have as many as 290 million users with some 2.8 billion daily social interactions once it is rolled out, although a launch date was not specified.

Targeting mobile

Zynga acknowledged on Tuesday that it is also trying to boost mobile usage, targeting a small but faster-growing wireless device gaming market that is quickly becoming a crucial battleground for so-called casual or social gaming.

To bolster its mobile offerings, Zynga purchased New York-based game developer OMGPOP for $183 million in March.

The company said Tuesday it will also team up with Atari SA to develop games, but did not elaborate.

Zynga executives said they will provide developers a set of “application programming interfaces” – APIs – to make it easier for them to craft games using Zynga’s software.

“We’re opening our doors today and opening Zynga Partners for Mobile. We are inviting developers from all over the world to come and join our network,” said David Ko, chief mobile officer.

Zynga wants to create an ecosystem with “best-in-class mobile developers and best-in-class mobile games,” Ko said.

The company also announced new titles including ChefVille, a kitchen management game, and The Ville, a game resembling “The Sims” that allows users to build homes and dress their avatars to interact and pursue romantic relationships with other users.

Even so, analysts said Zynga, facing mounting scrutiny from investors, may need to look beyond its familiar repertoire to attract new gamers and keep existing ones hooked.

“One area where they may have disappointed people is, they are not showing any games in development that target a more core gamer, or so-called mid-core gamer,” said Sebastian, the Baird analyst. “That’s something where we’ve seen a lot of growth for Facebook, and that’s potentially a missed opportunity for Zynga.”

source: interaksyon.com

Maroon 5, Adam Levine get ‘Overexposed’ on new album

LOS ANGELES – Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine may have charmed TV viewers as a judge on NBC’s hit singing competition “The Voice”, but music critics have given mixed reviews to the band’s latest album “Overexposed”, out on Tuesday.

The album is the fourth studio effort from the Los Angeles quintet led by Levine, who shot to fame in 2002 with singles “This Love” and “She Will Be Loved”, from their debut album “Songs About Jane.”

“Overexposed” sees the band moving away from the alternative rock that influenced their previous records, and embracing pop music wholeheartedly.

The set has already spawned a hit with the angst-driven lead single “Payphone” featuring rapper Wiz Khalifa, and the band is following up with reggae-infused second single “One More Night.”

“Payphone” has had 2.7 million digital song sales in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

But reviews for “Overexposed” are mixed, with the album earning a score of 51 out of 100 on review aggregator site Metacritic.com.

Entertainment Weekly’s Adam Markovitz criticized the album’s lyrics, saying “verses alternate between horndog rhapsodies … and bratty put-downs of some Everygirl who always disappoints.” He said the “strongest wordcraft” was in the album title.

Levine, who co-wrote each track on the album, stuck to the themes that Maroon 5 is best known for — love and heartache, with playful innuendos.

The singer also conjures up the troublesome femme fatale throughout the album in tracks such as “Lucky Strike” and “Tickets”, where Levine sings of his female subject being “perfect on the outside, but nothing at the core.”

In “Ladykiller,” Levine pays a subtle homage to the late Michael Jackson with his falsetto in the chorus singing “she’s in it just to win it, don’t trust her for a minute.”

The band revive ’80s disco sounds in tracks such as “Tickets” and “Doin Dirt”, and club-friendly beats in “Lucky Strike” and “Love Somebody”, — the two tracks on which One Republic’s hit-maker Ryan Tedder makes his mark on lyrics and production.

The move towards pop comes after the band scored its biggest hit with the single “Moves Like Jagger,” featuring Christina Aguilera, which has sold 5.2 million copies in the U.S. since June 2011 according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The song’s success was fueled by Levine and Aguilera’s roles as judges on “The Voice”, which has seen their popularity soar in the last year.

But Maroon 5 also makes sure on the new album to feature its acoustic roots from 10 years ago, showcasing Levine’s voice against a guitar-driven melody on “Beautiful Goodbye,” and in the anthemic “Daylight.” Levine gives his rawest performance in “Sad,” a piano ballad of heartbreak and personal anguish.

Rob Sheffield at Rolling Stone called “Overexposed” the band’s “best yet,” giving it three and a half stars out of five and praising Levine, who “cops to the slick Hollywood sex-panther role he’s perfected on TV, wheedling and pitching woo to every lady within earshot.”

Caroline Sullivan at British newspaper The Guardian said the album’s “hooklines and characteristic high-shine production are there,” but didn’t replicate the “blue-sky charm” of “Moves Like Jagger,” giving the record three out of five stars.

article source: interaksyon.com

Apple finally opens iTunes Store in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — If you own a piece of Apple hardware and is an avid user of iTunes, lend us your ears: the Cupertino-based technology giant has finally opened its iTunes Store for downloads of music, movies and other digital content to Philippine users, as well as 11 other Asian countries beginning Wednesday.

The move effectively allows Filipino iPod, iPhone, iPad, Mac and PC owners entry to a wealth of musical and theatrical content, or around 20 million songs currently available on Apple’s digital content distribution platform.

Other countries now allowed to purchase content from iTunes include Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Apple said the opening of iTunes in these countries also signal the entry of more Asian content in the platform.

“Customers can also rent or purchase movies from the iTunes Store, with many available in stunning HD, from major studios including 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, The Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures,” it added.

Long awaited by music and film aficionados in the Philippines, the iTunes Store revolutionized the music industry in the West as well as in other countries with the introduction of low-cost DRM-free MP3 downloads, at just $0.99 per song. It also recently allowed the renting of movies starting at $2.99, where users can keep a copy of the film for 30 days and will have 48 hours to view the film once they clicked the Play button.

Apple, however, did not mention whether it would be allowing the download of TV shows through the iTunes Store in the near future.

source: interaksyon.com

Miley Cyrus Parties in Hollywood While Fiancé Liam Hemsworth Works

While Liam Hemsworth was busy filming in New Orleans over the weekend, his fiancée Miley Cyrus made time to hit up her favorite Hollywood hotspot.

Popping into Beacher's Madhouse inside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel at around 11:45 p.m., the "Can't Be Tamed" singer was joined by a group of girlfriends – and they immediately headed to Cyrus's usual table in the front row of the club.





"Miley spent most of the night dancing," an onlooker tells PEOPLE, adding that she shimmied to songs by Pitbull and Michael Jackson.

But it wasn't until Rihanna came on that Cyrus really seemed to be having a ball on the dance floor.

"She threw her hands in the air when the deejay started playing, 'We Found Love,' " the source says. "She was very chatty and was in a great mood. At around 12:15 a.m., she pulled her girlfriend into the photo booth to take pictures together."

Also on hand that evening was Alexander Skarsgard.

The True Blood hunk was "approached by a handful of girls," says the source, but "[seemed to enjoy] his evening mostly under the radar."

source: people.com

3 million Filipino children in hazardous work

About 3 million Filipino children are employed in the most hazardous forms of work, the latest survey of the National Statistics Office (NSO) shows.

Based on the 2011 Survey on Children of the NSO released to the public on Tuesday, the current number of children working in hazardous jobs grew from 2.4 million back in 2001.

Of the 29 million Filipino children (aged 5-17 years old), 5.5 million are employed in various forms of labor.

More boys are employed in dangerous work compared to girls, the study revealed. About 66.8 percent of child workers in hazardous work are boys, while 33.2 percent are girls.

Regions with the highest incidence of hazardous child labor are also some of the poorest areas in the country, which includes Central Luzon (10.6 percent), Bicol (10.2 percent), Western Visayas (8.5 percent), Northern Mindanao (8.2 percent) and Central Visayas (7.3 percent).

“We have to get to the root of child labour which is linked with poverty and lack of decent and productive work,” said Director Lawrence Jeff Johnson of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for the Philippines.

The ILO defined hazardous child work as “being likely to harm children's health, safety, or morals by its nature or circumstances.”

“Children may be directly exposed to obvious work hazards such as sharp tools or poisonous chemicals. Other hazards for child labourers may be less apparent, such as the risk of abuse or problems resulting from long hours of work,” the ILO said in a statement.

But the group clarified that the NSO study cannot be compared with previous statistics since it was conducted with the revised definition and terms under Republic Act 9231 on the worst forms of child labor enacted in 2003 and international statistical standards adopted in 2008.

It also said that the survey cannot give a complete and detailed picture of Filipino children trafficked for work, undergo sexual exploitation, or are in armed conflict.

“One of the recommendations is to conduct the survey every 5 years to immediately find solutions and provide interventions. Results of this survey will be used as targets for interventions both geographically and among specific groups by industry occupations, “ Johnson said.

The recent study by the NSO alarmed the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), one of the largest and oldest labor federations in the country.

“We are left with no choice but to double our efforts and find better ways to implement programs to get children out of child labor, especially those in hazardous work,” said Julius Cainglet, Assistant Vice President of the FFW.

Cainglet echoed the ILO's commitment in combating the continued rise of Filipino child laborers and their exposure to more hazardous work.

The ILO launched on Tuesday the Batang Malaya: Child labor free Philippines campaign, a nationwide drive geared towards the global deadline of ending the worst forms of child labour by 2016.

Under the campaign, the ILO seeks the following actions:

- Institutionalize the Survey on Children to regularly monitorprogress.

- Strengthen and rationalize the operations of the National Child LaborCommittee by giving it a legal mandate, budget and a dedicated secretariat.

- Improve enforcement of RA 9231 to ensure that all persons found to beengaging children in the worst forms of child labour are penalized.

- Expand the reach and strengthen the capacity of the labourinspectorate to monitor child labour even in unregulated sectors.

- Mainstream child labour in local development plans and integrate asconditionality in programmes to reduce poverty including conditionalcash transfers.

According to the ILO, there are 215 million children trapped in child labor worldwide, 115 million of them were in the worst forms of child labor in 2010.

source: interaksyon.com

'Too much math' - Scientists find proof

WASHINGTON - Artistic types are not the only ones whose eyes glaze over when confronted with too many numbers, according to research out Monday that suggests scientists, too, find lots of equations hard to read.

The study by researchers at the University of Bristol analyzed nearly 650 studies on ecology and evolution published in three leading journals in 1998.

They found that papers with more equations in the text were less likely to be cited in future papers, signaling that scientists may not be paying attention to research that is jammed with mathematical details.

Studies with the most math in them were referenced 50 percent less often than those with little or no math, said the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a US peer-reviewed journal.

"This is an important issue," said Tim Fawcett, lead author of the study titled: "Heavy use of equations impedes communication among biologists."

"Nearly all areas of science rely on close links between mathematical theory and experimental work," he said.

"If new theories are presented in a way that is off-putting to other scientists, then no one will perform the crucial experiments needed to test those theories. This presents a barrier to scientific progress."

Co-author Andrew Higginson suggested that adding a bit of verbal flourish might help experts get their point across.

"Scientists need to think more carefully about how they present the mathematical details of their work," he said.

"The ideal solution is not to hide the maths away, but to add more explanatory text to take the reader carefully through the assumptions and implications of the theory."

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction's Harry Styles Takes A Joy Ride In His New Ferrari (PHOTOS)

While I spent my first job's paycheck to help pay off an '88 Ford Escort my grandma sold me (true story), One Direction's Harry Styles uses his first job's MILLION dollar net-worth to purchase a sleek Ferrari. (FYI: That's a $195,000 price tag -- PAH-LEASE, chump change!) But you know what they say about bros who feel the need to purchase super-expensive cars: you should probably date 'em.




The "What Makes You Beautiful" singer was snapped rolling in his new wheels through Beverly Hills (We're pretty sure his flawless hair was made to blow in the wind from a convertible, BTW), looking like an effing boss. It looks like car collecting might officially be Harry's VERY expensive hobby (he recently bought a FOINE-looking Audi, too). But if anyone can afford it, it's One Direction. The guys' "Up All Night" DVD sales are through the roof, a potential counter-lawsuit win might be in their future, and the boys' half-eaten toast can go for $100K. So, there's really no reason they should be toting themselves around town in something like a Ford Fiesta. That reminds me: I have to put gas in my Ford Fiesta.

source: mtv

Investors Bet Consumer Stocks to Follow Danone Down

PARIS (Reuters) - Investors are betting European consumer-related stocks will fall further after a profit warning from food group Danone signaled a bigger-than-feared slide in spending in recession-plagued southern Europe.

Shares of companies such as Carrefour, Heineken and Pernod Ricard, which have a significant exposure to the euro zone, are in the crosshairs of short sellers, who expect a wave of profit warnings before the second-quarter earnings season.

Last Tuesday, Danone - a stalwart of the French CAC 40 index and a defensive safe haven for investors since Europe's debt crisis started in late 2009 - unexpectedly cut its profit margin forecast.

Danone blamed a drop in consumer spending in Spain, where nearly one in four are unemployed, which prompted the maker of Actimel and Activia yoghurts and Evian water to cut prices.

Following the warning, a number of short sellers - who profit from falling stock prices by borrowing shares, selling them, then buying them back more cheaply - are positioning themselves to make a buck out of the deteriorating trend in the consumer-related sectors.

"Profit warnings usually come in a bunch, so with Danone's warning, there's blood in the water," said Derek Lawless, head of ETX Capital France.

According to Markit, which provides securities lending data, short interest in Pernod has risen over the past week, with 4.2 percent of the company's shares out on loan, up from an average of about 2.5 percent over the past few months.

Short interest in Heineken remains relatively low, at 1.1 percent of the company's shares out on loan, but data shows it has also risen over the past week.

U.S. WARNINGS

Exposure to the ailing Spanish economy is becoming the Achilles' heel of food and beverage giants. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development forecasts a 1.5 percent drop in Spain's economic output in 2012, much worse than the 0.1 percent contraction expected for the euro zone overall.

"Europe is stuck in an austerity trap, and it has a knock-on effect on consumer spending. There's no confidence in the economy, so people are not spending," ETX Capital's Lawless said.

Danone's warning, which sent its stock plunging 10 percent to a near-five month low, was echoed a day later by a similar warning from U.S. giant Procter & Gamble Co.

The world's top household-products maker cut its growth forecasts for a second time in two months as it struggles with slowing demand in Western Europe, the United States and China. Its stock has since lost nearly 5 percent.

Other U.S. bellwethers, including PepsiCo Inc, FedEx Corp and Philip Morris, also lowered earnings expectations recently, citing concerns about Europe.

SCOPE FOR DISAPPOINTMENT

Traders said pricey valuation levels in the consumer staples sector, which has been seen as resilient to Europe's economic downturn, also makes the case for short-selling strategies.

"The second quarter is a nightmare for all the consumer companies active in Europe. Trading is decelerating both in Spain and Italy but also in France, while Germany is not immune," a Paris-based trader said.

"I believe that the entire sector needs to be rebased both in terms of earnings forecast and in terms of multiples. That brings a lot of short opportunities, and Carrefour, Pernod and Heineken are obviously good candidates."

Europe's food and beverage sector index, which includes Nestle, Unilever, Danone and Heineken, currently trades at an average 14 times expected earnings, well above a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 9.6 for Europe's broad STOXX 600 index, according to Thomson Reuters Datastream.

With data showing a deterioration in the euro zone's earnings momentum - analysts' upgrades minus downgrades over the past three months as a percentage of total estimates - there is scope for further disappointment on the earnings front, particularly from Spain, where the momentum is a steep -12.5 percent, according to Datastream.

Thomson Reuters StarMine data, which compares the forecasts of the top analysts with the broad consensus, predicts Carrefour will miss consensus profit forecast for fiscal 2012 by 2.9 percent, while Pernod is seen missing the consensus forecasts for 2012 by 0.3 percent, and Danone by 1.8 percent.

source: nytimes.com