S&P 500 posts biggest monthly gain since October 2011

NEW YORK - Stocks edged lower on Thursday on caution ahead of Friday's all-important jobs report, but the S&P 500 still posted its best monthly gain since October 2011.

The benchmark S&P 500 advanced 5.1 percent in January as investors cheered a compromise that temporarily postponed the impact of the "fiscal cliff" and fourth-quarter earnings were better than expected.

The S&P 500 registered its largest monthly advance since a rise of more than 6 percent in October 2011 and the best January showing since a 6.1 percent jump in 1997. For the month, the Dow gained 5.8 percent and the Nasdaq rose 4.1 percent.

Investors expect a pullback in equities after the recent gains, though they have bought on dips over the past four weeks. The largest daily decline on the S&P 500 so far in 2013 was Wednesday's 0.39 percent drop after data showed the economy contracted in the fourth quarter of 2012.

On Friday, the government is due to release January's employment figures at 8:30 a.m. (1330 GMT). Economists polled by Reuters expect non-farm payrolls to show employers added 160,000 jobs compared with a rise of 155,000 in December. The unemployment rate is likely to hold steady at 7.8 percent.

A survey by payroll processing company ADP on Wednesday showed private sector employment rose higher than expected last month, but the government's measure of jobless benefits claims increased last week.

"It's the calm before the potential storm. The uncertainty about tomorrow's numbers comes from that fact that we had a decent ADP report but the weekly claims were not so great," said Randy Frederick, managing director of active trading and derivatives for Charles Schwab in Austin, Texas.

In a separate report, the Commerce Department said American incomes rose 2.6 percent last month, the biggest increase since December 2004.

"We could see an overly sensitive market to a bad number tomorrow, given that we've been up without a major correction, and that makes the market sensitive to the downside."

Friday will also bring reports on consumer confidence, U.S. manufacturing, construction spending and car sales.

Limiting losses on the Nasdaq composite index, Qualcomm gained 3.9 percent to $66.02 after the world's leading supplier of chips for cellphones beat analysts' expectations for quarterly profit and revenue and raised its targets for the year.

Facebook shares fell 0.8 percent to $30.98 after falling as low as $28.74 a day after the social network company said it doubled its mobile advertising revenue in the fourth quarter. However, growth trailed some of Wall Street's most aggressive estimates.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 49.84 points, or 0.36 percent, at 13,860.58. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 3.85 points, or 0.26 percent, at 1,498.11. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 0.18 points, or 0.01 percent, at 3,142.13.

UPS shares lost 2.4 percent to $79.29 after reporting fourth-quarter earnings that were below analysts' estimates on Thursday and forecasting weaker-than-expected profit for 2013.

Constellation Brands shares tumbled 17.4 percent to $32.36 after the U.S. Justice Department moved to stop Anheuser-Busch InBev from buying the half of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo that it does not already own. Constellation would have distributed Corona beer in the United States if the transaction had been approved.

Thomson Reuters data through Thursday morning shows that of the 231 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings this season, 69.3 percent have exceeded expectations, a higher proportion than over the past four quarters and above the average since 1994.

Overall, S&P 500 fourth-quarter earnings rose 3.7 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data. That's above a 1.9 percent forecast at the start of the earnings season but well below a 9.9 percent profit growth forecast on October 1.

source: interaksyon.com

26 die in China bridge collapse

BEIJING -- At least 26 people were killed as a bridge collapsed in central China on Friday after a truck carrying fireworks exploded, state-run media reported.

The lorry "suddenly exploded" as it crossed the expressway bridge in the central province of Henan, China National Radio said, causing sections of it to collapse and sending other vehicles plunging to the ground.

source: interaksyon.com

Chipmaker Intel faces long march to mobile salvation

Intel Corp, the world’s biggest chipmaker, opened a new front on Thursday in a long and stuttering campaign to get its processors into mobile phones, although it appears to still have a long way to go.

It joined PC maker Acer Inc in Bangkok to unveil the Liquid C1 smartphone, a $330 device running Google Inc’s Android operating system, which will be launched first in Thailand and then rolled out across Southeast Asia, one of the fastest-growing markets for mobile phones.

“We’ve made a conscious effort to go after these fast-growing markets as our first foray into the business,” Mike Bell, who heads Intel’s mobile division said in a telephone interview.

The company’s ninth such device in nine months, the Liquid C1 represents how far Intel has come in convincing bigger name manufacturers to take a chance with its mobile chips as the sales of personal computers and laptops plunge.

But analysts say it also shows how far it still has to go to get a foothold in a market dominated by the likes of Qualcomm Inc and Nvidia Corp.

“First and foremost they have to prove they can play in this space at all,” said Scott Bicheno, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics. “There’s no obvious technical fault with Intel’s chips. It’s just that the incumbents are very well established.”

Intel has little choice but to get into mobile. It saw revenue fall 3 percent in the last quarter on weak sales of PCs, part of a steady decline in revenue growth since 2009.

It has also watched as devices like Apple Inc’s iPad cannibalize sales of PCs.

So, in the past year, the company has launched phones with Intel chips in Europe, Africa, Latin America, Russia, India and China.

Some were effectively designed and built by Intel as what it calls “calling cards”, convincing carriers like Orange to brand and offer the phones on their own networks in France and the United Kingdom. Last year, it persuaded Chinese hardware manufacturers like ZTE Corp and Lenovo Group Ltd to build their own phones with Intel chips.

Sales have not been stellar.

Intel declined to share data, as did ZTE and Lenovo. But Melissa Chau, senior research manager at technology research group IDC, said while Lenovo shipped more than 1 million units of its best-selling phone in China in the third quarter of last year, it shipped only about 20,000 of its first Intel phone, the K800.

“That’s the scale we’re talking here,” she said.

HISTORICAL

The problem for Intel is a historical one. By its own admission it has been slow to move in a fast-changing landscape where even a decade ago it was clear that desktop PCs and even laptops were giving way to smaller, lighter, connected devices for which lower power consumption was at least as important as processor power.

In the past year or so, however, Intel seems to have shifted focus to mobile applications. It acquired Infineon Technologies’ wireless chip business in 2011 and hired and promoted phone experts like Bell.

“These guys are phone specialists and they’ve really turned us around in terms of the way we approach the market, the way we approach design,” said Uday Marty, managing director for Intel in Southeast Asia.

It seems to be working, at least in terms of quality. UK-based Bicheno says the Motorola RAZR iphone that he has been using, which has an Intel chip, performs as well as any other Android phone.

“They’ve learned a huge amount about the mobile world and how different it is, through their years of failures,” said Caroline Gabriel, head of research at consultancy Rethink Wireless. “Intel did not understand the process of getting devices onto carrier networks in the past, but it does now.”

Intel has several aces up its sleeve. For one thing, it has longstanding relationships with the likes of Acer, Lenovo and Asustek Computer Inc, all of whom are in a similar predicament: as PC makers, they all need to grow their mobile business.

But even then, they have been slow jumping aboard. Industry sources in Taiwan said that Intel had offered extensive lures to try its mobile chips. Intel executives acknowledged they had shouldered some costs but said it did not extend as far as buying a production line of the PC makers.

Intel, too, has used its experience in optimizing its computers chips for Microsoft Windows software to work closely with Google on making Android run well on its devices.

“We are not just investing in chips, we’re investing heavily in the software to run around them,” said Bell.

QUESTIONS REMAIN

But questions remain. First, some analysts point to Intel’s somewhat low-key entrance into the mobile sector, threatening to typecast the company as a low-end phone chip maker.

This would doom it to playing a high-volume, low-margin game against low-cost chip makers in Taiwan like Mediatek.

Intel counters that it is targeting the $200-$500 segment because that’s where a lot of the growth is, and that it intends to eventually offer chips that, like its PC chips, range across all price points.

Intel executives also say they Will be offering a chip either later this year or early in 2014 that works on the 4G LTE networks already deployed in the United States and currently being rolled out in Europe.

The problem there, says Gabriel of Rethink Wireless, is that it will then be lagging the likes of Qualcomm and STElectronics.

Another concern is whether Intel can move beyond its usual partners. Persuading the likes of Acer and Lenovo to push out a smartphone is one thing, analysts say, but what about established phone makers like HTC Corp, let alone dominant players Samsung and Apple? Only then would Intel be able to get the volumes necessary for decent margins.

In the long run, analysts said, a company with the resources of Intel had a reasonable chance of building at least some business in mobile.

“Given Intel’s vast resources, I am not one to easily discount their ability to get into any market that they target,” said Francis Sideco, senior principal analyst at the IHS research firm.

And as Intel’s Bell points out, the rapid fall of players like BlackBerry and Nokia, and the equally rapid rise of Samsung and Apple, suggest that just because Intel is a bit player now, it may not always be.

“I was at a different firm building phones a couple of years ago and the company that was going to dominate Earth was RIM,” said Bell, who has worked at both Palm and Apple. He was referring to the Blackberry maker that has seen market share slip heavily in the past few years.

“We’ll see two years from now who’s the market leader.”

source: interaksyon.com

PLDT borrows $300 million to refinance debt

MANILA - Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co has borrowed $300 million from foreign banks to refinance existing debts.

On the sidelines of the Philippine Investments Forum 2013, Annabelle Chua, PLDT treasurer on Wednesday, said the fresh loan was signed last January.

Last November, PLDT borrowed P6.20 billion. It also raised P8.80 billion worth of fixed-rate corporate notes to a group of primary institutional lenders to refinance its existing debts.

At end-September, PLDT's total debt stood at $3.1 billion, including the $500 million owed by Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc (Digitel), which PLDT acquired in 2011. Digitel operates Sun Cellular.

In the first nine months of 2012, PLDT's net income fell by 6 percent to P28.7 billion from the previous year's P30.6 billion.  For the third quarter alone, its profit slipped to P9.21 billion from P9.32 billion a year ago.

Consolidated service revenues rose 12 percent to P126.24 billion from P112.27 billion in 2011. In the third quarter, service revenues climbed to P41.52 billion from the previous year's P36.65 billion.

InterAksyon.com is the online news portal of TV5, a member of the PLDT group.

source: interaksyon.com

BIR slaps ‘It’s Showtime’ host Ryan Bang with P1.8M tax evasion charge

Comedian and TV host Ryan Bang was charged with tax evasion by the Bureau of Internal Revenue on Thursday.

In its complaint, the BIR alleged that the 21-year-old “It’s Showtime” host owes the government P1.8 million in income and percentage taxes for 2011 and 2012.

Bang, a Korean citizen whose real name is Bang Hyun Sung, has been an ABS-CBN talent since he joined the reality show “Pinoy Big Brother” in 2010.

The amount of P1.8 million, which includes surcharge and interest, was based on tax filings by companies that hired Bang over the two-year period during which he is said to have earned a minimum of P3.05 million.

Bang’s legal counsel, Atty. Joji Alonso, told the ABS-CBN news program “TV Patrol” that her client had yet to see a copy of the complaint, but he would fulfill his financial obligations to the Philippine government.

source: interaksyon.com

Barbra Streisand to sing again at Oscars after 36 years

NEW YORK – Actress, singer and director Barbra Streisand may be a familiar figure at Hollywood’s Oscars, but she has only sung on the annual awards show once.

Streisand will perform again at the Academy Awards on February 24, producers said on Wednesday, without providing details about how her appearance would fit into the show or what she might sing.

Streisand, 70, has won two Oscars, one for best actress in “Funny Girl” and another for best original song, “Evergreen” from her 1976 vehicle “A Star Is Born.” Her performance of the song at the 1977 Oscars show was her only previous onstage stint at Hollywood’s biggest night.

“In an evening that celebrates the artistry of movies and music, how could the telecast be complete without Barbra Streisand?” producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said in a statement. “We are honored that she has agreed to do a very special performance on this year’s Oscars.”

Streisand has also been nominated for several Oscars, including for best actress in “The Way We Were” and as producer for best picture nominee “The Prince of Tides.”

Most recently she co-starred with Seth Rogen in “The Guilt Trip,” a Christmas 2012 release.

Earlier this month, the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced that Streisand would be this year’s recipient of its annual Chaplin Award, a prestigious honor recognizing achievement in film.

The Oscars will be presented at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, hosted by Seth MacFarlane and broadcast live on ABC as well as in more than 225 countries worldwide.

source: interaksyon.com

Married people less prone to heart attacks than singletons - study

PARIS  - Married people are less prone to heart attacks than singletons and more likely to recover if stricken, according to a Finnish study published Thursday.

Researchers collected data on 15,330 people in Finland between the ages of 35 and 99 who suffered "acute coronary events" between 1993 and 2002.

Just over half of the patients died within 28 days of the attacks.

The team found that unmarried men in all age groups were 58-66 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than married ones.

For women the nuptial benefit was even greater -- single women were 60 to 65 percent more likely to suffer acute coronary events, the Finnish researchers wrote in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

For both genders, wedlock also considerably lowered heart attack mortality.

Unmarried men were 60-168 percent and unmarried women 71-175 percent more likely to die of a heart attack within 28 days, compared to their unhitched counterparts.

"Single living and/or being unmarried increases the risk of having a heart attack and worsens its prognosis both in men and women regardless of age," the team wrote.

"Most of the excess mortality appears already before the hospital admission and seems not to relate to differences in treatment."

Speculating on the reasons, the team said married people may have a higher, combined income, healthier habits and a bigger support network.

"It may be assumed that resuscitation or calling for help was initiated faster and more often among those married or cohabiting," said the authors.

They could also not discount the psychological effects of marital bliss.

"Unmarried people have been found to be more likely depressed and according to previous studies depression seems to have an adverse effect on cardiovascular mortality rates," lead author Aino Lammintausta from the Turku University Hospital told AFP.

Previous studies on the health benefits of matrimony often had sketchy data on women and older people, the researchers said.

The new study showed that marriage protected women even more than men from out-of-hospital heart attack death.

The study included people from different race groups and social backgrounds and the findings "can roughly be thought to be applicable in other western countries," said Lammintausta.

Relying on data from population records, the team could not directly measure the effects for unmarried, cohabiting couples.

source: interaksyon.com

Google maps make virtual Grand Canyon trek

SAN FRANCISCO — Google Maps opened a virtual path to the wonders of the Grand Canyon on Thursday by adding panoramic images gathered by hikers with Android-powered camera systems strapped to their backs.

“These beautiful, interactive images cover more than 75 miles (120 kilometers) of trails and surrounding roads,” Google Maps product manager Ryan Falor said in a blog post.

“Take a walk down the narrow trails and exposed paths of the Grand Canyon: hike down the famous Bright Angel Trail, gaze out at the mighty Colorado River, and explore scenic overlooks in full 360- degrees.”
The pictures were gathered by Google Maps team members who hiked the rocky terrain with 40-pound (18-kilogram) backpacks holding a camera system, “enduring temperature swings and a few muscle cramps along the way,” Falor said.

People can view the photos when visiting online maps of the Grand Canyon.

Google’s Street View team has been increasingly going off-road to gather pictures to show real scenes from places on maps.

Last year, Google Maps added pictures from Cambridge Bay in the Canadian Arctic and images from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.

source: interaksyon.com

Microsoft to Offer Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to Students for $70

Microsoft has announced the details of a new special offer for students, which will be able to purchase the Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition online for $69.99.

The offer starts Feb. 1 in the U.S., and will also become available in 49 additional countries by March 19.

On Feb 21, the offer will become available in 22 new countries, including Canada, the UK, France, Germany and Spain. Eleven more countries will follow on March 7, and 16 more on March 19. See the full list of countries where this offer will be available over at Microsoft's official blog.

Microsoft will also start its Windows Campus Tour on Feb 18, visiting over 150 university campuses across the U.S. A team of experts will be showing students the advantages of Windows 8, as well as the latest Windows-touting tablets and PCs.

source: mashable.com

Sweden’s Make Up Store is finally here

DEAR RISSA,

My skin has been looking dull and tired. What’s a good face product that can instantly revive it? Thank you!

GRACE N.

We all go through blah days. Our skin has a cycle of growing new cells and casting off the old. When dead cells accumulate, they make the skin’s surface look dull and gray or even rough. The simple act of exfoliation can work wonders — it helps remove these flaking cells, revealing clearer, softer skin beneath and boosting circulation.

A few days ago, I tried Make Up Store’s Cleansing Powder. As early as last year, I’d been seeing the signage of the Make Up Store at the second floor of The Podium, Ortigas, which I often frequent for errands. It got me so excited that they’re finally open!

The Make Up Store is a Swedish brand that has been around for 21 years. They started out as one of the first makeup academies in Sweden and later began to create their own product range. They opened their first boutique in Stockholm, Sweden, 15 years ago and now have 200 boutiques in 23 countries around the globe. They offer everything from makeup, skincare, hair care and body care to makeup tools and fragrance. I can’t believe they’re finally here in the Philippines!



And so I visited the store and decided to try the Make Up Store’s Cleansing Powder first. Why? Because cleansers are the most basic skincare product and if a brand fails in that department, I don’t think you can expect much more from their other products. The Cleansing Powder comes in a black handy sachet — perfect to slip into your kikay kit and for traveling. It claims to clean and exfoliate simultaneously with the use of fine grains that work on the surface and jojoba to deeply clean. All you have to do is pour the powder into the palm of your hand and add drops of water, then massage onto damp skin. I liked that it didn’t contain any harsh fragrance. The powder dissolved into almost nothing as I massaged it in circular motions, so I frankly didn’t really expect much exfoliation. But the results are jaw dropping: I saw a visibly brighter complexion and skin as smooth as a newborn’s! It felt so smooth that I kept touching my face over and over again! Would I buy and use it again? Definitely. Apart from providing a deep clean, it revives dull and tired skin in an instant! It’s perfect if you have a big date, a wedding or an important event to attend. I’m all praise for this wonder cleanser. Now I can’t wait to check out their other products, too!

Make Up Store is located on the second floor of The Podium mall, Ortigas. Like them on Facebook: MakeUpStorePH and follow them on Twitter: MakeUpStorePH.

RISSA

source: philstar.com

The healthy, healing benefits of forgiving

The well-received feature on Greg Anderson’s inspiring story of how faith, forgiveness, and prayers allowed him to outlive a 30-day-to-live prediction 30 years ago when he was battling lung cancer was indeed a good prelude to how I enjoyed the big screen version of Les Miserables.

Here is a great story written 150 years ago about the French Revolution — 30 years before that — and the misery, evil, darkness, suffering and hopelessness that engulfed many. How many really recognized the emancipated Hugh Jackman as prisoner 24601 (Jean Valjean) whose petty crime was stealing bread for a dying niece? He was said to have refrained from drinking water for three days as well as undergone an extreme diet to lose so much weight for the initial scenes.

He even admitted in his acceptance speech that he almost gave up on the role and the movie. It was his wife who admonished him to persevere. His hard work earned him his very first Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. 

Of the movie’s many themes, the most poignant is that of forgiveness and transformation. While under parole, Jean Valjean crossed paths with a generous bishop who fed him and allowed him to stay for the night. Hardened perhaps by his life in prison, Valjean tried to ran away with the bishop’s silver. The police apprehended him and brought him to the bishop with the loot.

Valjean told the police that the bishop gave him the silver. The bishop confirmed that he indeed gave the silver, and added that Valjean left a few more pieces. Valjean was confused

by the bishop’s goodness. When the police left, the bishop claimed that with the silver, he had purchased the convict’s soul. The bishop said he had given it to God, and from that day, Valjean must be a good man.








This forgiveness transformed Valjean into a compassionate person who put others before himself. He showed forgiveness to his nemesis, police officer Javert, who in his relentless pursuit of Valjean, was captured by revolutionaries. As a reward for saving the lives of a few of these revolutionaries, Valjean asked permission to take Javert outside to kill him. Outside, Valjean released Javert.

Victor Hugo surely used Les Miserables to make people aware of the need for social reform, but it certainly speaks of virtues that remain timeless to this day. Central to the story was how Jean Valjean had a change of heart and evolved from a hardened ex-convict to a Christ-like benefactor when he allowed Jesus into his life. Reformed, Valjean tried to lessen the misery of others by putting their needs before his own.

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) quoted Frederic Luskin, a Stanford researcher who studied the effects of forgiveness: “… the moment-to-moment experience of peace and understanding that occurs when an injured party’s suffering is reduced by the process of transforming a grievance they have held against an offending party.”

AMSA said that a 2001 study revealed a correlation between reviewing hurtful memories and measures of the stress response (EMG, heart rate, blood pressure). “When subjects were encouraged to think forgiving thoughts, the stress response was diminished. Similar findings were seen in an October 2003 study of 108 college students,” they added.

They claimed that several small studies have shown a number of potential health benefits conferred by forgiveness such as decreased anger and negative thoughts, decreased anxiety, reduced depression and grief, and decreased vulnerability to substance use.

Greg Anderson, the Cancer Conqueror, gives these healing prescriptions to one desperate patient:

Step 1:  Ask in prayer.  Declare what it is you want.  “I desire perfect health.”  Or, “I want to be pain-free.” 

Step 2:  Believe. Believe that what you seek is already yours.  Possess it by what Anderson calls the faith factor. Know that what you seek is on its way to you the moment you ask.  

When you first ask and then follow that with the deep belief that you now possess health and healing, joy and peace — or whatever it is that you seek — the entire Universe shifts to bring it into reality.  This is the Life Force in action.

Step 3:  Receive. Next, believe you have received.  Then feel happy and grateful. Live in those emotions. When you stir up those emotions, you are on the frequency of receiving.

source: philstar.com

Jason London Arrested for Alleged Bar Fight, Cusses Out Cops and Soils His Pants on Way to Jail, Per Police

It's no wonder Jason London looked a little dazed and confused when he posed for his mug shot.

The 40-year-old actor, who has since taken to Twitter to deny the "crap" being reported, was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of assault and disorderly conduct outside a Scottsdale, Ariz., bar after allegedly sneezing on and then slugging a fellow patron.

What, no gesundheit?

But the fun apparently didn't end there.

According to the police report obtained by E! News, London, showing "extreme signs of alcohol impairment," started cursing at the paramedics who were trying to assess him for injuries after the purported altercation inside the Martini Ranch.

Officer D. Ford states in the report that London tried to shove another officer, who then kneed the actor's outer right thigh to get him to sit down. After London had ultimately refused medical treatment, Ford says that he tried to question the Dazed & Confused star, to which he replied, "F--k you! You won't do s--t for me, you f--king hillbilly!"





"I know what you f--king are! F--k you; I want to go home!" London reportedly continued after Ford identified himself as a police officer.

Detailing their ride to the police station, Ford states that London continued to rant, asking him if he liked being a cop and, when the officer didn't answer, saying, "Guess what, f----t? I f--king love this! I f--king own you guys so hard. I'm rich and a motherf--king famous actor! F--king look me up, bitch!"

Ford then states in the report that he "looked back at him just in time for him to lean to the left and defecate in his pants. Then [London] said, 'I told you that I'm happy as s--t!'"


When he tried to question London at the stadium, Ford states, the actor flipped him off with both hands, stuck his tongue out and, asked if he understood his rights, said, "I'm a f--king movie star, I know what the f--k to do!"

Also per the police report, Ford called London's wife, Sophia, to inform her of her husband's arrest, to which she replied, "I know he's an a--hole when he drinks," and insisted that he would never assault anyone on purpose.

London was cited for assault and disorderly conduct and released early Monday morning—and today he denied via Twitter the, er, "crap" that TMZ, which was first to break the news, reported about his arrest.

"Guys, the TMZ report is a total f--king lie," he tweetedthis afternoon. "I got jumped by three 250 pound bouncers. They knocked me out and beat me for several minutes.

"I would neversay or do the crap they are reporting. Have faith in me. The truth will come out and you will see. Some guy thought I was hitting on his girl and had me jumped. My wife was in the next room, had no idea what even happened. I hate Arizona...Wait till you see the real pictures. I have a right orbital fracture and sinus fracture. The truth will win."

source: eonline.com

Plantronics unveils latest Bluetooth headsets

MANILA, Philippines — In 1969, American audio communications brand Plantronics provided the headset Neil Armstrong spoke through while taking man’s first steps on the moon.

More than 40 years down the road and the company continues to innovate on ways to make communicating simpler, yet smarter for mobile executives, road warriors, and smartphone users.

The Voyager Legend headset and the Marque 2 M165 headset, for example, are upgrades of previous versions: the Voyager Pro HD and Marque 1, respectively, and both models were unveiled on Tuesday at Ascott Makati.

The Voyager Legend is a sleek black device with a slim, silver multi-microphone that reduces wind, movement, and background noise by up to 70 percent, which enhances the user’s voice as well. Talk time with this unit is pegged up to seven hours.

The 18-gram gadget operates on voice commands, with the user able to answer a call by saying, “Answer,” or reject a call by saying, “Ignore.” More commands can be found by asking, “What can I say?” The Voyager Legend will also tell you who is on the line.

It is a “highly intelligent device,” said Plantronics senior country manager Josh Doctolero.

“If you are paired with a smartphone and you put the device on your ear, the device acknowledges that it is on your ear. When you remove it, and you have an incoming call, you have the option to wear it. You don’t have to press anything, just say “Answer” or “Ignore,” or answer it through your device,” he explained.

The Marque 2 is another tool to keep calling, listening, and viewing hands-free.

Users answer and ignore calls in a similar way. It also blocks background noise and minimizes wind interference through dual microphones.

The seven-gram Marque 2 can be powered up for up to six months, depending on use, as it enters DeepSleep mode when away from the paired phone.

“As the way we live and work continues to evolve, along with the increasingly remote workforces, Plantronics remains dedicated in helping people work smarter by providing products to help them work effectively across all work spaces,” said Doctolero.

The first headset company to develop software for headsets also offers it for free at the App Store and Google Play store.

“Our products allow you to simply communicate.”

Now available in PC stores nationwide, the Voyager Legend and the Marque 2 are priced at Php4,900 and Php3,600 respectively.

source: interaksyon.com

CBCP says it has forgiven Celdran but it also respects court's decision vs him

MANILA, Philippines -- The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said Tuesday it is respecting the conviction by a Manila City Metropolitan Trial Court on tour guide and Reproductive Health law advocate Carlos Celdran.

“For me the Court has spoken and we respect the Court. On our part, even long before we have forgiven him so whatever the Court decides we respect it,”said CBCP President Archbishop Jose Palma in a Church-run forum in Manila Tuesday.

However, the Cebu prelate said he has not read the copy of MCMTC Branch 4 Judge Juan Bermejo decision as they have been preoccupied with the just concluded 106th Plenary Assembly at the Pope Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila.

He noted that they have forgiven Celdran even before the decision on the case filed Manila Cathedral rector Monsignor Nestor Cerbo came out.

“We respect the processes of the court and more than anything else love should prevail and we have already learned our lesson in the process. Respect should be given to every religion, respect the place and above all we should pray,” Palma added.

He said the incident with the Manila tour guide was also a learning experience about respect.

On Monday, the Manila court found Celdran guilty of offending religious feelings which is covered by the Revised Penal Code Sec. 4 Art. 133.

The penalty for the offense could range from two months and 21 days up to 13 months and 11 days.

It can be recalled that on Sept. 30, 2010, Celdran disrupted Mass when he entered the Manila Cathedral and went near the altar in front of the church and raised a placard with the word “Damaso”.

source: interaksyon.com

17 'relaxation' establishments raided; 76 high school girls in custody

TOKYO - Police in Tokyo on Sunday conducted simultaneous raids on 17 establishments in Tokyo for using high school girls to perform “relaxation services.” Police said 115 girls aged between 16 and 22 were taken out of the establishments. Of those, 76 were younger than 18 and were taken into custody, according to a TBS report on Monday.

The establishments, known as “JK rifure,” which is a contraction of the Japanese for “high school girl massage,” allow customers to receive massages from high school girls and to sleep next to them in private rooms. Police say such establishments, with names like “sweet jewel,” have been appearing at a rapid rate across the country, with around 80 having now opened in the center of Tokyo, most of them in Akihabara.

TBS said that police raids revealed that some establishments had been knowingly breaking the law by employing girls under the age of 18. Police say that dozens of young girls were taken into care in the raids.

According to police, many of the girls said they were introduced to the job by their friends who said they could earn up to 20,000 yen a day, TBS reported.

source: japantoday.com

As world of gadgets grows, online industry tunes in to video ads

SAN FRANCISCO — Internet video ads, long a sideshow in the online advertising market, are gaining in importance to marketers and Web publishers as they look to capitalize on consumers’ changing viewing habits and tap a $70 billion television market.

The ever-expanding array of gadgets that display online video, from tablets to Internet-connected TVs and DVD players, along with technology such as social media that facilitates distribution, has spurred new interest.

The growing trend means websites like Google Inc’s (GOOG.O) YouTube, Yahoo (YHOO.O), AOL (AOL.N) and Hulu have a better shot at tapping the mother lode of television advertising budgets, though video ads have a long way to go before they become as dominant a part of the marketing landscape as TV ads.

Research firm eMarketer says video is the fastest growing form of online advertising, with spending increasing 46 percent last year, and outpacing popular formats such as search ads and display ads.

Google does not break out financial results for its YouTube business, but CEO Larry Page said on Tuesday that spending among YouTube’s top 100 advertisers increased by more than 50 percent in 2012 compared with the year before.

There have been media reports that Facebook is developing a video ad service, and analysts will likely be looking for answers on that avenue when the social networking giant delivers its quarterly results on Wednesday.

At Yahoo, “one of our highest priorities was to create more online video experiences, because that’s where the demand is for advertising,” said Tim Morse, the former Yahoo finance chief who became CFO of video advertising technology company Adap.TV this month.

Advertisers are increasingly fond of video ads, Morse said, because of the similarities to TV.

“It’s the closest to what they’ve had offline. They’re looking for the same kind of medium where they can connect with consumers,” he told Reuters.

Turning point

Chevrolet has been running online video ads for several years, but significantly ramped up its activities and investment in 2012, said Carolin Probst-Iyer, the manager of digital consumer engagement for the General Motors (GM.N) division.

“Last year was a bit of a turning point,” she said, as Chevrolet put greater emphasis on creating original video ads and looking for new ways to distribute spots, rather than simply running existing TV ads on YouTube and TV network websites.

One recent ad for the buzz-worthy new Corvette Stingray was viewed more times on mobile devices than it was on PCs, she said.

For Web publishers, video ads are good business. While typical banner ad rates can generate a few dollars per thousand views, video ad rates can reach $20 per thousand views, said eMarketer’s David Hallerman.

“All of the Internet advertising to date has come from print sources,” such as newspapers, magazines and yellow pages, said RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney.

“We’re are at a point where television ad budgets are likely to come online.”

The explosion of new screens such as smartphones and tablets greatly increases the venues where consumers can watch video, whether they’re at their desks or on a bus. And social networking, which makes it easy for users to share favorite videos, has given marketers added incentive to produce video ads that can gain additional exposure by tapping into the social slipstream.

YouTube’s head of industry development, Suzie Reider, said marketers are increasingly developing ads that are tailored for specific audiences, making it more likely that Web surfers will actually watch them.

“We’re living in a day and age where nobody has to watch an ad that they don’t want to watch,” said Reider. “You can skip them on the Web, you can skip them on TV.”

To make its website more appealing to advertisers, YouTube has helped create hundreds of “premium channels” featuring professionally produced video as opposed to the amateur clips YouTube is famous for. And it’s developed a type of video ad that users can skip after five seconds – advertisers only pay if the ad is watched all the way through.

Price deflation?

Despite the growth in Web video ad spending, which eMarketer estimates reached $2.93 billion in the United States last year, the firm said the spending still represents only about 10 percent of the broader online advertising market.

And that is a mere drop in the bucket compared with the $68 billion that Kantar Media estimates was spent on television advertising in 2011.

One potential constraint is the way big brands and agencies organize their marketing budgets, says Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser. Online video ads are typically funded from Web ad budgets rather than a much larger pool set aside for TV.

Analysts also note that the rich rates websites collect for video ads will decrease as more Internet sites open to ads – something that’s already happening thanks to technology that automatically pairs ads with videos on websites.

Still, many analysts and industry executives are optimistic about what they see as the bigger picture.

“The number of people watching TV seems to be stagnating or declining, and the number of people turning to the Internet for entertainment is surging,” said RBC’s Mahaney. “It almost inevitably drives these TV budgets online”

source: interaksyon.com

Studios snap up Sundance favorites, boosting indie film market

PARK CITY, Utah – Movie studios have been searching for the next big thing at the Sundance Film Festival after the critical and commercial success of indie films such as “Beasts of the Southern Wild” with a slew of business deals being made during the festival.

The biggest purchase came midway through the 10-day event when Fox Searchlight paid about $10 million for quirky coming-of-age comedy “The Way, Way Back”, starring Steve Carell and Toni Collette, according to sources close to the deal.

“The Way, Way Back” is the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who penned last year’s hit “The Descendants”.

While eight-figure deals are rare at Sundance, Fox Searchlight, a division of 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp, is a regular big spender at the festival.

The studio dropped more than $10 million in 2006 for “Little Miss Sunshine”, another comedy starring Carell and Collette. The film grossed more than $60 million at the U.S. box office.

After a quiet acquisition year at the 2012 Sundance festival, RADiUS-TWC, the boutique multi-platform division of The Weinstein Company, snapped up five films.

The company, headed by former Magnolia Pictures executives Tom Quinn and Jason Janego, acquired the rights for music documentary “Twenty Feet From Stardom”, about the journey of back-up singers.

Quinn described the film as “amazing and exceptional.”

RADiUS also picked up distribution rights for documentaries “Cutie and the Boxer”, which won best director for Zachary Heinzerling at Saturday’s Sundance Film Festival Awards, and “Inequality for All”.

The company also snapped up drama films “Concussion”, which follows the mid-life crisis of a wealthy lesbian, and “Lovelace”, based on the life of “Deep Throat” porn star Linda Lovelace.

Quinn said he and his fellow executives, including Harvey Weinstein, bought the film in the lobby of the theater after the film premiered on Tuesday. “Lovelace” sold for slightly more than $3 million.





Parent company Weinstein Co acquired distribution rights for drama film “Fruitvale”, starring Octavia Spencer and Michael B. Jordan. The film is based on the true story of Oakland native Oscar Grant’s last day before he was shot and killed by police on New Year’s Eve.

Directed by first-time filmmaker Ryan Coogler, 26, the film was the big winner at Saturday’s Sundance Film Festival awards, landing both the grand jury and audience prizes in the U.S. drama category.

“I was completely amazed by this incredible film. This earth-shattering story is one that needs to be told,” Weinstein said in a statement.

A big theme running through the Sundance offerings this year is the frank depiction of intimate relationships and sexuality.

“The festival was choreographed in a way that I’ve had a cumulatively profound experience here, watching films from ‘Don Jon’s Addiction’ to ‘Before Midnight’. These are films that are exploring human interaction on a very concrete level,” Quinn said.

“Don Jon’s Addiction”, the directorial debut from actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is a raunchy comedy of a young man struggling to overcome his porn addiction to form a real relationship.

The film was picked up by Relativity Media for $4 million for U.S. distribution rights, according to sources. Relativity purchased the 2010 hit Sundance documentary “Catfish”, which has spawned a successful MTV television series.





Also popular among buyers was “Kill Your Darlings”, a drama starring Daniel Radcliffe about the origins of the Beat Generation poets and the sexual coming-of-age of Allen Ginsberg, tied in with a scandalous murder.

Sony Pictures Classics partner Tom Bernard said the film was “surprising,” and not just another Beat generation movie.

“It’s a true story, the actors are great, I think the story looks a little more timeless than a period piece,” Bernard told Reuters.

Sony Pictures Classics, a division of Sony Corp, snapped up the title, along with comedy “Austenland” and romance “Before Midnight”, the third installment of Richard Linklater’s popular film series starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Metro Manila’ wins Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival

A Filipino-British film set entirely in the Philippines bagged the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).



“Metro Manila”, which features a cast led by indie actors Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla, and Althea Vega, was chosen over 11 other films from around the world in its category.

The category’s top honor, the Grand Jury Prize, went to the South Korean entry “Jiseul”.

A tale of a poor family that flees the countryside in a desperate search for a better life in the big city, “Metro Manila” was directed by British filmmaker Sean Ellis from a screenplay he co-wrote with Frank E. Flowers.

“Although the pacing would have benefited from some judicious tightening, much of the film’s effectiveness is attributable to the lead actors’ well-modulated performances,” critic Justin Lowe wrote in his review for The Hollywood Reporter.

“Production quality is first-rate, particularly considering the many practical locations required to shoot the film,” he added.

Co-founded by actor-director Robert Redford, the Sundance Film Festival is considered the most prestigious independent film festival in the U.S.

This year’s award ceremonies were hosted by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whose directorial debut “Don Jon’s Addiction” premiered at the festival, which opened on January 17 and will conclude on Sunday.

source: interaksyon.com

Clinton says can't predict her future, as 2016 looms

WASHINGTON DC - With only days left until she steps down as America's top diplomat, Hillary Clinton left the door open Sunday to a possible future run in the 2016 presidential elections.

And, in a rare joint interview with CBS, she appeared to win the endorsement of none other than President Barack Obama, the man who beat her in the 2008 race to be the Democratic Party's nominee.

For months, 65-year-old Clinton has insisted that after more than two decades in the political spotlight she intends to step back into the shadows, catch up on some rest, and enjoy some downtime for a change.

But with her popularity riding high -- at around 65 percent according to a Washington Post-ABC poll last week -- many believe she will bounce back to take another shot at being the nation's first woman president in 2016.

"I am still secretary of state. So I'm out of politics," Clinton told CBS television's "60 Minutes" carefully, leaving herself the option of reviving her career once she leaves government.

A woman who has devoted much of her life to public service, as first lady and as a New York senator, she stressed she still cared "deeply about what's going to happen for our country in the future."

Clinton said neither Obama nor "I can make predictions about what's going to happen tomorrow or the next year," in comments bound to rekindle speculation that she could be preparing a 2016 run.

"What we've tried to do over the last four years is get up every day, have a clear eyed view of what's going on in the world. And I'm really proud of where we are," she added.

Obama did nothing to dampen speculation, heaping praise on Clinton and saying he believed she "will go down as one of the finest secretaries of state we've had."

"It has been a great collaboration over the last four years. I'm going to miss her," he added, saying he wished she was staying on.

"I want the country to appreciate just what an extraordinary role she's played during the course of my administration and a lot of the successes we've had internationally because of her hard work," Obama added.

The joint sit-down interview, which was filmed at the White House, was apparently Obama's idea, and some observers saw it as an early endorsement should she choose to run for president in 2016.

Obama will have to stand down after serving the statutory maximum of two terms, but his endorsement is likely to give any candidate a big boost.

Often the vice president becomes the natural choice as the incumbent party's presidential nominee. It is not clear yet if Vice President Joe Biden will make a tilt for the White House, but he will be 73 years old come 2016.

Obama hailed Clinton for having been one of his "most important advisors," saying she had established "a standard in terms of professionalism and teamwork in our cabinet, in our foreign policy making."

Their relationship had evolved into a friendship, with "a sense of trust and being in the foxhole together," he said.

He told CBS he had asked Clinton from the start of her tenure in 2009 to go out and represent America abroad so he could focus on dealing with the economic crisis facing the nation.

But he dismissed criticism the United States had become reluctant to take a lead in the more complicated issues of the day, such as Syria, arguing the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi probably would not agree with that assessment.

"We do nobody a service when we leap before we look. Where we... take on things without having thought through all the consequences of it," Obama said.

"Our job is to, number one, look after America's security and national interest. But number two, find where are those opportunities -- where our intervention, our engagement can really make a difference."

souce: interaksyon.com

Harry who? Daniel Radcliffe goes from boy wizard to gay beat poet

PARK CITY, Utah – Daniel Radcliffe casts off boy wizard Harry Potter to play the voice of the 1950s Beat Generation in new movie “Kill Your Darlings” — a seductive tale of friendship, gay love and murder.

Radcliffe, 23, plays poet Allen Ginsberg aged 17 — a naive and closeted teen who struggles to find his place in the world years before the sexual and cultural liberation of the 1960s.

As Ginsberg enters Columbia University in New York, his encounters with fellow mavericks Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan), William S. Burroughs (Ben Foster) and Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston) bring about a new vision – the founding of the Beat Generation.

Indie film “Kill Your Darlings” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to critical praise this week and was purchased by Sony Pictures Classics for wider distribution later this year.

After 10 years and eight “Harry Potter” films, Radcliffe is also looking for a new place as an actor, appearing on stage in 2007 in London and New York in the drama “Equus,” for which he appeared fully nude, and musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” in 2011.

“Kill Your Darlings” sees Radcliffe pushing boundaries again as Ginsberg comes of age, including a raunchy sex scene with a man.

“Everybody wants to have as diverse a body of work as they can possibly have, and that’s what keeps people interested in your career,” Radcliffe told Reuters.

“There’s a lot to live up to in a sense that you’re playing someone so well known, and revered by so many people, but we’re not making a reverential film about him in any way,” he added of his role as Ginsberg.

Hollywood entertainment publication Variety said Radcliffe gives a performance “to banish any semblance of Harry Potter from the screen.”

The Hollywood Reporter review noted a scene in which Ginsberg “decisively embraces his sexuality (that) likely will be viewed as a major step for the actor toward distancing himself from the Harry Potter persona.”

Radcliffe joins a long line of actors who have portrayed Ginsberg on film, including Ron Livingstone in 2000′s “Beat” and James Franco in 2010′s “Howl.”

“I purposely stayed away from other portrayals of (Ginsberg) because I find I am a terrible mimic, so I didn’t want to end up doing an impression of James Franco doing Allen Ginsberg,” the young actor said.

Radcliffe said that while the film shows the four men who went on to create a literary and cultural revolution in America, the story is not solely about the birth of the Beats.

“It’s about showing how much fun they had and how they sparked off each other, and it’s that energy and vitality that launched the Beats,” Radcliffe said.

Director John Krokidas said Ginsberg’s story was central to the film because he had the biggest personal journey.

“At the beginning of the film he’s very much the dutiful son … but he never shows who he is inside, because he’s taking care of everyone else,” Krokidas told Reuters.

“By the end of the film, he becomes the rebel, he self-proclaims himself as a poet and finds his own voice.”

source: interaksyon.com

Fresh fruits, vegetables keep young people happy: NZ research

WELLINGTON - An apple a day not only keeps the doctor, but also the psychiatric counselor away for young people, according to a New Zealand study.

Eating more fruit and vegetables could make young people calmer, happier and more energetic in their daily life, researchers at the University of Otago found.

Psychology researcher Dr. Tamlin Conner, and Dr. Caroline Horwath and Bonnie White, of the Department of Human Nutrition, investigated the relationship between day-to-day emotions and food consumption.

A total of 281 people with an average age of 20 completed an Internet-based daily food diary for 21 consecutive days, said a statement from the university Thursday.

Each day, they rated how they felt using nine positive and nine negative adjectives, and answered five questions about what they had eaten that day.

Specifically, participants were asked to report the number of servings eaten of fruit and vegetables (excluding juices and dried fruit) and several categories of unhealthy foods like cookies, potato crisps and cakes.

The results showed a strong day-to-day relationship between a more positive mood and higher fruit and vegetable consumption, but not other foods.

"On days when people ate more fruits and vegetables, they reported feeling calmer, happier and more energetic than they normally did," Conner said in the statement.

The researchers also found that eating fruits and vegetables predicted improvements in positive mood the next day, suggesting that healthy foods could improve mood.

"After further analysis we demonstrated that young people would need to consume approximately seven to eight total servings of fruits and vegetables per day to notice a meaningful positive change," said Conner.

The study was published in the British Journal of Health Psychology on Thursday.

source: interaksyon.com

US envoy says sorry again for Tubbataha fiasco but still no explanation

MANILA, Philippines -- US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. again conveyed his country’s apologies for the “unfortunate” grounding of a Navy minesweeper on Tubbatah Reef but still offered no explanation for why the USS Guardian was in the marine protected area.

“On behalf of the United States government, I wish to convey to the Philippine government and people my profound regret over the grounding of the USS Guardian on Tubbataha Reef,” Thomas said in a statement on Friday.

“This was an unfortunate accident, and I recognize the legitimate concerns over the damage caused to a unique and precious wonder of nature, internationally recognized for its beauty and biological diversity,” he said.

The Guardian was sailing from Subic Bay to Indonesia, where it was to participate in an exercise, when it ran into the reef, which has been declared a world heritage site, on January 17.

Authorities estimate that the incident has damaged at least 1,000 square meters of corals.

The US Navy earlier said it has decided to lift the vessel off the reef rather than tow or dismantle it to prevent more damage to the corals. Two cranes from Singapore are expected to arrive in the area by the end of the month.

The incident has caused widespread anger, especially after the office managing Tubbataha disclosed that the Guardian’s captain ignored warnings that the ship was heading into the protected area and the ship’s crew went into battle mode and prevented marine park rangers from approaching.

“As the investigation of this matter proceeds, we hope to continue our close coordination with the Philippine government to understand precisely what happened so we can ensure there will be no recurrence,” Thomas said, adding that the US would “work collaboratively with the Philippines to assess the damage and to take steps to address the environmental issues that have arisen from this incident.”

He thanked the Philippine Coast Guard and Navy “for their close cooperation with us.” (with Abigail Kwok, InterAksyon.com)

source: interaksyon.com

Willie Revillame says new show has blessings of Joey de Leon, Sharon Cuneta

A mellow and relaxed Willie Revillame told media on Wednesday that “Wowowillie” has the blessings of Joey de Leon and Sharon Cuneta — two colleagues who might have something to say about his new variety show on TV5, set to debut on Saturday.

Joey, of course, is one of the pillars of “Eat Bulaga”, Philippine television’s noontime champ for over three decades, with whom Willie famously feuded in 2007 when he was still hosting “Wowowee” on ABS-CBN.


The two have since mended and enriched their friendship, so Joey’s sentiment was one of Willie’s first concerns when TV5 president and CEO Atty. Ray Espinosa first broached the idea of a return to the noontime slot (11:30AM to 2:30PM).

“Nasabi ko naman ‘yun kina Atty. Ray. Ayoko kasi na may masabi rin sa akin sina Joey. Yes, there was a time, nabanggit ko nga, hangga’t maaari hindi kami magsasalubong sa same time slot,” Willie told media at a press conference on Wednesday at his nightclub Wil’s Events Place.

Willie decided he needed to reach out to Joey. He spoke to him two weeks ago shortly after “Wil Time Bigtime” — his second TV5 show in the early evening slot — went off the air.

“I called him up. Out of respeto. Sabi ko sa kanya, I have to tell you, magkakaroon ako ng noontime show. And you know naman Joey, he’s very gentlemanly in every way. Okay naman sa kanya,” he related.

Willie said Joey — who is also a Kapatid because he co-hosts TV5′s Sunday noontime variety show “Game ‘N Go” — even quipped that they’re too old for petty rivalries and, who knows, they might even end up together in one show someday.

Willie had also been exchanging text messages with Sharon, whose talk show “Sharon: Kasama Mo, Kapatid” was terminated recently, paving the way for “Wowowillie” to take over its venue — TV5′s Delta Theater studio on Quezon Avenue.

“Magka-text kami ni Shawie. Wala pa siya ngayon dito, nasa Amerika pa ‘ata pero dapat kasama siya sa almost a hundred stars na guests sa Saturday. Kami, walang sama ng loob sa isa’t isa,” he said.

Willie noted that Sharon’s current negotiations for her own new program are a private matter between her and the TV5 bosses: “Sila ng TV5 ang nag-uusap. Kaya, hindi ko sila puwede panghimasukan.”

Ever since he transferred to TV5 in 2010 and hosted “Willing Willie”, he always found the remote location of its studio in Novaliches to be a liability.

“Ang mga matatanda o senior citizens nagbi-biyahe pa ng malayo para lang makapanood ng programa. Jeep-jeep, truck-truck nandiyan sila sa gilid ng studio, dun pa sa TV5. Nagpa-park sila sa SM Novaliches. Nakikita namin ang efforts nila,” he shared.

Needless to say, he is very excited about planting his roots on fresh ground. Willie said TV5 spent over P100 million and his own production company chipped in P35 million to expand and refurbish the theater. The result, he believes, should give the “Wowowillie” studio audience the illusion of being in a Las Vegas theater.

Willie said it was not his but TV5′s idea to return to noontime and go up against “Eat Bulaga” and “It’s Showtime”.

“Wala naman sa isip ko ang noontime. Kasi by October tapos na dapat ang kontrata ko. And now, they are asking me kung gusto ko pa itong ituloy ng three to five years. Saka ko na muna iisipin ‘yun dahil ang focus ko eh, nandito ngayon sa big day namin sa Sabado.”

That big day also happens to be his 52nd birthday. As he turns a year older and begins another chapter in his career, he does not feel the pressure of competition this time around.

“Kung sasabihin na pressured ako, wala. Sa akin, there is no competition right now. More on nakatutok ako sa content ng show. Hindi sa numbers game. Kailangan ko munang palakihin ang show, pagandahin at pasayahin ang mga taong manonood nito,” he said.

Willie vowed to give away more meaningful prizes to contestants, the kind that would have a lasting impact on their livelihoods. He also revealed his plan to provide houses to his own staff, many of whom placed their fortunes on his hands when they joined him when he left ABS-CBN for TV5.

And finally, he expressed his hope that “Wowowillie” would further boost TV5′s ascendant status in the ratings game, if only to make the network bosses, especially TV5 chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, happy.

“Siyempre, gusto nating matulungan din ang istasyon. Kasi dito naramdaman ko ‘yung pagmamahal. Imagine, big boss tine-text ka, kinukumusta ka, tinatapik ka sa balikat for a job well done. Very inspiring na amo. At sasabihan ka ni MVP ng ‘Your pain is our pain, your fight is our fight.’”

source: interaksyon.com

Yahoo! buys scrapbook website Snip.it

SAN FRANCISCO — Yahoo! confirmed Tuesday that it bought Snip.it, a young San Francisco startup that lets people create scrapbooks with pictures, articles, videos and other content found online.

“The Snip.it team created an innovative technology that lets people share content in a social and fun way,” Yahoo! vice president of product Mike Kerns said in a statement emailed to AFP.






“Reading and sharing content is a core daily habit for most of the world, and we can’t wait to work with the Snip.it team to make that experience even more entertaining for our users.”

A message posted at Snip.it told users it was “joining forces” with Yahoo! and that the service was no longer available. A link was provided to a hall of fame honoring top Snip.it contributors.

“For the past year and a half, we’ve worked tirelessly as a team to build the best social news platform on the Web,” Snip.it said in the message.

“We are thrilled at the opportunity to bring Snip.it’s vision to a larger scale at Yahoo!”

Snip.it launched in late 2011 as a place where people could share digital “scrapbooks” based on topics or themes of their choosing.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed but unconfirmed online reports estimated the figure to be in the vicinity of $15 million.

source: interaksyon.com

AMD hires chip veterans, diversifies beyond PCs

SAN FRANCISCO — Advanced Micro Devices Inc has hired two senior engineers with experience at Qualcomm Inc and Apple Inc, its latest high-level recruitments as it diversifies beyond a slowing personal computer industry, sources close to the chipmaker said.

Charles Matar, with expertise in low-power and embedded chip design, joined as AMD’s vice president of System-on-Chip Development, two sources said. Matar most recently worked at Qualcomm.

Wayne Meretsky, who worked at Apple in the 1990s on the Mac, was named vice president, software IP development, they said. Meretsky will lead software developments for AMD’s chips.

AMD spokesman Drew Prairie also confirmed that AMD hired the two engineers to help the chipmaker expand into new markets, but he did not provide details.

AMD depends on the PC industry for about 80 percent of its revenue. With sales in that business falling due to a growing preference for smartphones and tablets, the company is rushing to expand into new markets for its chip processors and graphics technology.

One of Silicon Valley’s oldest chipmakers, AMD has experienced major changes in its lineup of executives and senior engineers since Chief Executive Rory Read moved over from PC maker Lenovo in 2011 promising to make the struggling chipmaker more efficient.

In October, AMD announced it was laying off 15 percent of its workforce, its second round of job cuts in less than a year.

Matar and Meretsky both worked at AMD earlier in their careers. Their return follows chip guru Jim Keller, who joined AMD as chief architect in August last year.

Keller was previously a director at Apple in charge of designing mobile processors used in the iPad and iPhone.

Sunnyvale, California-based AMD hopes to increase sales in markets such as communications, microservers, digital signs and stripped down “thin client” computers. It wants those non-PC markets to account for as much as 50 percent of its revenue within three or four years.

Matar will focus on designing SoCs, or “system on a chips,” which integrate several features found on a computer into a single piece of silicon. The technology is widely used in smartphones, tablets and embedded devices.

The chipmaker plans to ship a new low power processor, codenamed Temash, for tablets and hybrid laptops running Microsoft’s Windows 8 platform in the first half of this year.

Its Kabini laptop processor, also planned for early 2013, will have 50 percent better performance than its predecessor, according to AMD.

source: interaksyon.com

Ejay Falcon steps into big shoes of Sen. Bong Revilla in upcoming series

It has been a while since people last saw Ejay Falcon. His last two projects for 2012 were the ABS-CBN afternoon series “Mundo Man ay Magunaw” that ended last July and the “semi-indie” film “Amorosa” for Skylight Films, sister company of Star Cinema, that had its commercial run last August.

Since then, nothing much has been heard from the big winner of “Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus” in 2008 until a slightly bulked-up Ejay, now 23, turned up last Friday at the grand opening of the new Converse flagship store at the new Glorietta Ayala Mall in Makati.

As it turns out, the young actor spent the rest of last year training for “Dugong Buhay”, a new action-drama series which is actually a remake of the Carlo J. Caparas’ komiks novel that was translated to the big screen in 1983.

“Puro training lang, mostly martial arts kasi madaming action scenes ang kailangan nga sa bagong teleserye sa excited ako ulit na makabalik sa telebisyon,” Ejay told InterAksyon.

As the lead star of the new series, Ejay will be filling the big shoes of Sen. Bong Revilla who went on to carve a niche as a bankable action star following his acting debut in the film. As the film also starred the elder Ramon Revilla, Sr. in one of their rare projects together, Ejay will also pit talents with seasoned actor Nonie Buencamino who will play his father in the new series.

“Magsisimula pa lang kaming mag-taping pero hindi ko pa alam kung anong time slot siya ipapalabas kung afternoon or primetime. Kahit saan naman, okay lang sa akin,” he said.

What is not quite okay with the actor known for his intense performances is the fact that he has not yet done an independent film, something he admits he has been dying to do since he entered the business.

“Pangarap ko talagang lumabas sa indie films. Ako na lang yata sa mga kasabay ko ang hindi pa nakakapag-indie,” he exclaimed.

So if he ever gets to do an indie or any other lead role in any film, for that matter, does he have a particular preference of role or genre?

“Kahit ano, action, drama, sexy, kaya ko naman eh. Basta maganda ‘yung role at project, wala naman akong problema dun,” he eagerly replied. “Kaya lang bukod sa teleserye, wala pa kong film projects for this year.”

Ejay remains mum on his personal life, especially after a supposed courtship of Empress Shuck, his co-star in “Mundo Man ay Magunaw”, “Guns and Roses” and “Amorosa”, fizzled out. Empress was also at the Converse event, although the two seemed to keep a safe distance from each other.

When asked about her own lovelife, Empress just giggled and did not say anything more.

source: interaksyon.com

Ways to Renegotiate Your Mortgage

If you are like many Americans struggling to make your monthly mortgage payment, you are not alone.  While the current economy has many struggling, the good news is that banks are more likely now to work with you than ever before.

Because banks have had to foreclose on so many homeowners, they would rather negotiate with you than have another foreclosure where they will likely lose money.  Banks want to get paid, and they now understand that the best way to get their money is to work with you, the borrower.

What You Need Before You Begin to Renegotiate

If you would like to renegotiate your mortgage, you will need several documents to prove that you are having a hard time making your payments.  You’ll want to round up your credit card statements, loan statements, unemployment information (if applicable) or your last paycheck stub, your last two years’ tax returns, and your checking and saving information as well as possibly other investments you have.

Ways to Renegotiate Your Mortgage

There are two main ways you can renegotiate your mortgage.  Which way you chose depends on several variables.

1.  Work with the lender.  Call the lender and honestly tell them that you are having a hard time making your monthly mortgage payment.  You will need to also tell them why you are having trouble, whether that be because of job loss, an injury or illness or another reason.

Ideally, the best time to work with the lender is before you fall behind on your payments.  This was not traditionally the case, but times have changed, and the lender wants to hear from you and work with you as soon as possible.

2.  Consider refinancing.  If you have more than 10% equity in your home and a credit score of 720 or higher, you may be a good candidate for a refinance.  Refinancing can lock you into a lower interest rate and give you a lower monthly payment that you will be able to afford.

While you may initially work with your own lender on a refinance, that is not your only option.  You can contact a mortgage broker who can help you find the best offers, or you can look around yourself and compare rates.  If you belong to a credit union, don’t forget that credit unions often offer lower rates than banks do.

In addition, consider changing the terms of your loan.  If you have a fixed rate mortgage, a 5 year adjustable rate mortgage may give you some breathing room with a lower interest rate and lower monthly payment.  This alternative is especially attractive if you plan to move within 5 years.

If you are having trouble making your mortgage payment, don’t despair.  You are certainly not the only one who has been in this situation, and you will likely find your lender willing to work with you.  Even if your lender isn’t, there are likely other lenders who will work with you and be glad to get your business.  Remember, in general renegotiating your existing mortgage is easier than getting a new mortgage.

source: everythingfinanceblog.com

Most Beautiful Places in Florida

When you visit Florida, be prepared to enter a tropical paradise. While most families head there with Florida park tickets to visit the likes of Disney World and Universal Orlando, there is also a beautiful coastline to be enjoyed. Whether you visit South Beach in Miami or choose the relaxing Vanderbilt Beach in Naples, Florida is a mecca of tropical treasures for anyone who loves the sun. Here are 5 places that any person must visit when he or she books a trip to Florida.

1. Vanderbilt Beach

Vanderbilt Beach is located in Naples, FL. This is the beach that is most frequently visited by locals in town. When you visit this beach, you will have a stunning view of the luxurious hotels located on the coastline. Because it is one of the more private beaches in town, you will also find some open space on the beach. If you want to feel like you are in true tropical paradise, then grab a daiquiri at the Ritz Carlton right next door to the beach.

2. Siesta Key

Siesta Key is another hidden gem in Florida. Be sure to visit this small beach town for its annual art fair. Hundreds of artists from Florida and around the country gather in Siesta Key for the annual Siesta Key Craft Festival. The white sand beaches are another reason to visit this top beach town. You can even relax and do yoga on the beach or take painting classes on the beach in this quiet beach town.

3. South Beach

There are a lot of things to do in Miami. South Beach is located right off of Key Biscane Boulevard in Miami, Florida. South Beach is home to some of the hottest celebrities, including Donatella Versace. If you want the ultimate exclusive night club experience, then visit the Versace Mansion on Ocean Boulevard. There are a variety of other night clubs located on Ocean Boulevard that can give you the time of your life. The actual beach is one of the largest in Florida and is the place to go if you are comfortable with nudity on some specially designated parts of the beach.

4. Boca Raton

Downtown Boca Raton hosts a variety of small boutiques that any shopper will enjoy. These boutiques feature designers like Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Pompano Beach is located right on the outside of Boca Raton is another beautiful area of the city to visit.

5. Gainesville

Gainesville is home to the University of Florida and is often referred to as the most sophisticated city in Florida. The city is filled with college grads who embrace their unique style, and the city gives off an eclectic vibe. While you will not find any beaches surrounding Gainesville since it is located in the center of Florida, you will find charming residential areas surrounding the town. A variety of rare bookstores can also be found in the heart of Gainesville, making it the perfect place for one who enjoys intellectual pursuits in life.

By visiting any of these top 5 places in Florida, you will experience the unique beauty that this state has to offer. Florida is a state unlike any other, because you can have the best of tropical beach life and charming residential areas.

source: everythingfinanceblog.com

Lifestyle changes and how they affect your mortgage

Maybe you just lost your job. Perhaps you just had a baby. Or,maybe you’re planning your wedding. No matter the reason, any time your lifestyle changes is an opportunity to evaluate your home loan, to help you reduce your expenses and maximize the money in your pocket.

Major Illness or Job Loss

If a pink slip or a major illness knocks you out of work for a few months, you may panic as you wonder how you’re going to make ends meet. Fortunately, there are ways to rearrange your mortgage to make the situation work for you.

Your first step may be to refinance. Use a mortgage calculator to see how much you could save by refinancing to a loan with a lower interest rate; mortgage rates are currently near historic lows, meaning now is a great time to shop around. Depending on your current interest rate, a refinance could save you hundreds of dollars a month in mortgage payments.

If that’s not enough, you may consider a forbearance. This option allows you to halt your mortgage payments, typically between six and twelve months, until your financial situation is less dire; then, you’ll have another six to twelve months to repay the interest and principal payments that accumulated while you were out of work. Most lenders will only offer a forbearance to borrowers who can prove their financial hardship is temporary, typically lasting six months or less.

Here Comes the Bride

If wedding bells are in the future, it’s a great time to look at your mortgage using a home loan calculator. Marriage means not only joining your lives, but your finances as well. If you’re in the market for a new home, adding in a second person to your family – and a second income – can increase the amount you may qualify for. If your partner has a strong credit score, he or she may also help you qualify for a lower interest rate based upon it.

You may be tempted to draw money out of your property to pay for your wedding through a cash-out refinance. This is where you liquidate some of the equity in your home to pay for expenses. If at all possible, resist the urge. For one thing, a wedding is a day, while your home is your shelter for months, maybe even years, down the road; reducing your financial stake in your home to pay for a one-day party is putting the cart before the horse. If you need more convincing, you should know that withdrawing some of your home’s equity will lead to higher mortgage payments, since you’ll have a higher principal to pay down on the loan.

And Baby Makes Three!

If your major lifestyle change involves starting a family, you’ve likely already started evaluating everything in your world, whether it’s the arrangement of furniture in a previously unused bedroom (where will the crib go?) to when – or if – you’ll return to work after the baby’s born. Spending some time with a mortgage calculator should be on your list, too.

Although the U.S. Government does not offer paid maternity leave to new parents, you can take advantage of the Family Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, which guarantees new moms and dads up to 12 weeks of leave – unpaid leave. To bridge the gap in finances during that period, consider refinancing your mortgage to a lower rate. Not only could you save hundreds of dollars a month, depending on your current interest rate, but you may also be able to “skip” a mortgage payment while you refinance from one loan to another.

One thing to consider here: my husband and I refinanced right after the birth of our first child. Shortly thereafter, we discovered that our previously-roomy house wasn’t big enough for our growing family. However, the refinance had really locked us in to staying in our home for the foreseeable future. In other words, the birth of a child may not be the best time to make dramatic changes to your mortgage situation.

source: everythingfinanceblog.com