Chris Rock confronts race row head-on at Oscars

HOLLYWOOD | Oscars host Chris Rock hit early and hard Sunday on a race row overshadowing Hollywood’s biggest night, mercilessly ribbing both the movie industry and its critics.

The comedian wasted no time raising the controversy over the 88th Academy Awards’ lack of African American acting nominees, addressing the issue from his first words and discussing virtually nothing else in his monologue.

“Hey! Well, I’m here at the Academy Awards — otherwise known as the white People’s Choice awards,” he said, after joking that the introductory montage had at least 15 black people.

Rock questioned why the 88th edition of the Oscars drew so much controversy, guessing that black nominees were similarly absent most years.

African Americans did not protest most years because they were “too busy being raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematographer,” he said.

“You know, when your grandmother’s swinging from a tree, it’s really hard to care about best documentary foreign short,” he quipped.

The energetic 51-year-old funnyman, sporting a white dinner jacket, shot down activists who urged him to boycott the Oscars in solidarity with black actors.

“They’re not going to cancel the Oscars because I quit, you know? And the last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart,” Rock said in reference to a fellow black comic, suggesting he was selected as host due to his race.

Rock enjoyed consistent applause for his monologue, even as he savaged some big names in Hollywood.

He suggested that Jada Pinkett Smith joined the boycott by African Americans because her husband, actor and rapper Will Smith, was not nominated for “Concussion.”

“Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties,” he said, referring to the sultry singer. “I wasn’t invited.”

Yet Rock also made clear that there were true concerns for the community, pointing to the string of police killings of African Americans that have triggered the Black Lives Matter protest movement.

“This year, in the ‘In Memoriam’ package, it’s just going to be black people that were shot on their way to the movies,” he said, referring to the customary Oscars tribute to deceased cinema figures.

source: interaksyon.com

#OscarsSoWhite creator says she will not watch Oscars

NEW YORK | The creator of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag on Twitter on Saturday said she will watch and tweet about a 1999 coming-of-age movie featuring three black actors rather than Sunday night’s showing of the Academy Awards, joining a growing list of activists and entertainers snubbing the event for its lack of diversity.

April Reign, managing editor of BroadwayBlack.com, said she will watch “The Wood,” starring Omar Epps, Richard T. Jones and Taye Diggs on Netflix on Sunday night as the Oscars show airs on ABC.

Reign, the keynote speaker on Saturday at “The #BlackTwitter Conference” at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, is credited with launching the hashtag in January after last year’s nominees best actor nominees were published.

“What I’m doing is attempting to amplify the discussion,” Reign said at Saturday’s conference, hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists. “The Academy can only nominate quality work that is made, so the onus still has to be on Hollywood to put those films out there.”

Reign said she launched the tag initially as a joke, but it quickly went viral and has become a major venue for discussing race and Hollywood.

The furor over the all-white line up of best-actor nominees prompted several big-name boycott announcements. Spike Lee, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith all said they will not attend.

Directors Ava Duvernay and Ryan Coogler, who was snubbed for a best director nomination for his Rocky sequel “Creed” even as Sylvester Stallone earned a best-supporting actor nomination, are planning to host the #JusticeForFlint benefit concert in Flint, Michigan, in support of residents suffering from its water crisis.

Business mogul Russell Simmons has partnered with Fusion to launch the first-ever “All Def Movie Awards,” which aims to celebrate diversity in film.

#BlackTwitter16, the tag associated with Saturday’s conference at Columbia, was among the top-trending hashtags on Twitter.

“Black Twitter has gone from being seen as these frivolous conversations that black people are having at night,” said Sherri Williams, a post-doctoral fellow and professor at Wake Forest University who was among the panelist at the conference. “Now it’s an entity that people are taking seriously.”

source: interaksyon.com

Fox shares could get rare Oscars season boost

NEW YORK | Shares of 21st Century Fox — owner of the 20th Century Fox film studio and Fox television network — could be set for a rare Oscar rally if the global media conglomerate takes home gold at this Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.

The Oscars, which draws some of the biggest audiences of any single annual television event, typically have little effect on share prices of big publicly traded companies with movies in the running, analysts said.

“Normally it’s not terrifically meaningful for stocks, but here and there you can get situations where it matters a little,” FBR Capital Markets analyst Barton Crockett said. This time, it could matter to Fox, Crockett said.

That is partly because Fox fielded movies that not only fared well at other awards ceremonies but also at the box office, in a change from the last two years, Crockett said.

Fox led studios this year with a total of 26 Oscar nods, including 12 for best picture-nominated revenge drama, “The Revenant.” Other Fox films with nominations in top categories include “Brooklyn” and “The Martian.”

Filmed entertainment accounted for nearly a third of total second-quarter revenue at Fox, which also runs cable, television and other entertainment operations.

“The Revenant,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a bear-mauled and ice-battered explorer, blew away initial expectations and has grossed $383.6 million worldwide since opening in late December.

The movie, with a $135 million budget, is still in theaters, a big factor in how much a company will gain when its film is nominated for or wins an Oscar, said BofA Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Cohen.

An Academy award nomination or win could extend the time a movie is shown in theaters, boosting a film’s box office proceeds.

“If DiCaprio wins … it could be a significant boost,” Cohen said.

A nomination or win also increases profit over the longer term by increasing movie rentals, DVD purchases and on-demand cable contracts, she said.

Shares of Fox gained nearly 4.5 percent on Jan. 14 after Oscar nominations were announced, but are little changed so far this year compared with a 4.4 percent decline for the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index. In 2015 Fox shares fell 26 percent.

source: interaksyon.com

Zika outbreak will worsen before it gets better - WHO head

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The head of the World Health Organization warned Wednesday that the Zika outbreak would likely worsen before nations besieged by the mosquito-borne virus linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil see relief.

Director General Margaret Chan made the comments at the end of her two-day visit to Brazil, the country at the epicenter of the Zika crisis.

"Things may get worse before they get better," Chan said at a news conference in Rio de Janeiro. "Don't be surprised to see microcephaly reported in other parts of Brazil."

As yet, Brazil's Zika outbreak has been concentrated in the northeastern part of the nation.

Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly, a condition marked by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems. Chan underscored that scientists are still working to determine causality between the virus and the birth defect.

Brazil said this week it has confirmed more than 580 cases of microcephaly, and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating more than 4,100 additional suspected cases of microcephaly.

After Brazil, Colombia has been hardest hit by Zika infections with the country's health officials reporting on Wednesday a probable case of microcephaly possibly linked to Zika in an aborted fetus.

Colombia has reported more than 37,000 cases of Zika including 6,356 in pregnant women but has yet to have a confirmed microcephaly case linked to the virus. At least 34 countries, mostly in the Americas, have active Zika outbreaks and the virus is expected to spread.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak an international health emergency on February 1, citing a "strongly suspected" relationship between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly.

Scientists are also studying a potential link between Zika infection and Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological disorder that can weaken the muscles and cause paralysis.

source: interaksyon.com

Facebook founder Zuckerberg calls for universal access to Internet

BARCELONA -- Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said on Monday the "whole world deserves to have access to the Internet," to a packed crowd at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

Zuckerberg's appearance was one of the most eagerly expected event of the opening day of the congress, which began Monday and runs until Thursday.

"Everyone deserves access to the Internet and I don't understand how we can still be like this in 2016... if there are more and more people with Internet access, it is a business model which works," said Zuckerberg, who highlighted that more clients for Internet providers would then lead to "investment in infrastructure."

He also spoke about the move towards 5G, questioning why the industry was moving so quickly to this level of connectivity when the important thing is that all the world can afford an Internet connection, "not just those who have money to pay for expensive connections."

source: interaksyon.com

MWC 2016 | Here is Huawei’s 2-in-1 style laptop

BARCELONA, Spain — Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei launched a 2-in-1 product that combines the mobility of a smartphone and productivity of a laptop at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona on Sunday, marking the firm’s latest step to expand its consumer business.

The device, called the Huawei MateBook, retails from 799 euros in the European market and 699 U.S. dollars in the U.S. market. It will be made available across international markets from April onwards through both retail and e-commerce channels.

The core device of the MateBook is a tablet with a detachable keyboard much like Apple’s iPad Pro, and runs Microsoft’s latest operating system Windows 10.

It weighs 640 grams, compared to 713 grams for Apple’s iPad Pro and the 766 grams of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4, both of which are portable tablets known for their lightweight design. It has a 12-inch screen.

The Huawei MateBook has a high-density lithium battery, which lasts for 10 hours once fully charged. The product features a sixth generation Intel Core m-series processor aimed at handling the most rigorous business demands.

Built to operate on Windows 10, the MateBook also delivers tools and features offered by Microsoft Corp, including its latest browser, Microsoft Edge, and the Cortana digital personal assistant.

“We have decided to launch this product to answer the needs of business users. What makes our MateBook unique are are its compatibility and huge variety of functions,” said Glory Zhang, chief marketing officer of Huawei Consumer Business.

Although MateBook is being launched later than other comparable tablets, Zhang said it is no cause for concern because Huawei’s strategy is to bring to market products once the technology involved can best satisfy consumer needs.

“We are not so concerned about being the first in a market. For example, when we launched our smartphone, the market was already filled with many smartphone makers, but our high quality allowed us to win market share.”

“We have made good use of cutting edge technologies that we developed for our smartphone in our MateBook, which gives us a competitive strength,” Zhang says.

Huawei, founded in Shenzhen in 1987, has three core business areas. Its carrier business provides telecommunications services to operators like O2 and Telefonica, and it provides telecommunications services to corporate clients. Its third business area is consumer products.

In recent years its consumer business has picked up and has become a key factor in helping build the firm’s brand across international markets. Its core products include the Huawei smartphone and Huawei Watch.

Huawei is now the third-biggest player in the smartphone market after Apple and Samsung, and shipped 108 million smartphones in 2015, which represents a 44 percent increase in sales compared to 2014.

Now Huawei is looking to make a major play in the tablet sector. Globally, tablet shipments fell 13.7 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2015, while shipments for detachable tablets reached an all-time high of 8.1 million devices, more than double from the same period in 2014, according to the research firm International Data Corporation.

The Huawei MateBook is being launched alongside the MatePen, which is used to write and draw on the MateBook. It has high sensitivity, can support graphics and mathematic functions and can be used as a laser pointer for delivering presentations.

The MateBook also has a one-touch unlocking system, which Huawei says is the fastest fingerprint recognition technology in the industry. Its technology supports 360 degrees sensitive identification, which leads to fewer identification failures than competitor technology.

The keyboard that accompanies MateBook features 1.5 millimeter keystroke and a Chiclet keycap design, which allows for larger key surfaces to minimize typing errors. The built-in touchpad uses multi-touch technology that supports finger movement and effectively combines comfort with function.

source: interaksyon.com

Virgin Galactic's Branson unveils new passenger spaceship

MOJAVE, Calif. -- Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic venture unveiled a new passenger spacecraft on Friday, nearly 16 months after a fatal accident destroyed its sister ship during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert.

The rollout of the gleaming craft, dubbed Virgin Space Ship Unity, marks Branson’s return to a race among rival billionaire entrepreneurs to develop a vehicle that can take thrill-seekers, researchers and commercial customers on short hops into space.

"It's almost too good to be true," Branson said during a ceremony at the Mojave Air and Space Port, about 160 kilometers north of Los Angeles. "When I saw it for the first time, it brought an immediate lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. It was a completely overwhelming moment."

Christened with a bottle of milk by Branson's year-old granddaughter, the ship was painted bright white on its front section, fading to gray and black toward the tail.

The tail itself was emblazoned with a blue image of a peering eye belonging to famed British physicist Stephen Hawking.

Branson has already offered a flight into space to Hawking, who is confined to a wheelchair and suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. It was Hawking who suggested naming the ship Unity.

"I have always dreamed of spaceflight, but for so many years I thought it was just that – a dream," Hawking said in a recorded message played at the space port. "If I am able to go, and if Richard will still take me, I will be proud to fly on this spaceship."

From outward appearances, the spacecraft is nearly identical to the one lost on October 31, 2014. The accident was blamed on pilot error and oversights by Northrop Gumman Corp.'s Scaled Composites division, which designed, built and tested the vehicle, known as SpaceShipTwo.

Virgin Galactic’s own manufacturing arm, The Spaceship Company, already was well into construction of the successor ship when the accident occurred.

The biggest difference between the two is the addition of a pin to prevent a pilot from unlocking the ship’s rotating tail section too soon before descent, which is what triggered the breakup of the first spaceship, said Galactic Chief Executive George Whitesides.

The two-pilot, six-passenger spaceship is designed to reach altitudes of 100 kilometers above the planet, providing a few minutes of weightlessness and a view of Earth set against the blackness of space. Nearly 700 people have signed up for rides, which cost $250,000 each.

Other changes include a device to prevent pilots from releasing the ship’s landing gear too early and new control switches to make them more distinct.

Friday’s unveiling set the stage for Unity's first round of test flights. The company has declined to discuss a schedule, but Whitesides said he expects to rapidly repeat milestones the first craft achieved and then incrementally test the new ship at higher speeds and altitudes. The first spaceship had not yet traveled beyond the atmosphere.

Virgin Galactic is among a handful of companies, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, Paul Allen’s Stratolaunch Systems and Boeing, planning to fly people in space.

Building a vehicle that can safely carry humans to the weightless heights beyond Earth's upper atmosphere is a feat so far achieved only by NASA, Russia, China and Scaled Composites, which designed and flew Virgin Galactic's prototype craft, SpaceShipOne.

Three suborbital hops by SpaceShipOne in 2004 earned it the $10 million Ansari XPrize.

source: interaksyon.com

‘World’s cheapest smartphone’ to be launched in India

NEW DELHI, India — A little-known Indian company will on Wednesday launch a smartphone believed to be the cheapest in the world, targeting a market already dominated by low-cost handsets.

Set to be priced at under 500 rupees ($7.30/P347.00), domestic handset maker Ringing Bells’ Freedom 251 smartphone is about one percent of the price of the latest Apple iPhone.

Ringing Bells was set up in September 2015 and began selling mobile phones via its website a few weeks ago under its Bell brand, a spokeswoman said.

“This is our flagship model and we think it will bring a revolution in the industry,” she told AFP.

Ringing Bells currently imports parts from overseas and assembles them in India but plans to make its phones domestically within a year, the spokeswoman said.

Cheap smartphone handsets, many of them Chinese-made, are readily available in the Indian market but domestic competitors are making inroads, with models selling for less than $20.

India is the world’s second-largest mobile market and notched up its billionth mobile phone subscriber in October, according to the country’s telecoms regulator.

But in poorer Indian states such as Bihar, “teledensity” — the penetration of telephone connections for every hundred people — is as low as 54 percent, with a stark urban-rural divide.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Openly gay athlete Jason Collins calls Manny Pacquiao a ‘bigot’: ‘You should never hold public office’

US sports equipment giant Nike on Wednesday axed Manny Pacquiao after he described gay couples as “worse than animals”, slamming the Filipino boxer’s remarks as “abhorrent.”

A Nike statement said the company had severed its ties with Pacquiao, who triggered a firestorm of controversy with his comments to a Filipino broadcaster earlier this week. 

“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,” a Nike statement said.

“Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community… we no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao.”

Devout Christian Pacquiao, 37, had issued an apology soon after the controversy erupted.

“I’m sorry for comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt,” Pacquiao said in a video post on Instagram, his arms crossed.

Pacquiao, who is running for a seat in his country’s Senate, said he was not condemning homosexuals but was standing by his conservative Christian faith.

“I love you all with the love of the Lord. I am praying for you.”

Pacquiao told television station TV5 earlier this week: “It’s common sense. Do you see animals mating with the same sex? Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female.”

“If men mate with men and women mate with women, they are worse than animals.”

Pacquiao’s comments were greeted with revulsion in the United States, where same-sex marriage is enshrined in law following a historic Supreme Court ruling.

Jason Collins, the first openly gay athlete in the NBA, dismissed Pacquiao as “bigoted.”

“I lost all respect for you,” Collins wrote on Twitter. “Bigoted people like you (yes you are one) should never hold an office in politics.”

Pacquiao’s long-time rival Floyd Mayweather — who outclassed the Filipino in their money-spinning mega-fight last year — also took aim at the remarks.

“We should let people live their lives the way they want to live their lives. To each his own,” Mayweather was quoted by TMZ Sports as saying.

Gay marriage is outlawed in the Philippines due to strong opposition from the Catholic Church and 80 percent of the country’s 100 million people subscribe to the faith.

Gay marriages are officiated at small churches but are not recognized by the mainstream church or the state.

Pacquiao’s remarks angered some of his compatriots, with the country’s most popular gay comedian, Vice Ganda, urging his 6.7 million Twitter followers to “#PrayForMannyPacquiao”.

“Some people think they can judge people, like God, just because they’ve attended a prayer meeting and read the Bible,” he said.

Singer Aiza Seguerra, who recently married her actress-girlfriend, called on Filipino voters to boycott Pacquiao, who is also preparing for his last boxing fight in April, calling him an “ignorant, bigoted hypocrite”.

“You might have done our country proud but with your statement, you just showed the whole country why we shouldn’t vote for you,” Seguerra said in a post on Instagram.

source: interaksyon.com

David Bowie’s son not gaga over singer’s Grammy tribute

Lady Gaga wowed the Grammy audience with her multimedia song and dance tribute to David Bowie but the son of the late British singer seemed less than impressed.

Film director Duncan Jones, the son of Bowie and his first wife Angie, made a cryptic post on Twitter following Monday’s Grammy awards show in which he shared a dictionary definition of the word “gaga.”

“‘Overexcited or irrational, typically as a result of infatuation or excessive enthusiasm; mentally confused.’ Damn it! What IS that word!?” Jones wrote.

Gaga’s medley of Bowie’s biggest hits was punctuated by a torrent of flashing multi-colored lights and images projected on a large screen behind her, including a closeup of her face adorned in “Aladdin Sane: makeup – a nod to one of Bowie’s personas – with a spider crawling over her nose.

The tribute to Bowie, who died in January of cancer, was widely seen as one of the highlights of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, and was one of the most-discussed moments of the show on social media.

Jones’ comments triggered both outrage and sympathy. Twitter user Lady Teapots said it was “cruel and mean spirited to attack Lady Gaga who gave her all to honor and entertain” while Darcy Bennett tweeted, “Surely the man is entitled to his opinion. especially considering it’s about his father.”

Gaga on Tuesday limited herself to giving Instagram thanks to those who made the tribute possible, including fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs who recreated some of Bowie’s signature looks during his glam rock phase of the 1970s.

During the weekend Gaga had showed off pictures of a new tattoo on her ribcage of Bowie with a lightning bolt across his face.

source: interaksyon.com

Lady Gaga dazzles at Grammys with glam David Bowie tribute

LOS ANGELES | Pop diva Lady Gaga stole the show at the Grammy Awards on Monday with an extravagant, multimedia David Bowie tribute that befitted the flamboyant rock legend, who died last month.

She blazed through the singer’s era-defining hits including “Space Oddity,” “Changes,” and “Ziggy Stardust,” accompanied on guitar by Nile Rodgers, who co-produced Bowie’s biggest selling album, “Let’s Dance.”

Gaga set the chaotic tone from the start, appearing in a bright orange wig with the trademark “Aladdin Sane” flash on her face, and affected an odd English accent as a huge spider was projected onto her face.

The singer, known for her brash outfits and sexual candor, is among the contemporary artists most obviously inspired by Bowie, the pioneer of glam rock.

She performed “Suffragette City,” “Rebel Rebel,” “Fashion,” “Fame,” “Under Pressure,” and “Let’s Dance” in front of a large LED wall, sporting pink eye shadow and a sparkly jumpsuit.

Gaga, born as Stefani Germanotta, won the longest ovation of the night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles as she finished the medley with “Heroes,” one of Bowie’s best-known songs.

The performance featured special effects provided by chip-maker Intel, including “digital make-up” projected onto her face that enabled her to take on a number of Bowie’s iconic looks without leaving the stage.

The company also provided a hologram of Bowie and a gold-colored piano with three robot arms that danced along to Gaga’s playing.

The music industry’s biggest night took place barely a month after the shocking death of Bowie, who over his half-century career became one of the most influential figures in pop culture.

The musician died on January 10 from a publicly undisclosed battle with cancer, two days after he released his final album, “Blackstar,” on his 69th birthday.

The headline-grabbing performance marked another tour de force for Lady Gaga who, since her rise to stardom nearly a decade ago, has delighted in provocative gestures and outfits, most notoriously a dress made of meat she wore to the MTV Video Music Awards in 2010.

At last year’s Oscars, she sang a medley of memorable tunes from “The Sound of Music” to mark the film’s 50th anniversary.

In December, she belted out an impressive rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” — in a tux and hat — at a concert in Las Vegas to mark what would have been the singing legend’s 100th birthday.

source: interaksyon.com

West thumps East in Kobe Bryant’s final All-Star Game

The West All-Stars breezed past the East All-Stars, 196-173, to conclude the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities that set the stage for a fitting tribute to retiring superstar Kobe Bryant.

The annual showcase played in Toronto, Canada for the first time centered on Bryant who played in a record 18th All-Star appearance. A video montage showing the highlights of his 20-year career was showed before the game in a ceremony em-ceed by Lakers great Magic Johnson.

“I just want to thank you guys for all your support all these years,” Bryant told the “Ko-be!” chanting crowd.

“I’ve just been extremely fortunate to play the game I love and be in the NBA for over half my life.”

“He’s the Michael Jordan of our era,” said Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, an Eastern All-Star who like Bryant hails from Philadelphia.

“He’s the most competitive a lot of us have played against. And the things he’s done throughout his career and the things he’s done to change the game and motivate other players is unbelievable.”

Bryant, the top vote-getter in the All-Star Game, finished with 10 points, six boards and seven assists as his younger counterparts stole the spotlight.

Russell Westbrook won the NBA All-Star MVP award for the second straight year after piling up 31 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

“We were just playing lockup defense at the end,” said Russell, although for the most part defense wasn’t part of the program at the Air Canada Centre, where the annual exhibition was being held outside US borders for the first time.

Reigning NBA MVP scored 26 points, Anthony Davis had 24 while Kevin Durant and James Harden each had 23 markers. Chris Paul also collected 16 assists to go along with 14 points.

East’s Paul George top-scored the game with 41 points, one shy of tying the record for the most points made in an All-Star Game.

He just missed the All-Star single-game record of 42 points set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962.

It was a night of soaring dunks and long-range bombs all adding up to unprecedented numbers.

The 369 total points was an All-Star Game record, as was the West’s 196 total and their 104 points in the second half.

The Western Conference made a record 31 three-pointers — including seven apiece from Westbrook and James Harden and six from Curry.

source: interaksyon.com

Zach LaVine takes flight, wins 2nd dunk contest

TORONTO — The Latest on Saturday's (Sunday Manila time) events at the NBA's All-Star Weekend in Toronto:

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10:35 p.m.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine outlasted Orlando's Aaron Gordon in an epic final round of the dunk contest, posting four straight perfect 50s to win for the second straight year.

LaVine and Gordon matched each other dunk for dunk for the first two tries in the final round. Then needed two rounds of tie-breakers to decide a winner.

Gordon got a 47 with a Harold Miner-style jackknife dunk on his fourth dunk, which opened the door for LaVine in one of the most memorable competitions in years.


He ended it with a between-the-legs dunk from a step inside the free throw line to become just the fourth player to win back-to-back titles.

— Jon Krawczynski

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10:16 p.m.

Defending dunk champion Zach LaVine is in the lead after the preliminary round after getting a perfect 50 on his opening dunk and a 49 on the second one. LaVine's opener came off the bounce, when he wrapped the ball around his back before cupping it with his right hand and throwing it down. He took off from the free throw line and grabbed a lob from teammate Andre Miller on his second one and got a 49.

Orlando's Aaron Gordon jumped over Orlando's mascot Stuff, who was standing on a hoverboard, grabbed the ball and went through his legs before throwing it down for a 49 on his second dunk to give him 94 points.

Detroit's Andre Drummond was third with 75 points and Will Barton was last with 74.

LaVine faces Gordon in the final round.

— Jon Krawczynski

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9:35 p.m.

Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors has beaten teammate Stephen Curry to win the 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday night.

Thompson scored 27 points in the final round, making his last eight shots to beat Curry and Phoenix's Devin Booker. Curry scored 23 points and Booker finished with 16 in the final round.

Curry was the event's defending champion.

Thompson made 19 of his 25 shots in the final round, and that even bettered his 18-for-25 showing in the first round. Combine them, and Thompson shot a staggering 74 percent — 37 for 50 — from long range over the course of the night.

— Tim Reynolds

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9:15 p.m.

Golden State's "Splash Brothers" duo of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, along with Phoenix's Devin Booker are the three finalists in the 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday night.

Booker got his spot after beating Houston's James Harden and J.J. Redick of the Los Angeles Clippers in a tiebreaker round. Those three all finished with 20 points, and then Booker won the tiebreaker with 12 more points over Redick (9) and Harden (8).

Toronto's Kyle Lowry (15), Portland's C.J. McCollum (14), Milwaukee's Khris Middleton (13) were eliminated before the tiebreaker.

Curry is the defending champion.

Thompson made 18 of his 25 3-point shots, and Curry avoided the playoff by making his "money ball" — a shot that counted for two points — on his 25th and final attempt of the first round.

— Tim Reynolds

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8:25 p.m.

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Karl-Anthony Towns has beaten Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas to win the Skills Challenge at the NBA's All-Star Saturday night.

Towns, the No. 1 overall pick who stands nearly 7 feet tall, won in the first time the competition was opened up to include frontcourt players. Towns weaved through an obstacle course, fed a pass through a target, made a layup and a 3-pointer to win it.

After accepting the trophy, he was joined on the podium by fellow big competitors DeMarcus Cousins, Draymond Green and Anthony Davis.

Towns won after teammate Zach LaVine took home MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night.

___Jon Krawczynski.

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8:17 p.m.

Portland's C.J. McCollum, Boston's Isaiah Thomas, Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns and Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins have advanced out of the first round of the Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday night.

McCollum took down Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson and Thomas beat Denver Nuggets rookie Emmanuel Mudiay on the guard side of the bracket.

Towns beat Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Cousins beat New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis on the big men side of the bracket in the first year that the competition has been open to frontcourt players.

— Jon Krawczynski

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7:20 p.m.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has come out even more strongly against the so-called "Hack-a-Shaq" rule.

Silver has long made it clear that he doesn't like the strategy that calls for the intentional fouling of poor foul shooters, reducing games to free-throw-shooting contests. Silver says he's "beginning to feel a change needs to be made."

Owners could address the issue at their meeting in Toronto on Sunday, but Silver insisted that no change will come this season. What might stop is what the commissioner says is a safety issue is a player jumping on another player's back to get an official's attention. Silver said that could result in a flagrant foul.

Silver says the NBA has data showing that coaches are using the "Hack-a-Shaq' strategy more than five times what the norm has been in the past.

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7:05 p.m.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has offered Oklahoma City assistant coach Monty Williams and his family condolences on the league's behalf.

Ingrid Williams, the coach's wife, died earlier this week from injuries suffered in a car crash. She was only 44, and tributes have poured in from players around the league since her passing.

Silver says "the entire NBA family is grieving."

— Tim Reynolds

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5:40 p.m.

The complete set of Air Jordans — like the gift given to Kobe Bryant by the iconic Jordan Brand as a retirement present — is going to raise an enormous amount of money for charity.

At least $100,000, to be precise.

Bryant got a gift of all 30 pairs in the Jordan collection to commemorate his final All-Star appearance, and a matching set of the shoes in Bryant's size (14) are being auctioned through eBay for charity.

The first bid was $100,000. The auction runs through noon Eastern on Sunday.

The proceeds will go to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, which tries to improve the lives of kids and their families in a variety of ways.

— Tim Reynolds

___

5:05 p.m.

Carmelo Anthony says he has no plans to leave New York and is angry about a report linking him to trade talks.

The Daily News of New York reported Friday that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics had discussed a deal involving Kevin Love and there were "very preliminary discussions" with the Knicks about expanding it to include Anthony, who would end up with LeBron James in Cleveland.

During interviews Saturday for the All-Star Game, Anthony — who has a no-trade clause in his contract — said he's had no conservations with the Knicks or anyone else about leaving the team.

James added that the reports were "false," saying the Cavaliers weren't worried about trade talks.

— Brian Mahoney

___

4:25 p.m.

Jimmer Fredette scored 35 points, Jarnell Stokes scored with 37 seconds left to break a tie and put his team up for good, and the Eastern Conference topped the Western Conference 128-124 in Saturday's NBA Development League All-Star Game.

Fredette was the game MVP and says it was "just an honor to be here at the All-Star Game."

He was 13 for 19 from the floor, and made six 3-pointers.

Stokes, who has spent plenty of time with the Miami Heat this season, finished with 17 for the East side. He says he's going back to the Heat after this game.

Vander Blue led the West with 17 points.

— Tim Reynolds

___

1:30 p.m.

Heat forward Chris Bosh says he will have more tests on his injured right calf when he returns to Miami after Sunday's All-Star Game.

Bosh revealed Saturday that the calf has been an issue for several days. He is not going to take part in Saturday's 3-point contest or Sunday's game, dropping out Friday out of concern for making the calf worse.

Bosh says he's optimistic that the issue won't turn into a bigger problem, but wants the tests done to make sure.

— Tim Reynolds.

___

12:35 p.m.

The Western Conference practice is going on, with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich showing off his dribbling skills and retiring star Kobe Bryant getting huge ovations from the crowd.

Much like the East workout earlier Saturday, it's a very loose mood — as one would expect from an All-Star session.

Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon says she's enjoying being around players in a less-than-competitive environment, and seeing a different side of competitors. Popovich is installing plays such as "5 out" and "3 weave," and encouraging everyone to act like a point guard.

But is it like a Spurs practice? Hammon isn't telling, saying "I can't give away our secrets. We've got a lot of secrets."

— Tim Reynolds

___

11:35 a.m.

The Eastern Conference All-Star practice has started.

Injured All-Stars Chris Bosh and Jimmy Butler are with the East team, and both gave interviews that were shown on video screens during the practice. Bosh says he's excited to see Toronto host the All-Star Game — he spent his first seven NBA seasons in the city — and Butler revealed that he's a big Taylor Swift fan.

Suffice to say, it isn't the most competitive practice.

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is watching from a courtside seat, raving about the quality and variety of culinary options in Toronto. And the Raptors' All-Star duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan addressed the crowd before the practice began.

Last-minute All-Star replacement Al Horford also talked to the crowd, saying he's looking forward to having "fun with the best players in the league."

Up next: The Western Conference practice.

— Tim Reynolds

___

11:05 a.m.

Better late than never: Atlanta's Al Horford has arrived at All-Star weekend.

Horford was selected Friday as the replacement for Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh, who pulled out with a strained right calf. Horford was vacationing in the Caribbean when the NBA called, packed up quickly and arrived in Toronto late Friday night.

Here's hoping he had sweaters with him: Temperatures in Toronto are likely to stay below zero all day Saturday, though as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, "I'm told the game will be played indoors."

Horford will practice with the East squad and take part in team meetings Saturday, then come off the bench in Sunday night's All-Star contest.

— Tim Reynolds

___

10:30 a.m.

Kobe Bryant has gotten one impressive retirement gift from Michael Jordan.

The Jordan Brand gave Bryant a full set of the sneakers released so far in the Air Jordan line — 30 pairs in all. The gift was presented early Saturday at the Jordan Brand All-Star party, which Bryant attended.

Jordan Brand President Larry Miller says the gift was presented "to honor one of the game's great players and the legacy that he created."

Bryant is an 18-time All-Star who is retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers when this season ends. He got the Jordan set in white; the company made an alternate full black set in Bryant's size 14, and they're being auctioned off on eBay for charity. The auction starts Saturday at noon Eastern, ending Sunday at the same time.

— Tim Reynolds

source: philstar.com

Thunder down Pelicans, Bucks beat Wizards as NBA heads into All-Star break

The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled into the NBA’s All-Star break with a 121-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, aided by 23 points apiece from Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

On what was an emotional night, Westbrook was one rebound shy of his ninth triple double of the season as he collected 10 assists and nine rebounds.

Durant connected on 10 of 17 from the field and also handed out six assists as Oklahoma City improved to 40-14.

The Thunder are one of three Western Conference teams heading into the All-Star break with at least 40 wins, behind the Golden State Warriors (48-4) and San Antonio Spurs (45-8).

According to Elias Sports, the statistics expert, that’s a first for any conference in NBA history.

“I think we are great, man,” Westbrook said of the Thunder’s position. “Forty wins, I like where we are. Looking to come back in the second half of the season and turn it up a notch.”

Center Anthony Davis scored 23 points to lead the Pelicans, but was limited to three rebounds and no blocked shots.

Guard Jrue Holiday came off the bench to score 23 points and six assists as the Pelicans, ravaged by injury this season, fell to 20-33.

The contest had a somber note, despite the approach of the weekend of festivities built around Sunday’s All-Star game in Toronto.

Ingrid Williams, wife of Oklahoma City assistant coach and former New Orleans head coach Monty Williams, died in a road accident on Tuesday and the news hit both teams hard.

“I thought about what I was going to say, but I just love coach Monty so much,” Durant said. “I feel for him. And it’s somebody we all love, I just don’t understand.”

Davis was one of the Pelicans players who remembered Ingrid Williams as being like a second mother when her husband coached them.

“It was tough, but you have to still go out there and compete,” Davis said. “That’s what we tried to do tonight.”

Bucks down Wizards

In Milwaukee, Khris Middleton scored 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as the Bucks defeated the Washington Wizards 99-92.

Forwards Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 17 points each for the Bucks, and center Greg Monroe chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds.

Five Washington players scored in double figures, led by the 19 points of guard Bradley Beal.

John Wall added 15 for Washington while Otto Porter, Marcin Gortat and Nene scored 14 points apiece.

Mudiay, Booker get skills nod

Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker were named as substitutes for two of the All-Star Game warm-up events.

Mudiay will replace injured defending champion Patrick Beverley in the Skills Challenge that tests dribbling, passing, shooting and agility on an obstacle course.

Beverley will miss the Saturday competition with an ankle injury.

Booker replaces injured Nerlens Noel of the Philadelphia 76ers in Friday’s Rising Stars Challenge, which features first- and second-year players from the United States against overseas players in their rookie and sophomore seasons.

source: interaksyon.com

KFC table service for Valentine’s

Have you got kind of relationship with your better half, where you are comfortable enough to do things that don’t require a barrow-load of cash on Valentine’s Day? Have you got a sense of humour? Like greasy-ass fried chicken?

You’re in all kinds of luck, because KFC is going to be trialling a thing where you get table service on your date night. Of course, there’s going to be a lot of people being incredibly sniffy about this, but think about it – eating chicken and sitting on your behind even more, with a person you like. Fantastic.

The KFC date-night service will even give you flowers, some linen napkins, a candelabra, and the staff will bring you your bucket of chicken on a little stand, like you’re fancier than the colonel himself. Hopefully, they’ll have a posh man to come and ask you if you’d like to try the fizzy pop, like it is wine as well.

Again. It is clearly meant to be silly, and no, you don’t have to go, and the human race hasn’t reach a low point. This is clearly a brilliant thing, and BW is hoping that they’ll even cut our food up for us and feed it to us.

If you want in, you’ll have to make your way to the Fishergate branch in Preston. Why this particular outlet? Well, it was the first ever KFC in the whole of the UK, but it is also the place where Bob and Pat Fogg met in 1965, who have a date night in the restaurant once a week, every week, since that day.

Awww!

Seriously though – flowers are all well and good, but we’d sooner have a load of chicken wings and legs to plough through. This is clearly a fantastic idea AND it passes Dr Nick Riviera’s ‘window to weight gain‘ test! Result!

source: bitterwallet.com

Ikea recall Lock and Hyby lampshades over injury concerns

Have you been shopping at IKEA, and got yourself the glass Lock and Hyby lampshades? Well, you might need to return them, as there’s a recall on them over fears that they’re going to fall from your ceiling and end up cutting you open, like you’ve been set upon by a rubbish hooligan.

The Lock and Hyby glass lampshades have reportedly caused 224 incidents around the world. IKEA have said: “We have received reports that Lock and Hyby ceiling lamp shades have fallen. In order to safeguard customers and avoid further incidents we are recalling the products.”

They look like this.

They say: “IKEA urges customers who have a LOCK or HYBY ceiling lamp to immediately remove it and bring it back to any IKEA store where they will receive a full refund.”

“IKEA has received customer reports of ceiling lamp glass shades falling. In a few cases medical treatment was required and one customer reportedly needed stitches.”

“IKEA takes product safety very seriously. All our products are tested to and comply with applicable testing standards and legislation. In spite of this we have received reports that LOCK and HYBY ceiling lamps have fallen. In order to safeguard customers and avoid further incidents we are recalling the products for a full refund.”

“The LOCK and HYBY ceiling lamps have been sold in all IKEA markets, LOCK since 2002 and HYBY since 2012. LOCK and HYBY ceiling lamps can be returned to any IKEA store for a full refund. Proof of purchase (receipt) is not required for a full refund. For more information, please visit www.IKEA.uk or contact IKEA 0203 645 0010.”

source: bitterwallet.com

Google developing virtual reality headset — WSJ

Google is developing a virtual reality headset that works without a smartphone or computer, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The headset will include a screen, high-powered processors and outward-facing cameras, the Journal reported, citing one person.

Alphabet Inc’s Google currently sells a virtual reality device made of cardboard into which users slide in their mobile phones.

Since the launch in 2014, Google has shipped five million Google Cardboards.


The company declined to comment on the Journal report.

source: interaksyon.com

Astronomers identify hundreds of new galaxies behind Milky Way

SYDNEY -- There's a mysterious force pulling the Milky Way galaxy towards it at 2 million kilometers per hour and scientists may have finally found out why.

An international team of researchers led by the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research at the University of Western Australia (UWA) have discovered 883 galaxies hidden in the nearby universe, 250 million light-years from earth, behind the Milky Way, a third of which had never been seen before.

"An average galaxy contains 100 billion stars, so finding hundreds of new galaxies hidden behind the Milky Way points to a lot of mass we didn't know about until now," University of Cape Town professor of Astronomy, Renee Kraan-Korteweg said in a statement on Wednesday.

The study's lead author, UWA professor of radio astronomy Lister Staveley-Smith said this discovery may help explain the "Great Attractor" region that is pulling the Milky Way and several other galaxies towards it with the gravitational force equivalent to a million, billion Suns.

"We don't actually understand what's causing this gravitational acceleration on the Milky Way or where it's coming from," Staveley-Smith said.

"We know that in this region there are a few very large collections of galaxies we call clusters or superclusters, and our whole Milky Way is moving towards them at more than two million kilometers per hour."

Astronomers have been trying to map the galaxies hidden in the so-called Zone of Avoidance, a part of the sky obscured by the Milky Way, since major deviations in the rate of expansion of the universe in this area were detected during the 1970s and 1980s.

By using Australia's chief scientific body CSIRO's Parks radio telescope, located in the middle of a sheep paddock in central New South Wales state and used in NASA's Apollo missions, the team were able to see through the stars and dust of the Milky Way into Zone of Avoidance.

"We've used a range of techniques but only radio observations have really succeeded in allowing us to see through the thickest foreground layer of dust and stars," Kraan-Korteweg said.

The Parks radio receiver, known in Australia as The Dish, has recently been fitted with innovative technologies, such as a 21-cm multi-beam receiver, that allow scientists to map the sky 13 times faster that they could before.

The study, published on Wednesday in the Astronomical Journal, involved researchers from Australia, South Africa, the United States and the Netherlands.

source: interaksyon.com

Asian stocks extend global rout as traders flee to safety

TOKYO, Japan -- Tokyo stocks led a rout across Asian markets Tuesday, while Japanese government bond yields turned negative, the dollar dived against the yen and gold jumped as fears about the global economy sent investors scrambling to safety.

While most of the region is closed for the Chinese New Year holiday, trading remained thin but dealers took their lead from New York and Europe where banking shares were battered.

The sell-off is the latest this year, which has seen trading screens from Asia to the Americas awash with red.

The latest round of blood-letting came on the back of worries about the financial sector as the global economy slows down, without the support of the Federal Reserve's easy monetary policies.

London, Paris and Frankfurt all finished down more than 2.5 percent, with the German DAX ending below 9,000 for the first time since October 2014. And Wall Street's three main indexes all lost more than one percent.

Financials were in focus as a slowdown in the world economy raises the prospect of loan defaults and lower interest rates, which eat into their bottom lines.

Banking stocks sagged in New York and Europe, with US titan Bank of America, Germany's Deutsche Bank and France's Societe Generale all tanking.

In Asian trade Tokyo slumped 5.3 percent in the afternoon, putting the market back into bear territory, a 20 percent fall from its recent highs.

Financial giant Mitsubishi UFJ plunging almost eight percent and rival Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group tumbling 7.3 percent. Major brokerage Nomura tanked nearly 11 percent.

Exporters such as Toyota and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing each down around five percent as they were hit by the strong yen.

The dollar sank to 114.50 yen, having sat above 120 yen just a week ago. The unit is considered a safe haven in times of uncertainty.

'Bucketload of concern'

The flight to safety also saw Japanese government bond yields dive below zero, extending a downtrend sparked by the Bank of Japan's surprise move last month to slap a negative interest rate on some commercial lenders' deposits.

And gold, another commodity considered low risk, climbed 1.5 percent Tuesday to $1,193.50.

Sydney shed 2.7 percent, Wellington was 1.4 percent off, Manila dived 1.5 percent and Jakarta was down 0.6 percent.

Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul, among others, were closed.

"Those off celebrating Lunar New Year will be happy their markets are closed," Chris Weston, chief markets strategist in Melbourne at IG Ltd., said in an email to clients.

"These markets need a strong shake up and sharp downside move, followed by a wave of buying to settle things down," he said, according to Bloomberg News.

"But until that comes there will be no clarity, absolutely no confidence and a bucketload of concern. It almost feels as though the markets are pushing central banks into some kind of action, but they don't know exactly what it is they want."

However, while regional equities were being scythed, crude prices staged a rebound after US benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell back below $30 a barrel on Monday.

WTI was up 1.4 percent at $30.10 and Brent added 0.7 percent to $33.12.

Both contracts lost more than 3.5 percent Monday after weekend talks between OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia and Venezuela dashed hopes for a reduction in production, with Riyadh unwilling to move from its position.

Key figures around 0400 GMT

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 5.3 percent at 16,107.26

Sydney - S&P/ASX 200: DOWN 2.9 percent at 4,829.30

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1212 from $1.1193 on Monday

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 114.50 yen from 115.84 yen

New York - Dow: DOWN 1.1 percent at 16,027.05 (close)

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 2.7 percent at 5,689.36 points (close)

source: interaksyon.com

Peyton Manning, Broncos triumph in Super Bowl 50 with win over Panthers

Peyton Manning clinched a fairytale second Super Bowl victory as the Denver Broncos produced an astonishing defensive display to defeat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 on Sunday.

Denver running back C.J Anderson crashed over for the decisive touchdown late in the fourth quarter as the Broncos defense harried Panthers quarterback Cam Newton into a string of mistakes at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

The much anticipated duel between Manning — the oldest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history — and NFL Most Valuable Player Newton never materialised.

Instead it was left to Denver’s suffocating defense to decide the contest, with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware smothering the Panthers at every opportunity as the Broncos racked up a record-equalling seven sacks.

Miller ultimately set up the crucial Denver score, forcing Newton into a fumble which the Broncos recovered close to the Carolina goal line, handing Anderson the chance to barge over.

Manning, 39, was largely a peripheral figure throughout, struggling to make any impression with his passing game as defenses dominated.

The veteran quarterback is widely expected to call time on his career at the end of the season, and can now do so with a second Super Bowl ring to set alongside the one he earned with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007.

- Carolina rattled -

An absorbing first half saw defenses on top, with Denver’s vaunted unit rattling the free-scoring Carolina offense.

Denver drew first blood, Manning quickly into his rhythm to march the Broncos upfield in a 10-play 64-yard drive that culminated with Brandon McManus drilling over a 34-yard field goal.

After punting on their first possession the Panthers looked nervy on their second possession, unable to find any room for maneuver in the face of Denver defenders playing like men possessed.

Disaster struck on a long third down on the Carolina 15-yard line, when Miller swarmed through to smother Newton, stripping the ball loose and allowing Malik Jackson to recover for a dramatic touchdown for 10-0.

As the first quarter drew to a close there were signs that Newton was finally kicking into top gear.

A trademark 11-yard run and another 12-yard gallop upfield stretched Denver’s defense and helped propel Carolina deep into the red zone from where Jonathan Stewart barreled over from one yard for the touchdown.

Graham Gano duly added the extra point and suddenly the Panthers were on the front foot, forcing Denver to kick away three consecutive possessions.

- Chance spurned -

Denver went 13-7 up with another McManus field goal before Carolina spurned the chance to draw closer when Gano missed a 44-yard effort.

It was left for Denver to get the first points on the board in the second half, with Manning twice connecting with Emmanuel Sanders in a 54-yard drive to Carolina’s 12-yard line.

Once again though, the Broncos were unable to make a red zone visit pay with a touchdown, with McManus adding his third field goal to give Denver a nine-point lead.

Carolina looked to be building ominous momentum on the next drive, when Newton launched a long pass to find Corey Brown for a 42-yard gain.

But the drive ended when Newton’s long pass to Ginn was intercepted by Broncos safety T.J. Ward who fumbled only to see his team-mates recover.

Denver were unable to make any impression on the Carolina defense and seemed to be content to punt again knowing that the Panthers were getting little joy from the Broncos defense.

The tactic proved vindicated on the next Carolina drive, which stalled when Miller sacked Newton for the second time in the match forcing a punt.

But Denver’s own offense was always struggling to capitalize on their opponent’s problems, and they squandered a 1st and 10 situation on Carolina’s 37-yard line when Manning twice fumbled on successive plays to hand the ball back to the Panthers who reduced the deficit to 16-10 with a Gano field goal.

Yet once again Denver’s defense came through when it mattered, and when Miller forced Newton into his late fumble, Denver were home.

source: interaksyon.com

China forex reserves fall almost $100B in January

BEIJING, China -- China’s foreign exchange reserves have fallen to their lowest level in more than three years, the central bank said Sunday, as Beijing sells dollars to stop the yuan from depreciating further.

The world’s largest currency hoard shrank by $99.5 billion in January to some $3.2 trillion, the People’s Bank of China said on its website, the lowest since May 2012.

Worries about China's economy have pushed the yuan to a five-year low. The country saw its first-ever annual decline in foreign exchange reserves last year as Beijing tried to prevent a more drastic devaluation.

The PBoC is selling dollars to buy yuan amid a capital flight spurred by the slowing growth in the world's second largest economy.

But some analysts predict a more drastic weakening of the yuan this year and question China's ability to continue rapidly shedding the reserves.

"While the remaining reserves represent a substantial war chest, the rapid pace of depletion in recent months is simply unsustainable," IHS Global Insight economist Rajiv Biswas told Bloomberg News.

Outflows increased "as expectations mount that the PBoC will eventually be forced to capitulate once its reserves are sufficiently depleted," he added.

George Magnus, economic commentator and associate at Oxford University's China Centre, wrote on Twitter: "China's fx reserves fell another $100bn ... clearly this can't go on for long."

The pace of decline in the reserves in January was slower than December, which at some $108 billion was the largest monthly drop on record.

China has also tightened some capital controls to try to curb outflows.

"The smaller decline in the reserves suggests that some capital outflow restrictions imposed in January worked," Shen Jianguang, chief Asia economist at Mizuho Securities, wrote in a note.

The drop in February will be much smaller, he added.

China has set its growth target for this year at between 6.5-7 percent, the top economic planner said Wednesday, an acknowledgement that expansion -- already at its slowest pace in 25 years -- will continue to weaken.

Global investors are closely watching the slowdown in the world's second largest economy, which has created turbulence in world markets.

source: interaksyon.com

Sanders, Clinton in dead heat - Reuters/Ipsos poll

NEW YORK -- Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has erased Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's wide lead for the Democratic presidential nomination since the start of year, putting the two in a dead heat nationally, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Clinton leads Sanders 48 percent to 45 percent among Democratic voters, according to the poll of 512 Americans, conducted February 2-5 following the Iowa caucus. The poll has a credibility interval of 5 percentage points.

Democrats had been supporting Clinton by more than a 2-to-1 margin at the beginning of the year. Sanders has narrowed that lead considerably over the past several weeks.

Clinton beat Sanders narrowly in the Iowa caucuses, the nation's first nomination contest ahead of the November election, but is expected to lose to him in New Hampshire. The two rivals clashed on Thursday night in their first one-on-one debate, reflecting the tightness of the race.

There is still a wide gap between the two in name recognition nationally. Nearly a quarter of Democrats and two-fifths of Independents say they are still not that familiar with Sanders. In comparison, Clinton has almost total name recognition among voters.

On the Republican side, Donald Trump continued to lead the field with 40 percent support. His level of support among Republicans was relatively unchanged following his second-place finish in the Iowa caucus. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas followed with 16 percent and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida came in third with 13 percent.

source: interaksyon.com

Smart band-aids on the horizon

This is what a band-aid in the future might look like. It’s a stretchable hydrogel that in many ways mimics the properties of human tissue.

“Hydrogel is a polymer network infiltrated with water. Even though it is only 5 to 10 percent polymer, this network is extremely important,” Xuanhe Zhao, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT, saying.

Important because the polymer makes up a microscopic scaffold that endows it with special properties uncommon to synthetic hydrogels. It is highly stretchable and can adhere easily to surfaces. Most importantly, it is specifically designed to be compatible with the human body – both inside and out. That compatibility could potentially give rise to a new class of biomedical devices.

“We further embed electronic devices such as sensors, such as different drug delivery devices into this matrix to achieve what we call the smart applications,” Zhao saying.

Applications that could turn an ordinary band-aid into a tool to actively monitor and heal wounds autonomously. Zhao uses burns as an example…

“Once the sensor senses an abnormal increase in temperature for example It will send out a command. Then the controlled drug delivery system can deliver a specific drug to that specific location,” Zhao saying.

The researchers are now fine tuning the properties and functionality of their hydrogels. They hope that soon healing everything from a scratch to an ulcer will be as simple…as putting on a band-aid.

source: interaksyon.com

Epson develops waste-to-paper system

MANILA — Seiko Epson Corp. has developed a compact office system that produces new paper from shredded waste paper that it plans to put into commercial production in Japan this year.

In a press release, Epson said the system dubbed “Paperlab” can produce paper of various sizes and types, such as office paper and business card paper to papers that are colored and scented, all without the need for water.

A developmental prototype of the Paperlab was first demonstrated at the Epson booth at the Eco-Product 2015 environmental exhibition at the Tokyo Big Sight last December.

“The enduring universal appeal of paper lies in its simplicity as a communication tool,” Epson said. “On the other hand, this essential tool is also produced from a limited resource. As a leading company in the world of printing, Epson has been deeply involved with paper used for its printer products. With this in mind, the company set out to develop technology that would change the paper cycle. With PaperLab, Epson aims to give new value to paper and stimulate recycling.”

source: interaksyon.com

Microsoft recalls 2.3 million power cords sold with Surface Pro tablets

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Microsoft Corp was recalling about 2.25 million AC power cords, less than a week after Apple Inc said it was recalling AC wall plug adapters due to a shock hazard.

Microsoft has received 56 reports of the AC cords overheating and emitting flames and five reports of electrical shock to consumers, the U.S. CPSC said on Tuesday.

The recall involves power cords sold with some models of the Microsoft Surface Pro convertible tablet devices before March 15.

Last week, Apple said it was voluntarily recalling AC wall plug adapters designed for use in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Continental Europe, New Zealand and South Korea.

source: interaksyon.com

Super Bowl halftime show a big stage, even for music’s biggest stars

LOS ANGELES | As Coldplay gears up to take the Super Bowl halftime stage on Sunday, there’s a lot at stake — even for a band Rolling Stone deemed “one of the most commercially successful acts of the new millennium.”

Upwards of 100 million U.S. viewers are expected to tune in for the intensely choreographed live 15-minute set, more than 50 times the audience of the band’s last major tour in 2012, according to figures from concert tracker Pollstar.

“In an incredibly divided and fragmented media environment, the Super Bowl halftime show is absolutely one of the biggest, if not the single biggest way to expose music to an enormous audience,” said Brian Hiatt, senior writer at Rolling Stone.

With a third of the U.S. population expected to watch the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos battle for the National Football League championship, the Super Bowl offers a rare and coveted opportunity for advertisers and performers alike.

Coldplay, better known for brooding hits such as “Yellow” and “Fix You,” takes the halftime stage on the heels of high-octane crowd pleasers Katy Perry, Beyonce and Bruno Mars.

“It’s all about the artist and their brand,” Keith Caulfield, co-director of Billboard charts, told Reuters.

Coldplay last week announced a U.S. tour and released a new music video featuring Beyonce, who is reportedly joining the halftime show this year after headlining in 2013. Rihanna, who just released a new album, is also reported to be a potential performer.

While there is no definitive way to quantify it, spikes in sales and on social media suggest a significant Super Bowl effect.

Last year, 118 million U.S. viewers tuned in to Perry’s pyrotechnics-laden extravaganza featuring a 1,600-pound robotic lion and dancing sharks.

Despite no new album or U.S. tour last year, sales of Perry’s existing work surged 92 percent in the week after her performance. YouTube videos of Perry’s halftime show racked up views in the millions.

Mars, best known for R&B and funk-infused radio hits such as “Uptown Funk!” was one of the lesser-known headliners in 2014.

Mars saw an 82 percent bump in album sales post-performance according to Billboard, and grossed $84 million in concert ticket sales, according to Pollstar.

“There are sports fans who aren’t watching the Grammys or American Music Awards and are not familiar with artists as a live spectacle, and maybe they would be interested in seeing them after the Super Bowl,” Caulfield said.

source: interaksyon.com

Britain gives scientist go-ahead to genetically modify human embryos

LONDON -- Scientists in Britain have been given the go-ahead to edit the genes of human embryos for research purposes, using a technique that some say could eventually be used to create "designer babies."

Less than a year after Chinese scientists caused an international furor by saying they had genetically modified human embryos, Kathy Niakan, a stem cell scientist from London's Francis Crick Institute, was granted a license to carry out similar experiments.

"The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority has approved a research application from the Francis Crick Institute to use new 'gene editing' techniques on human embryos," Niakan's lab said on Monday.

It said the work carried out "will be for research purposes and will look at the first seven days of a fertilized egg's development, from a single cell to around 250 cells."

The scientists will not be allowed to develop the modified embryos for clinical purposes or implant them into any women.

Niakan plans to carry out her experiments using what is known as CRISPR-Cas9, a technology that is already the subject of fierce international debate because of fears that it could be used to create babies to order.

CRISPR can enable scientists to find and modify or replace genetic defects. Many experts have called it "game-changing."

David King, director of the UK campaign group Human Genetics Alert, said Niakan's plans would eventually lead to "a future of consumer eugenics.”

"This research will allow the scientists to refine the techniques for creating GM babies," he said in a statement.

But Sarah Norcross, director of Progress Educational Trust, which campaigns for ethically sound research in genetics, said the HFEA's decision was "a victory for level-headed regulation over moral panic.”

Niakan says she has no intention of genetically altering embryos for use in human reproduction, but wants to deepen scientific understanding of how a healthy human embryo develops, something that could, in the long term, help to improve infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization.

The work will be carried out on embryos that have become surplus to donor patients IVF treatment.

At a briefing for reporters in London last month, she said the first gene she planned to target was one called October 4, which she believes may have a crucial role in the earliest stages of human fetal development.

Bruce Whitelaw, a professor of animal biotechnology at Edinburgh University's Roslin Institute on Scotland, said the HFEA's decision had been reached "after robust assessment.”

"This project, by increasing our understanding of how the early human embryo develops and grows, will add to the basic scientific knowledge needed for devising strategies to assist infertile couples and reduce the anguish of miscarriage," he said in an emailed comment.

source: interaksyon.com

Renault opens first China factory

Wuhan, China - French car giant Renault opened its first car factory in China on Monday, the last major manufacturer to set up a plant in the country as it looks to tap into the world's biggest auto market.

The $1.2-billion facility in Wuhan, a car making hub in the central province of Hubei, is a joint venture with Chinese manufacturer Dongfeng and will have an initial production capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year.

China's total auto sales grew at their weakest pace in three years in 2015, as a slowing economy and a stock market rout slammed into demand.

But the country remains "a growth driver for the global auto industry", Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn said at the inauguration.

The factory was a "first big step" for the development of the Dongfeng-Renault joint venture and for the growth of Renault, he added.

China is crucial to foreign auto makers, both as the world's largest market and a key source of revenue outside Europe and the United States, but until now, the French firm has largely allowed its Japanese alliance partner Nissan to take the lead.

Renault sold a mere 15,850 vehicles in China last year, down 50 percent on 2014, mostly SUVs built in South Korea. That gave it a market share of less than 0.1 percent.

But Ghosn said the country was a "core part of Renault’s strategic plan", and that its long-term goal was a market share of an ambitious 3.5 percent.

'Right product'
Renault and Dongfeng have invested 7.6 billion yuan (now $1.2 billion) in the plant, which is spread over a 95-hectare (235-acre) site and currently employs 2,000 people.

At first the Wuhan factory will build Kadjars, Renault's latest crossover model, a key sector for Chinese consumers.

"We see this niche exploding in China, and it's not going to stop," said Jacques Daniel, CEO of the joint venture. "We're arriving late, but with the right product."

But he acknowledged that the current situation in China was challenging.

A total of 24.60 million cars were sold in 2015, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) up 4.7 percent on the previous year, but only about a third of the near-14-percent growth seen in 2013.

Also, the economy, the world's second largest, grew 6.9 percent in 2015, its slowest pace in 25 years.

Car makers responded by slashing prices while some even cut production.

Austerity campaign
The market for high-priced luxury cars has been hit by a government crackdown on corruption and an austerity campaign, launched after President Xi Jinping took office three years ago.

The Chinese industry group forecasts sales will still gain around six percent to top 26 million units this year.

US auto giant General Motors was the top foreign brand in China last year, delivering a record 3.61 million vehicles, to beat German rival Volkswagen, which is struggling with a global scandal over emissions cheating.

Renault's French rival PSA Peugeot Citroen, which is long established in China and also has a joint venture with Dongfeng, with three factories in Wuhan, sells 700,000 units a year in the country.

Renault will start producing electric vehicles in Wuhan next year, and Ghosn said the firm was considering developing an "affordable" electric car aimed at Chinese and developing world markets.

source: interaksyon.com