Apple developing technology allowing your face to unlock your phone

MANILA, Philippines — From fingerprint lock, Apple has now filed a patent allowing users to access their phones through facial recognition.

The company bared the technology through its application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) titled “Personal computing device control using face detection and recognition.”

The patent request was filed way back in January 2008 but was made public by the USPTO this month.

“(T)here are numerous advantageous applications of this technology that enable more efficient control and interaction between a user and a personal computing system,” the application said.

The technology aims to do away with the current system of using passwords to access a device or a restricted computer application.

“(T)here is a need for a more efficient and reliable user access control mechanism for personal computing devices,” the company said.

Apple said that another problem with current computing devices is the inability to detect an active user. This happens when a PC automatically activates a screen saver even if a user is viewing the display screen.

Incoming calls, text, and email will also be displayed if the device recognizes the intended receiver as the one currently using the device.

Patent applications does not, however, provide guarantee that a supposed research product will be released commercially. In some instances, companies file patents to box out other competitors from developing their envisioned technology.

source: interaksyon.com

Boy band One Direction makes chart history with third No. 1 album debut

LOS ANGELES | British boy band One Direction made chart history on Wednesday as its third album debuted at No. 1 on the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, the only group to have its first three albums top the chart in opening week sales.

The quintet’s “Midnight Memories” sold 546,000 copies, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.

The group’s first album, “Up All Night” and second record “Take Me Home,” both released in 2012, also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, but with smaller opening week sales.

One Direction, comprised of singers Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, was formed on the U.K. reality singing television show “The X Factor” in 2010 and has gone on to conquer the United States with songs such as “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life.”

The band’s music is targeted at a young audience, and its fans are mainly teenage girls, dubbed “Directioners.” The group has more than 16 million Twitter followers and 22 million Facebook fans.

One Direction’s big opening week marks an increase in overall album sales for the week ending December 1, due to the shopping boost during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Total album sales were 8.6 million for the week, up 14 percent from the comparable week in 2012, according to Billboard.

Only one other new album debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 this week. Country singer Garth Brooks came in at No. 3 with a box set of music called “Blame It on My Roots,” which sold 164,000 copies in an exclusive deal with retailer Walmart.

On the digital songs chart, which measures single track downloads, rapper Pitbull’s song “Timber” featuring Ke$ha climbed from No. 4 to No. 1 with 237,000 downloads, benefiting from the duo performing the song at the November 24 American Music Awards.

Eminem’s “Monster” featuring Rihanna dropped one spot to No. 2, while A Great Big World’s “Say Something” featuring Christina Aguilera climbed three spots to No. 3 this week, also benefiting from a performance at the AMA.

source: interaksyon.com

Paul Walker died from multiple injuries in crash, ‘Fast & Furious 7′ filming halted

LOS ANGELES | “Fast & Furious” actor Paul Walker died from multiple injuries in a weekend car crash, the Los Angeles County coroner said on Wednesday, as Universal Pictures suspended production of the seventh installment in its lucrative car racing film franchise.

Walker, 40, was a passenger in a fiery one-car crash on Saturday in Santa Clarita, California, about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, that also killed 38-year-old driver Roger Rodas.

The coroner said Walker’s death resulted from “traumatic and thermal injuries.” While the coroner did not elaborate, thermal injuries are heat-related and are commonly burns.

Universal, owned by Comcast Corp, said filming of the big-budget action movie has been put on hold for an unspecified amount of time as it decides how to continue production without Walker.

“At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on ‘Fast & Furious 7′ for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise,” Universal Pictures said in a statement.

The film, which began production in September, is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on July 11, 2014.

Rodas, the owner of a local auto dealership and racing services company Always Evolving and who was behind the wheel of the Porsche Carrera GT at the time of the crash, died of multiple traumatic injuries, the coroner said.

The coroner ruled that both deaths were accidents and said that the injuries occurred when the car struck a fixed object.

Both Walker and Rodas died “within seconds” after impact, coroner spokesman Ed Winter told the Los Angeles Times. Winter was unavailable for comment.

Surveillance video shows the red Porsche crashing into a utility pole and bursting into flames about a minute later, according to footage shown on CNN.

The Vin Diesel-led “Fast & Furious” movies, which have grossed more than $2 billion at the global box office, are one of two major franchises, along with the animated “Despicable Me” films, that helped turn around Universal Pictures in recent years.

Universal may be able to rework “Fast 7″ in time to keep to the July release date, a prime slot in the summer movie-going period when audiences flock to big-budget action films, said Matthew Harrigan, an industry analyst who follows Universal parent company Comcast for Wunderlich Securities.

If the studio decides to make major changes that prevent a July opening, the film could get pushed to the summer of 2015, Harrigan said.

“This is something that is an incredibly important franchise for Universal,” he said. “They just need to figure out how to rework it and how to address his death in an appropriate manner.”

The autopsies of Walker and Rodas were delayed as the coroner’s office needed dental records to identify the bodies. Toxicology reports on the bodies will be completed in six to eight weeks, the coroner’s office said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said on Sunday that speed played a role in the crash but has ruled out the possibility that the pair were street racing. Its investigation into the crash is expected to be completed in the coming days.

Walker became a symbol of street-racing and car culture in his role as law enforcement officer Brian O’Conner in the “Fast & Furious” series.

The actor, who played supporting roles in 1998′s “Pleasantville” and 1999′s “Varsity Blues,” was in five of the six “Fast & Furious” films about illegal street racing, heists and organized crime.

Walker also starred in the Hurricane Katrina survival drama “Hours,” which will be released on December 13, and the crime drama “Brick Mansions,” which is in post-production and will be released next year.

source: interaksyon.com

The unflattering side effect of a low-carb diet

You’ve been wanting to lose weight so you can fit into that lovely red dress you’re eyeing to wear on your special date. So, you’ve decided to eliminate carbohydrates in your meal believing you will not gain extra pounds before the date. Yes, low-carb diets may be good for your waistline, but it may not be the same for your breath.

Bad breath from low or no-carb diets is often caused by chemicals called ketones that are released in the breath as the body burns fat. An example of this effect occurs especially in the popular Atkins diet. Carbohydrates aren’t readily available, so the body starts consuming other fats and proteins as its source of energy. As a result, one gets a breath problem.

It’s not an oral hygiene problem. Brushing, flossing, and scraping the tongue may not be able to hide the bad breath. Instead, reconsider your diet and modify it to avoid this embarrassing condition. There may be some ways to mask bad breath by (using mouthwash, for instance), but the basic problem still exists—so, better introduce complex carbohydrates (found in whole grains and vegetables like broccoli and spinach) in your diet instead.

What to do

Though this is not an oral hygiene problem, certain remedies can help banish the bad breath or at least mask the odor.

• Drink more water. Drinking water and swishing it around your mouth after your mouth after you eat helps moisten the mouth and gets the food particles that may contribute to odor, out. Chewing fresh parsley can also help.

• Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless mints. In particular, those that contain Xylitol also kill bacteria and can prevent cavities.

Optimum nutrition means having a well balanced meal—the greatest percentage for energy source should come from carbohydrates. The key is on the amount and kinds of foods that we eat. Complex carbohydrates may be good for dieters and with people who have diabetes because they are rich in fibers and makes one feel full at once. So, before you blame carbohydrates for any added inches in your waistline and decide to eliminate them altogether, think again. The downside could be unattractive, too.

• Want to know more? Manila Doctors Hospital’s resident nutritionists and dieticians at the PROHEALTH Center offer diet counseling services that are tailor-fit to your lifestyle. They also offer nutrition and disease education on common medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.

PROHEALTH is open from Mondays through Saturdays from 8:00am to 5:00 pm and is located at the ground floor of Manila Doctors Hospital, No. 667 United Nations Ave., Ermita, Manila. You may reach them at these numbers (02) 524-3011 local 4718. For more information, visit the Manila Doctors website here.

source: interaksyon.com

Miley Cyrus tops Yahoo’s 2013 searches, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis dominate Spotify

LOS ANGELES | Pop singer Miley Cyrus and the trial of boyfriend-killer Jodi Arias dominated Yahoo’s online searches in 2013, the web search engine said on Tuesday, while rapper-producer duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis dominated music streams on Spotify.

Cyrus, 21, generated the most overall searches on Yahoo this year, overtaking reality television personality Kim Kardashian, who topped the list last year.

Cyrus has had an attention-filled 2013, in which she grabbed headlines for her breakup with actor-fiance Liam Hemsworth, danced provocatively on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards in August, and released her new album “Bangerz” in October.

The murder trial of 33-year-old Arias, who was found guilty in May of killing her boyfriend Travis Alexander at his Phoenix-area home, captivated the public over five months with bizarre testimony and graphic sexual evidence, helping it become the most searched news item on Yahoo.

Arias’ trial was followed on Yahoo by the Affordable Care Act and its common name “Obamacare,” which were counted as one search term, as the second most-searched news story, while the Boston Marathon bombing in April came in third.

President Barack Obama was the top-searched political figure, topping ailing Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, at No. 2, and former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin at No. 3.

While Cyrus topped Yahoo’s overall searches, R&B singer Beyonce topped Microsoft’s Bing search engine as the most-searched person, while Kardashian’s first child, daughter North West she had with rapper Kanye West, topped Ask.com’s top celebrity search terms.

Online music-streaming site Spotify also released its 2013 year in review on Tuesday and named Seattle’s rapper-producer duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis as the year’s most-streamed artist.

The pair have seen their career skyrocket this year as their debut album “The Heist” spawned hit singles “Thrift Shop,” “Same Love” and “Can’t Hold Us,” which was the most-streamed single.

Shazam, the music-identifying online app, also named Macklemore & Ryan Lewis as its most “Shazamed” artist, with 11.7 million tags throughout the year. R&B singer Rihanna came second with 8.4 million tags. She was also named Spotify’s most-streamed female artist for a second consecutive year.

source: interaksyon.com

FIFA insists World Cup preparations on track despite setbacks

COSTA DO SAUIPE – Global football chief Sepp Blatter insisted preparations for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil were on track Tuesday despite construction delays and a deadly accident which mean three stadiums will miss an end-of-year deadline to be ready.

As the football world geared up for Friday’s eagerly-anticipated draw, governing body FIFA revealed three of the tournament’s 12 venues would not be able to meet the December 31 deadline for completion.

One of the venues, Sao Paulo’s Itaquerao stadium, was the scene of a fatal accident last week which claimed the lives of two workers who were crushed to death when a crane toppled over.

In addition, the completion of stadiums at Curitiba and and Cuiaba is now set for February, just four months before the finals kick off in June.

FIFA President Blatter however played down the significance of the construction delays, saying he was confident Brazil would be successful hosts of their first World Cup since 1950.

“We have just received a report. There are some small delays in construction of stadia. But so small that with one exception (Sao Paulo) we can say everything is ready,” said Blatter.

The issues are “so small we can close our eyes,” he added.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said the stadium in Curitiba, which has been lagging behind schedule more than the other venues, would not be ready until the end of February.

“We are not in crisis mood,” Valcke stressed.

“Curitiba is the one where we are facing the most problems and won’t be delivered before the end of February 2014.

“We will be ready to get the stadium by the end of February 2014,” Valcke said.

The Arena Amazonia in Manaus, in the heart of the tropical rain forest, also remains under construction, as does the one at Cuiaba.

Brazilian sports ministry executive secretary Luis Fernandes indicated that the stadiums lagging behind would be ready “in late January, or late February.”

On Wednesday, Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo will be among officials fronting pre-draw events where the hosts will stress they can overcome doubts about transport links, hotel prices and urban crime.

Representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and the Civil Aviation authority will also address complaints about unreasonably high prices.

Other concerns focused on accommodation capacity with some 600,000 foreign tourists expected to attend the month-long event starting June 12 in Sao Paulo.

There is also a shortage of domestic flight links between venues as the government mulls whether to allow foreign airlines to run domestic routes to ease the strain.

Some countries are also worried about the sheer size of the country, as some teams may face an onerous travel schedule with matches as far south as Porto Alegre, cold in the Brazilian winter, but also in tropical Manaus, and sultry Fortaleza some 3,000 kilometres (1,900 miles) away.

Italy on Wednesday is set to propose the introduction of two two-minute time-outs per match to reduce the risk of players becoming dehydrated after FIFA elected not to change early afternoon kickoff times in some venues where the heat is likely to be a factor.

The draw itself will feature eight groups of four teams and one of nine non-seeded European nations will face being moved into pot 2 alongside the five-strong African contingent and two South American sides.

England coach Roy Hodgson, whose unseeded team could be in line for a tough draw, says the geography issue is almost as important as which teams his men will face.

“There are venues in Brazil that will be harder to play in than others,” said Hodgson before heading for Costa do Sauipe from Rio.

The eight seeds are hosts Brazil, reigning champions Spain, three-time winners Germany, Argentina, conquerors of two titles, fellow two-time winners Uruguay, Colombia, Belgium, and Switzerland, whom Hodgson led to the second round at USA ’94.

With the draw venue an hour’s drive north of the Bahia state capital Salvador, organizers are hoping the event will not be marred by the kind of popular unrest which hit last June’s Confederations Cup.

Many Brazilians are angry at the estimated $11 billion cost of staging the World Cup — about another $15 billion will follow for the 2016 Rio Olympics — believing the money would have been better spent on improving public transport,education and health care services.

source: interaksyon.com

US sells lucky 'Year of the Horse' greenbacks for Chinese market

WASHINGTON DC - The US Treasury is selling red "hong bao" envelopes with "lucky" dollars bearing auspicious serial numbers to mark the Chinese Year of the Horse next year.

Exactly 88,888 of the dollar notes go on sale Wednesday, each stuck in a red envelope blazoned with New Year's greetings and horse pictures.

The serial number on each note begins with 8888, which pronounced in Chinese sounds like the word for "prosper" and is considered by many to be especially lucky.

Chinese often give and receive gifts of money in red envelopes -- hong bao -- to mark the new year, which falls on January 31 in 2014.

The Treasury is selling each note, with envelope, for $5.95, though the prices falls to $4.50 for 50 or more, and $3.95 apiece for 1,000 or more.

Cheng Wang, a retired official of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, said the annual lucky banknote issue is a hit, especially in years represented by the most propitious animal symbols of the Chinese zodiac.

"The Year of the Dragon (2102), it was sold out in one week. That's how hot it was," he said.

"The Year of the Horse is good too. You reach a goal with a horse."

source: interaksyon.com

China reports 70,000 new HIV infections in 9 months

BEIJING -- China reported some 70,000 cases of new HIV infections in the first nine months of the year, bringing the total number of people living with HIV/AIDS to 434,000, the country's health authority said Sunday.

From January to September, 80.7 million people received tests for HIV, an increase of 8.9 percent from the same period last year, said a National Health and Family Planning Commission statement.

A total of 3,413 anti-virus treatment organizations have been set up in 31 provincial-level regions. As of the end of September about 209,000 people were receiving therapy.

China tested 7.43 million pregnant women for HIV/AIDS in the first nine months of the year to prevent possible mother-to-child transmission, the statement said.

source: interaksyon.com

Iceland defies IMF, writes off 24,000-euro mortgage of each household

REYKJAVIK - The Icelandic government said Saturday it would write up to 24,000 euros off the mortgage of every household, making good on an election campaign promise despite international warnings over the plan.

The cost of the measure is estimated to reach 150 billion krona (900 million euros, $1.2 billion) over four years, the government said in a statement, without giving details on how it would be financed.

The Progressive Party -- led by Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, winner of late-April elections -- had won voters over with its campaign promise to offer household debt relief.

Gunnlaugsson has said since taking office that the scheme would not hurt public finances, and had initially suggested that foreign creditors of Icelandic banks would bear the write-off.

But there have since been no details on the financing plan for the scheme.

The debt relief promise has been met with skepticism elsewhere, with both the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warning against it.

The IMF had said that Iceland has "little fiscal space for additional household debt relief", while the OECD had called for the mortgage relief efforts to target only low-income households.

Standard & Poor's had also slashed the outlook for Iceland's long-term credit rating to negative from stable, saying the plan could damage foreign investors' confidence if it is to be funded by existing creditors of Iceland's banks.

The agency further warned that it could still lower Iceland's ratings over the plan.

Many Icelandic households are struggling to repay housing loans indexed to inflation that seemed safe prior to the 2008 financial crisis but has caused borrowing costs to skyrocket following the krona's collapse against other currencies.

"Currently, household debt is equivalent to 108 percent of GDP, which is high by international comparison," said the government in a statement.

"The action will boost household disposable income and encourage savings," it said, adding that the debt relief would begin mid-2014.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Fast & Furious’ star dies in car crash while holding charity event for Yolanda victims

Actor Paul Walker died in a car crash in Southern California on Saturday afternoon, according to TMZ.com. He was 40 years old.

Citing multiple sources close to Walker,  the report said the star of the “Fast and the Furious” movies and an unidentified companion died immediately after the new Porsche GT they were riding “slammed into a post or a tree … and then the car burst into flames”.

A post on his Facebook page confirmed the news and said his companion was driving the car.

“It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide. He was a passenger in a friend’s car, in which both lost their lives. We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news. Thank you for keeping his family and friends in your prayers during this very difficult time. We will do our best to keep you apprised on where to send condolences,” the message said.

Walker was in Santa Clarita, a city located 53 kilometers north of Los Angeles, attending a car show to raise money for typhoon victims in the Philippines.

The car show was a charity event for Reach Out Worldwide, the disaster relief organization he founded in 2010 after joining earthquake relief efforts in Chile and Haiti. Reach Out Worldwide has sent medical teams to areas in the Visayas ravaged by supertyphoon Yolanda.

Last week, the actor and his co-stars on ‘Fast & Furious 7″appealed to fans of the film series to donate to the relief efforts in the Philippines in a video shot on the set of the film and uploaded to YouTube by Reach Out Worldwide.

Walker made his film feature debut in the 1998 comedy “Meet the Deedles”, followed by supporting roles in “Pleasantville”, “Varsity Blues”, “She’s All That” and “The Skulls”.

His breakthrough role came in 2001′s “The Fast and the Furious” as Brian O’Conner, an undercover detective who infiltrates the street race scene in Los Angeles to help solve a series of semi-trailer truck hijackings in the area.

The film turned into a franchise that released its sixth installment earlier this year. In May, Walker and co-stars Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez came to Manila to attend the Asian premiere of “Fast & Furious 6″.

It was not yet known if he had finished filming “Fast & Furious 7″, which is set for release on July 14, 2014.

source: interaksyon.com