These Tire Caps Change Color When Your Car’s Tire Pressure Gets Low

Quick! How's your car's tire pressure?

Don't know? Better go check. Which, if you're like most people, means going out, kicking the tire, saying "seems good" and forgetting about it until something is clearly wrong.

Here's a damned clever alternati...

Click here to view full content

Google Sets Example By Trying To Offset Perils Of SF Gentrification

San Francisco's gentrification problem isn't all tech's fault, but the industry should still be helping communities impacted by the influx money and people its brought to the city. Today's donation by Google is a great example of looking out for one's ...

Click here to view full content

TSA Reportedly Demands To Inspect Man’s Luggage For Bitcoin

Davi Baker wasn't quite sure how to comply with the TSA's demands to inspect his bags for Bitcoin. Baker had found himself in a testy exchange with airport security personnel during an enhanced screening, and they wanted an additional search of his bel...

Click here to view full content

Sailfish OS Maker, Jolla, On Questing For Scale In The Age Of Android

"It's not every day that a new mobile operating system is born," says Jolla's Marc Dillon preaching to a congregation of the curious from atop a stool at Jolla's booth at the 2014 Mobile World Congress. This is the world's largest mobile device-focused...

Click here to view full content

E-Cig Maker NJOY Raises $70 Million

Puff puff pass the $1 billion valuation because e-cigarette maker NJOY has raised $70 million from Brookside Capital and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, at least according to a NYT report. The company's early investors included Sean Parker, Peter...

Click here to view full content

Deadline Big Media 74 – The Comcast And Netflix Make A Deal Podcast

In this week’s podcast, Deadline Executive Editor David Lieberman and host David Bloom look at the many implications of Netflix’s big, big deal with Comcast to ensure better video quality of its shows streamed by their mutual customers. The deal could affect the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger, net neutrality issues, the business of online video and much more, and likely will serve as a template for other content-quality deals to come. They also take a peek at a multimillion-dollar production-incentive package that persuaded Disney to shoot a Netflix-only Marvel series in New York City and preview another interesting Disney online-content venture, this one involving live streaming online of this weekend’s Oscar telecast on ABC.
Deadline Big Media podcast 74 (.MP3 version)
Deadline Big Media podcast 74 (.M4A version)

The .M4A version of this podcast is designed to run on any device using Apple’s iTunes software, and includes enhanced graphics and links to stories and other resources. The .MP3 version of this podcast is designed to play on virtually any device capable of playing digital audio.
To hear past episodes of “Deadline Big Media,” go here.  You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, on Deadline’s SoundCloud page, and on the iOS app AGOGO.
If you are using non-iTunes “podcatcher” software to listen to the podcast, you can subscribe at http://www.deadline.com/big-media-podcast/
 

Click here to view full content

29 Pairs Of Tights That Are Simply Da Bomb

These cute options might make you hate winter a little less.









Romwe Dual-Tone Sheer Mesh Tights, $19.99



Get them at Romwe.


romwe.com


































karmaloop.com

























...

Click here to view full content

Super-Talented Barista Drew Scenes From This Year’s Oscar Nominees In Coffees (Photos)

Art doesn’t always have to begin with a canvas and a color palette; it comes in many different shapes and forms. In this specific case, it comes in coffee! A talented barista named Mike Breach is responsible for the creation of the world’s first ever Best Picture Oscar nominee drawings made using cups of fresh, [...]Super-Talented Barista Drew Scenes From This Year’s Oscar Nominees In Coffees (Photos)

Click here to view full content

BBC iPlayer download store gets green light ahead of major service revamp

The forthcoming BBC iPlayer revamp will feature the planned download store, after the BBC Trust concluded the plans would be in the interest of license payers.The BBC Store will sit alongside the regular catch-up service and will allow those inclined to buy programming and keep them. In a demonstration of it's ultra-modern outlook, the Beeb said the store would be a natural progression for those fans who wish to buy DVDs of their favourite shows."We're pleased the BBC Trust have approved proposals for BBC Store and recognise the benefits it brings licence fee payers, those who want to own BBC programmes and the creative industry as a whole."Progress"We know people want to buy DVDs of their favourite BBC shows and BBC Store is a natural progression in a digital age. Along with our proposal to extend catch-up on BBC iPlayer from 7 to 30 days, this is great news for fans of BBC shows. We will share more details about next steps at a later date."The approval comes following the uneasy feeling surrounding the issue of asking license payers to fork out for content they've already paid for once.However, BBC shows are already to buy from portals like iTunes, Amazon Instant Video and Google Play, while selected content can also be obtained year-round on Netflix. The BBC Store will be set-up by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the Beeb and will feature about 4,000 hours of recent and archive content, available to own.The new and improved iPlayer was announced in October 2013 and will place a greater emphasis on original programming, include pop up channels and also allow users to pause and commence viewing on different devices.It is scheduled for a full roll out in the first half of 2014 although specifics are yet to be confirmed.

Click here to view full content

343 Industries will finally reveal its Halo plans at E3 2014

The next Halo game could be Halo 5, or Halo 2: Anniversary Edition, or something else entirely, but whatever it is, we'll find out at E3 this year.Microsoft Studios Corporate Vice President Phil Spencer confirmed on Twitter that Halo news will be announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June."Halo news will be coming at E3," Spender wrote. "343i has a great plan in place, will be cool to share with everyone."Of course, there's also a Halo TV show in the works for Xbox One, but given that Spencer mentioned 343 Industries in his tweet, this likely has to do with the Halo video games.Halo to you too343 Industries is the studio that took over Halo development from Bungie when Bungie split with Microsoft to develop what would become Destiny.So far 343 has one main series Halo game, Halo 4, under its belt.Master Chief voice actor Steven Downes previously said that Halo 5 won't arrive until 2015, but there's always a chance that he's not as in the know as he believed when he made that statement.Microsoft confirmed during its E3 2013 presentation discussing the Xbox One that there is a Halo game in the works for the new console, showing a teaser with a poncho-clad Master Chief strolling through the desert but neglecting to mention the upcoming game's name.The most recent game in the series was Halo: Spartan Assault, a third-person shooter that hit multiple platforms in late 2013.Halo is coming to the Xbox One - here's what TechRadar thought.

Click here to view full content

Opinion: Game changer: Why I'm excited for Project Ara and you should be, too

When Ransom Olds developed the modern assembly line (a little history lesson to liven up your day), it sparked a revolution of process that we still employ. Ford went on to perfect the process, and since the early 20th century, cars and much more have been produced in a near-seamless fashion, all thanks to a change in manufacturing. I don't know why, but Google's Project Ara has me excited in a way I haven't felt about technology in a long time. No, scratch that, I do know why. The up-swell in my gut and tingling in my toes must have been what industrialists felt when the first four-wheelers started rolling out off assembly lines; this could change the way we do things forever. For me, Project Ara isn't so much about the hardware, though there is magic in mixing and matching your phone parts, than it is about revolutionizing the way we produce and access means of communication. Modern machinesIn discussing Project Ara with someone whose opinion on tech I trust, he played advocate for the pre-fab phone, "Why not just buy something that has all the pieces right there [points to his iPhone], and that works?"His point was fair and it's not like Project Ara and other modular gadgets will do away with integrated, self-contained smartphones. That'll never happen. But the fact that we are so close to having choice, real choice, when it comes to what parts constitute the things that live in our pockets is undeniable. And undeniably exciting. Google isn't the first or only company working on modular phones, but it's certainly the most prominent. The Advanced Technology and Projects group spearheading the project is quite serious about making modular phones work, and addressed many of the questions surrounding the tech in a recent Time profile. For the questions it couldn't answer, like how do all the parts keep from scattering when someone drops their Ara on the train, ATAP assured that it's at least considering all the variables real life, not just lab tests, throws a phone's way. Democracy, nowStill, innumerable question marks remain as to how this will all work, including making the components on a large scale and at a reasonable price. Google is working with a 3D printing firm to develop a system to crank out customized Ara parts, but developing and producing are two very different things. Perhaps even more pressing, as a Fierce Wireless column from October 2013 addressed, is whether people want modular phones to begin with. Consumers were taken with the Moto X's Moto Maker, but then they were only picking out case colors and accents. Do consumers, not just enthusiasts, actually want to take the time and take on the stress of choosing their phone's nuts and bolts? I can't answer that question, but I think once Google has a working model to show, it should sway many minds either way. At the heart of Ara is the issue that has influenced some major moves lately; how to reach the next billion-plus internet users. Just as Facebook spent a ridiculous amount of money to acquire WhatsApp, Google seems to be going whole-hog on a solution to reach people it hasn't already with mobile internet technology. Five billion people, to be exact.In the words of Project Ara lead Paul Eremenko, the platform is designed for six billion people: one billion existing smartphone users and the rest on feature phones.What's more, Ara is about opening hardware in the same way Android has opened software - put it in the hands of the many as opposed to the grip of a few. It's done this to some extent with the Nexus line, but Ara is about to take it several steps further.The assembly line of Industrial tycoons was about wresting control and turning greater profits for those in charge. Google will be far from a passive and non-profiting owner of Project Ara, but if it can bring more choice to consumers and more opportunity to get in the game to developers who want to make phone components, I say more power to you.Power play Of course, it can't be ignored that Project Ara phones would only expand Google's reach, slipping its fingers into corners of the world still untouched by the technology prevalent in developed countries. Gaining more Android, Gmail, Google Now, Google+, Google-whatever users would only benefit Mountain View and its advertising partners. The company thrives on hyping new tech that may be years away from public release. Whether it's genuine good-will and enthusiasm or a way to keep antsy investors satiated or both, the fact that a company as big as Google dares put its name and money on the line bodes well for the modular phone future. There's much bemoaning the lack of "wow" in today's smartphones, but from where I stand, a new kind of wow is right around the corner. Can Google succeed where other modular phone makers have failed? It has a better chance than most, though the hurdles are undeniable. Pieces still need to be fit, but Google has put squarer pegs into rounder holes before. It can do it again.Our Google Glass review is ready for your eyes right now

Click here to view full content

Sharing is caring: Valve announces Steam Family Sharing is now available

Great news for friends and family members who don't want to spend money on the latest installment of XYZ game.After six months of beta testing, Steam has just launched a new Family Sharing service. You can lend your gaming library to others and allow them to download and play, while earning their own achievements, and saving their game to Steam's cloud without interfering with your own - and vice versa, where you can request permission to play a friend's games.Family Sharing lets 10 computers share one library at a time where up to five different accounts can use any of the aforementioned computers - similar to how you can sign up a certain amount of computers for iTunes.If you're worried people in your life will somehow ruin your account, don't fret - you'll always have access over those you've given permission to peruse your library.Cue the requests (and bribery?)Have a game on your wishlist but not the dough? Simply send a request to a friend and if this person is willing, voila, you're set.Of course, there are caveats. You both cannot play from the same library simultaneously; Steam notes that "a shared library may only be accessed by one user at a time." This means if you're playing on a borrowed account and your friend wants to hop back on, you'll be prompted to quit or buy your own game.Additionally, region restrictions are still the same. Titles that need a third-party key, account, or subscription in order to play cannot be shared between accounts either.But for the most part, as long as the borrower is trustworthy and it's an available title, seems like their Steam library is fair game.Speaking of Valve, we're hoping to hear more from the company during GDC 2014.

Click here to view full content

Virgin Media boosts top speed to 152Mbps, but throws porn filter curve ball

Virgin Media has announced its new top home broadband speeds of up to 152Mbps are now available to new and existing customers.The ISP is boosting all current customers speeds for no extra charge. Those on 30Mbps will be upped to 50Mbps, while the mid-r...

Click here to view full content

Heartbreaking Portraits Of Activists Who Walked 1,900 Miles Across Pakistan With Photos Of Their Missing Loved Ones

Around 100 activists from the impoverished province of Baluchistan walked 1,900 miles to Pakistan’s capital to demand justice for relatives who disappeared during the government’s crackdown on insurgents.









Around 100 protesters walked 1,900 miles from the destabilized province of Baluchistan to Islamabad, demanding justice for their loved ones who went missing after they were allegedly abducted by the Pakistani government, the Associated Press reported.






Faisal Mahmood / Reuters














In the past several years, more than 10,000 people have gone missing in the conflict between pro-independence rebels and government forces in the relatively lawless region of Baluchistan.






Faisal Mahmood / Reuters











Since the mid-2000s, tens of thousands of rebels, activists, and civilians have been reported missing from the southwestern Baluchistan province. Gen. Pervez Musharraf's government led a crackdown on insurgents who were fighting for greater autonomy in the region.

Human rights activists and Baluch locals allege that Pakistani forces have abducted and detained their people without giving them trials, and have often killed and dumped their bodies in the desert.

The government has denied these allegations, claiming that many of those missing were criminals in hiding or members of militant groups.

















In 2012, the Voice for Baluch Missing Persons organization gave the United Nations a list of 12,000 missing persons in the conflict. Organizers of the protest say the number has risen to 18,000 since then.



People welcome the family members of missing people during the march in Rawalpindi on Feb. 28.


AP Photo/B.K. Bangash




View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

Citroen introduces six-year, unlimited kilometre warranty

French brand Citroen has set a new peace-of-mind benchmark by introducing a six-year, unlimited kilometre warranty to cover a number of models in its range. The warranty, which includes six years of roadside assistance, improves on the five-year warranties from Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Kia, Renault and sister brand Peugeot that still remain above the industry average [...]

Click here to view full content

This Presidential Selfie Is Out Of This World

President Obama, Bill Nye the Science Guy and Neil deGrasse Tyson took the most epic, scientific selfie known to mankind.









Bill Nye the Science Guy posted this amazing selfie with President Obama and Neil deGrasse Tyson after attending the White House's student film festival Friday.






















Nye captioned the photo: "What an honor. And we even pulled off 'The Presidential Selfie' (!!)"






Via iwastesomuchtime.com

Click here to view full content

How Will Your Startup Fairy Tale End?

Will you go public, or get kicked out of your company? Find out below!
















AP Photo/New York Stock Exchange




























Click here to view full content

Breaking: Toxicology Report Reveals Cause Of Death Of Philip Seymour Hoffman

Everyone had their suspicions, and although a needle was found in his arm, nothing had been confirmed about Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death, until now. The toxicology report has just been released, stating that the late, great actor died from “acute mixed drug intoxication including heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines and amphetamines,” according to the NYC Office of [...]Breaking: Toxicology Report Reveals Cause Of Death Of Philip Seymour Hoffman

Click here to view full content

10 Rappers Who Found God

Rap and religion (attempt to) join in holy matrimony.






Over the years, several rap stars have transitioned away from racy lyrics and into serious religious life, using their personal revelations to refresh both their souls and their careers. He...

Click here to view full content

Which Boy-Band Member Is Your Soulmate?

Once you find out who you’re in sync with, you’ll be headed in the right direction.










Click here to view full content

Man Tries To Defend Having Sex With Goat By Saying He Asked It For Permission

A Nigerian man arrested for having sex with a goat insists he should be freed because the goat provided consent before he engaged. The Daily Times reports that 20-year-old Malam Kamisu Baranda admitted to having sexual intercourse with a goat he owned in a forest near his home. He also confessed that this was not [...]Man Tries To Defend Having Sex With Goat By Saying He Asked It For Permission

Click here to view full content

Vitor Belfort Blames The UFC For His UFC 173 Withdrawal, Says He Never Gave Up His Slot

With the news that Nevada has banned all athletes from using TRT, Vitor Belfort, was...

Click here to view full content

Dustin Porier vs Akira Corassani added to TUF Nations Finale

The UFC just added a bout between two streaking featherweights to The Ultimate Fighter: Nations...

Click here to view full content

It’s Official: Michelle Obama Will Appear On ‘Parks And Recreation’

Earlier this week we saw Michelle Obama embrace a funnier side during a focus group with Will Ferrell for her Let’s Move campaign, which helps to solve childhood obesity. It seems that we will see a lot more of that side as our First Lady just finished filming her guest appearance on the hilarious NBC show, [...]It’s Official: Michelle Obama Will Appear On ‘Parks And Recreation’

Click here to view full content

BLIP: Two words: Minecraft movie. Yes, this seems to be happening

It looks like Warner Brothers and a producer of The Lego Movie are set to work on a Minecraft film - but unlike The Lego Movie, the Minecraft movie will be ... live action. Sounds far-fetched enough, considering there isn't actually a story to the blocky world and the pickaxe wielding Steve, but Markus Persson a.k.a. Notch tweeted the info himself stating: "Someone is trying leak the fact that we're working with Warner Brothers on a potential Minecraft Movie. I wanted to be the leak!"This movie will probably take a long time to see the light of day, but at least you're prepared now to face Steve the human attacking real cows, pigs, zombies and perhaps traveling to the Nether?More blips!For further randomness, see our blips - seriously, it's a treasure trove of weird.Steve Jobs memorial statue unveiled to the sound of the internet saying, 'WTF?'Hell on Mars, a new Doom game is coming!Happy 10-year Halo-versary! You don't get Halo 5 till 2015 thoughVia Deadline

Click here to view full content

Lenovo and Ashton Kutcher are about to punk the smartphone industry

Playing iPhone creator Steve Jobs in a film doesn't qualify you to design actual smartphones yourself, but don't tell that to Ashton Kutcher and Lenovo.The actor who "Punk'd" people in the early oughts teamed up with the tech company in 2013, and now he's helping it design a line of smartphones that will come out later in 2014, Lenovo has announced.Lenovo Chief Marketing Officer David Roman dropped this unlikely news on Re/code, telling the site that Kutcher is actually the real deal."I know on one level, it sounds corny, but it is real," Roman said. "He not only sees himself as an engineer, but he is an engineer. If he sees a problem, he wants to solve it."If you say soKutcher signed on as a product engineer with Lenovo in 2013, appearing in ads and helping the company develop and promote its Yoga Tablet line.When it comes to the new Lenovo phones Kutcher will have a heavy hand in designing the user experience, Roman said.The actor who played Kelso on That '70s Show may not have any design credentials, but in fact he has been involved in the tech world for a number of years, having invested in start-ups like Foursquare, Airbnb and Uber and co-founder the venture capital group A-Grade.He even gave a rousing speech about social media and tech investments at CTIA 2013.Does that mean he can help design a decent smartphone to follow up Lenovo's Vibe Z? For that we'll just have to wait and see.At least Kutcher isn't designing the iPhone 6 (as far as we know)

Click here to view full content

In depth: Background noise reduction: one of your smartphone's greatest tools

Noise cancellation - your secret smartphone friendIn a smartphone world dominated by data speed and increasing storage, it seems almost archaic to laud a technology that wildly improves your ability to speak to another person.But background noise reduc...

Click here to view full content

Place Your Bets: The Official Odds Guide For The 2014 Oscars

Based on the total lack of coverage and build up in the media, you might be surprised to learn that the Oscars are being held this Sunday in Los Angeles. Most people watch The Academy Awards either because they hope to see their favorite movies, actors and actresses recognized for their achievements or they want [...]Place Your Bets: The Official Odds Guide For The 2014 Oscars

Click here to view full content

The Carbonfibre Arash AF8 Is Proof That Supercar Start-Ups Love V8s

British firm Arash has unveiled its 7.0-litre V8 supercar, the AF8 The Carbonfibre Arash AF8 Is Proof That Supercar Start-Ups Love V8s on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

34 Babies Who Are Killing The Fashion Game

Let these ridiculously stylish babies on Instagram be your fashion inspiration.

















instagram.com






















instagram.com






















instagram.com

















...

Click here to view full content

The Two Types Of Rock Fans You Meet At Any Music Festival

Hardcore vs. twee is INTERNATIONAL. Taiwanese artist Beat Liu draws out the two approaches to rocking out at any music fest in the world.









One music festival can show the divide in rock music personalities.






Facebook: beatliu

...

Click here to view full content

Jackie And Kelso Are Maybe, Probably Engaged To Be Wed (In Real Life)

Praise the TV gods! Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are together for real.









In case you were living under a rock, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have been dating for a while now.






Getty Images / Justin K. Aller














A...

Click here to view full content

Jared Leto Looks Absolutely Flawless For "Flaunt" Magazine

This photo shoot is perfect.
















ERIC RAY DAVIDSON / flaunt.com





















ERIC RAY DAVIDSON / flaunt.com





















ERIC RAY DAVIDSON / flaunt.com





















ERIC RAY ...

Click here to view full content

Complex Illustrations Formed with Tangles of Colorful Wires

Greece-based artist Charis Tsevis is fascinated with the wired world we live in. No matter how wireless technology continues to develop, we still find ourselves dependent upon outlets for data transfer and power, and, if we look around, it's standard to be surrounded by a handful of…

Click here to view full content

5-Year-Old Kid Shows His Pride And Black History Knowledge In An Awesome Rap Song (Video)

Heir Jordin, a 5-year-old rapper and prodigy, has unveiled his song and video, “Proud History.” “I’m proud of my black history / It’s history / And I’m proud” “When we grow up we’ll raise black families / Ancestors, whipped and chained / Picked Cotton / We feel their pain” “Harriet Tubman is the best of [...]5-Year-Old Kid Shows His Pride And Black History Knowledge In An Awesome Rap Song (Video)

Click here to view full content

Oklahoma Coaching Legend Barry Switzer Says He’d Never Recruit A White Quarterback

Legendary football coach, Barry Switzer, really needs to think before he blurts out his opinions, because some of the stuff he has said this past week is absolutely ridiculous. And not in a hilarious, Metta World Peace, that-didn’t-make-sense sort of ridiculous. Switzer is one of only three coaches to have won both the NCAA championship [...]Oklahoma Coaching Legend Barry Switzer Says He’d Never Recruit A White Quarterback

Click here to view full content

10 Annoying Things You Do While Stuck In Traffic

The traffic jam is the motorist's kryptonite. Can you relate to these 10 annoying things drivers do while stuck in traffic? 10 Annoying Things You Do While Stuck In Traffic on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

One:1 beats all

One:1 beats all on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

Why do only old white hair dudes drive Vettes

Why do only old white hair dudes drive Vettes on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

F1 vs Rally

F1 vs Rally on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

Models Open Up About Terry Richardson And Why They’ll Never Work With Him Again

Jennifer Hudson, Kate Moss, Beyoncé and Madonna all have one thing in common. They’ve all been shot by famous celebrity photographer, Terry Richardson. Based on his track record, it would seem that Richardson is respected in the celebrity world, however, it doesn’t seem like he has quite the same reputation in the modeling world. This [...]Models Open Up About Terry Richardson And Why They’ll Never Work With Him Again

Click here to view full content

VIDEO | ‘The Punk’ Gets Pin Removed From Thumb

Remember when Josh Thomson fought and nearly beat Benson Henderson with just one-hand? Well that...

Click here to view full content

Hope For Users – New Jersey Will Not Follow The Nevada’s TRT Ban Just Yet

Who would have thought that a decision made by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to...

Click here to view full content

The 22 Easiest Ways To Piss Off Every New Yorker

Clearly I had a difficult morning on my commute to work, as I was becoming annoyed with every little thing. I have lived in a variety of places, but none quite like NYC. There seems to be an unwritten protocol most people follow here, and when someone deviates from that norm, well, you and everyone [...]The 22 Easiest Ways To Piss Off Every New Yorker

Click here to view full content

Rihanna Wears Completely See-Through Top To A Party

Maybe she forgot to pack a tank top? NSFW.









Guess we all knew one day somebody would take the fishnet too far.






Joe Schildhorn/BFA














And that person is Rihanna.






Joe Schildhorn/BFA















...

Click here to view full content

6 Business Travel Tips For The Young Professional

Despite the constant rise of popularity in Skype and other modes of video conferencing, meeting in person has not become an extinct activity. If you are a young professional or recent graduate, business travel will likely be part of your job at some point. If you happen to be a lucky consultant, you will reach [...]6 Business Travel Tips For The Young Professional

Click here to view full content

OS X Mavericks update appears to have borked AirPlay for some Macs

By all accounts, this week's update to OS X appears to have fixed a lot of what was ailing Mac users on a number of fronts, but those who use AirPlay to mirror their desktop to an Apple TV seem to think differently.AppleInsider reported Thursday that the Apple Support Communities forum is seeing an uptick in Mac users complaining about AirPlay Mirroring after updating to the latest OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 update released this week.Although that update has done far more good - including patching a nasty SSL bug and squashing several persistent issues with the Mail application - Mac users who rely on AirPlay to mirror or extend their desktops onto an Apple TV feel otherwise.Based on their own tests, AppleInsider speculates that the problem could be limited to older Mac hardware after seeing the issue firsthand on a mid-2011 MacBook Air and a third-generation Apple TV.AirDon'tWannaPlayJudging from posts to the Apple support forum, problems range from the AirPlay Mirroring options vanishing completely from the menu bar to video-only connections when extending the desktop.AppleInsider's own tests noted "scaling issues on both the Mac and Apple TV, low frame rates, sporadic mouse freezing and video failures" even after performing a hard reset on each piece of hardware as well as the wireless router.Our own independent test using a mid-2012 MacBook Pro with Retina Display running OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 and a second-generation Apple TV with the latest 6.0.2 software update worked as expected.Apple has yet to acknowledge the problem, let alone weigh in with a solution, leaving many afflicted Mac owners with semi-functional AirPlay Mirroring functionality for the time being.What's the latest on the iPhone 6? TechRadar will keep you in the know!

Click here to view full content

20 Definitive Reasons Why Parents Should Be Banned From Texting Their Kids

Most parents view their cellphone like cavemen viewed fire- they know that it can be used for something good, but they’re not exactly sure how and chances are they’ll end up burning something in the process. While in the past few years most have figure out how to make a phone call, for many parents [...]20 Definitive Reasons Why Parents Should Be Banned From Texting Their Kids

Click here to view full content

VIDEO | UFC Leaks Sonnen vs. Wand TUF Brazil Fight Footage

An all new season of TUF Brasil with rival coaches Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen...

Click here to view full content

Joba Chamberlain Turns Tommy John Surgery Scar Into Smiley Face With New Awesome Tattoo (Photo)

Baseball season’s right around the corner and with spring training in full swing, we’re starting to see players get right as the offseason is always full of changes. Most guys typically deal with either muscle weight gain, like Yasiel Puig, who put on 26 pounds already, but newly minted Detroit Tiger Joba Chamberlain is dealing [...]Joba Chamberlain Turns Tommy John Surgery Scar Into Smiley Face With New Awesome Tattoo (Photo)

Click here to view full content

NFL Safety Matt Elam Is Earning Extra Cash This Offseason By Working At Finish Line

22-year-old NFL safety for the Baltimore Ravens, Matt Elam, understands the value of a dollar and the importance of staying busy during the offseason. You see, unlike many of his colleagues, he isn’t out there killing people, bullying his teammates or even hitting the strip clubs. Actually, who knows, I could be totally wrong with [...]NFL Safety Matt Elam Is Earning Extra Cash This Offseason By Working At Finish Line

Click here to view full content

The Korean Version Of WhatsApp, Kakao, Proves That Mark Zuckerberg Is A Genius For Buying WhatsApp

As the dust settles from the bombshell that was Facebook’s $16+ billion acquisition of WhatsApp, most of the public’s attention has moved from the softer side of the story — like one cofounder’s rise from welfare to wealth and another’s transition from failure to Twitter employee – to the cold hard facts. The primary fact under the [...]The Korean Version Of WhatsApp, Kakao, Proves That Mark Zuckerberg Is A Genius For Buying WhatsApp

Click here to view full content

Which '90s Indie Band Are You?

Are you a summer babe, a kool thing, or are you feeling sinister? Time to learn the truth.























Click here to view full content

OSCARS: ABC Unveils Streaming And Second Screen Plans For Oscar Telecast

ABC says this is the first year when it will stream the full Oscar telecast, pre-show, and  Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars — although they’re just for pay-TV customers in certain markets. But anyone will be able to check out programming designed for tablets and smartphones to complement the TV broadcast, something that the network began offering in 2011.  For the telecast itself: It’ll be available live and, for three days beginning Monday, on demand online at Oscar.com, ABC.com, and WATCHABC.com – and mobile users can tune in through the WATCH ABC app. The streams will only go to markets where ABC owns the local station (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham, and Fresno). And they’ll only be accessible to those who subscribe to pay TV services that support the app (Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, Charter, Midcontinent, Verizon FiOS, Google Fiber, and AT&T U-verse).
But anyone will be able to watch the second screen programming, called The Oscars Backstage, through WATCH ABC. The content will feature commentary from reporter/critic Ben Lyons while fashion retail writer Hitha Prabhakar handles red carpet and backstage duties. People magazine Managing Editor Peter Castro and ESPN contributing editor Chris Connelly also will contribute. The second screen programming will provide access to views from 15 live cameras feeding three channels. The site also will offer the official Oscar Buzz social media feed and photo galleries.
In addition to the live content, ABC says it will post ... Read More »

Click here to view full content

Pinpoint Your Travels on the Cork Globe

A perfect mix of both functional cork board and world globe, the Cork Globe is a snazzy desktop object for any world traveler. Designed by Chiaki Kawakami for Suck UK. (via The Awesomer)


Click here to view full content

It looks like Apple is no longer supporting Snow Leopard

One in five Macs still run OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, but the four-year-old OS version has reportedly been skipped over for the last two Apple security patches.We've asked Apple to confirm this, but the obvious conclusion to draw is that the company is no...

Click here to view full content

How A Boston Venture Capital Firm Grew Into A Silicon Valley Powerhouse

Charles River Ventures has quietly emerged as a venture capital force in Silicon Valley.













CRV partner George Zachary


Charles River Ventures











In the fall of 2008, during the height of the financial crisis, raising venture capital to fund your startup amounted to a fool's errand. But PayPal alumnus David Sacks is no fool, and he knew exactly who to tap to get his new messaging service off the ground.

That service was Yammer, and the person Sacks tapped for both money and advice was George Zachary, a partner at early stage venture capital firm Charles River Ventures. In return for its tiny financial investment and strategic advice, CRV was repaid with a handsome profit after Microsoft bought Yammer in 2012 for $1.2 billion.

Named after the Charles River in Boston, CRV has quietly emerged as a real force in Silicon Valley on par with better known and more established venture capital firms such as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Bayer or Greylock Partners. The firm, which moved most of its operations to the Valley a decade ago, has strung together a series of high-profile exits to go along with Yammer. In 2003, almost a quarter of their portfolio was west coast-based, and most of the partners were on the east coast — it's now nearly 60%, and most partners are on the west coast.

"The market perception, especially here or in San Francisco, is that we're not there," CRV partner Izhar Armony said of the view of his firm's place among the Valley giants. "But results-wise, we're definitely in that group."

CRV — as the firm is known around Sand Hill Road, the Menlo Park, California expanse that hosts the most powerful venture capital firms in the world — is poised to continue its streak this year, with evidence emerging that its early bet on Zendesk is about to pay off big in the form of a potential IPO of the enterprise software maker. It also recently landed an investment in Pebble, a fast-growing smart watch startup.

"Unicorn" exits, or sales or IPOs of venture capital-backed companies in excess of $1 billion, are exceedingly rare. According to CB Insights, 68 investors were able to capture at least one billion-dollar exit in the past decade ending November 21, 2013. That number falls to 17 for two exits, and continues to shrink.

Three firms — Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners, and New Enterprise Associates — were able to score eight "unicorn" exits each (or 24 total) according to that report in the last decade, a phenomenal track record of consistency. Sequoia Capital recently had one of the largest exits in venture capital history after Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion.

CRV is not far behind those firms, though, with "unicorn" exits, included among them Twitter (IPO), Yammer (sale), Millennial Media (IPO), Equallogic (acquired by Dell for $1.4 billion) and Netezza (acquired by IBM for $1.7 billion). Zendesk will likely up CRV's tally closer to that of Sequoia and Greylock when it eventually goes public.
























CBInsights / Via cbinsights.com


























View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

TBT: One Year Ago Today, Stephen Curry Dropped 54 Points At MSG

Remember when the Knicks were good? Exactly one year ago today, way back on February 27, 2013 the New York Knicks had a 33-20 record and were comfortably on top of the Atlantic Division and in 3rd in the Eastern Conference. Steph Curry was starting to make the NBA look like the rest of the [...]TBT: One Year Ago Today, Stephen Curry Dropped 54 Points At MSG

Click here to view full content

VIDEO | Aldo Mocks Pettis With Song – ‘Anthony Pettis you f**got, your time will come’

Is a grudge match underway? Did Aldo just cross the line? These are the questions...

Click here to view full content

Rampage Talks UFC vs. Bellator: ‘Bellator’s Getting Higher Ratings Than The UFC’

If people were trying to decide on who to sign with, Bellator or the UFC,...

Click here to view full content

Shattering The Glass Ceiling: The Pioneers Who Broke Social Barriers In Sports

Jason Collins has made headlines this weekend as the first openly gay active player in the NBA. Though he famously came out last summer right after his contract expired, he stepped onto a court for the first time on Sunday after signing a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets. In this, he has taken a [...]Shattering The Glass Ceiling: The Pioneers Who Broke Social Barriers In Sports

Click here to view full content

Getting In The Ring With Ronda Rousey Isn’t A Good Idea, Even For An Interview (Video)

It’s probably safe to call Ronda Rousey the most dangerous woman in the world by now. As the UFC’s first ever female champ, she’s defended her title three times now, with two of those victories ending in submission and her last fight with a TKO. The chances of you walking out of the ring with [...]Getting In The Ring With Ronda Rousey Isn’t A Good Idea, Even For An Interview (Video)

Click here to view full content

Google Gets Up Close And Personal With Polar Bears Using Street View Cameras

In the past Google has taken Street View into the inside of an Amsterdam Barge (which just happens to be the HQ of the startup MobyPicture) and the inside of Doctor Who's Tardis. Read More

Click here to view full content

Bitcoin Startup Coinbase Surges Past 1M Consumer Wallets In The Post-Mt.Gox Era

Today Coinbase announced that it has created more than 1 million consumer Bitcoin wallets on its platform, pointing to increased interest in the market for the cryptocurrency. The company started 2013 with fewer than 13,000 wallets in the bag. Read More

Click here to view full content

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen: Fed Has No Authority To Regulate Bitcoin

If you were worried about the Federal Reserve trying to step in to regulate Bitcoin, breathe easy: Its leader doesn't think that the Fed has the authority to do so. Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen was plain on the matter: "The Federal Reserve s...

Click here to view full content

Keen On… Absolute Value: What Really Influences Customers In The Age Of (Nearly) Perfect Information

How do we decide what to buy? According to Itamar Simonson and Emanuel Rosen, the authors of Absolute Value: What Really Influences Customers in the Age of (Nearly) Perfect Information, we used to make buying choices based on brand. It was guesswork, t...

Click here to view full content

This Stunt In GTA V Is The Coolest Thing To Ever Happen In Video Game History (Video)

If you don’t play Grand Theft Auto V or Grand Theft Auto Online, this video is going to send you running to your local GameStop. Let’s start off by saying that GTA Online is insanely fun; from exploring Los Santos and its accompanying countryside with your friends, to racing and killing total strangers, it’s easy [...]This Stunt In GTA V Is The Coolest Thing To Ever Happen In Video Game History (Video)

Click here to view full content

What If MTV Made A ‘Code’ Show For Every Type Of Personality (Video)

MTV loves shows about codes almost as much as they like stealing ideas for TV shows from “How I Met Your Mother,” and this video from Jeff Cerulli imagines what it would be like if they expanded their programming beyond  “Guy Code” and “Girl Code” and began to cater to more specific niches. There’s no [...]What If MTV Made A ‘Code’ Show For Every Type Of Personality (Video)

Click here to view full content

One-Armed HS Basketball Player Steals The Ball And Makes Defender Look Foolish (Video)

Geno Policicchio jumped the passing lanes in a recent basketball game against Cranbrook Kingswood High School and jumpstarted a one-man fast break. The poor sucker who threw the bad pass hustled back on defense and tried to play the scout and force Geno to his left (away from the basket), but a slick little behind-the-back [...]One-Armed HS Basketball Player Steals The Ball And Makes Defender Look Foolish (Video)

Click here to view full content

GCHQ's been watching you: millions of Yahoo webcam images intercepted

New documents show that images taken by 1.8m people's webcams were intercepted and stored by the UK's security agency GCHQ between 2008 and 2010. Using Yahoo accounts as an in, the Optic Nerve program reportedly collected the still images of millions of people not even suspected of any kind of crime.The system collected one image every five minutes and, if you were unlucky enough to be using a username similar to that of one of GCHQ's targets, then your face may have been shown to analysts and agency staff. ViolationYahoo has vehemently denied any knowledge of the webcam interception, describing the activity as "a whole new level of violation of our users' privacy." An internal GCHQ wiki page shows that the program was still active in 2012, and was supposedly conceived to experiment in facial recognition, monitor existing suspects and determine new targets. "Face detection has the potential to aid selection of useful images for 'mugshots' or even for face recognition by assessing the angle of the face," one of the leaked documents reads. "The best images are ones where the person is facing the camera with their face upright."Of course, the GCHQ quickly learned that people don't always use webcams for face-to-face chats. One document noted that "unfortunately... it would appear that a surprising number of people use webcam conversations to show intimate parts of their body to the other person."Yes, "surprising". But not as surprising as learning that the kinky private webcam sex session you enjoyed four years ago was potentially pored over by the suits at GCHQ, we'll wager. For its part, GCHQ reiterated that it doesn't comment on intelligence matters, adding that "all of GCHQ's work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal... framework which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate."The Blackphone is an anti-NSA smartphone

Click here to view full content

HGST hopes new HDD will be an ultra star performer

HGST, a subsidiary of Western Digital company, has announced the launch of the Ultrastar C15K600 family of hard drives.The C15K600 family is positioned as high-performance, high-capacity, enterprise-class range of drives. It is aimed at enabling higher density and higher performing servers, blades and network storage arrays, whilst reducing space requirements and costs.Ultrastar C15K600 drives are 2.5-inch 15K RPM devices that HGST claims deliver the highest 15K HDD performance in the industry. The company says that the drives provide, "two times better random write performance than current generation 2.5-inch 15K drives and two and a half times better performance than 3.5-inch 15K drives."It also claims that the Ultrastar C15K600 range is unique in featuring an SAS 12Gb/s interface and a 128MB cache buffer. HGST has rolled out the line based on it own market projections. It suggests that, by 2016, the total available market for Performance Enterprise (15K and 10K) HDDs will be more than two times the size of the Enterprise SSD market.Strong demand"A couple of factors are keeping the demand strong for 15K HDDs,"said Brendan Collins, vice president of product marketing for HGST. "First, our customers continue to use 15K HDDs along with a complement of SSDs in tiered pools of storage, depending on their performance, capacity and power efficiency requirements."Collins continued, "Also, we see that the industry is transitioning away from 15K 3.5-inch hard drives to smaller 2.5-inch drives to help reduce space requirements, while offering comparable capacities to the legacy 3.5-inch 15K products."WD recently announced a new high-capacity HDD line for surveillance use.Partition your hard drive: keep your data safe

Click here to view full content

Blip: Apple product in 'only okay' shocker

You might want to sit down for this one: the man in charge of marketing the original iPhone has branded it - THE iPHONE - "okay", going as far as to call it "not a great phone."I know. This is big. Guys, this is huge. All Apple products are, we've been led to believe, resolutionary! magical! unbelievable! funnerer! Are you seriously telling us that the original iPhone was NOT worthy of all that hyperbole, Bob Borchers? Well. We just don't know what to believe any more. More blipsWe'll never go back on blips. Steve Jobs memorial statue unveiled to the sound of the internet saying, 'WTF?'iStamp - Steve Jobs postage stamps coming next yearSocial media lie detector will call BS on spurious online rumours

Click here to view full content

BlackBerry may (or may not) release PlayBook followup, someday

We haven't forgotten BlackBerry's brief and ill-fated foray into the tablet market, and apparently neither has the smartphone maker - but they won't launch a second attempt until they're damn good and ready.Pocket-lint reported that BlackBerry appears to be in no particular rush to unleash another tablet device on unsuspecting consumers, with one executive claiming the company simply isn't ready yet.BlackBerry's Vice-President of Global Product Management Francois Mahieu was in Barcelona this week for Mobile World Congress 2014, where he threw cold water on the idea of another PlayBook tablet right away."Would BlackBerry consider one day re-entering the tablet market? Yes. Will BlackBerry do it in the coming months? No," the executive told Pocket-lint.'We're not ready'The BlackBerry PlayBook launched nearly three years ago to mixed reviews and ultimately contributed to dragging down the company's fortunes as the unwanted tablets wound up being continually marked down to fire sale pricing.Recovering from that folly is one of many challenges facing new BlackBerry Chief Executive Officer John Chen, but the onetime smartphone giant isn't completely closing the door on a potential sequel to its unloved tablet."I wouldn't be surprised if we have a meeting one day and I show you a tablet. We have equity in that space, but we're not ready. We need more time," Mahieu elaborated.Judging from the way consumers largely turned their backs on the first PlayBook, BlackBerry's lackadaisical attitude toward the tablet market is probably a smart move, especially considering how many heavyweight names have already thrown their hats into that ring.Check out our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3!

Click here to view full content

Hands-on review: MWC 2014: Samsung Gear 2 Neo

The Gear 2 Neo is the second in Samsung's range newest generation of wrist-based devices and arguably the better of the two.It's annoying that the issue of price still hasn't been addressed, but given that it's running a lower spec than the main Gear 2...

Click here to view full content

In Depth: Android Beam: Why you should care about this hidden gem

Near Field Communication technology (NFC) has spread its way across the mobile landscape like a forest wildfire, yet how many of us actually use it, let alone use it to its full potential?We all know how NFC works (if not, then here's all you need to know about NFC) although one of its greatest applications is still being hidden away and unused; Google's Android Beam.In order to help you make the most out of your hardware here's our guide to what Android Beam is and, more importantly, how it works.What is Android Beam?Having been baked into every iteration of Google's mobile OS since Android 4.0 Ice Cream, Android Beam is an app designed to make the most of NFC and enables the sharing of just about anything whether it's a contact card, picture, web page or YouTube link.How do I use it?The first thing to check before we go any further is whether your handset supports NFC. This can be found within connectivity settings alongside Wi-Fi and mobile data.Once this has been confirmed for both handsets it's as simple as touching the two devices together, bringing the NFC chips in close contact. Unfortunately, this isn't always as easy as it sounds when it comes to working out where the chip actually is, although we'd suggest that the chip is generally in the centre near the top.The handset that you're hoping to send information from should pull the screen in slightly displaying the message "Touch to Beam". Just tap the screen and you'll find the information popping up on the second handset, or a link to the Google Play store to find the relevant app.What if my handset doesn't show Android Beam?As Android Beam comes built into the Android OS there is no specific app for you to boot up. Instead just enable NFC on both handsets and press them together. Often handset manufacturers will allow you to turn NFC and Android Beam on and off individually.If you find that Android Beam doesn't appear within the Android NFC settings you shouldn't fret. The HTC One is a prime example as there is no mention of Android Beam anywhere; however following the above steps will still bring up the "Tap to Beam" page that we mentioned earlier.Owners of Samsung branded devices will also find sat alongside NFC the S-Beam app, which is largely the same thing, as you'll find out if you read on.If you're thinking of leaving though, why not find out whether you really need a MicroSD card in your phone?What is S-Beam?S-Beam is a Samsung specific app that builds onto features that are already included in Android Beam. It still connects via NFC although all data is sent via Wi-Fi Direct. This makes transfer speeds faster when sending files such as your latest holiday snap or video.Working through S-Beam is done in the exact same way as Android Beam, pressing the NFC chips in each device together, but it initiates a faster and stronger connection than Bluetooth.Are there any downsides?One of the biggest problems with Android Beam is NFC and the location of the chips. Availability of NFC is no longer an issue given that it now comes on many of even the cheapest handsets but locating the chip in the first place can be a pain in the posterior.In mobile phones the problem isn't so bad given there's limited space to choose from, but trying to locate the chip on a tablet can be more than a little tricky.This can often be found with a quick search online, although you then have to find a way of putting the two chips together. In tests we found that while the NFC chips recognised each other's presence (with a small vibration) the sending handset occasionally didn't want to register Beam.It is also probably worth pointing out, if not immediately obvious, that Android Beam does only work with Android phones. iPhone's don't even come with NFC on board, at least not yet., and Windows Phones don't want to know.What does the future hold?Since its inception Android Beam has grown to encompass sending files via Bluetooth. This works by instantly pairing devices and turning on Bluetooth, sending the file then disabling Bluetooth. You can then move the phones apart as they no longer rely upon NFC.Just as S-Beam incorporates Wi-Fi Direct so could Android Beam, something that may find favour from the recent Google-Samsung patent licensing deal. This would enable even faster file transfer than Bluetooth.At a stretch it's not too difficult to imagine Android Beam becoming part of the Internet of Things either, allowing you to tap your phone against an Android enabled refrigerator to share a shopping list or to a potential updated Chromecast dongle to enable Wi-Fi Direct streaming of content to a larger screen nearby.While NFC hasn't quite caught on as a payment method, there's still a real desire to find cool ways to connect - here's hoping Android Beam keeps getting the development it deserves.

Click here to view full content

Nintendo is shutting down online services for DS and Wii games

Nintendo has announced that online features for original DS and Wii games will no longer be available worldwide as of May 20.That means no online play or leaderboards for all Wii, DS and DSi games that use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, according to the game company.The DS and Wii systems were not known for their robust online capabilities, but this affects over 400 games total, including many that are still played today.Some of the affected games were released relatively recently, as well, such as Pokemon Black and White Versions 2, which came out less than two years ago.Fading legaciesThat said, it's not uncommon for game companies to switch off the servers for legacy games and systems after some time. And that time frame is often unfortunately short for less successful titles or when a company needs the resources, even if some players are still enjoying the product they paid for."We at Nintendo sincerely thank our fans for their continued support of our company's legacy systems," Nintendo's announcement reads."Your enthusiasm for games made for these systems speaks to their longevity, and the passion of Nintendo fans."Wii U and 3DS games are, obviously, unaffected. And thankfully Wii, DS and DSi systems will still have access to their digital game marketplaces (so you can still download games on them), their browsers, and streaming video services like Netflix.In addition, however, the 3DS's Nintendo Video app will shut down at the end of March.Who needs 'em anyway? Here's what TechRadar thought of the Xbox One and PS4

Click here to view full content

Google Project Ara aiming for release next year at a ridiculously low price

Going modular may be even cheaper and more accessible than some imagined. According to Google's Advanced Technology and Projects team, the folks behind Project Ara, speaking with Time, Google wants to get the first barebone version on its modular phone on the market for as little as $50 (about £29/AU$55). This "grayphone" will consist of little more than a frame, screen and Wi-Fi radio, and it will be "designed to be sold at convenience stores." Users could then swap out and plug in parts as they like, which will presumably cost a price per piece.Google hopes to put a consumer-ready version of Ara on sale in the first part of 2015. More AraThe Time report also revealed that Google plans to have some level of control over Ara hardware. The platform supports three sizes of phone - mini, medium and jumbo (think phablet) - which will be determined by an aluminum endoskeleton. This component will be Google-branded. The ambition is to do for hardware what Android and other platforms have done for software, Project Ara lead Paul Eremenko told Time. In other words, open manufacturing to innumerable developers as opposed to a handful of major names. There's still a ways to go before a $50 phone hits the market, including getting down to that price point to begin with and convincing communications regulators in places like the US. Still, Eremenko said he wants Project Ara to be "great, not profitable," so consumers may hold out hope that customizable phones are not far off on the horizon.Here's the hands on you've been waiting for - read our Galaxy S5 review!

Click here to view full content

Aylien Launches Text-Analysis API To Help Developers Extract Meaning From Documents

Working with text is often a messy business for programmers. While code has to be unambiguous, words tend to be anything but. Over the years, a number of companies like Alchemy and Thomson Reuters have launched services based on natural language proces...

Click here to view full content

Magneto Launches Web And Mobile Apps To Fix Your Calendar

If you're like me, you hate having to deal with your schedule. You're really bad at making sure that you've entered all the information you need in your calendar to show up to meetings in the right place and on time. Magneto Calendar is launching today...

Click here to view full content

Microsoft Slips To 24th On Fortune’s Most Admired List, As Its Rivals Take Spots 1, 2 And 3

Fortune today released its annual ranking of the world's most admired companies. Apple topped the charts yet again, but on the lower parts of the list something interesting happened: Microsoft fell from 17th in 2013, to 24th in 2014. Read More

Click here to view full content

8tracks Reaches 8 Million Monthly Active Users, Launches Xbox 360 App

Music startup 8tracks just released a new app for the Xbox 360. Live Gold subscribers will be able to play 8tracks playlists for free on their consoles. In other news, the service just reached 8 million monthly active users, representing 30 million hou...

Click here to view full content

QUICK TWITT | Gustafsson Makes Good On Bet With GSP

Prior to the Olympic Hockey finals, Alexander Gustafsson and Georges St-Pierre made a friendly wager...

Click here to view full content

VIDEO | Myles “Fury” Jury – Two weeks out to fight at UFC 171

Ahead of his UFC 171 bout against Diego Sanchez, California native Myles Jury, takes us...

Click here to view full content

Dick Cheney Decides To Be A Dick, Bashes Food Stamps That Help Military During Pro-Military Rant

Former Vice President Dick Cheney made a complete fool of himself yet again on Monday when he accused President Obama of caring more about food stamps than our military, even though military families redeemed more than $100 million in food stamps last year and Obama recently cut over $8 billion in food stamp funding. According [...]Dick Cheney Decides To Be A Dick, Bashes Food Stamps That Help Military During Pro-Military Rant

Click here to view full content

Pro-Russia Gunmen Seize Government Building In Ukraine And Raise Flag

Armed men in masks seized several buildings in the Ukrainian city of Crimea last night, one of which is the region’s parliament building. Crimea is the only Ukrainian region with a Russian majority, the Huffington Post reports, so the men are believed to be Russian nationalists who oppose new leadership in Kiev. Last week saw [...]Pro-Russia Gunmen Seize Government Building In Ukraine And Raise Flag

Click here to view full content

David Guetta Throws Insane Party ’424 Meters Under The Sea’ (Video)

David Guetta. What can you say about this ubiquitous DJ that hasn’t already been said? His popularity is through the roof. When you measure him with a Geiger meter, his radiation by hateration levels are off the charts. He just might be the one the prophecies foretold. Recently, the French savant received his 50 millionth [...]David Guetta Throws Insane Party ’424 Meters Under The Sea’ (Video)

Click here to view full content

How Rooting For A Losing Sports Franchise Makes You A Stronger Person (Or An Alcoholic)

Hi, my name is Tyler Gildin, and I am a loser. No, I’m not like a nerdy loser who got picked on in school and got shoved into lockers or anything. I mean come on man, I was school president and the varsity lacrosse goalie (back up…). By loser, I am referring to the fact [...]How Rooting For A Losing Sports Franchise Makes You A Stronger Person (Or An Alcoholic)

Click here to view full content

John Boehner Called Himself "Boner"

Yes, this happened.

















Via Twitter: @JakeSherman














Click here to view full content

Kentucky Ordered To Recognize Same-Sex Couples Marriages

The state has requested a stay of the order.































Click here to view full content

Me or M3

Me or M3 on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

Sorry Opel

Sorry Opel on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

Music Tunnel

Music Tunnel on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

Can The Lexus IS300h Make Us Love Luxury Hybrids?

I know what you're about to say: "What?! An expensive luxury hybrid?! Are you mad?". The answer to that lies in this review... Can The Lexus IS300h Make Us Love Luxury Hybrids? on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

The Love Bugs

The Love Bugs on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

Pussy Mobile

Pussy Mobile on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

Your First Look At The New Audi TT: The Baby R8 You Can Afford

The new TT - which incorporates styling cues from the R8 - can be seen in the metal for the first time in this preview video Your First Look At The New Audi TT: The Baby R8 You Can Afford on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

This 4C-Engined Alfa Giulietta Could Have Actually Caught The Plane In F&F 6

The Alfa Giulietta range-topper gets more power and a new gearbox This 4C-Engined Alfa Giulietta Could Have Actually Caught The Plane In F&F 6 on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

Sean Soriano Out of UFC on Fox 11 Due to Injury

An injury has knocked Sean Soriano out of UFC on Fox 11 less than a...

Click here to view full content

Biggest Tool Ever Is The Craziest Bandwagon-Hopping Fan In American Sports History

Deadspin uncovered what could be the biggest tool in the history of sports fandom. I suppose that he could move around a lot (once a week?), or be visiting his friends in those areas and trying to fit in. In terms of geographic representation, he has it all; East Coast to West, South to Midwest, [...]Biggest Tool Ever Is The Craziest Bandwagon-Hopping Fan In American Sports History

Click here to view full content

5 Rules Of Being An Entrepreneur While Maintaining Another Job

I am an entrepreneur and I also hold a full-time job. No, my full-time job isn’t at a company I cofounded, but one that I am an employee at. I am an account manager for a market research services company as well as the cofounder and Business Guy at WishBooklet, a gift crowdfunding website that makes [...]5 Rules Of Being An Entrepreneur While Maintaining Another Job

Click here to view full content

Gravity’s Amit Kapur Says Personalization Is Going To “Explode” This Year

Following AOL's acquisition of content personalization startup Gravity last month, co-founder and CEO Amit Kapur stopped by the AOL office in Manhattan to discuss where personalization technology goes from here. When Gravity was founded four years ago,...

Click here to view full content

Lea Michele's New Song "If You Say So" Is About Cory Monteith And It Will Break Your Heart

Warning: This will hurt.









Lea Michele's song "If You Say So" has been released and it is so sad.


















It's been seven whole days, seven whole days
Since you paralyzed me
Seven whole days, seven whole days
Since you lost your fight
And I can't get the last words that you said
Can't get those words out of my head
Seven whole days, seven whole days and four words
And I can't get away from the burning pain a light you wake
And the fallen hero haunts my thoughts
How could you leave me this way

It's been seven whole days without your embrace
I wanna see your face
I got some things to say
Was just a week ago
You said I love you girl
I said I love you more
And a breath, a pause, you said, if you say so
If you say so
If you say so

It's been seven whole days, seven whole days
Since I heard the phone ring
Seven whole days, seven whole days
Since I heard your voice
And I can't get the last words that you said
Can't get those words out of my head
It's been seven whole days, seven whole days of pure hurt
And I can't get away from the burning pain a light you wake
And the fallen hero haunts my thoughts
How could you leave me this way

It's been seven whole days without your embrace
I wanna see your face
I got some things to say
Was just a week ago
You said I love you girl
I said I love you more
And a breath, a pause, you said, if you say so
If you say so
If you say so

I can't believe it's true
I keep looking for you
I check my phone and wait to hear from you in a crowded room
The joker is so cruel
And now I'll never know if all I've been told is just a lie so false
I thought we would grow old
Mirrors in the smoke
Left me here choke

It's been seven whole days without your embrace
I wanna see your face
I got some things to say
Was just a week ago
You said I love you girl
I said I love you more
And a breath, a pause, you said, if you say so
If you say so
If you say so


Via directlyrics.com














BRB CRYING FOREVER.






gifsforgomez.tumblr.com

Click here to view full content

Pay It Forward: Why This Generation Should Be More Concerned With Giving

As I grew up, I was naturally a humanitarian and a giver; I tended to feel compassion for people easily. That ideology grew more when I decided to serve in the Marines and saw people who do nothing but suffer, all over the world. Sympathy in life is important; it shows compassion and can solve [...]Pay It Forward: Why This Generation Should Be More Concerned With Giving

Click here to view full content

Joakim Noah Took Some Shots Of Tequila Before His GQ Photoshoot Because He Was Nervous

The guy on the visiting team that everyone loves to boo, the NBAs premier villain, has got to be Joakim Noah. The Chicago Bulls and Florida Gators center has been frustrating fans with his manic energy and visibly emotional game since winning the NCAA championship in 2006. A man who feeds off of the frenetic [...]Joakim Noah Took Some Shots Of Tequila Before His GQ Photoshoot Because He Was Nervous

Click here to view full content

19 Essential Destinations That Adrenaline Junkies Need To Visit Before They Die

Your stomach will drop. And it will be awesome.









Base Jumping off Kjerag Mountain in Lysefjord, Norway






Zanthia / Via Flickr: zanthia


































Via vimeo.com





















bla...

Click here to view full content

This Foldable Smartphone Potentially Changes Everything You Know About Devices

Belgian researchers have invented a smartphone that can be folded into a variety of shapes like a classic 90s puzzle. It’s called “Paddle,” and the team at Hasselt University derived their design from the Rubik’s Cube. The phone is made of eight square-shaped tiles that can be contorted into everything from a bracelet to a [...]This Foldable Smartphone Potentially Changes Everything You Know About Devices

Click here to view full content

"MARRIAGE = ONE MAN & ONE MAN," Opponent Of Such Marriages Tweets

Tough day on Twitter for conservative Texas Sen. Dan Patrick, who quickly deleted the tweet since he opposes marriage rights for same-sex couples.









Following the federal court ruling striking down the Texas ban on same-sex couples' marriage, state senator Dan Patrick tweeted:






Twitter: @BrettLoGiurato

Click here to view full content

Duplex Timing

Duplex Timing on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

Landrovers

Landrovers on Car Throttle.

Click here to view full content

Zingano Camp Says Cat Could Be Ready By June To Face Rousey

It seems as if the stars are starting to align for top UFC bantamweight, Cat...

Click here to view full content

What The Numbers Say About Who Will Win At The Oscars

Using a statistical model to forecast this year’s big awards. And just maybe give you the boost to finally win that Oscar pool.













A large Oscar statue is seen in the Dolby Ballroom during the 86th Oscars Governors Ball press preview in Hollywood, Calif., Feb.20.


Fred Prouser / Reuters











One of the marks of a major American cultural-commercial event, as long as winners and losers are being declared, is that large numbers of people will be putting money on it. Where TV money flows — toward the Super Bowl, toward March Madness — gambling money tends to follow. Sometimes it even feels like betting is the only thing propping up otherwise-dying practices. How else do you explain Floyd Mayweather, competing decades past his sport's glory days, still pulling in record-setting purses and showing up on highest-paid athletes lists? Or how the Kentucky Derby leads SportsCenter all while the crowd at Churchill Downs seems like it's from the same era as when Secretariat ran? An event that can attract a good wager, more often than not, finds a way to stick around.

So perhaps it is no coincidence that the Academy Awards, and the associated office Oscar pools, are the one event that can draw audiences like no other non-football event.

Yet compared to forecasting something like the Final Four, the Academy Awards, particularly in the major categories that most people care about, are rather predictable. Unlike sports, our other favorite gambling outlet, the Oscars are not the result of any future — and uncertain — competition being put on that night. They are more like guessing the results of an election that has already taken place.

So even if a small group of voters are making a collection of highly subjective judgments, the results of those judgments are predictable if there are some external indications of the way they are leaning. In politics, these indications are polls. For the Oscars, the indications are other award shows.





















Lupita Nyong'o, a nominee for Best Supporting Actress, in a scene from 12 Years a Slave.


Jaap Butendijk / Fox Searchlight











My method in generating the following forecasts was fairly straightforward. I gathered data going back to 1996 on the winners of each pre-Oscar award to determine its predictive power. Each category considered a separate set of relevant precursor awards with weights based on their historical performance in that category.

The most predictive awards in each category varied. For example, the top award at the Directors Guild Awards has been the strongest signal of success in the Best Picture category, matching the Oscar winner 78% of the time. For Best Director, the Critics Choice Movie Awards (CCMAs) were the most predictive at 78% as well. Each award was given a weighting according to this percentage, with one exception that I'll discuss later.

I generated forecasts based on how many of these precursor awards each nominee won and how reliable those awards have been at predicting the Oscar winner. Finally, each sum was then balanced by how predictable the category was overall. This means that, all else equal, I was more confident in my results in a category whose precursor awards were 60% accurate on average than in one whose awards were 50% accurate.

The most important awards in my model were those given out by guild associations, whose voting body overlaps the most with Academy voters. High-profile televised awards like the Golden Globes, British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, and the surprisingly predictive CCMAs were also given bigger shares. The impact of lower-profile shows, like those given out by critics associations, were minimal except in a few cases (the New York Film Critics Circle and Los Angeles Film Critics Association are significant in a few categories, like Best Actor).

While it is possible to construct a model that adheres too closely to historical data and tells you nothing about the future — this is known as "backfitting" a model — since my inputs are relatively standardized and I've minimized the amount with which I've subjectively tinkered with the model, previous success is more significant. And in that regard my model performs very well, correctly predicting most categories going back the past few years. My results accurately forecasting five or six awards using a similar model were published here last year, with the lone miss coming in the peculiar Ben Affleck-less Best Director category.

This method produces a number of otherwise expected results, hewing close to conventional wisdom. But forecasts are as much about having the right perspective as they are about guessing the winner. It's important to know which nominees are true favorites and which are favorites by just a hair. Most of all, they're about having a more realistic sense of what's most likely to happen.







View Entire List ›

Click here to view full content

Now You Can Watch Justin Bieber Walking The Line After His DUI Arrest

Thank god for TMZ .




























According to the Los Angeles Times, there could be up to ten hours of footage of Young Biebs in jail. But for now, we have this to enjoy.
























TMZ / tmz.com






...

Click here to view full content

9 GIFs Of Scott Foley Modeling With His Shirt Off

Felicity fans, today is your day. (Fine, Scandal fans, too.)
















Charisma / youtube.com





















Charisma / youtube.com





















Charisma / youtube.com





















C...

Click here to view full content

In Depth: What is MHL and why do you need it?

With MHL you can unchain your media from your phone or tablet and easily display videos, games, photos and more on a big screen.It can be liberating and it's all achievable with the help of just a single cable, yet a lot of people are probably unaware of its existence and many who do know of it still don't really use it.That's a shame, because MHL carries a whole lot of potential, from obvious uses like watching stored videos on a big screen to more inventive applications such as using it in combination with a keyboard and mouse to type documents, essentially turning your smartphone into a desktop computer in the process.To find out more about MHL, its potential uses and its future we spoke to the MHL Consortium, a company founded by Nokia, Samsung, Silicon Image, Sony, and Toshiba, which is responsible for licensing and promoting MHL technology.What is it?The first thing to get out the way is what MHL is and how it works. Essentially one end of an MHL cable will plug into the micro USB port on your phone or tablet while the other will plug into an HDMI port on a television or monitor and your phone's screen will then be mirrored on the external screen.Dr Judy Chen, President of the MHL Consortium, explained that it's a "connectivity solution optimised for outputting a mobile device to a larger display. "Like HDMI it's uncompressed, which is important as that allows it to handle everything in real time, setting it apart from wireless solutions."A MHL Consortium spokesperson added that it can "simultaneously charge the device and it offers the unique ability to control your phone features via the standard TV remote. "MHL-enabled products include smartphones, tablets, Digital TV's, TV accessories, Blu-ray players, audio / video (AV) receivers, monitors, projectors, adapters, automotive accessories, cables, and more."What's it used for?Probably the most obvious use for an MHL cable is to play videos on your phone but view them on a larger screen.That could mean playing locally stored videos or taking advantage of an app such as Netflix, essentially turning your handset into a home media player. Since MHL is simply mirroring the screen of your phone it's compatible with any and all apps.But there are loads of other uses for MHL too. You can use it in combination with a controller for gaming on a big screen and almost replicate a console experience in the process.The MHL Consortium believes that "MHL is a viable substitute for a games console or a set-top box. "When it comes to gaming, an MHL smartphone can be seamlessly paired with a wireless game controller and games can be played with zero lag on the larger screen display."You can use it to view photographs or even connect your smartphone to a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and turn your phone into a full desktop computer.It comes into its own for all these things even more when travelling, as while you might have a computer, a games console and a media player at home, simply packing an MHL cable and a few optional accessories such as a controller will allow you to bring home entertainment to your hotel room.And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You could also use it while working out, to view exercise apps and videos on a big screen while keeping your phone charged.Or if you have an infotainment system in your car you could interact with your phone through it with the help of MHL and even mirror a satellite navigation app to it.It could even be of use to education or in offices when giving a presentation, as you can connect your smartphone to a projector to show videos, documents and slides, rather than having to bring a laptop in.In fact productivity is a key area of focus for the MHL Consortium. According to Dr Chen "we shouldn't forget about the enterprise aspect."Apple are going after the PC market with a bigger iPad so portable devices encroaching on desktops is something that's already happening. We think MHL is well positioned to capitalise on that."What features does it include?MHL is improving all the time. Versions 1 and 2 support 1080p uncompressed HD video and 8 channel audio and while the MHL Consortium was unwilling to comment on exactly what's next for the technology, the most recent update to MHL 3.0 only came out in August, bringing with it a bunch of new features.These include support for 4K video, enhanced 7.1 surround sound with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, support for multiple simultaneous displays and more. It's also backwards compatible with MHL 1 and MHL 2.A spokesperson said "as a set-top box, our latest specification can scale all the way up to 4K so movies will be able to be seen at cinema-quality resolution and supports the latest audio formats such as DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD. "We also support Remote Control Protocol (RCP) that allows the TV's remote control to access the phone's content and use popular remote buttons such as Stop, Play, Rewind, Pause and Enter. This gives users a real "lean back" experience."While the features of MHL 4.0 remain in the dark, an MHL Consortium spokesperson was able to share some visions the company has for future uses of the technology, saying that there was the potential for "adding MHL inside tomorrow's aeroplanes so passengers can connect their mobile devices to seat backs to watch movies and TV programmes" and "adding MHL to elliptical trainers to charge their phones and give them access to all of their favourite mobile content while they work out."And one thing we can confirm is that MHL won't be going wireless. That's disappointing, as given how many things are now wireless the act of actually having to plug a cable in seems curiously quaint and dated.But there's good reasons for its wired ways, the biggest of which being that according to the MHL Consortium no wireless technology can deliver all of MHL's features in one connection.Then there's the fact that limited speed and bandwidth could lead to quality or latency issues. Dr Chen explained that even for something as simple as scrolling through an Excel spreadsheet it's amazing the difference that MHL makes versus a wireless solution. Not to mention the fact that a wireless connection wouldn't be able to charge your phone and no-one wants their battery to die midway through a rousing speech or five metres from a save point.Getting it out thereOne of the big problems is getting MHL out there, building awareness and getting it into the hands of consumers.A spokesperson for the MHL Consortium told us that "since the retail introduction of the first MHL-enabled devices, the MHL ecosystem has grown to an installed base of more than 400 million products." Which is a great start, but the majority of smartphone users still aren't using it.One reason for that is that while it's now compatible with most Android phones and tablets, MHL is still not compatible with iPhones, iPads, Windows Phone handsets or Windows Tablets. But, as the MHL Consortium explained to us, "MHL is an open standard and connector agnostic, so anything is possible."It is also OS-agnostic as it offers the ability to be implemented in any existing OS platform since most of the features are built-in and therefore plug-and-play."So the support or lack thereof is down to Apple, Microsoft and other relevant manufacturers. As there's so little holding it up there's hope that one day MHL might work on all major smartphones, but that requires Apple and Microsoft to actually want to support the technology.In Apple's case an argument could be made that it's stepping on the toes of the company's expensive proprietary cables which serve a similar purpose and to a lesser extent it may even hinder sales of Apple TV.With that in mind we're not optimistic that Apple will ever embrace it, though there doesn't seem to be as much standing in Microsoft's way.But even when it comes to Android phones and tablets, which do mostly support it, a lot of people aren't taking advantage of MHL.An obvious way to both make people aware of it and get it in their hands would be to include an MHL cable with phones, but that again is down to manufacturers and they have little incentive to do so.Though the MHL Consortium tells us that in certain geographies manufacturers do include the cables with their TV's and monitors, so that's a step in the right direction.For now though if you want a taste of MHL you'll just have to buy a cable for yourself, but with prices starting at only a few pounds there's little reason not to buy one if you have any interest in bringing your smartphone content to a big screen.In most cases the cable is all you need, but there are a whole host of compatible accessories such as controllers and docks to further augment and improve the experience. As for the future of MHL, well that's largely down to the MHL Consortium, but the company has assured us that it's "always thinking of ways to stay ahead of the technology curve to meet the future needs of our technology adopters."It seems there are a wealth of future ways that MHL could be used. While she couldn't comment on specifics, Dr Chen told us that "there are always new things coming up. MHL could be used in cars, fitness equipment, planes or anything else that a phone can be tethered to." So in that sense the sky really is the limit.Sticking with HDMI for your media? Then read up on HDMI 2.0.

Click here to view full content

Video: Specs compared: Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Sony Xperia Z2

MWC 2014 has given birth to the Sony Xperia Z2 and Samsung Galaxy S5, both of which will be soon be jostling for your attention as they take over the spotlight as Android's latest, and presumably greatest, offerings.Unfortunately, before we get both handsets into the office for a thorough TechRadar-style testing, we won't be able to tell which is more worthy of your cash. We can, however, give you an idea of how the two compare from what we know so far.Check out our head-to-head specs comparison video below, and find out exactly what the Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2 are bringing to the game.FutTv : 4EfLvWR8Fk7JA

Click here to view full content

All New HTC One will have even better sound than the first, says HTC

HTC is wasting no time building buzz around the All New HTC One, due to launch at a March 25 event. Over at the HTC Twitter account, the company has posted its "first teaser" video touting the upcoming device's sound enhancements. You can also start using "#HTCOneUp" if the spirit moves you. Sure, the first HTC One had super sonic qualities thanks to Boom Sound, but the HTC One 2 will have a redesigned (trumpet noises) along with (more trumpet noises). HTC has increased (did they sample Louis Armstrong?) further, too. In short, with the New HTC One, the sound is even more (that one sounded like a tuba).YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnWSOWSWAhoHTC said this is only Episode 1, so look out for more teases talking up the smartphone's other features to come. It's finally here - read our Samsung Galaxy S5 hands on review!Will the iPhone 6 have stellar sound too?

Click here to view full content

Is this the Google watch that will never be?

Motorola might not be a part of Google anymore, but newly revealed images of a smartwatch prototype show what might have been if Moto stuck with Mountain View. Android Police got its hands on some pics reportedly showing a Motorola prototype smartwatch that's destined to be a never-was. According to the site's anonymous source, this alleged Google watch was codenamed Gem and would have fallen into the Nexus line of devices. It's unclear whether Google kept Gem to describe any current smartwatch it may be working on. The model pictured is believed to be a 2013 version of the prototype. While it's likely the product, if it ever launched, would have seen significant changes to the final hardware and software, this early version still gives us a peek at what might have been. It could have been a contenderAt first glance it seems the Google watch would have looked almost like a regular large-faced time piece with a rubberized band similar to the Samsung Gear 2. Elsewhere on the watch's face, we can see a capacitive back button just below the screen and a physical button on the side. Motorola's signature "M" is clearly visible on the front.Above the screen there's also a dual button rocker featuring the image of a microphone and running human figure. From this it would seem the watch would have supported taking calls as well as a dedicated activity tracking mode. From the menu on the screen we can see this was still a developer model device, but it also mentions a curious "3 Bit mode Apps." Three bits could refer to a number of things, including a 3-bit color mode for the seemingly monochromatic screen. It may also refer to a lower-resolution way of displaying applications for less power suck. It will be interesting if this feature crops back up on a future Google smartwatch, but for now we can only guess as to what 3-bit mode means. Current rumors suggest we might see a Google branded wearable device made by LG at Google I/O in June. It's then we may see how far the watch has grown from this early Motorola design. What's more, we may see the design and features crop up when Motorola launches its own smartwatch later this year. Patrick Goss finds out the Motowatch will be a galaxy away from the Samsung Gear

Click here to view full content

Once more, with feeling: New Nook tablet confirmed for this year

After threatening to ditch the tablet hardware business entirely, Barnes & Noble is now threatening to unleash a new model on unsuspecting consumers, just in time for the summer vacation season.Mashable reported on B&N's fairly bleak third quarter financial results for fiscal 2014 today, but the real news turned out to be a brief mention of a new "color tablet" on the way.Although company executives declined to offer further details during the quarterly earnings call, the mere fact that Nook hardware is alive and (relatively) well is likely to be music to the ears of its e-reading customer base.After failing to launch any new tablet hardware in 2013 aside from the black-and-white Nook Glowlight, the company's latest model is expected in "early fiscal 2015," which equates to late May or early June 2014 for those of us on the traditional Gregorian calendar.By Nook or by cookFor those keeping score, it's now been two years since Barnes & Noble launched the Android-powered Nook HD and Nook HD+, which feels like an eternity in the consumer electronics world.Instead of focusing on splashy new hardware, the retailer instead focused on blowing out existing inventory over the holidays, creating more stock from what executives referred to as "previously acquired parts and components."Ironically, Barnes & Noble continues to do brisk business with physical books, apparently at the expense of Nook e-book sales, which were largely flat last year.Barnes & Noble Chief Executive Officer Mike Huseby is confident in a Nook turnaround, but with all the back and forth, it may be hard for the new Nook to catch on.Can't wait for summer? Check out TechRadar's list of the best tablets!

Click here to view full content

In Depth: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini: Which is right for you?

Design, screen and cameraSony outdid itself with the launch of the Xperia Z1 Compact, bringing all the power of the full fat version and shrinking it down without much compromise. But those internals won't stop it being compared to the other smaller phones on the market, with one of the most popular being the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. Quite rightly, Sony is pushing the Xperia Z1 Compact as more than just another 'Mini' handset that will disappear into tiny handset obscurity. The question remains then, in the quest for a smaller screened device, what are the differences and which one is the right one for you?DesignWith both the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini handsets coming with bigger brothers, it will be of no surprise that the same design DNA in the Sony Xperia Z1 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 is still there, if not a little more petite.The Z1 Compact comes with a far sharper and more industrial look than the S4 Mini, a smart handset hewn of glass and metal. Samsung instead followed a far more natural and curvier look with its handsets and has produced a smooth plastic device with the S4 Mini.That extra heft isn't unwarranted though - the design build of the Z1 Compact is decent, if a little chunky, and feels like it has a slightly higher bill of materials than the Samsung.With that glass and metal construction it'll be no bombshell that the Z1 Compact comes in much heavier than the Galaxy S4 Mini, weighing in a whole 30g heavier than the Samsung at 137g. The Sony is also larger; vital statistics put it at 127 x 64.9 x 9.5mm.Samsung's smaller handset is smaller all round at 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.99 and weighs a mere 107g leaving it sitting in the hand a lot more comfortably.Design differences also spread to the inclusion (or exclusion) of hard buttons and soft keys. Where Sony has left the Xperia Z1 Compact to deal with Android's on screen controls, Samsung has taken its more traditional route with a large central home key and back/menu buttons sat either side.ScreenWith a quick look at the specs sheet it is clear that the Sony is way out in front. The Xperia Z1 Compact comes with a HD 720p (720 x 1280) screen that leaves the 540 x 960 resolution of the Galaxy S4 Mini a little behind.All those extra pixels in the same 4.3-inch screen mean that the Sony comes out much higher in pixel density too; 342 beats 256ppi every day of the week.Fortunately for Samsung this only tells half the story. The Galaxy S4 Mini comes packing the same Super AMOLED screen technology, which is both extremely bright and comes with higher levels of contrast than the TFT screen of the Z1 Compact. This goes a long way to easing any pain caused by a smaller resolution.It would be harsh to call the Galaxy S4 Mini screen poor. It is more than sufficient for sending messages and surfing the web, or for viewing all those images of cats in funny poses and dogs diving for tennis balls.The added brightness also means that the Galaxy S4 Mini is also easier to use when out and about when sunnier weather hits your window.CameraOne of the biggest areas that the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact will look to beat the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is the camera. This is because it comes rocking a massive 20.7MP sensor where the Samsung comes with only 8MP. Both the S4 Mini and the Z1 Compact come sporting front facing sensors too, although these are much closer in stature. Sony has made sure it's won the battle, but this time the battle was much narrower; 2MP vs 1.9MP.Samsung and Sony have both also taken a look at the camera app, meaning they both offer up more than the stock Android that sits beneath. Sony has thrown a little more in the way of the camera offering up a few more modes. The more professional photographer may decide they want to forgo the Superior auto mode and take on the Manual mode. This offers up a variety of scenes, as well as allowing the toggle of white balance and exposure.Instagram lovers have also been covered with varying picture effects and filters allowing easy creation of interesting looking pictures without the need for any Photoshop wizardry. An AR mode also adds extra features including elves and dinosaurs... make of that what you will.Samsung's variation comes in the forms of different modes: Auto, Beauty Face, Best Photo, Continuous Shot, Best Face, Sound & Shot, Rich Tone (HDR), Panorama, Sports and Night. These don't add a lot of creative features, instead being aimed at perfecting the more basic shots. Click here for full res image.Colour reproduction on both is very good, although the contrast is much higher on the Galaxy S4 Mini. Much more detail has been captured on the skin of the satsumas though.Click here for full res image.Colour contrast again is higher on the S4 Mini, with the Z1 Compact appearing a little washed out.Click here for full res image.With the colours a little washed out on both, contrast levels are still much higher on the Galaxy S4 Mini. More detail on the cushions has been captured on the Z1 Compact.Click here for full res image.A far greater amount of detail has been captured on the Z1 Compact, with edges appearing crisper. Although the contrast is higher on the S4 Mini, colours are more natural on the Z1 Compact.Click here for full res image.Oddly, more detail has been captured in the background with the brickwork on houses coming out clearer with the Samsung. The Z1 Compact is much clearer in the foreground with text being much crisper.Click here for full res image.There is a massive difference in the low light capabilities, with the Z1 Compact's sensor letting in a lot more light. This means that images come out a lot clearer and more visible than on the S4 Mini.Click here for full res image.The zoom capabilities on the Z1 Compact are a lot greater than on the S4 Mini. Text is also much crisper and more legible on the Sony.Performance, price, extras and verdictPerformance and StorageThe Xperia Z1 Compact also outdoes the Galaxy S4 Mini when it comes to performance, aided by increased levels of RAM and twice the amount of cores. Sony has fitted the Z1 Compact with a quad-core 2.2GHz CPU and 2GB RAM putting it ahead of the dual-core 1.7GHz S4 Mini with its 1.5GB RAM.In day to day usage the Galaxy S4 doesn't appear to suffer. Loading times of basic apps like messaging or calendar were nigh on identical, and both devices were smooth when scrolling between home screens.All the extra cores in the Sony really come into their own when trying more intensive games. Loading times of Sonic Dash for instance were faster, and while most games ran effectively on both, the graphical prowess of the Z1 Compact is significantly higher.Storage is also going to be an issue, especially if you're planning on watching a lot of movies or downloading a lot of apps. The Xperia Z1 Compact comes slightly better equipped with 16GB instead of the 8GB internally found in the Galaxy S4 Mini.Both handsets support microSD though, meaning that an extra 64GB of storage can be thrown their way.Price and coloursThe big kicker when it comes to looking at the Z1 Compact and the S4 Mini is the difference in price. Packing in larger and higher power innards does mean that the Z1 Compact comes with a more premium price tag.SIM free the Galaxy S4 Mini is available at around £380, with monthly contracts being seen as low as £21pm. To get your hands on the Z1 Compact will set you back around £450 SIM free, or around £25-£28pm on 24 month contracts.Both the Xperia Z1 Compact and Galaxy S4 Mini also come in a range of colours meaning that the traditional black or white handsets are no longer the only kids on the block. Whilst neither can claim to have a smorgasbord of colours they do at least offer something a little different.Sony has made the Xperia Z1 Compact available in black, white, lime, and pink whereas Samsung has left the S4 Mini to compete in black, white, orange, pink, or purple coloured overalls.ExtrasBoth manufacturers have also added something to help differentiate themselves. The biggest of these on the Z1 Compact has to be the waterproof nature. This means that you can take photos underwater or text in the bath should the mood catch you.Sony has also allowed access to the PlayStation mobile store which adds a little extra over and above the offerings that come with the Google Play store. Connect up your PS3 controller through a (purchased separately) USB cable and you no longer need a bog-standard Bluetooth controller.It doesn't come with an IR blaster like the Galaxy S4 Mini does, so the Z1 Compact can't become a TV remote- it's a function that's useful on occasion, but not something you'd buy the phone for solely.VerdictBoth the Galaxy S4 Mini and the Xperia Z1 Compact are smaller screened phones, proving that you don't need to buy a 10000-inch screen phone in order to get a decent mobile experience.Sony does this with a HD screen for watching movies, and high powered innards that make mobile gaming a real pleasure. It has also thrown in a high powered camera to help take some decent shots when out and about.Samsung has taken a totally different route, downsizing its flagship in more ways that just size. This means that the Galaxy S4 Mini comes with smaller insides that are perfect for day to day use and for casual gaming but can struggle if you throw very intensive tasks its way.Those wanting a flagship experience in a smaller package need not look any further than the Xperia Z1 Compact, as while the S4 Mini offers a decent experience at a reduced price it will always disappoint in returning true flagship performance.

Click here to view full content