5 SECONDS OF SUMMER

Michael Clifford Fires Back at Abigail Breslin's Diss Track

Stars Most Stylish Selfie of the Week

Stars Most Stylish Selfie of the Week

GMAIL BLOCKED IN CHINA

5-Minute Outfit Idea

5-Minute Outfit Idea: An Effortless, Polished Look to Try This Weekend.

Facebook suffers outage

Facebook suffers outage affecting users worldwide!! .

Thursday, 12 June 2014

"Push made to make 'Dragon' sequel, bigger, better"

"Push made to make 'Dragon' sequel, bigger, better"


SAN FO RANCISC— There's a lot of good and bad to making a follow-up to a highly successful feature film. The people behind "How to Train Your Dragon 2" ran into both as they were putting together the sequel that follows one of the best reviewed films of 2010.
"When we made the first film, there was nothing to compare it to. If for whatever reason we didn't
achieve what we were trying to achieve with the first one, so be it," Jay Baruchel, voice of Hiccup in both movies, says. "Now there is that precedent so the series (there's talk of a trilogy), by this point, takes on an almost institutional-like quality. So, we have to pay homage to it. There were no requirements the first time. Now, there are requirements.
"That being said, what's easier is that we already have our rhythms, we have our shorthand. So, it's just a matter of picking up where we left off."
The main thing that everyone kept in mind was that the original "How to Train Your Dragon" was enjoyed by so many people that the sequel had to be equally as entertaining.
Not only did "How to Train Your Dragon" make almost a half-billion dollars at the box office around the globe, it pulled in an additional $158 million in DVD sales.

Producer Bonnie Arnold paid attention to the enduring qualities of the original. As she was making "Dragon 2," Arnold monitored social media for mentions of the original film — and saw plenty of high praise that keeps the bar for the sequel set very high.
"How to Train Your Dragon 2" picks up with Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless, getting caught in the middle of a war that could have deadly consequences for all dragons. Hiccup will need the help of all his friends, a weird collection of dragons and a mysterious person from his past, to save the day.
Director Dean DeBlois, the man behind the original "Dragon," knows disappointing sequels are more the norm than the exception.
"We knew that going in, so I knew if we were going to tangle with a sequel, I really wanted it to be as good or better than the first," DeBlois says. "So I was looking at my past of viewing films and 'The Empire Strikes Back' was the one that really stood out for me because it took everything I loved about 'Star Wars' and made it bigger and better in every way.

"That became the high bar for us to measure ourselves against. We knew we would never really get there, but it was stimulating in that we collectively held hands and said 'we have to deliver.'"

The attempt to deliver includes the same computer-generated images and voice talents from the original film. Where the team has tried to be bigger and better is in the expansion of the Norse world where dragons used to be feared. The sequel goes from a handful of dragons to hundreds.

The team was just as determined to make this move as emotionally strong as the original. One of the big attractions for the first film was the story line about a young man and a dragon coming of age, learning to trust and building a binding friendship.

"John Powell, our composer, summed up the theme of this movie really well. He created a new musical theme for the movie called 'Lost and Found.' I think that's what the movie is really about. It's Hiccup searching for what he's to become against the backdrop of two rather overbearing parents and a lot of expectations of his community," DeBlois says.

The cast and crew can relate because they started working on the sequel knowing there were a lot of expectations from the community of fans for the original film.

Google Makes Glass Play Better With Your Smartphone

"Google Makes Glass Play Better With Your Smartphone"


The most interesting thing Google announced as part of its software update for Google Glass yesterday was an update to the MyGlass app for Android. Photos taken on Glass now instantly sync to your device, where you can apply filters and share via whatever photo-sharing services are available on your phone — not just the options built into Glass.

As someone who owned Glass for several months, that sounds like a huge improvement on the user experience of sharing photos from Glass itself. While Glass would automatically back up your photos to Google+ when connected to Wi-Fi, sharing to Facebook or Twitter required tapping through multiple layers of the interface and dictating the captions you wanted. Whenever I would try, I’d get to that last step and wish I had access to a keyboard. With this latest update, that’s not an issue, and you get filters, which would have been a pain to skim through on Glass’s display.

There are actually quite a few places in the Glass user experience where access to a more complex interface is helpful. For instance, navigating with Google Maps on Glass is great, but searching isn’t, especially when you don’t really know where you’re going.
But if you do a Google Maps search on your Mac that happens to be signed into your Google account, a card will show up in the Glass interface giving you the option to navigate to that address. It’s pretty neat to walk out the door, put on Glass, and instantly know where you’re headed.

It’s when Glass best leverages the other gadgets you use throughout your day that it really feels like you’re getting the most out of the device. There’s certainly incentive for them not to: One could argue that having functionality require the use of a smartphone makes using Glass redundant.
That ignores the advantages that come with Glass, such as visual notifications (that contain more information than what you can fit on a watch face). With a software update released last week, you can see your notifications just by looking at the screen.

When I asked Google if it worries about making the features on the MyGlass app “too useful,” Steve Lee, Glass product management director, said:
We want the user to have the best experience possible. Period. There are experiences that are just naturally better on Glass, like capturing moments while living them. If it enhances the user experience, we want to make sure those experiences can extend to other platforms

regardless of whether it’s iPhone, Android or desktop. When it comes to photo editing — cropping, filtering, etc. – that’s clearly easier on a phone. This functionality is something that our Explorers have asked for, so we wanted to be sure to deliver it to them.
In a recent column on Wired, Mat Honan argues that notifications are going to rule the smartphone interface. Google Glass is already there: Everything you can do on the device is accessed through a notification-like card.

Maybe that’s why people don’t “get” Glass yet. They’re used to navigating to a specific app to do a specific task or reach a particular piece of information, not responding to contextual updates as they happen. Perhaps the notification-based interface on smartphones will get people used to that mindset by the time Glass is ready for consumer release.

If Google can get developers on board with making it as easy as possible to transition from seeing a notification on Glass to acting on that notification on a device better suited for the task, the device might start making a lot more sense to a lot more people.

Brazil vs. Croatia, 2014 World Cup preview: Hosts face challenging opener

"Brazil vs. Croatia, 2014 World Cup preview: Hosts face    challenging opener"


Brazil would've probably hoped to open the World Cup against a slightly easier opponent than Croatia.
As tournament hosts, Brazil have the honor of opening the World Cup in São Paulo on Thursday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN). According to the script, the Seleção are supposed to run out comfortable winners amid a cauldron of noise at the Arena Corinthians, and set the tone for a successful tournament. But one problem: Croatia are far from guaranteed to follow the script.
They may have only squeezed into the World Cup thanks to a narrow aggregate victory over minnows Iceland, but Niko Kovač's team are more than capable of taking advantage of anyone that dares to underestimate them. With a smattering of genuinely world class players, they arrive in Brazil with a great chance of making it through to the knockout stages, as well as spoiling the opening day party.

Team news
Luiz Felipe Scolari will almost certainly start with the tried and tested 4-2-3-1 that saw Brazil storm to the Confederations Cup on home soil last summer, with the only real tactical question mark over who will partner the more defensive anchorman Luiz Gustavo in the midfield pivot. The early favourite is Paulinho, who Scolari has generally preferred since taking charge, though there's the slight possibility Brazil's other energetic box-to-box midfielder, Ramires, will be given the nod.
This may be the World Cup opener, but Croatia are still missing a key player through suspension. First-choice striker Mario Mandžukić is unavailable after turning the second leg of the playoff against Iceland into a karate match, leaving Kovač with a dilemma over who to start up top. He'll likely opt for one of Nikica Jelavić or Eduardo, with the former a more like-for-like replacement. There's a question over who'll start in midfield, with defensive anchorman Ognjen Vukojević possibly set to start over the advanced playmaker Mateo Kovačić in a bid to counteract Brazil's attacking firepower.

Projected lineups (left to right)
Brazil (4-2-3-1): Júlio César; Marcelo, David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Dani Alves; Paulinho, Luiz Gustavo; Neymar, Oscar, Hulk; Fred.
Croatia (4-3-3): Stipe Pletikosa; Danijel Pranjić, Dejan Lovren, Vedran Ćorluka, Darijo Srna; Ivan Rakitić, Ognjen Vukojević, Luka Modrić; Ivica Olić, Nikica Jelavić, Ivan Perišić.

Key Matchups
The midfield battle - Heading into the World Cup, Croatia Kovač seems to prefer using a 4-2-3-1, with Kovačić starting centrally ahead of a midfield pivot of Luka Modrić and Ivan Rakitić. While that's one of the most creative and exciting sounding trios in the entire tournament, and would be great for crushing weak teams who'll let Croatia dominate possession, it might not be so good against Brazil.
Rakitić loves to dribble the ball up the pitch -- and plays his domestic football as an attacking midfielder at Sevilla -- while Modrić is also a playmaker rather than an anchorman. Should they play together, Croatia run the risk of allowing space in between their midfield and defence for Neymar, Oscar and Hulk to work their Brazilian magic, meaning it'd be a safer bet for Kovač to drop Kovačić to the bench and play a true defensive midfielder in Vukojević behind Modrić and Rakitić. Whoever dominates this space will have the upper hand.

Brazil's full-backs vs. Croatia's wingers - You're not going to find a more attack-minded full-back pairing anywhere in the World Cup than Brazil's Dani Alves and Marcelo. They love to push forward into the midfield line in the offensive phase, and with Hulk and Neymar both having a tendency to drift infield from the flanks, overlapping runs from the full-backs are a requirement in Scolari's system.
Thus, Croatia's wingers -- most likely Ivica Olić and Ivan Perišić -- will almost certainly be looking to get in behind down the flanks, and Modrić and Rakitić will try to feed them with long diagonal passes. Should they counter efficiently, Croatia will cause Brazil problems.

Mario Mandžukić's replacement vs. Brazil's defense - Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola sure isn't Mandžukić's biggest fan, but there's little doubt that he's one of the best pure strikers in world football at present, and he'll be sorely missed by Croatia against Brazil. His ability to hold up the ball for his teammates on the break is as good as his finishing, and Croatia have no comparable options up front. But if they're going to have any chance of a result here, they need his replacement -- be it the more static, powerful Jelavić or the mobile, nimble Eduardo -- to step up to the plate and cause Brazil's strong centre-backs harm.

Prediction
Croatia shouldn't be pushovers, and with their personnel, they could certainly harm Brazil on the counter. However, there's no doubt that the absence of Mandžukić seriously harms their chances, and they'll almost certainly prove to be too shaky defensively to keep their sheet clean. 2-0 Brazil


Wednesday, 11 June 2014

"A quick guide to following World Cup 2014 on Google, Facebook and Twitter"

"A quick guide to following World Cup 2014 on Google, Facebook and Twitter"

Like a trio of vuvuzelas, the three big internet platforms became a significant part of the World Cup's background noise in 2010. They have even more to offer this time around: Not just a multitude of ways to follow scores and other stats, but also places to go if you want to trumpet your opinions and listen to those of others. So, we've rounded up some of the best advice from Twitter, Facebook and Google on how to get the most out of the new features they're dishing out for Brazil 2014.

Twitter:

If you're already au fait with the Twittersphere's workings, you'll want to begin your journey at the #WorldCup2014 hashtag page. This main timeline will show you relevant tweets from   celebs, teams, pundits and people in your network. On the right-hand side you'll see quick access to a Teams page, so you can easily find and follow your home nation. There's also a handy bar down the left that shows the latest scores and upcoming games
Oh, and remember the three-letter hashtag for your team! Just like in 2010, using this hashtag inside a tweet will magically cause the appearance of your national flag ("hashflag") to bring some color to your tweet. For example, it's #URU for all of you Uruguayans.
If you're not already on Twitter, then you'll want to start by signing up and saying "yes" at the bit where you're offered some extra World Cup excitement. This will take you through a couple of easy steps to choose your favorite team and set your wallpaper accordingly. If you're a true patriot, you'll keep that wallpaper forever. Forever, dammit.

Facebook:

This all starts at the Trending World Cup page, which works in a similar manner to Twitter's hub -- albeit with a bit less detail. You can view  upcoming matches, but there's no obvious shortcut to find your official team page -- you just have to search for it (e.g., "U.S. Soccer") and look for the blue tick to highlight the official site. There is, however, a "Fan Map" that shows the locations of millions of footy fans around the world and what, exactly, they're fans of. It's a gimmick, perhaps, but it has already proven itself useful in showing that England's Wayne Rooney is widely detested across mainland Europe.

Google:

Compared to the other two, there's a distinct lack of structure and effort from Google at the #WorldCup2014 page. In fact, there isn't even one official hashtag -- people are just using whatever tag comes to mind, resulting in something of a mess.
Then again, Google has other assets at its disposal that World Cup fans might find useful. Firstly, there's a straightforward search, which will show up-to-the-minute scores and stats when you search for relevant terms like "world cup" or "world cup uruguay." There's also Google Trends, which shows all manner of strange observations about upcoming matches, based on what people are searching for.
If you load up Google Now on your phone or browser, you should automatically be asked if you're interested in match update cards, and then be asked to select your favorite team(s). And finally, if you haven't already, check out Google's amazing Street View tours of the Brazilian stadiums that are about to play host to the angst, happiness and sporting talent of an entire planet.

Microsoft is working on phones with a full week of battery life:

Microsoft is working on phones with a full week of battery life:


Smartphones are crammed full of incredible technology, with some of the devices on sale now boasting features such as octa-core processors, Quad HD displays, and amazing cameras. But one component of smartphone technology - the one that powers each and every device - seems to have hardly advanced at all over the years: the battery.

Users have come to expect the need to recharge their smartphones every day, and perhaps even more frequently for those who use their devices more intensely than others - but is this as good as it gets? Microsoft thinks not, and its researchers are aiming to develop the means to ensure that smartphones can routinely enjoy a week's worth of battery life.
Ranveer Chandra (above), senior researcher for mobility and networking at Microsoft Research, says that the problem comes down to the fact that the density at which batteries are able to store energy has only doubled over the last fifteen years, whereas the pace of development in other components has been far greater. But what is the solution?

Chandra told the MIT Technology Review's Digital Summit this week: "You can't just wait for the best battery technology to come along. We can make a lot of progress because systems today don't use battery intelligently." With this in mind, Microsoft has focused its research on exploring ways not to revolutionize the battery itself, but to make the power consumption of a device more efficient using existing battery technologies.

One option currently being developed is to create devices that replace a full sized Li-Ion battery with two smaller ones. The idea is that one of them would be optimized for high power usage tasks, such as gaming, while the other would be tuned to release a much smaller current, for when the phone is on standby in a  pocket, or performing only the least power-hungry of operations.
Chandra explained that devices on sale today are optimized for an 'average' of these two extremes, which makes them inefficient at releasing the exact amount of power needed on demand. By adopting this twin-battery approach, his team has built prototypes that could ultimately lead to improvements of up to 50% in battery life.

Software optimizations are also being explored, with some of the group's research efforts having already been infused into existing products, including the Wi-Fi power management in Windows 8, and the Power Monitoring tool for Windows Phone developers that helps them to built more energy-efficient apps.
These are merely a couple of examples of what Microsoft has been working on, of course, and the company will be exploring many more options and ideas besides these. Chandra added that this research will likely prove helpful in the development of wearable devices too, which could be especially useful to Microsoft as its development efforts continue on its upcoming smartwatch.

For now, these efforts remain confined to laboratories and prototypes. But if Microsoft succeeds in developing the means to extend handset battery life to the point where ordinary users can expect a full week between charges, the fruits of its research could well have a significant impact not just on its own future devices, but for the wider industry.

One Direction Makes a Difference with 'Rays of Sunshine'!

One Direction Makes a Difference with 'Rays of Sunshine'!


The One Direction boys have been extremely busy! Not only are they on their worldwide ‘Where We Are‘ tour, they’re also releasing a perfume soon called ‘You & I.’ However, their hectic schedule doesn’t stop them from creating time to make a difference in some young fans’ lives!
Our favorite 1D boys are ambassadors for Rays of Sunshine, a children’s charity in the UK. They’ve been partnered with the charity since 2012, and have been helping the charity grant wishes to kids with serious illnesses ever since!
Prior to a 1D concert at the Wembley Arena in London on June 5th, over 50 children had flown in to meet the band. The kids got to ask questions to the 1D boys, and one lucky fan even got the chance to go on stage and sing ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ with the band!
Rays for Sunshine has been really appreciative of the boys’ help granting wishes, and recently posted the message below to their twitter account!
 We didn't think we could love the One Direction boys any more than we already did, but this proves us wrong! We love how much they love helping kids!

Ariana Grande Is Going Blond?!

 Ariana Grande Is Going Blond?!

We were almost fooled this week into thinking that Ariana Grande had dyed her hair blond! As it turns out, the star isn’t quite blond yet - but is definitely considering it!
We’re used to Ariana Grande’s signature hairstyle, so we were shocked when we saw Ariana upload a photo to her Instagram account where she’s sporting platinum blond hair and bangs. However, we did some research and found out that Ariana was just playing around with a blond wig.
Ariana took to Twitter to set the record straight, writing, “was just playing ..... probably won’t change anything at the moment... maybe tho.”

Taylor Swift HATES living in her giant penthouse in New York City?!

 Taylor Swift HATES living in her giant penthouse in New York  City?!

Taylor Swift HATES living in her giant penthouse in New York City. However, we’re having a tough time believing that.
The source spilled:
She’s having a hard time making friends and is begging people to visit even offering to fly them out! Taylor can’t wait to split her time between Rhode Island and LA. She doesn’t want any party of living in New York full-time. She really regrets moving there.
If Taylor really hated NYC so much wouldn’t she leave and go to her other homes? She seems to be in New York City constantly, and she seems to have made a ton of new friends since living there

One Direction Announces New Perfume, You & I !

One Direction Announces New Perfume, You & I:One Direction just announced that they will be coming out with a brand new perfume! Just months after launching their limited-edition scent, That Moment, the guys will be debuting their third fragrance, which is named after their latest single, You & I

Liam Payne was the first band member to break the big news on Twitter in the form of a video message, which you can watch below. In the video, Liam explains that the guys are "excited" for fans to see their latest fragrance, which is due out later this summer. "We tried to find a scent that we all like and we worked really hard on designing the packaging and the bottle as well," Liam shared.

Demi Lovato Believes in Mermaids?!

 Demi Lovato Believes in Mermaids?!



Demi Lovato appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers last night and admitted some pretty interesting information! The star was asked about how she felt about various mythical creatures such as mermaids, aliens, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, and as it turns out, she's a firm believer in mermaids!
Demi explained that she believes that mermaids may live in parts of the Indian Ocean that haven't been explored yet. "I know they are real," Demi told Seth Meyers, "How self-centered would we be, as humans, to believe that we are the only living things in the universe?" 

"Google Glass has officially entered the world of high fashion"

"Google Glass has officially entered the world of high fashion"


Google Glass has officially entered the world of high fashion thanks to a collaboration with designer Diane von Furstenberg.
When first released in 2013, Google Glass was not exactly known for being a stylish accessory. It was the kind of thing a middle-aged Silicon Valley millionaire might wear while riding a Segway.
Then came the the Titanium Collection, a line of hipster-friendly specs that cost an extra $225. After that, Google partnered with Ray-Ban and Oakley to create wearable computers even a jock could love. Now fashionistas finally have their own Google Glass.

Health:Foods You Should Not Eat For Breakfast

Foods You Should Not Eat For Breakfast: 
You know that eating breakfast  is important. But did you realize that some a.m. choices can set the tone for how you feel the rest of your day. Not only that, but eating a healthy breakfast every morning can reduce the risk for diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Here you will get the scoop on which breakfast foods to avoid.

Toaster pastries, doughnuts and Danishes


Not only are these pastries made with refined white flour, but there is much sugar added. Sugar is the worst way to fuel you in the morning, because it results in a rapid rise in blood sugar. That means you will be hungry sooner and increase your chances of high blood sugar, obesity and diabetes. If all those health risks are not enough to put you off pastries, there is the other way they can be detrimental to your health. As many scientists believe sugar and cancer are linked.
Bacon, ham and sausage

Processed meat has nitrates that are associated with colorectal cancer. In fact, the Institute for Cancer Research published a list of the top ten things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer. Avoiding nitrates is a number one of them. What does that mean for morning meat eaters? It is time to find a different breakfast option you can eat it in dinner.
Sugary cereals:


How can you tell the difference between a bad sugary cereal and a good one for your health? Some cereals are full of carbs and sugar. When you eat them, your blood sugar rapidly spikes and then bottoms out. Since you probably do not want your energy to crash at the beginning of the day, it is best to avoid those cereals. Instead, choose cereals with higher fiber and protein. Do you seek for another option? Add ground flaxseed or walnuts for more protein and fiber.
Packaged pancakes with artificial maple syrup

While natural maple syrup is a healthy sweetener, there are many artificial types of syrup on the market that are full of high fructose corn syrup. The sweetener, which is derived from corn, is also present in most processed and packaged foods. High fructose corn syrup can lead to more abdominal obesity and visceral fat, which is stored between the organs. This is the fat that leads to cancer. A recent study in one journal also linked high fructose corn syrup consumption to diabetes.
Microwavable breakfast sandwiches

Healthy options exist, but many are packed with preservatives and sodium. In this case best idea is to make your own by microwaving a beaten egg and toast a whole grain English muffin.
Light Yogurts

They may have only hundred calories and come in flavors such as red velvet cheesecake, but they are usually filled with artificial sweeteners and chemicals. Go for low fat yogurt instead.
Muffins

They top the list of the most caloric breakfast foods. What is the reason? They are extremely dense and what they are packed with is generally not what you need- white flour, oil or butter and a lot of sugar. If you have no other choice, stick to 2 ounces of serving, which is the same size of an extra large egg.