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!! .

Saturday, 14 June 2014

Embarrassing moments of the stars

Embarrassing moments of the stars

Zayn Malik forgot where he was..

Last night Zayn got a little confused with where he was and started the night saying "Hello Manchester" even though he was in Edinburgh. Shortly afterwards his incorrect phrase became a trending topic on Twitter — talk about embarrassing

Katy Perry was caught lip-syncing..

Katy suffered a seriously humiliating moment at the NRJ Music Awards last year when her music had a 15 second delay from what she was hearing in her ear piece. She was so blatantly lip-syncing that the host of the show asked her to start again.

Louis Tomlinson forgot the lyrics..


Louis totally spaced on the lyrics ogf his song  while performing on stage. Luckily, the singer eventually remembered some of them.

Demi Lovato pulled out her hair extensions..

During one of Demi's dance moves, her fingers got tangled in her hair she pulled out some of her weave.

Ross Lynch hit himself in the face with his guitar..
Ross got a little too enthusiastic on stage and totally whacked himself in the face with the end of his guitar.


These are the biggest Xbox One games at E3 2014:

These are the biggest Xbox One games at E3 2014:

Sure, you could spend the rest of your days playing Titanfall online, but what if you'd like to give your Xbox One something a little different to play? Microsoft's message for this E3 was clear: games, games and more games. We took to the company's booth this week to find out what you'd be playing this fall, and whether you like shooters, driving games or indies, you should be all set for first-party titles. How does Redmond stack up to Sony's plan for the PlayStation? We'll let you be the judge.

FABLE LEGENDS

For a lot of people, the Fable franchise has been heartbreaking from the word "go." The series' promise of ultimate freedom was never truly fulfilled and even the series' creator, Peter Molyneux, has said the last was a "train wreck." If the past three entries left you wanting, Fable Legends might not change that. Instead of going for the series-typical action-RPG, Legends looks more like a shallow co-op romp than a lengthy single-player game where your actions determine your appearance (doing good deeds caused a halo to form around your head, for example). Three players work to take down waves of enemies and gather loot; even if you play solo, you'll have comrades fighting alongside -- they'll just be AI-controlled. Where it gets unique, however, is when a fourth person plays as the villain. From there, you're taking almost a tower-defense-style look at each match, and directing enemies toward the advancing heroes.
I thought this aspect was fun, but couldn't help but pine for a traditional Fable game where I could kick chickens, have a wife (or husband) in every city and collect a trail of flies. A beta for the title launches this fall, and a full release is planned for next year.

SUNSET OVERDRIVE

Sunset Overdrive is absolute mayhem. Developer Insomniac Games' latest takes everything it's known for (colorful action, ingenious weapon systems and pure irreverence) and poured it into a game where you can fire explosive propane tanks at glowing orange monstrosities whilst grinding around on power lines and defending a vat of the energy drink from the monsters it created. In the multiplayer match I joined, there  

were countless explosions, particle effects and monsters on screen at the same time, and the game never once stopped being silky smooth as I bounced off of trampolines and onto roofs so I could rain hell from above with a freeze ray -- even with seven other players. Granted, this was a very controlled setup in Microsoft's E3 booth, so anything could happen when it launches this fall. While I'm confident that multiplayer should be a blast, I'm curious as to how the experience translates to a solo campaign. Insomniac knows how to tell a story though (just look at Resistance 3, for example), so I'm not too worried.

FORZA HORIZON 2ORI AND THE BLIND FOREST

Not everyone wants to spend more time virtually tuning an absurdly expensive car's engine than they do actually, you know, racing it. Forza Horizon 2 doesn't force that, much like its predecessor didn't. For better or for worse, Horizon 2 doesn't immediately feel all that different from the first Horizon. I drove my bright red Corvette Stingray through the desert, carving out corners on cliffside roads, shunting anyone who came too close, while electronic dance music beats thumped in my headphones. Looking back, however, at least one aspect of my race stood out: I was encouraged to drive off-road. It sounds minor, yes, but seeing the suggested racing line (and my opponents) lead into tall grass changed the pacing of the competition a bit. We were all in low-slung, high-powered automobiles designed for racetracks -- this forced us to slow down, and gave me a chance to overtake those who decelerated too much. And when I crossed the finish line in eighth place? A few fighter jets scrambled overhead, leaving multicolored contrails in their wake. It seemed a bit familiar, yes, but I was okay with it and I can't wait to get behind the wheel this autumn.

Ori and the Blind Forest is one of the bigger pushes for Microsoft's indie-game initiative, and it's gorgeous. During my brief demo, I guided a charming, little white creature around a beautiful setting, hopping from platform to platform and launching fire attacks at pink and pulsing enemies. The PR reps on hand told me that all of the backgrounds are procedurally generated, meaning an algorithm assembles them, so if you go back through the same area three different times, you'll see three different backdrops. Given  that this game plays in the style of a classic Metroid or Castlevania where earning new abilities opens hidden areas in previously traveled areas, you'll probably see the same scene more than once when the game launches this fall.

HALO: THE MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION

You didn't think we'd keep Halo out of this, did you? Halo: The Master Chief Collection(MCC) packs four games onto one disc, some 100 multiplayer maps, a totally remastered Halo 2 and a whole lot more all into one $60 package this fall. Halo 2's overhauled graphics don't measure up to other recent shooters, but pressing the Xbox One controller's "view" button brings the original 2004 graphics back, and you can see just how different the two games look. Better shadows, more detailed textures and, well, a lot more drama, come to light with the new visuals. Developer 343 Industries is remastering the audio, too if you're into that sort of thing. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 3 and Halo 4 aren't getting revamped, but that's because they already looked pretty great running on the Xbox 360. I was told, however, that some post-processing effects have been added so they look a touch better. What's more, the MCC is how you'll access the Halo 5: Guardians beta this December, and Ridley Scott's Halo: Nightfalllive-action series after the collection's November 11th release.

A BMW Can Now Control A GoPro Camera Because Why Not

A BMW Can Now Control A GoPro Camera Because Why Not

As a result of a new partnership between GoPro and BMW, it’s never been easier to record your hoonage antics. Select late-model BMW cars will soon be able to control GoPro cameras directly from the dash. Just click record on the dash of the car and the connected GoPro cameras click to life.

Starting in July, the owner of a 2012 or later properly equipped BMW or Mini will be able to control Wi-Fi-enabled GoPro cameras. The GoPro app has to be installed on an iPhone connected to the BMW. Once connected, the driver can select the GoPro app through the BMW ConnectedDrive or Mini Connected menu. From there, the driver can view the camera’s field of view and control recording. The camera streams near-live video to the dash while the vehicle is stationary. But once the tires spin, the preview clicks off.

This integration addresses the cumbersome, on-camera controls of GoPro cameras. Almost all of my GoPro videos start with a few seconds of my head as I fumble with the controls. Previously, GoPro introduced the Wi-Fi-enabled GoPro Hero 3+ camera that allows owners to use smartphone apps to preview camera placement and initiate recording. BMW takes that thought one step farther.

This sort of integration is the next step for gadget makers. Car companies are increasingly looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the rest and embracing consumer brands, like  GoPro, Apple and Google, is a keen way to gain an edge.

Friday, 13 June 2014

kids crying for the funniest reasons ever

kids crying for the funniest reasons ever:

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Chinese counterfeiters are selling the iPhone 6 before it has even been released

Chinese counterfeiters are selling the iPhone 6 before it has even been released:


The release of Apple’s iPhone 6 isn’t expected for at least another two months. Yet, a former Taiwanese pop star has posted what he claims are photos of the phone on his blog (registration required). Meanwhile, merchants on China’s largest e-commerce site Taobao are already selling non-working “models” of the iPhone 6 for anywhere between 15 yuan and 460 yuan ($2.40 and $74.06). Some are even selling something called an “iPnoho7.”
The phones on Taobao are probably non-working shells, given their low price. Sometimes customers buy them so that they can look like they can afford an iPhone, even if they can’t. “A poor man’s must have,” one of the seller’s advertisements reads. Others may buy them just because they love Apple products, like Jimmy Lin, the Taiwanese pop star.

In China, where knockoffs or shanzai products are big business, manufacturers have been known to make fully functioning copies of new products even before they’re released. That’s especially been the case with iPhones, whose components are manufactured in China and Taiwan by the Taiwanese subcontractor firm Foxconn—which has recently announced it will be making the latest iPhone.

In 2012, sellers started selling counterfeit versions of the iPhone 5 before its release by using recycled iPhone parts and cobbling together the phone based on leaked designs or predictions of the phone’s specifications. Aware of the problem, last year Apple launched the iPhone 5s almost simultaneously in China and the US in order to head off counterfeiters and smugglers who buy the phones in bulk in Hong Kong and sell them before the official launch on the mainland.

In the case of the iPhone 6, there have already been several (alleged) leaked images and design drawings. Manufacturing is probably already underway. While some bloggers have questioned whether Lin’s photos are the real thing, he has previously leaked images of the iPhone 5 in 2012 and the iPhone 5c last year that later proved accurate.

Samsung bets big on fingerprint scanning in its war with Apple’s iPad

Samsung bets big on fingerprint scanning in its war with Apple’s iPad:


Samsung has beaten Apple to a fingerprint-reading tablet with the launch of two new flagship Galaxy Tab S models, four months before Apple unveils its next iPad.
The new 8.4in and full-sized 10.5in Galaxy Tab S are also the first tablets available with a high-resolution large-size organic LED (OLED) screen showing that the new display technology, which emits its own light and does not need a backlight, has reached maturity beyond smaller smartphone screens and high-priced televisions.
OLED screens are widely expected to replace LCDs in most instances, being more power-efficient and producing more vibrant colours with deeper blacks than is possible with the LCD screens like those used by most smartphones, tablets, laptops and televisions.
The new device is Samsung's latest move to capitalise on its growing share of the world tablet market. The company claimed an 18% share of the global tablet market in 2013 with 39.2m tablets shipped, compared to Apple’s 35% and 74.3m tablets, giving them together more than half of all shipments.
“The tablet is becoming a popular personal viewing device for enjoying content, which makes the quality of the display a critical feature,” said JK Shin, CEO and president of Samsung's IT & Mobile Division. “With the launch of the Galaxy Tab S, Samsung is setting the industry bar higher for the entire mobile industry. It will provide consumers with a visual and entertainment experience that brings colours to life, beautifully packaged in a sleek and ultra-portable mobile device.”
Denise Yuan, tablet planner for Samsung, told the Guardian: "We performed a lot of research on consumer usage and found that people mainly

use tablets for web browsing, videos and gaming - entertainment mostly, which made the display the most important part and why we focused on bringing our Super AMOLED screen to the Tab S.”
Samsung claims that the Tab S's Super AMOLED screen has a contrast ratio 100 times better than LCD, which makes text easier to read on screen, but also photos and videos appear closer in depth of colour to the real world as the eye sees it.

It’s all about touch

Apple is widely expected to bring its Touch ID fingerprint sensor, released with the iPhones 5S in September last year, to its iPad Air and iPad mini tablets in October, marking a year since the Cupertino-based company unveiled the biggest design change in its tablet’s history with the iPad Air.
The Galaxy Tab S runs the latest version of Google’s Android “KitKat” 4.4.2, but uses Samsung’s "TouchWiz" customisations to the basic Android experience, which the Korean company also uses on its Galaxy smartphones and other Galaxy tablets.
The Tab S uses Samsung’s own Samsung Exynos eight-core processor – instead of the Qualcomm processors used in almost every other premium Android tablet and smartphone – with 3GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB of internal storage as well as a microSD card slot for adding more space for music, videos and photos. Models with 3G and 4G capabilities, able to make calls and send text messages, are also available.
Samsung hopes that the fingerprint scanner, like that introduced on the company’s flagship smartphone the Galaxy S5 in April, as well as the 10.5in Tab S’s thin 6.6mm frame and 465g weight – which is 0.9mm thinner and 4g lighterthan the iPad Air – will help in its battle for dominance with Apple and win customers from rivals.

Samsung gaining ground

Samsung has made significant progress in marketshare for its range of tablets over the last year, making the battle for tablet sales globally a two-horse race with Apple.
After Apple and Samsung, Asus came third in the global rankings with 5% and 10.4m shipped, while Amazon came in fourth with 4.6% and 9.8m of its Kindle Fire tablets shipped, according to data from research firm IDC.
Breaking down by region, Apple claimed 34% of Western Europe versus Samsung’s 23% marketshare, while Apple dominated the UK in 2013 with 39% of the market to Samsung’s 16%. In the US, Apple is even more entrenched with a 44% share of the market leaving Samsung with an 18% share.
Fast forward to the first quarter of 2014 and Samsung has shown significant gains. Globally, Samsung claimed 22% of tablet sales compared with Apple’s 34%, while in western Europe, Samsung increased its market share to 30% with Apple decreasing one percent to 34%.
In the UK, Samsung had a 26% share of tablets, while Apple claimed a 35% share. In the US Samsung jumped to 26% of the market, while Apple increased slightly to 45%.
“Samsung is making significant progress in tablet marketshare,” explained Francisco Jeronimo, research director of IDC. “But its gains in share have not been at the expense of Apple, but of the other tablet vendors.”
He said that the cause is down to apps. “That is the result of the Android tablet app ecosystem not being as strong as it is for Apple’s iPad.”

‘Most apps are merely scaled up version of phone apps on Android’ 

Android tablets have struggled to garner the interest of developers, whereas Apple has persuaded developers to create apps specifically tailored for the larger screens. While Android is arguably on par with Apple’s iOS for smartphone apps, it still lags on tablets.

“Apple has effectively locked out the market for high quality tablet apps with the 475,000+ 'made for iPad' apps,” says Ben Wood from research firm CCS Insight. “Developers seem to feel it is worth the effort to optimise their apps specifically for the iPad, which means you get a great experience.

“On Android, other than a few exceptions, most apps are merely scaled up version of phone apps. This is not such a problem on a 7in screen – but once you get to 10in and above it becomes a real issue,” continued Wood.

The Galaxy Tab S is unlikely to change that status quo but provides another premium Android tablet option, joining the thin and light Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet for those that do not want to buy into Apple’s walled garden and its iPad.

The Tab S will be available between the end of June and beginning of July and costs around $399 for the 8.4in version and $499 for the 10.5in variant.

The 10.5in Tab S also adds yet another screen size to Samsung’s tumefied range of Galaxy tablets which currently span the Tab 4 7, Tab 4 8, Tab Pro 8.4, Tab 4 10.1, Tab Pro 10.1, Note 10.1, Note Pro 12.2, as well as others like the Tab 3 Kids.

Brazil bring World Cup to life with thrilling win

Brazil bring World Cup to life with thrilling win:


SAO PAULO - Seven years a hostage to threats of violent demonstrations and crippling labour strikes, the World Cup broke free on Thursday when Brazil brought the tournament to life with Neymar scoring twice in a thrilling 3-1 win over Croatia.
It was far from vintage Brazil at times, impatient in possession and unsure in defence, but once they hit full stride they were impossible to resist - the inimitable Neymar and ebullient Oscar taking the game by the scruff of the neck.
After falling behind to an 11th minute own goal from unfortunate defender Marcelo, forward Neymar equalised with a terrific strike from outside the box before converting the softest of penalties late in the second half.
Midfielder Oscar capped an outstanding performance with a goal of true quality in stoppage time that sealed the three points for Brazil and brought an enormous roar of relief from the 62,103 crowd at Sao Paulo's Corinthians arena.
For 22-year-old Neymar, scoring twice on a night when the World Cup returned to the spiritual home of football was beyond his wildest dreams.
"I’m very happy, really happy indeed, more than I ever dreamed or imagined," the man of the match told reporters.
"We started off on the right foot, with a victory.
"The merit belongs to the team as a whole, which remained cool and calm to come from behind and win."
And how the home fans revelled in the win. A delirious, dancing sea of yellow hailing the victory as the first step towards a record-extending sixth World Cup title.

SIMMERING ANGER


The buildup to this World Cup has been tarnished like no other, with simmering public anger over the $11 billion spent on construction projects while much of the country struggles to keep itself out of poverty boiling over on to Brazil's streets.
Scattered violent protests before the game were a reminder that many locals remain frustrated over the billions spent to host the tournament, but for 90 special minutes it was football's chance to shine.
In the wake of the embarrassing, hostile reception from fans at last year's Confederations Cup, Brazil President Dilma Rousseff and FIFA chief Sepp Blatter chose not to address the opening ceremony.
But the supporters made their feelings clear about the lack of investment in social infrastructure in Brazil, directing obscene chants at President Rousseff during the game and booing loudly when she was seen celebrating the goals on the stadium screens.
Winning the World Cup on hallowed, home soil would no doubt go some way to soothing some of Brazil's wounds and the Selecao are now six more wins away from achieving that.
Croatia clearly had not read the script and, after forward Ivica Olic headed narrowly wide, they took the lead in the 11th minute through Brazil's first ever World Cup own goal.
Olic's low cross from the left went through the legs of Brazil skipper Thiago Silva, clipped Nikica Jelavic's foot and bounced in off Marcelo with keeper Julio Cesar left helpless.
A moment's stunned silence was quickly replaced by chants of "Brazil! Brazil!" as the crowd pleaded with the home side to strike back quickly.

'OUTRIGHT THUGGERY'


Inevitably it would be Neymar who answered their prayers.
He marked his 50th appearance for Brazil with a superb equaliser in the 29th minute, dragging a
low shot into the corner of the net past the despairing dive of Stipe Pletikosa.
Neymar's 33rd international goal arrived in more controversial circumstances after Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura awarded the home side a 71st-minute penalty.
Brazil striker Fred fell to the ground under the slightest contact from Dejan Lovren and, after Nishimura pointed to the spot, the referee was surrounded by furious Croatian players questioning the call.
Once the dust had settled, Neymar kept his cool to stroke the penalty home.
Croatia coach Niko Kovac warned that the World Cup could become a "circus" after Nishimura's decision.
"This was ridiculous today, and if we continue in this way we will have a circus," he told reporters at a post-match news conference dominated by questions about the spot kick.
"If that's a penalty, we don't need to play football any more. The lads played their hearts out but that was outright thuggery by a referee who was just out of his depth for a game of this magnitude."
Kovac's Brazil counterpart, Luiz Felipe Scolari, did not agree with his counterpart's thoughts on the contentious award.
“I'm not going to comment on what my colleague said. The only comment I can make is that Brazil has 5 World Cup titles. Those weren’t five circuses in favour of Brazil.
"I perfectly understand my colleague’s remarks, and I respect them ... But I don’t see any favouring of Brazil in those five World Cup titles.”
While debate about the penalty will continue long after Thursday's game, there was no doubting the class of Oscar's strike that wrapped up Brazil's win.
Bursting clear of the tiring Croatia defence in stoppage time, he toe-poked the ball home to seal Brazil's 10th successive victory and give them the perfect start to their World Cup campaign.

10 Funniest faces in everyday objects

"10 Funniest faces in everyday objects"

The OMG Wall:


Evil Boxes Plotting Something Sinister:


Drooooo:


Get Off My Lawn:



Petrified Peppers:


Zipper FIsh:

DRINK MEEE:



I Can’t Believe It:



COME ON BABY LIGHT MY FIRE!:



Hehehehehehe:


Thursday, 12 June 2014

Huawei Launches Flagship Ascend P7 in Dubai

Huawei Launches Flagship Ascend P7 in Dubai


Huawei Ascend P7

In the latest development of its emerging consumer brand, Huawei - a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider - unveiled the highly anticipated Ascend P7 at a Gala event in Dubai. The announcement marked the regional availability of the smartphone, which is now available from major retails in the UAE. 

Building on the success of its predessor, the new 4G LTE-enabled smartphone redefines smartphone excellence with an array of innovative features, ultra-fast connectivity and easier navigation, all brought together in a new stunning design. Boasting a 5-inch full high definition display, incredible 8MP front-facing and 13MP rear-facing cameras and the latest intuitive Emotion UI 2.3, the Huawei Ascend P7 gives consumers an electronic edge. 

“Today Huawei has continued to push the boundaries of what is possible. The Ascend P7 challenges existing industry standards by redefining smartphone design, camera experience and connectivity, providing consumers with a truly innovative and premium smartphone,” said Ashraf Fawakherji, Vice President of Huawei Device Middle East. “We are confident that regional consumers will react well to the introduction of the Ascend P7 because of the host of incredible software and design features that are included in the device. Never have we been more proud of a smartphone that embodies our ‘Make it Possible’ mantra.” 

Huawei completely redesigned the Ascend P7 from the inside out, significantly improving the performance of the smartphone’s hardware and software to redefine user experience. Only 6.5mm in width, the Ascend P7 sets a new record as one of the slimmest 4G LTE smartphones in the market, available in array of colors including black, white and pink. 
“Our brand recognistion amongst consumers globally and in the Middle East continues to grow at a rapid pace, in fact we are now ranked number three globally in terms of worldwide smartphone shipments. We look forward to see how consumers react to our latest line-up.” concluded Ashraf. 
Redefining craftsmanship
Huawei Ascend P7 offes enhanced strength and durability against everyday use with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 front and rear covers. It stands out from the crowd with a sleek, sophisticated metallic appearance created by a seven-layered rear surface treatment with a refined ‘spin effect’ micro-pattern design. For intense visual clarity when viewing multimedia, Ascend P7 has a 5-inch FHD touchscreen display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 445ppi and 16:9 aspect ratio. 
Redefining camera experience
Take better selfies, or the ultimate group selfie -- a ‘groufie’ -- with the leading 8MP 5P non-spherical lens front-facing camera that comes with a panorama function for panoramic selfie shooting, and 10 level auto-facial enhancement in beauty mode. Users can also take a selfie video with the 1080p HD video playback. 
Huawei Ascend P7 has an array of low-light settings with Sony’s 4th generation BSI sensor, Image Signal Processer (ISP), IMAGESmart 2.0 software and f/2.0 aperture on its 13MP 5P non-spherical lens rear-facing camera to create unparalleled clear, rich pictures at night or indoors. 
Capture spontaneous moments, Huawei Ascend P7’s unique Ultra Snapshot function enables the user to be camera-ready 1.2 seconds after double-clicking the down volume button intuitively while in locked mode. Add an extra dimension to photos with the ‘Voice Photo’ function which takes photos accompanied by 10-second audio clips for users to upload photos with special audio expressions on a variety of social media platforms. 
In addition to camera improvements, Huawei’s proprietary Image Signal Processor (ISP) allows the smartphone to control a whole range of functions that mimic those found in professional digital SLRs, including autofocus, white balance, and noise reduction, for beautifully-optimized photos under any conditions. 
Redefining connectivity and battery performance
For people seeking even faster and seamless connectivity, Huawei Ascend P7 enables unlimited media viewing with ultra-fast 4G LTE speed and Huawei’s unique dual antenna design to improve signal reception. Ascend P7 also uses smart network switching technology that stabilizes the connection even during weak signal reception to minimize battery drainage.   
Enjoy long-lasting continuous media viewing and data sharing thanks to the robust 2500 mAh lithium polymer battery and proprietary battery saving technology. 
Redefining user experience
Huawei Ascend P7 gives smartphone newbies the edge of an expert with the latest version of the intuitive, easy-to-use interface, Emotion UI 2.3, providing customizable lock and home screens, with two enhanced UIs for effortless navigation. Easily personalize the smartphone management software, including a harassment filter, permission manager, network and notification management, and power saving modes. 
Accessories include HUAWEI TalkBand B1, colorful protective cases, clamshell protective screen covers, and portable batteries. 

NASA postpones Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

NASA postpones Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth:

LOS ANGELES — NASA has postponed its plan to send a "flying saucer" into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.
Spokeswoman Shannon Ridinger says weather conditions caused Wednesday's launch of the saucer-shaped vehicle to be scrubbed. The next potential launch date is June 14.
For decades, NASA has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.
After being launched via balloon from Hawaii, the new vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles. It will slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing. Engineers will analyze the data to determine if the test was successful.

Nokia’s Here Buys Medio Systems To Push More Personalised Location Services

Nokia’s Here Buys Medio Systems To Push More Personalised Location Services:

Less than two weeks after buying natural language startup Desti, Nokia’s mapping division Here is announcing another acquisition to enhance its service: it is buying Medio Systems, a specialist in predictive analytics that Nokia will use to give users of its location-based services more personalised results.
Nokia is not disclosing the terms of the deal but we are trying to find out.
Medio, based out of Seattle, was founded in 2004, originally setting out to develop a contextualised search engine for mobile phone users but later pivoting to provide a more B2B product, in the form of analytics and predictive modelling based on a company’s user data.
 It’s not clear how much Medio has raised in total: the only round listed in Crunchbase is a Series B for $30 million. Investors in that round included Trilogy Equity Partnership, Mohr Davidow Ventures, Frazier Technology Ventures and Accel Partners. According to its profile on AngelList,

 other investors include T-Ventures (the investment arm of T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom), Verizon Ventures (the eponymous VC arm of the carrier) and a former partner from US Venture Partners.
T-Mobile and Verizon are among Medio’s customers, along with ABC, Disney, Rovio, CBS and Telus. Unlike Desti, whose app was pulled from Apple’s App Store after the acquisition as Nokia prepared to integrate its technology into the Here platform, the intention will be to keep Medio’s existing business and customer relationships going, Here’s VP of search and discovery Don Zereski told me in an interview.
But it’s not clear yet it will keep the Medio branding. “I don’t know if we will keep it or not,” Zereski says.

Medio’s existing product offering is divided into three areas — Measure, Predict and Act, with corresponding ability to offer its customers to do things like offer dashboard with real-time
 customer statistics around how they are using a mobile service; figure out who is most likely to churn away from a service; and then push suggested content to them to keep them from doing so.

Right now, it’s not obvious from Medio’s site that it’s focus has been specifically on location-based content but that looks like how it will be channelled going forward. Here’s intention, it seems, will be to use some form of all three in different aspects of its service. It will be able to offer businesses that use its mapping platform the ability track how and when to market to users based on location; and for consumers it will give them more personalised results when they search for places, based on their past search and browsing history.

Zereski tells me these kinds of search results will be complementing, not replacing, the content that Here already provides to users for things like places to eat nearby. Instead of people pulling information, this will be about pushing relevant suggestions to people before they ask, he says.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of July, and Nokia is “absolutely” looking to bring on Medio’s 60 employees as part of the deal, he says.

Fifa world cup : Crazy England fan takes 15,000-mile scooter ride

 FIFA World Cup: Crazy England fan takes 15,000-mile scooter  ride from London to Brazil:

An English football fan, riding a Vespa scooter, covered 24,000 kilometres (15,000 miles) to see his country take part in the FIFA World Cup in Brazil 

London: Riding a Vespa scooter, a die-hard English fan has covered a distance of 15,000 miles from London to Brazil watch his team compete in the FIFA World Cup starting Thursday. Chris Hallett, 44, took four months to reach Brazil after setting off from London. "I am a bit knackered. My backside definitely feels like I have ridden 15,000 miles," he was quoted as saying in the London Evening Standard. "Obviously, the easier option would be to fly to Brazil and sit on a beach waiting for the World Cup to begin. But where's the fun in that?" Calling the experience "exhausting but exhilarating", Fulham fan Hallett has passed through 18 of the 32 countries competing in the tournament. His charity trip has also seen him ride over the Alps in Europe and Andes in South America. Hallet, who gave up his IT career and is using his life savings to fund his 'Scooters for Goalposts' ride in aid of charity UNICEF, has a ticket to cheer on Roy Hodgson's side against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte June 24. "If Roy Hodgson has got the team practising as many penalties as I am facing, they could go far. In fact, I expect us to beat Brazil in the final on penalties. And if that prediction comes true, I'll ride naked up and down Copacabana Beach!"