Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day

Independence Day (Urdu: یوم آزادی‎; Yaum-e Āzādī), observed annually on 14 August, is a national holiday in Pakistan, commemorating the day when Pakistan achieved independence and was declared a sovereign nation, following the end of the British Raj in 1947. Pakistan came into existence as a result of the Pakistan Movement; the Pakistan Movement aimed for creation of an independent Muslim state by division of the north-western region of the South Asia and was led by All-India Muslim League under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The event was brought forth by the Indian Independence Act 1947 in which the British Indian Empire gave independence to the Dominion of Pakistan (later the Islamic Republic of Pakistan) which included the West Pakistan (present Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Happy Indepence Day to all pakistani people.

There are no words to describe how much I LOVE my country. Happy Independence Day to you all! Long live Pakistan. May God shower His blessings upon us and may Pakistan grow tremendously. Amen! 

Independence Day Nail Art

Easy nail art for independence day.

Steps To Follow:
1. On a white base, apply nail tape and do a crisscross pattern. Cover the sides of your nails with a Scotch tape for neat application.
2. Put a light and dark green polish on a foil wrap and press a makeup sponge over it to pick up the polish.
3. Now stamp on your nails.
4. Apply a golden glitter polish on your middle finger. Voilà, you're done!

Steps To Follow:

1. Paint a deep green color on your nails.
2. With a dotting tool, make big white dots.
3. Fill in the dots with a light green and blue green glitter
4. Do the same to all four. Tada!

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New super-fast USB cables won't mind which way you plug them in

New super-fast USB cables won't mind which way you plug them in

Steve Dent

Engadget 

The reversible USB Type-C standard has now been finalized, which should save the world untold man-hours in mis-plugging. Roughly the size of a current micro-USB Type-B connector, it uses matching rows of contacts on the top and bottom so that you can shove it in either way around. Type-C is a version of the 10Gbps USB 3.1 standard (twice as fast as USB 3.0), but slimmed down for compact and mobile devices. It'll also support the USB Power Delivery spec to carry up to 100 watts, easily enough to power a laptop. Unfortunately, the new connector isn't compatible with the current USB standard, except via converters. There are no devices with USB 3.1 yet, but it'll likely be standardized on future laptops and mobile devices -- unlike its pricey rival, Thunderbolt.

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Samsung launches its first metal smartphone to take on the iPhone 6

Samsung launches its first metal smartphone to take on the iPhone 6

Samuel Gibbs

The Guardian 

Samsung has announced a new Galaxy Alpha smartphone with a metal body, signalling that it has recognised consumer disgruntlement with flimsy plastic phone parts.
Galaxy Alpha, which runs on Android software, replaces the characteristic chromed plastic seen on previous high-end Samsung smartphones with a metal frame with chamfered edges, reminiscent of the iPhone and metal band Vapor smartphone cases from Element Case.
“The Galaxy Alpha was built and designed based on the specific desires of the consumer market,” said JK Shin, Samsung’s CEO and head of IT & mobile communication.
It is likely to compete directly with Apple’s iPhone.
The Galaxy Alpha joins the Galaxy S5, which first released in April at the top end of Samsung’s line. It has a smaller 4.7in HD screen with lower resolution compared to the S5, but is thinner, at 6.7mm thick compared to 8.1mm, and at 115g is lighter than the 145g Galaxy S5.
The majority of the rest of the device is the same as the S5 on the inside, complete with fingerprint scanner and selfie camera, although the battery capacity is a third smaller.
The main feature difference is the metal edging, which joins to a plastic removable back.

‘A metal band around the outside is not enough’

The move comes after Samsung steadfastly stuck to plastic materials for its smartphones and tablets for years - even as the competition from Apple and HTC moved to premium metal materials - saying that its plastic construction was more durable and flexible to consumer needs.
“The biggest problem is that Samsung keeps launching devices that are not as premium in terms of materials compared to its competitors,” said Francisco Jeronimo, European mobile devices research director for IDC, who has seen the Alpha. “If you want to charge $600 for a smartphone you cannot provide plastic covers – a metal band around the outside is not enough.”
“How can you charge a premium price for premium devices when competitors are providing much better materials making devices that look and feel more premium?” Jeronimo asked.
Apple is expected to launch a new iPhone that is likely to be larger than the current iPhone 5S, with a 4.7in screen compared to just 4in, but will still be built using premium metal materials.
Jeronimo described the Alpha as a step forward for Samsung on design, but that it has nothing to set it apart from the competition.
“Going head-to-head with Apple and its iPhone 6 in September will be a tough sell,” explained Jeronimo. “As consumers start going to the store and putting one device against another, they will notice the difference in material if Apple sticks to the design scheme of the current iPhone.”
The Galaxy Alpha is will to be available in September. Samsung did not release pricing, but it is expected to go on sale for around $600 to $700 in the US, or around £400 to £500 in the UK, or cheaper through a mobile phone contract

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Justin Bieber to take anger-management course as part of Miami careless-driving plea deal

Justin Bieber to take anger-management course as part of Miami careless-driving plea deal

David Ovalle

Miami Herald

Aug. 13-Seven months after international pop star Justin Bieber was arrested in South Beach for driving under the influence, his case is expected to conclude Wednesday in a plea deal that includes an anger-management class.
But Bieber,  don't bother showing up to Miami criminal the Canadian paparazzi-magnet is not expected to appear at the Wednesday afternoon hearing.
The state is expected to drop the DUI charge, and his lawyers will accept a guilty plea for careless driving and resisting an officer without violence, according to Miami Herald sources.
As part of the deal, the Biebs will have to attend a 12-hour anger-management private classes, because anything else would morph into a media-and-fan frenzy that would be distracting to other participants.
He'll also have to view online videos that depict the stories of real-life, tragic DUI cases. The singer will also pay court fines and has agreed to a $50,000 charitable donation.
Bieber's lawyers will appear before Miami-Dade County Judge Bill Altfield.
Back in January, Miami Beach police arrested Bieber and buddy Khalil Sharieff after they allegedly drag-raced down Pine Island Drive, which had been blocked off by the star's security team.
Bieber, 20, was behind the wheel of a high-octane, yellow Lamborghini after days of partying and recording music in South Florida.
When he was stopped by police, Bieber unleashed a barrage of bad-words, police said.
Last month, Bieber pleaded no contest to egging and vandalizing his neighbor's house. He was placed on two years of probation and was required to take anger-management classes, complete community service and pay restitution to the neighbor.

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4 Times Niall Horan Copied Miley Cyrus' Style

From their matching hairstyles to their stylish outfit choices, Niall Horan and Miley Cyrus are totallystyle twins. Not only are the singers supportive fans of each other, but Niall has gone so far as to totally channel Miley's look and a bit of her onstage persona in his own styles. He has even started sticking his tongue out in pictures and during concerts!

First there was the hair. Sure, Niall's hair was short first, but he never tried this look before Miley!

Even their slicked-back styles are seriously similar.

Then Miley and Niall wore matching sunglasses and spiked their blonde hair the same way

Miley had a purple hair makeover for Halloween, and Niall went with lilac locks for 1D Day shortly after!

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Need a personal time assistant? Apps aim to improve productivity

Need a personal time assistant? Apps aim to improve productivity

By Natasha Baker

Reuters

TORONTO - Too many things to do and not enough time to do them? New apps are designed to act as personal time assistants to get tasks done and improve productivity.
Timeful, a free iPhone app available in the United States and Canada, uses artificial intelligence to schedule tasks in users’ calendars based on meetings and events they are already committed to. It also estimates how long it will take to do the tasks.

“Time is by far the most precious resource we have and by far the one we manage the poorest,” said Dan Ariely, co-founder of the California-based company Timeful.
Users connect their iCloud, Google or Outlook calendars to integrate their existing meetings and events. They can also add to-do items and habits they would like to establish.
“There’s a cacophony of things that say ‘do me.’ We provide algorithmic help to make them more concrete, because if it’s not in your schedule, it’s unlikely to get done,” said Yoav Shoham, a co-founder of Timeful.
The app determines when users are most likely to complete certain tasks, and takes into account when they are most productive to schedule them, and factors the information into the algorithm. The app also calculates when and where a task is most likely to be completed.

“Time, like money, is about opportunity cost,” said Ariely. “Every minute you’re not focused during your productive hours is a waste.”
Other personal assistant apps available that aim to make people more productive include Tempo for iPhone and Sunrise for iPhone and Android.
Although the apps do not create schedules, they include additional context about meetings, such as directions, to improve productivity. Tempo also provides drive time and insights about people and companies associated with each event.

But not everyone is convinced an app is needed for time management.
“An app could be helpful, but (productivity) is more about the discipline of planning more than it is about a particular tool,” said Mark Ellwood, president of Toronto-based Pace Productivity.
“We have found time spent with planning correlates with results, regardless of whether someone is using an app, a piece of paper, or the back of an envelope,” he added.
Ellwood said one possible risk of using an app is that it could take longer to manage tasks within it than it would just write it down, which would defeat the purpose.

He added that productivity is about focusing on high-priority items, which requires discipline.
“I could have the world’s best to-do list or app and still procrastinate and still work on things that don’t need to get done,” he said.
“Ultimately it’s the person that decides what to do with their time. The intelligence needs to be in your head, not the machine” he added.

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'Rise of the Tomb Raider' is a 2015 exclusive for Xbox One

'Rise of the Tomb Raider' is a 2015 exclusive for Xbox One

James Trew

Engadget 

Hoping for some Xbox One exclusives to be announced at Gamescom? You're in the right place. Phil Harrison, corporate VP at Microsoft, just announced Rise of Tomb Raider will be coming to the platform some time "holiday" next year (though we're not sure which). It'll be the latest instalment of the legendary franchise, one that's probably older than many of the people who will play it. Even if it isn't the "definitive version."

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Sony reveals PlayStation TV launch

Sony reveals PlayStation TV launch

By Kim Gittleson

BBC 

Sony has revealed autumn launch dates for its PlayStation TV in the US, UK, and Europe.
Available in Japan since last year, the micro-console is the firm's efforts to take on other streaming television consoles like AppleTV and Roku.
Unlike those, Sony's offering will allow gamers access to PlayStation games.
Sony said consoles will go on sale in the US on 14 October and in the UK on 14 November.
They will cost $99 (£59) in the US and 99 euros (£78) in Europe, and will include three games. The UK price has not yet been announced.
The console will allow users access to Sony's games library via Remote Play, and it will also offer access to third-party applications like Netflix.
In the US, it will also offer access to Sony's game-streaming service, PlayStation Now, which will be coming to Europe and the UK in 2015.

'Enough of both'Sony has previously announced the existence of the PlayStation TV at various events.
Many analysts seem optimistic about the device's prospects, despite earlier failed streaming games efforts, such as OnLive, which was forced to lay off all of its employees in 2012.
"This TV could be a proper streaming device, one that could compete well with the other ones that are out there - the Apple, Roku, even things like Amazon FireTV," Brian Blau, research director of consumer technology at Gartner, told the BBC.
"It's not the most robust streaming service and it's not the most robust gaming device but it's enough of both for the price," he added.

New marketsAnalysts say that the device is not necessarily intended to appeal to serious gamers, but to those who are looking for a second-screen or the ability to play older PlayStation games.
"Sony is trying to introduce a broader audience to PlayStation, so with PlayStation TV, they can address a lower income or more casual market and provide access to a huge library of games," said Michael Pachter, research analyst at Wedbush Securities.
However, Mr Pachter cautioned that simply appealing to gamers would not make the device a runaway success.
"It's an odd device, and will be hard to explain to many people," he said.
The announcement was made during the PlayStation press conference at the Gamescom trade fair in Cologne in Germany, where Sony also announced it had sold 10 million PlayStation 4 consoles, better than rival Microsoft's Xbox One.

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See Kylie Jenner's Dramatic Shaved Hairstyle

Whether it's chopping her hair short or dying her ends blue, Kylie Jenner is definitely not afraid of taking major style risks! In fact, she just debuted a shocking new undercut buzzed hairstyle at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards on her birthday, but she kept her new look under wraps until she posted a totally cool new Instagram pic!

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Apple's Cook stresses need to make workforce more diverse

Apple's Cook stresses need to make workforce more diverse

By Christina Farr

Reuters

 

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc on Tuesday released a report on employee diversity, and its numbers are similar to those of other Silicon Valley companies, prompting Chief Executive Tim Cook to say there is still work to be done.

The employee survey comes on the heels of recent reports from technology companies Google Inc and Twitter Inc, but it is unique in one significant way. It alone is accompanied by letter from a company CEO, in which Cook stresses the company's commitment to being "innovative in advancing diversity."
Blacks and Hispanics make up about 18 percent of Apple's workforce, a ratio that is about triple of those of most other tech firms. Nine percent of its workers did not disclose their ethnicity.

Apple breaks down the numbers into three categories: leadership, technology and non-technology. The technology category, which is 80 percent male, includes Genius Bar employees and engineers.
The numbers include its large contingent of store management employees. Apple runs 254 retail stores in the United States and 427 globally, according to its most recent quarterly report.
"As CEO, I’m not satisfied with the numbers on this page," he wrote. "They’re not new to us, and we’ve been working hard for quite some time to improve them."

But Cook noted that Apple's definition of diversity goes beyond traditional categories such as race and gender. "It includes personal qualities that usually go unmeasured, such as sexual orientation, veteran status and disabilities," he wrote.
The diversity reports have spurred a national debate about the lack of diversity at Silicon Valley's tech companies and how to improve the ratio. At Google, some 70 percent of employees are also male, and 61 percent are white. Twitter's overall employee population is 70 percent male and 59 percent white.
While Apple's numbers are similar to those of its competitors, some experts say that the company is a step ahead of the rest.

"Apple will do everything it can to make their workforce look more like the population they serve," said Fred Sainz, vice president of communications and marketing at the Human Rights Campaign. For 13 years running, the HRC has awarded Apple a perfect score on its corporate equality index, which rates American workplaces on LGBT equality.

After taking the reigns, Cook promoted Cuban-American Eddy Cue to a leadership role at Apple, and brought on former Burberry chief executive Angela Ahrendts. The company also recruited Lisa Jackson, the first African American to head up the Environmental Protection Agency, to run its environmental efforts.
In recent years, Apple executives have spoken out publicly in support of a variety of social and environmental causes, including diversity, accessibility and human rights. Cook made an appearance at the San Francisco Pride Festival for the first time this summer to cheer on thousands of employees and their families who showed up.

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The 'Candy Crush' saga is falling apart — and investors are running away

The 'Candy Crush' saga is falling apart — and investors are running away

Dan Frommer

Quartz 

Shares of King Digital—maker of the wildly popular mobile game Candy Crush Saga—are down more than 20% in after-hours trading, following weak second-quarter results. King also announced a surprise, $150 million special dividend, which seems unusual for a company that went public less than six months ago—and perhaps an admission of long-term trouble ahead.
King’s second-quarter gross bookings (the total money spent by its users, an alternative way of measuring revenue) declined $30 million, or 5%, from the first quarter, to $611 million—below Wall Street’s expectations of around $640-650 million. Candy Crush Saga itself generated $361 million in gross bookings, down roughly 16% from the first quarter.
The silver lining is that other games provided 41% of King’s gross bookings during the quarter. That’s up from 33% in the first quarter and 22% in the fourth quarter of 2013. In other words, its dependence on that one big hit is shrinking.
Gaming is historically a hits-driven business, and the fad-friendly mobile gaming market has proven this especially true. Zynga learned this lesson hard with hits that later fizzled, like Farmville and Draw Something.
So the key for King is to keep growing its gross bookings while still diversifying away from Candy Crush. It achieved only the second of those goals this quarter. And while King is relying less on Candy Crush, its other titles aren’t growing fast enough to make up for that game’s probably permanent decline
What’s more, there’s no quick fix. King says full-year gross bookings will likely fall between $2.25-2.35 billion—well below Wall Street expectations around $2.6 billion

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Amazon.com builds brick-and-mortar presence with card-swiping device

Amazon.com builds brick-and-mortar presence with card-swiping device

Reuters 

The move pits Amazon against a slew of rivals, including startup Square, which popularized a payments dongle that allowed small- and mid-sized businesses like food trucks, coffee shops and personal trainers to quickly accept credit and debit cards.
The new point-of-sale system, called Amazon Local Register, would give Amazon crucial data on how U.S. consumers shop offline. More than 90 percent of U.S. retail sales still take place in physical stores, according to U.S. government data.
For those who sign up after October, Amazon will take a 2.5 percent cut of each card swipe, still less than Square's 2.75 percent flat transaction rate and PayPal's 2.7 percent. 

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