Samsung unveils the Galaxy S4 Mini

KEY FEATURES OF THE GALAXY S4 MINI:
• Capture Important Moments: The GALAXY S4 mini allows users to capture important moments with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.9-megapixel HD front-facing camera. Special features such as Sound&Shot, which uniquely stores sound and voice together as pictures are taken, and Panorama Shot, which allows users to photograph the full view of their surroundings, ensure no memory is lost. Receive travel assistance and information service through the preloaded S Travel application, which can also recommend future trips and provide a guide along the way. Users can also automatically arrange photos in a smart format with the Story Album function. Photos taken by GALAXY S4 mini are automatically gathered and saved according to the user’s timeline, geo-tagging information, or a specific event to create a photo album.

• Share and Connect: Samsung GALAXY S4 mini allows users to share and build true connections. Users can simultaneously listen to the same music and play the games together with friends using Group Play feature, and chat with multiple friends and add animations, voice and video recordings to messages using ChatON.

• Make Life Simple and Easy: The GALAXYS4 mini makes international travel easy with S Translator, which provides instant text or voice translation at email, text message or ChatON. Samsung Hub provides a single entry for Samsung contents and services, making it incredibly easy and convenient to use. Users can browse through a variety of content across services including music, video, books, games and learning content as well as purchase and manage contents easily, from a single Samsung Account. Samsung Hub features an intergraded search when users browse a keyword, the results will show related content from all of the services at once.Users can also control their TVs through WatchON’s IR remote which transforms the GALAXY S4 mini into a remote to control the user’s TVs, set-top box, and DVD player. Through WatchON, The GALAXY S4 mini also offers a broad selection of entertainment content including live TV, cable TV and video on demand based on the rich information provided EPG (Electronic Program Guide). Samsung Link also enables users to share content across multiple Samsung digital devices.

• Take Care of Health and Well-being: The GALAXY S4 mini empowers users by keeping them up-to-date with personal health and well-being details. Downloadable from Samsung Apps, S Health enables users to monitor caloric balance and health condition. S Health accessories can also help users calculate daily steps, monitor sleeping patterns, calculate weight and get real-time heart monitoring. To further protect users’ wellbeing, Adapt Display provides an optimal viewing experience customized for each type of application, and Adapt Sound offers an optimal level and type of sound, personalized for each user.

The GALAXY S4 mini will be available in two colors, White Frost and Black Mist. Commercial availability of the GALAXY S4 mini supporting either 4G LTE, or 3G HSPA＋ or 3G Dual SIM, will be determined by market. Samsung will demo the phone at Samsung Premiere 2013 GALAXY & ATIV, London, Thursday, June 20th
[Desirethis]

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Will Smith stares in 'After Earth,' with son Jaden Smith: Reviews

Ahead of it's debut in cinemas nationwide today, here is a review roundup of After Earth the movie featuring Actor Will Smith and son Jaden Smith. Apparently the movie is below average.

Montreal Gazzette

1.5/5

For the literary-minded, there is also a whole thing about how Kitai is reading Moby-Dick, just like his father did. But there's no great white whale here: After Earth is a great white elephant. Call me Ishmael, when it's over.

IMDB

5.6/10

A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige and his father Cypher stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.

New York Times

The story kicks in slowly, beat by predictable beat, after a debris storm downs Kitai and Cypher’s spaceship and they fall to Earth in a smashup that looks like someone decorated the set with wet toilet paper and plastic wrap. There, they trade bitter words, clench their jaws and hold back the tears amid long pauses and inert action scenes, most involving Kitai racing through the dense woods and confronting digitally rendered animals. For the most part it is an uninteresting slog alleviated only by the occasional unintended laugh and moments of visual beauty. Mr. Shyamalan generally torpedoes his movies with overweening self-seriousness. But here and there he also offers up an image — as with a close-up of Kitai’s face dusted with glistening snowflakes — that rises out of the torpor.

Those images are few and far between in a movie that loses its way long before Kitai reaches the belching volcano that leads to his inevitable destiny. Mr. Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, are producers on “After Earth,” which suggests that there was no one on the production who could really say no to him. An often affable screen presence, he spends much of the movie in a chair on the spaceship pursing his lips and watering his eyes. It’s a calamitously one-note, unpersuasive performance that’s a match to that of Jaden, a pretty teenager with jumpy eyebrows whose character remains an insufferable brat. Once upon a time, Hollywood parents gave their children sports cars as gifts. These days, apparently nothing less than a big-screen vanity project will do for Junior.

Canada AM

1 Star

It's too bad, the listless “After Earth” needs the elder Smith driving the film, not taking the backseat over enunciating motivational lines like, "Recognize your power: This will be your creation."

Jaden isn't a strong enough actor to hold the center of a massive CGI movie. He's charismatic like his dad but here he appears to have only a handful of facial expressions and rotates between anger, surprise, fear and some serious eyebrow acting for most of the film's scant 90 minute (including credits) running time.
Shyamalan, whose forte is not helming big summer tentpole movies, doesn't bring much to the screen visually. The look of the movie is generic sci fi, and for every cool scene-Kitai soaring through the air in a wing suit, chased by a giant eagle-there are obvious soundstage scenes and cheesy costumes. Then there are the accents-apparently all future people sound like Rolf Harris. And don't even get me started on the logic leaps-how do flora and fauna survive on a planet that falls into a deep freeze every night, for instance.
On the plus side it does have a pretty great last line, and at least it isn't in 3D. But at the end of the day "After Earth's" main crime is placing Will on the sidelines, robbing it of a star that might have been able to make this journey interesting.

Digital Trends

The worst of it is that there are a few entertaining moments shining through, but nothing to really connect you to the film on anything more than a cursory level. After Earth is just too obvious and over the top in delivering its message. You know how the film has to progress, and the only thing that may keep you guessing is Shyamalan’s resume.
The only way this type of film would work is if you were invested in the characters, but the lazy character development doesn’t ever allow for that. Both Smiths will certainly rebound from this, and After Earth will likely be forgotten soon enough. For Shymalan though, it marks yet another in a string of failures. It probably won’t end his career, but it certainly won’t help his future prospects either.

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Miami Heat one win away from NBA finals

It's not too early to say congratulations to Lebron James and his Miami Heat team on winning the NBA this season.

LeBron James led a third-quarter surge that allowed the Miami Heat to overcome the Indiana Pacers and take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Soccer Star David Beckham courtside as Miami Heat beat Pacers 90-79

James scored 16 of his 30 points in the quarter as the Heat overcame a slim Indiana lead to win 90-79, leaving the team just one victory from reaching the NBA Finals for the third consecutive season.

Along with his 30 points, James had eight rebounds and six assists as the other two of the ‘Big Three’, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, struggled combining for just 17 points. Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers picked up the slack, adding 28 points between them. But Miami were fortunate to escape with a lenient refereeing decision after Chris Andersen shoved Tyler Hansbrough to the floor.

Andersen was hit with a Flagrant I call and stayed in the game, but the Chicago Bulls’ Nazr Mohammed was ejected during Game three of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals for a similar shove on James.

Indiana had led by four at half-time, but Miami started the second half strongly, going on an 11-3 run from which the Pacers never recovered.

For Indiana, Paul George scored 27 points and added 11 rebounds, while Roy Hibbert scored 22 points - apart from the pair and David West, the rest of the team combined for a measly 13 points. After scoring 20 points in Game four Lance Stephenson was particularly ineffective and finished with just four points, while starting point guard George Hill had just one point.

‘Well, that’s play-off competition at its best,’ said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. ‘The second half we played much more aggressively and committed to our identity and was able to take that through to the end.

‘We’ve already talked about leaving that behind. This is a highly competitive series. Now we have to get ready for Game six.’

Indiana coach Frank Vogel added: ‘[James] was pretty special tonight. There’s no question about it. This whole team is special. ‘They’re one of the best teams this league has ever seen. We’re enjoying competing against them.’

The series continues with Game six on Saturday in Indianapolis

[dailymail]

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Snoop Lion x Miley Cyrus “Ashtrays & Heartbreaks” (Video)

Snoop Dogg Lion releases the visual to his collaborative effort with Miley Cyrus off his new album Reincarnated: Ashtrays & Heartbreaks. Crazy, Ha!

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Cristiano Ronaldo Joins Rihanna Backstage at Portugal Concert

Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo joined Popstar Rihanna backstage at the Portugese leg of her Diamonds World Tour. The soccer star and former world best footballer who plays for Spanish side Real Madrid was all smiles as he took photos backstage with the singer at the concert.

They both took to social media to share the pictures with Rihanna tweeting: Ladies eat your heart out!!!! #CristianoRonaldo came to get jiggy wit ya girl #diamondsworldtour #backstagelife #nobasiczone
They sure would make a nice couple. Rihanna is currently single after breaking up with off and on boyfriend Chris Brown while Ronaldo was recently delivered of a bouncing baby boy by his girlfriend. See another photo of of the two from the concert below.

Ladies eat your heart out!!!! #CristianoRonaldo came to get jiggy wit ya girl#diamondsworldtour… instagram.com/p/Z6UobahM2A/
— Rihanna (@rihanna) May 29, 2013

  

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Floyd Mayweather to Face Saul Alvarez September

I chose my opponent for September 14th and it's Canelo Alvarez. I'm giving the fans what they want. It will be at the MGM Grand.
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) May 30, 2013

Are you ready for another Floyd Mayweather win? Ha!

Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr will fight Saul Alvarez in a light-middleweight unification world title bout on 14 September.
Mayweather took his record to 44 wins when beating Robert Guerrero for the WBC welterweight title on 4 May.
The 36-year-old, who is also the WBA's 'super' light-middleweight champion, will meet undefeated Mexican Alvarez, 22, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"I'm giving the fans what they want," Mayweather tweeted  .
Alvarez, nicknamed 'Canelo' or 'Cinnamon' because of his distinctive red hair, is undefeated in 43 contests and has won 30 fights with knockouts.
He unified the WBC and WBA light-middleweight titles on 20 April in San Antonio with a unanimous victory over Austin Trout.
The fight is reportedly going to be at a catchweight - or non-standard weight limit - of 152lb, two pounds below the light-middleweight limit. But both fighters will put their light-middleweight titles on the line.
It will be Mayweather's second fight since serving two thirds of a three-month prison sentence for domestic violence.

[BBC]

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Things To Consider Before Buying Used Cars Online

The used car sales market is indeed a big market. People prefer used cars for different reasons ranging from convenience to affordability. Today, the internet is one big place to search and buy any new car of your choice. The internet is a preferred choice for buying used cars because of its extensive options to sample and choose from; however you need to plan very well before setting out to buy a used car online in order to get the very best out of your search and eventual purchase. Here are some tips for buying a used a used car online. Set a budget

It is important you set a budget before venturing into buying a used car. How much do have for the car. How much are you willing to spend. Deciding on this before setting out for your used car purchase will make it easier for you to pick one from the many options you will stumble upon while searching for a used car online.

Decide on a car

Decide on a car you will want to buy. You can get a car magazine or visit car websites to learn the trends and browse until you see a car you like and then begin your search for its used version.

Search for used cars online

There are many places to find used cars for sale online. You can find used cars for sale at classified sites, auction sites, EBay, online car dealerships or through a quick search of any car of your choice on search engines online (Google, Yahoo. Bing)

Pick a car according to your budget

Do not be confused by the different options of cars your encounter during your car search. Stick to your budget. Don’t choose a car you know quite well you can’t afford its monthly payment or insurance cost. Look out for these things. Seek financing if needed. Some banks offer financing on used cars that are less than six years old and they offer lower interest rates more than the regular car dealers. You can use the interest rate offered by your bank to negotiate a better deal with your car dealer.

Get the details

Make sure the car is in good working conditions, ask for any faults and see if they are what you could put up with or repair yourself in relation to the price of the car. Find out about the major components of the car like air conditioning, engine, brakes, tyres, exhaust, glass, mirrors etc. Also ensure you are not buying a refurbished accident damaged car or a flooded car which was flooded during one of the hurricanes. You can get the car detail by ordering a CARFAX Vehicle History Report of the vehicle.

Buy from a trusted seller or dealer

Make sure you are buying your used car from a trusted seller or dealer. Run an extensive research on the company you are buying from. Make contacts with them. Ask to test the car and equest for all paperwork of the car. If you are buying from a private seller make sure all associated lien on the vehicle has been cleared by the seller. You can go to the Sport Durst dealer website to search and discover used cars that will match your choice.

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New Video: “Hello” Stafford Brothers Ft. Lil Wayne x Christina Milian

Here is the Video of Hello by Cash Money Signees Stafford Brothers Ft Lil Wayne and Christina Milan

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Daft Punk's New Album 'Random Access Memories' Dominates Itunes Charts, Reviews

 Daft Punk's  new album Random Access Memories now released after a long break is such a masterpiece. Random Access Memories is so successful that it is getting rave reviews and topping Itunes charts, where the album could be pre-ordered, in 21 Western countries: the US, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
With star-studded collaborations with Pharell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Giorgio Moroder, Paul Williams and Todd Edwards the most eagerly anticipated album of 2013 does live up to expectations. Here are some reviews of the album.

Guardian:  The hottest French music of 2013

Ever since their 1995 single Da Funk first appeared, a pattern has emerged: Daft Punk do something, vast numbers of other people try and copy it, but by the time everyone else has caught up, the duo have moved on. You can complain about the hype surrounding Random Access Memories if you want, but you can hardly blame people for being eager to see what Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo do next.
Right from the start, the duo seemed entirely unconcerned with fitting in: it was as if French pop's lowly global standing enabled them to disregard accepted notions of cool and create their own version, relying entirely on their own tastes and instincts. Their 1997 debut album, Homework, came in a gatefold sleeve that loudly proclaimed the duo's love of Peter Frampton, Andy Gibb and Kiss – names that would have brought about an attack of the vapours in most dance artists of the time.
Similarly, Random Access Memories almost entirely abandons their computer-generated sound in favour of slick disco, performed by crack LA session musicians. It has had a mixed reception: curiously, the very thing people love about it – its luxurious, expensive-sounding glossiness – is exactly what its detractors hate. But whatever you make of it, past experience suggest you shouldn't bet against vast swathes of other artists sounding exactly like it in 18 months' time.

HitFix Music: B+

Daft Punk are no strangers to homage, and their newest album "Random Access Memories" is an all-out history lesson -- and not just in genre. Of course, there's heapings of disco along with their house music, soul with their '70s soft rock and party-starting anthems along with the saddies. But the duo Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo go out of their way to introduce the influencers of their own brand of heart-beating beats, as well as collaborate with the new school of producers and music-makers that carry the banner. With that perspective, this album isn't just a spin of a globe or as "random" as the title insinuates.
Though, on first listen, it seems that way.

TIME

Random Access Memories proves that Daft Punk remain masters of their domain, who defend their array of superlatives because of, rather than in spite of, unconventional sound choices. The strings, the drum kits, and yes, even the clarinets, were not expected from the electronic duo, but somehow it all works. In 1968, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey taught that man became who he is by mastering his tools, not by being a slave to them. Perhaps too, robots can only pretend to be human for so long before parting from their synthetic origins and embracing the tangible.

Billboard

 Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have made an analog album that’s less of a “throwback” and more of a salute to the idols that would now do anything to hop on the duo’s full-length. There are wide eyes underneath those robot helmets, and music fans have waited a long time to peer through them for 74 minutes; let go of the mammoth expectations, dance and feel all right

 Metacritic Score: 87 out of 100

 Our favorite tracks: Doin’ It Right, Give Life Back to Music, and Instant Crush

Buy Random Access Memories - Daft Punk from Itunes

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Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund Champions League Finals Match Preview

Over180,000 German football fans are reported to have swarmed into London on Saturday in anticipation of the first ever all-Bundesliga Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The two clubs will take to the Wembley Stadium pitch on Saturday evening in a clash immersed deep in rivalry and history, with both facing the chance to rewrite the record books.

Here are stats and vital information between the two German sides you should know ahead of the thrilling Encounter

KICK-OFF: Saturday 25th May 2013, 7.45pm

PAST THREE MEETINGS…
Borussia Dortmund 1 (Grobkreutz), Bayern Munich 1 (Gomez), Bundesliga, May 2013
Bayern Munich 1 (Robben, 43), Borussia Dortmund 0, German Cup, February 2013
Bayern Munich 1 (Kroos), Borussia Dortmund 1 (Gotze), Bundesliga, December 2012

STATS…

• This will be Bayern Munich’s tenth final – a number of appearances only lower than Real Madrid and AC Milan. Bayern have won four times and lost five – the joint most any club has been the runner-up in this competition alongside Juventus and Benfica – including last year’s final, when they went out on penalties to Chelsea. Borussia Dortmund have only appeared in one final but were victorious.

• This Saturday’s clash will be the first time in history that two German clubs come up against each other in the Champions League final, and only the fourth time two clubs from the same country have battled it out for the trophy, with the three previous occasions occurring between Real Madrid and Valencia in 2000, AC Milan and Juventus in 2003 and Manchester and Chelsea in 2008.

• Bayern Munich’s stunning 7-0 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the semi-finals is the record winning-margin at that stage of the competition.

• Wembley will become the first stadium to host two Champions League finals in three years. Out of the five it has hosted over time, this will be its first involving a German club.

• Although Bayern have scored six goals more than Borussia Dortmund during the competition so far with 29 and 23 respectively, it’s the latter club who can boast the second-highest goal-scorer in this year’s tournament, with Robert Lewandowski netting 10 – just two behind top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.

•  Bayern Munich cruised through their knockout stages of the Champions League, not conceding a single goal in either of their quarter-final or semi-final legs, recording an 11-0 aggregate victory across the four matches. On the other hand, Dortmund have only managed to keep three clean sheets in their last 12 European games.

Daily Independent Odds

Bayern Munich to win: 1.8
Borussia Dortmund to win: 5.1
Draw: 4.2

Sbnation Prediction

Bayern Munich would be the favorites to win even if Götze and Hummels were fit. With Götze out and Hummels a question mark, the only reason to believe Dortmund will win is sentiment. They have the talent to take advantage if Bayern play poorly (2010 final) or fail to finish their numerous chances (2012 final), but there's no reason to pick them. 2-0 Bayern.

Chigotoday Prediction 

Bayern Munich has been condemned to win the Epic battle. They have better Chiampions League experience, technique and players to do the job. We think the match will be technical and captivating.

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Hyundai Genesis Overview (Features and Pricing)

The Hyundai Genesis is a luxury brand of Hyundai Motors. The Hyundai Genesis marked the luxury sedan outing of the top Korean auto giants. The sedan was produced to match the luxury found in expensive cars with affordability. It has remained one of the most luxury cars manufactured by Hyundai motor since it made its debut. The Genesis is a five passenger, rear wheel drive luxury sedan and is currently available in two trim levels: the 3.8 and 5.0 R-spec.The Hyundai Genesis are available in red, white, black, platinum, grey and blue colors.
Engine

The Hyundai Genesis is powered by a high powered 333 horsepower 3.8-litre V6 engine or a 429-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine, paired with an eight speed automatic transmission that features manual sequential shift capability and a high performance intake and exhaust system. You may want to know that the 2013 Hyundai Genesis offer more horsepower than the 2013 Lexus GS 350 and 2013 Mercedes Benz E550. The EPA puts the sedan’s mpg at 18mpg for city and 28mpg highway speed. This is Impressive for a 429 horsepower engine with 376 pounds-feet of torque. The engine options enables good fuel economy.The company is offering an impressive 10 year/100-000 Mile powertrain limited warranty.

Interior

2013 Hyundai Coupe Dashboard

The 2013 Genesis offers a spacious, comfortable and well finished interior with impressive features that promises a fun driving experience. Some of these features includes: Luxury power heated and ventilated leather seats, 7-speaker stereo with Bluetooth, siriuxsm satellite radio and a USB port. Others are automatic dual zone climate control, telescopic steering wheel, push button start, adaptive cruise control, power-folding side mirrors, 17-speaker lexicon sound systems for the different trims.

Safety

The Hyundai Genesis is rated highly in safety with top features to ensure adequate safety, such as 8 airbags, brake assist, anti-lock brakes and electronic brake-force distribution to to provide more stopping, powertraction control, stability control, fire pressure monitor and child safety locks.

Pricing

Pricing is at $34,200 MRSP, with the new and yet to be released 2014 Hyundai Genesis estimated to cost a little bit higher. You can go to the Sport Durst NC website to get up to date pricing for all Hyundai Genesis models, Hyundai motor finance, sales and servicing.

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Top Affordable Cars: MAZDA 3

 If you are looking for an affordable car that is sporty and powerful, then you should consider the Mazda 3. Apart from being affordable, the Mazda 3 maintains a great fuel economy and performance with its inoovative Skyactiv engine which effectively tackles fuel efficiency. The Skyactiv technology is an innovation from Mazda that promotes fuel savings and performance. This is achieved by the retooling of the car engine to enhance superb performance with less gas and reduced emission providing a fun and eco-friendly driving experience. MPG highway speed of the car is at 40.
Mazda 3 is rated as the best small car in the industry. It is ranked number 1 in USNews affordable small cars based on their analysis of 58 published reviews, test drives, reliability and safety data. It comes with two front and side air bags, side curtain air bags, anti-lock braking system and brake assist.

Four years after it made its debut, the Mazda 3 is still one of the best small cars out there today. The Mazda 3 is an affordable, sporty looking 4-door, economy compact car which is very well built and offers superb value and fun driving experience.

The 2013 Mazda 3 is available in sedan and hatchback body style with 5 trims for the sedan (SV, Sport, Touring, Grand Touring and s Grand Touring) and 4 trims for the hatchback (Touring, i Grand Touring, s Grand Touring and Mazdaspeed 3)

Features include several four cylinder engines for the different models. A 2.0 liter, 148-horsepower engine and standard 5-speed manual (and optional automatic) transmission for the base model and a 2.3 liter, turbocharged four cylinder engine, 263 horse power for the highest model - the Mazdaspeed 3. Other features include alloy wheels, Homelink Garage Door Opener, air conditioning, cruise control, steering wheel audio controls, Pandora audio application and advanced keyless entry and start.

Mazda 3 remains the top affordable car in the country today because of its affordable cost, performance and features. Contact sport durst serving Raleigh for Mazda 3 sales, parts, servicing and financing.

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2013 Subaru Outback 2.5i VS 2013 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium

With its 2013 Subaru BRZ still dominating the market and amassing rave reviews across the auto industry, Subaru continues its 2013 wining streak with its new 2013 Subaru Outback 4 door wagon, All Wheel Drive vehicle. The 2013 Subaru outback comes in 5 trims: the 2.5i, 2.5i Premium. 3.6R, 2.5i Limited and 3.6R Limited.

The 2013 Subaru outback 2.5i and 2.5i Premium boosts of a luxurious interior, good handling and good fuel economy with MPG at 24/30 for city and highway respectively. Both trims are equipped with a standard 2.5 liter engine, H4, 173 horsepower engine and a 6-speed manual transmission with standard over drive.

Features include: telescoping and tilt steering wheel, remote keyless entry, 1-touch down, air conditioning and rear beverage holders among others. The difference between the 2013 Subaru Outback 2.5i and 2013 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium

As the name implies, the 2.5i is a Premium version of the 2.5i. The 2.5i Premium is a little more sophisticated then the 2.5i Outback. Additional features of the 2.5i premium include an All weather package, Auto-Dimming mirror with compass, heated exterior mirrors, heated front seats, windshield wiper De-icer, Ice silver metallic body side molding, rear side compartment cargo net and rear seat back protector.

MSRP: $23,049 - 2013 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 

MSRP: $25,604 - 2013 Subaru Outback 2.5i

Generally, the new Subaru Outback for 2013 presents a new technology upgrade and effective fuel economy in a sleek and mean design. USNews ranks it number one wagon in the USA. You can explore the Tindol Subaru of Charlotte website for more information on the 2013 Subaru Outback, sales, rentals, deals, financing and parts.

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Microsoft launches Interactive music series ahead of Xbox 720

The two-part programme 'The Music Room' will be available to Xbox Gold subscribers and starts at 8.30pm tonight. Channel 4 presenter Laura Jackson will be accompanied by former Libertines frontman Carl Barât and artists including Everything Everything, Don Broco and Swim Deep, with viewers able to shape the course of the programme and its finale tomorrow by voting and commenting through their consoles.

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Real Madrid Sacks Coach José Mourinho

Florentino Perez will announce that Mourinho will leave Madrid after the last game of the season
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) May 20, 2013

If you are the coach of the richest football club in the world and you go a full league season without winning a single trophy then you should expect to be sacked. Atleast, that is how it will go for Madrid Coach José Mourinho. Real Madrid has announced the sack of coach José Mourinho from the club after an unsuccessful season. Mourinho is expected to return to his former club Chelsea FC.

Real Madrid have called a press conference for Monday evening amid growing speculation over the future of their coach, José Mourinho.
Madrid's president, Florentino Pérez, will speak to the media at 8pm CET (7pm BST) at the Bernabéu, the club have announced in a statement on their website.
Madrid have not given any details regarding the subject of the press conference but the future of Mourinho and his return to Chelsea have dominated the Spanish media since Real's Copa del Rey final defeat by Atlético Madrid on Friday night. The world's richest club by income, Real will end this season without a major trophy. Mourinho, who has done little to contradict reports he will return to the Premier League next season, said it had been a "disastrous" campaign and his "worst ever" as a coach.
Paris Saint-Germain's manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has been widely tipped as Mourinho's successor and the Italian has told the French side he wants to leave, a request denied by PSG.

 [Guardian]

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Yahoo On Buying Tumblr "we promise not to screw it up"

Considering Yahoo is stuck in the ages and clearly lacks innovation, what are you thoughts on their acquiring Tumblr for $1.1? We are indeed skeptical. The report below: 

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc said it is buying blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion cash, giving the struggling Internet pioneer a much-needed platform in social media to reach a younger generation of users.

The deal, announced on Monday, is a bold bet by Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer to revitalize the company by co-opting a Web property with strong visitor traffic but little revenue.

Yahoo made clear it was sensitive to concerns that it might damage Tumblr by making it less irreverent or more corporate.

"Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be independently operated as a separate business," Yahoo said in a statement.

The acquisition, which will use up about a fifth of Yahoo's $5.4 billion in cash and marketable securities, is the largest by far since Mayer took the reins in July with the goal of reversing a long decline in Yahoo's business and Web traffic.

Analysts said Yahoo appeared to be overpaying for a business that might not contribute to revenue for years, but that it had to do something to plug a hole in its social media efforts.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney called it a "long-shot/long-term investment" but one that fits into Mayer's turnaround strategy.

"(Yahoo's) fundamentals have been subpar for numerous years, in part because of the company's missing presence in Social and Mobile. Tumblr may help (Yahoo) develop that presence," Mahaney said in a note.

Tumblr is one of the Web's most popular hubs of so-called user-generated content, drawing young people who use the platform to post pictures and text. Tumblr has more than 100 million blogs in its network, ranging from "White Men Wearing Google Glass" to housing-focused "The Worst Room."

Though Yahoo remains one of the Web's most popular destinations, it has seen its revenue shrink in recent years as consumers and advertisers favor rivals such as Google Inc and Facebook Inc. The deal is expected to increase Yahoo's audience by 50 percent.

RICH PREMIUM

While Tumblr is certainly popular - it has tens of millions of monthly unique visitors - analysts questioned what kind of contribution it will make to Yahoo revenue, since advertising on the site is in its nascent stages.

Media reports have pegged Tumblr's 2012 revenue at $13 million. The privately held company, based in Manhattan, does not disclose its financial results.

Yahoo expects that Tumblr will help boost revenue by 2014, Ken Goldman, Yahoo's chief financial officer, said on a call with analysts. He did not provide specific numbers.

"Even if revenue was $100 million, it means Yahoo paid 10 times revenue," said BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis. "Ten times is what you pay to date the belle of the ball. It's on the outer bands of M&A."

Yahoo could quickly boost Tumblr's revenue by combining the website with its own sales force, said Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser. But loading Tumblr up with banner ads risks alienating its users and probably wouldn't provide a significant lift to Yahoo's overall revenue, he said.

"It's not clear that this deal will be favorable from a return-on-capital perspective," Wieser said. "One billion (dollars) for one company is a big bet."

Gillis and Wieser were contacted on Sunday after the deal was reported by the online publication All Things D.

Mayer, on the conference call, described the Tumblr deal as an exception and said Yahoo was not necessarily planning lots of similarly sized deals.

Yahoo is one of several companies that have coughed up considerable money for buzz-worthy start-ups that hold promise. Facebook bought the popular social media photo site Instagram for $1 billion last year. In 2006, Google paid $1.6 billion for YouTube.

Shares of Yahoo rose as much as 2 percent in early trading Monday but later fell back. They were up 18 cents to $26.70 in late-morning dealings. Through Friday's close, the shares had risen 70 percent since Mayer became CEO.

IMAGE ISSUES

One question Yahoo may have to address is Tumblr's reputation as a home for pornographic blogs. At one point in 2009, about 80 percent of Tumblr's top sites had something to do with adult content. Today that number is closer to 5 percent, according to Quantcast data, but the image lingers.

Mayer said on the call that Yahoo's targeting tools would allow advertisers to zero in on specific demographics and content.

One area where Yahoo plans to ramp up advertising: Tumblr's dashboard, the main landing point, akin to a newsfeed.

Dealing with that and other issues may fall to David Karp, 26, who founded Tumblr in 2007 and will remain CEO.

Karp, a self-taught programmer who left high school in favor of home schooling, did not take part in Mayer's conference call. Media reports have suggested his take in the billion-dollar sale would top $200 million.

In a 2012 interview with The Guardian, Karp seemed to be less interested in money than in Tumblr's prominence.

"There are a lot of rich people in the world. There are very few people who have the privilege of getting to invent things that billions of people use," he said.

(Reporting By Jennifer Saba and Alexei Oreskovic; Writing by Ben Berkowitz; Editing by John Wallace)

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Kanye West, J.Cole New Album Cover & Release Date

Looks like it's gonna be a hot summer afterall. Here are the album covers of Kanye West and J.cole's new albums all dropping in June 18. Above is Kanye West's album cover titled Yeezus (corny right?). It is confirmed to hit stores June 18 together with J.Cole's Born Sinner. You can pre-order the LP Yeezus - Kanye West  here

Born Sinner Album Cover

Born Sinner, Standard Cover

Following Kanye West is J.cole's Born Sinner album cover.On the album J.Cole tells MTV:

”It’s not necessarily a church theme and it’s not really about church. I like my album themes to be metaphors because it gives me the freedom to speak about something else that’s going on in my life, so the Born Sinner thing is not about church, it’s not even about religion. It’s using that as canvas to get other messages across and that’s what the album will be.”

[Rapradar]

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Robbers Steal $1million Worth Of Diamonds in Cannes Film Festival

British model Cara Delevingne flaunts a diamond Chopard ring at the opening ceremony of Cannes Film Festival

 

 

$1 million worth of diamonds intended to be loaned out to celebrities for red carpet appearances at the ongoing 66th Cannes Film Festival in Paris, France have been stolen during the night of Thursday, May 16.
The diamonds were taken from a Chopard employee's room in the Novotel Hotel on the city's boulevard Carnot.
AFP reports that a source claims a safe containing the jewellery was unsealed and taken by the robbers.

This makes it the 15th consecutive year that the privately held Swiss-based jewellery house is the official partner to the annual film festival holding in Paris, France. The house loans out its dazzling jewels to dozens of celebrity guests in attendance. On the opening night of the festival alone its creations were sported by Julianne Moore, Cara Delevingne, Lana Del Rey, Freida Pinto and Cindy Crawford.

In 2009, the Cartier boutique in Cannes was robbed of over $21 million worth of jewels in a heist led by robbers wearing Hawaiian shirts.

[Telegraph]

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David Beckham Quits Football... Finally

It's a retirement season for professional football. Following the footsteps of former coach and team mate, Sir Alex Ferguson and Paul Scholes, David Beckham - the most overrated football player in history - has announced his retirement from football at the age of 38, making it 21 years of his playing professional football. Beckham with a net worth of about $220million, captained 115 games for England. He played professional football for Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and until now, PSG. He's the only English player to win a league title in four different countries.

"I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level. I want to thank all my team-mates, the great managers that I had the pleasure of learning from. I also want to thank the fans who have all supported me and given me the strength to succeed.
'Nothing will ever completely replace playing the game I love, however I feel like I'm starting a new adventure and I'm genuinely excited about what lies ahead. I'm fortunate to have been given many opportunities throughout my career and now I feel it's my time to give back."

Beckham said in a statement. He will now work as sports ambassador.

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Kim Kardashian Fears Kanye West Is “Gay,” Cheating with Designer Boyfriend Riccardo in Paris

Several reports have linked Kanye West's abandoning of pregnant girlfriend Kim Kardashian to Paris to his recording his new album over the French Capital but it seems Kim Kardashian is afraid her 'gay' rapper boyfriend may be cheating on her with designer boyfriend Riccardo Tisci in Paris. Popular Tabloid Magazine In Touch claims the pregnant reality star fears Kanye West is “gay” and is with his boyfriend in Paris.

According to the magazine, Kim Kardashian’s first Met Gala experience was a “nightmare” because “some online commenters” speculated that her boyfriend is “in a romantic relationship with the man who designed her controversial dress, Givenchy creative director Riccardo Tisci.” Their source tells them Kardashian wonders whether Tisci “resents her and really did want to make her look hideous.

A “friend” tells the magazine, “Kim freaked out. If it turns out Kanye is involved with Riccardo, she will be utterly embarrassed — more so than she’s ever been in her life.”

In Touch writes, “There are some facts Kim can’t deny,” noting, “Kanye has spent her entire pregnancy living close to Riccardo in the French capital… And Riccardo recently purchased an apartment less than half a mile from Kanye’s in NYC’s Soho neighborhood.”

The magazine continues "another insider says Kanye is obsessed with Riccardo, They have a very deep bond and they spend a lot of time together at Kanye’s apartment.”

*****LOL

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Exclusive Featurette - Star Trek Into Darkness

Here is a closer look at J.J. Abrams' sequel to his reboot of Star Trek Into Darkness. This is a must see. Find Star Trek tickets here Star Trek Into Darkness hits theaters May 16.

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Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine donate $70M for new USC center

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre — real name Andre Young — and music industry entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine have donated a combined $70 million to create a new institute at the University of Southern California.

USC announced Tuesday night that the huge gift will be used to create the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation.
The academy will provide a four-year program for undergraduates whose interests span several fields from marketing to computer science to the arts. It will include one-on-one faculty mentoring and interaction with entertainment industry luminaries.
Iovine is co-founder of Interscope Records, chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M and a mentor on "American Idol."
Dr. Dre is best known as a producer and solo rapper and has his own label, Aftermath Entertainment.

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New Music: Solange feat Kendrick Lamar “Looks Good With Trouble”

Kendrick Lamar hops on the all new version of Solange Knowles single ‘Looks Good With Trouble’. Amazing rendition. You can buy the song from iTunes here

hhnm

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Angelina Jolie undergoes double mastectomy after discovering cancer gene

Actress Angelina Jolie says she underwent a preventive double mastectomy earlier this year after learning she carries a gene that increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

In a New York Times op-ed published late Monday, she writes that after genetic testing she learned she carries the "faulty" BRCA1 gene.

The risk of developing cancer due to the gene varies, but Jolie says doctors estimated she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer.

Jolie — whose mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died from cancer — says she decided to have the preventive mastectomy to be "proactive" for the sake of her six children with her partner, Brad Pitt.

"My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56," Jolie writes. "She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was."

Jolie said she has kept the process private so far, but wrote about with hopes of helping other women.

"I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy," she writes. "But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer."

She is anything but private in the details she provides, giving a step-by-step description of the procedures. She writes that between early February and late April she completed three months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts.

"My own process began on Feb. 2 with a procedure known as a 'nipple delay,'" she writes, "which rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area."

She then describes the major surgery two weeks later where breast tissue was removed, saying it felt "like a scene out of a science-fiction film," then writes that nine weeks later she had a third surgery to reconstruct the breasts and receive implants."

Many women have chosen preventive mastectomy since genetic screening for breast cancer was developed, but the move and public announcement is unprecedented from a star so young and widely known as Jolie.

She briefly addresses the effects of the surgery on the idealized sexuality and iconic womanhood that have fueled her fame.

"I do not feel any less of a woman," Jolie writes. "I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity."

She also wrote that Brad Pitt, her partner of eight years, was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center in Southern California for "every minute of the surgeries."

CNN reports that BRCA1 and BRCA 2 are types of tumor-suppressing genes, according to the National Cancer Institute. In normal cells, those genes help stabilize the cell's DNA and help prevent uncontrollable cell growth. But if the genes have a harmful mutation, they can lead to breast or ovarian cancer.

What they stand for?

  

The acronyms BRCA1 and BRCA 2 stem from the full names of the genes: breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 and breast cancer susceptibility gene 2. 

Difference between BRCA1 and BRCA2?

The genes are very similar. But harmful mutations in BRCA1 can lead to breast cancers that are harder to treat because they don't respond to hormone therapies used to treat tumors that occur more often in women with BRCA2 mutations, according to The Breast Care Site.

How to discover if you have BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations?

A blood test at a hospital or doctor's office can help detect BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, according to the National Cancer Institute. Results could take several weeks, as the test must be performed by a laboratory that specializes in the screening.

But testing can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars, and insurance companies may or may not cover the cost.

Only women with increased risk from family history are likely to benefit from such genetic testing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only 3% to 5% of women who develop breast cancer have a BRCA mutation, and about 10% to 15% of women with ovarian cancer have a BRCA mutation.

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Negative Reviews For "The Great Gatsby"

The Philadelphia Daily News ranked the highly aniticipated movie with 2 stars out of four stating 'Gatsby' not so 'Great' after all." The Great Gatsby" is predicted to make a  $45 million debut at the box office trailing "Iron Man 3" which is hope to clear another $70 million or more this weekend after its $174.1 million debut. What could be the reason while "The Great Gatsby" is amassing negative reviews from the industry? Here is what The Philadelphia Daily News said about the movie.

YOU KNEW that Baz Luhrmann understood "The Great Gatsby" when he delegated the music to Sean Corey Carter.
A man from humble origins whose idea of himself transcended his upbringing, who devised a life that matched his grand vision of success, and who became a Big Pimpin' icon.
James Gatz reinvented himself as Jay Gatsby. Carter became Jay-Z.
He's musical host for Luhrmann's big 3-D extravaganza, where Jazz Age flappers dance to hip-hip, not because the music belongs in the roaring twenties, but because it doesn't. The point is that in America, there will always be another Gatsby, another compulsive striver, another party.
And another film director trying to figure out how in God's name to adapt this notoriously unfilmable novel - unfilmable because we read it mainly for the way F. Scott Fitzgerald strings words together: "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us."
I wonder if this is why studios "green light" such colossal gambles as this one, a $130 million version of a 180-page book - a grand, Gatsby-esque leap at the unattainable.
No expense was spared - Luhrmann commissioned lavish replicas and embellishments of jazz age fashion and baubles. Miu Miu, Prada, Tiffany jewelry. Several hundred Brooks Brothers suits and 1,700 accessories. He created a digital 1920s Manhattan of half-finished skyscrapers, put period first-edition books on the period end tables.
Great gobs of time and energy went into haircuts - a stylist explains that Gatsby's haircut should "effervesce status and wealth."
What would Fitzgerald think of this excess? Well, he was a motion picture nut who'd be thrilled that people were still making movies from his books, but he'd probably barf to find that people were using "effervesce" as a transitive verb.
Or maybe he'd be throwing up because he'd been to a party like the one Luhrmann throws in "Gatsby."
Throbbing Jay-Z beats, $2 million in diamonds, an equal amount in clothes, champagne fountains and Busby Berkeley fan dancers, drunken pool diving, in saturated color and 3-D. But the party has to be big - mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) wants it to be seen across the bay by Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), the woman he loves, now unfortunately married to a two-timing, old-money boor (Joel Edgerton).
"Gatsby" has the feel of a Luhrmann movie - its stylistic gestures are bigger than its emotional reach. But it's not out of step with Fitzgerald, who himself allocated several pages of gaudy description to one of Gatsby's shindigs. Pure showing off. The book is fun to read (until people start dying), and the movie should be fun to watch.
But all of Lurhmann's grand flourishes can't overcome the fundamental problem that all directors eventually face.
Gatsby lingers in our imagination because he's one of literature's great ciphers. When the facts of his life are revealed, it's a soap opera so ridiculous only the author's dazzle can keep us straight-faced. And Gatsby's great love, the cornerstone of the developing tragedy, is over five years before the story begins.
The character most available to us is the narrator, Nick (Tobey Maguire), who describes what he guesses Gatsby and Daisy to be feeling. A truly radical adaptation might eliminate the intermediary, give us Gatsby in linear biography - farmboy to adventurer to officer to bootlegger. Or a director might ditch the ending and turn the whole thing into a romcom - what "Wedding Crashers" did, if you think about it.
But then you'd loose the voice, the point of the view of the man so famously "within and without" the world of privilege and stupid excess - a man disgusted at Gatsby's careless extravagance, then admiring of his American gumption. Who came to see that for Gatsby, money was mere fuel, firing an engine of desire and ambition.
You hope DiCaprio could furnish some of this in his performance, but he does no better than Robert Redford in the '70s version - he's rarely more than a handsome guy in a pink suit, posing next to a yellow roadster. Mulligan struggles to make Daisy register as the object of Gatsby's raging obsession.
So you end up with 3-D images, 2-D characters. Another swing and miss at Fitzgerald.
But that, in a way, is the most Gatsby-ish thing about it. To go all in, to come up short, chasing an impossible dream.
Gatsby was, after all, America's first epic fail.
And do we really want the movies to conquer this elusive book?
An unfilmable novel is an enchanted object, and a great "Gatsby" (apologies to the author) would reduce our count of enchanted objects by one.

 

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How Women Make Penny Auctions Work For Them

A little while ago, we posted ablog introducing you to the world of penny auctions. There’s a misconception that penny auctions are a guy’s domain. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Penny auctions are actually frequented by both men and women, and often times, women are even more successful at winning penny auctions than the opposite sex. There are several reasons why female bidders are attracted to and sometimes more successful at bidding. As women continue to exercise their spending power and use their income wisely, they are making penny auctions work to their advantage.

Female bidders know their limit
We all know that not everyone can win an auction, which is why women are successful participants. As consumers, women are looking for the best bang for their buck, as they have families to care for and want to spend money wisely on products that are a necessity for their household. This makes knowing what to bid on and when to bid crucial. The availability of an ideal product is one thing, but to place bids in a careful and timely manner so that bids aren’t completely squandered is another. Ladies bidding on penny auctions will often stop or hold back on bidding until later on in an auction as a means of exercising control and vigilance on their spending. This is the true winning strategy of any bidder regardless of gender.

Female bidders know a good deal
Women account for 85% of consumer purchases including electronics and computers, which would explain why they’re able to spot great deals, and that includes ones related to penny auctions. By shopping, a consumer learns to compare prices and quality of a product based on the vendor. In our last blog post, we mentioned Beezid as being one of the more popular online auction shopping sites. Well, the site is very popular with women, because of the generous complimentary bids and types of products that are available for auction at a considerably reduced price. The wide ranges of products available make it easy to find a product to bid on, including Samsung smartphones, Shany or Sephora cosmetics, and auto accessories. Female bidders believe it makes more sense to bid in a penny auction, rather than trying to buy a designer product at full retail price in the hundreds.

Female bidders buy for others, not themselves
With women making up the majority of financial decision makers in their family household, it’s no surprise that they often bid on products that are for their partners or children. While sites like Beezidhave plenty of products in their lifestyle and fashion categories for women, female customers choose other auction categories as well, and fairly frequently. Categories such as those for kids’ toys, video games or electronics, are just as popular for women, because they want a good deal for their sons or daughters.

Bidding in penny auctions takes careful skill. If you have interest in bidding on penny auctions and are looking to do what successful female bidders do, make sure to keep the above items in mind when you’re placing your next bid.

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