Lady Gaga fights to keep 'Queen of Pop' crown

PARIS: Multi-platinum selling diva Lady Gaga is fighting to keep her 'Queen of Pop' crown with a hotly-anticipated third album, but early reception in the US and Britain has been lukewarm. "Artpop" signals a return to the limelight for Stefani Germanotta known as Lady Gaga on stage and in video after she was forced to tone down her usually ubiquitous media presence to undergo hip surgery.

"For ArtPop, in a symbolic way, I've put myself in front of a mirror, I've taken off my clothes, then the makeup, then the wigs, I've dressed myself with a black jumpsuit and I've told myself: 'Now, you have to prove you can be brilliant without all that'", Lady Gaga told the magazine Grazia.

Even before its official release next week, "Artpop" has been making the headlines.

The 27-year-old New Yorker, who established her reputation on chart-topping songs and surrounded herself with a constant media buzz, streamed the new album this week after it was leaked.

The artist also hinted at an out-of-this-world publicity splash for the album's official launch a concert in space.

The US Weekly magazine reported that Lady Gaga plans to undergo a month of special vocal training to perform in early 2015 aboard the Virgin Galactic, the passenger spaceplane being launched by British billionaire Richard Branson to popularise space tourism.

While the third album suggest Lady Gaga's increasing artistic ambitions, critics in Britain and the US are not so convinced.

"The intention of the album was to put art culture into pop music, a reverse of Warhol. Instead of putting pop onto the canvas, we wanted to put the art onto the soup can," Lady Gaga said in an interview in Britain's Daily Mail.

Lady Gaga has collaborated with a number of world famous contemporary artists, including Jeff Koons for the album's artwork, showing her as a post-modern Botticellian Venus.

But on a first hearing "Artpop" returns to familiar themes desire, drugs, identity, celebrity, fashion, creativity and sounds more like Lady Gaga's previous albums "The Fame" and "Born this way" than it does a totally new musical experiment.

"There's certainly some decent pop on Lady Gaga's new album but the 'art' part is rather harder to discern", said the British newspaper The Guardian.

The verdict was echoed across the Atlantic.

"Lady Gaga's latest extravagant exploration of her own fame, fabulousness and fearlessness is undeniably relentless, but that doesn't mean it's consistently entertaining," said USA Today.

"Musically, it's as big and bold, unpredictable and diverse as Gaga herself with enough hooks and ABBA-esque choruses to keep any pop fan smiling through Christmas and beyond," said the online Huffington Post. (GNN) (AFP) (Yoogle)

US firm claims first 3D-printed metal gun

LOSE ANGELES: A Californian engineering company says it has produced the first metal gun made on a 3D printer, releasing a video showing the firearm scoring repeated bullseyes in successful tests. But Solid Concepts, which describes itself as a world leader of 3D printing services, said making the classic 1911 shotgun did not come cheap, requiring a lot more than a souped-up desktop printer.

"It functions beautifully," it said of the gun, in a blog accompanying the video clips. "Our resident gun expert has fired 50 successful rounds and hit a few bull's eyes at over 30 yards (meters).

The gun comprises more than 30 3D-printed components, including stainless steel and other metal parts.

"The whole concept of using a laser sintering process to 3D print a metal gun revolves around proving the reliability, accuracy and usability of 3D metal printing," said Solid Concepts' vice president Kent Firestone.

"We're working to change people's perspective," he added from the company's base in Valencia, 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.

The 3D printer they use does not come cheap.

"This isn't about desktop printers... the industrial printer we used costs more than my college tuition and I went to a private university," said Firestone.

"And the engineers who run our machines are top of the line; they are experts who know what they're doing and understand 3D printing better than anyone in this business."

The use of 3D printing technology to manufacture weapons is not new. But making them out of metal is.

Earlier this year computer files allowing someone to make a single-shot Liberator gun were downloaded more than 100,000 times from Defense Distributed, an open-source website dedicated to 3D printable gun components.

The State Department, which oversees US weapons exports, ordered the blueprints to be taken off the Internet in May -- but by that point, users had already reposted them widely on various file-sharing sites.

But Solid Concepts said its system is legal, claiming that they are the only 3D printing service provider with a Federal Firearms License.

"Now, if a qualifying customer needs a unique gun part in five days, we can deliver," the company said said.

"We have the right materials, and the right engineers who know how to best program and maintain these machines, to make 3D printing accurate, powerful and here to stay."

US firm claims first 3D-printed metal gun

LOSE NGELES: A Californian engineering company says it has produced the first metal gun made on a 3D printer, releasing a video showing the firearm scoring repeated bullseyes in successful tests.

But Solid Concepts, which describes itself as a world leader of 3D printing services, said making the classic 1911 shotgun did not come cheap, requiring a lot more than a souped-up desktop printer.

"It functions beautifully," it said of the gun, in a blog accompanying the video clips. "Our resident gun expert has fired 50 successful rounds and hit a few bull's eyes at over 30 yards (meters).

The gun comprises more than 30 3D-printed components, including stainless steel and other metal parts.

"The whole concept of using a laser sintering process to 3D print a metal gun revolves around proving the reliability, accuracy and usability of 3D metal printing," said Solid Concepts' vice president Kent Firestone.

"We're working to change people's perspective," he added from the company's base in Valencia, 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.

The 3D printer they use does not come cheap.

"This isn't about desktop printers... the industrial printer we used costs more than my college tuition and I went to a private university," said Firestone.

"And the engineers who run our machines are top of the line; they are experts who know what they're doing and understand 3D printing better than anyone in this business."

The use of 3D printing technology to manufacture weapons is not new. But making them out of metal is.

Earlier this year computer files allowing someone to make a single-shot Liberator gun were downloaded more than 100,000 times from Defense Distributed, an open-source website dedicated to 3D printable gun components.

The State Department, which oversees US weapons exports, ordered the blueprints to be taken off the Internet in May -- but by that point, users had already reposted them widely on various file-sharing sites.

But Solid Concepts said its system is legal, claiming that they are the only 3D printing service provider with a Federal Firearms License.

"Now, if a qualifying customer needs a unique gun part in five days, we can deliver," the company said said.

"We have the right materials, and the right engineers who know how to best program and maintain these machines, to make 3D printing accurate, powerful and here to stay."

Microsoft Is Finally Taking Aim At The Cable Box

Game consoles are in an enviable position: right under millions of televisions. The popular line is that the big three Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony are dinosaurs choking on the smoke of a red hot mobile gaming meteor.

That’s not true. Nintendo has already sold 3.91 million units as of September 2013 and the Xbox 360 sold 79 million. That’s a lot of electronics under a lot of TVs.

Each of these devices has attempted to supplant a single rival, the cable box, with lackluster results. The Wii U allows for a sort of watered-down TV control using the Wiimote but the Xbox One is one of the first devices to offer HDMI pass through and a built-in TV guide for any provider. And, if I were a cable provider, I’d be very afraid. I sat down with Microsoft yesterday to see the new system and came away impressed.

At launch Xbox’s TV functionality is very limited. The Kinect works as an IR blaster and controls almost any set top box using remote commands.

You can pause and rewind live shows but you can’t record them or really control your DVR directly from the Xbox (they say that functionality is coming soon which may point to some trouble with partners).

To do the things most of us do with cable boxes play back recorded TV you’re out of luck with the One right now.

But what the One does best is offer favorite channels and programs. By offering an embedded TV guide, the One supplants the Comcasts and Dishes of the world and creates a layer over live TV. You can select your favorite channels and just scroll through those, you can go to certain channels with voice commands, and you can pin movies and shows to your dashboard for easy access.

Not everything works perfectly yet, but the direction is clear: the One is a mediator between the cable box and your desires and, given enough access, it could supplant the “live” channel entirely.

The thing that struck me during our demo is how easy it would be for the One to replace, say, the HBO cable channel with HBO Go. I could also see a day when cable channels could go all IP and embed themselves right into the program guide on an a la carte basis.

Microsoft already has channel apps apps that supply certain entertainment like NFL games. What would happen when all of your channel apps replace actual cable channels? It can and it will happen.

Again it is very premature to say that the Xbox One is replacing the cable box. The software is still wonky and the use case, at least for folks with home theater gear and a smart remote, is limited.

However if space is at a premium I could definitely see passing my cable box through the Xbox and getting everything done that way. I could also see a day when the arguably powerful guts of the Xbox pushes the cable box out entirely and simply slurps up Internet video.

While that day won’t be soon, if I were a cable company exec I’d be watching my back. After all, Blockbuster was once a media giant as well and look where that got them.

Oil prices higher in Asian trade

SINGAPORE: Oil prices rose in Asian trade Friday but faced downward pressure from easing supply concerns as well as speculation the.

US Federal Reserve may begin to taper its stimulus programme soon, analysts said.

New York's main contract West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for December

delivery was up 38 cents at $94.58 in mid-morning trade, while Brent North Sea crude for December edged up two cents to $103.48.

Six-tailed asteroid stuns scientists

WASHINGTON: A strange asteroid that appears to have multiple rotating tails has been spotted with NASA’s Hubble telescope between Mars and Jupiter, astronomers said Thursday. Instead of appearing as a small point of light, like most asteroids, this one has half a dozen comet-like dust tails radiating out like spokes on a wheel, said the report in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

"Its hard to believe were looking at an asteroid," said lead investigator David Jewitt, a professor in the University of California Los Angeles Department of Earth and Space Sciences.

"We were dumbfounded when we saw it. Amazingly, its tail structures change dramatically in just 13 days as it belches out dust.

"The object has been named P/2013 P5, and astronomers believe it has been spewing dust for at least five months. The asteroid may have started spinning so fast that it began to disintegrate, scientists say.

They don’t think the tails are a result of an impact, because that would cause dust to spray out all at once. Its multiple tails were discovered in images taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope on September 10, 2013, after first being spotted with a telescope in Hawaii.

Jewitt said the object may have come from an asteroid collision some 200 million years ago. Its pattern of dispersing dust in fits and bursts may be how it slowly dies.

"In astronomy, where you find one, you eventually find a whole bunch more," he said. "This is an amazing object and almost certainly the first of many more to come." (Yoogle) (AFP) (GNN)

Six-tailed asteroid stuns scientists

WASHINGTON: A strange asteroid that appears to have multiple rotating tails has been spotted with NASA’s Hubble telescope between Mars and Jupiter, astronomers said Thursday. Instead of appearing as a small point of light, like most asteroids, this one has half a dozen comet-like dust tails radiating out like spokes on a wheel, said the report in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

"Its hard to believe were looking at an asteroid," said lead investigator David Jewitt, a professor in the University of California Los Angeles Department of Earth and Space Sciences.

"We were dumbfounded when we saw it. Amazingly, its tail structures change dramatically in just 13 days as it belches out dust.

"The object has been named P/2013 P5, and astronomers believe it has been spewing dust for at least five months. The asteroid may have started spinning so fast that it began to disintegrate, scientists say.

They don’t think the tails are a result of an impact, because that would cause dust to spray out all at once. Its multiple tails were discovered in images taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope on September 10, 2013, after first being spotted with a telescope in Hawaii.

Jewitt said the object may have come from an asteroid collision some 200 million years ago. Its pattern of dispersing dust in fits and bursts may be how it slowly dies.

"In astronomy, where you find one, you eventually find a whole bunch more," he said. "This is an amazing object and almost certainly the first of many more to come." (Yoogle) (AFP) (GNN)

Rio police charge Justin Bieber over wall tagging

RIO DE JANEIRO: Canadian teen idol Justin Bieber has been charged with illegally tagging the wall of an abandoned hotel during his stay in Rio, police said Thursday. A police spokesman described the case as a misdemeanor which will be forwarded to a small-claims court where Bieber, who left the country Wednesday, faces a fine.

Late Tuesday, protected by his security detail, Bieber tagged "Respect privacy" and "I am off" as well as several drawings on a hotel wall in Rio's tourist southern zone.

A police probe subsequently established that the 19-year-old pop star had received permission from City Hall to tag a wall at another location, the Olympic Village in the Vidigal shantytown.

But Bieber's entourage felt he would not be safe there. "The permission from City Hall did not extend to other locations," a police statement said.

Since his arrival last Friday after a stop in Sao Paulo, Bieber, who gave a concert here Sunday, had grabbed media attention with a series of peccadilloes.

He was photographed emerging under a blanket from a notorious Rio brothel and later vainly tried to bring prostitutes into the posh Copacabana Palace.

Furious that he was not able to do so, the teen sensation reportedly went on a rampage in his suite, breaking various objects valued at nearly $6,000 in total.

Bieber and his entourage were subsequently kicked out of the hotel. Bieber, who was on the Brazilian leg of his world tour to promote his Believe album, left Rio Wednesday for Paraguay on the next stage of his tour.

December 2015 release for new Star Wars film

LOS ANGELES: ‘Star Wars’ fans finally have a date for their diary after filmmakers announced a long-awaited new installment of the iconic sci-fi franchise will be released on December 18, 2015. The announcement Thursday laid to rest reports suggesting that the film, announced last year for 2015, might be delayed after one of the new movies screenwriters was replaced last month.

"Were very excited to share the official 2015 release date for Star Wars: Episode VII," said Alan Horn, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, which bought "Star Wars" creator George Lucass company Lucas film for over $4 billion last year. The new movie "will not only anchor the popular holiday film going season," but the 2015 release date will "also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has the time needed to deliver a sensational picture," he added.

"Star Wars for Christmas!!" wrote one fan on the Force.Net website Lucas who launched the epic space saga nearly four decades ago and directed four of the six films to date will serve as a creative consultant for at least three new films, which are expected to come out every two to three years.

The new movie will be directed by J.J. Abrams ("Mission: Impossible III," "Star Trek") from a screenplay by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, whose credits include "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi.

"Veteran movie composer John Williams will provide the score, while Abrams, Lucas film president Kathleen Kennedy, and Bryan Burk are listed as producers of the eagerly-awaited film.

Filming is due to begin next spring in Pinewood Studios outside London, added a Disney statement, adding that pre-production was "in full swing.

"All of the six previous "Star Wars" movies which have had pre-summer release dates in the United States have included production in British studios, including Elstree, Shepperton, Leavesden, Ealing and Pinewood Studios.

Disney announced the new film was slated for 2015 when they bought Lucas film last year, but media reports have suggested Abrams had doubts he could meet that deadline.

Only last month filmmakers announced the departure of original Oscar-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt. The return of Kasdan, the screenwriter behind 1980s "The Empire Strikes Back", widely revered as the best of the "Star Wars films by franchise devotees, was greeted with excitement by expectant fans.

It is unclear whether all the original main cast members will return for the new movie.

Carrie Fisher confirmed she will reprise her turn as Princess Leia in a newspaper interview earlier this year, and Harrison Ford, who played grumpy space adventurer Han Solo, has made repeated hints.

Reports also suggested that Mark Hamill will return as Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker.

The first "Star Wars" movie came out in 1977, and there have been two trilogies -- three films from 1977-1983 and three prequels from 1999-2005 -- while the brand has expanded into theme parks and a huge merchandising arm.

The films have earned some $4.4 billion globally over the last 35 years, and offer "a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases," Disney said when it bought Lucas film in October last year. (GNN) (AFP) (Yoogle)

In Marvel Comics, Ms Marvel returns as Muslim teen

Marvel Comics is bringing Ms. Marvel back as a 16-year-old daughter of Pakistani immigrants living in Jersey City named Kamala Khan. The character among the first to be a series protagonist who is both female and Muslim is part of Marvel Entertainment's efforts to reflect a growing diversity among its readers while keeping a hold of the contemporary relevance that have underlined its foundation since the creation of Spider-Man and the X-Men in the early 1960s.

Writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona, working with editor Sana Amanat, say the series reflects Khan's vibrant but kinetic world, learning to deal with superpowers, family expectations and adolescence.

Amanat calls the series a "desire to explore the Muslim-American diaspora from an authentic perspective" and what it means to be young and lost amid expectations by others while also telling the story of a teenager coming to grips with having amazing powers.

"I wanted Ms. Marvel to be true-to-life, something real people could relate to, particularly young women.

High school was a very vivid time in my life, so I drew heavily on those experiences impending adulthood, dealing with school, emotionally charged friendships that are such a huge part of being a teenager," said Wilson, a convert to Islam whose previous comics work includes the graphic novel "Cairo" and series "Air" from Vertigo.

"It's for all the geek girls out there and everybody else who's ever looked at life from the fringe."

This Ms. Marvel can grow and shrink her limbs and her body and, Wilson said, ultimately, she'll be able to shape shift into other forms.

The idea came after a discussion with senior editor Stephen Wacker as he and Amanat, a Muslim-American, compared stories about growing up.

From there it germinated into a "character for all those little girls who are growing up now the way you are growing up," she recalled.

Wilson was brought on board to write the series and the team quickly got approval from Marvel's creative committee to move forward.

DC Comics last fall relaunched its "Green Lantern" series with Simon Baz, an Arab American and Muslim. The character reflects writer Geoff Johns' Lebanese ancestry and his upbringing in the Detroit area.

There have been a few others: Marvel Comics has Dust, a young Afghan woman whose mutant ability to manipulate sand and dust has been part of the popular X-Men books. DC Comics in late 2010 introduced Nightrunner, a young Muslim hero of Algerian descent reared in Paris.

The creative team said that Khan's backstory, growing up Muslim, is an element of the story, but not the critical foundation, either.

"Kamala is not unlike Peter Parker," said Marvel Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso of the teenager turned wall crawler. "She's a 16-year-old girl from the suburbs who is trying to figure out who she is and trying to forge an identity when she suddenly bestows great power and learns the great responsibility that comes with it."

George Strait rides away with top country music honor

WASHINGTON: George Strait might be reconsidering his retirement plans after he picked up country music's top honor Wednesday for the third time in his long career. Strait, 61, who's midway through his Cowboy Rides Away farewell tour, won entertainer of the year at the 47th annual Country Music Association (CMA) awards in Nashville, Tennessee, a laurel he last won in 1989 and 1990.

"This blows me away. I cannot believe it," said the down-to-earth Texan singer-songwriter, sporting his trademark 10-gallon hat and putting his hand over his heart.

"I'm so thrilled just to be nominated again. This means the world to me."

An old-school traditionalist in a genre very much in flux, Strait stunned country music fans last year when he announced his final concert tour, although he intends to continue recording and to make occasional live appearances.

Last year's CMA entertainer of the year Blake Shelton went home with his fourth career CMA best male vocalist award, as well as the album of the year trophy for his latest studio effort, "Based on a True Story..."

His wife Miranda Lambert won best female vocalist, also her fourth at the CMAs.

"Well, hell, thank you," Lambert told the capacity crowd at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. "I really didn't think this one was going to happen this year."

Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, better known as Florida Georgia Line, won single of the year for their smash crossover hit "Cruise" and collected best duo of the year to boot.

Fellow newcomer Kacey Musgraves, with six nominations, went home with best new artist, while Little Big Town won for best vocal group.

Winning song of the year, a prize for songwriters, was "I Drive Your Truck" by J essi Alexander, Connie Harrington and Jimmy Yeary. An ode to a US soldier killed in Afghanistan, it was recorded by Lee Brice.

Despite her shift towards mainstream pop, the CMA bestowed a special Pinnacle achievement award on Taylor Swift -- and surprised the 23-year-old chart-topper by assembling on stage all the country stars she once opened for, Strait among them.

"I didn't know there was going to be all this," she said. "You've made me feel so special right now."

Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley co-hosted the three-hour gala, telecast live on ABC, for the sixth year running, warming up the crowd with witty swipes at President Barack Obama's troubled health care reforms.

"I started signing up last Thursday and I'm almost done," said Underwood before joining Paisley in a retooling of Strait's "Amarillo by Morning" that included the lyrics: "Obamacare by morning, over six people served."

Hobbit fans get sneak peek at new movie

WELLINGTON: Director Peter Jackson gave fans a sneak peek of his latest Tolkien epic Tuesday, revealing he is working non-stop to get "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" ready to premiere next month. Jackson took a break from editing to host what was billed as a "world fan event", featuring question and answer sessions with stars from the movie streamed online from cinemas in Wellington, New York, Los Angeles and London.

Barefoot and relaxed, the New Zealander said contact with his fans, many of whom were dressed as Tolkien characters, helped re-energise him during the gruelling editing process ahead of the movie's December 13 debut.

"We haven't finished the movie, it's pretty intense at the moment," he told the audience at Wellington's Embassy cinema.

"I was up until 2am yesterday morning, working all night during the weekend -- there's five weeks to go and an awful lot left to do. So this is really enjoyable, it's really good to hear your responses."

The highlight of the event was a 20-minute preview of the movie the second instalment in The Hobbit trilogy which was screened to cinema audiences but not streamed online because of piracy concerns.

The footage, which prompted cheers and applause from viewers, included a scene featuring Lost actress Evangeline Lilly as the elf Tauriel, who was a controversial inclusion in the movie for Tolkien fanatics, as the character is not in the original novel.

"Don't hate, don't hate," Lilly joked from Los Angeles as she was introduced to the franchise's global fan base via the live stream, revealing she took inspiration for the character from Tinkerbell in "Peter Pan".

"Tink is a badass little fairy, she's tiny and she's cute but she's fierce, you don't want to get on the wrong side of Tink," Lilly said.

"So somewhere in my brain those things connected and she ended up one of my inspirations for the role."

Orlando Bloom, speaking from New York, said he had "a riot of a time" reprising his role as the elf Legolas a decade after the original "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

"And my costume still fits," he said.

Wellington-based fan Shirley Jones arrived at the event with her pet lizard Hermes, which was used by the movie's digital animators to help create the dragon Smaug.

She said the footage showed the latest film matched Jackson's previous Tolkien epics, which have garnered Academy Awards, critical acclaim and valuable box-office dollars.

"He's a director who's obsessed with quality and that shows in his films," she said.

"He's also very good at keeping his fan base engaged through events like these it's probably because he's still a fanboy himself."

The first film in the series, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", was released in December last year with the final chapter "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" scheduled to come out in December next year.

Production of the trilogy has so far cost $561 million, according to the Hobbit website.

"An Unexpected Journey" took more than $1 billion at the box office.

Cruise says he's close to daughter despite work

LOS ANGELES: Tom Cruise maintains a close relationship with his daughter Suri despite his divorce from her mother and a hectic film schedule, the actor wrote in a court filing to support his defamation lawsuit against a magazine publisher. The actor's two-page description of his relationship with his daughter was filed Tuesday in a case against Bauer Publishing Co.

The actor is suing Bauer over a pair of 2012 tabloid stories that claimed he had ``abandoned'' his daughter. The stories in Life & Style and In Touch magazines cited Cruise's absence from Suri's life due to overseas film shoots.

``I have in no way cut Suri out of my life whether physically, emotionally, financially or otherwise,'' Cruise wrote. He said despite filming back-to-back movies in the second half of 2012, he spoke to his daughter nearly every day and got frequent updates about her from her mother, actress Katie Holmes.

Cruise's lawyers are asking a judge to order Bauer to declare it didn't have any sources to support its contentions about his parenting role.

Bauer's lawyers argue that a judge should reject Cruise's motion. Their lawyers also cited files they have turned over to Cruise's legal team that describe the magazine's reporting and statements from confidential sources that the actor had missed Suri's first day of school and could have flown to New York to see her.

Cruise sued Bauer Publishing in October 2012, and his lawyer Bert Fields attacked the notion that the actor had deserted his daughter as a ``vicious lie.'' (GNN) (AP)

'Ender's Game' tops N. American box office

LOS ANGELES: "Ender's Game," Harrison Ford's science fiction return to the big screen, easily topped the North American Box Office on its debut weekend, according to preliminary figures released Sunday. The film, which depicts a battle to save the human race from alien attack, took $28 million in theaters, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations said, knocking wacky Jackass comedy "Bad Grandpa," ($20.5 million) into second place.
"Last Vegas," starring Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, on a bachelor party in Sin City, entered in third spot, taking $16.5 million, with animated comedy "Free Birds," ($16.2 million) in fourth.

"Gravity" with Oscar winners Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts adrift in space after a devastating accident scored $13.1 million in fifth spot, taking its gross takings to $219 million since its release.

"Captain Phillips," based on a true story and starring Tom Hanks as a cargo ship captain captured by Somali pirates, earned $8.5 million.

Steve McQueen's "12 years a Slave" earned $4.6 million between Friday and Sunday, jumping from last week's eighth place to seventh, edging out "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2," which took $4.2 million.

The reprise of "Carrie," the latest film adaptation of the Stephen King horror tale about an outcast schoolgirl out for revenge, earned $3.4 million, falling to ninth from last week's sixth place.

"The Counselor" with Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt, earned $3.25 million but fell from fourth place to round out the top 10 on its second week in theaters.

Sindh govt to move SC for LB polls date extension

KARACHI: Sindh government has decided to submit a plea in the Supreme Court (SC) for extending date of local bodies (LB) elections in the province.

Sources said the provincial government is of view that owing to Muharram-ul Haram holidays there might be some delay in holding LB elections.

In the petition, the Sindh government would pray for extending date in the polls till December 07. (GNN) (Geo)

Gold worth millions of rupees stolen from bank in Swabi

SWABI: Dozens of bags containing gold worth multi-million rupees disappeared from a bank’s locker in Swabi.

According to police, the heist occurred at National Bank’s branch in Thandkoi area of Swabi. The culprits have stolen 61 bags containing gold jewelry from the bank’s safe, sources informed.

An FIR of the incident has been registered while the police has arrested a sweeper on bank manager’s complaint. (GNN) (Geo)

Swabi Bank Robbery  Video

Bannu: five killed as passenger bus overturns

BANNU: At least five people were killed and several others injured when a speedy passenger bus overturned at Manjhiwal motorway in Bannu.

According to the reports, five passengers died and several others sustained injuries when an ill-fated bus turned turtle when it was on its way to Peshawar from Karachi.

The injured including women and children were shifted to Sara-e-Norang Hospital.

Sources told that the bus was carrying more than sixty passengers at the time of accident. (GNN) (Geo) (Yoogle)

Defence secretary contempt case proceeding stopped until Nov.18

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court five-member bench hearing the intra court appeal on Friday stopped the contempt of court proceeding against the defence secretary, Asif Yasin Malik until November 18. SC five member bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk and consisting of Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Justice Athar Saeed, Justice Azmat Sheikh Saeed and Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman was hearing the intra-court appeal.

Senior advocate, Iftikhar Gilani, the counsel of Asif Yasin Malik had filed the intra court appeal against his client’s indictment by SC three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan on Tuesday for not complying with its orders for holding local government elections in the cantonment areas.

During the course of hearing, the Attorney General made a plea that he be allowed to dissociate himself from the case.

The contempt charges were framed against the secretary under Section 2(b) of Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003, read with Section 3 of Article 204 of the Constitution. (GNN) (Geo) (Yoogle)

Sindh CM satisfied over ongoing targeted op in Karachi

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has expressed satisfaction over ongoing targeted operation in Karachi. Qaim Ali Shah was presiding over a high level meeting on law and order at CM House on Thursday.

Provincial Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Chief Secretary Sindh Muhammad Ijaz Chaudhry, IG Police Sindh Shahid Nadeem Baloch, Additional Chief Secretary Home Mumtaz Shah, Additional IG Police Karachi Shahid Hayat, representatives of intelligence agencies and other officials attended the meeting.

Qaim Ali Shah called for making prosecution process more effective and faster to bring to justice the suspects arrested in the targeted action.

The Chief Minister said that the first 10 to 12 days of Muharram are very important and ordered extra ordinary security arrangements during this period.

Taking notice of recent killings in the city, Qaim Ali Shah ordered immediate arrest of culprits.

He also called for blocking of unregistered mobile phone SIMs.

Writ of government necessary in the country: Shah

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader in the National Assembly (NA) Syed Khursheed Shah has said the government should decide what strategy be adopted after Taliban rejected talks. In a statement issued here Thursday, Syed Khursheed Shah said they were with the government for the sake of peace, adding writ of the government is necessary in the country.

Shah said arrangements were being made for talks with Taliban in a mansion in Bannu.

He said it was also better for Taliban to come on dialogue table. He asked why Pakistan was avenged in hostility of the US.

Taliban reject talks

The Pakistani Taliban have rejected dialogue with the government following the appointment of a new TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah.

According to a foreign news agency, Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said there would be no more talks as Mullah Fazlullah is against negotiations with the Pakistani government.

The decision to appoint Mullah Fazlullah as the new TTP chief and Sheikh Khalid Haqqani the deputy chief was taken by the Taliban shura. (GNN) (Geo) (Yoogle)

MQM delegation meets PPP Sindh leaders

KARACHI: A Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) delegation visited Chief Minister House on Thursday (today) to discuss issues related to local government elections.

Sources said that The MQM delegation comprising Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Kanwar Naveed Jamil and Adil Siddiqui exchanged views on how to hold peaceful election in the province with a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) delegation consisting of Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, Senior Minister Nisar Khoro and Law Minister Sikandar Menhdero.

The sources said that the MQM delegation paid the visit on the invitation of Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah.

Pakistani Taliban reject dialogue with government

PESHAWAR: The Pakistani Taliban have rejected dialogue with the government following the appointment of a new TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah.

According to a foreign news agency, Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said there would be no more talks as Mullah Fazlullah is against negotiations with the Pakistani government.

The decision to appoint Mullah Fazlullah as the new TTP chief and Sheikh Khalid Haqqani the deputy chief was taken by the Taliban shura.

Mullah Fazlullah chosen as new Pakistan Taliban leader

PESHAWAR: Mullah Fazlullah alias Mullah Radio has been elected as the new chief of the Pakistani Taliban following the death of Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike. The decision to appoint the new Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief and his deputy Sheikh Khalid Haqqani was taken during the meeting of the Taliban ruling council.

Mullah Fazlullah led the Taliban’s brutal two year rule in Pakistan’s northwest valley of Swat in 2007-2009 before a military operation retook the area. Since the operation in Swat, Fazlullah took shelter in Afghanistan and directed attacks against Pakistan.

Pakistani intelligence believes Fazlullah has links to the attempt to kill Malala Yousafzai in Swat in October 2012, an attack which was claimed by the TTP. He is also said to be involved in the high profile killing of Major General (retd) Sanaullah Khan Niazi, General Officer Commanding Swat, in Upper Dir in an IED blast.

Following his appointment, the Taliban rejected talks with Islamabad stating Mullah Fazlullah is against negotiations with the Pakistani government.

The killing of Mehsud on Friday came as government representatives prepared to meet the TTP with a view to opening peace talks. It triggered an angry response from Islamabad, with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar accusing Washington of sabotaging peace efforts.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was more measured, but said his government was committed to seeking peace through dialogue and stressing that an end to bloodshed could not be achieved "by unleashing senseless force". (GNN) (Thenews)

ECP asks govt to complete ballot paper printing within stipulated time

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan has dismissed government’s apology and ordered it to get the printing of ballot papers done within the stipulated time.

The electoral body ordered the government to ensure the printing of ballot papers for the elections. The orders were signed by the four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The orders have also been sent to the cabinet secretary who had apologized, expressing inability to implement the ECP instructions.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also said Thursday (today), during his visit to the ECP, that it was not possible to complete the process of printing of ballot papers within 20-25 days.

Lahore woman throws three daughters into canal

LAHORE: A mentally challenged woman threw her three daughters into a canal on Thursday, rescue sources said.

The sources said that body of an ill-fated child was recovered while search for two others was still underway.

Police said that the woman identified as Razia threw her three daughters into BRB canal and was taken into custody. Names and ages of the girls were yet to be known.

IG says suspects confess to involvement in Qissa Khawani bombing

PESHAWAR: Inspector General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Nasir Khan Durrani on Thursday said that two suspects involved in Qissa Khawani Bazaar had been arrested.

He said that both the Afghan nationals were also involved in several acts of terrorism in Afghanistan and had confessed to their involvement in the Qissa Khawani deadly bombings.

Speaking to Geo News, the IGP declared Kohat, Peshawar, Hangu, and Dera Ismael Khan as sensitive areas keeping in view Muharram.

He said that security arrangements including measures to detect Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) have been finalized.

The IG, however, said that no decision was taken so far to snap mobile phone services during two last days of Muharram.

LB polls in Punjab on party basis: LHC

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered that local bodies (LB) elections in Punjab be held on party basis.

PPP, PTI, PML-Q and Majlis Wahadat-e-Muslimeen had challenged the LB elections being held on non-political basis.

In the order, the LHC stated that Local Government Act 2013 section 18 was against basic human rights. According to the order, it is the provincial government’s authority to decide delimitations of local bodies.

Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise

Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise: The Most Watched Video On The Internet 2013 Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise Video

Samsung Galaxy Round briefly becomes available overseas

The Samsung Galaxy Round was the second announced and the first released curved smartphone on the market. Like its LG G Flex rival, the Galaxy Round was recently announced and released in Korea.

And while LG's curved phone will make its way to Europe, USA and China soon, Samsung has so far announced no plans to expand the Round availability outside of Korea.

Even though the Galaxy Round is hard to find even in Korea, Australian retailer MobiCity and US retailer Negri Electronics briefly listed the device unlocked at around $1130 (1200 AUD), although both are now backordered.

They are still accepting orders, so it's possible that new shipments will be available at some point in the future.

There's a chance Samsung to decide to go global with the Galaxy Round due to the obvious wow factor the device brings in overseas markets. More than likely, the Galaxy Round will be a precursor of a more capable international version built to take advantage of any momentum gained by this first generation flexible display device.
Source : Negri Electronics : MobiCity

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 review

Introduction
Lightweight, agile and simply affordable, seven-inchers did, at one point, seem capable of pushing ten-inch Android tablets out of business. Even Samsung, with its device for every aste approach had to admit defeat. The Koreans all but threw in the towel with the Galaxy Tab line, consciously relegating it to the midrange.

The Notes are a different breed though one we can't see Samsung giving up on any time soon. Of course, it's always the phablet enjoying most of the spotlight and the Note 3 has already had several occasions to emphatically prove that it deserved every bit of it.

But the ten point one that follows closely could turn out to be the even more impressive device in terms of the scope and depth of upgrades it brings to the table.

The new Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition comes in three different flavors sharing a quite similar design to the Galaxy Note 3 phablet.

There is a Wi-Fi-only version and a 3G enabled model, both powered by Samsung's own Exynos 5 Octa chipset, as well as an LTE-capable tablet with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 800 chipset ticking inside.

The one we're reviewing is the Exynos 5 version and here goes the spec sheet.

Key features

1. 10.1" 16M-color Super Clear PLS capacitive touchscreen of 2560 x 1600 px resolution
2. Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7, Mali-T628MP6 GPU; Exynos 5420 chipset
3. 3GB of RAM
4. Android OS v4.3 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz UX UI
5. S Pen input and great software backend
6. One of a kind split-screen multitasking and pop-up mini apps
7. Quad-band GPRS/EDGE/HSPA and hexa-band LTE connectivity cat.4
8. Voice calls (on 3G and LTE models only)
9. 16/32/64 GB of built-in memory
10. 8 MP autofocus camera, 3264x2448 pixels, geotagging
11. 1080p video recording @60fps (LTE model) / 1080p video recording @30fps (Wi-Fi and 3G models)
12. 2MP front-facing camera; 1080p videos
13. Side-mounted stereo speakers
14. Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Direct, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot
15. Stereo Bluetooth v4.0
16. HDMI TV-out (adapter required), USB host (adapter required)
17. microSD card slot
18. Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
19. Infrared port
20. GPS with A-GPS support; GLONASS, digital compass
21. 1080p XviD/MKV video support with subtitles
22. Accelerometer, three-axis Gyroscope sensor
23. Polaris Office 5 document editor preinstalled
24. 8,220 mAh Li-Po battery

Main disadvantages

1. No NFC
2. No DivX and AC3 codec support
3. Air view works with S-Pen only, no thumb support
4. Notification area not optimized for the large screen

 The latest in processing power is not a bragging right - more a necessity really - considering there are more than a handful of potential competitors powered by either Snapdragon 800 or Tegra 4. And not Androids only, the likes of the Lumia 2520 and the Surface too. The iPad Air certainly doesn't come underpowered either.

But the choice of chipset(s) isn't the only lesson learned from the previous Note 10.1. This time around, the screen resolution too is at the top of what's currently available in the tablet segment.

Samsung have also thrown in a massive 8220mAh battery in a body that's more compact, slimmer and weighing less than the predecessor's.

The 2014 Edition Note 10.1 couldn't have hoped for a better start and the praise the Note 3 is getting will put even more wind in its sails.

Apple Employs ‘Warrant Canary’ To Warn Users Of Future Compliance With Patriot Act Info Requests

Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act is one of the most controversial of an already hot-button portion of US law. Section 215 of the act allows for court orders, which can be made secret, to allow the government to collect data  that may be relevant to a government investigation.

The big exception most take to the section is that it provides a much lower threshold for data gathering than a ‘probable cause’ warrant. Under Section 215, the government could force companies like Apple, Google, Yahoo, Dropbox or any other to disclose personal data about Internet usage, browsing habits or other items that it considers ‘tangible things’.

And, because of the security requirements, it could force companies not to disclose that they had ever received such requests.

Obviously, this falls under the wider scope of government information requests with regards to user data that Apple spoke out against today, and that other companies like Dropbox have also filed Amicus briefs with the Foreign Intelligence Service Act court about.

But another aspect of Apple’s report today stands out as a bold and clever move. Senior Counsel & Free Expression Director at Center for Democracy & Technology Kevin Bankston, formerly an EFF Attorney, noted an interesting claim in the document. Specifically, Apple stated specifically that it had never received a PATRIOT 215 order.

The very last line of Apple’s report today states “Apple has never received an order under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. We would expect to challenge such an order if served on us.”

The cleverness of this becomes evident when you realize that if it had received such an order, it could not disclose it under current rules surrounding national security orders for user data.

This tactic of announcing ‘nothing’ with regards to a government subpoena for data is known as a kind of ‘warrant canary’.

Basically, Apple says that at this point it has not received any such order. But, if that phrase stops appearing in future transparency reports, this acts as a ‘canary in a coal mine‘ that indicates to users that it may have been forced to comply with such an order and not disclose it in the future.

Civil Liberties attorney Matt Cagle notes that Lookout Security has also recently stated they’ve never received a national security order for user data.

This tactic was used by offsite backup company Rsync in what is believed to be the first commercial company application. While Apple’s specific application differs from that of an ISP or pure data provider, it shares the ‘silent alarm’ characteristics.

Apple Patents Bluetooth LE For Intermittent Network Sharing, Perfect For Smartwatches

The USPTO has published an Apple patent application today (via AppleInsider) that could offer a glimpse at how any potential iWatch may work, in terms of gathering data from the web.

The patent describes a method for sharing a network connection over Bluetooth 4.0, the low energy specification used in modern iOS devices that can provide intelligent, intermittent context-based pairing.

Apple’s invention would not create a persistent hotspot in the same way that sharing via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi from your iPhone does currently; instead, it would check in periodically, seek out updates from iCloud, grab push notifications, messages, news, weather and other data and then shut down again, returning to a power conserving state.

The low-power aspect is the key ingredient in this mix. Smartwatches that currently exist, including the Galaxy Gear, handle data connections via Bluetooth, too, but Apple’s patent seems designed to introduce as much power savings as is possible, while also taking any management of connection out of the user’s hands, so they don’t need to worry about when it is and isn’t active.

It’s worth noting that Apple also acquired low energy chipmaker Passif back in August, which provides it with more expertise regarding Bluetooth LE communications.

Apple mentions devices that don’t themselves contain any kind of network radio in the patent, which infers, without directly calling out, wearables such as the rumored iWatch we’ve been hearing so much about.

Other analyst reports and industry information suggest that an iWatch could also come with its own Wi-Fi or cellular radios on board, however, so this Bluetooth LE hotspot feature is likely just one of many possibilities Apple has worked on in its testing facilities.

Of course, an iWatch is still mostly just a myth at this point, with no solid signs we’ll see one hit production any time soon.

But this patent indicates that Apple is at least working on the thorniest problems associated with wearables. Battery life is a primary concern – so far, even the best in class smartwatches offer only a theoretical maximum of 7 days without the need for a charge, which is good but not great.

The point at which wearable tech becomes generally palatable is the point at which it becomes nearly invisible to a user. Adding one more things people have to remember to plug in nightly isn’t going to set the category aflame.

Apple Expands ‘Made In USA’ Efforts With Sapphire Glass Plant, Manufacturing Deal In Arizona

Apple has plans to build a manufacturing plant in Arizona that will extend its ‘Made in The USA’ efforts beyond the Mac Pro and other silicon facilities it maintains in Texas. The news came via a release from both the state of Arizona and the company GT Advanced Technologies, which will produce sapphire material.

The multi-year agreement, which was reported by MacRumors, includes a $580 million prepayment that will get paid back to Apple over five years starting in 2015, and requires that GT maintains a minimum level of manufacturing capacity.

The GT release alludes to the fact that Apple got a stellar deal on the glass, noting that ‘gross margins from this new materials business are expected to be substantially lower than GT’s historical equipment margins’, but says that the strategic nature of the agreement and the fact that it’s a recurring deal offset the margins. Basically, Apple came knocking and GT couldn’t say no.

Apple is purchasing an empty First Solar plant to repurpose it as a glass manufacturing center.

In a statement made to Pocket Lint, Apple said that “We are proud to expand our domestic manufacturing initiative with a new facility in Arizona, creating more than 2,000 jobs in engineering, manufacturing and construction,” further noting that “this new plant will make components for Apple products and it will run on 100% renewable energy from day one, as a result of the work we are doing with SRP to create green energy sources to power the facility.”

Apple’s nods to renewable energy apparently helped the deal, which will create 700 permanent jobs and 1,300 construction jobs.

“Apple is indisputably one of the world’s most innovative companies and I’m thrilled to welcome them to Arizona,” said Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. “Apple will have an incredibly positive economic impact for Arizona and its decision to locate here speaks volumes about the friendly, pro business climate we have been creating these past four years.

Their investment in renewable energy will also be greening our power grid, and creating significant new solar and geothermal power sources for the state. As Governor, I’ve worked hard to demonstrate that Arizona is open for business. Today’s news is proof that’s paying off.”

Apple uses sapphire glass for the protective covers of its camera units, as well as the home button on its latest iPhone. Earlier this year Apple announced that it would assemble its new Mac Pro computers in a plant in Texas. Apple currently cuts deals with its Chinese manufacturers that involve hefty pre-payments for both production and machinery costs.

This deal appears to mark an extension of this kind of work to the US, where GT will manufacture the glass inside an Apple owned facility. Though the deal notes that GT will work off the pre-payments, there is no mention about who will retain ownership of the facility, though it appears to be Apple.

Currently the sapphire glass is only used in a couple of components, but GT says that new furnace technologies will let it lower its cost and raise its capacity. It states this should let it expand its LED and specialty sapphire businesses, but doesn’t clarify whether that means Apple might switch to the harder glass from its current Corning mystery supplier parts.

Apple Patents Home Automation Technology That Adjusts Settings Based On Device Location

Apple has just been granted a new patent (via AppleInsider) which describes a very comprehensive system for controlling connected home devices.

The elaborate setup would make it possible for Apple to use location data fed from things like your iPhone and iPad, as well as use of credit cards or RFID badges to inform automated systems of a user’s whereabouts, and do things like turn on or off power, climate control, lights and more.

The system described works very much like geo-fencing does currently with Apple’s own native Reminders app on iOS: Once a user exits or enters a pre-determined location, other actions are triggered.

Instead of simply alerting someone of something they wanted to remember, however, the system described can essentially turn an entire household or office off and on, and prepare it for comfortable human occupancy.

It’s a little more complex than simple geo-fencing, however. The patent describes an information-gathering system that would be able to incorporate not only where a user is and where they’re going, but also what activities they’re engaging in along the way.

This would make their location predictions more accurate, since they could include estimates about when exactly someone will arrive.

The location data is either polled at regular intervals from devices like iPhones, gathered from fixed remote devices like keycard receivers, or when trigger events communicate with software on iOS or Mac devices, such as when they connect to a specific cell tower.

A smart connected home is one thing, but the really desirable goal of all home automation is a system that anticipates your needs and responds without any user input, operating at maximum efficiency.

That’s exactly what Apple describes in this system, and it’s done using devices that Apple is already actively selling to users, with the very same capabilities already built-in.

The question here is exactly how much it would take on the user’s side, in terms of time, effort and resources to implement such a system, should Apple decide to make it a feature of its products.

Apple certainly has the ecosystem on its side in terms of device-making partners, but it may be another few years before users are at the point where they’re willing or ready to accept the cost of setting up the infrastructure for something like this. Still, it’s a very intriguing route for Apple to explore, and could offer some glimpse at where iOS is headed down the road.

A Like Is Not Enough: Facebook Tests Star Ratings Displayed On Pages

Facebook is apparently testing displaying star ratings, out of a possible five in total, on Pages on the desktop version of its site, according to a reliable tip received by TechCrunch this morning.

Screenshots and live testing show that Facebook has turned on the star rating display for at least a small subsection of users, providing information to network users that goes beyond the somewhat sentiment-deprived basic Like.

Using a star system for place and page ratings isn’t entirely new; Facebook has been collecting star ratings from users on the desktop and via local search for quite a while now, and also seeking star ratings on content and apps via Timeline.

What is new is making this information explicitly displayed on the social network itself, in a prominent place on a business or place Page.

This shift, if it moves from the testing phase to general adoption, has a couple major implications for Facebook users.

First, for general members, it provides an increased degree of sentiment information surrounding places and content that goes well beyond the simple off/on attribute of the Like.

The Like is actually fraught with ambiguity users employ it variously to express sympathy, solidarity, endorsement, a sign of interest or even in some cases a feeling of dislike.

The number of Likes something has indicates how present it is in public consciousness, but not necessarily how people generally feel about it.

Comments provide some sense of sentiment around a Page, but the five-star system threads the needle between ease-of-use, information and digestibility, compared to both the Like and text comments.

And as Facebook moves to become a platform geared towards providing public information, as well as real-time interactivity around media like TV, offering more granularity around how its users feel about people, places and things makes a lot of sense.

For businesses, it’s not clear yet whether displaying this rating will be optional or mandatory, but if Facebook is making a play to compete with the Yelps, Foursquares and Angie’s Lists of the world when it comes to local discovery and service recommendations, it would make sense that they are required by default.

That could mean a considerable shift in how businesses use FB, with more emphasis placed on customer service versus just maintaining a presence on the network. Likes are easy, after all, but getting users to fill up that star bar will require a lot more effort and interaction.

We’ve reached out to Facebook to learn more about this feature, the extent of the test and whether a wider rollout is planned, and we’ll update when we receive more information.

Update: A Facebook spokesperson provided the following confirmation and info from the company:

We’re extending star ratings on Facebook from mobile to desktop to make it easier for people to discover great businesses around them.

This is beneficial for both businesses and consumers. Star ratings encourage more people to rate a business, making it eligible to appear in News Feed and help others discover a business they didn’t know about previously. For businesses themselves, this also leads to greater brand awareness.

As you may recall, star ratings launched in early 2012 with the introduction of Nearby on mobile. Now we’re bringing the visibility of star ratings to a more prominent spot at the top of Pages’ timeline on desktop and to the preview in News Feed.

Thanks to FB user Om Agarwal for the tip.

Facebook Adds Reminders For Upcoming TV Show Airings To Its Android App

Facebook is now a TV guide. Or, at least, if you’re using its Android app, you can now set reminders for upcoming episodes of TV shows in the U.S., on participating TV show Facebook Pages.

A new version of the Android app rolls out these reminders, which seems a very obvious attempt to get members of its network to engage with and discuss broadcast TV content on Facebook as it’s happening in real-time.

If you’re thinking that sounds familiar, you’d be right: Twitter has been aggressive in capitalizing on its role as a companion for live broadcast television. It’s partnering direct with TV content providers for things like a trending TV content box, a relationship with broadcasters that allows users to see snippets of live TV directly in their stream, and a Comcast partnership that triggers DVR and other activity.

Twitter, which has priced its IPO and is listing publicly on the NYSE today, makes no secret of its television and live broadcast ambitions Deb Roy, who came to Twitter through the acquisition of Bluefin Labs, argues that Twitter has an opportunity to become the social glue that binds disparate viewers around televised and other content, a connection which was lost when we started engaging in more time-shifted viewing.

Facebook has been building TV partnerships, too. It recently enabled real-time conversation analysis for Dancing With The Stars, providing stats and information which was broadcast live on air, and it’s running Q&A’s with celebrities and shows, as well as employing hashtags and trending topics to, like Twitter, identify the content people on its network are most interested in. This new reminders feature seems to be another element in its overarching media strategy.

A reminder of a live broadcast from Facebook does one thing: calls your attention to the social network exactly when Facebook wants you to be using it.

Twitter doesn’t yet have anything that quite so blatantly invites users to participate in real-time online discussion specifically and automatically, but it also arguably doesn’t need that because of the tendency of its users to do that organically, anyway.

Facebook wants to be a media property, and it wants to be real-time. It’s taking steps in that direction, but it’s also hard to say what its chances are of competing with Twitter on that scale.

In either case, watching how each evolves as they pursue that goal will prove interesting, as will seeing how users react to their shifting identities.

Facebook Like Button, Viewed 22B Times A Day On 7.5M Websites, Gets A Redesign

Facebook has today updated the design of its Like button for the first time since inception. An image of the new design can be seen below.

Websites currently using the like button will be automatically upgraded.

According to the company, Like buttons appear on over 7.5 million websites and are seen 22 billion times each day.

The new design has a Facebook blue background and ditches the “thumbs up” for a simple F with the word “like”. F Like. Flike.

The company is also pairing like and share buttons together in a single embed, hoping that websites will opt to use both.

What’s the difference, you ask? Well, the share button allows for a comment to be added before sharing, while the like button simply auto-posts to your feed.

You can take a look at the brand new Like button below. Let us know if you flike it.

Google Glass Gets Easier Access To Calendar Info And Directions To Home And Work, Kills Long Press

As Google gears up to expand its Glass Explorer program, it also continues its regular pace of Glass software updates.

This month’s update (X11) isn’t all that big, however, and only introduces two features a new setup tutorial and an easier way for Android users to start a screencast from Glass.

One feature that’s gone, however, is the long press on the touchpad that used to take you directly to Google Search without the need to use the “ok glass, google” command.

As the Glass team notes, “it turns out that a lot of people long pressing the touchpad to activate a Google search were doing so by mistake.” So to avoid that, the X11 update turned this feature off.

As for the new features, starting today, Glass users will be able to get directions to home and work by simply using a command like “ok glass, get directions to home.”

Glass gets this information about you from Google Maps or Google Now, where you can input this data by hand (and if you are a Google Now user, it will also try to guess this information based on where you spend your time during the day).

The second new feature allows you to quickly get a glance of your calendar details by asking something like “ok glass, google my agenda” or “ok glass, google what am I doing next week.”

If you have followed along with Google’s updates to Search, all of this will sound quite familiar. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next few Glass updates continued this trend of bringing this kind of data which was previously only available through the oddly named “Gmail Search Field Trial” to Glass and its repertoire of voice commands.

Setting up Glass is pretty easy, but in this new version, Google decided to tweak the setup tutorial a bit. This tutorial shows all of the usual Glass features, including how to use the touchpad to swipe through card and how to connect a phone.

For users who want to screencast their Glass experience to Android, the MyGlass app now features a “Start Screencast” button underneath the MyGlass notifications in Android’s notifications drawer.

That makes it a bit easier to start a screencast, though unless you screencast from Glass for a living, this isn’t likely to set your world on fire.