Iraq troops advance on Tikrit in biggest fight back yet

BAGHDAD: Iraqi troops advanced towards Tikrit on Saturday pounding insurgent positions in the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far against Sunni militants.

A senior officer said the army was coordinating its efforts with the United States, which has deployed military advisers to help the government push back the militants who have overrun large areas of northern and north-central Iraq.

Armed US drones were flying over Baghdad to provide protection for the advisers and US diplomats against the militants, led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who is revered among Iraq’s majority community, has urged political leaders to unite and form a new government within days to tackle the crisis.

International agencies have raised alarm bells over the humanitarian consequences of the fighting, with up to 10,000 people having fled a northern Christian town in recent days and 1.2 million displaced by unrest in Iraq this year.

Thousands of soldiers, backed by air cover, tanks and bomb disposal units, were advancing on Tikrit, now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein’s hometown, which fell to insurgents on June 11.

“A large military operation started today to clear Tikrit of ISIL,” Staff Lieutenant General Sabah Fatlawi told AFP.

“ISIL fighters now have two choices — flee or be killed,” he boasted.

On Thursday, troops swooped into a strategically located university campus in the city by helicopter, with sporadic clashes reported throughout Friday.

Taking the university is seen as an important step towards regaining control of Tikrit, one of the biggest cities controlled by the militants.

Iraqi forces were carrying out air strikes against insurgents inside the city, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s security spokesman said.

They were also now in full control of a key road from Baghdad to Samarra, between the capital and Tikrit, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta added.

There is coordination with the US “in the field of studying important targets,” Atta said, without providing further details.

Although they initially wilted in the face of the offensive in majority Sunni Arab areas north and west of Baghdad, the security forces have appeared to perform more capably in recent days.

A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said “a few” armed drones were being used over Baghdad as a precaution to safeguard Americans, but they will not be used for offensive action against the militants.

The Pentagon confirmed that among the manned and unmanned US aircraft flying over Iraq to carry out surveillance, some were carrying bombs and missiles.

The US flights come despite Maliki’s insistence on Friday that “Baghdad is safe” from militant assault.

The prime minister was backed in that view by retired US general James Conway, who said that “the worst is over” in the offensive, as the Sunni Arab militants would not be able to penetrate Baghdad or the predominantly Shia Arab south or Kurdish north.

World leaders have insisted that a political settlement be reached between Iraq’s Shia Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities alongside military action.

Top Shia cleric Sistani urged Iraqi leaders to unite and form a government quickly after the new parliament elected on April 30 convenes on Tuesday.

Maliki, who has publicly focused on a military response to the crisis, has acknowledged that political measures are also necessary.

Iraq has appealed for US air strikes against the militants, but Washington has offered only up to 300 military advisers.

US officials have said that a $500 million plan to arm and train moderate rebels in neighbouring Syria could also help Iraq’s fight against ISIL, which operates on both sides of the border.

But amid calls for unity, Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani said Baghdad could no longer object to Kurdish self-rule in Kirkuk and other towns from which federal forces withdrew in the face of the militant advance.

Maliki’s security spokesman has said hundreds of soldiers have been killed since the offensive began on June 9, while the UN puts the overall death toll at nearly 1,100.

The International Organisation for Migration warned that aid workers could not reach tens of thousands of Iraqis displaced by the violence, and called for humanitarian corridors to be established. (AFP)

IMF approves $555.9m tranche for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: At a time when political temperature is rising, the IMF executive board in its meeting in Washington DC on Friday approved the fourth tranche of $555.9 million for Pakistan.
“It is the success of our economic policies that international financial institutions are reposing confidence in Pakistan,” Federal Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar said in his brief statement issued here on Friday after approval of the IMF tranche.

“Just a while ago, the IMF’s Board completed the third review and approved the fourth tranche for Pakistan,” a senior official of Finance Division confirmed to The News prior to the statement of finance minister.

After the approval of this tranche under $6.67 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves will get close to $15 billion by end June 2014. The foreign currency reserves have already touched $14 billion and with the inflow of $555.9 million it will touch $14.5 billion.

However, in another development, the IMF staff led by Jeffry Franks has postponed the next review of Pakistan’s economy till end July or early August 2014. It was earlier scheduled at Istanbul (Turkey) from mid of next month.

The IMF staff, the sources said, has been asking the government to resolve the lingering controversy over Nepra’s decision to reduce the line losses for Discos (power distribution companies) from 16.5 percent to 12.82 percent as well as steps to avoid delays in privatisation proceeds.

When asked, the IMF high-ups told this correspondent in background discussions that Nepra’s decision to reduce the limit of losses from 16.5 percent to 12 percent would create distortions in the budget so the Fund was asking the government to resolve this issue amicably and then hold the next review talks with the IMF staff.

By reducing the limit of losses, there will be increased demand for subsidies in case the government does not enhance the electricity tariff. On the privatisation front, the official sources said that the government has successfully offloaded shares of United Bank Limited to fetch $387 million and now the process was under way to sell the shares of PPL.

On the hiring of financial advisor for the state-owned PIA, the process is underway and is expected to be completed soon. Two of three structural benchmarks for this review were met, including the structural benchmark on tax administration and the benchmark on the audit of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra).However, the benchmark on hiring privatisation advisers was only partially met. In the energy sector, the Fund mission urged the authorities to continue implementation in the days ahead. (By Mehtab Haider / Thenews)

IMF says Pakistan's macroeconomic conditions improving

WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said Pakistan's macroeconomic conditions are improving as executive directors concluded a review of the country's economic performance.

On the occasion of the Executive Board's approval of the 555.9 million tranche for Pakistan David Lipton First Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair noted that fiscal consolidation remains broadly on track. Macroeconomic conditions are improving but downside risks remain.

The government has taken measures to address short-term macroeconomic vulnerabilities and advance structural reforms including the energy sector reform but continued efforts to safeguard the fragile economic recovery are needed he said according to a Fund statement.

He also acknowledged that Islamabad's efforts to boost foreign reserves are bearing fruit and should continue including through spot purchases greater exchange rate flexibility and a prudent monetary policy.

In other areas the Lipton noted the banking sector remains financially stable and profitable and also welcomed continued energy policy reforms.

Jackson fans mark 5th anniversary of icon’s death

GLENDALE: Dozens of Michael Jackson fans laid heaps of flowers Wednesday at the mausoleum where the pop icon is interred, to mark the 5th anniversary of his death.

Around 100 fans, some dressed as the self-proclaimed King of Pop, gathered at the Forest Lawn cemetery outside Los Angeles, where the 50-year-old died while rehearsing for a comeback tour.

"We love you Michael," read a banner on a giant red heart placed outside the small mausoleum in Glendale, north of downtown LA.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009 of an overdose of the clinical anesthetic propofol, administered by his doctor to help treat insomnia as the singer prepared for "This is It" shows in London.

His personal medic Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 over the star´s death and jailed for four years. He was released in October after serving two years.

He had debts of up to $500 million before his death, but in the five years since, his executors have earned more than $700 million, according to a recent book, "Michael Jackson Inc.

"Money-making ventures have included the "This is It" movie of rehearsals for the doomed tour, a touring Cirque du Soleil stage show and two posthumous albums so far, with more to come. (AFP)

NASA launches flight to test new Mars-landing technology

WASHINGTON: After several postponements due to bad weather, NASA Saturday finally sent a flying-saucer-like test vehicle high into the skies to try out technologies that could one day be used to land on Mars.

The US space agency launched its "Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator" vehicle, which includes two new devices for testing -- an inflatable device for deceleration and a "mammoth parachute" for landings.

The disk-like LDSD, attached to a giant helium balloon, launched from the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai at 1840 GMT, and was expected to reach an altitude high enough to conduct the trials in two to three hours.

To land on Mars, NASA has been employing a parachute system dating back to the 1970s, but with heavier spacecrafts, new equipment is needed.

The new technologies are being tested at extremely high altitudes similar to those in Mars´ upper atmosphere.

Once the balloon, the largest every deployed, fully inflates while rising through the atmosphere, it will be the size of a football field.

Upon reaching an altitude of 120,000 feet (36,600 meters), it will then let go of the vehicle, whose rocket will kick in and carry the system to 180,000 feet.

Traveling there at about 3.8 times the speed of sound, the first test will occur, with the deployment of a doughnut-shaped tube, the Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator, which will slow the vehicle to 2.5 times the speed of sound.

Then the mammoth parachute will carry the vehicle back to earth for a water landing -- only 40 minutes after release from the balloon.

NASA has two more LDSD flights planned for testing the two technologies.

"If our flying saucer hits its speed and altitude targets, it will be a great day," LDSD project manager Mark Adler said.

Strong winds had forced NASA to postpone the flight, originally slated for a two-week launch window in early June. (AFP)

MQM, JI, PTI, APML to attend Qadri’s APC today

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) have decided to participate in the All Parties Conference (APC) summoned by Tahirul Qadri.

On the other hand, the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) have refused to attend the Qadri’s APC.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri has convened an APC on July 29 with aim to discuss implications and fallout of the Model Town tragedy and reaching a joint strategy for punishing those responsible for the bloodshed and providing justice to the oppressed.

ANP, PPP refuse to attend Qadri’s APC

ISLAMABAD: The Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have refused to attend the All Parties Conference (APC) summoned by Tahirul Qadri.

ANP leader Zahid Khan said Tahirul Qadri did not believe in the constitution or democracy.

PPP leader Farhatullah Babar announced the decision of his party not to attend the APC.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri has convened an APC on July 29 with aim to discuss implications and fallout of the Model Town tragedy and reaching a joint strategy for punishing those responsible for the bloodshed and providing justice to the oppressed.

Aereo 'pauses' streaming TV service in wake of Supreme Court loss

That didn't take long. Now that the US Supreme Court has ruled that Aereo's antenna-to-cloud TV service is violating copyright, the company is telling customers that it will "pause" service as of 11:30AM Eastern; after that, it's lights-out for both live and recorded streaming. As compensation, Aereo is refunding subscribers' last paid month of service. The startup is adamant that the shutdown is temporary, and is talking to the lower court that previously ruled in its favor (and which has to deal with Aereo's case again) about the "next steps."

We wouldn't count on Aereo resuming service, at least not with its original business model. The Supreme Court ruled that Aereo is putting on a performance like a cable provider, and that's at the very heart of broadcasters' allegations -- they believe it's retransmitting TV without the appropriate permissions and fees. If the company's offering returns at all, it may carry significantly different pricing or usage rights.(BY JON FINGAS / SOURCE: Aereo)

Windows 8.1's Sleep Study tool tells you which activities drain your battery

If you absolutely have to make your Windows tablet battery last as long as you can, then knowing what drains its power will be very helpful.

That's what Microsoft's new Sleep Study tool can do: generate a report of which apps and activities consume the most energy. Unfortunately, there's a catch -- it only works if your device is in InstantGo sleep mode. InstantGo, a feature for Windows 8.1, was previously called Connected Standby for Windows 8 and RT. Unlike other similar modes, it allows your system to sleep while updating apps in the background and keeps the device in a state that's quickly ready to resume.

Take note that it's not available on all Windows 8.1 devices, so to know if you have it, launch the command prompt and type in "powercfg /a." If you see that "Standby <Connected>'s" available, then you can follow Microsoft's instructions on the Windows Experience Blog to run Sleep Study. The tool will generate the report as an HTML file, where you can see the top five reasons why your tablet's always out of battery when you need it the most.
(BY MARIELLA MOON / VIA: Supersite for Windows
SOURCE: Windows Experience Blog)

MakerBot's iPad app lets you sculpt 3D-printed objects from your couch

As a rule, serious 3D printers need equally serious design skills if you're building objects from scratch.

That's no longer true for MakerBot's Replicators, though; the company has just trotted out PrintShop, an iPad app that takes the hard work out of making simple objects. You can build your own bracelets, rings and signs without knowing a lick about modelling software. If you'd like to craft something a little more sophisticated, you can browse a collection of ready-made items from the Thingiverse. We'd still suggest a rookie-friendly device like Printeer if you're primarily interested in basic designs, but this could be an easy way to let your kids in on the action -- or just to make something without leaving your sofa. (BY JON FINGAS / SOURCE: App Store, MakerBot)

Germany's green energy boom is leaving a 'trail of blood' on coal companies

Since the beginning, the commercial growth of renewable energy has been a laborious, often painful matter of government pushes, tax incentives and campaigning for greater awareness. In Germany, however, the energy market is on the cusp of evolving to the next step: An era in which the sun and the wind replace fossil fuels through the sheer, unstoppable force of the market.
The country is currently experiencing a glut of energy, thanks to the recent openings of new coal power stations (which were commissioned back when electricity was in short supply) as well as record levels of renewable generation -- especially solar. On sunny and windy days, the excess of electricity (which on average stands at 117 percent of peak demand) gets so big that energy prices are pushed downwards and traditional power stations are forced to cut down their running hours. A decade ago, fossil companies enjoyed a 15 percent margin on their sales, but today they make just five percent. An energy trader has informed Bloomberg that he believes that the latest coal stations to come online will make "much less money than originally thought" and "won't cover their costs."

Regulation is still at the heart of Germany's predicament, because green generators have preferential access to the grid on days when there's an overload. In other words, they're allowed to run and run, while coal-fired stations have to switch themselves off in response to the excess. However, the consequence -- which we're already seeing -- is to sap investors' interest in financing the coal industry. In turn, this means that when the country's older coal stations reach their end of life over the next decade, there's a much greater chance that they'll be replaced by green sources. Renewable energy's contribution to the grid is on target to rise to 45 percent by 2025, while coal companies are left with what one chief financial officer described as a "trail of blood" on their balance sheets. In the US, meanwhile, the birth of solar on an industrial scale is only just getting started. (BY SHARIF SAKR / SOURCE: Bloomberg)

Astronomers discover Earth-sized 'diamond' 900 light years away

The world's largest diamond, the Cullinan, is a tad over 3,100 carats uncut. Its estimated value is some $2 billion, and it only weighs about 1.37 pounds.

That stone, while enormous relative to others like it, is but an invisible speck when up against the Earth-sized diamond discovered 900 light years from our planet. PSR J2222-0137, a pulsating companion to a white dwarf star located near the constellation Aquarius, has an incredibly low temperature of about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It's the coldest such object that astronomers have ever detected -- so cool, in fact, that it's likely composed of crystallized carbon, much like the diamonds we treasure so greatly. Ultimately, while an exciting development, it would take 10 lifetimes traveling at the speed of light to reach this interstellar discovery, so don't expect an influx of those coveted clear jewels anytime soon.

SOURCE: Astronomy.com
[Image credit: B. Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF]

Mt. Gox revival threatens customer's remaining Bitcoins, says CEO

First, one of the world's largest Bitcoin exchanges went dark, then it filed for bankruptcy, suffered further hacking attacks and even faced a lawsuit. 

Now Mark Karpelès, Mt. Gox's CEO, tells the Wall Street Journal that he's liquidating what's left of the company assets to make ends meet. "As the company head, my mission was to protect customers and employees," he said in the interview, his first public appearance since Mt. Gox collapsed. "I'm deeply sorry. I'm frustrated with myself." A court-appointed trustee now holds all of the exchange's remaining funds and assets, and is preparing to auction off domain names owned by the companies to help repay creditors and keep Tibanne -- Karpelès' other business -- alive. This includes selling bitcoins.com and akb.com. Karpelès didn't say if mtgox.com itself would be up for sale, but he is worried about its future.

Multiple parties are interested in taking over Mt. Gox and rehabilitating the service, Karpelès says, but he's worried these organizations might cannibalize customer's surviving funds to revive it. "Remaining customer money should not be touched," he told the Wall Street Journal, referring to the 200,000 Bitcoins (about $117 million) that were found in an old wallet earlier this year. Karpelès himself is keeping his distance from Bitcoin for now, but he says he wants to return to the community one day so he can tell others to learn from his mistakes. "My experience would be valuable to them, especially if they are thinking of starting up a Bitcoin business. I can tell them what they should do and shouldn't." Check out the full piece at the source link below. (VIA: CoinDesk SOURCE: Wall Street Journal)

Google Chrome gets one-click video chats, no download required

It used you be that if you wanted to round up some chums on a Google+ video hangout in Chrome to figure out how Sherlock really faked his death, you all had to download and install a plugin first. 'Twas hardly a dealbreaker for most, but the process was just annoying enough to keep some people from bothering. Thankfully, those days will soon be over -- Google has just confirmed that you'll no longer need to install anything to initiate a video chat in Chrome. Alas, not all of you will be able to join the streamlined fun immediately though: those of you using Dev Channel and Canary builds of Chrome can claim the feature for yourselves now, but the rest of us will have to wait a few weeks for the change to hit our more stable builds.

SOURCE: Google+

DuPont cuts profit forecast on slow sales in farm business

(GNN) - Chemicals maker DuPont (DD.N) cut its operating profit forecast for the second quarter and the full year, saying sales in its agriculture and performance chemicals units increased at a slower pace than it had expected.

The company's shares fell about 4 percent in extended trading.

DuPont has been focusing on its agriculture business, its biggest, for the past few quarters.

The company, however, reported a rare quarterly decline in sales at this unit in April as farmers in North America delayed purchases due to an unusually harsh winter.

DuPont had then said it expected "significant" growth in the unit's operating earnings in the second quarter ending June 30. [ID:nL3N0N92K5]

The company said on Thursday that corn seed sales in its farm business were lower than expected, while seed inventory write-downs were higher than anticipated.

The harsh winter also hit herbicide sales, the company said.

DuPont said it expected operating profit for the current quarter to fall moderately from $1.28 per share a year earlier.

The company cut its operating profit forecast for the year ending Dec. 31 to $4.00 per share from $4.10.

Analysts were expecting an operating profit of $1.46 per share for the second quarter and of $4.30 per share for the full year, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

DuPont expects operating earnings in its agriculture business to fall in low teens in percentage terms in the second quarter, the company said on a conference call.

Corn pricing in North America is expected to be a bit lower than its previous estimate, the company said.

DuPont said it expected returns of unused corn seeds in Brazil to be higher than it had anticipated.

Lower refrigerant selling prices and weaker sales of floor chemicals also hurt DuPont's performance chemicals business, which is in the process of being hived off.

The spinoff is part of the company's strategy to move into less volatile businesses. The chemicals unit has weighed on DuPont's results since 2012, mainly due to weak prices for a white pigment used in toothpastes, sunscreen and other products.

The company also said it expected to record a pretax restructuring charge of about $270 million, or 20 cents per share after tax, in the second quarter.

A number of chemical companies, including Dow Chemical Co (DOW.N), have come under investor pressure to raise shareholder returns by spinning off less stable units.

DuPont's shares closed at $67.70 on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday.(Reuters)

(Reporting by Soham Chatterjee in Bangalore; Editing by Simon Jennings and Kirti Pandey)

Nikkei falls to 1 1/2-week low on U.S. growth concerns

TOKYO, June 27 (GNN) - Japan's Nikkei share average fell to its lowest in 1-1/2 weeks on Friday as investors took profits, while overall sentiment suffered from brewing concerns over a weak U.S. economy and the yen's strength. 

The Nikkei closed down 1.4 percent at 15,095.00, the lowest closing level since June 17. For the week, the index dropped 1.7 percent. The broader Topix dropped 0.8 percent to 1,253.15, while the new JPX-Nikkei Index 400 slipped 0.9 percent to 11,391.36.(Reuters)

 (Reporting by Ayai Tomisawa; Editing by Kim Coghill and Simon
Cameron-Moore)

People Are Going To Dress Up Like Star Wars Characters In SF Tomorrow To Protest Google

No one protests like San Francisco.

The scene: Tomorrow, outside of Google’s I/O conference, an assemblage of protestors will dress up like Star Wars characters to decry Google and the economic impact of the technology industry. The goal, the group told TechCrunch in an email, is to highlight rising income inequality in San Francisco, a city now infamous for its spiraling rents.

Google has become a symbol for the rapid change that San Francisco is currently undergoing. Protestors target Google’s buses that take its employees to and from work in the South Bay.

Google’s I/O developer event, similar to confabs held by Apple, Microsoft, Box, Dropbox and others, will see a cluster of Glass-adorned techies swarming the South of Market area of San Francisco. Toss in a protest and what the group promises to be a “giant 10′ by 20′ banner of Darth Vader with Google’s ‘Don’t Be Evil’ credo,” and this year’s I/O could be the most interesting yet.

TechCrunch will be onsite all day. We’ve reached out to Google for comment on the promised protest.

It’s worth noting that this is not the only planned protest of the search giant. Today, a number of net neutrality advocates set up shop outside of its Mountain View headquarters, demanding that the company work harder to ensure an open Internet. Google has been a public supporter of net neutrality since at least 2006.

In other news, Google announced today that it has doubled the RAM that Glass ships with to 2GB.

Snapchat Snags Facebook’s Mike Randall As Monetization VP

Facebook may be stealing Snapchat’s features, but Snapchat is stealing Facebook’s employees, including a new one who could help it begin to make money. TechCrunch has learned that Snapchat has just signed the Global Director of Facebook’s Preferred Marketing Developer program Mike Randall as its new VP Of Business And Marketing Partnerships.

Following this weekend’s highly succesful launch of Snapchat’s new collaborative event livestream feature Our Story at the Electric Daisy Carnival music festival, Randall may have plenty of opportunities for Snapchat to finally start monetizing by working with other big events and brands.

Randall started at Snapchat this month after four years at Facebook. As global director of the PMD program, he worked with Facebook’s biggest developer partners to help brands run ads, publish content through Pages, build apps, and analyze the results. Before that he spent three years as the Western region’s VP of Marketing Solutions.

This experience will give him plenty of insight into how to help brands creatively embrace social media while raking in cash for his parent company.

Mike Randall (left) with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and VP of Advertising David Fischer. Photo Credit: Chris Barbour

Snapchat has plenty of directions it could go, like sponsored snaps sent directly to users or promoted accounts whose Stories they could follow. But a year ago, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel told TechCrunch’s Jordan Crook that “in-app transactions will come first. We think we can build really cool stuff people want to pay for. The app is now a part of everyone’s day-to-day lives. That means that they will — I at least would — pay for a more unique experience.”

 The EDC Live Our Story hinted at one thing Snapchat could sell. The feature let those attending the music festival in Las Vegas to submit snaps to a curated public reel of photos and videos from around Electric Daisy Carnival that anyone around the world could watch. After hitting up EDC in-person and watching it on Snapchat, I called Our Story a genius, collaborative reinvention of the live stream that was a vivid, accurate portrayal of what it felt like to be there.

When Snapchatters went to submit their photos and videos from EDC, they may have stumbled upon something special. Along with options to overlay the time, temperature, or Instagram-esque tints, they could stick colorful EDC filters over their Snaps that featured the EDC logo and images like “Party Up,” seen here.

Snapchat might one day sell these kinds of filters to let people “pay for a more unique experience” as Spiegel said. Behind the scenes, big music festivals and sporting events might pay Snapchat to make them an Our Story and promote it to users. And since an Our Story can be hundreds of clips long, it might be possible to slip in some branded snaps.

Figuring out which of these and other opportunities will resonate with brands without alienating users will be Randall’s responsibility. Luckily he’ll have help from another former Facebooker, Snapchat COO Emily White, who was formerly Instagram’s director of business operations. Together, they’ll tackle the tough job of keeping Snapchat cool while turning it into a lean, mean, yellow money-making machine. (by: Josh Constine / TechCrunch)

OUYA One Year Later: 840 Games, 36K Developers, And A New Console In The Works

OUYA was founded with the idea of creating a new, Android-based platform for building games that could be played on people’s TVs. After a highly successful Kickstarter campaign, the OUYA console began shipping and went on sale in retail locations one year ago.
Since launch, OUYA has continued to grow its user base, thanks to sales and distribution both in-store and online. The startup has expanded the number of locations in which the console is available. At launch, OUYA was sold in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., while today it’s also now available in Western Europe, the Middle East, and Brazil.

It also continues to grow its developer base and the number of games available on the platform — it now has 36,000 registered developers, and is adding about 1,000 more each month. Those developers have now published more than 840 games for the OUYA console, up from about 170 games available at launch a year ago, and 575 at the beginning of this year.

All this despite the launch of two new next-gen gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony.

While the launch of the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One might have stolen some headlines, OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman says it hasn’t slowed down interest in the OUYA platform.

There really hasn’t been any difference in sales since the launch of those new consoles, Uhrman tells me. “They offer something very different from OUYA. We have always strived to carve out our own niche, with a $99 console where majority of games are free to try,” she adds.

That is in contrast to the newer consoles, which cost hundreds of dollars each and have games that are priced at $50 or $60 each. The microconsole’s games are also designed to appeal to a different type of gamer, as opposed to the high-performance, hard-core 3D shooters built for the PS4 or Xbone.

But OUYA’s gamers keep coming back, on average launching more than 13 games a week on the console. According to Uhrman, the average number of games installed per player on OUYA is more than 30.

That’s due in part to the variety of games that are made for the platform, and OUYA is trying to increase the variety and number of games through a number of efforts. That includes its $1 million “Free The Games” fund to match the funding amount received by developers who raise between $50,000 and $250,000 on Kickstarter. That funding comes in exchange for the promise of exclusivity on the OUYA platform for some time.

Pretty soon, developers will be able to program games directly on the OUYA console, Uhrman said. By connecting a keyboard and mouse, they’ll be able to code and immediately test their games.

All of that is meant to attract a new breed of developer. About 50 percent of developers that code for OUYA had never written an Android game before. About 20 percent of developers with a game on the platform have already published a second game.

While OUYA is enjoying steady growth, the company wants to expand things even further over the next year. That starts with the development of its own next-gen console, OUYA 2. While Uhrman said the company is working on the next box, she declined to forecast when it would ship.

It’s also working to extend its footprint onto other platforms, which could include embedding OUYA into smart TVs and other devices. The idea is to take OUYA everywhere so that developers can reach gamers wherever they are. It plans to announce two specific partners for that initiative soon.

That might seem like a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time, but considering how much OUYA has accomplished so far, it seems doable.

South Korea debates the wisdom of a video game addiction law

South Korea takes gaming more seriously than most other counties: eSports tournaments air on TV, game-friendly cafes are everywhere and StarCraft is practically a cultural institution. However, there's a concern that some are taking it too seriously, to the point that they're putting lives (including their own) at risk. To that end, the Democratic Party of Korea recently hosted a debate regarding a proposed game addiction law that would regulate video games as addictive substances, much like alcohol or drugs. The government, industry figures and professors discussed whether or not the law would fight addiction or risk backfiring.

There are already some anti-addiction measures in place; in addition to voluntary restrictions, Korea has a Shutdown Law that prevents anyone under 16 from playing between midnight and 6AM. With that said, multiple people at the panel argued that classifying games as addictive substances would take things too far. Many think of gaming as art, and regulating it could be considered an attack on both free speech and economic growth.

Educators and game industry advocates also contended that addictive behavior was more the symptom of cultural problems than the fault of games. Students don't have much free time in the country, and they frequently use games to cope with school-related stress. As previous studies have suggested, addiction is more likely to reflect existing mental health issues than spring from the games themselves. Outside of that, parental influence is a key factor. A broken home, or parents who just don't understand gaming, may lead to imbalanced children who don't know when to stop playing and start interacting with other people.

The debate isn't necessarily going to dissuade politicians from pushing the addiction law through. However, it suggests that they may be reacting more to fears and stigmas than the on-the-ground reality. The legal restrictions could be useful as a form of large-scale experiment in fighting compulsive behavior, but the critics believe that it's smarter to get parents playing a bigger role in their kids' lives.

[Image credit: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images]

(BY: JON FINGAS) VIA: CNET / SOURCE: Korea Herald (translated)

Super-sensitive chip can sniff out bombs from 16 feet away

Let's face it: the theatrical security procedures at airports aren't going away any time soon. However, they might just get more tolerable if a team of Israeli researchers bring a new, extremely sensitive bomb detection chip to an inspection line near you.

The prototype sniffs for explosives by using groups of nano-scale transistors that react to tiny electrical changes when certain chemicals pass by. And we do mean tiny -- the chip can raise alarms if there are just a few molecules found out of 1,000 trillion. For those not keeping score, previous techniques will 'only' raise a red flag in the molecules per billion range.

The result is a bomb detector that can work in some very, very challenging circumstances. Depending on the material, the component can recognize explosives from as far as 16 feet away; inspectors wouldn't have to invade your personal space just to give you the all-clear. It can also ferret out the offending substances even when the environment is "highly contaminated" by cigarette smoke. What you're seeing is very early, and there's no definite timetable for a finished product. Nevertheless, it suggests that you'll eventually have one less hassle to deal with when rushing to board a flight.

[Image credit: David Paul Morris via Getty Images] VIA: Phys.org, Gizmodo
SOURCE: Nature Communications

Sit back and watch hacks around the world in real time

Want to feel anxious about your internet connection? The security firm Norse is more than happy to oblige. It's running a live hacking map that shows the attacks against a worldwide honeypot (that is, purposefully vulnerable) network as they happen.

While this isn't representative of the full internet, it does act like a microcosm to some degree -- the bulk of attacks originate from China or the US, while Americans almost always serve as the punching bag. You'll even see large-scale (and surprisingly pretty-looking) assaults if you tune in at the right time. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to double-check on our firewalls... this map isn't exactly reassuring.

VIA: Smithsonian.com
SOURCE: Norse

Chinese Chilli Chicken By Chef Fauzia

Ingredients 
4 Chicken Thigh Fillets

1 medium Onion
½ Orange Bell Pepper
1 medium sized Chilli
2 cloves of Garlic (Lehsan)
¼ tsp. Ginger (Pisi Adrak) (grounded)
1 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
½ tsp. Salt
200 ml. of Vegetable Stock
1 tbsp. Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Sherry
1 ½ tbsp. Chilli Sauce
1 tbsp. White Wine (optional)
Vinegar (Sirka)
1 tbsp. Groundnut Oil

Method
Roughly chop the onion and pepper. Finely chop the garlic. Slice the chicken. Cut the chilli in half, discard the seeds and chop.

Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan or wok, and add the garlic, onion, chopped chilli, pepper, chicken and ground ginger. Fry for about 5 minutes at a high heat.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated, and the chicken is cooked through (this should take 10 - 15 minutes).Serve with Chinese Rice or noodles.

Note: Yield: 2 Servings, Cooking Time: 25 Minutes, Degree Of Difficulty: Easy

Goldman to test appetite for new structured product

LONDON, June 23 (IFR) - Goldman Sachs will start marketing a new type of bond transaction this Wednesday that straddles asset categories and features an unusual triple-recourse structure, as it seeks to take advantage of investors' demand for Triple A rated assets.

The so-called Fixed Income Global Structure Collateral Obligation (FIGSCO) issuer is a joint venture between Goldman Sachs and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance and will provide investors with a triple recourse if things turn sour.

Under the structure, investors will have recourse to the pool of assets backing the trade, as well as having an unsecured claim against Goldman Sachs and Mitsui.

This triple-recourse mechanism makes the transaction akin to a covered bond issue, where investors have a claim against the assets and the issuer and, indeed, covered bond investors will be among the targeted roadshow audience.

The transaction is expected to diversify Goldman's funding sources and the outright pricing level is expected to be competitive with senior funding.

The deal has been structured in response to a lack of supply of Triple A rated assets and net negative covered bond supply. The programme size being set up is 10bn.

Barclays, Credit Agricole-CIB, Natixis, Goldman Sachs and UBS will hold investor meetings running from Wednesday until July 1.

But while the transaction uses some covered bond technology, it does not have all the bells and whistles traditionally attached to the sector.

There is no legal framework; the assets would not be eligible for a cover pool as defined by European regulation; the bonds will unlikely be repo-eligible at the ECB; nor will they likely count for the Liquidity Coverage Ratio. They will probably have a 20% risk-weighting and be treated as Triple A corporate exposure under Solvency 2.

TRIPLE A WITH A SPREAD

The deal could offer buyers a much more attractive spread than a sovereign trade, while filling a supply gap in the covered bond primary market, according to a FIG syndicate banker.

"This is an interesting trade, especially if you look at what's going on in the world," he said. "This will offer value and we expect the big liquidity books to get on board." On the negative side, the deal may require more knowledge than a plain Triple A trade.

"We have been here before: Triple A with a spread," the banker said, "which is why the roadshow will be extremely important and investors will have to do their homework."

Another banker said the complex nature of the trade was a negative. "They clearly want to leverage the success of covered bonds, but the complexity alone is negative."

The S&P Triple A is achieved thanks to a total return swap provided on it by Goldman Sachs Mitsui Marine Derivative Products, or GS MMDP, a joint venture with strong credit ratings. For some, this has echoes of the much maligned CDO market.

Meanwhile, the deal's collateral cashflow is likely to come from a variety of securities from Goldman Sach's long-term funding operations.

There is no disclosure yet, but that could mean the collateral could include bonds, derivatives and loan assets, which sources away from the deal say resembles something between a structured covered bond and a CDO structure.

FIGSCO would be more dynamic than a typical covered bond pool, though, as assets would be marked to bid on a daily basis and topped up to keep overcollateralisation above 5%.

More collateral will be added to the pool if the existing securities decline in value. A reputable international asset monitor will be tasked with assessing the valuation of the pool on a monthly basis.

The items would not be disclosed line by line, but investors would be informed of the type of assets, the country of origin, the proportion of fixed and FRN assets and the level of concentration risk.

(Reporting By Helene Durand, Anna Brunetti, Editing by Philip Wright)

Sluggish euro zone business, dovish ECB pushes bond yields lower

* Surveys show private sector expansion slowing unexpectedly

* ECB signals low rates through to end-2016

* Bund yields fall close to 2014 lows (Adds fresh comment, updates prices)

By Marius Zaharia

LONDON, June 23 (GNN) - Euro zone bond yields fell on Monday after business surveys showed a feeble and uneven economic recovery and the European Central Bank signalled interest rates will stay low until at least the end of 2016.
Expansion of the euro zone private sector unexpectedly slowed this month, according to Markit's Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI). German activity kept expanding robustly but failed to meet investor expectations, while activity in France shrank at the fastest rate in four months.


"The French data was weak, and even the German data was slightly underwhelming ... and that is leading us to this rebound," said RBC's head of European rates strategy Peter Schaffrik, adding that the weak data underlines the need for the European Central Bank to maintain its ultra-loose monetary policy stance.

The data overshadowed upbeat Chinese manufacturing figures, which pushed yields higher in early trade, and an unexpectedly strong U.S. expansion which was the fastest in four years.

German 10-year Bund yields, the benchmark for euro zone borrowing costs, fell 3 basis points to 1.32 percent, within reach of 2014 lows of 1.285 percent. All other euro zone sovereign 10-year yields also dipped.

"German Bunds are expensive, but it's not easy to see a jump in yields with no inflation expectations and still depressed growth," ING rate strategist Alessandro Giansanti said.

Short-dated yields across the euro zone dipped after ECB President Mario Draghi told Dutch paper De Telegraaf that prolonging banks' access to unlimited liquidity up to the end of 2016 was a signal on rates.

His Austrian colleague Ewald Nowotny also said rates would only rise when growth picked up at a pace faster than 2 percent, which was unlikely to happen before 2016.

German two-year yields dipped 1 basis point to 0.03 percent in early trading, with other similarly dated yields in the euro zone falling 1-4 bps.

"Clearly Draghi wants to strengthen the forward guidance and he has put more flesh on the bones with those comments," said Jan von Gerich, chief fixed income analyst at Nordea.

CURVE PLAYS

Natixis fixed income strategist Cyril Regnat said the ECB's stance and the poor economic data will force investors to switch into bonds with longer maturities in search for yield, flattening yield curves across Europe and especially in Germany.

"German 10-year Bunds are really expensive, but if we get inflation at 0.2 or 0.3 percent in June or July we can have even lower yields," Regnat said.

Other strategists say the ECB's ultra-easy policy stance will eventually foster growth and recommend investors to position for steeper curves. They say Bund yields might track moves higher in U.S. Treasuries and British gilts, as the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England prepare to change course on policy.

Rabobank rates strategist Lyn Graham-Taylor recommends investors position for a wider yield gap between five- and 10-year Dutch bonds, with the five-year supported by the ECB outlook and the 10-year more sensitive to the Fed outlook.

Traders said a slight weakness in peripheral debt on Monday morning was evidence of some profit-taking on this year's rally before the end of the quarter, although bonds pared their early losses as the day progressed.

This supportive market backdrop should help Italy sell up to 3.5 billion euros of inflation-linked debt and zero-coupon bonds on Wednesday, and medium- and long-term bonds on Friday. (GNN) (Reuters)

(Reporting by Marius Zaharia; Additional reporting by John Geddie; Editing by Catherine Evans)

WRAPUP 1-U.S. housing regaining footing as supply improves

* Existing home sales rise 4.9 percent in May

* Housing inventory increases 6.0 percent from year ago

* Median home price up 5.1 percent, smallest rise since 2012

WASHINGTON, June 23 (GNN) - U.S. home resales rose more than expected in May and the stock of properties for sale was the highest in more than 1-1/2 years, suggesting that housing was pulling out of a recent slump.

The National Association of Realtors said on Monday existing home sales increased 4.9 percent to an annual rate of 4.89 million units. May's increase was the largest since August 2011.

Economists had forecast sales rising only 2.2 percent to a 4.73 million-unit pace last month.

The housing recovery stalled in the second half of 2013 as interest rates increased and prices surged against the backdrop of a dwindling supply of properties available for sale.

Despite the second consecutive months of gains, sales were down 5.0 percent compared to May last year. They remain down 9 percent from a peak of 5.38 million units hit in July.

Still, the increase in sales will be welcomed by the Federal Reserve, which is closely watching the housing market as it contemplates the future course of monetary policy.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen has warned that a prolonged slump could undermine the economy.

The sturdy housing report added to signs that economic activity has regained momentum after sliding in the first quarter.

A separate report showed manufacturing expanding strongly in June. Financial data firm Markit said its preliminary or "flash" U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index rose to 57.5, the highest reading since May 2010, from 56.4 in May.

A reading above 50 signals expansion in economic activity.

While housing is showing tentative signs of recovery, progress will likely be slow.

First-time buyers, a necessary ingredient for a strong housing market, continue to hug the sidelines. Many have also been priced out by stringent lending practices by financial institutions.

Last month, first-time buyers accounted for only 27 percent of the transactions, hovering near their lowest level since the Realtors group started tracking the series.

A market share of 40 percent to 45 percent for first-time buyers is considered by economists and real estate professionals as ideal.

The inventory of unsold homes on the market increased 6.0 percent from a year-ago to 2.28 million in May. That was the highest level since August 2012.

The month's supply of existing homes increased to 5.6 months from 5.7 months in April. Six months' supply is normally considered a healthy balance between supply and demand.

Still, the improving supply is helping to temper price increases. The median home price increased 5.1 percent from a year ago to $213,400. That was the smallest increase since March 2012.(GNN)(Reuters)

(Reporting Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

Kerry says called Egypt foreign min over journalists' "chilling" sentence

(GNN) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that he had phoned Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri on Monday to register Washington's "serious displeasure" with the sentencing of three Al Jazeera journalists to seven years in jail.

"Today's conviction is obviously a chilling and draconian sentence," he told reporters in Baghdad.

"When I heard the verdict today I was so concerned about it, frankly, disappointed in it, that I immediately picked up the telephone and talked to the foreign minister of Egypt and registered our serious displeasure at this kind of verdict," he said. (GNN)(Reuters)

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Writing by Oliver Holmes; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Ring MyBell

If you’ve ever nearly ended up under an SUV or been doored by a sleepy minivan-driver, you’ll appreciate the MyBell. Designed by the folks at MyBell.co in Brooklyn, the $99 horn allows you to add up two digital audio files and multiple custom light patterns that will blast drivers with 105 decibels of noise and 110 lumens of light. The resulting cacophony should keep you out from under anyone’s wheels.

The team, Peter Pottier and Valentin Siderskiy, are avid cyclists. Siderskiy is an electrical engineer as well and they’ve hired Steve Remy to manage the mechanical engineering. They are in prototype stage right now but they aim to ship the horns to backers by February of next year. Early birds can get the street blasters for a $99 pledge.

“I set out to try and create a new audio signaling system, one which would be more effective than a traditional bell while simultaneously being friendlier than a popular alternative – the Air Horn,” said Pottier. “The customization feature dawned on me when I realized that sounds were relative to their surroundings – one sound might not have the same effect depending on different regions and cultures.” That’s the system lets you can drag the Ride of the Valkyries onto your device and scare passersby with a 100-decibel horn section. It connects to any bike or scooter with an easy-off latch system. Unlike the similarly cool Orp Horn, the audio and lights are both customizable so you can play the Knight Rider theme song with a slowly pulsing LED accompaniment.

Pottier knows the world needs this horn. He was recently hit by a car in Brooklyn and, had he had one of the prototypes on his bike, he would have been unharmed. Instead, he spent a little time in Brooklyn Hospital where they checked for broken bones. Luckily he’s OK, but without a signaling system, most city bikers are potential road meat.

Perhaps you could even add songs and sounds that could comment on others’ driving? Cee-Lo Green anyone?

Control VR Opens The Door To Virtual Offices

Control VR is a startup which has created a wearable system that captures precise motion data for virtual reality applications. On its Kickstarter page (which has raised $388,000, or more than 150% of its goal with 13 days left to go) the most intriguing use shown for its gloves and armbands is using its exact finger-digit tracking to simulate a keyboard in virtual reality, which could open the door to a number of productive VR applications beyond gaming and teleconferencing.

The control schemes available for use with virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift are great for gaming or other experiences where you’re mostly just moving around in your environment. You basically only need an analog stick or direction pad to control movement and a few buttons to control interactions with the environment or to bring up menus.

But some of the more useful applications for virtual reality, like being able to use a vast number of virtual displays instead of being limited by the number of physical monitors you own, don’t work too well with complicated physical controls like keyboards because you can’t see what buttons you’re pushing.

Take a look at this photo of Andreessen Horowitz board partner Steven Sinofsky testing out a Bloomberg terminal in virtual reality, for example:
                                                                                              

You could have a vast amount of information available to you in a VR office, but it would be relatively difficult to be productive with it using only a mouse and the keystrokes you can memorize.

With the ability to finely track finger location and movement, you could bring up a keyboard in the virtual space and forgo the hardware altogether. Just as the iPhone dropped most hardware buttons for a screen that could only show the buttons you need at any given time, virtual interfaces could be built specifically for each application from familiar gestures.

Control VR CEO and co-founder Alex Sarnoff thinks that its wearables working in concert with the cameras that will come with Oculus Rift and its ilk will enable these kinds of interfaces. In an interview via email, he told me:

The sensors and software we use provide for incredibly accurate clean data and are a testament to many years of research, development and progress by our founders.  “Virtual Office” is an application we are extremely excited to  see come to fruition. The input solution virtual reality needs for perfect accuracy will be a combination of our wearable technology combined with data from the camera supplied with VR headsets.

Of course, virtual reality headsets have nowhere near the market penetration for most offices to consider putting anyone into a virtual environment any time soon. To appeal to the gamer crowd that Oculus and Sony (with Project Morpheus) are going after, Control VR also shows several other uses for its sensors, including an Iron Man-style flight simulator (and an unfortunate amount of virtual beer pong):
IMAGE BY CONTROL VR

Bing Looks Abroad

Microsoft is working to expand Bing’s international footprint. A job posting, spotted by Neowin, speaks plainly: “Bing is embarking on the most ambitious geographic and product expansion in its history.”

Well then. Microsoft hasn’t taken down the listing, so it’s likely not too concerned about having its plans aired publicly. What this signifies is that Microsoft is not backing down from its services strategy. Bing, along with other online products, have long been money-losers for their parent company. Microsoft had plodded along all the same.

Search is an interesting area in tech. As technology companies compete across a rising number of product categories, search has a relatively low number of protagonists. There are essentially two general players — Google and Microsoft — and niche participants that focus on a differentiation point — privacy, natural language procession, and so forth. Apple has a stab in play with Siri, which competes with Microsoft’s Cortana, and Google’s Google Now. But when it comes down to broad, web search efforts, Google and Microsoft are somewhat alone.

Not that that is all Bing is to Microsoft. It’s the company’s search layer that it hopes to leverage across its platform. But it is useful to recall that Bing does challenge Google’s core offering.

What is Bing up to? Neowin’s take, based on the view that Bing abroad has been a “second-class experience,” summarizes the news thusly:

This is not a simple expansion either as Microsoft is going all-in on bringing local content to these new markets. The job posting says that the successful candidate will be required to ‘drive and execute strategic partnerships and tactical deals in key search distribution and content areas (which may include local, shopping, entertainment, music, books, video, social, news and apps), for the web, mobile/tablets, Xbox and other devices.’ While the project appears to be in its infancy, seeing how quickly Microsoft has been rolling out new products and features in other products, we are quietly hopeful that these markets will get content sooner, rather than later.

It’s certainly true a large chunk of the technology press looks at their industry with a US-focused lens. I can’t confess to having tested Bing much outside the country while traveling.

For now, Microsoft is staying the course, building a wide set of services that reach across technological silos. The company still isn’t much at social — Xbox Live aside — but it seems that on other key areas Redmond is refusing to give up.

IMAGE BY FLICKR USER ROBERT SCOBLE UNDER CC BY 2.0 LICENSE (IMAGE HAS BEEN MODIFIED)

Get stronger arms without working out

By: Ola Moheb : Sporting large, muscular arms immediately show the world that you're strong and fit. However, many of us hate going to the gym, especially if you have that kind of busy life. Then, it's time to think of alternative and get a stronger impressive arm without working out or hitting the gym Check out our tips.

Push ups

If you do not like lifting weights, one of the finest ways to strengthen your arms is to use the resistance of your own body. According to the experts, pushups are a great exercise to strengthen your arms as well as the upper body, if working out in a gym is not a preference for you.

Triceps-dips

Apart from push-ups, you can also do triceps-dips. Learn to do these exercises efficiently. Begin with light exercises and increase this excercise daily in a fixed time. You can start with three sets of 10 repetitions each and every day of both push-ups and triceps-dips.

Yoga poses

If you are looking to strengthen your arms, you should learn to do yoga poses as they will improve the overall flexibility and strength level of your muscles. Yoga experts recommend many poses such as dolphin which help strengthen the upper body. Once you start to do yoga, do it at least two or three times a week. Opting for a yoga class should be preferable.

Use a resistance band

Resistance bands are easily available in sports shop. It can help you do various arm exercises at home. One of the common arm exercises with a resistance band is to hold the resistance band in both hands while standing straight. At shoulder height, you need to extend both your arms in front of you and pull the resistance band apart like a piece of taffy, using both the hands.

Sports

You can indulge yourself in sports such as tennis or cricket, which help strengthen the arms. (arabia.msn)

Try them all and send us your feedback

Bodybuilding supplements: How to build muscles easily

By: Ola Moheb : Supplements are increasingly becoming a huge part of bodybuilding, so its' time to Learn how to build muscle on a budget with this list of recommended bodybuilding supplements and see why you should be taking them. Here is a list of the top supplements you can use.

Multi-Vitamin

Multi-Vitamin supplements are important to compensate for the deficiency of vitamins and minerals in your body

Vitamin B Complex

They help combine vitamins in optimal doses and improve your digestion and absorption of carbs, fats and proteins.

Dessicated Liver

This is an old supplement used for bodybuilding and provides you with extra amino acids and is also high in various kinds of vitamins like B complex.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is vital for bulking up and renders tyrosine inactive. It offers you with additional energy, mass and power.

EFA’s

Essential fatty acid such as linolenic and linoleic acids are parts of clean fats. They were earlier categorized as Vitamin F and the fats in the EFA help digest protein.

ZMA

It is a patented mineral formula and is very popular these days. Majority of the athletes lack minerals like magnesium and zinc which are present in ZMA.

Creatine

This is fully natural and safe compound that helps regenerate ATP stores in the body. It is a temporary energy booster which raises your strength levels up to 20 percent.

Amino Acid Formulas

They consist of a number of amino acids and metabolites. Extra amino acid supplementation is very effective because they aid in building and re-building all tissues in the body.

BCAA’s

They contain anti-catabolic and anabolic properties. They help in growth purposes and are held responsible for muscle tissue formation which is very important for body builders. (arabia.msn)