Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Steve Nash surfaces and meets with Lakers


Steve Nash briefly met with the team last week at Los Angeles International Airport before their flight to Chicago to play the Bulls on Christmas.

Scott had previously reached out to the 40-year-old point guard, who is out for the season with back problems, but to no avail.
Steve Nash briefly met with the team last week at Los Angeles International Airport before their flight to Chicago to play the Bulls on Christmas.

"It was great to see him," said Scott. "He still has to deal with the fact that his career might be over. I think that's something he's kind of wrestling with."

During training camp the Lakers announced that Nash would sit out the third and final year of his contract because of recurring nerve damage in his back. The Lakers are still paying Nash his $9.7-million salary, but he's been a stranger at the team's practice facility.

"I still invited him to come around here for practice, to join and just be part of the team, part of the coaching staff," Scott said. "When he feels he's able to do that, in whatever time that might be, he'll be welcome with open arms."

Forward Ed Davis suffered a broken nose in the final minutes of the Lakers' win over the Nuggets.

"I went to the bench, Jeremy Lin said it was crooked, then [trainer Gary] Vitti said it was crooked too, so I knew it was broken then," Davis said.

On Wednesday, his nose was swathed in bandages after a visit to an ear, nose and throat specialist. Davis downplayed the injury.

"I'm going to try and practice with a mask tomorrow, then in the game on Friday, but if I miss a couple of shots, I'm going to take it off," he said.

Forward Ryan Kelly also expects to play Friday, after sitting out all but three games with hamstring injuries. Kelly has played 25 minutes this season, scoring 11 points.

Grand Park’s New Year’s Eve Party Expected To Draw More Than 25K Revelers


Downtown’s Grand Park will host its second New Year’s Eve party tonight, with organizers hoping to draw at least 30,000 revelers.
Downtown’s Grand Park will host its second New Year’s Eve party tonight, with organizers hoping to draw at least 30,000 revelers.

Last year’s inaugural Grand Park N.Y.E. L.A. celebration was attended by about 25,000 people, exceeding expectations. This year’s event, which starts at 7 p.m. and lasts through 12:30 a.m., will have triple the space and can handle a capacity of 50,000 people, organizers said.

In addition to the 12-acre Grand Park being devoted to the event, surrounding roads from Second to Temple streets, and from Grand Avenue to Main Street, will be closed to allow more party-goers to watch the countdown.

Organizers say they are aiming to create a centralized place for residents of a sprawling Los Angeles to ring in the new year, in the spirit of the ball-drop event at New York City’s Times Square.

The alcohol-free event will have about 30 food vendors, as well as a station giving out free samples of Nestle-Abuelita hot chocolate.
Downtown’s Grand Park will host its second New Year’s Eve party tonight, with organizers hoping to draw at least 30,000 revelers..

Interactive videos created by design studio yU+co will be displayed on the west and south side of the Los Angeles City Hall building at the foot of Grand Park. The audience will get to control the display by making noise.

At 10 minutes to midnight, a countdown video will start showing images of day-to-day slices of Los Angeles life and landmarks on the side of City Hall.

Organizers are encouraging participants to take selfie photos in front of the digital displays and post them on social media using the hashtag #grandparkselfie. Instagram users can tag their photos of the event using #LAStory to submit them to be displayed on the side of the Hall of Records building.

Metro is offering free rides on its rail and bus lines over the New Year’s holiday, including the Redor Purple lines, which will take people to the Civic Center/Grand Park station at Grand Park.

Jennifer Lopez’s concert doc to air New Year’s Eve on HBO


Jennifer Lopez decided to hit the road after her split from singer Marc Anthony two years ago.

She went on her first world tour, visiting 65 cities on five continents and reaching 1 million fans.

If you didn't get to see the tour in person, you can catch it on HBO on New Year's Eve. "Jennifer Lopez: Dance Again," premiering on HBO and HBO Latino (9 p.m. EST), includes performances and behind-the-scenes footage from the tour.
Jennifer Lopez decided to hit the road after her split from singer Marc Anthony two years ago.

"I had just gotten divorced, was a single mom for the first time (and) decided to go tour the world," Lopez said in a recent interview.

The 45-year-old singer-actress said she realized the show was more than an arrangement of musical numbers; it was a mirror of her life.

"Looking at all my music and putting this show together and seeing, 'Who was I as a person? As an artist? What did I want to say with this show?' ... It was self-reflective," she said.

"Dance Again" includes rehearsal footage, interviews with family members and tense moments, such as when a dancer unexpectedly quits the show.

Fans will see how difficult it was for Lopez to leave "American Idol" after two successful seasons. (She has since returned to the Fox show, with the 14th season premiering Jan. 7.)

Cameras also show Lopez heartbroken over her twins, Maximilian and Emme, now 6 years old, missing their father.

One poignant and touching part of the documentary shows Lopez ending her tour in Puerto Rico with Anthony joining her onstage for a surprise duet. (He recently remarried.)

Lopez said it was important for her children to see their parents together as a united front.

"They don't do what you say, they do what you do. You've got to show them we're not together, but we're together for you. When it comes to you, you're so important to us and you're so loved," she said. " ... I reinforce that their dad loves them and he reinforces that I love them. ... Kids with divorced parents, and I think about this all the time, they feel like one of the parents doesn't want to be with them or doesn't care about them. We reinforce that even not being together is for them. It's the best thing."

Apple Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over Large iOS 8 Storage Space


A new class action lawsuit was filed against Apple on Tuesday in a U.S. federal court, alleging the company's newest version of iOS doesn't properly inform its users just how much storage space it will occupy once downloaded.
A new class action lawsuit was filed against Apple on Tuesday in a U.S. federal court, alleging the company's newest version of iOS...

As reported by Siliconbeat, the lawsuit is claiming that iOS 8 can take up as much as 23.1 percent of the overall storage capacity of an iOS device, but that fact isn't actively advertised when customers purchase a new Apple product, or go to download the new software update. The plaintiffs point to personal moments akin to sporting events or weddings where users are desperate for more storage as Apple preying on consumers for more profit.

William Anderson, the plaintiffs' attorney of Cuneo Gilbert & Laduca, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm, seeks both damages and changes to Apple's policies specifically under California state law.

Anderson continued to sound off support not only for consumers facing storage issue following the download of iOS 8, but those who purchased an iPhone or iPad with iOS 8 already installed.

iOS 8 launched back in September, including a bevy of new features like Continuity and allowing third-parties to access Touch ID and its keyboard functionality. A few days after launch, problems such as battery drain and slow Wi-Fi began cropping up for some iOS 8 users. Apple's further attempts to remedy the rocky launch with steady updates caused even larger problems with cell service outage and spotty Touch ID issues.

A late-October update brought much-anticipated support for Apple Pay, amongst other features, and began putting the service back on track. As of early November the newest operating system was installed on 60 percent of active iOS devices.

Despite the company's continued efforts to address iOS 8 bugs, the plaintiffs of the new class action are attempting to use Apple's own branding of iOS 8 - "The biggest iOS release ever" - as a hidden piece of subtext hinting at the hefty amount of storage the operating system requires.

The best and worst credit cards


The rebounding economy means credit card companies are working harder to get your business.

There are some great perks with the right card, but having the wrong card can cost you money and affect your credit.
The rebounding economy means credit card companies are working harder to get your business.

Jill Gonzalez from CardHub.com breaks down the best and worst credit cards.

WORST CREDIT CARDS:
Worst Rewards Card: Visa Black Card
Worst Card for Big-Ticket Purchases: Toyota Credit Card
Worst Balance Transfer Card: UBS Preferred Visa Signature Credit Card
Worst Card for Rebuilding Bad Credit: First Premier Bank Gold Credit Card
Worst Card for Students: U.S. Bank College Visa Credit Card
Worst for Small Business Rewards Card: CorTrust Bank Visa Business Credit Card
Worst Card for Small Business Funding: Most Small Business Credit Cards

BEST CREDIT CARDS:
Excellent Credit: Chase Slate
Good Credit: Capital One Platinum Prestige Credit Card
Fair Credit: Capital One Platinum Credit Card
Limited History: Journey Student Rewards from Capital One
Bad Credit: Capital One Secured MasterCard

Jules Bianchi: Injured Formula 1 driver has rehabilitation therapy


Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi is undergoing a "painstaking programme of rehabilitation therapy".

A family statement said medical professionals in France have started the planned treatment.
 Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi is undergoing a "painstaking programme of rehabilitation therapy".

The Marussia driver suffered severe head injuries when he crashed into a recovery vehicle in wet conditions at the Japanese Grand Prix on 5 October.

In November Bianchi, 25, was flown to Nice from Japan, and began breathing unaided. after coming out of a coma.

In Tuesday's latest statement, parents Philippe and Christine Bianchi said: "Jules's neurological status remains unchanged; he is unconscious but able to breathe unaided.

"Whilst there is no significant information to report, we take a great deal of comfort from the fact that Jules continues to fight, as we knew he would."

The Frenchman is in intensive care in Nice, where his condition is still "critical".

He has been receiving treatment to try and improve his brain function.

Bianchi suffered a diffuse axonal injury  when he crashed into a tractor vehicle at Suzuka that was recovering Adrian Sutil's Sauber.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Vegas Man Charged With DUI in Crash With Jennifer Lopez

A Las Vegas man was charged in California on Monday with driving under the influence after crashing into singer and actress Jennifer Lopez's Rolls-Royce in September, according to prosecutors. Robert John Reitz, 53, was charged with driving under the influence and driving with a .08 percent blood alcohol content, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. Reitz was accused of having a blood alcohol concentration of .15 percent when he crashed into the luxury vehicle, the statement said. He was expected to be arraigned later Monday and could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to the district attorney's office.
A Las Vegas man was charged in California on Monday with driving under the influence after....,

Lopez posted on Instagram about the Sept. 27 incident in Malibu, adding the hashtag "#DontdrinkandDrive!!!!" The caption that accompanies a photo of the entertainer and actress Leah Remini pouting in a car also said that they were rear-ended but that everyone was safe.

Apple Details A Modular Stylus That Can Capture Handwriting On Any Surface


Apple has a new patent granted by the USPTO today (via AppleInsider) that describes a new type of stylus in detail, which can capture handwriting from a user, on a variety of surfaces and with a range of writing nibs that let it also write on paper, whiteboards or even an iPad’s capacitive touchscreen.
Apple has a new patent granted by the USPTO today (via AppleInsider) that describes a new type of stylus in detail...

The stylus design uses accelerometers and other motion sensors to track movement, and activates when it detects its been picked up, pressed to paper or taken out of a slot or holster for better power efficiency. It transmits data either in real-time, or in chunks at timed intervals to preserve battery life (sort of like how some fitness trackers ‘call home’ and sync occasionally with your smartphone so as not to incur the huge power draw of constant wireless connection).

In the patent, it’s described as being able to capture handwriting accurately whether the pen is used on a surface like a table, or against a wall, or even simply in air, thanks to the onboard 3D motion sensors. It can work to reflect writing in real-time on separate displays, allowing it to be used for live rough work in a classroom setting, for instance, or as a central pool of real-time meeting notes for a small group.

The patent includes details of how the stylus could be used with different nibs or pen heads to write on different materials, so that it can be used with ink in notebooks, or with graphite for pencil drawings, or with markers for whiteboards. A capacitive nib would allow it to also work as a traditional stylus for use with devices like the iPad and the iPhone.

Apple’s stylus patent is not new – it was first filed in January, 2010. The tech in the patent might provide a bit of a challenge to execute well, given that Livescribe, a company that specializes in creating exactly this type of thing, still requires additional hardware like specialized notebooks to work effectively. Still, it’s a worthwhile reminder that Apple has invested resources in this direction, especially given that we’ve heard rumors of an upcoming 12-inch version of the iPad, which is something a stylus would complement nicely.

AmEx Generated 10 Million Instagram Impressions in 2 Weeks With Guest Photographers


For the past year, American Express has experimented with turning over its social accounts to influencers for short bursts of time to pick up followers and buzz. And it appears to be working—at least based on some results from a recent two-week Instagram campaign.
For the past year, American Express has experimented with turning over its social accounts to influencers for ...

On Nov. 9, AmEx gave six Instagrammers the keys to its account as part of the #MyAmex campaign. The posts were created by graphic designer Ann Kim, chef Christina Tosi, Patrick Janelle (who won the CFDA's first-ever Fashion Instagrammer of the Year award this year), fashion designers Oleema and Kalani Miller, Team Epiphany managing partner Coltrane Curtis and designer Timo Weiland.

The group posted a series of pictures (see examples below) depicting how AmEx impacts their businesses.

According to AmEx, the #MyAmex posts generated 23 percent more engagement than the brand's other Instagram pictures. AmEx also doubled its average number of daily Instagram followers for two weeks. In total, the campaign generated more than 10 million impressions and 40,000 engagements.

The social takeover followed another campaign from earlier this year that told the story of a fictional card member named CF Frost. The character was based on Charles F. Frost, an ad executive who worked at Ogilvy & Mather in the 1960's and has been prominently featured in AmEx ads since.

"In this case we decided, Why not have our card members tell the story themselves?" said Mona Hamouly, vp of social media communications at AmEx. "So, we thought about people who have really interesting walks of life who have an affinity for the brand."

This was the first year that the brand turned to influencers to churn out social content, according to Hamouly. Artists such as Andy Hau and Supermundane created Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Vine posts this summer, and during New York Fashion Week, fashion bloggers posted sketches on the brand's social accounts.

Apple now lets customers return music, movies, and apps for two weeks after purchase

Apple will now allow customers to return songs, movies, apps, and other digital media purchased through iTunes and the App Store within 14 days, regardless of their reason for wanting to make the return. The policy change has been spotted in the UK, France, Germany, and other EU countries. While it is perhaps an unsurprising change in that it falls in line with an EU directive — which recently began requiring 14-day return periods for online purchases — Apple could have chosen to take advantage of an exception that would allow it to prohibit returns on digital goods, but it appears to have decided against doing that.
Apple will now allow customers to return songs, movies, apps, and other digital media purchased through iTunes...

That directive is meant to give consumers protection over online purchases, but it does allow digital goods to be treated differently. Because Apple isn't doing that, it's possible for songs to be listened to, movies to be watched, and apps to be used before a return is made through iTunes. While those scenarios aren't impossible for physical media either, they're something that the specific sellers of those items will likely accept begrudgingly. That's also a reason you probably shouldn't expect this policy to expand outside the EU, unless a law compels the change. Apple did not respond to a request for comment on the new policy.

Facebook apologizes for generating morbid 'Year in Review' result


Facebook product manager Jonathan Gheller apologized to a man who got a 'Year in Review' that featured a celebration-like design around his dead daughter.

 Facebook recently apologized to man for highlighting the loss of his child in his Facebook 'Year in Review.'

Product manager Jonathan Gheller apologized for having created more grief for Eric Meyer, a Web designer from Cleveland, after the app featured a picture of his dead daughter surrounded by a celebratory design.
Facebook product manager Jonathan Gheller apologized to a man who got a 'Year in Review' that featured...

Meyer lost his daughter to brain cancer on her sixth birthday.

He took his grief to his personal blog, where he wrote that Facebook's design and auto-post algorithm were ill-designed.

The app's generic message reads: "It's been a great year! Thanks for being a part of it."

The message is also accompanied by a user's picture and icons of people who seem to be at a party.

Meyer wrote that Facebook should consider redesigning the results since not everyone has had a happy year. He also suggested that Facebook let users opt out from such apps

When Facebook caught wind of Meyer's unhappiness, it reached out to apologize.

"The app was awesome for a lot of people, but clearly in this case we brought him grief rather than joy," Gheller told the Washington Post.

From a designer's perspective, Meyer thought Facebook should consider designing for crisis.

"It's valuable feedback," Gheller said. "We can do better — I'm very grateful he took the time in his grief to write the blog post."

Meyer wrote a follow-up post apologizing to Facebook once Gheller apologized. He said he didn't mean to victimize Facebook, but rather wanted to bring attention to the lack of worst-case scenarios in designing and programming algorithms.

"Taking worst-case scenarios into account is something that Web design does poorly and usually not at all," Meyer wrote. "I was using Facebook's Year in Review as an example, a timely and relevant foundation to talk about a much wider issue."

Meyer said that programmers and designers shouldn't make designs so generic and should think of all possibilities and outcomes.

Facebook did not comment on whether it would take Meyer's specific suggestions into consideration, but Gheller said it would try improve next year.

Lenovo to launch budget 4G smartphone at CES


It looks like more smartphone makers are gearing up to launch budget 4G smartphones in 2015.

PC and mobile device maker, Lenovo has announced that it will be launching a new 4G LTE-capable smartphone at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2015 (CES). The phone will be based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chip and will be priced aggressively.
It looks like more smartphone makers are gearing up to launch budget 4G smartphones in 2015.

It will be unveiled on January 8 in Las Vegas and will reach the Indian shores soon after.

The phone's pricing would be comparable to that of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G and Micromax's YU Yureka phones, as per company sources. It would be interesting to see how Lenovo prices the phone in India where 4G is at a nascent stage and is available only in select regions.

Xiaomi's Redmi Note 4G debuted today on Flipkart at Rs 9,999. The company claimed that all stocks were sold out in 6 seconds. The phone is powered by a 1.6GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad core processor. The other specifications are similar to the Redmi Note 3G except that the Redmi Note 4G is a single sim phone.

The Yureka smartphone will go on sale starting 13 January but will be available to consumers who pre-registered to buy it on Amazon India. Priced at Rs 8,999, the phone is powered by a 64 bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa core chip with 1.5GHz processor cores, Adreno 405 graphics and 2GB DDR3 RAM. It runs Cyanogen OS.

New Laker Tarik Black ready to work hard, add defensive presence


New Lakers forward/center Tarik Black arrived in El Segundo after practice on Monday and introduced himself to General Manager Mitch Kupchak, Coach Byron Scott and his staff, and some of Black's new teammates.

The Lakers claimed Black off waivers Sunday, after he was cut loose by the Houston Rockets, needing a roster spot to sign forward Josh Smith.
New Lakers forward/center Tarik Black arrived in El Segundo after practice on Monday and introduced himself to General Manager...

"I'm thankful and grateful for the opportunity to play for such an amazing organization," said Black of the Lakers. "Growing up and playing basketball, you look at the team with the most NBA championships, a team with a vast history of great players, from guards to bigs, and a whole array of greatness just surrounds this place. Hopefully I can just come in and be a part of it."

Technically the Boston Celtics have 17 titles to the Lakers' 16, but Lakers fans won't mind the fuzzy math.

"Playing basketball is bigger than money or fame or anything like that. I really love the game," said Black. "Coming in here and seeing the great history and tradition of the great players, rings, conference championships, I want to be a part of it. I want my name to be written on these walls in some way, shape, form or fashion.

Undrafted out of Kansas, by way of Memphis, Black played 25 games with the Rockets, starting 12 games for Dwight Howard, who sat with a knee injury. Black averaged 4.2 points on 54.2% shooting, along with 5.1 rebounds.

The 23-year old said he appreciates the opportunity the Rockets gave him.

"I got a blessing just to put on an NBA jersey. I went undrafted. I was under the radar," said Black. "They presented me the opportunity to actually play in the NBA then on top of that when Dwight went down, I became a starter, and who would have thought a non-drafted free agent rookie would be starting eight games into the season?"

When the Rockets needed roster space, they chose to cut Black because he was more likely to be claimed off waivers than some of their other players. With the Lakers' claim, all of Black's $507,336 salary comes off of Houston's books, dropping the team back below the NBA's $76.8 million luxury tax threshold.

Black said he understood the business aspect of the decision, and that Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey spoke to him multiple times about the move.

"I took it positively. I can't take it hard," he said. "I don't apply pressure to myself. You can apply pressure to yourself in some abstract ways, and that's one of them. Thinking, 'Well I should take it hard because I was just cut. What am I going to do?'

"That's not my style. I just play the game. I play as hard as I can. Somebody will like me if I play as hard as I can. Somebody will pick me up. Somebody will give me an opportunity and if they don't, then I just probably wasn't good enough to do it, but thus far it hasn't been proven yet."

Black also said he loves playing defense -- which happens to be a desperate need for the Lakers this season. The NBA lists Black as 6-foot-11, but he's a bit shorter than the 6-foot-10 Ed Davis.

How tall is he really?

"In shoes, 6-foot-9," he said. "That's not something I did myself, it's just the way it came out."

Black is under contract with the Lakers now for two seasons. He hopes to make the best of his time.

"I don't want to look at it as like a chip on the shoulder," said Black. "I'm thankful and grateful for my opportunity.

"This is a blessing for me and I want to take full advantage of it."

Monday, December 29, 2014

2015 Ferrari F1 car passes FIA crash tests, will debut in January


Ferrari will launch its 2015 car on the internet in late January.

The fabled Italian team's new boss Maurizio Arrivabene confirmed to reporters earlier this week that the new project, known as 666, has passed all of its mandatory FIA crash tests.
Ferrari will launch its 2015 car on the internet in late January.

It looks set to be debuted on schedule at the first official winter test at Jerez on February 1.

Before that, Arrivabene told Italy's Omnicorse, "It will be shown on the web at the end of January. The date is not yet specified."

He continued: "The reason is very simple. The engineers have told me that, to prepare for a presentation as in the past years, it takes three days.

"That is too much in a phase that I prefer work is dedicated to the development of the car."

Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel will drive for Ferrari during the 2015 Formula One season.

2015 Lamborghini Huracan and Aventador Showcased at Special U.S. Events


U.S. drivers will have the chance to experience the 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 and Aventador LP700-4 at special instructional events in Aspen, February 6-8, and later in the year at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

According to Lamborghini, the 2015 Lamborghini Esperienza, as it's called, is "designed to allow both drivers enjoying a first taste of Lamborghini to those already experienced on track, to enjoy the brand and the super sports cars from Sant'Agata Bolognese."
U.S. drivers will have the chance to experience the 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 and Aventador LP700-4 at special...

The Winter Accademia in Aspen concentrates on snow and ice driving, while the Track Accademia offers fans the chance to take one of the supercars out on a racetrack. Both consist of two programs, intensive and advanced, each with multiple training sessions during which drivers learn through exercises in slaloms, acceleration, braking and oversteering.

Each Accademia is open to a maximum of 24 participants for the intensive course and 16 for the advanced course. Drivers are divided into small groups to further personalize the instruction.

Altogether, the Lamborghini Esperienza will visit four continents in 2015: Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. The company says that so far more than 2,000 people have signed up for the program worldwide.

"We are very pleased to extend our Accademia and Esperienza program so significantly this year. It is proof of the growing interest in Lamborghini's super sports cars, among existing and potential customers from all over the world," said Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini's motorsport coordinator, in a statement. "These courses offer all participants, whatever their driving experience and their familiarity with Lamborghini, to enjoy our brand and experience our cars."

For additional details or to enroll in the programs, go to Squadracorse.Lamborghini.com.

The announcement of the latest Esperienza events comes just as Lamborghini has introduced a new limited-edition model, the 2015 Aventador LP700-4 Pirelli Edition, created to celebrate the automaker's long association with Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli.

Available in both coupe and roadster variations, the special edition sports all the technical attributes of the standard Aventador, including the 700-horsepower V12 engine, all-wheel drive and high-performance suspension.

The Pirelli models offer a choice of two exterior color schemes, one with matte black trim and gloss paint, and the other with gloss black trim and contrasting matte paint. Both are available in several colors.

The exterior is further enhanced with thin red stripes that run along the roof, engine cover, rearview mirrors and air intakes. A red Pirelli logo appears on the roof lines and on the Pirelli P Zero tires.

The seats are upholstered with black Alcantara with red contrast stitching, and the red body stripe and Pirelli logo are repeated inside as well. A "Pirelli Special Series" plaque underscores the limited-production nature of this unique model.

Lamborghini has not announced pricing for the 2015 Aventador LP700-4 Pirelli Edition, but the company says that dealers are accepting orders now, and delivery is scheduled for early summer.

Apple Pay to drive up iPhone market share: Pro....


The year 2014 has been a very good year for Apple.

The Cupertino, California-based company increased its market cap to $700 billion last month and released two new cell phone units: The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple also released Apple Pay, its mobile-payment service, and will release it in the United Kingdom next year.
The year 2014 has been a very good year for Apple.

Tavis McCourt, managing director of Raymond James Financial, said in an interview with CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" that Apple Pay alone would not drive up Apple's stock, but it would increase the iPhone's market share. "In terms of monetization, that's really what matters for Apple," he said. "Every one percent increase in iPhone market share globally is another 5 to to 10 percent growth in earnings."

Read MoreWhat's behind rapid rise of 'China's Apple' Xiaomi?

McCourt added that, while there is a natural ceiling for the iPhone's market share, the company isn't close to reaching it. "They're taking a rather high-price strategy, so there is a limit," he said. "But I don't think that we're anywhere near that limit."

 Holiday sales for both iPhone 6 models have also led to a "pretty fantastic quarter" for Apple, McCourt said. "One of the easiest things to check is the availability of the phones themselves," he said. "We're seeing spotty instances of lack of supply in the U.S."

Despite its tremendous size and sales, Apple still faces competition for cell-phone market share.

 "Apple is much less powerful once you get into Continental Europe, Asia and Latin America largely due to price points" McCourt said. "In different geographies, we're seeing different competitors do very well."

Some of these overseas competitors include China's Xiaomi and Wiko, a French niche mobile phone brand." It's basically a French brand of Android," McCourt said.

McCourt added that, while Android is a "very fragmented ecosystem," it is still doing very well in some regions of the world. Competition for mobile market share within the U.S., however, is almost nonexistent for the tech giant, he said.

Google's Massive New Android Update Is Coming To The Galaxy S5


It looks like Google's Android Lollipop update is making its way to more versions of the Galaxy S5 around the world.

After launching to Galaxy S5 owners in Poland in early December, blog Sam Mobile reports that the update is now available in Spain.
It looks like Google's Android Lollipop update is making its way to more versions of the Galaxy S5 around the world.

Galaxy S5 owners in other European countries should expect to get the update over the next few weeks, the report says.

There's still no word on when Lollipop will hit Galaxy S5 units in the US, however.

Although the Android update is new to the S5, we already have a pretty good idea of what it will look like on the phone. Sam Mobile posted a few videos showing how Lollipop looks with Samsung's modifications: The most noticeable differences appear to be in stock apps like the dialer and calculator. There are also a few Material Design animations visible in the footage.

Google has been referring to Android 5.0 Lollipop as one of its biggest mobile updates ever. Google has revamped some of the user interface elements with a new layout called Material Design, which adds bolder colors, a generally flatter and cleaner look, and new transition animations. There are also a ton of under-the-hood improvements that make the operating system smoother and more secure.

Twitter error kicks Android app users out of their accounts

Normality is returning to mobile Twitter. After a period during which the official Android Twitter app was inaccessible, some users are now reporting that they can access their accounts on their Android devices again. Twitter's mobile site is back up after some downtime, and Tweetdeck, which was showing recently posted tweets as being sent a year ago, appears to be back to working order.
Normality is returning to mobile Twitter. After a period during which the official Android Twitter app was inaccessible...

Twitter's desktop web client and iOS app remained functional throughout, and although Tweetdeck thought new tweets were a year old, the client was still showing new posts. It's not yet clear what caused this odd error, but according to one Twitter user, Twitter's server may have thought it was already 2015. The company acknowledged the login issues on its status blog, and said it fixed the error just after midnight ET.

Samsung set to discontinue Galaxy Alpha in favor of cheaper phones

The Galaxy Alpha might have been among the best phones Samsung ever produced — it's certainly the prettiest — if it weren't for a couple of stumbles: the battery didn't last long enough and its full flagship price forced it to compete against better-rounded rivals. Now, just a few brief months after its introduction, the Alpha is reportedly being supplanted by its successor Galaxy A5, which will take over as the leading Samsung handset for the mid-range market.
The Galaxy Alpha might have been among the best phones Samsung ever produced — it's certainly the prettiest

ET News reports that the Galaxy A5, which launched in China last month, is being brought over to South Korea as part of Samsung's effort to "take the bull by the horns" and reorganize its slumping smartphone division. The 5-inch A5 is a continuation of the Alpha's design philosophy, emphasizing thinness and higher-quality metal construction, though it opts for a tamer spec sheet that will allow it to be priced at a more competitive 400,000 won (roughly $360). The report states that the A5 will be arriving in Samsung's home country in January or February, while the Galaxy Alpha will be phased out as production ramps down once the current inventory of materials is exhausted.

Viber or Skype vs WhatsApp vs Line vs WeChat: It’s On


In this day and age, messaging is big. Instant messaging,now that’s huge and it really seems like the deciding factor to best the competition. Because of instant messaging popularity, the business aspect continues to grow with an array of different companies duking it out. In the scheme of things, there are only five companies that stand out and taller than the rest.

The companies in question are Viber, Skype, WhatsApp and Line and WeChat. In a bit of a civil war battle, we will find out what company provides the overall best service and which company best suites the public.
In this day and age, messaging is big. Instant messaging,now that’s huge and it really seems like the deciding factor...

Viber

Viber is a good service, that some of us already know but the other thing we know is that it is starting to feel rather vintage with it’s iOS 6 feel to it, iPhone users can feel that pain as well but the actual function is right up there with the times. The other thing to acknowledge is that labeling Viber as an instant messaging service feels like a bit of a misnomer because really, it is actually more of a voice messaging service. Obviously, instant messaging is the main focal point of these companies but Viber, their central force is voice messaging, which drops it stock considerably.
In this day and age, messaging is big. Instant messaging,now that’s huge and it really seems like the deciding factor....

Skype

When it comes to the video call, Skype is king and it is the standard in general. Skype however, has a pretty great instant messaging service as well and the fact it is compatible with the vast majority of devices is a plus too. It also well established with Windows 8 and the Windows 8 for portable devices. It enables high standards on group chats. Also, when it comes to the volume of customers, Skype beats the pack by quite a bit at a whopping 300 million.

WhatsApp

You can think of WhatsApp as the family man of the instant messaging group, it brings the people together, user friendly controls and the overall use is a pretty simple affair. At this current juncture, the company is enjoying an international popularity and that is obviously leading to a thriving business. After it was acquired by Facebook, the interest elevated and with that, they are developing a more contemporary service but the instant messaging and the average emojis still do the trick, which still makes WhatsApp a great service to use.

Line

Japan’s bid in the instant messaging ring, is very similar to the next service on our list, WeChat. The instant messaging is on par with the rest, emoticons, text and voice messaging, etc. What makes Line standout a little more the other four is that it has a great location finder of stuff like possible local celebrities living or visiting within the same region, sports teams and other like stuff, so it can be definitely a good time here and there if you enjoy that type of thing.

WeChat

China’s bid for instant messaging supremacy, WeChat is the real deal and what its all about in instant messaging. It has a great selection of in-app games, emoticons, photo location, app sharing, code scanning and it also sports great facilities for storing contacts. WeChat also has a really good social aspect to it as well and it has a great function for the user to show and update their status.

And the Winner by Unanimous Decision is…

Each one of these companies have a great service to offer, some better than others. It really all depends on what exactly you are looking for but if there had to be a favorite, one that has a better chance of becoming leader of the pack when Skype stock begins to settle, it would certainly have to go to WeChat because it really has the feel of a company that is striving to get better and they appear like they are going to do everything it takes to stay current and likely always be on edge to best whatever competition gets in it’s way.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Ferrari set to unveil 2015 challenger online


Ferrari is set to reveal its 2015 car, which has the code name 'Project 666', during an online launch in January.
Ferrari is set to reveal its 2015 car, which has the code name 'Project 666', during an online launch in January....

As in 2014 the Italian squad will present its challenger on the internet prior to its anticipated first public appearance during pre-season testing at Jerez.

"The reason is very simple," said Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene. "The engineers have told me that the preparation for a presentation takes three days. That's too much at a stage where I prefer to have the work focusing on the development of the car."

The only other team to announce its plans for a 2015 launch is Force India, which confirmed it will unveil the VJM08 in Mexico in late January.

Jock Clear, Lewis Hamilton's race engineer at Mercedes, moves to Ferrari


The HR office at the Ferrari Formula One team has been exceptionally busy this year, and the churn hasn't ceased. Just this month under new team principal Mauricio Arrivabene – the third team principal in 2014 – lead designer Nikolas Tombazis and engineering director Pat Fry were let go, and tire performance expert Hirohide Hamashima will leave the team at the end of the year.
The HR office at the Ferrari Formula One team has been exceptionally busy this year, and the churn hasn't ceased

Now there's another batch of HR paperwork to be completed, but this is a new hire to join Sebastian Vettel and Esteban Gutiérrez: Jock Clear, Lewis Hamilton's performance engineer this season at Mercedes AMG Petronas. Clear will take over Pat Fry's vacant role as head of engineering, and brings a Driver's World Championship pedigree with him, having helped Hamilton to his second title and Jacques Villeneuve to his sole title in 1997 with Williams. He hasn't joined the Scuderia yet, though; Ferrari is still negotiating with Mercedes to "secure his services as soon as possible." Clear will work in a totally revamped engineering department and report to technical director and ex-Lotus F1 man James Allison.

The last time Ferrari went an entire season without a win was 1993. The team has attempted to hedge expectations for 2015, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne saying, "I think hopefully within the next 12 months we will remove all the baggage of uncertainty that is going to plague at least the initial phase of 2015." Hope springs yet, though: when Arrivabene was asked what he'd be happy with next year, he said, "two or three wins."

Anze Kopitar leads LA Kings past Sharks, 3-1

Anze Kopitar and Jake Muzzin scored power-play goals, Jonathan Quick made 21 saves and the Los Angeles Kings returned from the holiday break with a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.Anze Kopitar and Jake Muzzin scored power-play goals, Jonathan Quick made 21 saves and the Los Angeles Kings...

Tyler Toffoli also scored in the defending Stanley Cup champions' third victory in four games. The Kings gave a dominant defensive effort in their NHL lead-tying 14th home win, avenging a 4-0 loss to the Sharks on opening night that dampened their championship banner-raising ceremony.

Joe Pavelski scored his 17th goal and Antti Niemi stopped 26 shots for the Sharks, who lost in regulation for just the second time since Nov. 26.

Los Angeles pulled even with its upstate rivals into second place in the Pacific Division standings.

Kopitar had a goal and an assist on the Kings' once-struggling power play, which kept on humming after the three-day break. Los Angeles has scored a power-play goal in five straight games, including multiple goals in four straight contests for the first time since March 1993.

While failing to stay out of the box, San Jose also struggled to get a consistent offensive push in its second straight loss following a five-game win streak.

Pavelski put the Sharks ahead just 2:39 in, capitalizing on a turnover by Justin Williams and a pass from Joe Thornton for a shot that barely trickled past Quick.

Toffoli evened it later in the period, snapping his personal 10-game goal drought on a remarkable cross-ice pass from defenseman Jamie McBain, who has points in three straight games. Toffoli, Marian Gaborik and Tanner Pearson have 11 goals apiece to lead the Kings.

Kopitar then scored on a back-side rebound of Gaborik's shot in the second period. Four of his eight goals in a slow-starting offensive season have been on the power play.

Muzzin added his sixth goal with a heavy shot on another power play early in the third.

Apple not offering '12 Days of Gifts' promotion for first time in six years


Since 2008, Apple has given away songs, apps, movies and other digital goodies as part of a holiday tradition dubbed the "12 Days of Christmas," or "12 Days of Gifts" for U.S. users, but this year the company has apparently opted to call off the promotion.
Since 2008, Apple has given away songs, apps, movies and other digital goodies as part of a holiday tradition dubbed...

A report from Macworld earlier this week cited sources as saying Apple had no plans to participate in its yearly promo, and with no app or mention of the program in sight as of Dec. 27, the rumor is all but confirmed.

In previous years, Apple released its 12 Days of Gifts app on the iOS App Store in the weeks leading up to Christmas, usually making the first freebie available to users on Dec. 26, or Boxing Day. New gifts were unveiled every day and available for 24 hours before being replaced by the next.

Following a series of smaller items, like music singles and e-books, "12 Days" would culminate in a larger gift on Jan. 6, the most recent being the mini album "Sweet Summer Sun — Hyde Park Live" by the Rolling Stones.

For 2013, "12 Days" brought users in the U.S., Europe and Canada select tracks from Justin Timberlake and Lorde, a copy of Oscar-winning film "Hugo" with iTunes extras, Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2014 e-book and various iOS apps, among other goodies.

Apple's decision to break from tradition comes just one year after "12 Days" was first introduced to U.S. customers under slightly less denominational "12 Days of Gifts" branding. It is unclear if the company plans to reinstate the program in 2015.

Your old Nokia sucked: here's how much better phones have become in 20 years


Smartphones are a relatively recent invention: the first so-called smartphone, Ericsson's R380, didn't ship until early 2000. In the 1990s phones had modest specs, proprietary operating systems and the ability to make and receive phone calls, sometimes.

Today's phones haven't improved much on the calling front - for all their noise cancelling and cleverness, they still drop calls like they're hot - but everything else has changed dramatically in just 20 years.
Smartphones are a relatively recent invention: the first so-called smartphone, Ericsson's R380, didn't ship until early 2000

The numbers have changed too. In 1994 Motorola was pretty chuffed about selling 12 million handsets in a year. Today, Apple can do 10 million iPhones in a weekend. So what else has changed? Let's go back. Wayyyyy back.

When we think of early nineties mobile phones the Motorola 8000X brick phone tends to spring to mind, but while that behemoth looks so odd now was indeed on sale back in 1994 there were more interesting and much smaller phones such as Nokia's excellent 232.

The Moto X in 2014 is very similar to the Nokia 232 in 1994: it's not too pricey and it delivers a lot of power for the price. Of course, what power means in 2014 is a bit different from what it meant twenty years ago. Let's see what's really changed in two decades.
Smartphones are a relatively recent invention: the first so-called smartphone, Ericsson's R380, didn't ship until early 2000.

Design

Frank Nuovo's design for the Nokia 232 was intended to be futuristic, and at the time it was: the neat, compact design was aimed at style conscious customers and even featured in the film Clueless.

The 232 won a stack of design awards and, inspired by Swatch watches, was the first phone to ship in a range of colours - although the cost of phones at the time meant most people stuck with plain old black instead of having different phones for different outfits.

Phones are a lot more homogenous today - there's only so much you can do with an enormous touchscreen, a camera and a couple of hardware buttons.

The Moto X mimics the Nokia in its customisation options: you can choose the back and front colours, the trim and even encase your phone in real wood. But there's no mistaking the huge changes phones have gone through in 20 years: in today's phones the software, not the hardware, is the real star.

Display, Interface and Operating System

The Nokia 232 had a 16-digit LCD display with additional indicators for signal strength, battery life and key features such as whether you were in a call or if somebody had left you a voicemail.

The phone ran Nokia's own proprietary operating system and was controlled with the keypad - so for example to experiment with the extensive selection of five ringtones you'd hit MENU, 2, up or down and STO to confirm the setting.

The Moto X has a 5.2-inch, full HD AMOLED display delivering 423 pixels per inch and protected by the third generation of Corning's Gorilla Glass.

The display is a touchscreen, the operating system is Android KitKat and there is a 2MP front-facing camera and a 13MP rear-facing one capable of recording Ultra HD video.

The user interface is customisable and via apps the phone can pretend to be anything you want it to be, from a musical instrument to a sensible tool. It's controllable by voice too.

Connectivity

Forget 4G: the Nokia 232 was 1G and ran on analogue phone networks known as AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) in the US and TACS (Total Access Communication System) in the UK.

Those analogue networks were prone to noise and interference, easy to intercept and generally rubbish, and analogue phones were easy to clone too.

You could receive 14-character messages to notify you of missed calls and use DTMF tones to make choices on automated switchboards, and you could also use the Nokia 232 as a modem, although that required a separate data adaptor or car kit.

Let's take a deep breath: the Moto X has NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, dual-band 802.11a/g/b/n/ac Wi-Fi, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPA+ and 4G LTE. It has GPS and a Micro USB connector and it can connect to the Moto Hint wireless earbud, Android Wear smartwatches, wireless speakers, health and fitness monitors and in-car entertainment and navigation systems.

To give you an idea of the difference between speeds then and now, in 1994 Network World magazine tested multiple cellular modems and found that the fastest one transmitted graphics at 71.2 kilobits per second.

In theory 4G LTE is capable of 300 megabits per second, which is 4,213 times faster. That would download a 5GB HD movie in just over two minutes; on 1994's networks, that would have taken seven days - assuming that the connection stayed up that long and that conditions were perfect, neither of which would be very likely.

Battery life

The Nokia 232 had various removable batteries depending on what you bought and where you bought it: a 380 mAh nickel cadmium battery offering 50 minutes of talk time and 10 hours standby, an extended 800 mAh NiCd offering nearly two hours of talk time, and ultimately the Ultra Extended nickel metal hydride battery delivering a whopping 2 hours and 30 minutes of chat and 32 hours on standby.

The Moto X ships with a 2,300 mAh battery that promises up to 24 hours of mixed use, although as with all battery figures that depends on signal strength and how you use your phone.

Comparing that to the Nokia makes it look like we've gone backwards with batteries, but of course the Nokia battery didn't have to drive a five-inch full HD display, lightning-fast 4G and a quad-core Snapdragon processor clocked at 2.5GHz.

The Nokia's simple features required an entire phone; now, they're just another app.

Price

The Nokia 232 launched with an RRP of £49.99 (with contract, which equates to £82 today), which doesn't sound like much - but back then a pint of lager was £1.58, the average wage was just over £17K and the average house price was £50K.

As with all technology, prices fell fast: by 1996 you could pick up the little Nokia for as little as £19.99 with a Cellnet contract.

The Moto X comes with the usual dizzying array of contract deals, so for example it's currently available for £119 up front and £18.99 per month on T-Mobile. SIM-free versions are currently around the £400 mark. In real terms, then, the Moto X is much cheaper than the Nokia was 20 years ago.

Isn't living in the future brilliant?

Los Angeles Lakers Trade Rumors: ‘Linsanity’ To Take Talents To South Beach? Guard Could Head To Heat


With the once-mighty Los Angeles Lakers floundering just barely above the Western Conference basement, rumors of one prospective trade or another are about all that fans of the Purple and Gold have to keep them interested as the 2014-15 season slogs toward its inevitable conclusion. A conclusion that will certainly see the Lakers miss out on an NBA postseason berth for the second straight year — and just the seventh time in the history of the club.
With the once-mighty Los Angeles Lakers floundering just barely above the Western Conference basement...

With a 9-21 record as of December 27, Los Angeles stood just two-and-a-half games ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves at 14th place in the Western Conference. That leaves 52 games left on the schedule, which Lakers fans hope will be plenty of time to right the rapidly sinking ship.

But realistically, the team would need to win 32 of those games, losing only 20 — a winning percentage of.615, compared to their current.300 clip — just to finish at.500 with even a hope of qualifying for the Western Conference playoffs.

In other words, while the weather forecast in Los Angeles is always sunny, the forecast for the Los Angeles Lakers can be summed up in one word: bleak.

So who gets traded on or before the February 19 trading deadline? Right now, according to rumors floating around the club, the leading candidate is inconsistent, 26-year-old point guard Jeremy Lin.

Lin caused a sensation in his second NBA season, which he spent a member of the New York Knicks. Undrafted and a graduate of Harvard University, Lin set off a phenomenon that was immediately labeled “Linsanity” with his unlikely leap to sudden NBA stardom.

But his ride at the top was short lived, and since then, the 6' 3? Lin has performed no better than any NBA journeyman. Lin is averaging a respectable but unimpressive 10.5 points and 4.9 assists in the 2014-15 season so far.

The Miami Heat are also struggling in this year, in the wake of Lebron James’ return to Cleveland. But even though the Heat are waddling along at 14-16, they still hold the seventh overall seed in the East and maintain a realistic shot a playoff position.

Lin leads the Lakers in assists, with 138, despite playing much of the season alongside Kobe Bryant who dominates possession of the ball, taking 22.4 shots per game.

The Heat, on the other hand, rank 27th out of the 30 NBA teams in assists — making Lin a potentially desirable target.

One player who will not be departing the Lakers anytime soon is Bryant himself, despite complaints from fans that the team may actually play better without their 36-year-old superstar. But Los Angeles Coach Byron Scott dismisses those fans as “idiots,” maintaining that the Lakers “are a much better team when Kobe is on the basketball court.”

iPad Air 2, Nexus 9 Among Top Five Tablets Of 2015

With Christmas just around the corner , we will soon be singing Auld Lang Syne once more to signal the end of 2014. This was a year in which tablets experienced something of a lull in the marketplace, before Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in particular came roaring back with some excellent releases towards the back end of the calendar year. But what were the best tablet releases of 2014? Here is a rundown of ValueWalk’s top five.
With Christmas just around the corner , we will soon be singing Auld Lang Syne once more to signal the end of 2014

1.Apple iPad Mini 3

The Apple iPad Mini 3 was announced in conjunction with a new iPad Air tablet, and the more premium of the two devices is clearly superior. But this is still a decent option for people wanting a tablet on a budget, even if it is basically a reboot of the iPad Mini 2.

The TouchID functionality included in the iPad Mini 3 is welcome, though, and this is the best mini tablet that Apple has released thus far. Its impressive speed and compact size make it a beautiful combination, although it must be said that the price is a little hefty for its specifications.

iOS 8 runs very well on the iPod Mini 3, and this is a very decent attempt at a small-scale tablet by Apple.
With Christmas just around the corner , we will soon be singing Auld Lang Syne once more to signal the end of 2014.

2.Google Nexus 9

The Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Nexus 9 has to some degree imitated the iPad range by opting for a 4:3 screen ratio. This means that this tablet is ideal for web browsing, but perhaps not quite as good for watching movies. Another downside of this device is that it is a little too large to be gripped comfortably in one hand, to some degree negating the entire point of tablet computer.

Once these gripes are out of the way, the Google Nexus 9 is otherwise a very strong tablet. HTC Corp (TPE:2498) has done an excellent job of manufacturing this for Google, and the construction and power of the device is much greater than adequate. Android 5.0 Lollipop runs decently on the Google Nexus 9, and overall this tablet provides a pretty slick package.
With Christmas just around the corner , we will soon be singing Auld Lang Syne once more to signal the end of 2014..

3.Sony Xperia Z2

Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE)(TYO:6758) may not have had the most successful year financially, but this hasn’t prevented it from releasing some killer kit. The Xperia mobile phone range improved significantly in 2014, and this tablet from Sony is one of the outstanding devices on the market.

The Xperia Z2 delivers outstanding specifications, with an uprated Snapdragon 801 CPU, 3GB of RAM and a superb LED screen included in its portfolio of features. The display in particular really delivers outstanding detail and colour, and makes watching videos and movies a real pleasure. This effect is magnified by the inclusion of excellent dual front-facing speakers.

Sony has also ensured that this is a very practical tablet by making it water and dust resistant, and if the iPad has never been your thing, then you couldn’t go far wrong with the Xperia Z2 if you’re looking for a powerful yet affordable tablet.
With Christmas just around the corner , we will soon be singing Auld Lang Syne once more to signal the end of 2014...

4.Samsung Galaxy Tab S

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94)(KRX:005930) perhaps hasn’t nailed the tablet to the same degree that its smartphone division has excelled, but it has recently been directing a great deal of effort into producing a genuine rival for the iPad. This hasn’t been an entirely successful venture, but the Galaxy Tab S is definitely its best effort thus far.

The starring element of this device is its striking and brilliant Super AMOLED display, which is available in both 8.4 and 10.5-inch screen sizes. It is probably the best tablet on the market for display quality, and this must be a huge selling point considering many people purchase tablets in order to possess a convenient media playing device.

Superb battery life, the usual powerful spec that Samsung includes in its devices, and decent design parameters make this an excellent tablet that will appeal to many people.
With Christmas just around the corner , we will soon be singing Auld Lang Syne once more to signal the end of 2014....

5.iPad Air 2

Apple has owned the tablet market for some time, managing to shift over 200 million iPad units worldwide, and this position has once more being cemented in 2014 with the release of the iPad Air 2.

Design is absolutely critical in the tablet market, and this is simply a gorgeous looking and feeling device, even thinner and lighter than previous iPads.

Apple has also improved the screen quality with the iPad Air 2, and it is very noticeable that colors displayed by this tablet are extremely vibrant.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

3 Reasons Why I Don't Plan to Sell Apple, Inc. Stock in 2015


Wrapping up the year, Apple stock is finishing strong. The tech giant's 42% jump significantly outperformed the S&P 500's comparatively paltry 13% gain.

After such a great year, the biggest concerns for many Apple shareholders could probably be summed up in one question: Is the stock still worth holding on to?

I think so. Here are three reasons why I won't be selling Apple stock.
Wrapping up the year, Apple stock is finishing strong. The tech giant's 42% jump significantly outperformed the S&P 500's comparatively...

1. Apple's iPhone business is firing on all cylinders.
Thanks to what appears to be a wildly successful iPhone 6 line, analysts are incredibly bullish about iPhone sales in Apple's first-fiscal quarter of 2015, which ends before the New Year. The consensus estimate for iPhone sales during Q1 is 63 million, up 23.5% from Apple's previous quarterly record of 51 million units, which was set in the first fiscal quarter of 2014.

Considering that Apple's iPhone segment is both its most profitable and its biggest, this sort of growth would mean that Apple's already lucrative free cash flow would likely see a substantial year-over-year boost in Q1. The continued growth in Apple's cash-cow product segment would reinforce just how valuable the company's war chest for dividends, repurchases, and future investments really is. And even if Apple's iPhone growth falls short of the consensus in Q1, the continued general upward trend for Apple's iPhone business suggests that meaningful growth in unit sales is still likely -- and a year-over-year decline is virtually impossible.

Looking out further for Apple's iPhone business, there's a key opportunity in the world's largest smartphone market -- China. The world's most populous country still looks like a pristine opportunity for the company. Morgan Stanley's longtime Apple analyst Katy Huberty, who has an "overweight" rating on Apple stock and a $126 price target, said in a recent note to investors that her data points to consumer demand for iPhones in China growing about three times faster than the year-over-year growth in demand for iPhones globally.
Wrapping up the year, Apple stock is finishing strong. The tech giant's 42% jump significantly outperformed the S&P 500's comparatively....

2. The Apple Watch offers upside potential.
Predicting the success of Apple's new smartwatch is incredibly difficult. The current analyst estimates for sales of the Apple Watch in 2015 is about 23 million. For some perspective, Apple sold about 170 million iPhones in 2014.

But one thing is clear: Apple's customer base for this product launch is far larger than it was at the time of any other Apple product launch in the past, making big sales numbers not only viable, but also likely. With the launch of the Apple Watch, more Apple customers than ever will have an opportunity to add the latest Apple product to their ecosystem. If you define the potential customer base of the Apple Watch as Apple customers with the iPhone 5 or later -- because it's only the iPhone 5 or later that is compatible with the Apple Watch -- potential customers number greater than 315 million -- a monstrous figure.

3. Valuation is still reasonable.
While Apple isn't the same dirt-cheap stock it was at the beginning of 2014, it's still not expensive. A price-to-earnings ratio of 18 isn't bad for a company that grew its earnings per share 20% year over year in Q4.

Looking out a bit, Apple should continue to grow earnings with the help of a healthy iPhone business, continued share repurchases, and potential upside from the Apple Watch. Then, of course, there is Apple's growing dividend, which Apple said in April it "plans to increase ... on an annual basis."

Unless Apple stock skyrockets to an irrational high during 2015 -- to a point where the stock is grossly overvalued -- I won't be selling.

Justin Bieber wants to impress Selena Gomez by taking her on holiday in his new private jet

The Baby singer has joined the private jet club and wants to whisk his on/off girlfriend off on a romantic getaway.

Justin Bieber wants to surprise Selena Gomez with a "romantic getaway" after buying a private jet.

The 20-year-old singer already has plans for his new plane - which he shared photos of on Thursday - and is reportedly hoping to
"impress" his on/off girlfriend by whisking her off on holiday.
The Baby singer has joined the private jet club and wants to whisk his on/off girlfriend off on a romantic...,

A source told HollywoodLife.com: "Justin wants to impress Selena with his new jet.

"In fact, he's hoping to surprise Selena with a romantic getaway with his new wings."

The Boyfriend hitmaker is hoping to "sweep" the 22-year-old singer off her feet with his "tricked out" jet - which he enjoyed showing off on Instagram over Christmas. SIGH.

"He used to talk to Selena all the time about the tricked out jet he wanted.

"Now all he has to do is get her on the phone. It wouldn't surprise me if he just shows up and tried to sweep her off her feet, literally."

Justin was spotted hiding his face from the paps while on a dinner date with rumoured flame Hailey Baldwin on Boxing Day but has insisted the pair are "just good friends."

The star, 20, and the 18-year-old model - who have been spending a lot of time together lately - were seen leaving the Mr Chow restaurant in New York after the singer arrived back from spending Christmas in Canada.

Meanwhile, a source revealed that Justin also wanted to impress Selena in a recent photo shoot, so he could show off how "healthy" he looks.

A source revealed: "Justin hopes Selena saw the photos.

"He wants her to see how good he looks. How healthy he is and that's he's changing for the better. He hopes the pictures impress her."

We think she'll probably be less impressed with his new hair

The 12 best Christmas beers to enjoy this holiday season


Christmas was on Thursday, but it’s just the first of 12 days (like the song). As such, we at For The Win are equipping you with the knowledge to achieve peak holiday cheer through the joy of beer.

Christmas beer can get out of control. Just yesterday, I stumbled upon a cinnamon horchata holiday beer in my parents’ refrigerator. It was a bad time. The goal of this list is twofold. One: offer up our favorite brews. The second: Save you from impostor, flavor-injected ales that mock the tradition of Christmas beer.
Christmas was on Thursday, but it’s just the first of 12 days (like the song). As such, we at For The Win are equipping you...

With that, here are 12 Christmas beers for the 12 days of Christmas.

12. Blue Moon – Winter Abbey Ale (5.6% ABV)

This is a Dubbel-style brew that serves as a great introduction into Christmas beers. Most of the beers on this list feature a few similarities: All have higher ABV, all are rather dark and heavy, and none taste like Bud Light. Blue Moon’s Winter Abbey Ale is the one beer on this list that can span across palates. Still rich enough to please the purists, but still mild to keep the less appreciative taste buds happy.

11. Snow Blind – Star Hill (7.4%)

Pours a mahogany color, and offers up a caramel and coffee aroma. This Doppelbock from Crozet, Va., is true to the season with a dark, malty taste with hints of fruit and sweetness.

10. Celebration – Sierra Nevada (6.8%)

An IPA for the person in your family who refuses to drink anything but IPAs. If you don’t like traditional Christmas beer and love hops, you will likely enjoy Celebration, which embraces the latter and shuns the former.

9. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year – Anchor (5.5%)

The annual secret recipe from the San Francisco brew master has become a staple since the first batch in 1975. The 2014 offering is a spicy, ruby colored brew that isn’t too heavy.

8. Merry Maker – Samuel Adams (9%)

It’s a gingerbread stout, which could be a disaster (see: horchata beer). It achieves a festive taste without being overly ostentatious or … gingerbready? Gingerbready.

7. Delirium Noël – Brouwerij Huyghe (10%)

I feel the same way about Delirium Noël as I do about the 24-hour airing of A Christmas Story on Christmas Day. It’s a very good beer. But it’s popularity has given it clout it doesn’t quite deserve. That said, if you enjoy dark ales, this is well worth a try if only to see what the fuss is about.

6. Adoration – Ommegang (10%)

This beer plays on its coriander notes masterfully, mixing with cinnamon, orange peel, and the signature Ommegang bite.

5. Christmas Ale – Corsendonk (8.5%)

Do yourself a favor and pour a taste of the Corsendonk Christmas Ale and try it after sipping Delirium Noël and you will immediately understand the differences between a good Belgian dark ale and a great Belgian dark ale. The Christmas Ale has the usual staples – cinnamon, coriander, and spice – but follows that with almost a cake-like finish.

4. Prelude – Shipyard (6.7%)

A true Winter Warmer – sweet and malty – the Prelude’s residual sugar mixed with the floral notes you get off the head make for a perfect evening beer.

3. Brown Shugga – Lagunitas (10%)

First, let’s address the name. Brown Shugga gets its name from the fact that Lagunitas dumps heaps of brown sugar into this beer, which is very apparent. But it works to perfection, mixing with the bitter hops for a fruity and delicious experience.

2. Mad Elf – Troegs (11%)

A personal favorite that has turned into a family tradition. Mad Elf pours a deep ruby and has a strong cherry taste with toasted caramel and spice at the end.

1. Christmas Ale – Brouwerij St. Bernardus (10%)

Simply the perfect Christmas ale. It pours near-black and it smells like you’d expect Christmas to smell. Plums, spices, and a hint of burnt sugar permeate the brew. It has a sweet, almost rum-like quality and should definitely be sipped, even if you want to guzzle.

Kobe Bryant targets Sunday


Kobe Bryant sat out his third straight game to rest his sore body but could be back in the lineup when the Lakers return home for their next outing.

Bryant was ruled out of Friday night's eventual 102-98 loss at Dallas, but coach Byron Scott said his star "feels pretty good about going" Sunday night against Phoenix.
Kobe Bryant sat out his third straight game to rest his sore body but could be back in the lineup when the Lakers return...

The 36-year-old Bryant has said his knees, feet, back and Achilles tendons are all sore.

He was sidelined Tuesday night when Los Angeles beat NBA-leading Golden State at home, then again Christmas night at Chicago. The game against the Mavericks was the third in four nights for the Lakers.

"If he had felt good he would have gone last night and tonight as well," Scott said before the Lakers faced the Mavericks, who beat them 140-106 last month in Dallas. "Just didn't feel good last night and back-to-back 24 hours, not going to feel a whole lot better. I think he feels pretty good about going for Sunday's game."

Scott said a reduction in Bryant's minutes was likely a consideration when he returns. He's averaging a team-high 35.5 minutes, about 3 fewer per game than his past two full seasons in 2011-2012 and 2012-13.

Bryant tore his left Achilles late in the 2012-13 season, and played just six games last season after breaking a bone in his left knee last December.

"We both thought that 30-40 minute mark was pretty good," Scott said. "Obviously we're going to have to adjust that a little bit. But this is new for both of us."

In his 19th NBA season, Bryant entered Friday third in the league in scoring at 24.6 points per game. He passed Michael Jordan for third place on the career scoring list Dec. 14 at Minnesota.

4 Most Powerful Luxury Fashion Brands In The World


The luxury market has been growing significantly over the past couple of years and is still continuing on an upwards trend. Experts forecast an annual growth rate for the luxury goods market of 5-6% between 2013 and 2015. The Brain & Company estimated the luxury market to be valued at $274 billion, with a potential to reach an astonishing value of $290 value by 2015.
The luxury market has been growing significantly over the past couple of years and is still continuing on an upwards trend

1. Louis Vuitton – Brand Value: $28.4 Billion

Louis Vuitton Malletier, often referred to as Louis Vuitton, or LV, is a French fashion house, that was founded by Louis Vuitton in 1984. Crowned the most valuable luxury brand in the world, Louis Vuitton has a current brand value of $28.4 billion and ranks number 10 on Forbes list of The Most Valuable Luxury Brands 2013.

In spite of dominating the luxury market, Louis Vuitton has experienced a loss in brand value of 12% since 2012.

One of the famous Louis Vuitton bags usually sells for over $10 000, and their Tambour Monogram watches collection sells items for prices in the region of $26, 000 to $29, 000.

The list with the top 10 of the word's most powerful luxury brands reveals the significant lead of Louis Vuitton, the growth of well-known brands such as Gucci and Prada and the expansion of Coach, especially due to their collaboration with Billy Reid for a top luxury item.

Another interesting fact to note is that 5 out of the top 10 most powerful luxury brands in the world are from France, and 2 from Italy. Only three others countries have a place in the top 10 most powerful luxury brands, such as America, Switzerland and England.
The luxury market has been growing significantly over the past couple of years and is still continuing on an upwards trend.

2. Hermès – Brand Value: $19,2 Billion

Hermès International S.A., mostly known as Hermès Paris, or just Hermès, is a French luxury manufacturer that was founded in 1837. The company is the second most valuable luxury brand in the world. The French manufacturer ranked 40 in the Brandz Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2013.

One of the Hermès signature orange bags can be bought for approximately $4,420. In 2011, Hermès set a world record, when one of their famous bags, the Hermès Birkin Bag, was sold at an auction for an astonishing price of $203,150 and became the most expensive purse to be sold at an auction.
The luxury market has been growing significantly over the past couple of years and is still continuing on an upwards trend..

3. Gucci – Brand Value: $12,7 Billion

Gucci is the third most valuable luxury brand in the world, with a brand value of $12,7 billion. Gucci was founded in Florence in 1921, by Guccio Gucci. Today Gucci is part of the Gucci Group and is owned by Kering, a French company mostly known as PPR. The current CEO at Gucci is Patrizio di Marco.

Gucci has experienced a significant growth since 2012, as it increased its brand value by 48%, from $8,6 billion to $12,7  billion. Gucci was also introduced as number 68 in the Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2013.

The famous crocodile shoulder bag from Gucci sells for approximately $35,000.
The luxury market has been growing significantly over the past couple of years and is still continuing on an upwards trend....

4. Prada – Brand Value: $9,4 Billion

Prada S.P.A., mostly known as Prada, is an Italian fashion house that was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada. The company has the headquarters in Milan, Italy, and is run by CEO Patrizio Bertelli.

Prada is the fourth most valuable luxury brand in the world, with a brand value of $9,4  billion. The brand experienced a sharp rise since 2012, increasing in value by 63%, from $5,7 billion to $9,4 billion.

Prada was also introduced at number 95 on the Brandz list of Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2013. The famous Ostrich leather bags from Prada sell for approximately $10 000 a piece.

5 Reasons the Nexus 9 Makes a Great Gift


Last month Google released the all-new HTC Nexus 9 tablet running on Android 5.0 Lollipop, the latest release of the Android operating system. The tablet has a lot to offer and is one of the best Android tablets available this holiday season, and below we’ll go over a few reasons the Nexus 9 makes for a great gift.

For those who don’t need the best of the best like a Samsung Galaxy Tab S or the new iPad Air 2, users who want parent controls and guest accounts for kids mode, and those looking for an excellent experience with stunning sound, the Nexus 9 is your perfect tablet.
Last month Google released the all-new HTC Nexus 9 tablet running on Android 5.0 Lollipop, the latest release of the Android operating system

1.Display & Front Facing Speakers

The Nexus 9 is one of the only tablets on the market to deliver stunning video and audio, making it the perfect lap companion. It has a new 4:3 aspect ratio similar to the iPad for easy holding and viewing web pages, a crisp 8.9-inch screen, and a pair front facing speakers that deliver excellent sound while playing games, watching YouTube or Netflix, and everything else.

If you’re buying a tablet for someone that enjoys games, watching TV shows on their tablet, or just overall wants a content consumption device, the Nexus 9 is perfect. Things like YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Music, Hulu and even the Chromecast to stream it to the big screen.

In our hands-on and review of the Nexis 9 we found it to have one of the best displays of any Android tablet, aside from many the Galaxy Tab S, and the front facing speakers just can’t be matched. Why have speakers face the wrong way with awful sound quality. The Nexus 9 delivers improved sound that will be worth it while enjoying content.

2.Android 5.0 Lollipop

Google’s Nexus 9 was the first device on the market to run the completely redesigned and improved Android 5.0 Lollipop software. It’s also the first tablet that received a quick bug fixing update to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop. With Android 5.0 Google changed lots of stuff, most for the better, and it’s an experience that most users will enjoy over older tablets with outdated software.

The Nexus 9 user interface is smooth, fluid, fast, and works great on the 8.9-inch display. The powerful NVIDIA processor underneath takes advantage of 64-bit computing in Android 5.0 Lollipop to deliver better performance, and improved gameplay. All the highest end Android games work wonderfully on the Nexus 9, and that’s just one more of many reasons it’s worthy of buying this holiday season.

Personally the new double tap to wake the display feature in Android 5.0 is one of my favorites, something all Android smartphones and tablets should offer, and one more exclusive option for Nexus 9 owners.

3.Kids Mode

Unlike the iPad, with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and above all Android tablets (and now smartphones) have multi-user account options. Also known as “guest mode” or “kids mode” where you can set up multiple accounts on the device. This is one more reason many buyers will want to snag a Nexus 9 over an old Android tablet or something from Apple.

Being able to have one account for all your apps, games, favorite websites and more, then a second user account that’s just a tap (and password) away for your kids makes it a great choice. No one wants kids messing with settings, deleting apps or moving icons, not to mention those sticky fingers have already covered your tablet in gunk.

A few other Android devices like the Amazon Kindle Fire lineup offer kids mode, if you’re looking for other options. This is another one of those features that’s invaluable once you’ve had it, and will keep the “family tablet” in better shape for everyone involved. Get the Nexus 9 for friends and family and they’ll be set.

4. 8 Megapixel OIS Camera

While not everyone enjoys taking pictures with a tablet, the Nexus 9 will be able to produce some excellent photos if needed. The 8 megapixel rear-facing camera includes Optical Image Stabilization, and an LED flash. This doesn’t magically make you take better photos, but it helps remove the blurriness in photos from shaking, and will drastically improve low-light photos too.

If you take tons of photos on your smartphone or tablet, the Nexus 9’s improved camera should produce excellent results. It won’t help moving objects, but low light photos, portrait shots, and landscape photos where any blur will ruin a photo will benefit from this new feature. It also has an f/2.4 aperture lens, which should help the overall photo experience.

Being able to snap photos and beam them to the bigscreen TV in the living room with Chromecast, view them on the 8.9-inch display, or check them out instantly on a computer with Google Photo backup makes the camera another reason to buy the Nexus 9 this holiday season.

5.Price

Google’s new Nexus 9 isn’t as cheap as some previous tablets released by the search giant, but it’s also their best tablet yet. It offers a great design, an aluminum bezel, the front facing speakers, and much more. Making it one of the most expensive Nexus tablets ever released.

That said, it’s still cheaper than most the Samsung Galaxy Tablets of this caliber, and still cheaper than the iPad Air 2 while matching the price of the smaller Mini 3. This year Google priced the Nexus 9 at $399 for the 16GB model, and $479 for the 32GB flavor, and recently released a 32GB 4G LTE option for $599.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Nike Kobe 9 KRM EXT ‘Black Mamba’


Kobe Bryant’s nickname, Black Mamba, was the inspiration for his next release and it’s a striking pair of a mostly all-black leather sneaker.
Kobe Bryant’s nickname, Black Mamba, was the inspiration for his next release and it’s a striking pair of a mostly...

The Nike Kobe 9 KRM EXT ‘Black Mamba’ is treated with compression-molded scales along its upper until you get to the ankle where things are smoothed out a bit more. By the time you hit the heel counter, the shoe is in full grain leather and hits of black metallic paneling finds its way to the midsole.

These kicks are set to release on Dec. 31 with a price tag of $275. For more information on this magnificent sneaker, head over to Nike.com.

2015 Aston Martin Vanquish.....it's AMAZING


Here's something really special about an Aston Martin Vanquish. It's not my favorite model in the British automaker's range – I'm more of a Vantage guy, if I'm being choosy. But every time I drive one, I feel like I'm piloting something fit for royalty, $300,000 price tag and all. It's stunning to look at, even in the rather drab shade of gray pictured here. It makes an absolutely killer noise, the free-breathing V12 firing from beneath the hood and out the back with a truly intoxicating sound. And from behind the wheel, it feels like a truly proper grand tourer. Well, almost.
here's something really special about an Aston Martin Vanquish

The one major hiccup with the Vanquish I drove last year was its six-speed automatic transmission. In a word, it was awful. Really jarring shifts, delayed manual control through the paddles, and really, just a hugely misaligned piece of an otherwise excellent puzzle. So I was happy to hear that for 2015, Aston Martin had fitted a new, ZF-sourced, eight-speed unit – you know, the transmission being used by automakers like BMW, Jaguar, Audi, and many more. I normally have zero issues with this silky gearbox. But in the Vanquish, it wasn't smooth sailing like I expected – it feels like it still needs some final calibrations. But that doesn't make this car any less special.
here's something really special about an Aston Martin Vanquish.

More information about this amazing car:

Engine: 5.9L V12
Power:569 HP / 465 LB-FT
Transmission:8-Speed Auto
0-60 Time:3.6 Seconds
Top Speed:201 MPH
Drivetrain:Rear-Wheel Drive
Engine Placement:Front
Curb Weight:3,833 LBS
Seating:2+2
Cargo:6.6 CU-FT
MPG:13 City / 21 HWY
Base Price:$287,820
As Tested Price:$306,695

So You Got an Apple TV. Here Are Some Handy Tips and Tricks


The latest Apple TV may be two years old, but it still makes a good gift idea. If you subscribe to Apple’s ecosystem, the Apple TV still makes a lot of sense because of its tie-ins to iOS, and because of AirPlay mirroring. But first you’ve got to get things configured.
The latest Apple TV may be two years old, but it still makes a good gift idea

Setting up an Apple TV is theoretically simple, but just in case you need help, here’s how to set it up for maximum enjoyability. First, plug the power cord into a socket and connect the HDMI cable to your TV, then wait for the initial setup screen to appear. You can finish the process either with your iOS device or the included remote.

From an iOS Device

To set up from an iOS device, it needs to be running iOS 7.0 or later (sorry iPhone 4 owners). Switch on Bluetooth, and make sure you’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network you’ll want your Apple TV connected to. Touch your iOS device to the Apple TV, and wait for prompts to appear on both.

Next, you’ll enter your Apple ID and password on your iPhone or iPad, and choose whether you want your Apple TV to remember these credentials for future iTunes purchases (your life will be easier if you say Yes), and if you want it to send performance data back to Apple (up to you). Once you’ve done this, the Apple TV goes into a configuration process. You’ll want to keep your iOS device within 10 to 15 feet of your new set top box during the entirety of this setup process.

Using the Apple Remote and a Mac

Alternatively, you can set up your Apple TV using the included Apple remote. This is not optimal. But if it’s your only choice you’ll be happy to know that setup is largely the same, except that you will need to select your Wi-Fi network from a dropdown menu and then enter your password using the onscreen keyboard.

Once that’s done, you need to set up Home Sharing with iTunes on your desktop. Make sure you’re using the latest version of iTunes (on a Mac, under the Apple menu in the left-hand corner, click “Software update” to check; on a PC, in iTunes, go to Help > Check for Updates). Then go to File > Home Sharing > Turn on Home Sharing, and enter your Apple ID and password. Do this on any PCs or Macs in the house that you want to share with your Apple TV. Then, on the Apple TV, go to Settings > Computers > Turn On Home Sharing, and enter the Apple ID and passcode associated with that computer.

Share Over AirPlay

Now that your Apple TV is set up, you can use AirPlay to stream photos, videos, or music from your iOS device (or iTunes on your Mac) to your TV. Make sure your iOS device and the Apple TV are on the same Wi-Fi network, then swipe up from the bottom of the screen to get to Control Center. Tap the AirPlay button, then select the device you want to AirPlay to: For photos, video, or music, you can select the Apple TV, which will have a TV icon next to it; for music, you can also just select speakers if you have AirPlay-enabled speakers in your home.

Other Tips

Don’t sit things on top of your Apple TV, this can interrupt its wireless signal. If you don’t want to use Wi-Fi during setup, you can connect it to an Ethernet cable. This is definitely advisable if you have a fickle home wireless connection.

After configuration is done, your Apple TV is ready to use. You can go into apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and HBO Go and enter your log-in credentials either using the Apple remote or the Apple Remote app. If you are trying to use the Apple Remote app and having issues, make sure you’ve updated to iOS 8.0.2 or higher—this was a bug that has since been addressed.