Hilarious Celebrity Quotes, the 2012 Edition

Some years ago, Paris Hilton used to provide a constant source of amusement with her interviews, in which she sometimes slipped genuine pearls of wisdom and ridiculousness. Even though she’s been keeping a low profile as of late, there’s no need to panic: we still have silly quotes from other celebrities.

Stars, they’re just like us. Whether they’re trying to say something really memorable or just don’t think before they open their mouth, they can occasionally say the darndest things.

Sometimes, they simply say silly things because they’re less guarded in their interviews – those are the times we love them the most because they show us that, behind an army or publicists and media people, is a real person.

2012 has been a crazy year and Christmastime is the best occasion to just take a few minutes and have a look back on it.

We’ve had plenty of drama, more than a fair share of scandal, financial problems, losses and controversy. As gossip blogger Perez Hilton notes, we also had a healthy serving of humor and silliness.

Starting from the ridiculous excuses Lindsay Lohan made for herself on the promo trail for what was supposed to be her acting comeback “Liz & Dick,” to the never-ending source of hilarity that is Charlie Sheen and various quotes from the “Twilight” cast, below is confirmation that this year was indeed a fun one.

You know, just in case you st ill had doubts.

Without further ado, check out some of the craziest and funniest things celebrities said in 2012. Happy Holidays everyone!

“I say to my daughter, ‘That outfit is a little bit too risqué or revealing’ and she looks at me and says, ‘That's rich coming from you’.” – Madonna to her 15-year-old daughter Lourdes Leon, January 2012

“[Our relationship is] very Sonny and Cher after the divorce.” – Jennifer Lopez talking about working with her ex-husband Marc Anthony, January 2012

“Would he be playing me, or is he playing Mark Wahlberg?” - Reese Witherspoon addressing the rumor that Justin Bieber wanted to remake her 1996 film “Fear,” February 2012

“I do destroy men on a weekly basis. It's like a hobby. I'm like a praying mantis. They [sleep with] me, a nd then I eat them.”- Ke$ha on her relationships with men, February 2012

“It's almost as laughable as accusing Fox News of being news.”- Miss Piggy, in reference to Fox Business Network claiming that The Muppets had an anti-oil agenda for kids, February 2012

“I'm done with being a bitter witch.” - Adele after her big Grammy win, February 2012

“I've forgotten that movie… it was a silly romcom.”- Richard Gere on his least favorite film he's made, “Pretty Woman”

“We do look very different, we're older. Leo's 37, I'm 36 — we were 21 and 22 when we made that film. You know, he's fatter now — I'm thinner.” - Kate Winslet on her and Leonardo DiCaprio's “Titanic” transformations, April 2012

“At the end of the day, I just know I'll probably have the worst, spoiled little kid ever.”- Jay-Z on baby Blue Ivy Carter, May 2012

“It's really funny, the last one. I mean, funny and completely insane. There's Jacob falling in love with my daughter, who grows into an 11-year-old in three months! There were so many scenes where it felt so bizarre.” - Robert Pattinson on the ridiculousness of “The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 2,” June 2012

“I've kind of tried to adjust my life to have a little more private life. My life is very public and so I get that, but if you can choose to have a little bit of a private life I would choose that over other things now, where I probably wouldn't have before.” - Kim Kardashian on the importance of privacy.

“I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry.” - Kr isten Stewart's public apology to boyfriend Robert Pattinson after her affair with her “Snow White and the Huntsman” director Rupert Sanders, July 2012

“I want to be a doctor, a nurse, a hair saloner, a makeup saloner, work at Wal-Mart, work at Kmart, work at McDonald's where I can eat all the chicken nuggets and work at a hotel so I can go swimming. And I wanna be a mama too!” - Honey Boo Boo's career aspirations, August 2012

“Why did I get put in jail and Nickelodeon star has had NO punishment(s) so far?” - Lindsay Lohan's tweet referring to Amanda Bynes' legal troubles, September 2012

“I was the UN.” - Keith Urban joking about his position in the feud between fellow American Idol judges, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, October 2012

“She smells like roses and angel tears.” - Stephen Colbert after meeting Oprah, October 2012

“Grown men were weeping. Hopefully it's because I didn't sound bad.” - Justin Timberlake when asked about his serenade to new wife Jessica Biel as she walked down the aisle, October 2012

“When I eventually looked in the mirror I just thought I looked like my gay brother.” - Anne Hathaway after cutting her hair short for her role in “Les Miserables”

“I'm bored! I'm so bored!” - Lindsay Lohan, as Elizabeth Taylor, expressing how all her viewers were feeling during Lifetime's Liz & Dick, November 2012

“With Angus' Hale-Bopp-like meltdown, it is radically clear to me that the show is cursed.” - Charlie Sheen in response to his former “Two and a Half Men” co-star Angus T. Jones' rant over the sitcom, December 2012


Via: Hilarious Celebrity Quotes, the 2012 Edition

Windows Phone 8 to Get Spotify App Soon

Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 platform is expected to receive a Spotify application in the not too distant future, although no specific release date for it has been provided as of now.

The Spotify mobile client hasn't been present in the list of apps available for the new mobile operating system, yet it seems that Microsoft is working on having it available for download as soon as possible.

Anna Ström, Product Marketing Manager for Windows Phone in Sweden, has confirmed on Facebook that work in this direction is being made, wingadget.se reports.

Calling Spotify a "must-have" app for the platform, Anna Ström posted on the Swedish Windows Phone Facebook page that it will be released on Windows Phone 8 sooner rather than later. Keep an eye on this space for more updates on the matter.

Via: Windows Phone 8 to Get Spotify App Soon

Infographic: Top Christmas Films Since 1980

Perhaps your ideal Christmas includes a movie night with the family after the traditional dinner and / or exchange of presents. If that be the case, a recent infographic from Confused.com should help you pick the best movie for this special occasion.

Of all the Christmas-themed movies coming out these past several years, only a handful have managed to make a lasting impression and be revisited each year during the holiday.

The infographic which you can see by simply clicking on the image above shows that “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) ranks highest of the lot, in what regards box office gross, critical reception and fans’ response.

Up next is “A Christmas Carol” from 2009, followed by 2004’s “The Polar Express.” The list is rounded up with “The Nativity Story” which came out in 200 6.

Besides providing valuable information on how profitable Christmas movies can be, the infographic might also lend you a helping hand just in case you don’t know what to watch this year.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Via: Infographic: Top Christmas Films Since 1980

Marvels Avengers Initiative Gets Updated, Now $0.99 for a Limited Time

Avengers Initiative, the Android-based game that represents the first installment of Marvel's biggest cross‐over mobile gaming event, has been updated earlier this week, to resolve some of the issues that affected users' experience with it.

The game resolves issues with HTC One X and Asus Transformer Tablet devices, and will soon see a fix for the disappearing enemy issue on Samsung Galaxy S III as well.

In the meantime, however, those who would like to engage in tracking down and defeating world's most notorious villains like Wendigo and Abomination will be able to do so while paying only $0.99 (as part of a limited time promotion).

The mobile game is available for all devices running under Google's Android 4.0 or newer, and can be found on this page in the Google Play Store.

Via: Marvels Avengers Initiative Gets Updated, Now $0.99 for a Limited Time

Nokia Officially Confirms Lumia 920's January Availability at Three, Vodafone UK

Starting with January 2013, mobile phone users in the UK interested in the purchase of a new Lumia 920 device from Nokia will no longer be confined to the network of EE.

Nokia has officially announced that the device will be available from other carriers in the country as well, including Three UK and Vodafone UK.

Furthermore, the company unveiled that the phone will be put up for sale through The Carphone Warehouse too, in addition to independent retailers from Micro-P.

At t he same time, the smartphone will continue to be sold through EE and Orange and T-Mobile UK, as well as through Phones4U.

In addition to the flagship Windows Phone 8 device, Nokia is expanding the availability of other Lumia handsets as well, including the Lumia 820.

Starting with January next year, the smartphone will arrive on shelves at Vodafone, while remaining available through EE, Orange, T-Mobile, O2, Tesco, Phones4U, Carphone Warehouse and Micro-P's distribution into independent retail channels.

The recently announced Nokia Lumia 620 is also set to arrive on shelves in early 2013, Nokia confirmed. Starting with February next year, users will get the chance to purchase it through various wireless carriers in the country.

The cheaper Windows Phone 8 device will be available for sale at Vodafone, O2, Three UK, Virgin Mobile, Carphone Warehouse, Phones4U and via Micro-P into independent retail chann els.

"The Lumia 620 represents one of the best value Windows Phone 8 devices on the market," the Finnish mobile phone maker notes.

"All of the Lumia family is available in a range of vivid colors for a fun and personal way to enjoy these highly popular and award winning Windows Phones."

All of the company's Windows Phone devices sport unique Nokia applications, including Nokia Music, unique camera lenses like Panorama, Cinemagraph, City Lens and Smart Shoot.

Additionally, these devices feature access to Nokia's mapping service, through apps such as Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive and Nokia Transport, providing users with great smartphone location and navigation experiences.

Via: Nokia Officially Confirms Lumia 920's January Availability at Three, Vodafone UK

A Gamers Week: December 23

The two reviews that we have for this week are: Party of Sin, an indie game which allows gamers to play as cartoon version of the seven sins of classic Christianity, and New Super Mario Bros. U, the platformer that launches alongside the new Wii U home console from Nintendo.

There are also two Gamer Diaries for readers to enjoy: one that details our choices for the various categories of the Game of the Year competition and another about the remade Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition.

On the Weekend Reading front we talk about the revolution that Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight are introducing to the gaming industry and another about the myriad of winter sales.

We also have a Quick Look for Party of Sin.

As always we also have an EndWeekGame piece and a look at all the most interesting news from the last seven day period.

On Monday Capcom revealed the system requirements for the PC version of Resident Evil 6 and the date when it will be offered on Steam while a number of details leaked about the new DLC for Borderlands 2, called Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt.

Tuesday we talked about how self-publishing on the PC allowed Double Fine to make money from its titles while Majong talked about Update 7 for Minecraft and all the new content it introduces.

Wednesday rumors revealed the start date for the Steam Winter sale and Valve introduced the Greeviling event for DOTA 2.

Thursday BioWare talked about the new Rise of the Hutt expansion for their MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic and Carmack talked about the 30 FPS for next generation of console games.

Friday From Software talked about the dedicated servers for Dark Souls 2 while headless Spartans were spotted in Halo 4.

Saturday BioShock dominated the news as we talked about the length of the upcoming Infinite and about how battles will work.

Via: A Gamers Week: December 23

Huawei's Ascend Mate Emerges in Video Demo, Live Photos

Chinese mobile phone maker Huawei has been lately rumored to plan the launch of a large Android-based smartphone that would easily take down Samsung's Galaxy Note II phablet, namely the Ascend Mate.

The handset hasn't been officially confirmed as of now, but photos that show it to the world are now available for your viewing pleasure along with a video demo, courtesy of Huawei's Richard Yu, via weibo.

The smartphone is expected to arrive on shelves with a 6.1-inch Full HD Display, while also packing a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, along with 2GB of RAM.

Furthermore, the handset was said to be planned for release with a 4000mAh battery inside, and with Google's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform loaded on top. It should cost around 3,000 yuan (about $480).

Huawei Ascend Mate is expected to be officially announced at CES 201 3 in January, and might become available for purchase by mid-February.

Via: Huawei's Ascend Mate Emerges in Video Demo, Live Photos

Great Deal of New BlackBerry 10 OS Screenshots Available

BlackBerry 10, the next-generation mobile operating system from Canadian handset vendor Research In Motion, is set to make its official debut on January 30, 2013, but some more info on what it will have to offer to users has emerged online.

We have already had the chance to have a look at some of the core applications of the platform, courtesy of leaked screenshots that emerged online last week, and some more of them are now available for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of CrackBerry.

They show the initial set-up process of BlackBerry 10 devices, along with apps such as Adobe Reader and Story Maker, along with other applications that handsets will have loaded on them right from the start.

All on the new operating system will become official in a bit more than a month, so stay tuned to learn specifics on it.

Via: Great Deal of New BlackBerry 10 OS Screenshots Available

The 60-Second Microsoft Roundup: Ballmer Out, Windows 8 Issues and More

Christmas is almost here and the Redmond-based technology titan Microsoft still continues its efforts to show everyone that Windows 8 and the Surface RT are two excellent products.

On Monday, for example, a Microsoft spokesperson officially said that Windows 8 hasn’t missed sales expectations, adding that the new operating system is actually selling very well.

A web analytics firm revealed that hacking Internet Explorer is pretty easy due to a new vulnerability, while new data indicated that Windows 8 is now almost as popular as Linux. Despite all of these, Ballmer could be out if Windows 8 fails to impress.

On Tuesday, Microsoft publicly admitted that it was very surprised to see Google killing one of the key Gmail features, while Bill Gates has been accused of planning to control the world.

A Microsoft PR official repeatedly attacked a Google spokesperson on Twitter and a few hours later, Windows boss Julie Larson-Green talked about how important the Start Screen actually is for Windows 8 users.

VLC developers released the first mockups of the Windows 8 app on Wednesday, the same day when Microsoft explained why it decided to kill Pinball after Windows XP. Microsoft Surface was voted one of the best product names of 2012 and Windows 8 was described as an operating system that can become a seismic event for the industry.

The Redmond-based software giant released some advice on how to protect against Windows 8 hacks on Thursday, while the IE team continued to poke fun at critics by rolling out a new funny ad.

During the same day, it has emerged that Windows 8 is the first Windows version featuring the original American language thanks to a standalone language pack.

Finally on Friday, Microsoft officially relaunched a Patch Tuesday update to fix a Windows 7 font bug, while the company decided to kill off the Expression software tools. Microsoft sales have been disappointing, an analyst said and the company has tried once again to attract iOS developers to the new Windows 8 platform.

Via: The 60-Second Microsoft Roundup: Ballmer Out, Windows 8 Issues and More

Your Say: Ballmer Must Leave as Soon as Possible

Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer may be forced to retire a bit earlier in case Windows 8 doesn’t manage to boost sales in the near future, some analysts have hinted, and according to our users, such a change would really come in handy for the Redmond-based technology company.

Even though Ballmer previously said that he wants to remain a Microsoft CEO until 2017 or 2018, the board may oust him a lot sooner, just because the company has started losing ground under his management.

Most of our user s agree that letting Ballmer go may really help Microsoft and revamp its business.

“Definitely, Steve Ballmer should be fired many years ago. Microsoft will become history if he is still running the company,” one of our readers said. “Rid of him.. he is not good ceo as windows 8 was shamble... so shove him out,” another added.

Users’ top choices for the CEO role? Bill Gates and Steven Sinofsky, the former Windows boss that reportedly left Microsoft because of growing tension between him and Ballmer.

“Yes, leave. But, crawl to Sinofsky and ask him to get back,” a reader explained. “The MS CEO should have been given to Steve Sinofsky of windows OS fame (no wonder he left too he probably cannot stand Ballmer either),” another comment reads.

There’s no doubt that Ballmer has managed to do quite a lot of great things while holding the M icrosoft CEO role, but most readers believe that Windows 8 is the living proof that the Redmond-based company needs an upper management shuffle.

“Windows 8 is a totally schizoid OS that is neither one thing nor another, any experienced IT admins can see windows 8 is another MS dog and wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole. Let’s see what windows 9 or 10 brings?” one of the users continued.

Does Ballmer really need to retire? As always, feel free to tell us what you think using the comment box after the jump.

Via: Your Say: Ballmer Must Leave as Soon as Possible

GOTY 2012 Best Role-Playing Game: Diablo 3

A lot of role-playing games have appeared this year and most of them were of a high quality, even lower-priced independent titles like Torchlight 2 from Runic Games.

While there were a lot of RPG hybrids, which combined the mechanics of a role-playing game with other genres (like Far Cry 3 or Borderlands 2), the best pure RPG title of the year was Diablo 3.

Millions upon millions of fans eagerly awaited Diablo 3, largely because Blizzard Entertainment spent a very long time developing it, tweaking it, and hyping it up ahead of its actual release.

While some fans started losing hope in the game and were certainly scared by the fact that the actual title requires a permanent online connection, many didn't care and just wanted to play it.

This was reflected by the sales figures, as Diablo 3 managed to sell millions of copies in its first day.

The actual game wasn't that bad either, as after getting past the errors thrown up by the mandatory online connection, players were treated with a great dungeon crawler that tried to do quite a lot of new things while still respecting some of the mechanics from previous titles in the series.

With multiple difficulty modes, including the grueling Inferno, not to mention special modes like the Hardcore one, in which your character doesn't resurrect after its first death, the game caters to many types of players.

While some comp lained of its simplicity, Blizzard pointed out the special Elective mode which allowed them to pick and choose their actual skills, even if they couldn't really invest points in the attributes of their characters.

Speaking of classes, the game also offered a wide array of experiences, from the simple Barbarian to the complicated Witch Doctor, Demon Hunter, Monk, or Wizard, each with their strengths and weaknesses.

For its variety of experiences, its polished mechanics, and Blizzard's pledge to continue updating it, Diablo 3 is the best RPG of 2012.

Via: GOTY 2012 Best Role-Playing Game: Diablo 3

Netrunner 12.12 Is Based on Kubuntu 12.10

Netrunner 12.12, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Kubuntu, featuring KDE as the default desktop environment, and integrating many GNOME/GTK+ programs to make it Ubuntu compatible, has been released today, December 22.

Netrunner 12.12 comes with mostly updates, but some of them are quite important, as we can see below:

• The distribution is built on Kubuntu 12.10;
• GNU/Linux OS kernel was updated to version 3.5;
• KDE was updated to version 4.9.3;
• Mozilla Firefox was updated to version 17 (+KDE integration);
• Mozilla Thunderbird was updated to version 17;
• LibreOffice was updated to version 3.6.2;
• Runners-ID (free and libre cloud storage + music streaming) is now available;
• Gimp was updated to version 2.8.

A complete changelog with all the updates can be found in the official release announ cement.

Download Netrunner 12.12 right now from Softpedia.

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Via: Netrunner 12.12 Is Based on Kubuntu 12.10

Security Brief: Westboro Baptist Church and Twitter Hacks

Let's take a quick look at this past week's most important cyber security events. They're mostly focused on the OpWBC hacktivist operation, Twitter hacks, and the distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks on US banks.

The Newtown shooting has attracted a lot of attention. While most of the world mourned the victims and offered sympathy to their families, one organization, the Westboro Baptist Church, not only threatened to picket the funerals, but they also praised God for sending the shooter.

As soon as they heard, Anonymous hacktivists initiated OpWBC and started attacking the organization's websites.

They disrupted several sites, leaked information belonging to WBC members, and hacked the Twitter accounts of Fred Phelps Jr. and Shirley Phelps-Roper, the son and daughter of Fred Phelps Sr., the head of the Westboro Baptist Church.

Their Twitter accounts weren't the only ones taken over this week. The one of teen mom Farrah Abraham and the one of the Philippines' Department of Social Welfare and Development were also hijacked.

The YourAnonNews Twitter account has been suspended this week for around an hour after the hacktivists published the personal details of several WBC members.

As long as we're talking about Twitter, it's worth mentioning that the social me dia website has closed a very important security hole which affected the alternative login page.

It turns out that until a few days ago, all the credentials of users who signed in to the site by utilizing the drop-down form, the one that's shown when customers view a profile or a tweet without being logged in, were transmitted in plain text.

This week also marked the second part of phase two of Operation Ababil. Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters expressed regret for the Newtown incident, but that hasn't stopped them from attacking US banks.

Their latest targets are Wells Fargo, BB&T, US Bank and PNC.

Experts reveal some interesting things about these attacks: they're not as disruptive as the ones from the first part of the operation, and they've been used as a cover-up to commit banking fraud.

There has also been some interesting news about hacking-related lawsuits. Barrett Brown has pleaded not guilty to the Stratfor charges brought against him, and the hacker responsible for leaking private photos of several celebrities – including Scarlett Johansson – has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Other noteworthy hacks are the ones that targeted al-Qaeda websites, Yahoo!, some Croatian banks, and the Heroes of Newerth game.

Finally, Iran has identified another destructive piece of malware allegedly developed by Israel and the US. It's not as sophisticated as Stuxnet or other notorious threats, but experts warn that it could still be effective.

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Via: Security Brief: Westboro Baptist Church and Twitter Hacks

Weekend Reading: Winter Sales on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360

The winter holiday season is upon us and, for gamers, this usually means a wide variety of great sales, promotions, discounts, and offers, across all sorts of platforms, ranging from the PC to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or even the recently released Nintendo Wii U.

Sadly, while all these promotions are great since you get to save a lot of money and complete your games collection, their big number can get quite confusing.

For example, only on the PC we've reported about the Steam Winter Ho liday sale, GOG's End of the World and Winter Sale, not to mention various other discounts ran by GameFly, GreenManGaming, and other such websites.

Things are also quite complex on consoles. While both Microsoft and Nintendo are running their own sales, Sony is organizing all sorts of promotions across the continents. In Europe, we have the 12 Deals of Christmas and the Festive sale, while North Americans can enjoy the Holiday Essentials and the Play Days one.

While this means that you have enough variants to choose from, it also means that you need to sift through each promotion, see where you can score the biggest discount, get it, and then start the whole process all over again.

For example, Sony discounts Hitman: Absolution by 50% on the European PlayStation Store but Steam also had a price cut for the same game, alongside others in the franchise. If you have both a PS3 and a gaming PC, then you need to decide what service will get your money.

My idea is quite simple: one Winter Sale to rule them all. Gamers should be able to enjoy a single promotion across the PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and even the Wii U with the same prices no matter the territory.

Sadly, even as I type this I pretty much know it won't be adopted, as console manufacturers are extremely picky about their promotions and many don't even want owners of other devices to take advantage of the same deals they're offering.

This is a shame, as it only ends up hurting gamers who just want to score some great discounts.

Via: Weekend Reading: Winter Sales on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360

Acer Reportedly Plans Its Own $99 7-Inch Android Tablet

Computer maker Acer is reportedly gearing up for the launch of a cheap Android tablet that will sport a 7-inch touchscreen display, the same as Google’s already highly popular Nexus 7 slate.

The new slate is said to land on shelves in the first quarter of the next year, and should sport a price tag of around $99 (€75), a recent report on DigiTimes reads.

Rumor has it that Acer is set to pack the device with a MediaTek processor, which will help the company reduce production costs for it. However, nothing has been officially confirmed on this for the time being.

The info reportedly comes from sources with the Taiwan-based supply chain makers, who claim that ASUS also had such a device under development, but did not launch it due to its collaboration with Google on the Nexus 7 device.

Via: Acer Reportedly Plans Its Own $99 7-Inch Android Tablet

The Hawaiian Islands Are Dissolving, Might Eventually Fall off the Map

A new study carried out by scientists working with the Birgham Young University claims that the Hawaiian islands are dissolving, and that at some point in the future they might fall off the map completely.

More precisely, they discovered that the mountains found on Oahu (Koolau and Waianae), Hawaii's third largest island, are being eroded from within by groundwater. Thus, they are quite likely to shrink as the years go by, and ultimately turn into plains.

In all fairness, it must be made clear th at soil erosion also has a say in this, yet it seems that said groundwater must be listed as the major culprit, Science Daily explains.

The scientists reached this conclusion after comparing and contrasting the chemical makeup of Oahu's groundwater and its water streams. The process of collecting samples and analyzing them took about two months, yet the researchers believe that is was all worthwhile.

Thus, they found that the former contained significantly more minerals than the latter, which basically means that groundwater is wearing down these mountains much faster than the streams flowing on their surface are.

However, it will be about 1.5 million years before these mountains begin their descent, seeing how, for the time being at least, plate tectonics are making sure that the island's elevation is increasing by pushing it towards the northwest.

“We tried to figure out how fast the island is going a way and what the influence of climate is on that rate. More material is dissolving from those islands than what is being carried off through erosion,” explained geologist Steve Nelson from said university.

Furthermore, “All of the Hawaiian Islands are made of just one kind of rock. The weathering rates are variable, too, because rainfall is so variable, so it's a great natural laboratory.”

The study was published in the Journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.

Via: The Hawaiian Islands Are Dissolving, Might Eventually Fall off the Map

HTC M7 Concept Rendering Emerge

Taiwanese mobile phone maker HTC Corporation is expected to bring to the Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona a new high-end device, rumored to land on shelves as HTC M7.

The phone is said to sport a high-resolution touchscreen display, along with a powerful processor inside, and to run under Google’s Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system.

While nothing has been officially confirmed on the new handset, enthusiasts are already dreaming of it, and some even come up with their own renderings of the phone, based on previously leaked info.

Hasan Kaymak is one such enthusiast, who envisioned the upcoming 2013 Android-based flagship handset from HTC with looks similar to those of HTC Butterfly.

The HTC M7 concept device sports a 4.7 inch SLCD 3 touchscreen display that can deliver a 1080p resolution, while also featuring a 1.7 GHz quad-core processor inside, most probably with an upgraded graphical unit.

Furthermore, the handset sports a 13-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with support for full HD video recording capabilities, along with a 2.1-megapixel front camera for making video calls.

The upcoming mobile phone also sports Beats Audio integration, along with a 2300 mAh battery, as well as the usual set of connectivity options found in today’s high-end devices.

The concept device runs under Google’s Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating syst em, with HTC’s own Sense 5.0 user interface loaded on top, specifically built to fit the outer design of the smartphone.

HTC has yet to officially confirm the existence of this smartphone, as well as the hardware specs and features that it would arrive on shelves with, so we’ll take the available info on its capabilities with a grain of salt for the time being.

However, should the handset indeed resemble the concept phone that can be seen in the photos attached to this article, it will certainly prove a hit, thus helping HTC regain its foothold on the smartphone segment.



Via: HTC M7 Concept Rendering Emerge

Ubuntu Tweak Gets Even Better with a New Update

Ubuntu Tweak, an application designed to config Ubuntu easier for everyone, providing a lot of many useful desktop and system options which the default desktop environment doesn't provide, is now at version 0.8.3.

The developer of Ubuntu Tweak is powering on with the software and keeps adding new features, not to mention the sleuth of updates implemented in each new version.

Highlights of Ubuntu Tweak 0.8.3:

• Two mirrors for the Apps data have been added which means that the access for this feature will be a lot more stable;
• The “Touch Mode” for Overlay Scrollbars can now be selected from options;
• A Unity WebApp specific action like S0 is now ignored;
• An ubuntu-tweak crash with SIGSEV in PyGILState_Ensure() has been fixed;
• The File Manager mod ule no longer crashes when it’s loaded.

A complete list of updates and fixes can be found in the official announcement.

Download Ubuntu Tweak 0.8.3 right now from Softpedia.

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Via: Ubuntu Tweak Gets Even Better with a New Update

Google Intros New YouTube Android Player API

Android applications developers can now provide their users with a high-quality video experience in their software, courtesy of new YouTube Android Player API coming from Google.

The API was pre-announced at Google I/O 2012 and comes with features such as high-quality video playback supported on Android 2.2 (Froyo) or newer, as well as with easy integration with your Android application (no WebView required).

Furthermore, Google announced that it brings support for full-screen and orientation change, as well as for YouTube ads and closed captions display.

Moreover, the YouTube Android Player API sports programmatic access, similar to existing Player APIs, to most aspects of the YouTube video playback experience, as well as integration with the Android YouTube app using a standard set of YouTube Intents.
Via: Google Intros New YouTube Android Player API

Watch: 2012 The Year in Climate Insanity

2012 was the hottest year on record for the US, which is why few citizens in this country remain to doubt climate change, global warming and their effects on human society.

This video was only recently released by Climate Desk, a journalistic collaboration whose sole purpose is that of raising awareness with respect to said phenomena, and documents the extreme weather manifestations that people living in the US have experienced over the past few months.

Thus, the country faces severe droughts and rather powerful freak storms, which stand as proof that something must soon be done in order to push for sustainability and greener living standards.

“Climate change is about you and your lives,” Climate Desk says while promising that, come 2013, it will continue to keep people informed with respect to climate change-related issues.

Via: Watch: 2012 The Year in Climate Insanity