Wednesday, 7 August 2013

Samsung likely to unveil new Galaxy Note on Sept. 4

With a 5.6-inch display screen, the Samsung Galaxy Note II leads a wave of smartphone-tablet hybrids.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Samsung expected to unveil new Galaxy Note on Sept. 4
Invitation to Berlin event says to "note" the date
The company's Note line leads a bigger-screen category

(CNN) -- It's becoming an annual tradition: Samsung will unveil the next generation of its Galaxy Note smartphone in advance of the IFA technology conference in Berlin. The company sent invitations to the press on Monday for an event on Sept. 4, two days before the first day of the conference.

Like previous device unveilings, Samsung is calling the event "Samsung Unpacked 2013." The event will be live streamed via the web, and Samsung will host a press event at the same time in New York City's Times Square for people to watch and get hands-on time with the devices.

Samsung isn't officially revealing information about the devices. However, the invitation and subsequent tweet include the phrase, "Note the Date" (emphasis added). Plus, at the two previous IFA events, Samsung released the first and second generations of its Galaxy Note smartphone, which have extremely large screens relative to other phones.

Thus, it's a foregone conclusion that Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note 3 (or III) at its September event. It's been almost a year since the company released the Galaxy Note 10.1. The question on everyone's mind this time: Just how big will Samsung go?

Competitors have responded to the Galaxy Note's success (now at 5.6 inches with the Note II) with large screen sizes as well, including the 5.5-inch LG Optimus G Pro and 5-inch Droid Ultra. Samsung itself debuted the 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega earlier this year.

Samsung's other plans for Sept. 4 also remain unknown. Last year, it took the wraps off several new devices, including its ATIV line of Windows 8 PCs, the first phone to run Windows Phone 8, and the Android-powered Galaxy Camera point-and-shoot.

We'll likely see more focus this year, but Samsung could still surprise — perhaps with an entry into wearable computing. Its rumored smart watch is called "Gear."

What do you think Samsung has in store for Sept. 4? Let us know in the comments.

Washington Post just one of many wacky Bezos buys

Jeff Bezos' purchase of the Washington Post is not the craziest thing he has put his money into.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos astonished the world Monday when he offered $250 million to buy the Washington Post.

But the out-of-left-field purchase didn't shock anyone who has followed the mogul's long history of strange investments.

Exhibit A: clocks.
Bezos has poured at least $42 million into a project called "The 10,000 Year Clock," which will be built into a mountain on his West Texas property and tick once every year. A cuckoo will come out every millennium.
"It's a special clock, designed to be a symbol, an icon for long-term thinking," said Bezos, in a letter on the project's website.
Bezos also has an obsession with outer space. He has invested in Blue Origin, a SpaceX competitor that aims to lower the cost of space travel. He also financed a deep-sea expedition to recover the remnants of F-1 rocket engines that plunged into the Atlantic Ocean after lifting the Apollo 11 astronauts to the moon in 1969.
Related link: Bezos buys Washington Post for $250 million
The Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) CEO has made several investments in controversial Silicon Valley startups.
He helped lead a $37 million round of financing for Uber, the mobile app that connects customers to luxury drivers. Uber has bickered with taxi regulators in major cities, including Washington. He has also invested in Airbnb, the short-term vacation rental site that's also run afoul with several cities' regulators.
Though not every investment is off-the-wall, Bezos isn't afraid to use his money to take a political stand: He donated $2.5 million to Seattle-based Washington United for Marriage, which is one of the biggest contributions to the cause of legalizing same-sex marriage.
Bezos has not said much publicly about the desire to go into the newspaper business, but he is not new to media investments. He pumped $5 million into the news website Business Insider in April. Bezos was also an early investor in Twitter.
So for those skeptical of what kind of owner Bezos will be for the Washington Post, his past investments (particularly the clock) may offer some insight about his philosophy: forgoing immediate returns in hopes of building sustainable quality.

Summer concert tickets scarce and expensive

It looks like the Rolling Stones are indeed on a roll with touring this year, commanding almost $8 million so far, according to<a href='http://www.pollstar.com' target='_blank'> PollStar</a>, which tracks industry data. But other entertainment offerings also are doing well.

It looks like the Rolling Stones are indeed on a roll with touring this year, commanding almost $8 million so far, according to PollStar, which tracks industry data. But other entertainment offerings also are doing well.

Summer concert tickets are averaging several hundred dollars
British acts One Direction and The Rolling Stones are the most expensive
Expert says fans are willing to pay for a live music experience

(CNN) -- If someone in your house is mad for One Direction, get ready to lay out some serious cash.

The boy band tops the list of most expensive concert tickets with the average ticket costing $674.23. That's a lot of hours of babysitting for your average teen girl to be able to buy her own ticket.

According to Jesse Lawrence, founder and chief executive officer of the ticket search engine, TiqIQ, there are a few reasons for the super-sized prices.

Acts such as the Rolling Stones price their tickets high in the primary market (Companies such as TicketMaster, Live Nation and your venue's box office) so that the secondary ticket market (those brokers/companies that resell those tickets) can't make as much money off of their show.

So while an upper level ticket for One Direction may have originally been as inexpensive as $29.50 from a primary seller, those prices rise much higher when they are scarce and being sold in a secondary market. Lawrence said the Rolling Stones strategy of pricing their primary tickets high can backfire as the group recently discovered when they found themselves unable to sell some tickets.

But it's the secondary markets that help to keep the ticket prices high in the rafters, Lawrence said.

"They get sold in the primary market for, say a round number of 100 bucks, a broker buys those and says 'I'm going to mark these tickets up to $300 because I think that's what the market demands,'" he said.

There also is the matter of the scarcity of tickets. Many fans have experienced the utter frustration of waiting for tickets to go on sale at 11 a.m. only to have a site register that there are no more tickets available just minutes later. But what about those phrases you have to type in that ensure that you are a human and not a bot attempting to buy blocks of tickets?

It matters not, Lawrence said.

"One of the worst examples of that was a Justin Bieber concert in California," he said. "Only 8% of the tickets went on sale to the general public. The rest were getting sold through his fan club, through [credit] cardholder [special promotions,] and artist hold-backs. Literally, that on sale to the public is a really small percentage of tickets."

New Jersey U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell has drafted legislation that would require more transparency.

"What I want is that people will know ahead of time how many tickets are going to go on sale for the general public," Pascrell told Today.

If you are lucky enough to score one, it's going to cost you.

The Brits are the hottest tickets this summer with the Rolling Stones clocking in just behind their countrymen, One Direction, with the average ticket price being $637.50. Super Diva Beyonce came in third place, commanding an average $358.97.

Such prices are the reason Rolling Stone magazine recently reported that "The days of seeing the world's biggest rock and pop bands for a few bucks, plus a little extra for parking and service fees, are as long gone as Peter Frampton's curly hair."

Lawrence said fans are willing to pay for a chance to see (maybe) the Rolling Stones last concert or Beyonce's moves in person.

"There is a lot of interest in the live concert experience, especially with the Internet and TV even, concerts are kind of the last thing that you can't experience the same way in your living room or on your computer," he said.

Kick-Ass 2': Not your average sequel

'Kick-Ass 2': Not your average sequel

Jim Carrey, left, as Colonel Stars and Stripes and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kick-Ass in "Kick-Ass 2."

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

"Kick-Ass 2" cast and director don't reveal too much about the film's actual plot
Actors who portray Kick-Ass, Hit-Girl and Red Mist appear via satellite
Drew Carrey withdrew his support from the movie because of its extreme violence
"This is not a rinse-and-repeat sequel," says director-screenwriter Jeff Wadlow

(CNN) -- Universal Pictures debuted new footage from the upcoming film "Kick-Ass 2" during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con. The stylized, violent clip introduced fans to the sequel's aesthetic and revealed several new characters, including Colonel Stars and Stripes, played by Jim Carrey.

Although Carrey -- who has withdrawn his support for the film over the violence - was not on hand, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Red Mist) and director-screenwriter Jeff Wadlow spoke with the convention-goers. Chloe Grace Moretz, who plays fan favorite Hit-Girl, made a special appearance via satellite to discuss her character's arc.

The cast and director didn't reveal too much about the film's actual plot, although it was clear from the footage that Hit-Girl's path takes her to high school and deals with her issues following the death of her father (played by Nicolas Cage) in the first "Kick-Ass" film.

"That was a big, interesting arc that Jeff had the smart idea of putting in the movie," Moretz said. "Hit-Girl decides to give up her life of crime. She goes to high school, and what she realizes is that whether it's a drug dealer on the streets and a murder or a bad girl at school who is hating on these kids, she has to bring justice to the situation. She realizes she and Hit-Girl are the same person. It could also really touch young teenagers, because it's what they're going through in school."

For Taylor-Johnson, the sequel was an opportunity to pick up where he left off with his character. The only major difference, he said, is that he has been doing a lot of one-armed push-ups to bulk up this time around.

"It felt like a natural progression," Taylor-Johnson said of the sequel. "For my character, what's nice is that he hasn't changed at all since the first one. It's always been a conversation about when are we going to do the second one. I got a call from (producer) Matthew Vaughn saying, 'I've got someone really great who's written a fantastic script and I'd like you to read it and see what you think.' And it was a page-turner. He took these characters through a wild journey that was really complex. It took these characters to a whole new level."

Batman, Superman to team up

Mintz-Plasse's character takes on a much bigger role as the villain in this new film. Shooting those scenes was intense for the actor, but he said he feels that the journey his character takes is important to the story laid out both in the graphic novel and the film. Red Mist, who lost his father as well in "Kick-Ass," is reborn in this film as The Mother F----r, which should give an indication of his qualities.

"I was really scared to do something this intense and nerve-wracking, but Jeff (Wadlow) had a great acting coach that came onboard," Mintz-Plasse said. "We worked for a month prior to shooting and read every line and figured out what to do for the character. I'm wearing a gimp outfit in this movie. It's super dark. There's some things in the comic book that we took out, which I think was a good choice. It was very intense to play."

"Kick-Ass 2" will be in theaters on August 16, but fans are already wondering about a third film. The writers of the graphic novel, Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., haven't actually completed a third book yet, however, and Wadlow said he's not ready to focus beyond this sequel yet.

Bell: "Veronica Mars" could be my whole life

"Also," Wadlow continued, "this is not a rinse-and-repeat sequel where we have the characters just do the same thing again. We put them through a meat grinder."

Monday, 5 August 2013

Tiger Woods takes eighth win at Firestone Country Club

WGC-Bridgestone Invitational: Tiger Woods takes eighth win at Firestone Country Club

Tiger Woods: Was untroubled in final round as he completed comfortable win

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Tiger Woods claimed victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational for the eighth time after completing a dominant seven-stroke success at Firestone Country Club.

The 14-time major winner carded an unspectacular final round of 70 to finish the tournament on 15-under par.
The victory means that Woods has now won two PGA Tour events eight times having also taken the spoils at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the same number of occasions.
The only other player to win a tournament eight times is Sam Snead, whose overall record of 82 PGA Tour wins Woods now trails by just three.

Final leaderboard

(US unless stated)

-15 T Woods
-8 H Stenson (Swe)
-8 K Bradley
-6 Z Johnson
-6 M A Jimenez (Spa)
-6 J Dufner

Click here for collated scores

"I feel comfortable here. Just because you're comfortable it doesn't mean you're going to play well, but for some reason it just comes out and I put it together," Woods told CBS.
He added: "I struggled yesterday in the middle part of the round and today I was conservative - just trying to make pars.
"I just felt that this was a perfect day to protect (my lead). The conditions were blustery and tough.
"It was hard to shoot a low number but it was easier to shoot a number around par."

Major goal

The world No 1 has not won a major title in over five years but is hoping to bring that unwanted run to an end at the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill starting on Thursday.
"I'm really looking forward to it. I've got three more days to get ready. I feel like my game is pretty consistent," Woods said.
Woods' supremacy was such that, before the final round had even started, the only real matter of competitive interest was the battle for second place.
Defending champion Keegan Bradley rose to the occasion by shooting a round of 67 to tie Henrik Stenson - Woods' playing partner - as best of the rest.
Bradley finished on eight under with Stenson, who covered the final 18 holes in 70 shots, joining him thanks to a crucial birdie on the penultimate hole.
Meanwhile, Woods preserved his huge lead by opting for a careful, conservative strategy which saw him par every hole on the front nine.
He finally picked up a shot at the 10th hole, but a three-putt at the 14th cancelled that out and dropped him back to even for the day.
Behind Stenson and Bradley three players - Zach Johnson, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Jason Dufner - finished in a tie for fourth on six under. Chris Wood was the leading Brit on five under, with fellow Englishman Luke Donald one shot further back

Zero-Hours Contracts 'For One Million Britons'

Four times more Britons may be on zero-hours contracts than had originally been thought, according to new research.

Video: Firms in the voluntary sector commonly use zero-hours contracts

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

Up to one million people, many more than previously thought, could be employed on zero-hours contracts across the UK, new research suggests.

The agreements mean that employees are expected to be on call, but are not guaranteed any work from one week to the next.
The Office for National Statistics recently suggested only 250,000 were on such contracts at the end of last year.
But the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) surveyed 1,000 employers and found one in five use zero-hours contracts for at least one member of staff.
Firms in the voluntary and public sectors, as well as the hotel, leisure and catering industries, are more likely to use them.
CIPD chief executive Peter Cheese said: "Zero-hours contracts are a hot topic and our research suggests they are being used more commonly than the ONS figures would imply.
"However, the assumption that all zero-hours contracts are bad and the suggestion from some quarters that they should be banned should be questioned.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has ordered a review into the practice "Zero-hours contracts, used appropriately, can provide flexibility for employers and employees and can play a positive role in creating more flexible working opportunities. This can, for example, allow parents of young children, carers, students and others to fit work around their home lives.
"However, for some this may be a significant disadvantage where they need more certainty in their working hours and earnings, and we need to ensure that proper support for employees and their rights are not being compromised through such arrangements."
**The Unite union** said the Government must stop the growth of the zero-hours culture, as these contracts are "the latest attack on workers' rights and dignity".
Separate research among zero-hours contract workers revealed only 14% said their employer failed to give them enough hours to have a basic standard of living.
Sarah Wicks, from Liverpool, used to work as a security guard on a zero-hours contract, but sometimes worked 72 hours a week.
She told Sky News the large number of hours did not equate to job security.
"There wasn't much expectation that your job was ever going to get any better, or that you had any recourse to the employer for anything," Ms Wicks said.
Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced his staff are going to investigate how they are being used.
"Whilst it's important our workforce remains flexible, it is equally important that it is treated fairly," Mr Cable said.
"This is why I have asked my officials to undertake some work over the summer to better understand how this type of contract is working in practice today."
Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said: "Whilst some employees welcome the flexibility of such contracts, for many zero-hours contracts leave them insecure, unsure of when work will come and undermining family life.
"The 'review' the Business Secretary has established into zero hours contracts is clearly inadequate given the seriousness of this issue and the mounting evidence of the abuse of zero hours contracts.
"Nothing less than a proper consultation with a formal call for evidence will do."

Free cinema tickets: Pain & Gain

29 July 2013

Sky Movies customers, snatch free tickets to see Michael 'Transformers' Bay's pumped-up action comedy Pain & Gain before it muscles into cinemas on 30 August.
Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson star as a pair of Miami bodybuilders who come up with a plan to kidnap a wealthy businessman and relieve him of his fortune. Unsurprisingly, they're blessed with more brawn than brains and their scheme goes off the rails faster than jackrabbit on steroids.
Directed by blockbuster king Michael Bay, Pain & Gain piles down cinema aisles from 30 August, but Sky Movies customers could see it first with advance tickets from Sky Rewards.
Book tickets by 5pm on 6 August.
To apply and find out more about the movie, CLICK HERE
Private preview screenings in limited number of venues. Tickets are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Two bookings of two tickets per Sky iD per calendar month, unless otherwise stated. Further terms apply.
** Find out what other free cinema tickets you can get now from Sky Rewards. **