travel plans: October 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Want to get your hands on the Nexus 5 ASAP?

Want to get your hands on the Nexus 5 ASAP? Sprint will have it for $150 starting November 8th, while T-Mobile only has an email update you can sign up for at the moment. [Sprint, T-Mobile]

Nexus 5 official specs

Complete spec listings for Google and LG's five-inch Nexus phone

The Nexus 5 is finally official, bringing a top-level smartphone hardware paired with stock Android 4.4 KitKat at an affordable price point. Though pre-release leaks have told us a great deal about what's lurking beneath the Nexus 5's hood, it's worth taking a glance down the spec sheet now that everything's official, announced and finalized.

The short version: 5-inch 1080p screen, Snapdragon 800, 2GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera and 4G LTE connectivity over a whole bunch of different bands.

You find the longer version after the break.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/Kl7_QDdsayk/story01.htm
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Star Wars: Disney CEO Bob Iger's Firm 2015 Date Leaves 'Episode VII' Team Scrambling

J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan

This story first appeared in the Nov. 8 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

Disney might be experiencing a disturbance in the Force.

With the Oct. 24 exit of Star Wars: Episode VII writer Michael Arndt, the studio is under the gun to keep the film on course for a 2015 release despite a script that several insiders say isn't close to ready.

PHOTOS: 'Star Wars' Actors Then and Now

According to those close to the project, producer Kathleen Kennedy and most of the film's creative team have asked Disney to push the release to 2016, but studio CEO Robert Iger is adamant that Episode VII -- perhaps the franchise's most anticipated installment since 1999's The Phantom Menace -- not budge. That has created enormous pressure on all involved, with director J.J. Abrams stepping in to take over scripting duties with Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote 1980's Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, considered the best film in the series.

For his part, Arndt worked exclusively on Episode VII for most of the past year and already had penned a 40- to 50-page treatment before Lucasfilm was sold to Disney in October 2012. But as one of Hollywood's highest-paid screenwriters, who can command more than $300,000 a week doing rewrites, the Oscar-winning scribe (Little Miss Sunshine) was ready to move on to other projects.

Some sources say Abrams has become autocratic in recent months, wresting some casting control from Kennedy. But others disputed that notion, saying Abrams and Kennedy both have been involved in casting sessions. Unlike Kennedy, Abrams is said to be more in sync with Iger's desire to meet the 2015 release target -- which allows zero margin for error -- at all costs.

STORY: Michael Arndt Exits 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

Although the 2015 schedule already is full of tentpoles including Disney/Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron, Warner Bros.' Superman-Batman mashup and Lionsgate's final Hunger Games, Iger has crafted a Star Wars game plan that hinges on Episode VII hitting the big screen that summer. The studio is expected to roll out Episodes VII, VIII and IX over a six-year period, with at least two spinoffs -- penned by a team including Kasdan and Simon Kinberg -- interspersed between.

Still, another project insider dismisses talk of problems and what the writer shuffle means for what is perhaps Hollywood's most valued franchise. "It's nothing out of the ordinary," says the insider. "Almost every big movie changes writers at some point. There's no drama here."

E-mail: Tatiana.Siegel@THR.com
Twitter: @TatianaSiegel27

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/news/~3/Ks6XWRWywXs/star-wars-episode-vii-disney-651482
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Kerry Washington Talks Lesbian Rumors in The Advocate: There's Nothing Offensive About It

She's been dealing with rumors about her sexuality over the years and now Kerry Washington is ready to tackle the gossip head on.

During an interview with The Advocate, the "Scandal" actress discussed the lesbian speculations and even shared her opinion on gay rights.

Check out a few highlights from Miss Washington's interview below. For more, be sure to visit The Advocate!

On supporting the LGBT community:

"When there are crimes against humanity being committed in the world, we are all so vulnerable. We have to look out for and protect each other. You don't have to agree with me, but if you come at me with hatred and slurs, I will block you [on Twitter]."

On lesbian rumors:

"It's interesting how much people long to fill in the gaps when someone in the public eye doesn't share their personal life. I understand their frustration.I like how people will post pictures of me with other women that I adore,hugging on red carpets, and say, 'See.' Are we so uncomfortable with love between two people of the same genders that we immediately label it as sexual? But I've never been bothered by the lesbian rumor. There's nothing offensive about it, so there's no reason to be offended."

On having gay marriage in the "Scandal" storyline:

"Something that brings me great joy is known that 'Scandal's' audience looks like in terms of African-American households and knowing that so many African-American people and families are being introduced to our characters James and Cyrus. It's really exciting that millions of viewers each week are living life with this amazing, complex couple, stepping into their gay marriage and adoption experience, which is such a vital storyline of our show."

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/kerry-washington/kerry-washington-talks-lesbian-rumors-advocate-theres-nothing-offensive-about-it-10
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Driver expects to fight Google Glass ticket

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California woman cited for wearing Internet-connected eyeglasses while driving plans to contest the citation.

Cecilia Abadie was pulled over for speeding Tuesday evening in San Diego, when a California Highway Patrol officer noticed she was wearing Google Glass and tacked on a citation usually given to drivers who may be distracted by a video or TV screen.

The lightweight eyeglasses, which are not yet widely available to the public, feature a hidden computer and a thumbnail-size transparent display screen above the right eye. Users can scan maps for directions — as well as receive web search results, read email and engage in video chats — without reaching for a smartphone.

Abadie, a software developer, said in an interview that she was not using her Google Glass when she was pulled over for allegedly going about 80 mph in a 65 mph zone on the drive home to Temecula after visiting a friend.

"The Glass was on, but I wasn't actively using it" to conserve the battery, she said.

Abadie expressed surprise that wearing the glasses while driving would be illegal and said she's "pretty sure" she will fight the ticket. First, she said, she needs to seek legal counsel. In the flurry of online commentary her traffic stop has generated, several people saying they are attorneys offered their services.

"The law is not clear, the laws are very outdated," Abadie said, suggesting that navigating with the device could be less distracting than with a GPS unit or phone.

"Maybe Glass is more a solution to the cellphone problem than a problem," she said.

It's unclear whether a citation for Google Glass has been issued before. The CHP said it is not sure whether an officer within its own ranks has written one, and an agency spokesman pointed out hundreds of law enforcement agencies in California alone can write traffic tickets.

Legislators in at least two states, Delaware and West Virginia, have introduced bills that would specifically ban driving with Google Glass. Authorities in the United Kingdom are mulling a similar ban.

About 10,000 units have been distributed so far in the United States to "pioneers," and this week Google announced another 30,000 would be available for $1,500 apiece. Abadie said she got hers in May and has become an "evangelist" for the technology.

A spokesman for Google did not reply to a request for comment. On its website, Google says this about using the headgear while driving: "Read up and follow the law. Above all, even when you're following the law, don't hurt yourself or others by failing to pay attention to the road."

___

Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

___

Follow Justin Pritchard at https://twitter.com/lalanewsman

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-10-31-Google%20Glass%20Ticket/id-7025da1bebf1422d80e8b7854adec5b2
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Google releases 1st phone powered by 'Kit Kat'

This image provided by Google shows its new Nexus 5 phone, which was unveiled Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. The Nexus 5 phone is the first device to run on the latest version of Google's Android operating system, nicknamed after the Kit Kat candy bar. The phone and software are designed to learn and anticipate a person’s interest and needs. (AP Photo/Google)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is selling a new Android smartphone that it hopes will become more like a clairvoyant friend than a piece of hardware.

The Nexus 5 phone unveiled Thursday is the first device to run on Kit Kat, the latest version of Google's Android operating system.

As with previous Nexus phones, the latest will be sold only at full retail price, without subsidies that come with two-year contract agreements. It goes on sale Thursday in Google's online Play store starting at $349, undercutting many rival phones at contract-free prices. The phone will work on most U.S. wireless networks, but not Verizon's. A Nexus 5 model also is available for European markets.

The Nexus 5 and Kit Kat software underscore Google's ambition to ingrain its search engine and virtual assistant, Google Now, even deeper into people's lives. In the process, Google Inc. hopes to gather more insights that will enable it to sell more advertising, which generates most of its revenue.

It'll be easier for Google to learn about a person's habits and needs so it can display helpful information, such as an online post from a favorite blog or a suggestion to use Fandango's movie-ticketing service when standing in a long line at a movie theater.

When visiting a tourist attraction such as Yellowstone National Park, Google Now might automatically show information about geysers from the Web.

"We want to get to the point where you glance at your phone and it always delights you with what you need," said Sundar Pichai, a Google executive who oversees Android.

The new phone's $349 price threatens to lure more cost-conscious consumers away from Apple Inc.'s iPhone, which retails for $649 for the 5S and $549 for the 5C when sold without a traditional two-year service agreement.

In an unusual twist for a software upgrade, Google built Kit Kat so it would work on cheaper smartphones equipped with less computing memory than top-of-the-line devices.

The move reflects the Mountain View, Calif., company's desire to broaden use of the most recent version of Android. More than 1 billion Android devices have been activated, but a significant number are still using a 3-year-old flavor known as Gingerbread. That version remains popular because it works on those cheaper phones.

The mishmash of Android systems has made it tougher on app developers, who haven't been able to fully embrace the new features in previous upgrades without risking older phones not being to run their software. By contrast, Apple makes its iOS upgrades free all at once to several recent models. With Kit Kat, Google has a chance to bring older and cheaper phones up to date.

Google plans to make Kit Kat available for other devices within the next few weeks, but it will be up to individual manufacturers and their wireless carrier partners to decide if and when they will make the update available.

With the release of Kit Kat, Google also has improved its voice recognition technology so it can engage in more meaningful dialogue with users.

Kit Kat also showcases a new feature in Google's search technology to fuse results from the Web and applications installed on a phone. For instance, a request for a certain restaurant will show information drawn both from the Web and the app for the reservation service OpenTable Inc. Initially, only OpenTable and nine other mobile app makers have enabled this, but more are coming. This feature will also show up on other devices, including the iPhone, but for now it works best on the Nexus 5.

The new phone features a screen that measures nearly 5 inches diagonally — about an inch longer than the iPhone — and weighs about 4.6 ounces. That's about the same as the cheaper iPhone 5C, but more than the iPhone 5S's 4 ounces.

The Nexus 5 also includes a feature, called the "dialer," that will display phone numbers pulled directly from the Web instead of just a person's contact list.

___

Online:

https://play.google.com/store/devices

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-10-31-Google-Nexus%20Phone/id-bf58f3c4322a4d9b99371e8b7b90667e
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Today Show Halloween Costumes 2013: Matt Lauer as Pamela Anderson, Wears Red Swimsuit

Leave it to Matt Lauer to steal the spotlight in a swimsuit. With Halloween-themed morning shows cancelled in 2012 due to Superstorm Sandy, the Today show celebrated the holiday, full force on Thursday, Oct. 31 to compensate for last year.

PHOTOS: The Today show's most memorable moments

Credit: D Dipasupil/FilmMagic

As the hosts of the program slowly trickled out in their costumes -- Al Roker as Mr. T, Natalie Morales and Savannah Guthrie as Laverne and Shirley, Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb as Flintstone characters, Carson Daly channeling Larry Wilcox' CHiPs character Jon (with the show's former star Erik Estrada in tow) -- the clear and apparent winner of Halloween 2013 was Lauer dressed as Pamela Anderson's Baywatch character C.J. Parker.

Kathie Lee Gifford (L) and Hoda Kotb attend NBC's "Today" Halloween 2013 in Rockefeller Plaza on October 31, 2013 in New York City.
Credit: D Dipasupil/FilmMagic

Natalie Morales (L) and Savannah Guthrie attend NBC's "Today" Halloween 2013 in Rockefeller Plaza on October 31, 2013 in New York City.
Credit: D Dipasupil/FilmMagic

PHOTOS: Today show Halloween costumes through the years

The Today show host made a memorable entrance as he mimicked C.J.'s opening credit run in slow motion. Dressed in the iconic form-fitting red swimsuit, Lauer completed his Halloween costume with a makeshift tan and long blonde wig -- his face caked with make-up. The crowd outside Rockefeller Center roared in response.

Credit: NBC

But that's not all! Willie Geist accompanied Lauer dressed as David Hasselhoff's character on the show. The dynamic duo was then joined by real-life Baywatch cast member Carmen Electra.

PHOTOS: Best-dressed TV show hosts

Carmen Electra (L) and Willie Geist attend NBC's "Today" Halloween 2013 in Rockefeller Plaza on October 31, 2013 in New York City.
Credit: D Dipasupil/FilmMagic

With the Today show pulling out their biggest Halloween surprise yet, the theme of classic TV show costumes worked out well for the group. The hosts of ABC's Good Morning America, meanwhile, celebrated its Halloween "Buzzy Awards" with George Stephanopoulos dressed as George Clooney's character in Gravity, Robin Roberts channeling Oprah in The Butler and the best of this bunch? Lara Spencer coming in like a wrecking ball.

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/today-show-halloween-costumes-2013-matt-lauer-pamela-anderson-red-swimsuit-20133110
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Chrome Canary now blocks recognized malware downloads

Google's stable Chrome release already has a reset tool in case malware hijacks the browser, but we're sure many would rather avoid that rogue code in the first place. Thankfully, a new build of Chrome Canary automatically blocks hostile apps. Try to download malware that Google recognizes and you'll get a polite warning instead of a rude surprise. The safeguard isn't likely to reach more reliable versions of Chrome for some time, but those willing to experiment in the name of security can grab the Canary browser at the source link.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/chrome-canary-now-blocks-malware-downloads/?ncid=rss_truncated
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58.com, The “Craigslist of China,” Goes Public On The New York Stock Exchange

58.com, the online classifieds marketplace often referred to as the “Craigslist of China,” will hold its initial public offering of 11 million American Depository Shares (ADS) at $17 each on the New York Stock Exchange today. The shares will be listed under the ticker “WUBA.”

Hurst Lin, general partner of DCM, 58.com’s lead investor, tells me that the company will use proceeds from its IPO to focus on product development, especially mobile apps, and launch more verticals. Products that have proven especially successful for 58.com include short-term job classifieds for blue-collar workers. The company plans on developing location-based mobile apps for those listings in order to quickly connect job searchers with nearby opportunities. 58.com was founded in 2005 and booked $107 million in sales during the twelve-months ending in June 2013.

Other Chinese tech companies that plan to hold U.S. IPOs this year include Qunar, a travel Web site owned by Baidu, which wants to raise up to $155 million when it goes public on NASDAQ this week, as well as sports lottery site 500.com and app developer Sungy Mobile, which want to raise $150 million and $80 million, respectively.

E-commerce giant Alibaba might also opt for a U.S. listing in an IPO that could potentially value the company at an impressive $75 billion. Alibaba had originally planned to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, but reportedly decided not to because the HKSE’s rules prohibit dual classes of stock and other corporate structures that would make it easier for minority shareholders to hold onto control of a company.

If Alibaba does indeed pursue a U.S. IPO, it may lead the way for other Chinese companies to return to U.S. stock exchanges.

Between 2009 and 2011, 67 Chinese companies went public in the U.S., raising a combined $8.26 billion, according to Dealogic. But the appetite for U.S. listings was hurt by falling stock prices and a U.S.-China regulatory dispute that lead to concerns Chinese companies would be delisted. Since 2011, only five Chinese companies have had a U.S. IPO.

These include tech companies LightInTheBox, which had a successful debut on the New York Stock Exchange in June and online retailer VipShop, which went public in March 2012.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TwSXoq4LDN8/
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Deal of the Day: Qmadix S Series Cover for Motorola Droid MAXX

The Oct. 31 Deal of the Day is the Qmadix S Series Cover for Motorola Droid MAXX. This hard case features a hard polycarbonate outer shell and a shock absorbent TPU underneath for double the protection against impacts. The back of the S Series Case has a glossy finish while the sides provide softer edging for a comfortable grip. Comes in black, red and white.

The Qmadix S Series Cover is available for just $14.49, 42% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping.

Check out our entire selection of Motorola Droid MAXX cases at ShopAndroid.com!

Canada Deal of the Day

Samsung USB Data Cable

Today Only: $7.95 + Buy One Get One Free!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/I_pnmfqQces/story01.htm
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Nexus 5 Rumor Roundup: Everything We Think We Know (Updated)

The Nexus 5 has been leaked so many times, it seems highly likely that it'll be official soon—maybe even today. But why wait? Here's what we think we know about Google's next superphone: