Turkey’s Erdogan Visits the U.S.: Four Problems That Won’t Be Solved

As domestic scandals clouded Washington, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived for a U.S. visit enveloped in his own fog. The Turkish premier has been one of the most outspoken international statesmen on the need for intervention in the brutal Syrian civil war raging on his country’s border. The main agenda of his American sojourn was to seek reinforcement from an Obama administration that has watched the conflict warily. At a joint press conference May 16 in the White House’s Rose Garden, Erdogan and Obama stood in the rain and reaffirmed their shared wish that Syrian President Bashar Assad be removed from power. But much went unspoken. As Erdogan’s visit concludes, here are four geopolitical conundrums that underlie his country’s relationship with Washington.

Syria:

Erdogan’s clamor for action on the issue of Syria was given tragic reinforcement last weekend when two car bombs ripped through the Turkish town of Reyhanli, on the Syrian border. Some 50 people died and dozens more were injured in an attack Turkish authorities blame on agents of the Assad regime. Turkey now houses nearly 400,000 Syrian refugees fleeing the war and has lost 19 of its own nationals in isolated clashes with Syrian forces. Turkey is a member of NATO, whose founding treaty stipulates collective action if a member state comes under attack. Erdogan gestures to both those obligations, as well as the heavy burden his country is shouldering now by housing so many Syrian refugees, when underscoring the need for greater international involvement in Syria. This would include the long-sought arming of the Free Syrian Army by the West.

But Obama made no mention of weapons in his promises of aid. Despite being one of the rebellion’s earliest cheerleaders, Erdogan and his government appears to have only limited sway over the opposition, which has seen an influx of radical jihadist fighters swell its ranks of fighters on the ground. The focus now falls on a planned U.N. conference to be held this June in Geneva, with diplomatic prodding from the U.S. and Russia hopefully bringing both the Syrian opposition and officials from the regime as well as regional stakeholders to the table. Russia’s insistence this week that Iran be present at the talks illustrates the complexity of the Syrian imbroglio, a conflict which no outside power can settle on its own terms.

Mideast Peace:

In Washington, Erdogan reiterated his desire to visit the Palestinian territory of Gaza this summer, which is administered by the Islamist organization Hamas and weathered a devastating Israeli bombing campaign last year. In 2010, a number of Turkish nationals were slain when Israeli security forces confronted an activist flotilla of ships carrying supplies to Gaza. Relations between Turkey and Israel plummeted thereafter, but this March, Netanyahu made the dramatic gesture (almost certainly a result of U.S. insistence) of phoning Erdogan and apologizing for the incident. Israel and Turkey both have a common interest in settling Syria’s chaos and crisis, but the closeness of old looks unlikely to return. So, too, do prospects of a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Iraq’s Oil

This March, Erdogan’s government signed a landmark ceasefire with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a guerrilla group deemed “terrorist” by the U.S. State Department that for three decades was locked in a violent struggle with the Turkish state. Some 40,000 deaths later, the PKK now seems willing to give up its call for an independent Kurdish state and accept existing Turkish borders. As the process for a negotiated peace moves along, Ankara also tightened its links to the autonomous government of Iraqi Kurdistan, most recently announcing this week a deal to develop oil fields in northern Iraq without approval from Iraq’s federal government. The move has been branded “illegal” by Baghdad and criticized by the Obama Administration. It comes at an especially tense moment in Iraq with Sunni-Shiite sectarian enmities blowing up once more and a dangerous chasm opening up between the regional Kurdish government and that of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad.

Erdogan’s Loss of Prestige

When Erdogan sat down with TIME editors in New York in 2011, he was buoyed by the winds of history. Erdogan basked in the events of the Arab Spring, styled in the foreign media as a neo-Ottoman Sultan influencing affairs in the Arab world. Authoritarian regimes were giving way to democracies that many assumed would emerge in the image of Erdogan’s Turkey: moderately Islamist, prosperous, stable. He was feted as a hero in Tripoli, Cairo and other Arab capitals. No country seemed more regionally relevant in the Middle East than Erdogan’s Turkey. Two years later and Turkey’s vaunted soft power looks more soft than powerful. The Arab Spring has soured and the Syrian war has turned a region’s optimism into despair; Erdogan, too, cuts a smaller, humbler figure on the world stage. His overwhelming support for the Syrian opposition is not mirrored by the majority of the Turkish public and his reliance on other foreign powers to push the diplomatic envelope has resulted in something of a loss of face. Steven Cook of the Council of Foreign Relations sums it up:

''Here we are, heading to Geneva or some other anodyne place for a peace conference under the auspices of Washington and Moscow. At best, Prime Minister Erdogan and [his political lieutenants] will emerge from this episode with egg on their faces but with enough of their position intact to help implement whatever solution (if one materializes) the big powers coerce out of the players in Syria’s tragedy.  At worst, it will reveal once again the hollowness of their aspirations and dependence on great power patrons.''

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Posted in: International

New Android Phone? Check Out These 14 Essential Hints and Tips

If you’ve just purchased an Android phone, congratulations. By going Android, you’ve opted for raw functionality over simplicity, for customization over absolute user-friendliness. Android is a powerful platform, but only for those who take full advantage of all its tricks.

To help get you started, here’s a guide to tricking out your Android phone, whether you just bought a Samsung Galaxy S 4, HTC One or a budget Android handset from your local prepaid carrier:

1. Get Some Widgets, Organize Your Home Screen

Widgets are an easy to way to put information and quick commands front-and-center on your phone. Here’s my most recent list of favorites, and here’s another list for good measure. On most newer phones, you can add widgets by going to the main app launcher, then swiping over to the widgets section. Some phones let you add widgets by holding your finger down on a blank part of the home screen.

Once you’ve got a solid collection, try to organize them in a logical way. For example, my main screen has just the weather, favorite apps and a fast way to reach my wife (more on that next). Then I have one screen for quick actions like note-taking, bookmarks and navigation shortcuts, one for news and information and another for phone settings.

2. Give Yourself a Spouse/Significant Other/BFF Button

I want to give special attention to Android’s built-in 1-by-1 Contact widget (or the “wife button,” as I call it), which serves as a command center for talking to that special someone in your life. Add it to your home screen, and with two taps you’ll be able to call, send a text message or write an e-mail. (Update: Some HTC phones, such as the HTC One, only include a 4-by-4 Contact widget. But there is another way: Press and hold down on your home screen, and you should see a drop-down list with “Widgets” as the default option. Change this to “Shortcuts,” then select “Person,” and select the contact you want to add.)

3. Set Up Google Play to Stream Your Music Collection

Just because your music collections is in iTunes doesn’t mean you can’t have your songs on Android. To bring music songs over from iTunes, you could use an app likeDoubleTwist, but I prefer streaming my music from Google Play, freeing up space on the phone for more photos, videos and apps.

Just install the Music Manager software on your computer, and tell it where your music library is located. The software will match your collection to Google’s own library for free (similar to iTunes Match), and will upload any songs it can’t match. Then, you can use theGoogle Play Music app for Android to play your songs. The app can also download albums and playlists for offline listening.

3. Use the Google Play Website to Install Apps Remotely

The next time you find a good Android app suggestion on the web (here are 25 of them), don’t bother taking out your phone to download them. As long as you have visited Google Play on your phone before, and have connected your Google account, you can remotely install apps through the Google Play website. Just click the blue “Install” or “Buy” button on any app page, then select your device from the drop-down list. The app should appear on your phone shortly thereafter.

4. Set Your Apps to Update Automatically

Keeping your apps up to date on other platforms can be a hassle, but on Android, you can set apps to update automatically. Just go to the Google Play app, hit your menu button, and go to Settings, then check the box for “Auto-update apps.” You may also want to check the “Update over Wi-Fi only” box to avoid going over your cellular data cap. Keep in mind that if an app changes its privacy permissions, you’ll still have to update it manually.

5. Get a Gesture Keyboard

On Android, you are not bound to the software keyboard that comes with your phone. If you aren’t using a gesture keyboard, like Swype or SwiftKey Flow, you’re missing out. Check out this video of how gesture typing works, then spend a solid week or two giving it a try. Once you get used to it, you’ll never want to go back.

You’ve got a few options for gesture typing on Android. It’s possible that your phone may have a gesture keyboard included, but the quality of these versions can vary. Your best options are to buy SwiftKey ($4, or free trial) and enable Flow after installation, or buy Swype ($1, orfree trial). Both apps will walk you through the setup process when you open them for the first time.

6. Set Up Google Now

Google Now is a virtual assistant built into newer Android phones. It attempts to provide information automatically based on where your are, what you search for and other information. For example, if you’re at a train station, it will alert you to when the next train arrives. And once it figures out where you work and live (based on the phone’s location), it can warn you about traffic on your commute. It can also hook into Gmail to provide information on flights, track inbound packages and remind you of upcoming events.

To enable Google Now, open up the Google Search app and go into settings. Flip on the switch for “Google Now” to on. You can also tap the the Google Now line in settings for more options, allowing you to fine-tune the types of information that show up.

7. Download Chrome (If You Don’t Have It)

Even though Chrome is technically the default browser for Android, some phone makers have deluded themselves into thinking their own browsers are better. Don’t believe it. Chrome is fast and simple, and if you use Chrome on your computer, the mobile app will automatically keep your bookmarks in sync.

If your phone doesn’t come with Chrome, pick it up from the Google Play store. Occasionally, you’ll see a prompt to choose which browser to use (for instance, when opening a link through Twitter). Whenver this happens, select Chrome and hit “Always,” and you’ll never have to deal with an inferior browser again.

8. Get Text Messages on Your Computer

On Android, several third-party apps will allow you to read and respond to text messages from your computer or tablet, using your existing phone number. I rounded up a few of them in an older post, but my favorite is MightyText. Just install the app on your phone, then follow the instructions on MightyText’s website to access your text messages on your desktop browser or your tablet.

9. Get Comfortable with “Share”

In certain apps, you might notice an icon resembling a “V” or a “<” character, sometimes with arrows pointing outward. This is the Share button, and it’s designed to let any two apps on your phone communicate with each other.

For instance, the Share button will let send interesting web links directly to your social networking app of choice. If you’ve written something in text editor, the Share button will let you send those notes by e-mail or save them to Dropbox. If you have a read-it-later app like Pocket, the Share button lets you save articles without ever leaving the app you’re in. Get comfortable with the Share button and you’ll save yourself lots of time.

10. Download Maps for Offline Use

Internet connections fail. Mobile networks get congested. But you don’t want that to happen when you’re relying on GPS navigation for directions. Go into Maps on your phone, hit the menu button, and select “Make available offline.” Pinch or zoom to select the map area you want to download, then press “Done.” You should store a map for where you live, and store some more before you travel. Even if you don’t have a data connection, you’ll be able to see your GPS location marker in Google Maps, so this trick is especially helpful for navigating a foreign country without a data plan.

11. Connect to a PC for Fast Photo Transfers

One nice thing about Android is that you’re not locked into a program like iTunes for moving files on and off the phone. On the downside, transferring photos or other files requires just a little more know-how.

After plugging your phone into a PC’s USB port, look for it in your computer’s file browser. You’ll likely see a folder called “Internal Storage.” Click on that, then look for the folder called “DCIM.” You’ll find all your photos in here, possibly in another folder called “Camera” or something similar. Mac users, note that you’ll need extra Android File Transfer software to make this work.

Alternatively, when you plug in the phone, look for a notification on your phone that says you’re connected by USB. Tap on this notification, and select the option to connect as Camera (or PTP). This is a good option for Mac users who just want to get to their photos, rather than the entire Android file system.

12. Back Up Photos Automatically

Android offers a few ways to automatically save your photos online, ensuring that you’ll still have a copy even if you lose your phone. The easiest way is through Google+ (don’t worry, it won’t share your photos unless you decide to do so later): Open the app, go into Settings, then tap “Instant Upload.” Flip the switch at the top of the screen, then adjust the settings below. Setting the storage size to Standard will allow unlimited uploads.  You may also want to only allow uploads while connected to Wi-Fi, and only when the phone is plugged in.

If you’d rather not use Google+, Dropbox and SugarSync can automatically back up your photos as well, but with limited storage.

13. Get an App for Remote Find and Wipe

Unfortunately, Android doesn’t include a “find my phone” feature out of the box. To keep your phone secure in case it gets lost or stolen, you’ll need to download a third-party app.

Android Lost isn’t pretty, but it’s free, and offers lots of remote control options for your phone. For instance, you can display a message asking whomever’s got your phone to bring it back, or set a lock screen code. Another option is Cerberus. It’s a cleaner app and lets you locate your phone on a map, but it carries a one-time fee after a one-week trial period.

14.Take Advantage of Refunds

Any time you pay for an Android app, you have 15 minutes to try it out and get your money back if you’re not satisfied. That’s not a lot of time, but it’s enough to poke around the app and make sure it suits your needs. Being able to get a refund is especially useful if you’re looking for something specific, and the app’s description doesn’t tell you exactly what you need to know. It’s also a lifesaver if the app doesn’t work with your phone for any reason.

To get the refund, just go back to the app’s page in Google Play. As long as you bought the app within 15 minutes, you’ll see a “refund” button. The app will uninstall, and you’ll get your money back.

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Posted in: IT N GADGET

Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid: A Preview of the Champions League Semi-Finals

There was a joke doing the rounds on Twitter yesterday, in anticipation of Friday morning’s Champions League semi-final draw. The remaining four sides come from Spain and Germany – Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund – and the first part of the gag was that if the teams from the same country were drawn against each other, it might be seen as a fix by soccer fans. The payoff? If the teams were kept apart, it would still be viewed as a fix. It was hardly Abbott and Costello doing “Who’s on first?” but it may have made you smile (accusations have been made over the years that soccer draws have been fixed.)
As it turned out, the German and Spanish sides were kept apart from each other with Bayern Munich at home in the first leg to Barcelona on Apr. 23 and Borussia Dortmund taking on Real Madrid the following night (the return legs are on Apr. 30 and May 1 with Madrid vs. Dortmund being played on the 30th). If the Spanish giants, who both play their second legs at home, which could be seen as an advantage, make it through, then “El Clasico,” the name by which their games are known, will take place at London’s Wembley Stadium in the May 25 final. Let’s take a look at the mouth-watering match ups.
(MORE: Why Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Is More Than a Game)
Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona
The immediate subplot that comes to mind is how arguably the most interested observer of them all will be a certain Pep Guardiola. The former Barcelona manager, who won 14 trophies over four years for Barca, is taking over as Bayern boss next season, and has been on a year-long sabbatical in New York. Whether he attends these games isn’t yet known but he, in addition to soccer fans around the world, will know that Barca’s number 10, Lionel Messi, will be the key to this semi-final. Barcelona made heavy weather of their quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, and required a not fully fit Messi to come off the bench and help rescue them during this week’s second leg (he sustained a hamstring injury in the first game). Messi was summoned after PSG took a shock lead, which would have been good enough to see the Parisian side through. While Messi didn’t score Barcelona’s equalizer, he played a major part in the build up to the goal, and it will be interesting to see if current coach, Tito Vilanova, will rest him over the next few weeks, with Barcelona all but assured the league title in Spain. “They gained in confidence as soon as he came on,” said PSG coach, Carlo Ancelotti. “He is the best player in the world, even if he is not fully fit.”
But Bayern’s own record against Barca is respectable, having won three, drawn two and only lost one (that said, Barcelona have never lost a European Cup knockout tie against German opposition, winning seven previous ties). Bayern, who are last year’s losing finalists, have dominated the German league, securing their 23rd title last weekend, and have looked pretty convincing in their attempt to go one step further than last season (switch out the reigning champions, Chelsea, for Dortmund, and this year’s semi-final line up is the same as last season). Bayern dismantled Juventus in the quarter-final, winning both games 2-0, and with players of the calibre of Arjen Robben, Mario Mandzukic and Bastian Schweinsteiger, they cannot be underestimated. And yet it’s entirely possible that even with their defensive frailties – the Catalan side hasn’t kept a clean sheet in the last 13 “Clasicos” – Barcelona could progress if Messi is on the field for the majority of the 180 minutes (or possibly 210, if it goes to extra time). The man who seems to have a lock on the best player of the year award can orchestrate play, both by scoring goals and making them for his teammates, which means that the “Clasico” final could be on the cards.
Prediction: First leg Bayern Munich 1- 1 Barcelona. Second leg Barcelona 2-0 Bayern Munich. Barcelona to go through 3-1 on aggregate (this is based on Messi playing the majority of both matches).

Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund are the only unbeaten side left in the competition, which means that they should be taken seriously. Their charismatic coach, Jürgen Klopp, has instilled a never-say-die, gung-ho attitude in his young side, most recently proven by their stunning injury-time comeback to score twice and knock out Spanish side Malaga in dramatic circumstances (it was the first time a team needing to score two injury-time goals to win in the Champions League had done so since Manchester United in the 1999 final). They’ve only beaten Real Madrid once (losing twice, with three ties) but that 2-1 victory came in the group stages last October and they managed a credible 2-2 tie in the Bernabeu a couple of weeks later. Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is a constant threat, with Mario Götze and Marco Reus offering much promise. But their 12th man is, to put it mildly, their passionate home crowd, who will surely never give up hope.
But will passion be enough to get past one of the world’s best coaches, Jose Mourinho, who, in star man Cristiano Ronaldo, has at his disposal a player nearly the equal of Barcelona’s Messi? CR7 scored three of Madrid’s five goals in their 5-3 aggregate quarter-final victory over Turkish side Galatasaray, and it’s hard to imagine Dortmund being able to keep him from notching during the semi-final. Then again, Madrid probably won’t be able to keep a clean sheet in the first leg in Dortmund – Madrid has only kept the opposition out once in 10 Champions League games this season – and if Dortmund does score an away goal in the second leg, it’s anyone’s guess as to the eventual winner. “I don’t think Madrid will be afraid because of what happened in the group stage,” Dortmund general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke said. “They will respect us, just like we respect them.”
Madrid, semi-finalists for a record 24th time, and in the final four for the third successive season, are bidding to win the competition for a record 10th time, with Mourniho hoping to become the first man to win three European Cup or Champions Leagues with three different clubs. Many neutrals would love to see Madrid make it to the final, if their biggest rivals Barcelona also get there. But soccer cares little for romance, and Dortmund and Munich will be hoping to put on “El Clasico” of their own.
Prediction: First leg Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Real Madrid. Second leg Real Madrid 2-1 Borussia Dortmund. Semi-final to be decided on penalties, which is nigh on impossible to call!

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Posted in: Football

Microsoft Mulls a Smartwatch; Here Are the Company’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Jared Newman / Microsoft / TIME Tech Illustration

If smartwatches become the next big thing in tech, Microsoft apparently doesn’t want to be left out.
Citing supply-chain executives, the Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft is working on designs for a touch-enabled watch. Microsoft reportedly asked suppliers in Asia to ship components for a potential device earlier this year. Still, it’s unclear if Microsoft will actually go ahead with the product.
In lieu of any hard details, all we can do is think about the advantages Microsoft would have, and the hurdles it would face, if it wants to bring a smartwatch to market.
Here are some strengths that come to mind, based on what we already know about Windows Phone:
Modern Style Is Watch-Friendly
The tile-based design of Windows Phone and Windows 8 seems tailor-made for a smartwatch. Users could set up a Live Tile or two that would show weather, time or other basic information. More tiles could fill the screen as notifications roll in.
Some Third-Party Apps Are Ready Already
One of the neatest features of Windows Phone is the way it lets you control third-party apps by voice. For instance, you can ask your tip-calculator app to crunch some numbers, or tell the Toggle app to control various phone settings. These types of commands would translate beautifully to a smartwatch, where touchscreen controls aren’t as feasible. Neither iOS nor Android support this level of voice commands for third-party apps, so Microsoft is ahead of the pack.
No Fragmentation Here
Compared with Google’s Android, Microsoft has tighter control over the software that goes onto Windows Phones. That means the company could guarantee a consistent smartwatch experience, whether your Windows Phone was made by HTC, Samsung or Nokia. You can’t say the same for Android, especially considering Samsung has plans to build its own smartwatch.
Digital-Wallet Building Blocks
Although adoption is slow-going, Microsoft’s Wallet for Windows Phone provides a way to pay with credit or debit by tapping your phone, and to store loyalty cards that can be scanned by bar code. This type of functionality could really take off on a smartwatch, as it would let you pay for stuff without ever reaching into your pockets. Microsoft already has the pieces in place.
And for weaknesses:
No Virtual Assistant to Speak of
Microsoft is behind Google Now and Apple’s Siri for virtual assistant-type services. Sure, you can search by voice on a Windows Phone, and you can dictate a note or a text message, but you can’t set alarms, schedule appointments or create an entire e-mail with voice only, as you can with Siri. Windows Phone also isn’t as proactive as Google Now, which can tell you about traffic on your next commute, or feed you information about upcoming trips. Virtual assistants would likely be at the heart of any smartwatch efforts from Apple and Google, so Microsoft will have to build out its own service if it wants to keep up.
Limited Hardware Experience
With its Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets, Microsoft has at least shown that it can make interesting hardware on its own. What isn’t clear, however, is whether Microsoft can lead the way on bringing entirely new technologies to market. If smartwatches become a big hit, it’ll likely be thanks to curved displays, which would allow for much slicker designs than the current crop of watches. Apple is reportedly eyeing curved displays for its own watches, and if history’s any indication, the company could prepay for the technology to guarantee a healthy supply at low prices. Samsung has its own curved-display tech in the making. Would Microsoft be willing to place a big bet on similar technology for a smartwatch of its own?
The Windows Phone App Problem
Windows Phone only makes up a small fraction of the market, especially in the U.S. where it accounts for about 3% of smartphones sold. As a result, app makers have been slower to support the platform, or have avoided it entirely. A smartwatch from Microsoft would run into the same issues; it’s possible that the latest and greatest apps would go to Apple’s platform and to Android first.
Keep in mind that it’s still early days for the smartwatch market, and the major tech players aren’t exactly rushing to get products out. Microsoft could bring some killer features and concepts to the smartwatch craze, but it also has some work to do.

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Posted in: IT N GADGET

Logitech’s New Harmony Remotes: One’s a Deluxe Model, and One’s Your Phone

Logitech's new Harmony Ultimate

In January, Logitech announced that it’s trying to sell off its division that makes Harmony universal remotes. But it’s going out with a bang: the company has announced its highest-end Harmony model to date, plus one aimed at people who don’t realize that they need a universal remote at all.
The top-of-the-line model is the Harmony Ultimate, a $350 unit with a 2.4″ color touchscreen along with tactile buttons for standard actions such as changing channels and adjusting the volume. As with all Harmonies, you set it up by telling it what devices you’ve got in your living room — it knows 225,000 of them by name. (This initialization process can now be performed without a PC.) You can set up multiple-device sequences of actions, so that, for instance, one command switches your TV to the right input for your Blu-ray player and starts a movie playing.

Logitech

Unlike most Harmonies, the Ultimate comes with a little box called the Harmony Hub, which serves as a middleman between the remote and your living-room gear. The Hub communicates with the remote via RF wireless; unlike infrared, it doesn’t require a clear line of site to work, and can sit inside a closed entertainment center. It talks to most consumer-electronics boxes using infrared, but (in a new feature) can also control the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 via Bluetooth.
Oh, and the Ultimate can control Philips’ Wi-Fi-enabled Hue lightbulbs, letting you dim the lights when you watch a movie. It’s the first time that a Harmony remote has dabbled in home automation, although the company says that more such features might be on the way.
The Ultimate also lets you download iPhone and Android apps that let your phone serve as a remote with features similar to the Ultimate itself. But if that sounds exciting, you might be better off with the Harmony Smart Control, a $129.99 product based the concept of BYOR — bring your own remote. That’s because with it, the app is your primary remote.

Logitech

Like the Ultimate, Smart Control comes with the Harmony Hub and uses it as a bridge between the phone and your devices. Oddly enough, it also includes a conventional remote — a good-looking but basic model, without a touchscreen or other fancy features. Logitech isn’t trying to market this Harmony product to remote junkies, though; it wants people to think of it as a smartphone accessory. It doesn’t even mention or show the physical remote on the front of the Smart Control box.
So why include it at all? The company thinks, logically, that even if your phone is your remote,  a physical remote is sometimes handy as a backup — for instance, how do you mute your TV if you’re trying to answer the phone at the same time? So it includes the remote as a bonus, not unlike the prize in a box of Cracker Jack.
The Harmony Remote will go on sale this month; the Smart Control is due in May.

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Posted in: IT N GADGET

Toshiba’s New KIRAbook Is an Ultra-Ultrabook

 

One of the things I like about Intel‘s Ultrabook concept is that it’s surprisingly elastic. As long as a PC maker builds a laptop that’s relatively thin, relatively light and relatively fast-booting, it has wiggle room to go off in its own direction.
With the KIRAbook, which was announced today — I got a sneak peek in person last week — Toshiba has moved aggressively upscale. The company’s been making Ultrabooks all along, but this is by far its highest-end model to date. Actually, it may be the highest-end Ultrabook anyone’s made: even its cheapest version is $1599.99, a hefty starting pricetag for any computer, and $700 more than the cheapest MacBook Air.
Then again, Toshiba hasn’t stinted on the specs and industrial design. The KIRAbook’s most impressive feature is its 13.3″ displasy, with 2560-by-1440 resolution and 221 pixels-per-inch. It’s in the same league as Apple‘s Retina-display MacBook Pros and Google‘s ChromeBook Pixel; a resolution that high is something new for Ultrabooks and for Windows notebooks in general. Even Apple’s MacBook Air, from which the KIRAbook, like all Ultrabooks, draws inspiration, doesn’t have it.
Toshiba says that it color-calibrates every KIRAbook by hand before it leaves the factory, then stores those settings at the BIOS level so they can’t be accidentally erased. One downside to the display, as reported by PCWorld’s Michael Brown: the system supports video output to an external screen at a relatively low maximum of 1920-by-1080 resolution via HDMI.
In person, the KIRAbook doesn’t look quite as much like a MacBook clone as it does in the photograph above, though it’s certainly reminiscent of Apple’s design, down to the wedge shape. It’s made of AZ91 magnesium, not aluminum (Toshiba says it’s twice as strong) and at 2.6 pounds, it’s lighter than the Air. From what I saw, the build quality looked impeccably premium.
The trimmings are upscale, too: the machine ships with full versions of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, two years’ worth of Norton security services and a two-year warranty with 24/7 phone support based in the U.S.
The $1599.99 KIRAbook has an Intel Core i7 processor but doesn’t have a touchscreen; a $1799.99 version adds touch; and the $1999.99 one uses a zippier Core i7 chip. All run Windows 8, of course, and have 256GB of solid-state storage. They’ll be available at Microsoft Store locations — which are by far the best places to see the nicest Windows computers in person — but will otherwise be sold mostly online, where there’s more space for Windows machines which aspire to greatness rather than a particular price point.
When Toshiba showed me the KIRAbook, the first thing I was struck by was that this new computer had a new name. Generally speaking, the company likes to stick with product lines it’s had since the 1990s: Satellite, Tecra, Portege. It’s not officially saying whether we might see other KIRAbook PCs — but it’s already talking about KIRA as a brand and using the plural when speaking of the products that it will include, so it sounds like it hopes the nameplate is here to stay.

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Posted in: IT N GADGET

Masters Preview: Can Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy Take Down Tiger?

 
The words uttered by Tiger Woods in the build up to this week’s Masters might make the rest of the field in Augusta feel a little less comfortable about their chances of slipping on the famous Green Jacket. Woods, 37, is bidding to win his 15th major, which would be his first since 2008, and fifth victory at the Masters, which he hasn’t won since 2005. One of the great storylines in golf is Woods attempting to top Jack Nicklaus’s record haul of 18 majors, and if Woods can justify his billing as the bookmakers favorite – he’s as low as 4 to 1 with some bookies, which seems to flatter him somewhat in a 93-man field – he may well be back on track.
As for those words, Woods said that “I feel very balanced,” going on to say that “I feel comfortable with every aspect of my game. I feel that I’ve improved and I’ve got more consistent, and hopefully I can continue it this week and the rest of the year.” Addressing the quest to pass Nicklaus, Woods noted that “We have very expansive careers and I feel like I’m basically right in the middle of mine. It took Jack a while to get to 18, all the way until he was 46 years old.”

But words need to be matched by actions, and Woods has certainly delivered on that front in 2013. He’s world number one thanks to recording victories at three out of four strokeplay events this year, and has six wins from his last 20 starts on the PGA Tour. His record at the Masters is impressive: Since winning it for the first time in 1997, he’s had 11 top 10 finishes. And apart from last year, where Woods could only manage a tie for 40th – his worst finish as a pro at Augusta – he’s come no worse than sixth since 2005.
And if Woods does put on the Green Jacket for a sixth time, it will be a far cry from his fall from grace on and off the golf course. His private-life scandal, which came to light over the Thanksgiving weekend of 2009, culminated in a divorce from Elin Nordegren. He slumped to 58th in the world rankings in 2011 and had well documented problems with his swing and injuries.

But if not Woods this year then who might be in the frame? His new Nike stablemate, the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, is the only player to have won more than one major out of the last 17 played. He hasn’t been in top form since switching to Nike equipment, but shooting a final-round 66, and finishing second to Martin Laird at the Texas Open a few days ago, could bode well for the 23-year-old.

The past three Masters champions might also fancy their chances. Last year’s winner, Bubba Watson, is aiming to become the first player to retain the Masters since Woods in 2002 but, like McIlroy, isn’t playing to his potential though a share of 14th at Bay Hill recently was better than some of his other performances. The South African Charl Schwartzel wasn’t out of the top three in six consecutive tournaments around the turn of the year, winning three of them (and don’t rule out his compatriot Louis Oosthuizen, who lost in a play-off to Watson at Augusta last year). And then there’s Phil Mickleson, who won his third Green Jacket in 2010. “Lefty”‘s record at the Masters is as impressive as anyone’s, with 14 top 10 finishes from the last 18 at Augusta. But backers beware: Mickleson likes to compete the week before a major but a change in the PGA schedule scuppered that plan and he didn’t enter the Texas Open because he thought the course was too “tight and windy.”
And so the scene is set and Woods arguably remains the man to beat. He’s even had time on his hands to give a lesson to 14-year-old Chinese teenager Guan Tianlang, who will become the youngest player in Masters history. “Each time I play with him I feel a lot better and give myself some confidence and it’s very good,” Guan said. “He told me a lot. We really enjoyed it on the golf course.” But when Guan and 91 other players tee off on Thursday, they might end up learning something else: Tiger Woods is back.

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Posted in: Other Sport

Beer’s Taste Alone Can Trigger Desire for Drink

The latest research shows that even the taste of beer is sufficient to activate the brain‘s pleasure circuits.
“It’s the first drink that gets you drunk,” Alcoholics Anonymous warns its members, reminding alcoholics that even a sip can set off cravings. Now the latest research offers support for this effect, providing evidence that a tiny taste of beer raises dopamine levels in desire-related brain regions, especially in people with a family history of alcoholism.
The study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, involved 49 male beer drinkers with an average age of 25; , seven were alcoholics and the remainder were either social or heavy drinkers. Twelve had a parent or sibling who had alcoholism.

For the experiment, led by David Kareken, director of neuropsychology at Indiana University School of Medicine, the participants first received a small dose of a radioactively-labelled compound that occupies dopamine receptors, which are activated by alcohol and can produce feelings of desire and pleasure, depending on their location. The agent allowed researchers to track changes in dopamine levels and locate where dopamine was more or less plentiful as the volunteers reacted to various tastes. While the participants had PET images taken of their brains, they received small spritzes of water, Gatorade or their favorite brand of beer on their tongues. They then rated the taste of the spray on its intensity and pleasantness.
Because the amount of beer consumed was so small, any changes in dopamine levels were not likely due to the alcohol content in the sprays — any variations in the brain chemical could be attributed to expectations and associations linked to the taste of the beverage.  Prior research in both humans and animals showed that dopamine tends to be released from a brain region called the ventral striatum when pleasure is anticipated or expected— so dopamine is often released from this part of the brain before a drug is taken or during sexual desire.

The research confirmed these findings, showing that simply tasting beer raised dopamine levels in the right side of the ventral striatum.
And not surprisingly, family history made a difference:  people with a family history of alcoholism had a four fold greater dopamine response compared to those without such a history. “[T]hose individuals who had close family members diagnosed for alcoholism showed dopamine increases in response to beer taste, raising the question whether a heightened conditioning, or an unusual ability of conditioned rewards to increase dopamine activity, underlies the development of alcohol (and perhaps other drug) abuse,” said Dai Stephens, professor of psychology at the University of Sussex, in a statement released by the Britain’s Science Media Foundation.  Stephens was not associated with the research.
Interestingly, the alcoholic participants did not show any heightened dopamine response compared to those with a family history of alcoholism. But because the volunteers were only in their 20s, it’s possible that any changes in the sensitivity of the dopamine response due to chronic heavy drinking might not have developed yet— or the number of participants might have been too small to show such changes.

The findings also don’t establish whether this increased dopamine activation is responsible for generating addictive behavior. “There is a debate as to whether more or less dopamine release corresponds with addiction risk,” the authors write. Some research suggests, for example, that some people may have a reduced response to the pharmacological effects of alcohol, and can drink without suffering the physiological effects that alcohol can have on decision-making and inhibitions.
What the results do suggest, however, is that people with a family history of alcoholism have a greater dopamine response and therefore may harbor a greater desire for alcohol. That may not necessarily lead to problem drinking, and more research will be needed to clarify how dopamine activation and alcoholism are related.

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Posted in: Health

How Walmart Plans to Bring Back ‘Made in America

 

Walmart doesn’t make anything. But the giant retailer could play a part in the manufacturing rebound that is taking place in the U.S. with its promise to buy $50 billion more U.S. made goods over the next decade for its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. It’s a bit ironic, given Walmart’s vast global sourcing organization. But the same forces that are making the U.S. a more hospitable place for manufacturing —higher shipping costs and wage rates overseas among them—have prompted the company to reevaluate its sourcing on a variety of products. “This is a commitment around manufacturing and more economic renewal.  We see it as a critical issue for us in the American economy,” says Duncan Mac Naughton chief merchandising and marketing officer for Walmart U.S.
What Walmart sees is a way to lower costs while smoothing its supply cycle by looking more broadly at its distribution system. Although the company may be able to buy an item cheaper from China, the price it pays per piece doesn’t always reflect what it spends to get the product to the shelves.  “When we buy from overseas, we may buy more than we need to fill the container,” says Mac Naughton. “We’re looking at carrying costs through the system in addition to landed costs.” (Walmart has recently been criticized for being out of stock on items, due to a lack of store employees, but the company says its in-stock position is at record levels and that it hasn’t cut employee hours.)
(COVER STORY: Made in the USA)
Walmart is also hitting some unexpected supply snags as local demand increases in the developing countries where it buys goods. Recently, it found itself short of memory foam for mattress toppers and had to add a U.S. supplier, Sleep Studio, to augment its foreign source. That need to increase capacity can only increase as the middle class grows in India, China and elsewhere. The company will still likely rely on foreign suppliers for those products, such as cut-and-sew garments, that have a very high labor input. But given the more robust regulatory environment in the U.S., domestic suppliers are far less likely to run shoddy plants that endanger workers, as some of Walmart’s overseas subcontracters have been accused of doing.
Which suppliers stand to benefit from Walmart’s strategy? The company says that products with a “high cube”  (supply-chain speak for big and/or bulky, such as furniture) are candidates. So are products that have more highly-automated production, meaning lower direct labor, or products that have a less predictable sales curves and might have to be produced quickly to meet a sharp rise in demand. The company says items such as sporting goods, storage products, games and paper products are likely categories.
One of the first companies to benefit is 1888 Mills in Griffin, Georgia, which makes better-quality towels. Walmart’s version will be labeled “Made Here.”  1888 Mills had some spare manufacturing capacity, but since the size of Walmart’s orders can distort any vendor’s production, 1888 Mills needed a longer-term deal to be able to make the investment required to produce the needed quantities. “We made a commitment that was longer term than we would normally do. There’s transparency on the part of both parties: we worked with collaboratively with them,” says Michelle Gloeckler, Walmart’s senior vice president of home.
(MORE: How ‘Made in the USA’ is Making a Comeback)
Camping and outdoor goods company Coleman is another participant. The firm, owned by Jarden Corp. is manufacturing its hard-sided coolers and personal flotation devices in the U.S., adding 160 jobs according to Walmart.  Jarden, whose brands range from Quickie mops to K2 skis, has been ahead of Walmart on domestic manufacturing. Jarden has been on a reshoring kick for about two years.
Some of Walmart’s vendors will get a chuckle out of the idea that Walmart is willing to become more transparent. Walmart has a reputation for getting vendors into its buying rooms and beating the hell out of them on price, essentially leaving them with little margin. But Mac Naughton says that Walmart has to start thinking longer term, rather than season-to-season and that this kind of collaboration will reduce costs for both parties over time, paving the way for lower prices for consumers. For instance, a U.S. manufacturer can bypass Walmart’s distribution centers and deliver directly to stores, so-called “no touch” distribution.
Although $50 billion is a lot of goods, it’s about 10% of what Walmart will sell this year at retail. The company says the $50 billion is just a starting point, and that if other retailers joined the party the figure could be much, much higher, perhaps $500 billion. Walmart’s U.S. president, Bill Simon, suggested in a speech to fellow retailers that the power of their order books can help reshore U.S. production in textiles, furniture, pet supplies, some outdoor categories, and higher end appliances.
This isn’t Walmart’s first crack at a Made in America program. An earlier one fizzled, amid some bad publicity, because Walmart couldn’t get enough low-priced merchandise to sell. Americans may love their country, but they will buy Chinese if the price differential is too high. This time Walmart says consumers won’t have to pay up to buy domestic. “I hope the American consumer values this and we’ll make it easy for them,” says Mac Naughton. If not, consumers won’t make it easy for Walmart.

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Posted in: Economics

3 Healthiest Countries in the World

 

Jakarta,- disease, and the epidemic virus is no longer a new thing for all of the state has ever experienced. But of all the countries in the world, three of whom are categorized as the most healthy. Which countries?
It's not easy to find the healthiest country in the world. But the American journal Foreign Policy reported on the three healthiest country in the world, namely Japan, France and Iceland, as reported Geniusbeauty, Thursday (03/28/2013).
1. Japan, people live longer
The Japanese live longer than all the people in other countries. The average life expectancy of Japanese is 86 years old. The secret to their health is physical exercise and low-cholesterol diet. Japanese diet usually consists of rice, fish and seaweed, which can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
In Japan, fitness gyms made with a very fashionable. Several generations of this nation has been living a life of 'lean', as has been stated and promoted by the state program, which provides sports activities during work hours, and before work. The program is funded by the government. The Japanese think western food as a serious health threat, as it is traditionally high in fat.
2. France, the country with the lowest rate of heart attack
In this country, relatively low rates of heart disease despite a major cause of death worldwide. Experts explain this fact relates to the French habit of eating slowly and drink a glass of wine every day. Traditionally, the French diet rich in carbohydrates and fats, but are usually eaten in small portions with added a little wine.
In 2002, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes France as the healthiest state in the European Union. Meanwhile, the average life expectancy in France is 75 years for men and 83 years for women.
However, obesity is considered a major problem in France and the cancer death rate is high.
3. Iceland, a country with maternal care in the world
Iceland is a country with the lowest infant mortality rate in the world. European countries close to the North Pole is also providing the best care for pregnant women. The numbers are clear, there are only two cases of deaths per 1000 births. By comparison, the United States has 7 deaths per 1000 births.
Unfortunately, Iceland has a big problem with obesity (overweight). Each year, a large amount of sugar is consumed per capita in the country, mainly due to overuse of carbonated beverages.

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Posted in: Health,Home