Cellphones?

LG showed off a few devices at the Mobile World Congress 2013 that is taking place in Barcelona this week. All the devices are great, but the most exciting however is the LG Optimus G Pro. It is the company’s flagship device and is a 5.5 inch phablet that is all set to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Note II.
Samsung has been ruling the Android sphere for quite a long time now. As far as Galaxy Note 2 goes, no device has seriously threatened its popularity and LG’s Optimus G Pro is designed to do exactly that. If everything goes well, the Optimus G Pro should knock Samsung off its phablet throne.

So what has LG Optimus G Pro got which makes us think that it will make a serious mark in 2013? Well, LG Optimus G Pro is without doubt an impressive device. It’s of the same size as Galaxy Note 2, but it’s faster and it’s lighter. Also, it has a better looking 1080p display, which could be a major selling point for LG Optimus G Pro. The Korean company has been experimenting with several features that will let it take advantage of this particular form factor. One attractive feature is the dual-recording mode which enables the device to shoot video from both, the front as well as rear camera. The feature should be popular among video bloggers.
Apart from the 1080p display advantage, LG’s flagship is powered by the 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 with LTE radio (and that’s the same chip that is anticipated to power the U.S. Galaxy S IV!) and 2GB of RAM. The LG Optimus G Pro includes a 13MP camera on the rear whereas 2 MP makes its way on the front. LG has included a big 3,140mAh battery pack that should be sufficient to power the hardware and 1080p display. The device comes with 32 GB of internal storage, and there is microSD card slot should you need more storage.
In the LG Optimus G Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Note 2 battle, the pricing and availability factor plays a major role. If the Optimus G Pro carries a price tag similar to Note 2, a lot of carriers may show interest in the device. Below is a specs comparison of LG Optimus G Pro vs Galaxy Note 2.

Size	150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4 (mm)	151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4 (mm)
Weight	160g	183g
Screen	5.5-inch, Super IPS LCD	5.5-inch Super AMOLED
Resolution	1920×1080 pixels	1280×720 pixels
OS	Android 4.1.2 with Optimus UI	Android 4.1 with TouchWiz UI
Storage	32GB	16/32/64GB
SD Card Slot	Yes	Yes
Processor	1.7GHz, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600	1.6GHz, quad-core Exynos
RAM	2GB	2GB
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+	Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+
Camera	Front 2.1MP, Rear 13MP	Front 1.9MP, Rear 8MP
Bluetooth	Yes, version 4.0	Yes, version 4.0
Battery	3140mAh	3100mAh
Charger	Micro USB	Micro USB
Marketplace	Google Play Store	Google Play Store
Price	TBA	$299
Availability	TBA	AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon

What are your thoughts on LG Optimus G Pro? Do you think it will be a strong contender for Galaxy Note 2? Let us know using the comment form below.

iPhone 5S, 5-inch iPhone 6

The much-rumored iPhone 5S and a 5-inch iPhone 6 have shown up at an Apple supplier in China, according to a post on a Chinese microblogging site.
The models could be released this year, according to a post by a Sina Tech user called Old Yao. He reports that a friend of his at a supplier has seen the models and says that the iPhone 5S resembles the iPhone 5, while the iPhone 6 is wider, longer, and thinner.
CNET has contacted Apple for comment and will update this report when we learn more. As Apple gets closer to an anticipated launch of a new smartphone, the speculation and rumor mill go into overdrive, so while Old Yao's comments are food for thought, they should also be consumed with perhaps more than a grain of salt.
Earlier analyst speculation held that Apple would release an iPhone 5S and a revamped version of the iPhone 5 in June or July. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted last month that the new S model would resemble the current model with a few improvements, including an A7 chip for faster performance and a fingerprint sensor.
A larger screen size for an iPhone 6 might attract consumers smitten with Samsung's 4.8-inch Galaxy S3 and 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2.

My Questions?

Just pretend: you've decided to buy a new phone. Who will influence you the most in deciding which one you get?

A) Online reviews
B) My family & friends
C) The phone itself - just got to see it in person
D) Other?

Oscar Pistorius: Did he do it?

Oscar Pistorius told a packed courtroom Tuesday that he shot his girlfriend to death by mistake, thinking she was a robber. The prosecutor called it premeditated murder.

CBS Radio's Sarah Carter reports the judge in the case said he could not rule out the premeditation charge, which lead to the double amputee's lawyer reading out an affidavit at his bail hearing. In it, Pistorius said that he felt vulnerable because he did not have on his prosthetic legs when he heard noises in the bathroom, and that was when he pumped bullets into the locked door. Then, Pistorius said in the sworn statement, he realized that model Reeva Steenkamp was not in his bed.

"It filled me with horror and fear," he said.

He put on his prosthetic legs, tried to kick down the door, then bashed it in with a cricket bat to find Steenkamp, 29, shot inside. He said he ran downstairs with her, but "She died in my arms."

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel on Tuesday charged the 26-year-old athlete and Olympian with premeditated murder, alleging he took the time to put on his legs and walk some seven yards from the bed to the bathroom door before opening fire. If convicted of the crime, correspondent Emma Hurd reports for CBS News that Pistorius could spend the rest of his life in prison.

The Valentine's Day shooting death has shocked South Africans and many around the world who idolized Pistorius for overcoming adversity to become a sports champion, competing in the London Olympics last year in track besides being a Paralympian. Steenkamp was a model and law graduate who made her debut on a South African reality TV program that was broadcast on Saturday, two days after her death.

The magistrate ruled that Pistorius faces the harshest bail requirements available in South African law.

Nel told the court that Pistorius fired into the door of a small bathroom where Steenkamp was cowering after a shouting match. He fired four times and three bullets hit Steenkamp, the prosecutor said.

"She couldn't go anywhere. You can run nowhere," prosecutor Nel argued. "It must have been horrific."

Pistorius sobbed softly as his lawyer, Barry Roux, insisted the shooting was an accident and that there was no evidence to substantiate a murder charge.

"Was it to kill her, or was it to get her out?" he asked about the broken-down door. "We submit it is not even murder. There is no concession this is a murder."

He said the state had provided no evidence that the couple quarreled nor offered a motive.

Nel rebutted: "The motive is `I want to kill."'

As details emerged at the dramatic court hearing in the capital, Steenkamp's body was being cremated Tuesday at a memorial service in the south-coast port city of Port Elizabeth. The family said members had arrived from around the world. Six pallbearers carried her coffin, draped with a white cloth and covered in white flowers, into the church for the private service.

Pistorius was born without fibula bones and had them amputated when he was 11 months old.

The man known as the Blade Runner because of his running prostheses last year became the first double-amputee track athlete to run at the Olympics.

Cell Phone Future

HTC's brand-new flagship smartphone, the HTC One, is a gorgeous piece of all-aluminum smartphone machinery by any standards. CNET's Brian Bennett went hands-on with the Android Jelly Bean phone before today's launch event.
With dual audio speakers, a new Beats Audio feature in BoomSound, and a rebooted version of the HTC Sense interface layer that includes a new element called Blink, and an IR blaster to act as a TV remote, the HTC One certainly packs some interesting extras.
HTC's flagship device should appear in the U.S. in March for T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint. It'll cost $199.99 for the 32GB version and $299.99 for the 64GB version.
Compelling? Yes. But how does the HTC One compare to the hottest competition? Check out our chart below for the spec-in-spec lineup against the HTC Droid DNA, the BlackBerry Z10, and the iPhone 5, and be sure to read Brian's hands-on impressions for more.
We'll have photos and video coming up, as soon as we can get them, and will update this chart with more specs as they're announced.

Phone	HTC One	HTC Droid DNA	RIM BlackBerry Z10	Apple iPhone 5
OS	Android Jelly Bean	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean	BB10	iOS 6
Processor	1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600	1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro	1.5GHZ dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus	Proprietary A6 CPU
Screen	4.7-inch LCD, 1,920x1,080 pixels, 468ppi	5-inch LCD 3; 1,920x1,080 pixels, 440ppi	4.2-inch LCD; 1,280x768 pixels, 355ppi	4-inch IPS LCD; 1,136x640 pixels, 326ppi
RAM	2GB	2GB	2GB	Not listed
Internal storage	32GB, 64GB	16GB	16GB	16GB, 32GB, 64GB
Expansion slot	No	No	Yes, up to 32GB	No
Carrier	T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint	Verizon	Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile	AT&T, Sprint, Verizon
4G	LTE/HSPA+	LTE	LTE	LTE
Battery	2,300mAh, embedded	2,020mAh, embedded	1,800mAh, removable	Not listed; embedded
Camera	4 megapixels (ultrapixels), 2-megapixel front-facing	8 megapixels, 2.1-megapixel front-facing	8 megapixels, 2-megapixel front-facing	8 megapixels, 720p front-facing
Bluetooth version	4.0	4.0	4.0	4.0
NFC	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Wireless charging	No	No	Yes	Yes
Dimensions (inches)	TBA	5.6 x 2.7 x 0.4	5.1 x 2.6 x 0.35	4.9 x 2.3 x 0.3
Weight (ounces)	TBA	5	4.8	4

Ubuntu Phone

Canonical says it will be publishing images and open source code for the Touch Developer Preview of Ubuntu for Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 on Thursday 21 February. So if you have a spare compatible handset -- or you don’t mind converting your existing phone -- you can try out the fledgling mobile OS in time for the weekend.

The aim is to encourage developers to create apps for the new operating system, but enthusiasts are welcome to take it for a spin too. According to Canonical, tools that manage the flashing of the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 will be available on the same day as the images, along with detailed installation instructions.

Alternatively, if you happen to be visiting the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, 25th -- 28th February, pop along to the Ubuntu stand (booth number 81D30, App Planet Hall 8.1) and team members will happily flash your phone for you.

According to Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu: "This release marks the threshold of wider engagement -- both with industry and community. For developers, contributors and partners, there is now a coherent experience that warrants attention. The cleanest, most stylish mobile interface around".

Canonical says a "complete entry-level smartphone experience" will be included in Ubuntu 13.10, due in October, and that when finalized the "same Ubuntu code will deliver a mobile, tablet, desktop or TV experience depending on the device it is installed on, or where it is docked".

However, KDE's Plasma Active team leader Aaron Seigo is skeptical of the unified experience claim, and following Canonical’s announcement, took to Google+ to query it, asking how the firm can merge its current blend of GNOME/GTK3 desktop environments in Ubuntu with the Qt/QML construction of the Ubuntu phone.

"Perhaps if we define 'same Ubuntu code' to mean 'Ubuntu the distribution with all versions of the UI installed' we can cover this with a great amount of fudge factor," he says, adding: "Perhaps Unity will eventually be merged with Ubuntu Phone, and that's what they mean by 'when complete'".

Although Seigo says he supports the Ubuntu Phone -- describing it as a "good thing to see" -- he also admits he thinks "[Canonical] making unfounded claims in this manner is, imho, ethically weak," and that free software developers, users or supporters who buy into Canonical's claims are "being duped".

Pope Benedict XVI's shock resignation breaks '600-year taboo'

Pope Benedict XVI stunned the Roman Catholic church on Monday as he announced his intention to carry out the first papal resignation in almost 600 years, prompting shock from even his closest confidants and acerbic judgment from critics of his eight year-long reign.
In an address read out in Latin before a group of cardinals in the Apostolic Palace, the 85-year-old pontiff said he had decided that, due to his "advanced age" and deteriorating strengths, he would be stepping down as head of the Catholic church on 28 February.
"The pope has just broken a taboo by breaking with several centuries of practice," Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, told journalists, hailing the move as a "liberating act for the future".
The dramatic move – almost entirely unexpected – paves the way for a successor to be chosen by Easter. Whoever is named the next pope by a conclave next month will inherit a church struggling with many of the same controversies that blighted Benedict's papacy, from clerical sex abuse to fears over inadequate money laundering controls.
Benedict said he had taken the decision to resign "with full freedom" and great awareness of the "seriousness of this act". In order to fulfil the role of pope, he said, "both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me".
A Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi, insisted the pope had "no current illness that would influence his decision". The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, said he had made up his mind nearly a year ago after trips to Mexico and Cuba in March left him tired. His 89-year-old brother, Georg Ratzinger, told reporters: "Age is weighing on him. My brother would like more rest at this age."
The German, who in 2005 was the oldest man to be elected pope in almost 300 years, will now become the first pope to resign his position since Gregory XII in 1415 and the first to have done so voluntarily since Celestine V in 1294.
Fears that a papal resignation could cause a schism in the church are generally thought to have deterred previous popes from stepping down, but Lombardi insisted there would be "no risk" of this happening as canon law specifies that a former pope has no right to govern.
Around the world, leaders expressed surprise and sorrow at Benedict's departure. David Cameron said the outgoing pope had "worked tirelessly to strengthen Britain's relations with the Holy See", while Barack Obama said in a statement that he had "appreciated our work together over these last four years".
The leader of England and Wales' Roman Catholics was not given warning of the resignation. "Pope Benedict's announcement today has shocked and surprised everyone," said the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster.
Nichols, who described the pope's decision to stand down as one of "great courage and characteristic clarity of mind and action", said Benedict recognised both the challenges facing the church and the "strength of body and mind" required to deal with them. "I salute his courage and his decision," he said "I ask people of faith to keep Pope Benedict in their prayers."
Glowing tributes, however, were not ubiquitous. Victims of the sex and child abuse scandals that erupted under Benedict's papacy either accused him of being directly complicit in a conspiracy to cover up the thousands of cases that have come to light over the past three years, or of failing to stand up to reactionary elements in the church who were resolved to keep the scandals under wraps.
Norbert Denef, from north Germany, who was abused as a boy by his local priest for six years and was later offered €25,000 (then £17,000) by his diocesan bishop to keep quiet, said: "We won't miss this pope."
In and around the Vatican, the view was unsurprisingly more positive.
Luke Doyle, a seminarian from Kansas studying at the American College in Rome, said he was saddened by the news. But, he added: "This decision by the holy father fills me with admiration for him, and a deeper respect."
Once he stands down, Benedict will be taken to Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer retreat near Rome, and will subsequently live in a cloistered monastery. In his statement he said he wanted to "devotedly serve the holy church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer".
His departure will set in chain the process designed to choose his successor from those candidates who are deemed papabile, or suitable for the papacy. Unlike some previous occasions, there are no obvious frontrunners, but Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Canadian prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, are thought to be among the most plausible candidates.
Benedict will not himself vote in the conclave, in which all cardinals under the age of 80 will take part.
But his conservative theological influence is expected to make itself felt through the decisions of those cardinals – a large number of whom were picked by the outgoing pontiff.

Hangover Cures and Myths

After the Times Square ball drops on New Year's Eve and copious amounts of Champagne get toasted and drunk, many might find themselves forgetting more "auld acquaintances" than they intended and waking up to 2013 with a vicious hangover.
A hangover is essentially a build-up of acetaldehyde, a toxin in the liver. When one overdoes it on the booze, the liver can't produce enough glutathione, a compound that contains the amino acid L-cysteine, to combat it. Cysteine breaks down acetaldehyde into water and carbon dioxide, which is then flushed out of the body as urine.
While nothing has been shown scientifically to "cure" a hangover, Dr. Richard Besser, ABC News' chief medical editor, offered these tips to help nurse the pain:
• Drink plenty of water. Alcohol is quite dehydrating.
• If you have a headache, take aspirin or ibuprofen the next morning,not acetaminophen (Tylenol). Acetaminophen is processed by your liver that has just taken a hit from your overdrinking.
• Go to bed. Most hangovers are over after eight to 24 hours but before you do …
• Pull out your smartphone and record a video message to yourself. Tell yourself how lousy you feel and repeat this phrase: "I won't overdrink again, I won't overdrink again, I won't overdrink again."
Other suggestions from our past contributors include how to avoid a hangover while still slugging back the brewskies, and what to do if the hangover arrives anyway:
While You're Boozing:
1. Sip Slowly
If you drink your alcohol slowly instead of guzzling it down, doctors say it helps give the stomach a fighting chance to absorb the toxins so your body isn't assaulted with booze.
2. Eat Fatty Foods
Food products with a lot of fat in them, such as chips, can help slow down the absorption of alcohol.
3. Avoid Carbonated Drinks
Doctors say carbonation can increase the absorption of alcohol, so put down the rum and Coke.
The Morning After - Happy Hangover:
1. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
Time will heal all wounds.
2. Flush Your System
When you are dehydrated, your body is depleted of potassium and sodium, which is why you have that achy "hit by a dump truck" feeling the next morning.
Doctors say try to replenish your body with lots of fluids. Drink water or drinks that are heavy in electrolytes, such as sports drinks or coconut water.
3. Be Leery of Caffeine
Caffeine, like alcohol, is a diuretic, which can further dehydrate your body after drinking, making the headache much worse, so doctors recommend extra water if you're going to reach for a cup of coffee, tea or an energy drink.
But people who regularly drink minimal amounts of caffeine might find it helps soothe their headache. While the causes of a hangover aren't completely understood, a leading theory for the pounding headache is that alcohol dilates blood vessels in the brain and caffeine constricts the blood vessels, which might bring relief to some people.
4. Avoid the 'Hair of the Dog'
While that Bloody Mary or extra pint of beer with breakfast the next morning sounds like a rallying move, doctors say more alcohol means more dehydration, meaning more hangover hurting. Even if you don't feel the pain now, you will later.
5. Have a Snack
According to the Mayo Clinic, bland foods, such as toast and crackers, can help boost blood sugar and settle your stomach. Eating chicken noodle or bouillon soups, which are loaded with sodium and potassium, can help make you feel better.
Foods and drinks that contain fructose, such as honey, apples, berries or fruit juice, as well as vitamin C and B can also help burn off alcohol.
Final Thoughts: Not to be a buzz kill, but the bottom line is that the best way to to avoid a hangover is to stay away from the booze. Entirely.

Andrew Fazekas

for National Geographic News

Published February 7, 2013

Talk about too close for comfort. In a rare cosmic encounter, an asteroid will buzz Earth next week, missing our planet by a mere 17,200 miles (27,700 kilometers).
Designated 2012 DA14, the space rock is approximately 150 feet (45 meters) across, and astronomers are certain it will zip harmlessly past our planet on February 15—but not before making history. It will pass within the orbits of many communications satellites, making it the closest flyby on record. (Read about one of the largest asteroids to fly by Earth.)
"This is indeed a remarkably close approach for an asteroid this size," said Paul Chodas, a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Near Earth Object (NEO) program office in Pasadena, California.
"We estimate that an asteroid of this size passes this close to the Earth only once every few decades."
The giant rock—half a football field wide—was first spotted by observers at the La Sagra Observatory in southern Spain a year ago, soon after it had just finished making a much more distant pass of the Earth at 2.6 million miles (4.3 million kilometers) away.
This time around however, on February 15 at 2:24 p.m. EST, the asteroid will be passing uncomfortably close—ten times closer than the orbit of the moon—flying over the eastern Indian Ocean near Sumatra (map). (Watch: "Moon 101.")
Future Impact?
Chodas and his team have been keeping a close eye on the cosmic intruder, and orbital calculations of its trajectory show that there is no chance for impact.
But the researchers have not yet ruled out future chances of a collision. This is because asteroids of this size are too faint to be detected until they come quite close to the Earth, said Chodas.
The flyby of asteroid 2012 DA14 on Feb. 15, 2013, will be the closest known approach to Earth for an object its size.
Video produced by NASA/JPL-Caltech.
This NASA video explains just how close Asteroid 2012 DA14 will get to Earth, why you probably won't see it fly by, and how they're working on tracking other asteroids. Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech
"There is still a tiny chance that it might hit us on some future passage by the Earth; for example there is [a] 1-in-200,000 chance that it could hit us in the year 2080," he said.
"But even that tiny chance will probably go away within the week, as the asteroid's orbit gets tracked with greater and greater accuracy and we can eliminate that possibility."
Earth collision with an object of this size is expected to occur every 1,200 years on average, said Donald Yeomans, NEO program manager, at a NASA news conference this week.
DA14 has been getting closer and closer to Earth for quite a while—but this is the asteroid's closest approach in the past hundred years. And it probably won't get this close again for at least another century, added Yeomans.
While no Earth impact is possible next week, DA14 will pass 5,000 miles inside the ring of orbiting geosynchronous weather and communications satellites; so all eyes are watching the space rock's exact trajectory. (Learn about the history of satellites.)
"It's highly unlikely they will be threatened, but NASA is working with satellite providers, making them aware of the asteroid's pass," said Yeomans.
Packing a Punch
Experts say an impact from an object this size would have the explosive power of a few megatons of TNT, causing localized destruction—similar to what occurred in Siberia in 1908.
In what's known as the "Tunguska event," an asteroid is thought to have created an airburst explosion which flattened about 750 square miles (1,200 square kilometers) of a remote forested region in what is now northern Russia (map).
In comparison, an impact from an asteroid with a diameter of about half a mile (one kilometer) could temporarily change global climate and kill millions of people if it hit a populated area.
Timothy Spahr, director of the Minor Planet Center at Cambridge, Massachusetts, said that while small objects like DA14 could hit Earth once a millennia or so, the largest and most destructive impacts have already been catalogued.
"Objects of the size that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs have all been discovered," said Spahr. (Learn about what really happened to the dinosaurs.)
A survey of nearly 9,500 near-Earth objects half a mile (one kilometer) in diameter is nearly complete. Asteroid hunters expect to complete nearly half of a survey of asteroids several hundred feet in diameter in the coming years.

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Should Apple build an iPhablet?

Should Apple build an iPhablet?

Posted February 5, 2013 - 14:28 by Trent Nouveau

A number of analysts have been loudly clamoring for Apple to design a slick phablet in the form of a larger iPhone with a 5-inch display.
Shaw Wu of Sterne Agee, for example, says big-screen Android phones have been a greater success than originally anticipated. Indeed, the long-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S4, which boasts a 5-inch touchscreen, is due this April.

"We believe [Cupertino] is leaving money on the table by not participating in larger touchscreen form factors," Wu wrote in a recent investors note.
"But more importantly, we believe Apple needs to reclaim high-end leadership as that is what brand is about. Sure, iOS, iTunes and the App Store are great, but it is clear that many customers want larger screens."
According to Wu, it is time for Apple to think differently and change its strategy to regain its mojo.
"Based on feedback, we believe the company needs to: reclaim high-end leadership as iPhone 5 isn’t viewed as high-end anymore and get more aggressive in the midrange," he opined.
"The good news is that we are seeing evidence of progress for both in our supplier checks."
Meanwhile, Barclays Capital‘s Ben Reitzes noted that he was "longing for an iPhablet" as the larger-screen form-factor will ultimately dominate smartphone shipment growth, rising 105% between last year and 2015, from 27 million units to 230 million.
As such, the one-handed use of the iPhone 5 is less important since phone calls are becoming less important than navigation, texting, videos, books and Web access for many.
Plus, says Reitzes, the larger screen seems to be more popular outside of the US and the phablet has significant momentum in China.
However, the analyst emphasized the most important advances for the iPhone in 2013 will be actually be improvements to iOS and its services, which can help effectively expand the market for Apple.
"We believe Apple can turn perceptions around with a real move into payments, an integrated iOS-led television service and improvements to iCloud (including subscription-based services)," he added.