Redesigning the House Party logo | House Party Blog

A little over a year ago, the House Party logo moved into a new house. With the redesign of our website, we needed a matching new logo to go with it. So, to celebrate the logo?s one-year anniversary, I want to share a little about the process of redesign that went into the new, shall we say ?renovated,? House Party logo.

Our old logo

The main change we made was to replace the radio waves from the first logo with a speech bubble. We felt that the speech bubble better represented the atmosphere of a House Party as we are, ultimately, all about word of mouth. Our House Party green had to be adjusted as well because it was too difficult to read white text over the top of it. The new logo also had to affect everything in the House Party family, such as the related House Perks and HouseLab logos.

The first step in the process was to start sketching by hand. No computer yet, just an old-fashioned pencil and paper. Often, we would use a dry erase board when we worked as a group. We sketched for a month. Sometimes we copied our drawings on a copy machine and then recolored them with crayons (there were no markers in the office that day?).

We sketch by hand first because it?s easier to determine the layout of the logo. Does the bubble go inside or outside of the house? Does the house go next to the words or above them? Is there a space between House and Party? These were all problems we solved while sketching.

Once we had some good ideas, we scanned our drawings and put them into a computer. The computer is actually the easy part because the design is already figured out. It was just a matter of tracing. After all that, we narrowed down the logo to three options and management picked their favorite.

The final logo you see today is what was selected. The house obviously represents the home, where all house parties take place. The speech bubble represents all the fun and conversations that happen at the parties. The darker and more muted green replaced the old lime green and we added a greyish brown to the logo. House Perks, HouseLab and our newly created House Specials? follow the same format as the House Party logo except each has their own unique color. We also came up with multicolored sparkles that we use to add some fun to certain House Party printed materials. If you?re lucky, you?ve probably seen them on the tape we use to seal our Party Packs!

That about sums it up from us at the House Party UX (User Experience) department. Hopefully you?ve enjoyed seeing our new logo come to life over the past year.

What are your thoughts on the House Party logo or the process?

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A review of Currency trading | ApostolicCM.com Answers

What exactly is FOREX?

FOREX stands for this currency exchange market, that is a worldwide financial market where foreign currencies tend to be dealt. The foreign exchange market commenced inside Seventies and is now the greatest fiscal market place on the globe, with the common every day revenues of US$1.Nine billion. Which is twenty five periods how much daily exercise upon each of the Us all stock markets.

Each Foreign exchange trade requires together buying one forex along with marketing an additional. By way of example, if you feel the actual Dollar may climb in accordance with the particular dollar, youll position any Euro/Dollar trade. Your foreign exchange technique might then buy the Dinar and then sell a similar quantity of the Buck. Next, when you need to close your position, youd probably location the Dollar/Euro business. This could find the Dollar and sell the Euro. In the event the Dollar got gone up contrary to the Greenback, you would make a profit, but if it acquired gone down compared to the actual Dollar you would create a loss.

What foreign currencies tend to be dealt?

Most of the earths stock markets are available to industry, nevertheless the majority of industry action requires a gaggle of main values, including the US Buck, the Pound, the Yen, the particular Switzerland Franc and also Sterling.

Where is the foreign exchange market situated?

In contrast to many financial markets around the world, Forex trading just isnt central with an swap. Alternatively that operates on a basis known as the interbank marketplace or Over the Counter-top (Non-prescription). As each Forex trading involves 2 reciprocal investments (buy one forex and then sell an additional), these are performed digitally with any kind of dealer whos prepared to accept the business.

Who is able to buy and sell inside the Foreign exchange?

Typically, entry to forex trading has been limited to banking organisations, such as main finance institutions, business finance institutions along with expenditure banks. For this reason this is run on a process known as the interbank industry.

However, the volume of non lender contributors in the Currency markets, which includes worldwide organizations, funds administrators, funds agents and private investors, is growing swiftly. And thanks to the particular comparatively tiny amount of money required to available a trading bank account (typically $500) Forex trading can be examining to be able to a great number of all the time. In case you are above Eighteen, have internet connection the sufficient funds to spread out an investing accounts, the field of Currency trading will be on hand.

When was the foreign currency market wide open with regard to investing?

As Foreign exchange doesnt can be found in just a classic exchange, its the just Round the clock economic market on the planet. Currency trading begins every single day within Sydney and after that goes worldwide because major global markets throughout Tokyo, japan, Greater london and also Nyc wide open.

In other words, you will always find investors anywhere on the planet who are definitely exchanging foreign currency. Which means you may make trades as well as answer major cultural, monetary and politics occasions day and nite. Nonetheless, there is a small remainder time period via close involving buying and selling on the U . s . financial industry upon Fri right up until exchanging begins australia wide upon Friday day. Even so, because of the period differences world wide, today merely may last for approximately Two days.

Exactly what is a buying and selling border?

Currency trading positions are made in a lot of $100,1000. When you supply which amount of cash to cover your role when you may business, the market would once once more be limited to financial institutions along with other institutional investors. Therefore broker agents established the principle regarding edge buying and selling. In essence they permit website visitors to trade $100,500 blocks associated with foreign currency if theyd like to offer an part of protection in opposition to prospective loss.

By way of example, they may permit visitors to business with a border of 1% (when compared, classic inventory brokerages typically require a 50% edge). Which means that they are able to industry $100,Thousand obstructs, provided their own accounts is made up of a minimum of $100,Thousand times 1% = $1000. One thousand dollars will guard the dealer in opposition to any kind of potential loss that their client can make (forex ideals hardly ever fluctuate by greater than 1% within a morning). If your companys accounts can be decreased simply by deficits (i.e. lowering the brokers protection down below suitable ranges), your specialist will near just about all positions along with demand one more deposit just before even more investments can be produced.

Trading margin allows people to regulate immeasureable forex wiith comparatively small quantities of funds (often Fifty, Hundred as well as 200 occasions how much money they have expended). This may lead to massive benefits, yet boosts the probability of shedding the majority of or perhaps your growth capital.

Simply how much will it cost?

Due to the trading border made available from most Foreign exchange brokers, you can open up a forex account and acquire started out buying and selling which has a comparatively small amount of money.

Forex trades are made in plenty of $100,Thousand. Nonetheless, most Forexs brokes will provide you with the control percentage of up to One hundred:A single, which means that you will find the capability to control any $100,1000 have business dealings with as few as $1000 with your consideration. Several brokerages will give you control regarding 190:One particular or perhaps 300:One, allowing you to definitely start with as few as $500 as well as $250 in your consideration.

Even so, please keep in mind that despite the fact that increased control enables you to improve your profit potential, additionally, it enhances the threat issue. The greater the control ratio, smaller exchanging variation that will be required to get rid of your current buying and selling funds. So pick the volume of leverage that you employ wisely.
For brand new merchants, it can be far better to start with power associated with Twenty:A single or even 50:1. This will increase the quantity youll want to wide open an account, nevertheless it can slow up the risk of seeing all of your trading money fade away because of a little shift in the value of any currency.

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Obama campaign targeting Romney's record as governor

CHICAGO/DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - After weeks of painting Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney as a job-slashing corporate raider, President Barack Obama and his re-election campaign are broadening their attack to include Romney's record as Massachusetts governor, arguing his policies hurt the state.

Obama, in an impassioned campaign speech in the battleground state of Iowa on Thursday night, foreshadowed that shift in strategy when he said Romney had made his business experience the centerpiece of his candidacy but "doesn't really talk about what he did in Massachusetts."

The move, described by campaign officials, marks a change from the campaign's recent main focus on Romney's time as a private equity executive at Bain Capital aimed at casting him as more concerned with the wealthy than the middle class.

The Obama team's approach on Romney's work at Bain has faced some criticism. Some saw it as hypocritical at a time when the campaign was seeking donations from private equity executives.

And while the attacks have been part of a strategy to define Romney as out of touch with most Americans, the presumptive Republican nominee has been rising in recent polls, most of which show the race in a dead heat.

Despite that, Obama pressed his assault on Romney's business background in his toughest terms so far and mocked him for saying "corporations are people," a comment he made last August while campaigning in Iowa.

Obama also rebutted Romney's recent claim that the president had created a "prairie fire of debt" since taking office, dismissing that as a "cow pie of distortion."

"Governor Romney has made his experience as a financial CEO the entire rationale for his candidacy," Obama told a boisterous rally of about 2,500 at the state fairgrounds in Des Moines.

He suggested Romney did not want to remind voters of record outside the corporate world "but he does talk about being a business guy, and he says this gives him a special understanding to know ... how to create jobs and grow the economy."

But Obama insisted, "He's wrong."

Though Obama did not explicitly assail Romney for his record as chief executive of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, campaign officials made clear this was becoming a new focus.

By broadening its attack, the Obama campaign will make the case that Romney's economic philosophies have pervaded his career and would damage the country.

Romney's campaign quickly pushed back.

"By the end of this year, President Obama will have presided over a record-shattering four consecutive trillion-dollar deficits and added an historic amount to our national debt. Our children will be footing the bill for his failed policies years from now," said Ryan Williams, a Romney spokesman.

"It's as if he's forgotten that he's been president for nearly four years and has a record to defend," Williams said.

DRAWING A "STRONG CONNECTION"

An Obama campaign official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: "You'll see over the course of this campaign a really strong connection between (Romney's) time at Bain and the values and lessons that he took from that."

"He used those values and lessons in Massachusetts, and we'll take a look at those results," the official said.

The attacks are likely to focus on Romney's record of cutting education funding and increasing the state's debt.

Obama campaign officials are also eager to note that Romney, who spoke frequently about his time as governor in the 2008 Republican primary, barely mentions that time in speeches now.

It's unclear whether the campaign's assault on Romney's governorship will match the intensity of the Bain onslaught, which has included Internet videos and TV advertising.

The Obama campaign official said the focus on his record as governor would build on the Bain strategy.

"The next step is to build out. You know, he promises to take his business experience to the Oval Office, just like he promised to take his business experience to the state house," the official said. "Let's take a look at how that worked out."

The arguments will not be totally new.

RANKED LOW IN JOB CREATION

Coinciding with Romney fundraisers in Boston on Thursday, the Massachusetts Democratic Party held a news conference to discuss the former governor's "failed record," noting the state was ranked 47th out of the 50 states in job creation during Romney's tenure.

And Obama's campaign has highlighted Romney's Massachusetts record previously in email messages to reporters.

Romney has emphasized his background as a business executive to suggest he is better placed than Obama, a Democrat, to reduce high unemployment and accelerate the fragile economic recovery, the public's chief concerns in the November election.

Obama's campaign has focused on job losses at companies that Bain acquired, while steering clear from the success stories of companies it built up or saved - a side of Bain's corporate footprint Romney's campaign touts.

Bain aside, there is plenty of fodder for Obama and his fellow Democrats to cherry-pick from Romney's Massachusetts record. Romney closed a $1.2 billion budget gap in his first year in office in part by eliminating $277 million in education funding, which was shifted to local governments, according to the nonpartisan Factcheck.org.

Funding for higher education also fell $145 million that year. Average student fees rose 63 percent during Romney's time in office, to $4,836, according to the Boston Globe, and tuition rose during that period as well.

Romney often says he balanced the state's budget without raising taxes, but does not mention that he raised about $750 million in revenue each year by closing tax loopholes and raising fees, according to the nonpartisan Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

The state's long-term debt also increased by 16 percent during Romney's tenure, according to state data, and in 2007, Massachusetts had the highest level of bond debt per capita in the nation.

"As a governor he cut funding for manufacturing and community colleges, didn't invest in education - the cost of tuition soared - and vetoed legislation that would have prevented outsourcing while ... promoting special breaks for the wealthiest," a second Obama campaign official said. "That's the same type of economic philosophy he's promoting right now."

Romney has called the attacks on his business record a form of character assassination. Obama's campaign rejects that view.

"Romney thinks that any discussion of his record is negative," the second official said. "He's attempted to declare his record off-limits."

(Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan in Chicago; Writing by Jeff Mason, Andy Sullivan and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by David Lindsey and Eric Walsh)

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Android Central 96: HTC stuck in Customs, multitasking mayhem, Google Music drama

Podcast MP3 URL: 

http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/acpc96.mp3

Thing 1: EVO 4G LTE delayed

• HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE imports stalled by U.S. customs
• Sprint finally acknowledges EVO 4G LTE delay on its community forums
• Sprint EVO 4G LTE reportedly will miss Friday's launch date
• Best Buy sending e-mails saying EVO 4G LTE preorders ship May 23

Thing 2: Sense 4 and multitasking

• Multitasking on the HTC One X isn't broken, it's customized
• HTC: Sense 4 multitasking and memory management working as designed

Thing 3: Google Music drama

• Google Music limits device de-authorizations to 4 a year
• Google addressing Music device de-authorization issues, back to 'normal' for now
• It might be your music, but it's still not your cloud

Thing 4: More than one Nexus?

• Google bringing multiple manufacturers to the Nexus line, WSJ reports
• Multiple Nexus devices could be a game-changer for Google and Android

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Aussie cricketer charged with India hotel assault

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BlackBerry maker RIM meets Apple half-way on nano-SIM design

RIM recently proposed a new nano-SIM card design to counter one proposal made by Apple to the the European Telecommunications Standards Instititute.

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Researchers tinker with bird flu: Are enough safeguards in place?

A new study and one to be published soon on Asian bird flu have prompted debate about safeguards during research and how much access others should have to research details.

A new study involving a genetically modified flu virus has put a spotlight on calls for tighter international oversight of biomedical research whose bugs pose a high risk of global disease outbreak if released accidentally, by terrorists, or by a rogue individual.

Skip to next paragraph

It's one of two such studies ? the second to be published soon ? that have been at the center of a debate over how heavily to censor research results to avoid publishing details that could make it easier for individuals or countries to increase a virus's ability to spread among organisms it currently can't infect.

The study aimed to answer the question: How radically would a virus that scientists have linked to Asian bird flu need to evolve in order to readily spread among humans, something it rarely does now? To answer the question, the scientists genetically modified the virus until they hit on a combination of changes that could enable it to spread readily among ferrets ? a lab stand-in for humans.

A team led by University of Wisconsin virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka found that only four changes to the virus's genetic makeup give it the traits to spread among ferrets.

The virus's potential for spread among humans is of keen interest to public-health officials. Since 2003, the World Health Organization has recorded 600 cases involving the Asian bird flu virus in humans. While the number is small, of those cases, nearly 60 percent were fatal, according to the WHO data.

With such a high fatality rate, researchers and public-health officials are concerned that if the virus mutates, the consequences could eclipse those of a global flu pandemic in 1918, a touchstone event in the annals of infectious disease. The pandemic is estimated to have killed between 20 million and 50 million people worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Understanding the potential for such genetic mutations in the virus, which can evolve rapidly, could help scientists spot a more virulent form early and point to vaccines and other treatments tailored to halt its spread, the study's researchers say.

Dr. Kawaoka's team worked with a lab-created hybrid version of the virus. None of the ferrets affected died. Even so, the genetic changes that appear to ease its spread could plausibly appear in strains outside the lab, other researchers say.

The formal report on the results appears in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. A second research paper on the topic, from a team led by Ron Fouchier, a scientist at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, is slated for publication in an upcoming issue of the journal Science. Dr. Fouchier's team reportedly has used the original virus for its experiments, instead of a hybrid.

Much of the debate surrounding the papers has focused less on whether such work should be done and more on safeguards during the work and access to the details.

After reviewing drafts of the papers last fall that the two teams aimed to publish, the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) recommended last December that the papers be published, but with key details removed to make it harder to use the information to turn the virus into a weapon. At the end of March, the board reversed its recommendation after a panel of experts convened by the World Health Organization reviewed the studies and supported the global public-health case for publishing the papers in their full form. Also, the teams revised their papers to clarify points, including biosafety measures that the researchers used to guard against accidental release.

Discussions about adequate oversight of research into contagious diseases with the potential for global reach in the post 9/11 era have been ?perking along, but nothing has happened," says Lynn Klotz, senior science fellow with the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation in Washington. Meanwhile, the research itself has moved ahead.

?The truth of the matter is that we never hear about these things? until the research ?is done and published,? he says.

At the end of March, the US government adopted policies to more closely monitor ?dual use research of concern? involving 15 organisms or toxins that are deemed to pose the greatest potential threat to people or economic sectors such as agriculture. But those policies apply only to studies that the federal government conducts or funds.

While terrorism remains a concern, Dr. Klotz and others argue that accidental release poses the more significant immediate risk.

Testifying April 26 before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, noted that in 2004, when memories of the SARS outbreak were still fresh, researchers at three labs in Asia inadvertently infected themselves with that virus. In one case, he told the panel, the researcher passed the virus along to others outside the lab, which had many layers of biosecurity measures to prevent organisms from escaping.

?Clearly, mistakes are made and accidents happen, even at high-containment labs during times of extraordinarily heightened awareness and caution,? he said.

The work done on Asian bird flu ?is of scientific interest,? Klotz acknowledges. ?But since the potential of pandemic would be so horrific, it's a scientific interest that shouldn't be pursued except under the most extreme safety conditions.?

For instance, Klotz argues for designing high-biosecurity lab facilities with a space-station-like approach to staffing. Scientists conducting the research would rely on teams of highly trained, well-paid technicians working at a lab for two to three weeks at a time before rotating out. At the end of a research stint, the outgoing team would remain in quarantine inside the facility for another week to ensure they are not inadvertently carrying the organisms they were working with.

Given the global nature of a pandemic, John Steinbruner, director of the University of Maryland's Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland, calls for the World Health Organization to regulate research into the pathogens that scientists have deemed the deadliest. He cites WHO oversight of smallpox research as an example already under way. Only two labs in the world ? one in the United States, the other in Russia ? are sanctioned to conduct the research.

Dr. Steinbruner's approach calls for an international panel of scientists that would approve research proposals, identify the people who should have full access to the methods and results, and ?hold those vetted individuals accountable for what they do with the information,? he wrote in Nature in January, as the debate over the initial NSABB recommendations heated up.

?We really do need to bring research on potential pandemic pathogens under international monitoring, and there probably should only be two or three labs in the world that do this kind of stuff,? Klotz says.

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The next digital image revolution?

By Ryan Derousseau

It's hard to overstate the impact of digital photography. Over the last two decades, virtually every aspect of how we take, keep and share photos has been transformed. But despite the explosive innovation around digital picture-taking, the end result has actually changed very little. A photo is still a photo. And a poorly focused photo is still as bad as ever.

Ren Ng aims to fix that.

Ng is the founder of Lytro, a Mountain View, CA start-up that has been lauded by tech-obsessed first-adopters and photo enthusiasts alike. The product that has everyone so excited? A compact "plenoptic" digital camera. The camera, a short square-edged tube, uses a unique sensor resembling an insect's multi-faceted eye to capture "all the light traveling in every direction in every point in space." Pair the camera with Lytro's proprietary software, and the result is an image that can be focused and refocused after it's taken. Use Lytro's special Flash widget to post that photo on your blog or site and everyone who sees it can focus and refocus on any point in the image. In the words of Wired's John Bradley -- it's "addictive."

To learn just how addictive, just click on the image below and find out for yourself.

?

Once we finished clicking, we spoke to Ng, asking him to explain the camera's technology in simple terms and to describe what he sees as the next evolutionary step for his company's light field technology.

Tech it Up!: So how does the camera actually work?

Ng: Unlike traditional cameras, which only capture the color and intensity of light, the light field sensor also records the angle and direction of light.

With powerful software and sophisticated algorithms, the pictures are processed by the Lytro Light Field Engine to create living pictures that can be refocused after they're snapped, shifting the perspective view, and that can switch between 2D and 3D views. People can interact with pictures directly on the camera, as well as on the desktop, the Web and on mobile devices without having to download special software.

Tech it Up!: Living pictures?

Ng: Unlike traditional cameras, you can shoot now and focus later. Pictures can be focused days, weeks, even years after they're taken.
?
These days, most people take digital pictures not to print them out, but to share them online with their friends and family. Not only can you share these moments, but people can also interact with them. It brings an entirely new creative approach to visual storytelling.
?
Tech it Up!: How hard is it to unlock that creativity?
?
Ng: If you are interested in getting a picture with dramatic refocus and a strong sensation of discovery within the picture, you do need to experiment with putting multiple objects in the foreground and background. We're seeing tremendous creativity from our early customers already, and we are excited to see more.?
?
Creative Mode [an advanced setting on the camera] is great for shooting extreme macro shots, for dramatic portraiture or for amazing shots across large landscapes. We're seeing both professional photographers and serious hobbyists using Creative Mode in really fun ways.
?
Tech it Up!: So what's next? What else will light field technology let the photographer do?
?
Ng: By capturing the full light field, Lytro cameras provide an immersive 3D picture that goes beyond the conventional stereo 3D. Parallax and 3D functionality [which provides the viewer a chance to capture more of a scene, and shift the focus of that scene, like a gyroscope, adding a sense of movement] will be available later in 2012 -- any living picture taken now can be viewed on a 3D display when the software update is available.
?
Tech it Up!: And down the road? Where do you see the light field capability going?
?
Ng: Light field sensors will become increasingly more sophisticated, capturing even more light rays to be useful for more advanced scientific, medical, commercial or industrial applications. Light field videography is also possible, creating entirely new production capabilities for filmmakers.

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Nicki Minaj Pops For Pepsi In New Ad

Minaj joins Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Kanye West on the list of musical Pepsi spokespeople with new ad.
By Rob Markman

Nicki Minaj in her Pepsi ad
Photo: Pepsi

Nicki Minaj's moment for life seems to be never-ending. On Sunday, Pepsi unveiled its extended Live for Now advertisement, which is set to Nicki's 2010 "Moment 4 Life" single and stars Ms. Minaj herself.

The Young Money moola maker joins a long, fancy list of musical superstars like Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Kanye West and Mariah Carey to serve as spokesperson for the popular pop. Nicki first tweeted out a link for the one-minute, 33 second spot Sunday afternoon, then celebrated with her newly recovered Twitter flock. "Can't do it w/o my barbz!" she wrote in response to one excited fan.

The commercial starts with the crack of a can, as the spot's two principal characters begin to drink their Pespi Cola. At the same time, Minaj's "Moment 4 Life" begins to play as the lively soda drinkers navigate through various scenes in which everyone else is frozen in time. Together, they find a skateboarder stuck in midair trying to land a kick-flip, then run through a suspended soccer game on the beach, a food fight and a Betsey Johnson runway show. In fact, even Johnson herself is stuck, unable to move.

The spot seems to suggest that Pepsi loyalists enjoy a full, adventurous life united by both cola and song. By the time the commercial's two lead actors reach their final destination, a sold-out Nicki Minaj concert, they discover frenzied Barbz and Kens frozen in the stands while a statue Nicki stands onstage in mid-song.

With her eyes wide and pink wig perfectly in place, the Roman Reloaded MC is rescued when the two heroes each crack another can of pop. It is then that Minaj is able to finish her song and invites everyone to one big world party, even if it only lasts a few short moments.

What do you think of Nicki's Pepsi ad? Let us know in the comments!

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'You Should Know': Latest Nullification News, of the Judiciary (Atlantic Politics Channel)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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Depeche Mode: Enjoy the Silence [Video]

I love it when old works are re-contextualized. Even, like in this case, when it's for an ad. More »

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Clever Shopping Bag Only Puts a Smile on Kids' Faces When It's Full [Video]

As if kids needed another tool in their arsenal of getting what they want at a toy store, a French chain created this incredibly clever shopping bag featuring kids' faces that go from frowns to smiles when the bag is filled. More »

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Dogwood diplomacy: US gift of trees to Japan is cherry on top of Okinawa deal (+video)

A century after Japan presented the US with a gift of 3,000 cherry trees, the US is reciprocating with 3,000 specially bred dogwoods. But the deal to nearly halve the number of Marines on Okinawa may be even sweeter.

US and Japanese leaders have come and gone, as has a horrific world war that interrupted the two countries? relations, but for 100 years the flowering cherry trees of Washington?s tidal basin have stood ? and blossomed every spring ? as a testament to US-Japan friendship.

Skip to next paragraph The United States is giving Japan 3000 dogwood trees - a thank-you for the 3000 cherry blossoms which bloom each spring in Washington, DC.

Now, a century after Japan presented the people of the United States with 3,000 cherry trees, the US is reciprocating by presenting Japan with 3,000 dogwood trees to be planted in a Tokyo park.

The gift of the dogwoods, which were specially developed to thrive in Japan, was announced by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at a dinner she hosted Monday night for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda at the National Geographic Society in Washington.

?We hope that, as a gesture, it will be something that our children and our children?s children, both in the United States and Japan, will have the opportunity to enjoy and treasure, just as we have had the opportunity to treasure the cherry trees,? Assistant Secretary of State for Asia Kurt Campbell said in Washington last week.

The dogwood diplomacy might be the highlight of Mr. Noda?s trip to Washington,which included the first visit by a Japanese leader to the White House in three years. (Japan, passing through a period of higher than normal political turmoil, has had four prime ministers during President Obama?s time in office.) But flowering trees are not all the two leaders are celebrating.

Both are welcoming the agreement reached last week to reduce by about 9,000, or almost half, the number of US Marines stationed on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The military presence has been a source of tension in Okinawa and in US-Japan relations for years.

The reduction in forces stationed in Okinawa is part of a realignment of US forces in the Pacific region that will include shifting some Marines to Guam and Hawaii, and stationing others in Australia for the first time. Laying the issue of the Marines? Okinawa presence to rest will allow the two countries to move a recurring irritant off the agenda and to focus on other issues like North Korea, China?s growing military weight, and regional trade, regional experts say.

Both leaders are touting the Okinawa agreement as a plus for Pacific region security. At a White House press conference Monday afternoon, Mr. Obama said the realignment would result in a ?more broadly distributed, more flexible? US military presence across the region, while reducing the troops? impact ?on local communities like Okinawa.?

Noda said the redistribution of US forces would lead to a more secure region. And while he did not use the press conference to revisit the controversy over US forces in Okinawa, he did take a moment to express appreciation for the rescue and relief work of the US military personnel dispatched to northern Japan in response to last year?s earthquake and tsunami.

At the press conference the two leaders also addressed China?s rise, with both Obama and Noda saying they welcomed a strong and prosperous China as a partner ? even as both emphasized a need for China to abide by the ?rules and norms? associated with membership in the global community.

In elaborating on that theme, Obama cited respect for intellectual property rights and trade dispute resolution as two areas where China would be expected to improve its compliance with the rule of international law.

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Rihanna Brings Eye-Popping Sets To 'Saturday Night Live'

Despite early talk, singer did not appear in any of episode's skits.
By James Dinh

Rihanna performs on "Saturday Night Live"
Photo: NBC

Marking her third appearance on "Saturday Night Live," Rihanna proved that the third time's a charm when the pop titan took over the Studio 8H stage on Saturday for a pair of eye-popping performance sets during the Eli Manning-hosted episode.

Standing before an oversized crystallized spider web in the middle of the black-lit stage, Rihanna began her first number with the buzzing sounds of "Birthday Cake." It was a surprising song selection that momentarily suggested the possibility of an onstage reunion with birthday boy Chris Brown, but "Cake" ended quickly, instead leading into a medley of her tune "Talk That Talk."

" 'SNL,' put your hands together like this," she told the crowd.

With her backup dancers on hand, Rih kept the performance straightforward, offering viewers some simple shakes, pelvis thrusts and plenty of swag. One complaint was with the echo effect that was added to her microphone, which made the singer's vocal sound shaky at times.

However, any issues with the opening number were soon forgotten when the pop star took to the stage for her follow-up performance of her brand-new single, "Where Have You Been." Fronting an Arabian-themed backdrop and human props, Rihanna threw on a fierce game face and danced her way through the track with steady energy. It was a welcome change to see the Barbadian singer show off some footwork.

Unfortunately, the episode ended without any mention of "Shy Ronnie," her first digital short, or any Rihanna-featured skits at all, even though "SNL" head honcho Lorne Michaels had told reporters on Wednesday that he was trying to work out the details on incorporating Rihanna into the sketch lineup.

Shy Ronnie may have not made an appearance, but Saturday's gig was the perfect vehicle to promote her just-released single as well as her big-screen acting debut in the summer flick "Battleship," which hits theaters May 18.

What did you think of Rih's "SNL" performances? Let us know in the comments below.

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Tibetan Freedom Concert Part Of Adam Yauch's Legacy

'It's given some meaning to me to be famous ... if I can use that attention to help other people,' late Beastie Boy tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner

Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch in 2000
Photo: Mick Hutson/ Getty Images

The news of Adam Yauch's untimely death on Friday continues to reverberate throughout the world and especially the music industry. From the multitude of reactions and expressions of sympathy from celebrities to the emotionally charged words from fans, Yauch's death has many in mourning.

MTV News took to the airwaves to express our appreciation for the influential artist with the one-hour special "Adam Yauch: Remembering a Beastie Boy," during which we reflected on the legendary MC's career and the indelible mark he made on music as a whole, as well as on society.

One of the more poignant aspects of the 60-minute tribute was a look back at Yauch's involvement in founding the Tibetan Freedom Concert, the first of which drew influential acts like the Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine and raised $800,000 to help support Tibetan social-justice causes.

MTV News once spoke to Yauch about why he chose to get involved in promoting awareness for social issues.

"Whatever involvement I'm able to put in it, it definitely makes me feel good to be able to help with that," Yauch said about the Tibetan Freedom Concert. "It's really everyone working together. It's all the artists who put in their time and all the people who come down to the show that actually care about it, people involved in putting it on.

"One thing Buddhism teaches is the only thing that brings us lasting happiness, that really makes us happy, is when we do things to benefit other people," he explained. "Trying to make money, buy cool sneakers, those things don't lead to any lasting happiness."

Yauch said what made him happiest was being able to use his fame in a positive way.

"When you do things to benefit people from a pure place in your heart, that's a feeling that lasts no matter what happens," he said. "It's given some meaning to me to be famous and be able to make music if I can use that attention to help other people — that gives some meaning to that."

Share your memories of Adam on Twitter using the hashtag #RIPMCA.

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With A Talent War In The Valley, Perhaps Romania Has The Answers?

Today, in 2012, there is a talent war like no other. The Valley is abuzz with a hiring frenzy. Startups can't compete with Yammer, Zynga, Twitter, Facebook and the rest for developers. Perhaps the answer is to look elsewhere? To countries where the old Soviet education system produced maths and science graduates by the truckload? To Kiev, Belgrade, Slovenia and others? And perhaps to Romania. For Romanians, perhaps for the first time in history, the world is now flat. Forty-five years of Stalin-esque communism meant sports and education were the only acceptable ways to compete in Romania. Soviet-era industrialisation ended up producing a country where almost half of the educated population were trained to become engineers. Today, in 2012, they are more likely to be coders. And now they can take their place with the rest of the world on the level playing field of technology.

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Video: Super full moon visible Saturday night

The moon is expected to appear 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a regular full moon on Saturday at 11:35 p.m. ET. Astronomer Derrick Pitts joins NewsNation to discuss.

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Sexy at Every Age! George Clooney's Changing Looks

As the charming ladies' man turns 51 on May 6, take a look at how the handsome star has become better with age

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Space Shuttle Enterprise flyover wows New Yorkers (+video)

Perched atop a modified 747 jumbo jet, the Space Shuttle Enterprise greeted the Big Apple by zooming past the Statue of Liberty and flying along the Hudson River.

Hundreds of space shuttle fans braved the chilly temperatures and biting wind Friday morning (April 27) along the Hudson River here to catch a glimpse of NASA's prototype orbiter as it flew past the museum it will soon call home.

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Enterprise, the agency's original test shuttle,?flew to New York today?from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., atop a modified Boeing 747 jet. Before landing at New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, the piggybacking duo flew over the Statue of Liberty, then followed the Hudson River past the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, where it will soon be placed on public display.

The shuttle flyover attracted fans of all ages, who gathered around the Intrepid museum and Pier 86 on Manhattan's west side to witness the historic event.

"How often do you get to see something like this ? a shuttle on piggyback coming down the Hudson River?" said Kenneth Irvin, who came with his wife, Ceil, from Long Island. [Photos: Final Voyage of Space Shuttle Enterprise]

As?Enterprise?and its chaperone flew overhead, the crowd, which was made up of men, women and children of all ages, erupted into cheers and applause.

"It was absolutely amazing to see it like that," Adam Schechter said shortly after Enterprise's first pass. Schechter carried his young son, Harry, and spoke energetically about his experiences with the space shuttles, including seeing the STS-97 launch of the shuttle Endeavour in November 2000.

"It was amazing, and the loudest thing I ever heard in my life," Schechter told SPACE.com.

He also recounted a visit he and his son took to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., where Enterprise had previously been on display since 2003.

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Brightcove Reports Q1 Net Loss Of $4.3 Million, Revenue Up 53% to $19.9 Million

Video platform Brightcove just released its first earnings report after going public in March. Brightcove posted a net loss of $4.3 million - that's down from $5.8 million last quarter. The company's revenue for the first financial quarter of 2012 was $19.9 million, an increase of 53% compared to the first quarter of 2011 when the company made $13.1 million. Non-GAAP net loss per share was $0.17. Analysts expected a loss of $0.16 per share. Brightcove's gross profit for the first quarter was $13.6 million (up 56% from $8.7 million in Q1 2011). Non-GAAP loss from operations was $2.3 million for the first quarter of 2012, an improvement compared to a non-GAAP loss of $3.4 million during the first quarter of 2011. Brightcove also announced that it had 4,254 customers at the end of the quarter. That's up 49% compared to Q1 2011.

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Samsung's SGH-i667 "Mandel" Windows Phone surfaces, still shrouded in mystery

Sure, today's gadget news is saturated with Samsung's new Galaxy S III, but lest we forget that it's been a hot minute since its released a Windows Phone device. The last we saw were the Focus S and Flash, and that was right around when the Nokia Lumia 800 and Galaxy Nexus were still fresh in our minds. Well, this can only be classified as a potential leak, but two purported photos of another Samsung WP7.5 device, codenamed "Mandel," was recently posted at the WPXAP forums. While there's not much in the way of hard details, according to WPCentral, this is the white, LTE-enabled SGH-i667 that passed through the FCC during March with AT&T bands, but then apparently nixed before it could hit stores. Along with the photo, a screenshot from the Zune software shows it having only 8GB of capacity, which likely means it wasn't slated to be a premium offering. That's about all the info that's surfaced for now on the Mandel, but feel free to hit up the links below for more details and analysis. Here's hoping that Samsung will announce more love for Windows Phone soon.

Samsung's SGH-i667 "Mandel" Windows Phone surfaces, still shrouded in mystery originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 May 2012 05:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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