Sony has announced its forthcoming PlayStation 4 will cost $399, which is $100 less than the competing Xbox One.
PlayStation 4 will cost 399 euros in Europe and £349 in UK.
“The gaming landscape is changing with new business models and new ways to play,” said Andrew House, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
The price announcement wasn’t the only shot fired at Microsoft during Sony’s presentation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gambling industry’s annual U.S. trade show.
The loudest applause at the company’s event show came when Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, announced that the company would not try to restrict used game sales.
Jack Tretton also said the PS4 would not require a persistent online connection.
“PlayStation 4 disc-based games don’t need to be connected online to play or any type of authentication,” said Jack Tretton.
“If you enjoy playing single-player games offline, PS4 won’t require to you check in online period and it won’t stop working if you haven’t authenticated in 24 hours.”
Microsoft has been criticized for its vague statements about whether it will allow buyers of its Xbox One to play secondhand software, as well as its requirement that the new console be connected to the Internet at least once every 24 hours.
Beyond those issues, Sony gave potential PS4 buyers plenty of games to look forward to later this year.
Sony has announced its forthcoming PlayStation 4 will cost $399, which is $100 less than the competing Xbox One
The company’s Santa Monica Studios, the developer of the God of War franchise, introduced the steampunk thriller The Order: 1866. Quantic Dream, the French studio behind Heavy Rain and the upcoming Beyond: Two Souls, provided a comical glimpse at the fantasy The Dark Sorcerer.
Shu Yoshida, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, said the company’s studios have more than 30 PS4 games in development, including 12 brand new intellectual properties.
Sony also showed new footage from previously announced PS4 games like the superhero adventure InFamous: Second Son, the auto racing simulator Drive Club and the sci-fi shooter Killzone: Shadow Fall.
Several third-party developers also debuted next-generation titles at Sony’s event.
Bungie, the creator of the blockbuster Xbox series Halo, showed the first in-game footage of its highly anticipated first-person shooter Destiny. Warner Bros. showed a clip from a new Mad Max game, while Square-Enix announced the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV. Overall, Jack Tretton said, more than 140 PS4 titles are in the pipeline.
That includes an assortment of games from smaller, independent developers, which Sony featured onstage next to giant publishers like Activision and Ubisoft.
The processing chips in the PS4 are similar to those in PCs rather than the complex, idiosyncratic “Cell” architecture used in the PS3. That should make it easier for developers of all sizes to build games for Sony’s new console.
Like Microsoft, Sony is betting big on social networking features. The new version of its DualShock controller includes a ‘share’ button that allows you to post gameplay footage and screenshots.
Friends can watch as you play a game, and you’ll even be able to let a pal take control of your game from afar if you can’t get past a tough battle.
The controller also includes a touchpad and a Move motion sensor that works with a camera placed near the TV set.
The PS4’s main features include:
New DualShock 4 controller with built in touchpad
Dramatically improved graphics and processing power
Based on same X86 chips used in desktop computer to help game developers
3D camera that can track the controller, and the player
Games can also be played on Sony’s Vita handheld console
Former CIA employee Edward Snowden, who leaked details of US top-secret phone and internet surveillance, has disappeared from his hotel in Hong Kong.
Edward Snowden, 29, checked out from his hotel on Monday. His whereabouts are unknown, but he is believed to be still in Hong Kong.
Earlier, he said he had an “obligation to help free people from oppression”.
It emerged last week that US agencies were gathering millions of phone records and monitoring internet data.
A spokesman for the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence said the case had been referred to the Department of Justice as a criminal matter.
Meanwhile a petition posted on the White House website, calling for Edward Snowden’s immediate pardon, has gathered more than 30,000 signatures.
Edward Snowden, who leaked details of US top-secret phone and internet surveillance, has disappeared from his hotel in Hong Kong
However, an opinion poll commissioned by the Washington Post suggests a majority of Americans think government monitoring of phone records is acceptable if the aim is to fight terrorism.
Hong Kong’s broadcaster RTHK said Edward Snowden checked out of the Mira hotel on Monday.
Reuters news agency quoted hotel staff as saying that he had left at noon.
Ewen MacAskill, a Guardian journalist, said he believed Edward Snowden was still in Hong Kong.
The Chinese territory has an extradition treaty with the US, although analysts say any attempts to bring Edward Snowden to America may take months and could be blocked by Beijing.
Edward Snowden was revealed as the source of the leaks at his own request by the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
He is believed to have arrived in Hong Kong on May 20. A standard visa on arrival in the territory for a US citizen lasts for 90 days.
His revelations have caused transatlantic political fallout, amid allegations that the UK’s electronic surveillance agency, GCHQ, used the US system to snoop on British citizens.
Foreign Secretary William Hague cancelled a trip to Washington to address the UK parliament on Monday and deny the claims.
Edward Snowden is described by the Guardian as an ex-CIA technical assistant, currently employed by Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense contractor for the US National Security Agency (NSA).
Riot police have entered Istanbul’s Taksim Square, where Turkish anti-government protesters have been staging demonstrations for close to two weeks.
Hundreds of officers have been using tear gas and water cannon to disperse activists.
The move comes after PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to meet the protest organizers on Wednesday.
The unrest was sparked by a police crackdown on a local protest over an Istanbul park.
Riot police have entered Istanbul’s Taksim Square, where Turkish anti-government protesters have been staging demonstrations for close to two weeks
The protests then widened, with demonstrators accusing Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state.
Backed by armored vehicles, police wearing helmets and carrying shields gathered around the square early on Tuesday.
They then began to move past barricades erected by protesters.
According to correspondents, the move is a deliberate show of force.
The demonstrations are now in their 12th day, with activists controlling much of Taksim Square.
The unrest was sparked after police moved to suppress environmental protests over the redevelopment of Gezi Park, which is part of Taksim Square, on May 31.
More than 5,000 people have been injured and three people have died since the protests began.
It takes one hour, six minutes and 48 seconds for our high heels to start hurting, according to a recent survey by the College of Podiatry in UK.
The survey involved 2,000 women and men and for a more delicate 20% of respondents, the pain starts after just ten minutes, while more than a third said their feet had been so sore on a night out that they danced shoeless and walked home barefoot.
So what can we do to lessen the pain?
1. Never buy online
“First things first, shoes have to fit properly,” says podiatrist Emma Supple.
“If they’re tight or rubbing, even just a tiny bit, don’t buy them. You will not break in the shoes – they will break you. This is why you should never buy them online, as you’ve got to try them on.”
The right fit should be snug but with some room for your toes to wriggle and not be squashed. Too small and you’ll get blisters and deformed toes – a condition called hammer toe.
Too big and your feet will slide down and put more pressure on your toes. Where possible, ask to try a half size up or down to see if that helps.
If the shoe is pointed, the point must come after your toes end so they’re not squished together.
According to Emma Supple, it’s better to avoid them altogether.
“A slightly rounded toe is always going to be more comfortable,” she says.
2. Are your heels in the right position?
Contrary to popular belief, wedges are not necessarily better for your feet than spiked heels.
“I’ve seen a woman doubled over with pain after wearing wedges,” says Emma Supple.
“There’s very little flexibility in them and you have to lift your feet right off the ground to walk, stomping your foot back down afterwards.
“The important thing is not the style or thickness of the heel, it’s the position of it. It needs to be right under the heel bone, not at the back of the foot, as is the case with some shoes. If the stiletto is positioned too far back, you are going to be thrown off balance and everything will hurt.”
It takes one hour, six minutes and 48 seconds for our high heels to start hurting
3. Why budget buys may cost you dear
Avoid the temptation to buy cheap heels for a night out. Chances are they will be made of plastic, which will make your feet sweat and swell – making the shoes pinch.
Also, plastic has very little give, meaning you are more likely to get blisters where it rubs. Shoes with a leather lining, on the other hand, are softer and suppler and less likely to rub.
4. How to stop them rubbing
If your shoes are stiff and rubbing at the heel, try a suede heel grip.
Hikers – who have to deal with blisters every day – swear by Moleskin Plus by Dr Scholl’s, which comes in a roll. It’s very soft and you cut as much as you need and stick it to different areas of the foot.
Pedag’s anti-slip slingback stickers are also brilliant. You stick the soft leather strip into your slingback straps and it stops them from falling down and prevents friction.
5. Non-surgical solutions
Die-hard heel lovers are now having fillers injected into the balls of their feet to help with the pain, but there are less drastic alternatives. Soft gel-filled cushions can relieve the pressure put on the balls of your feet, especially if your shoes have thin soles.
Dr Scholl’s “party feet” gel cushions are still the most popular but M&S do a good range, too.
“Be careful of ones that are so thick they squish your feet more than they already are,” says Emma Supple.
6. Put your feet in ice
“Forget soaking your feet in a hot bath after a long day – you need to ease the pain with cold,” says Emma Supple.
“After wearing high heels your feet get swollen, so when you come home put them in a cold bath for 15 minutes to reduce the swelling. Then before you go to bed apply some foot cream. This restores the suppleness of the skin, which will help prevent it from cracking and blistering.”
Try Supple London Mineral Foot cream or Eucerin Dry Skin Intensive Foot Cream. Keep your toenails short so they don’t dig into your skin when your toes are in narrow shoes.
7. Which brands are best?
Not all heels are equal but many high-street brands are now designing heels with comfort in mind.
From autumn, all M&S’s shoes will have padded “Insolia” soles, which promise to re-distribute the weight away from the balls of your feet and are meant to be three times more comfortable than normal heels. They already have a selection in the Autograph range.
Clarks have really upped their game recently and combined comfort and style, even more so with the Mary Portas collections and their “soft wear” styles.
Geox used to be known for their practical styles made of breathable materials and thick shock absorbing soles, but they’ve started to make more glamorous styles, teaming up with designer Patrick Cox.
Spanish shoemaker Chie Mihara studied orthopedics, which means her collection of high heels are the most comfortable around. Most come with thick, adjustable ankle straps to support the foot.
Even Lucy Choi, the niece of Jimmy Choo and the latest darling of the shoe world, has just launched a gorgeous but practical collection of mid-height heels with gel-padded soles.
Researchers from Reading University, UK, recently identified Matrixyl, a chemical included in everyday skincare products, as a genuinely effective anti-wrinkle ingredient – despite its lack of publicity.
Apparently, Matrixyl could double the amount of collagen produced by the skin, giving you a fresh-faced look.
Matrixyl stimulates the body to make more collagen, a natural skin-plumping agent, and more hyaluronic acid, which also helps skin look younger.
It is found in creams made by High Street brands such as Olay and Ponds, and in designer brands such as Chanel and Dior.
Experts are now convinced that its inclusion is the secret behind which anti-ageing creams work and which don’t.
Matrixyl could double the amount of collagen produced by the skin, giving you a fresh-faced look
Matrixyl was first patented in 2000 by Sederma, a French company that is the world leader in developing anti-ageing ingredients.
The first scientific paper showing that Matrixyl stimulated collagen production and improved the texture of sun-damaged skin was produced in 2005 by scientists working for Procter & Gamble.
They performed a three-month trial involving 93 women aged 35 to 55, who were asked to put a moisturizer containing Matrixyl on one half of their face and the same moisturizer without Matrixyl on the other half.
The scientists then reported a “significant improvement and reduction in fine lines and wrinkles” in the skin that had been treated with Matrixyl.
Olga Gracioso, of Sederma, says: “We know Matrixyl is effective, but manufacturers want consumers to believe efficacy is coming from something else – an ingredient that is unique to their product.
“That’s why they are constantly coming up with new formulations and prefer not to highlight that they still contain Matrixyl.”
In other words, cosmetic companies would rather shout about how their products contain another new ingredient than hail one that several companies use, even if that’s the one that actually makes all the difference.
Companies are constantly trying to come up with different fragrances, textures, serums and oils.
Matrixyl has been included in these for years, but because so many cosmetic products already used it, no one tried to focus on it as a selling point.
Pentagon papers, 1971: Daniel Ellsberg leaks study showing the government had knowledge it was unlikely to win Vietnam war
Watergate, 1972: Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein reveal extent of cover-up over burglary at Democrat National Committee HQ
Iran-Contra affair, 1986: Iranian cleric reveals illegal US arms sales to Iran, the proceeds of which are later used to fund Nicaraguan Contras
Valerie Plame, 2003: She is revealed to be an undercover CIA agent, ending her covert career
Abu Ghraib, 2004: Publication of pictures showing abuse of detainees at Iraq prison by US officials turns initial media reports of abuse into full-blown scandal
Bradley Manning, 2010: The soldier downloads thousands of classified documents from military servers and hands them over to Wikileaks
Ex-CIA employee Edward Snowden has said he acted to “protect basic liberties for people around the world” in leaking details of US phone and internet surveillance.
Edward Snowden, 29, was revealed as the source of the leaks at his own request by the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
Edward Snowden, who says he has fled to Hong Kong, said he had an “obligation to help free people from oppression”.
It emerged last week that US agencies were gathering millions of phone records and monitoring internet data.
A spokesman for the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence said the case had been referred to the Department of Justice as a criminal matter.
The revelations have caused transatlantic political fallout, amid allegations that the UK’s electronic surveillance agency, GCHQ, used the US system to snoop on British citizens.
Foreign Secretary William Hague cancelled a trip to Washington to address the UK parliament on Monday and deny the claims.
The Guardian quotes Edward Snowden as saying he flew to stay in a hotel in Hong Kong on 20 May, though his exact whereabouts now are unclear.
He is described by the paper as an ex-CIA technical assistant, currently employed by Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense contractor for the US National Security Agency (NSA).
Edward Snowden told the Guardian: “The NSA has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything. With this capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting.
“If I wanted to see your emails or your wife’s phone, all I have to do is use intercepts. I can get your emails, passwords, phone records, credit cards.
“I don’t want to live in a society that does these sort of things… I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under.”
Edward Snowden has said he acted to “protect basic liberties for people around the world” in leaking details of US phone and internet surveillance
He told the paper that the extent of US surveillance was “horrifying”, adding: “We can plant bugs in machines. Once you go on the network, I can identify your machine. You will never be safe whatever protections you put in place.”
Edward Snowden said he did not believe he had committed a crime: “We have seen enough criminality on the part of government. It is hypocritical to make this allegation against me.”
He said he accepted he could end up in jail and fears for people who know him.
Edward Snowden said he had gone to Hong Kong because of its “strong tradition of free speech”.
Hong Kong signed an extradition treaty with the US shortly before the territory returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
However, Beijing can block any extradition if it believes it affects national defense or foreign policy issues.
A standard visa on arrival in Hong Kong for a US citizen lasts for 90 days and Edward Snowden expressed an interest in seeking asylum in Iceland.
However, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post quoted Iceland’s ambassador to China as saying that “according to Icelandic law a person can only submit such an application once he/she is in Iceland”.
In a statement, Booz Allen Hamilton confirmed Edward Snowden had been an employee for less than three months.
“If accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm,” the statement said.
At a daily press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said he could not comment on the Snowden case, citing an ongoing investigation into the matter.
The first of the leaks came out on Wednesday night, when the Guardian reported a US secret court ordered phone company Verizon to hand over to the NSA millions of records on telephone call “metadata”.
The metadata include the numbers of both phones on a call, its duration, time, date and location (for mobiles, determined by which mobile signal towers relayed the call or text).
On Thursday, the Washington Post and Guardian said the NSA tapped directly into the servers of nine internet firms including Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo to track online communication in a programme known as PRISM.
All the internet companies deny giving the US government access to their servers.
PRISM is said to give the NSA and FBI access to emails, web chats and other communications directly from the servers of major US internet companies.
The data is used to track foreign nationals suspected of terrorism or spying. The NSA is also collecting the telephone records of American customers, but said it is not recording the content of their calls.
US director of national intelligence James Clapper’s office said information gathered under PRISM was obtained with the approval of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court (FISA).
PRISM was authorized under changes to US surveillance laws passed under President George W. Bush, and renewed last year under Barack Obama.
President BarackObama has defended the surveillance programmes, assuring Americans that nobody was listening to their calls.
Standard and Poor’s has raised its credit outlook for the US economy from negative to stable.
In August 2011, S&P downgraded the US rating one notch from AAA to AA+, but now believes further downgrades are less likely as the economy continues to recover.
The news saw the US dollar strengthen 1.3% against the Japanese yen, and 0.2% against the euro.
But S&P is still concerned about the high levels of US debt.
The US Treasury Department, which had said that S&P’s calculations in making its initial downgrade were flawed, welcomed the latest action.
“We’re pleased that they are recognizing the progress in the US economy and fiscal results,” said Mary Miller, the Treasury’s under secretary for domestic finance.
Standard and Poor’s has raised its credit outlook for the US economy from negative to stable
The rating agency said in its report the strengths of the US include “its resilient economy, its monetary credibility, and the US dollar’s status as the world’s key reserve currency”, while its weaknesses include “its fiscal performance, its debt burden, and the effectiveness of its fiscal policymaking”.
It noted “tentative improvements”, namely Congress’s avoidance of the “fiscal cliff” at the end of 2012 and the higher-than-expected tax receipts that followed.
But it also said the ability of policymakers to address medium-term fiscal challenges had decreased over the past decade due to a deepening of the partisan divide between Republicans and Democrats in Washington.
“We believe that our current <<AA+>> rating already factors in a lesser ability of US elected officials to react swiftly and effectively to public finance pressures over the longer term in comparison with officials of some more highly rated sovereigns and we expect repeated divisive debates over raising the debt ceiling,” S&P said.
It said the likelihood of it downgrading the US’s rating in the near term was now “less than one in three”.
The move came as the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said that economic growth in the US and Japan was outstripping that of the eurozone.
But most US analysts remained cautious about the upgrade and the equity markets were little changed in New York.
Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange in Washington DC, said: “The revised rating is positive news for the dollar but I do not see it being a major catalyst.
“This is just the latest indication that we are seeing a broad stabilization and improvement in the economy and ultimately the government’s fiscal position is improving, albeit slowly.”
Rival rating agencies Moody’s and Fitch have both kept their AAA ratings for the US.
Stephane Richard, CEO of France Telecom-Orange, has been held in custody for questioning in Bernard Tapie corruption case.
Stephane Richard, who previously worked in the French Finance Ministry, was quizzed over his role in a 2008 payment made to the businessman Bernard Tapie.
The businessman denies any wrongdoing.
Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has also been called upon to testify in the case.
She was the French Finance Minister at the time in question while Stephane Richard was her chief of staff.
Stephane Richard, CEO of France Telecom-Orange, has been held in custody for questioning in Bernard Tapie corruption case
France Telecom-Orange said the questioning was expected and that Stephane Richard remained in charge. He can be held for up to 48 hours.
His contract at the partly state-owned company is up for renewal next year and the position is chosen by the government.
“The state in its role as a shareholder will take a position if needed at the right time on the continuing case,” Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg said in a statement.
The Court of Justice of the Republic, which investigates ministerial misconduct in France, is looking into claims that Bernard Tapie may have received favorable treatment because of his support for the former President, Nicolas Sarkozy.
He received a payment of 400 million euros ($520 million) as part of a settlement in a long-running business dispute, which critics say was too generous.
After two days of questioning Christine Lagarde was made a key witness in the case – a status that means she is unlikely to be prosecuted.
AstraZeneca, the second largest drugs company in UK, has announced it is buying California-based Pearl Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $1.15 billion.
Privately-owned Pearl specializes in drugs used in the treatment of lung disease and asthma.
AstraZeneca said it will pay $560 million initially, then $450 million subject to drug development milestones being reached.
It could also make sales-related payments of up to $140 million in addition.
The acquisition will give AstraZeneca a foothold in the emerging market for a new class of lung treatments known as LABA/LAMA drugs, administered via an inhaler.
AstraZeneca has announced it is buying California-based Pearl Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $1.15 billion
These drugs are used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which affects about 210 million people worldwide.
Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca, under its new chief executive Pascal Soriot, who took over in October 2012, has identified respiratory treatments as one of its core businesses.
AstraZeneca has been suffering falling profits and sales as several of its blockbuster drugs, such as the anti-psychotic Seroquel and anti-cholesterol Crestor, have lost their patent protection, allowing cheaper generic drugs to enter the market.
It was also forced to write off $140 million relating to a failed arthritis drug.
AstraZeneca is simplifying its drug development programme, cutting 5,000 jobs by 2016, and is looking to expand through acquisitions instead.
Apple has unveiled iOS7 revamp, a new look for the user interface of its smart device operating system, the first to be overseen by its design chief Jony Ive.
Jony Ive said the aim was to make the system look “cleaner” to help “elevate” users’ content.
It involves a shift away from skeuomorphism – the use of leather, wood and other real-world inspired textures and artifacts in apps.
A similar change has also been made to its OS X system for Mac computers.
Highlighting the new look of the firm’s Game Center app, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi joked: “We just completely ran out of green felt and wood – this has got to be good for the environment.”
Craig Federighi also showed off a parallax effect which means icons shift against the background image as an iPhone-user tilts their handset one way and another, based on feedback from the device’s accelerometer sensor.
“The new version is almost unrecognizable, which will make it polarizing,” said Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at the consultancy Ovum.
“Some people will love that their phone feels new and different, while others will be disoriented by the newness.
“Finding your Settings app is hard when the icon has totally changed, and the many people who easily get disoriented by their gadgets may well have a negative experience.
“On the other hand, this is a clear statement from Apple that it acknowledges the need to refresh the user interface and is willing to do something pretty dramatic.”
Apple has unveiled iOS7 revamp
Apple also announced iTunes Radio – a streaming music service offering access to themed stations which can be tailored according to a person’s listening history on iTunes, as well as tracks from specific bands – including unreleased exclusives – which they do not own.
The firm suggested it was a way for users to “discover new music”, and Apple will promote the ability to buy songs that a user likes via its store.
The feature is accessible via iOS 7’s music app and poses a challenge to LastFm, Pandora, Spotify and other similar products.
It comes a month after Google unveiled Play Music All Access, a similar facility for Android devices. But unlike the search firm’s pay-to-use model, Apple is making iRadio accessible without charge if users are willing to listen to adverts, as well as an ad-free option to users buying an iTunes Match subscription.
One music industry watcher suggested Apple’s move could prove disruptive in light of the fact the firm has 575 million iTunes accounts.
Other new features to iOS 7 include:
Automatic app updates
A swipe-up Control Center feature which brings together frequently used functions such as turning on Wi-Fi or bluetooth, and using a phone as a “flashlight”
The ability to carry out searches via Microsoft’s Bing service within the voice-controlled Siri app, which also features new voices
An anti-theft measure which requires a user to enter an associated ID and password before being able to deactivate a device’s Find My iPhone feature
Redesigned fonts to create the appearance of sharper text
About 37.4 million iPhones shipped worldwide in the January-to-March quarter according to market intelligence firm IDC, confirming its status as Apple’s biggest source of revenue.
Although that was a rise on the same period in 2012, the study indicates the firm’s smartphone market share slipped to 17.3% while Android’s grew to 75%, thanks in large part to Samsung’s success. It also indicated Apple is facing a similar trend in the tablet sector.
Apple’s products might still be more profitable, but IDC suggested it needed the refresh.
“People were getting a bit bored with the old design so Apple needed to make significant changes,” said IDC’s mobile device research director Francisco Jeronimo.
Apple said iOS 7 would be released to the public in the autumn.
Microsoft has announced its new Xbox One’s launch date and price.
Xbox One console will go on sale in November this year, with a recommended retail price of $499 in the US, £429 in the UK and 499 euros in Europe.
The announcement was made during its keynote opening event at the E3 games expo in Los Angeles.
Rival console manufacturer Sony said its console would be out during the “holiday 2013” period, although no official date has been set.
If both the PlayStation 4 and the XBox One go on sale in November this year, it would be the first time the two rivals have launched simultaneously. Previous consoles were released at least a year apart.
Aoife Wilson, a Staff Writer with Xbox 360: The Official Xbox Magazine, said there did not appear to be any reason for the increased price in Europe compared to the US.
“There’s a 34% mark up on the price this side of the Atlantic and there’s no real reason I can see for that”, she said.
Microsoft has announced its new Xbox One’s launch date and price
“The price seems to be a real sticking point for many people, based on the comments I’ve seen on Twitter. But the XBox One has so many unique capabilities over its rival, that it might just give them the edge.”
“I think people will be willing to pay that price and I do think that price will come down next year”, she added.
Most of the event was used to showcase the new titles that would accompany the launch.
As both Sony and Microsoft know, a good exclusive title can dramatically increase the popularity and sales of a new console. Many have put the initial success of Microsoft’s first console – the XBox – when it launched in 2001 down to securing the exclusive on the first person shooter Halo.
The first game shown at the event was Ryse: Son of Rome. A first person hack and slash action game, developed by Crytek, it puts you in the boots of a soldier of the Roman empire. The game had originally been announced as a XBox 360 exclusive at E3 two years ago.
Other exclusive titles, such as Killer Instinct and Forza 5 were also shown.
Microsoft also announced it was going to set up five in-house development studios to create exclusive content.
A number of other titles were also showcased, including Minecraft ,the block mining and building game; a new version of Halo due out in 2014; DeadRising 3, a zombie horror game; and a new version of the first person shooter Battlefield series.
While Kim Kardashian was stuck in Los Angeles awaiting the birth of their first child due next month, Kanye West was due to appear at the Governor’s Ball on Sunday night.
The couple reportedly received some generous gifts from millionaire friends Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow.
They both declined invitations to Kim Kardashian’s baby shower but instead sent some pricey gifts to the reality star in their absence.
“Both Gwyneth and Beyonce politely declined Kim’s offer of attending her baby shower. Beyonce is busy touring and Gwyneth doesn’t really know Kim that well,” a source told the Sunday Mirror.
“But Beyonce and Jay Z [gave her] a $15,000 Swarovski crystal-studded high chair designed by Carla Monchen.”
Health nut Gwyneth Paltrow – who shares the same fitness trainer as Kim Kardashian – sent a typically health-conscious gift option.
Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow both declined invitations to Kim Kardashian’s baby shower but instead sent some pricey gifts to the reality star in their absence
“Gwyneth sent six-month-pregnant Kim a $550 Vitamix blender and 21-day cleanse,” the source alleged. No doubt with the good intentions of helping Kim Kardashian bounce back into shape.
Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian while has struggled with trying to please everybody in the fashion world since becoming pregnant even sister Khloe recently admitted that the floral dress she wore to the Met Gala was a bad choice.
The dress had been widely mocked, with Robin Williams hilariously claiming that he “wore it better” as Mrs. Doubtfire in the 1993 movie.
When asked what she thought of the dress, Khloe Kardashian said: “I think Kim is beautiful. I wish, like, the gloves…”
She added: “I just felt like it was too covered somehow, just because her body, her b**bs, her belly, just all looked like one.”
Khloe Kardashian recently admitted that she was “offended” by Kim and Kourtney’s decision not to tell her Kim was pregnant.
Khloe Kardashian said: “I found out by watching Kourtney and Kim Take Miami that Kourtney said, <<This is going to push Khloe over the edge and we can’t tell her>>. I got offended by that.”
She added: “Of course I would be happy for my sister to have a baby.”
Kim Kardashian stepped out of Mr. C restaurant with Brittney Gastineau as boyfriend Kanye West celebrated his 36th birthday in New York.
While Beyonce and Jay-Z were on hand at the party in New York City, Kanye West’s girlfriend of more than one year was noticeably absent – stuck in Los Angeles because she is no longer able to travel by plane ahead of the birth of their first child next month.
Kanye West celebrated his 36th birthday in New York with Jay-Z, Beyonce and Nas
A source confirmed to Us Weekly: “Kim isn’t allowed to fly.”
Other guests at the low-key bash included Nas, Kourtney Kardashian’s fiancé Scott Disick and Kim Kardashian’s best friend Jonathan Cheban.
Kim Kardashian was stuck in Los Angeles awaiting the birth of their first child due next month and Kanye West was due to appear at the Governor’s Ball on Sunday night.
Whether you’ve recently started working from home or you’re thinking about a home office revamp, there are some areas of efficiency you should be aware of. Piles of papers, tangled cords, and a faulty Internet connection are a few annoyances that could affect your work. Although working in your pajamas is luxurious, there are vital steps to take so your productivity is maintained. Here are several ways you can guarantee an efficient workspace.
There’s no need for filing cabinets anymore. With electronic organization you can scan your documents and upload them systematically so that it’ll take seconds to find a specific file. Make sure to invest in a high-powered shredder too. Once a document is digital, immediately run it through the shredder, to avoid messy paper stacks.
Some additional tips:
Encrypt all precious documents
Use Google Docs for anything you’ll share
Back-up all of your docs to a separate hard-drive every few months
2. Multiple Cord Streamlining
Kicking around tangled cords under your desk is irritating but trying to locate a specific cord is an absolute pain. Save yourself time and purchase some nifty cord devices.
USB hubs instantly wind up cords for orderly keeping.
Cordlets also keep cables in order by directing them exactly where you need them on your desk.
WAshi Tape allows you to label cords for quick identifying.
Quatro devices go into your wall and have four holes specifically designed for USB-charged gadgets. No need for electric adapters because you can now power up all of your USB devices directly to the wall.
Although you want a well-lit room, it’s important to keep blinds or shades closed to prevent distraction. Nothing is worse than neighbors constantly walking by your window or losing your train of thought by something going on outside. Consider purchasing window or roller shades so that you may remain focused on your work.
Outside noise can be disruptive, too. Solve this issue with some soothing music, earplugs, or sound proofing materials.
4. Multi-Tasking Communication
Clients and co-workers need your attention throughout the day. Though e-mail, G-Chat, and Skype are universal ways to communicate, some will want to reach you by phone or text. Here are a few cool products that’ll allow you to multitask with your phone.
Good Call IG1 Bluetooth Wireless Handset/Docking Station allows for all of the functionality of an iPhone while receiving a call through it.
Jawbone Jambox Wireless Bluetooth Speaker is excellent for its convenient size and phenomenal sound/volume.
Omnio WOW Keys let you type on your phone via a more standard keyboard. You can combine it with other apps and you can control your desktop by using it with your phone.
If you work from home you need a high-speed Internet connection. With options of DSL, cable, satellite, and wireless, you’ll want to choose a connection that best suits your needs. Typically, you should look for speeds of at least 384kbps/128kbps. To keep your Internet running quickly, you’ll want to regularly clear your history, perform malware tests, update your browsers, and shut down unnecessary programs.
Staying focused on your work can be far more difficult at home. From organizational systems to multi-tasking devices, it’s important to make sure your office is setting you up for success.
Author Bio:
Carly Wright is an activist for fun! From technology and entertainment to travel and leisure she can write about it all. She encourages you to see her tweets @MostlyImWrite.
The 67th Annual Tony Awards were held on June 9, 2013, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2012–2013 season.
The ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and was broadcast live on CBS television. Neil Patrick Harris was the host, for the fourth time (his third consecutive year hosting).
Best Play: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.
Best Musical: Kinky Boots.
Best Book of a Musical: Matilda the Musical
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre: Kinky Boots.
Best Revival of a Play: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Best Revival of a Musical: Pippin.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play: Tracy Letts, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Best Performance by an Actress in Leading Role in a Play: Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical: Billy Porter, Kinky Boots.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Patina Miller, Pippin.
The 67th Annual Tony Awards were held on June 9, 2013, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2012–2013 season
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Courtney B. Vance, Lucky Guy.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Judith Light, The Assembled Parties.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: Gabriel Ebert, Matilda the Musical. Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Andrea Martin, Pippin.
Best Direction of a Play: Pam MacKinnon, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Best Direction of a Musical: Diane Paulus, Pippin
Best Choreography: Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
Best Orchestrations: Stephen Oremus, Kinky Boots
Best Scenic Design of a Play: John Lee Beatty, The Nance
Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Rob Howell, Matilda the Musical
Best Costume Design of a Play: Ann Roth, The Nance
Best Costume Design of a Musical: William Ivey Long, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Best Lighting Design of a Play: Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Lucky Guy Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Hugh Vanstone, Matilda the Musical
Best Sound Design of a Play: Leon Rothenberg, The Nance Best Sound Design of a Musical: John Shivers, Kinky Boots
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre: Bernard Gersten, Paul Libin, Ming Cho Lee
Regional Theatre Award: Huntington Theatre Company
Kate Middleton recently stepped out in a sale navy blue dress from high street brand ASOS.com.
Kate Middleton, 31, chose the navy knee-length dress as she shopped for curtains and drapes to decorate her unborn child’s nursery in Chelsea last week.
Kate Middleton recently stepped out in a sale navy blue dress from high street brand ASOS.com
The £17.50 ($27.50) dress was originally priced at £25 ($39), and the thrifty royal teamed it with a pair of her favorite £80 Pied a Terre wedges, creating a simple, stylish look that mothers-to-be are sure to rush to copy this summer.
The viscose dress comes in sizes 6-18 and three different colourways. It features an elasticated waist and is designed to grow with an expanding stomach, making it even better value for money as it will last for the duration of a pregnancy.
Kate Middleton wears a £17.50 maternity dress from online fashion site ASOS.com
It’s the first time Kate Middleton has been spotted in a maternity outfit by the retailer. Previously she has worn pretty Topshop dresses or customized designer pieces by pricier labels including Emilia Wickstead, Jenny Packham and Tara Jarmon.
ASOS.com’s maternity line features hundreds of items including on-trend dresses like Kate Middleton’s, tops, skirts, slogan T-shirts, jeans and swimwear.
The collection, created by the in-house design team, is described as allowing mothers-to-be to “stay chic throughout your pregnancy. Flattering your bump with gorgeous maternity dresses, jeans, tops, trousers and more, cleverly designed to accommodate your new curves’. It claims to ‘combine the stylishness of the mainline collection with pregnancy-friendly features such as soft ruching, adjustable fastenings and flexible waistbands, the perfect fusion of fashion, comfort and a flawless fit”.
Celebrity fans of the off-the-peg pregnancy styles include The Saturdays’ Frankie Sandford and Rochelle Hulmes and Fearne Cotton.
Kate Middleton is known for her eclectic wardrobe, whoch features both haute couture and high fashion, and her ability to mix the two on and off duty has earned her style plaudits from around the world.
Former “golden girl” of British athletics Donna Hartley has died suddenly while sunbathing in her garden.
Donna Hartley, 58, a former 400 metres runner, was found lying on a sun lounger in a bikini, by her husband on Friday afternoon.
Her shoulder-length blonde hair and prowess on the track earned her the “golden girl” tag during a glittering running career in which she won bronze in the 1980 Olympic Games.
Yesterday her devastated husband Bobby Knutt, an actor and comedian, said a post mortem will be carried out today, but she “might have died of a heart attack”.
Golden girl Donna Hartley had a successful career on the British body building circuit after retiring from athletics.
Bobby Knutt, who met his wife at Butlins, said: “We were married 26 years and we had never had a row or cross word.
“She was the great love of my life. Nobody will ever take her place.
“She was the kindest person in the world. Everybody loved her and nobody had a bad word to say about her. She was an absolute princess.
Former “golden girl” of British athletics Donna Hartley has died suddenly while sunbathing in her garden
“I’ve lost my best pal, she hadn’t got a bad thought in her head. I never heard her criticize anybody and she was so good and kind.”
The talented runner originally became well known under her maiden name Donna Murray and her distinctive looks made her an instantly recognizable figure.
Donna Hartley won double gold in the 400m and 4x400m relay at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, and the following year was made an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II.
But the highlight of her career was her bronze medal in the 400m relay at the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980.
Donna married fellow athlete Bill Hartley in 1977, but the relationship ended in divorce. She met TV actor Bobby Knutt in 1984 and they married three years later.
She took her husband’s real surname Wass and moved to live in his native Sheffield.
After retiring from athletics Donna Hartley became a champion body builder and won the “Miss Britain Physique” title.
She later ran a line dancing school in the city and had been working as a hotel leisure club manager when she died.
A self-confessed sun worshipper, Donna Hartley returned home early from work on Friday to soak up the rays in her garden and make the most of the fine June weather.
Bobby Knutt, 67, said they went outside together at about 3 p.m. and he returned inside to watch television about half-an-hour later. When he went back out some time later to speak to his wife she was dead.
“I went out to see her and she had gone. I don’t know what happened, she might have had a heart attack.”
The couple have no children but Bobby Knutt has a daughter from a previous marriage.
Heavily pregnant Kim Kardashian went for relaxed comfort instead of her usual tight-fitting glamour on a lunch date with a friend.
Kim Kardashian, 32, was seen stepping out of Mr. C restaurant with her friend Brittney Gastineau, wearing a body-skimmimg striped maxi-dress.
Just recently Kim Kardashian has been seen in far tighter outfits, displaying her ample cleavage, while filming for her reality show.
So perhaps it was a day off for the reality star, who could finally put her feet up and relax over lunch.
Kim Kardashian wears body-skimmimg striped maxi-dress as she steps out of Mr. C restaurant with Brittney Gastineau
The restaurant that Kim Kardashian chose specializes in Italian dishes including pizzas and grilled meats.
Kim Kardashian has admitted that apart from eating carrots and celery with ranch dressing, she hasn’t had many strange pregnancy cravings.
She told Extra: “I’m waiting for the moments when someone’s like, <<Let’s go to McDonald’s and Taco Bell!>>.
“That’s not happening for me and I’m kind of sad about it.”
Kim Kardashian added: “It wouldn’t even bother me if I gained all the weight. And I have the biggest sweet tooth and I love junk food. Being pregnant I don’t like any of it.”
She stepped out as boyfriend Kanye West celebrated his 36th birthday in New York.
While Beyonce and Jay-Z were on hand at the party in New York City, Kanye West’s girlfriend of more than one year was noticeably absent – stuck in Los Angeles because she is no longer able to travel by plane ahead of the birth of their first child next month.
A source confirmed to Us Weekly: “Kim isn’t allowed to fly.”
Other guests at the low-key bash included Nas, Kourtney Kardashian’s fiancé Scott Disick and Kim Kardashian’s best friend Jonathan Cheban.
Edward Snowden, the former CIA contractor who has identified himself as the source of leaks about the US National Security Agency’s surveillance programmes, is believed to be holed up in a hotel in Hong Kong.
Edward Snowden, 29, told The Guardian he flew to Hong Kong on May 20, after leaking information about the NSA’s surveillance programme.
He said that he chose Hong Kong because the city has “a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent”.
Edward Snowden’s current whereabouts cannot be confirmed, and the Hong Kong government has not publicly commented on his case, although journalists are staking out various hotels in Hong Kong where they believe Snowden may be hiding.
The US says it has referred the issue to its Department of Justice as a criminal matter. Some analysts and experts believe Edward Snowden faces the strong risk of extradition to the US, if such a move is requested.
Hong Kong signed an extradition treaty with the US shortly before the territory returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
“You get extraditions several times a year from Hong Kong,” said Clive Grossman S.C, a barrister and former vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association.
Under the Fugitive Offenders (United States of America) Order, both Hong Kong and the US have agreed to extradite someone who has committed “an offence which is punishable under the laws of both Parties by imprisonment or other form of detention for more than one year… unless surrender for such offence is prohibited by the laws of the requested Party.”
Regina Ip, a legislator and Hong Kong’s former Secretary for Security, told reporters that the Hong Kong government was “obliged to comply with the terms of agreements” with the US government, including extradition treaties.
Edward Snowden, the former CIA contractor who has identified himself as the source of leaks about the NSA’s surveillance programmes, is believed to be holed up in a hotel in Hong Kong
“It’s actually in his best interest to leave Hong Kong,” she said, referring to Edward Snowden.
However, the extradition process can be a long and complicated one in sensitive cases like this, said Tim Parker, an immigration lawyer based in Hong Kong.
“There are a number of hurdles that could come up for the extraditing authority, to the advantage of Snowden,” he said.
“There is a bar under Hong Kong’s extradition law… to extradition for an offence that is of a political character, [where] the prosecution is thought not just to be the application of the criminal law, but to crush that person or to crush their dissent,” Tim Parker said.
Another potential hurdle would be any intervention from Beijing, which could block an extradition if it raised questions “going to their national security, foreign affairs, or defense,” Tim Parker said.
A handover could also be halted if Edward Snowden was believed to be in danger receiving of inhumane treatment in the US, Tim Parker added.
“If Mr. Snowden is at risk of being detained under the sort of conditions that Bradley Manning has reportedly been detained, which the UN special rapporteurs have said amounted to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment… then Hong Kong would not be allowed under its law, and could not extradite him to the US.”
A further consideration is what visa Edward Snowden used to enter Hong Kong. If his visa is due to expire soon, a formal extradition request may not be needed.
However, it would not be “legally possible” under Hong Kong law for Edward Snowden to be forcibly taken to Beijing, Tim Parker said.
“That would be a serious breach of the autonomy under Hong Kong’s One Country Two Systems arrangement. There aren’t really any known cases of that having been done off the books [either],” he added.
Ruud Lubbers, former prime minister of the Netherlands, revealed that some 22 US nuclear weapons are stored on Dutch territory.
Ruud Lubbers, prime minister from 1982-94, said they were stored underground in strong-rooms at the Volkel air base in Brabant, Dutch media report.
Ruud Lubbers, former prime minister of the Netherlands, revealed that some 22 US nuclear weapons are stored on Dutch territory
He made the revelation in a documentary for National Geographic – saying: “I would never have thought those silly things would still be there in 2013.”
The presence of nuclear weapons on Dutch soil has long been rumored.
However, Ruud Lubbers is believed to be the most senior person to confirm their existence.
“I think they are an absolutely pointless part of a tradition in military thinking,” Ruud Lubbers said.
The Telegraaf newspaper quoted experts saying the weapons held at Volkel were B61 bombs – developed in the US in the 1960s.
The Dutch broadcaster NOS quoted a spokesman for the Royal Dutch Air Force saying these issues “are never spoken of”.
“He, as former prime minister, knows that well,” he added.
Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, remains in a serious but stable condition in a Pretoria hospital, the latest update has announced.
The South African presidency said Nelson Mandela’s condition was unchanged and confirmed that he was in intensive care.
Prayers have been said in churches across the country for ex-President Nelson Mandela, who is being treated for a lung infection.
Nelson Mandela, 94, was taken to hospital early on Saturday, the third time this year he has been admitted.
The presidency said he had been ill for some days at his Johannesburg home, with a recurrence of his long-standing lung problems.
Nelson Mandela was admitted to hospital after his condition worsened at 01:30 on Saturday.
The government said in a statement: “President Jacob Zuma reiterates his call for South Africa to pray for Madiba and the family during this time.” Madiba is Nelson Mandela’s clan name.
In releasing the latest update, presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj also denied that visitors were being blocked from seeing Nelson Mandela.
Mac Maharaj said: “The reality is that the normal procedures when a patient is under intensive care are applying from the medical side.
“Therefore there are limitations on visitors and, you know, that when a person is in intensive care the doctors only allow some very close people to be there – it is not the way it is being presented in the media.”
Nelson Mandela remains in a serious but stable condition in a Pretoria hospital
There is a quiet hope that the man who led the fight against apartheid may regain his strength once again.
Many took heart from a visit on Sunday by Nelson Mandela’s daughter, Zindzi, who said that her father was “well” and “a fighter”.
Nelson Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, cancelled a scheduled appearance in London on Saturday to remain at her husband’s bedside.
He served as president from 1994 to 1999.
Nelson Mandela was previously imprisoned for 27 years, and is believed to have suffered damaged lungs while working in a prison quarry.
He contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while being held in jail on the windswept Robben Island.
Nelson Mandela retired from public life in 2004 and has been rarely seen in public since.
Nelson Mandela: Key dates
1918 Born in the Eastern Cape
1943 Joins African National Congress
1956 Charged with high treason, but charges dropped
1962 Arrested, convicted of sabotage, sentenced to five years in prison
Scott Thorson revealed his life as the toyboy lover of flamboyant pianist Liberace, describing it as a whirlwind of extravagance and excess.
Their outrageous lifestyle, captured in new film Behind The Candelabra, makes the latest breed of bling-loving celebrities look tasteful and understated.
But after five dazzling, rhinestone-encrusted years together, Scott Thorson claimed he was dumped like “a piece of trash”.
Scott Thorson lost it all and began a downward spiral into d**gs, crime and the odd spell behind bars.
The tattooed 54-year-old, who is battling colon cancer, was in jail in Reno, Nevada, for burglary when the acclaimed film – based on his book of the same name – was shown on US TV last month.
Director Steven Soderbergh revealed that the movie was rejected as “too gay” by every major American studio, before being snapped up by cable channel HBO – which is why it went straight to TV in the US and did not get a cinema release there.
Of casting Michael Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as Scott Thorson, Steven Soderbergh joked: “I needed to see Jason Bourne on top of Gordon Gekko.”
Scott Thorson was just 17 when he met 58-year-old Liberace backstage after one of his Las Vegas shows in 1977.
He soon moved in with the musician in his lavish, custom-built Las Vegas palace.
On the bedroom ceiling was a reproduction of the fresco in Rome’s Sistine Chapel – but the cherubs all had Liberace’s face.
At the peak of his powers, Liberace was the world’s best-paid entertainer and owned 39 pianos, 32 cars and 26 dogs.
Scott Thorson says: “He built a 70,000 sq ft palace in Las Vegas for me, filled with the world’s most expensive treasure – $25million worth of antiques.
“A well-known artist spent a year painting the Sistine Chapel fresco on the ceiling.
“Even the Queen and the Queen Mother were big fans of his.
“When he played the London Palladium I went into the Royal Box to use the toilet, just so I could say I had used the Queen’s bathroom. They sent us lots of gifts – including a Welsh Corgi.”
Scott Thorson was even given a minor role in TV’s The Liberace Show, driving the pianist on stage in a jewel-encrusted Rolls-Royce while wearing a white chauffeur’s outfit.
His relationship with Liberace was bizarre to say the least.
Scott Thorson revealed his life as the toyboy lover of flamboyant pianist Liberace
The world-famous showman got a plastic surgeon to make Scott Thorson look more like his son, and put him on a cocktail of diet pills.
Scott Thorson reveals: “He had to throw the Press off, so he <<adopted>> me, changed my face so I looked more like him.
“He didn’t want people to realize I was his lover – he wanted them to think I was his son.
“I was given cheek implants and a new chin so I would resemble him.
“He took me to this plastic surgeon and he wanted me to lose weight. The doctor put me on the Hollywood diet. It contained pharmaceutical c***ine and Demerol to bring me down. Liberace agreed to all this.
“Then, when I became addicted and he was worried I was out of control and would tarnish his image, he threw me out like I was a piece of trash.
“In the movie it says he offered me rehab, but he didn’t.
“I was living in the penthouse in LA and they hired guards to throw all my personal belongings off the balcony and discard me.”
In 1982 Scott Thorson took Liberace to court in a bitter “palimony” suit. Later he settled for $93,000, some jewellery, custody of two dogs and a gold-plated Rolls-Royce he had been given as a 21st birthday gift.
But the split plunged him from the dizzy showbiz heights to the depths of despair.
Scott Thorson, who survived being shot five times during a robbery in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1991, even accuses the team behind the film – including its stars – of neglecting his cries for help during his most recent spell behind bars.
Instead Dennis Hof, who owns the infamous Bunny Ranch br***el, last week posted bail for Scott Thorson.
Scott Thorson says: “Hollywood turned its back on me. Matt Damon or Michael Douglas would not bail me out, even though I offered to talk to them about the film.
“I need to put money back into my pocket. I didn’t make much out of the movie. I own a small percentage of the film but Hollywood is notorious for padding the bill so it shows no profit.”
Biopic Behind the Candelabra was a big hit when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. It pulled in 2.4million viewers when it aired in the US on HBO – the largest audience for an original movie on the channel in almost a decade. It opens in cinemas across Europe today.
Scott Thorson says: “It has been a big success, all these European companies have picked it up. So for the filmmakers to say they haven’t made a dime would be a big mistake – especially with my mouth.
“I went after Liberace, so I’m not scared.
“I was whisked out of jail when Dennis Hof paid my bail. He turned up with five Bunny Girls to pick me up in this big limousine.
“The first night we went up to Dennis’s private residence in the ranch and I watched the film for the first time. I was blown away.
“Matt Damon did a great job playing me. And he did a great job in bed with Douglas, too.”
The film ends when the pair are reunited on Liberace’s deathbed just before he passed away from pneumonia caused by AIDS in 1987.
Scott Thorson’s life has had some twists and turns that are not in the film. For starters, he claims he had a romance with Michael Jackson.
He said: “Liberace introduced me and Michael in the late 1970s. It was right around the time Thriller was coming out and Michael and I became lovers.
“Our relationship went on for six or seven years. Michael was very generous too. He treated me well.
“Liberace and I had both undergone plastic surgery around the same time Michael underwent a nose job because he didn’t think he was handsome. We all healed together at the Liberace compound in Palm Springs.”
Also in his eventful life, Scott Thorson was put in witness protection after testifying against his d**g dealer Eddie Nash in 1981, changing his name to Jesse Marlow.
He said: “I’ve survived being shot five times, overdoses, and I’ve tried to commit suicide. But I’ve survived to tell my story.”
Life for Scott Thorson at the moment, at the Bunny Ranch, is the most exotic it has been for years.
He said: “There are 22 acres with stables, a gymnasium, a personal trainer, Jacuzzi, swimming pool and lots of beautiful people.
“They have built a great team around me and I am drug free for the first time in many years. It’s been about 110 days.
“There are so many beautiful women here. I’m having lots of Bunny Ranch therapy.
“These girls are so gorgeous I could end up turning straight.
“I haven’t lived the dream like this since I lived with Liberace.
