Google has revealed for the first time what view users will get through its “Project Glass” wearable computer.
1. Google Glass responds to voice commands
Google Glass will perform many of the same tasks as smartphones, except the spectacles respond to voice commands instead of fingers touching a display screen.
2. Run on Google’s Android
The glasses include a tiny display screen attached to a rim above the right eye and run on Google’s Android operating system for mobile devices.
3. Take picture or record videos while on the move
Because no hands are required to operate them, Google Glass will make it easier for people to take pictures or record video wherever they might be or whatever they might be doing.
4. Online searches can be easily conducted
Online searches also can be more easily conducted by just telling Google Glass to look up a specific piece of information. Google’s Android system already has a voice search function on smartphones and tablet computers.
Google Glass will perform many of the same tasks as smartphones, except the spectacles respond to voice commands instead of fingers touching a display screen
5. Google Glass can synch to the Internet
The eyewear features built-in camera, microphone and speaker technology and can synch to the Internet using wireless connections.
6. Video through the eyes of wearers can be streamed live
As with the sky divers, cyclists, and wall-walkers who took part in the Google developers conference stunt, video through the eyes of wearers can be streamed live on Google’s social network.
7. Google Glass will come in 5 colors
Google said all of the footage was captured through Project Glass, which will come in five colors – black, gray, blue, red or white and have removable shades.
8. Google Glass for mass market will cost less than $1,500
Google co-founder Sergey Brin said the mass-market version of Google Glass will cost less than $1,500, but more than a smartphone.
9. Google first began developing glasses in 2010
Sergey Brin has been overseeing the work on Google Glass, which the company first began developing in 2010 as part of a secretive company division now known as Google X.
10. Google Glass to hit market in 2014
Google Glass is at the forefront of a new wave of technology known as “wearable computing’ and should hit the market in a little more than a year. The company hopes it will someday make fumbling with smartphones obsolete.
Researchers have found that a certain type of bacteria that live in the gut have been used to reverse obesity and Type-2 diabetes in animal studies.
Research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that a broth containing a single species of bacteria could dramatically alter the health of obese mice.
It is thought to change the gut lining and the way food is absorbed.
Similar tests now need to take place in people to see if the same bacteria can be used to shed the pounds.
The human body is teeming with bacteria – the tiny organisms outnumber human cells in the body 10 to one.
And there is growing evidence that this collection of bacteria or “microbiome” affects health.
Studies have shown differences between the types and numbers of bacteria in the guts of lean and obese people.
Researchers have found that a certain type of bacteria that live in the gut have been used to reverse obesity and Type-2 diabetes in animal studies
Meanwhile gastric bypass operations have been shown to change the balance of bacteria in the gut.
Researchers at the Catholic University of Louvain, in Belgium, worked with a single species of bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila. It normally makes up 3-5% of gut bacteria, but its levels fall in obesity.
Mice on a high fat diet – which led them to put on two to three times more fat than normal, lean, mice – were fed the bacteria.
The mice remained bigger than their lean cousins, but had lost around half of their extra weight despite no other changes to their diet.
They also had lower levels of insulin resistance, a key symptom of Type-2 diabetes.
Prof. Patrice Cani, from the Catholic University of Louvain, said: “Of course it is an improvement, we did not completely reverse the obesity, but it is a very strong decrease in the fat mass.
“It is the first demonstration that there is a direct link between one specific species and improving metabolism.”
Adding the bacteria increased the thickness of the gut’s mucus barrier, which stops some material passing from the gut to the blood. It also changed the chemical signals coming from the digestive system – which led to changes in the way fat was processed elsewhere in the body.
Similar results were achieved by adding a type of fiber to diets which led to an increase in the levels of Akkermansia muciniphila.
Prof. Patrice Cani said it was “surprising” that just one species, out of the thousands in the gut, could have such an effect.
He said this was a “first step” towards “eventually using these bacteria as prevention or treatment of obesity and Type-2 diabetes” and that some form of bacteria-based therapy would be used “in the near future”.
The French government is considering introducing a 1% tax on the sale of smartphones and tablets to help fund local film, music and images.
The proposal estimates some 86 million euros ($112 million) could be raised per year.
The bid is based on France’s so-called “cultural exception” policy, which aims to protect culture from market forces and foreign competition.
Broadcasters already pay fees to fund cultural projects but firms like Google and Apple are currently exempt.
The proposal was released as part of a government-funded report specifically examining the rise of digital content.
The study, led by the former CEO of French pay-TV channel Canal Plus, Pierre Lescure, proposed a total of 75 measures to “protect the cultural exception in the face of digital innovation”.
The French government is considering introducing a 1 percent tax on the sale of smartphones and tablets to help fund local film, music and images
The report said taxing internet devices could help fund culture because consumers were spending more money on hardware than on content.
“Today we have extremely sophisticated technological equipment that is extremely expensive to buy, but which contributes nothing to the financing of the works that circulate on that same equipment,” Culture Minister Aurelie Filipetti said following the release of the report.
“Companies that make these tablets must, in a minor way, be made to contribute part of the revenue from their sales to help creators.”
She added that the cultural exception remained “a battle for France”.
Lawmakers will spend the summer reviewing legislation based on the report’s recommendations.
The “culture tax” was likely to be included in a budget law to be submitted to parliament in November, Aurelie Filipetti said.
Last year, France became embroiled in a row with Google over government plans to tax the company’s revenue made from posting ads alongside online search results.
The dispute was settled in February after Google agreed to create a 60m euro fund to help French media organizations improve their internet operations.
The cultural exception policy, introduced in France in 1993, asserts that cultural goods are to be treated differently from other commercial goods.
In particular, it is aimed at shielding French culture from the spread of US films.
Lindsay Marie Boehner, the daughter of House Speaker John Boehner, has tied the knot with her Jamaican-born love Dominic Lakhan in an intimate sunset ceremony set amid a lush Florida garden.
Lindsay Marie Boehner, 35, married construction worker Dominic Lakhan in a flowing white strapless gown that showed off a huge tattoo etched across her arm.
Dominic Lakhan, 38, looked smart in a grey suit with his waist-length dreadlocks on display as he waited for John Boehner to walk Lindsay Marie down the aisle at Sundy House in Delray Beach on Friday.
The couple said their vows with the House Speaker looking proudly on – despite the fact Dominic Lakhan had previously arrested for possessing marijuana.
Dominic Lakhan was arrested in 2006 and this may not have gone down well with John Boehner, a Republican who is a staunch opponent to legalizing the drug.
However, if there was any tension it was firmly pushed to one side as John Boehner, who had donned an orange tie for the occasion, wore a grey suit to match his new son-in-law.
About 60 guests gathered at the wedding, including Lindsay Marie’s younger sister Tricia, 32, who married James Kinney in 2011.
John Boehner and his wife Debbie were later seen joining their daughter for pictures at the venue which features pretty ponds.
Lindsay Marie Boehner, the daughter of House Speaker John Boehner, has tied the knot with her Jamaican-born love Dominic Lakhan in an intimate sunset ceremony
The newlyweds had registered at Macy’s for wedding gifts – but kept things low-key, with the most expensive gift being a Pistachio-colored KitchenAid for $499.99 – and the cheapest, Kassatex Bath Towels, which were on sale for $7.99
Male guests sported Hawaiian shirts and slacks while the women were clad in sun dresses and semi-formal gowns.
According to Gossip Extra, the ceremony took place under heavy security as wedding guests were handed blue wristbands to separate them from diners at the hotel’s restaurant.
At least a dozen plainclothes cops were seen patrolling the hotel grounds.
A uniformed, shotgun-toting Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy stood by his squad car in the parking lot while Delray Beach cops were parked on the street.
The blinds at the restaurant were pulled down and diners who wanted to lift them up to watch the wedding were told they couldn’t.
The wedding guests, meanwhile, took place in the tiny banquet room about 8 p.m. and cheered wildly when John Boehner and his wife, Debbie, and the newlyweds walked in half an hour later.
Guests helped themselves to a buffet prepared by Sundy House Chef Lindsay Autry, a star of the Bravo show Top Chef‘s Season 9.
However, one waitress on hand said she could not believe the wedding party had opted for a buffet, saying: “You’d think that they’d splurge on a five-course, sit-down meal! I thought they’d all be much richer!”
Just after 10 p.m., John Boehner was spotted asking the groom to allow him to dance with his daughter as a three-piece band played The Turtles’ So Happy Together. The congressman also cut a rug with his younger daughter, Tricia.
The Jamaican side of the family, it seems, including Dominic Lakhan’s sister Delicia, reportedly stayed off the dance floor.
David Schnittger, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives, tweeted his best wishes to the newlyweds, writing: “Paparazzi rent-a-chopper over Boehner family wedding tonight. Hope you got some good pics. Congrats Lindsay and Dom.”
Cliff Kluge from Georgia claims he has found the original top-secret recipe for Coca-Cola in an old box of papers he purchased from an estate.
Cliff Kluge is now trying to sell the formula on eBay for $15 million.
The Coca-Cola Company, which has turned the secrecy surrounding its 19th-century cola recipe into the stuff of legends, says the formula might come close to Coca-Cola, but it’s still not the real thing.
Cliff Kluge, an antiques dealer from Ringgold in northern Georgia, told WXIA-TV that he found the 1943 recipe in a box of personal papers and letters he purchased at an estate auction for a famous Georgia chemist.
He speculated that Coca-Cola might have sent the ingredient list to him because the company was having trouble obtaining all of the ingredients necessary during the war.
Cliff Kluge from Georgia claims he has found the original top-secret recipe for Coca-Cola in an old box of papers he purchased from an estate
“You don’t stumble on things like this very often. It’s a letter, and a formula, and the processes to make it,” Cliff Kluge said.
“I think it’s a little deeper than having fun; I think it’s the recipe for Coca-Cola.”
The original 1886 Coca-Cola formula, devised by Dr. John S Pemberton, has long been the source of speculation. The Coca-Cola Company says it keeps the recipe a close-guarded secret. The original is locked away in a vault at the World of Coca-Cola Museum at its headquarters in Atlanta.
“What I can discern about the formula is that it’s a formula for a cola-type drink. I don’t think it’s coca-cola. It can’t be coca-cola,” Ted Ryan, the Coca-Cola Company’s archivist and historian, told WXIA.
“This particular formula is one of dozens that have popped up over the years trying to emulate the flavor of Coca-Cola.”
Indeed, in 2011, NPR’s This American Life radio program published a formula that it reported was the original recipe.
The primary flavors were: vanilla, lime juice, lemon oil, orange oil, cinnamon oil and nutmeg oil.
Cliff Kluge has declined to reveal the formula in his Coca-Cola recipe.
The Georgia man also said he doubts that he will get millions for the formula – however he believes it is worth a few hundred thousand dollars.
Angelina Jolie has revealed she has had a preventative double mastectomy after doctors estimated she had an 87% chance of contracting breast cancer.
Angelina Jolie, 37, made the decision to undergo the procedure after learning that she is a carrier of the BRCA1 cancer gene.
Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died at the age of 56 from ovarian cancer, which Angelina Jolie revealed she has a 50% chance of contracting.
Writing in an editorial piece in the New York Times, Angelina Jolie said: “My doctors estimated that I had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.
“Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65% risk of getting it, on average.
“Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy.
“I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex.
“On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.”
Angelina Jolie’s surgery was successful and doctors say her chances of developing breast cancer have now lowered to less than 5%.
“I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy,” she wrote.
“But it is one I am very happy that I made.
“My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.”
Angelina Jolie has preventative double mastectomy as she had an 87 percent chance of contracting breast cancer
Angelina Jolie praised the support her fiancé Brad Pitt and their children, Maddox, 11, Pax, 9, Zahara, 8, Shiloh, 6, and 4-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne, gave her during treatment.
“It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can.
“I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition. Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries.
“We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.”
Angelina Jolie assured that having the double mastectomy hasn’t changed the way she feels about herself and her womanliness, and added that results of reconstructive surgery “can be beautiful”.
“On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman,” she said.
“I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.”
In addition, Angelina Jolie hopes that she can encourage other women to be informed and consider their options.
“I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness.
“But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.”
Angelina Jolie added: “For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.
“I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be will able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.
“Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of. “ February 2nd – Angelina Jolie begins three months of treatments prior to undergoing a preventative double mastectomy, starting with a “nipple delay, which rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area”.
February 16th – The actress undergoes the major surgery – an 8-hour operation which sees the breast tissue removed before temporary fillers are put in place.
April 4th – Angelina Jolie attends the Women in the World Summit in New York looking in good spirits.
April 11th – Angelina Jolie is pictured with William Hague at the G8 Summit in London.
April 20th – Angelina Jolie has her breasts reconstructed with implants
April 27th – The mother-of-six completes the medical process. She is told that the surgery was a success and her chances of contracting breast cancer have now been reduced from 87% to less than 5%
May 14th – Angelina Jolie reveals her decision in an editorial piece published in the New York Times newspaper.
WHAT IS PREVENTATIVE MASTECTOMY?
Preventive mastectomy is the surgical removal of one or both breasts. It is done to prevent or reduce the risk of breast cancer in women who are at high risk of developing the disease.
In a total mastectomy, doctors remove the entire breast and nipple, while in a subcutaneous mastectomy, the doctor removes the breast tissue but leaves the nipple intact.
Existing data suggests that the treatment may significantly reduce the chances of developing tumors by about 90%.
Many choose to have breast reconstruction to restore the shape of the breast following surgery.
A boat carrying about 200 Rohingya Muslims has capsized off western Burma, aid agencies say.
The boat was evacuating people ahead of Cyclone Mahasen, which is expected to hit the area later in the week.
It sank off Pauktaw township in Rakhine state late on Monday, leaving an unknown number of people missing.
Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims are living in temporary camps in Rakhine after violence last year.
The UN had called for an urgent evacuation ahead of the storm, warning that many areas where displaced people are now living are in low-lying coastal areas at risk of flooding or tidal surges.
Aid agencies said that three boats carrying between 100 and 200 people got into trouble after setting out on Monday night.
At least one boat, which was towing the other two smaller boats, sank, and dozens of people are still missing.
Barbara Manzi, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), said the search-and-rescue operations were ongoing.
A boat carrying about 200 Rohingya Muslims has capsized off western Burma
“It appears that this boat left the camp with the blessing of the authorities before hitting rocks,” she said.
Burmese officials began evacuations this week, after warnings the cyclone may hit neighboring Bangladesh from Thursday, bringing heavy rain and flooding to western Burma.
This could hit an estimated 140,000 displaced people – mostly Rohingya – who are living in makeshift shelters in Rakhine, aid groups say.
They have been displaced since violent clashes between Rakhine’s Muslim and Buddhist communities in June and October 2012.
“The government has been repeatedly warned to make appropriate arrangements for those displaced in Rakhine state,” Isabelle Arradon, deputy Asia Pacific director of the rights group Amnesty International, said in a statement on Monday.
“Now thousands of lives are at stake unless targeted action is taken immediately to assist those most at risk.”
Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said that if the government failed to evacuate those at risk, “any disaster that results will not be natural but man-made”.
But some people have reportedly refused to leave because they fear having nowhere else to go.
“We are very worried about the cyclone… we do not have enough food to eat,” a member of the Rohingya community told Agence-France Presse news agency.
“Many people are in trouble. But we have no idea what we should do.”
According to NASA, Cyclone Mahasen was north-east of Sri Lanka on Monday. It was expected to strengthen as it moved north, the agency said.
Five years ago, Cyclone Nargis struck Burma’s Irrawaddy Delta region, killing at least 140,000 people and leaving three million in urgent need of assistance
Kris Jenner gushed over her children online on Sunday, as America celebrated the annual Mothers’ Day holiday.
Kris Jenner, 57, posted several old pictures, showing her large brood as youngsters, and featured touching captions with her posts.
The reality star wrote beside a photograph of herself surrounded by her six offspring: “Thank you to my beautiful children for making me so happy and so proud…I adore you and I’m so incredibly blessed….I love you madly!!!!!”
In the image Kris Jenner can be seen with Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, her eldest three daughters with the late attorney Robert Kardashian.
Kris Jenner posted several old pictures, showing her large brood as youngsters
Their son Rob Kardashian is also present in the black and white snap.
Kris Jenner’s youngest girls, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, appeared alongside their half siblings, all wearing monochrome.
The momager expressed gratitude to her admirers for their well-wishes that day, writing: “Wow thank you dolls for all the amazing Mothers Day wishes!! You are amazing and I wish all the Moms out there an amazing day filled w love.”
Kris Jenner didn’t hesitate about showing appreciation for her own parent, who doesn’t appear much on their E! reality shows due to living in San Diego, California.
She sent out a vintage picture of them together, posed with Kris’ first three children.
“Happy Mothers Day Mom!! You are my true inspiration and I love you madly,” she wrote.
“Thank you for everything you ever sacrificed and for your unconditional love.”
Barbara Walters has announced she will retire in 2014.
The ABC network said Barbara Walters, 83, has confirmed the plans on Monday’s edition of The View, the all-female daytime talk show she created in 1997.
Since her career began in 1961, Barbara Walters has interviewed Michael Jackson, Cuba’s Fidel Castro and every US president and first lady since Richard Nixon.
Barbara Walters was the first woman to anchor a daily network television news show in 1976.
“I am very happy with my decision and look forward to a wonderful and special year ahead both on The View and with ABC News,” Barbara Walters said in a statement.
“I created The View and am delighted it will last beyond my leaving it.
“I do not want to appear on another program or climb another mountain. I want instead to sit on a sunny field and admire the very gifted women – and, OK, some men, too – who will be taking my place.”
Barbara Walters has announced she will retire in 2014
Barbara Walters’ career in TV journalism began at NBC’s morning news and entertainment programme, The Today Show, which she co-hosted for 15 years before moving to rival network ABC to co-host the Evening News, a first for a female journalist.
ABC said in March Barbara Walters planned to retire in May 2014 after more than five decades as a prominent figure on US television.
On Sunday, ABC News president Ben Sherwood said: “There is only one Barbara Walters.”
“We look forward to making her final year on television as remarkable, path-breaking and news-making as Barbara herself,” he added.
Barbara Walters suffered periods of ill health over the past three years, including open heart surgery in 2010.
In January 2013, Barbara Walters suffered concussion after a fall, and was then diagnosed with chicken pox, causing her to miss more than a month of work.
Teenage idol Justin Bieber has made a brief cameo in an episode of The Simpsons.
The Simpsons episode, which has already aired in the US, also saw an appearance from the singer’s manager Scooter Braun.
Justin Bieber has made a brief cameo in an episode of The Simpsons
The episode is called The Fabulous Faker Boy and sees Marge encourage Bart to take piano lessons. Bart Simpson isn’t too interested until meets his piano teacher, who is Justin Bieber.
Producer Al Jean told Rolling Stone: “It’s just a cameo. This sentence is longer than his appearance.”
On Sunday, Justin Bieber posted a screenshot from the show on his Twitter account.
Also guest starring in the episode are SNL‘s Bill Hader, Jane Krakowski from 30 Rock and actor Patrick Stewart.
Ireland Baldwin’s latest series of Twitter pictures show the teenage model with three live starfish placed on her while she reclines on a beach.
Ireland Baldwin, 17, is seen lying on the sand wearing a floral blue sundress with her hand shielding her eyes from the sun in the pictures uploaded on Saturday.
In one shot, one large starfish can be seen resting on her lower body, while two smaller ones rest on her chest.
In another picture she is seen fiddling with the creatures as they rest on her feet while she smiles down at them.
The animals were still alive and thankfully Ireland assured her fans that after plucking from their natural habitat to take part in the shoot, they were returned safely.
She later tweeted: “The starfish were safely returned to their rock.”
Ireland Baldwin’s latest series of Twitter pictures show the teenage model with three live starfish placed on her while she reclines on a beach
The photos were likely taken in Santa Cruz, after Ireland Baldwin tweeted on Friday that the California coastal town was one of her “favorite places on earth”.
Ireland Baldwin also uploaded a summery picture of her and a friend standing beside a cascading bush of fuchsia pink flowers against a wedge of blue sky.
In another shot, the pair are seen sitting on a rock overlooking the ocean on a cloudless day.
Ireland Baldwin recently said that she wants to be viewed as a healthy role model for young girls by maintaining a fit, realistic figure.
“I want to be an inspirational model,” she told People magazine in a recent interview.
“I want people to look at me and say, <<Wow, she looks healthy>>.”
Since her rise to fame, Ireland Baldwin has received more than her share of negative feedback online, both as collateral damage due to her notoriously short-tempered father and her own ventures into the celebrity spotlight.
“I have received nasty e-mails, messages on Twitter and ridiculous comments not only about my size but my family,” Ireland Baldwin told People magazine.
Michael Jordan and his new wife Yvette Prieto surfaced in Greece on Thursday as they enjoyed their honeymoon.
Michael Jordan, 50, treated his bride to some shopping in Mykonos after days aboard his luxury mega yacht.
They have been sailing around the Greek Islands, docking off at the so-called millionaires playground of Spetses, since their lavish April 27 ceremony.
Obviously still on a high from the wedding – which was reportedly attended by anywhere from 300 to as many as 2000 guests – the pair strolled hand-in-hand as walked up the cobbled streets into the town.
Michael Jordan and his new wife Yvette Prieto surfaced in Greece on Thursday as they enjoyed their honeymoon
Mingling with the other tourists, who were oblivious to the famous former Chicago Bulls player, Michael Jordan still turned heads as at 6’6” he towered above the other holiday makers and his wife.
Michael Jordan was obviously glad to be back on solid ground immediately sparking up a massive, and no doubt very costly, cigar.
With cigar in his hand, the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats made sure to link arms with his new bride.
Yvette Prieto, 35, looked stunning in her resortwear look wearing a brown figure hugging tank tucked into a two toned flowing brown and white skirt which she wore with t-bar sandals.
Michael Jordan donned one of his own Air Jordan white long sleeved t-shirts with a safari green pair of lone khakis and a matching jacket.
The pair enjoyed the sights before grabbing a bite to eat at a beachside restaurant.
Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto tied the knot after a year-long engagement in Palm Beach, Florida, last month.
The wedding took place at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea before they headed to the private golf club for the reception.
For the occasion, Michael Jordan erected world’s largest tent which was 40,000 square feet where his guests – who included Tiger Woods, Patrick Ewing, Spike Lee and Ahmad Rashad – feasted and danced the night away.
Pregnant Kim Kardashian has revealed she is pretty terrified about what’s to come and the reality star – who is due in July – isn’t afraid of sharing her raw feelings on the matter, baring her vulnerability to the public.
“As I’m counting the days until I finally get to be a mother, I’m a bit nervous and anxious,” Kim Kardashian posted on her blog Sunday, continuing, “but also excited knowing that I learned from the very best”.
Kim Kardashian, 32, went on to give thanks to her mother Kris Jenner, 57, and sister Kourtney Kardashian, 34, for their maternal inspiration.
“My mom is a strong and ambitious career woman that despite her busy schedule and the millions of things she has going on, she still manages to put family first and continues to look out for us every day.”
The reality star explained how “motherhood is a gift” and can be quite challenging when trying to juggle that with a career and hectic lifestyle.
Pregnant Kim Kardashian has revealed she is pretty terrified about becoming a mother
But at least she’s surrounded by motivational figures to lend support and guidance.
“I’m honored to follow in her footsteps and make her proud like I am of her,” Kim Kardashian gushed about her mum, a mother-of-six.
Kim Kardashian’s sister Kourtney – who has two children of her own, Mason and Penelope – has also been a strong mentor.
“She is super woman with her ability to effortlessly balance work with taking care of two amazing kids and I am so lucky to have her as my guide and confidant as I too become a mother,” Kim Kardashian said about Kourtney, “the most incredible mom”.
Making sure not to miss any of her role models, Kim Kardashian also gave a quick shout-out to her grandmother MJ.
She recently expressed her concerns to Fabulous magazine, saying that she’s worried when it comes to the privacy and protection of her unborn child.
Kim Kardashian takes comfort in the fact that her “little sisters [Kendall and Kylie Jenner] have grown up so amazingly, with really good heads on their shoulders”, despite growing up in the limelight.
According to a new UN report, eating more insects could help fight world hunger.
The report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says that eating insects could help boost nutrition and reduce pollution.
It notes than over 2 billion people worldwide already supplement their diet with insects.
However, it admits that “consumer disgust” remains a large barrier in many Western countries.
Wasps, beetles and other insects are currently “underutilized” as food for people and livestock, the report says. Insect farming is “one of the many ways to address food and feed security”.
“Insects are everywhere and they reproduce quickly, and they have high growth and feed conversion rates and a low environmental footprint,” says the report.
The authors point out that insects are nutritious, with high protein, fat and mineral content.
They are “particularly important as a food supplement for undernourished children”.
The report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says that eating insects could help boost nutrition and reduce pollution
Insects are also “extremely efficient” in converting feed into edible meat. Crickets, for example, need 12 times less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein, according to the report.
Most insects are likely to produce fewer environmentally harmful greenhouse gases than other livestock.
The ammonia emissions associated with insect-rearing are far lower than those linked to conventional livestock such as pigs, says the report.
Insects are regularly eaten by many of the world’s population, but the thought may seem shocking to many Westerners.
The report suggests that the food industry could help in “raising the status of insects” by including them in new recipes and adding them to restaurant menus.
It goes on to note that in some places, certain insects are considered delicacies.
For example some caterpillars in southern Africa are seen as luxuries and command high prices.
Most edible insects are gathered in forests and serve niche markets, the report states.
It calls for improved regulation and production for using insects as feed.
“The use of insects on a large scale as a feed ingredient is technically feasible, and established companies in various parts of the world are already leading the way,” it adds.
Cyprus has received the first installment of a 10 billion-euro bailout package from international creditors, which was agreed earlier this year.
Cyprus received 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion) in loans, said a statement by the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).
Another 1 billion euros will be transferred before June 30, the ESM said.
Eurozone finance ministers are also expected to sign off the latest tranche of Greece’s bailout, as it continues to struggle to reform its economy.
Another topic on the agenda at their meeting in Brussels is Slovenia, which is seen as potentially likely to follow Greece and Cyprus in seeking help from European authorities.
Concerns are growing despite a plan unveiled last week by Slovenia’s government, aimed at avoiding a bailout.
The government plans to restructure the country’s stricken banking system, raise taxes and privatize swathes of state-owned companies.
Meanwhile, Greece is expected to receive as much as 7.5 billion euros in the latest payment of its massive 240 billion-euro bailout, first agreed in 2010.
It needs the money to pay wages, pensions and bondholders.
Cyprus has received the first installment of a 10 billion-euro bailout package from international creditors
Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), one of the “troika” of international lenders behind the bailout, said Greece had made “progress” in tackling its budget deficit over the last three years.
But it also said structural reforms to the economy had been “insufficient” and problems of tax evasion had not been addressed.
Further austerity measures have been a condition of Greece receiving the latest installments of its bailout.
In a separate development, Germany’s finance minister has warned again that a single EU bank rescue authority backed by a bailout fund was not viable without overhauling EU treaties.
Existing EU treaties “do not suffice to anchor beyond doubt a new and strong central resolution authority,” Wolfgang Schaeuble wrote in the Financial Times on Monday.
European officials have called for a strong central authority, backed by a European rescue fund, to decide on what to do with failing banks.
This, they say, is key to establishing a “banking union” that would, in theory, stabilize the financial system in the region.
But Wolfgang Schaeuble said that promises to create an authority quickly without changing treaties would cost the EU credibility.
“We should not make promises we cannot keep,” he said.
“Amending the treaties takes time.”
Instead, he proposed that national agencies should co-operate with each other to oversee bank rescues.
This would result in a “timber-framed, not a steel-framed, banking union”, but it would buy time until treaty changes are made.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, is working on a proposal for a mechanism to deal with failing banks, which it plans to unveil next month.
Samsung announces it has developed technology that could sit “at the core of 5G” – the successor to the 4G mobile-communications standard.
The Korean company says its equipment is capable of transmitting data at more than 1 Gbps across a distance of up to 2 km (1.2 miles).
It suggests the tech would eventually allow users to stream ultra-high-definition video while on the move.
However, one expert says the news needs to be put in context.
Prof. Rahim Tafazolli – who heads up the University of Surrey’s 5G research efforts – suggests that even if the latest development was used, it would only be “a small part of the larger jigsaw” of technologies needed to deliver 5G.
His words carry weight since his own £35 million ($55 million) project to develop a 5G standard is part-funded by Samsung.
Samsung says it has developed the world’s first “adaptive array transceiver” technology, an innovation that allows part of the super-high-frequency Ka band of the radio spectrum – at 28GHz – to be used for cellular data transmission.
Samsung announces it has developed technology that could sit at the core of 5G
The firm indicates its equipment, which features 64 antenna elements, overcomes a problem involved with using this frequency, which can cause the signal to weaken in rainy conditions.
“Samsung’s recent success in developing the adaptive array transceiver technology has brought us one step closer to the commercialization of 5G mobile communications in the millimetre-wave bands,” said Chang-Yeong Kim, head of the firm’s Digital Media & Communication Centre in Seoul.
A press release added that Samsung hoped devices based on the technology could be brought to market by 2020, offering mobile data transfers “up to several hundred times faster” than today’s 4G tech.
“As a result, subscribers will be able to enjoy a wide range of services such as 3D movies and games, real-time streaming of ultra-high-definition (UHD) content, and remote medical services,” it said.
Prof. Rahim Tafazolli stressed it would still be some years before the 5G standard was finalized.
His own team’s efforts were focused on transmitting data over an even higher frequency band in the radio spectrum, he added.
He also said it was not inevitable that whatever technology was agreed on would offer much faster data speeds, suggesting that finding a way for the next-generation system to cope with the expected growth in demand for mobile data use might take priority.
“Some of the companies are still putting too much emphasis on speed when discussing going from one generation to another generation,” he said.
“In my opinion 4G achieves a decent speed and what we need to do is crack the capacity crunch we are facing.”
Prof. Rahim Tafazolli’s work is funded by Samsung, Huawei, Fujitsu Laboratories and the UK government, among others. Alternative work is being carried out in Japan, China and elsewhere.
Developing the technologies involved in 5G could prove lucrative.
As an industry standard, its inventors would have to license the innovations involved to rivals, but they would be able to charge a small fee for each device that used them.
Discussions about which part of the radio spectrum to use will take place at the UN’s World Radiocommunication Conference in 2015.
Justin Bieber was the victim of a sophisticated Ocean’s Eleven style cash heist while performing in South Africa on Sunday evening.
Thieves have reportedly stolen more than one million rand ($100,000) in takings after a Justin Bieber concert at Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium.
The gang, armed with ropes, hammers and chisels, broke into a strongroom, according to local media and police.
Officials at the stadium, which hosted the 2010 World Cup final, only realized the cash was missing on Monday morning.
The haul included takings from the Justin Bieber concert and a gig the previous evening by rockers Bon Jovi.
Justin Bieber with his mother Pattie Mallette as he serenaded her on the night of the theft
“The money was taken from the building and they only realized today,” said a police officer from Booysens police station in Soweto.
“We don’t know how many people were involved as we are still gathering evidence.”
It’s thought the thieves may have taken several days to chisel their way through a thick wall at the FNB stadium outside Johannesburg.
They then lowered themselves by rope into a room used to store cash and escaped undetected.
South African police spokeswoman Katlego Mogale said: “The suspect had gained entry through the roof.
“They broke the tile of the bathroom between last night [Sunday] after the concert and this morning.”
Justin Bieber’s Believe tour, which began in the US last September and ends in Atlanta in August, has been controversial at times.
It has seen his pet monkey quarantined in Germany, drugs found on his tour bus in Sweden and the singer was criticized for a note he wrote at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
Justin Bieber, 19, also collapsed on stage in London and had to apologize to fans after arriving late on stage days earlier.
Millie Mackintosh was just one of the stars who succumbed to the windy London weather on the red carpet at the Arqiva British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs) on Sunday night as her black gown with large side split accidentally almost revealed a bit too much.
Millie Mackintosh, 32, posed for photographs obviously feeling confident in the get-up as she pouted up a storm.
The gusts of wind soon left her red-faced as she was forced to stop the Sass and Bide gown flying up to reveal her under garments.
Millie Mackintosh leads the stars suffering wardrobe malfunctions as the wind takes over on the TV BAFTAs red carpet
Although she took it in good jest as she laughed and ensured Millie Mackintosh held the dress down in front of the many stunned snappers.
The make-up artist teamed her daring dress with a pair of Christian Louboutin high-heeled sandals and carried a Swarovski clutch.
Millie Mackintosh, who is engaged to marry rapper Professor Green, had spent hours on Sunday getting ready for the appearance.
She shared numerous photos with her online fans on Twitter and Instagram as she sat in the make-up chair.
But Millie Mackintosh was clearly nervous as she prepared to step out of the car and in front of the paparazzi.
She complained: “Loving my hair and make up, can’t believe it’s raining! Here I go… Eeeeek #baftas2013.”
And fast forward a little while and Millie Mackintosh took to Twitter again to comment on the embarrassing scenario: “Wind and rain + a dress with slits = wardrobe malfunction!”
She was soon left smiling once more as Made In Chelsea picked up the gong for Reality and Constructed Factual show.
After recently enlisted Brad Pitt as the first ever male face of Chanel to give the brand a sexy revamp, now the iconic perfume house takes things even further by unveiling a rare collectible fragrance.
Chanel has announced that the bottle of perfume will be in “its rarest, most collectible form”.
Named the LesGrands Extraits, the edition trumps the previous $2,150, 7.5-ounce version as the most expensive fragrance offered by them.
The formula is the exact same as the sweet smelling stuff you can snap up at duty free for around $100, but the bottle is designed to be something quite special.
Chanel launches its most expensive perfume at $3,800 and most of that goes on the bottle
Crafted in a mould with the help of a specialized glassmaker and then placed in a “hand-assembled, artisan-crafted case”, it aims to be something of a collectible.
It was revealed back in May that Brad Pitt was going to front Chanel’s new campaign as part of a megabucks deal and Andrea d’Avack, a spokesman for Chanel, said: “To keep a legend fresh, you always have to change its point of view. It is the first time we’ve had a man speaking about a women’s fragrance.
“We think very much that the perfume is a seduction between a man, a woman and the perfume. No.5 is our leading fragrance, and we are willing to make the investment to keep it on that level.”
Brad Pitt follows in the footsteps of actresses including Marilyn Monroe, Nicole Kidman, Audrey Tautou and Catherine Deneuve.
A female passenger was kicked off from an American Airlines plane after the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing as she refused to stop singing Whitney Houston’s hit song I Will Always Love You.
Her performance began shortly into the flight from Los Angeles to New York and her crooning quickly became too much for passengers and staff on the domestic flight last Thursday.
The pilot was forced to change course halfway through the six hour flight and make an unscheduled stop at Kansas City so officers could escort the woman from the plane.
Airport spokesman Joe McBride told WBTV: “The woman was being disruptive and was removed from the plane for interfering with the flight crew.
A female passenger was kicked off from an American Airlines plane after the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing as she refused to stop singing Whitney Houston’s hit song I Will Always Love You
“There was a federal air marshal on the aircraft, who subdued the woman and put her in cuffs and removed her from the plane.”
Despite staff telling passengers they could not take photographs while on board the aircraft, one managed to briefly film the woman being escorted down the aircraft’s aisle in handcuffs – still singing the 1990s pop song.
The woman was interviewed and later released without charge.
While the song she chose to entertain her fellow passengers with is best known for Whitney Houston’s cover in the film The Bodyguard, it was originally released by country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1974.
OJ Simpson is asking a Nevada judge to grant him a new trial in the 2008 armed robbery case that left him serving a 33-year prison sentence.
In his long-shot appeal, football legend OJ Simpson argues his defense lawyer was ineffective.
OJ Simpson was convicted of the robbery of what he said were stolen articles of personal memorabilia.
Separately, OJ Simpson was acquitted of the murder of his former wife and her friend in Los Angeles in 1995.
The former NFL running back is expected to testify during the five-day hearing, which begins on Monday. The former defense lawyer, Yale Galanter, declined to comment ahead of his scheduled testimony.
In 2007, OJ Simpson and five other men confronted sport memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room.
OJ Simpson appeared in court noticeably greyer and heavier than he did in his last public appearances
During the incident, two of OJ Simpson’s alleged co-conspirators carried guns.
OJ Simpson says Yale Galanter was ineffective at the subsequent trial because he had an personal interest in keeping private his own advice to Simpson.
Yale Galanter, according to OJ Simpson, had repeatedly assured him that he could take back items related to his sporting career – items Simpson believed had been stolen – as long as no one trespassed and no force was used.
The defense lawyer continued to conceal he was a witness to the crime, including during an appeal to a state court in 2010, Simpson says.
In a sworn statement outlining his planned testimony, OJ Simpson says Yale Galanter “vigorously discouraged” him from testifying and never told him that prosecutors were willing to let him plead guilty to charges that would have brought a two-year minimum prison term.
“He consistently told me the state could not prove its case because I acted within my rights in retaking my own property,” OJ Simpson said.
Dr. Norman Roitman, a Las Vegas psychiatrist, is expected to testify on Monday that OJ Simpson’s perception of what took place at the hotel room might have been muddled by football brain injuries as well as the effects of several vodka and cranberry juice cocktails.
Also expected to testify is former co-counsel Gabriel Grasso and another psychiatrist called by lawyers representing the government.
Appeals for a new trial because of ineffective counsel are seldom granted, but OJ Simpson’s history as a murder defendant in a widely-televised 1995 trial could affect the outcome, analysts say.
New reports claim Beyonce is pregnant with baby No 2.
Recent pictures show Beyonce with a rounded tummy on stage in London.
And another report claims the singer’s much derided Met Gala look was designed to conceal her growing pregnancy figure.
Beyonce – who welcomed her first child, daughter Blue Ivy Carter, into the world in January 2012 – is said to be expecting again with her rapper husband Jay-Z.
The New York Post claims “multiple sources” told them Beyonce, 31, is pregnant following her attendance at the star-studded Met Ball last week, where the star’s rumored pregnancy was the talk of the night.
Beyonce is reportedly pregnant with baby No 2
The singer is said to have “carefully” hidden her baby bump in a high-waisted Givenchy gown, but according to the report, multiple photos have surfaced of Beyonce sporting a growing stomach on her 65-date Mrs. Carter Show world tour, which touched down in Dublin, Ireland, on Sunday.
Blog Media Takeoutran photos showing Beyonce’s rounded tummy.
Beyonce and Jay-Z – real name Shawn Carter – remained tight-lipped about her first pregnancy until sensationally announcing it live at the MTV Video Music Awards in August 2011.
She recently admitted she would love to give her 18-month-old daughter a sibling, because she enjoyed such a close relationship with her younger sister Solange Knowles, 26, when they were growing up.
Beyonce said: “I would like more children. I think my daughter needs some company. I definitely love being a big sister.”
When pressed on when she may have another child, Beyonce added: “At some point, when it’s supposed to happen.”
Virgin boss Richard Branson was the brunt of a thousand jokes on Saturday night as he donned a skirt and a full face of make-up on a flight to Malaysia.
Sir Richard Branson, 62, swapped his boxer shorts for a pair of stockings after losing a Grand Prix bet with AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes two years ago.
The billionaire – who even shaved his legs for the flight – served drinks and pledged to clean the toilets on the special flight – all while sporting the red AirAsia uniform, which included a skirt suit and crisp white shirt.
Pulling his blonde locks back into clips, Branson completed his fresh new look with a sweep of red lipstick and a fetching set of false eyelashes.
Putting on a brave face, Richard Branson finally made good on the bet that he lost two years ago – after being too busy to see it through any earlier.
Richard Branson forced to dress as a stewardess after losing Formula 1 bet with AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes
“We both had Grand Prix teams and I was absolutely certain that I was going to win,” he said.
“Something went wrong. Of course the drivers of that race are no longer with us.
“I went to extreme lengths to avoid being here, but knew that one day I had to get it over with.”
The funds from the flight went to the Starlight Foundation for ill children, but as to how far Richard Branson would go for charity, he said he’d keep his famous beard.
“Have you not seen a stewardess with a beard before?” he asked before boarding the six hour flight.
Malaysian-born Tony Fernandes, who described Richard Branson as his mentor, used to work for Branson before setting up his own budget airline.
“As an AirAsia X’s flight attendant, he has to comply with our grooming standards and that includes shaving his legs, donning high heels, putting on some makeup and slipping into the AirAsia’s famous red uniform,” said the airline chief.
“He will be committed to carry out the responsibilities of a flight attendant, including offering coffee, tea and other food and beverages to guests on the special 6-hour Perth to Kuala Lumpur flight.”
Tweeting before the flight, Tony Fernandes wrote: “Anyone want a free flight up to Kuala Lumpur and be served by Richard Branson who lives in Perth. I got 2 to give.”
“I’ve done some outrageous things in my time but this will be up there with the best of them,” Richard Branson added before he boarded.
“I’ve just got to practice walking in high heels first.”
Olivia Colman was the big winner at BAFTA Television Awards 2013, taking the prizes for best supporting actress for Accused and best female in a comedy programme for Twenty Twelve.
Olivia Colman said of her win for Accused: “Turns out it does mean a lot. And I’m not going to cry.”
BBC Olympic satire Twenty Twelve also won best sitcom at the TV BAFTA Awards.
BBC One’s Last Tango in Halifax took best drama series and Channel 4’s London 2012 Paralympic Games won best sport and live event.
The Paralympics beat the BBC’s coverage of the Olympic opening ceremony, Super Saturday and the men’s Wimbledon final.
Ade Adepitan, who co-presented the award-winning Paralympic coverage with Clare Balding, thanked Channel 4 for “allowing us to show the Paralympics warts and all” and for “allowing us to be ourselves”, referring to his fellow Paralympic athletes.
Olivia Colman thanked Accused writer Jimmy McGovern and paid tribute to co-star Anne Marie Duff, adding: “If it’s alright with everyone, it’s for Anne Marie and me to share – we’re Anne Malivia Colemuff, we did it together and I couldn’t have done it without her to play off.”
When she collected her second award for Twenty Twelve, Olivia Colman praised her fellow nominees Miranda Hart, Jessica Hynes and Julia Davis, joking: “I’m not even the funniest one in our own programme.”
A tearful Sheridan Smith won best lead actress for ITV drama Mrs. Biggs, based on the true story of the wife of the Great Train Robber, Ronnie Biggs. She thanked the whole team behind the show, apologizing for her tears, adding: “I can’t believe it.”
Olivia Colman was the big winner at BAFTA Television Awards 2013, taking the prizes for best supporting actress for Accused and best female in a comedy programme for Twenty Twelve
Ben Whishaw won best actor for Richard II (The Hollow Crown) on BBC Two, and looked stunned.
The actor, who also played the role of Q in the James Bond film Skyfall, said: “I’m really, really surprised, I was hoping it would be one of the others just so I wouldn’t have to come up here and say anything. I’m thrilled, it’s amazing – I can’t believe it.”
Simon Russell Beale won best supporting actor for Henry IV Part 2 (The Hollow Crown), but was unable to attend the ceremony.
Michael Palin, who was presented with a BAFTA fellowship by fellow Monty Python member Terry Jones, said: “This is a fantastic honor for which I feel deeply unworthy. It is an award for thoroughly enjoying myself for the last 48 years.”
He also thanked the BBC, saying: “No other broadcasting company in the world would have given me the opportunity to do what I’ve done.”
Clare Balding, who won a BAFTA Special Award, said she was “aware this would not have happened if it weren’t for the magic of last summer”, referring to the 2012 Games, when she presented for both the BBC’s Olympic and Channel 4’s Paralympic coverage.
“I’m so grateful to the BBC and Channel 4 for putting me at the heart of those events,” she said, before tearfully thanking her parents and her partner.
BBC Two’s The Shame of the Catholic Church (This World) won the best current affairs BAFTA, beating the BBC One’s Britain’s Hidden Housing Crisis (Panorama Special), ITV’s The Other Side of Jimmy Savile (Exposure) and Al Jazeera Investigates’ What Killed Arafat?.
Other winners included Murder, from The Killing director Birger Larsen, which took the prize for best single drama, beating The Girl. Game of Thrones took the prize for audience award.
Anne Reid, who starred in Last Tango with Sir Derek Jacobi, said: “I’m so happy that the BBC at last have decided to do love stories about people who are over 35. Some of us do have quite interesting lives when we get to 70.”
BBC Two’s 7/7 One Day in London won for best single documentary and ITV’s Hillsborough – The Truth at Last (Granada Reports) took the BAFTA for best news coverage.
Room at the Top won best mini-series, beating Accused,Mrs. Biggs and Parade’s End and The Great British Bake Off won best features. Alfred Hitchcock drama The Girl had been up for four BAFTAs but left empty-handed.
Graham Norton hosted the ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall, where he won best entertainment performance for The Graham Norton show. He thanked the BBC, the guests and his team, who he joked did not enjoy being up on stage.
Steve Coogan won best male performance in a comedy programme for Sky Atlantic’s Welcome to the Places of My Life. He was not there to collect his award but a message from him read: “Thanks very much, I’ve got five now… “.
BBC Three’s The Revolution Will Be Televised was named the best comedy programme.
Channel 4’s Alan Carr won best entertainment performance for Alan Carr: Chatty Man while the channel’s All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry won best specialist factual show.
BBC One’s EastEnders took best soap and best reality and constructed factual show went to Channel 4’s Made in Chelsea. Girls won best international show.
Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary was celebrated during the ceremony with a montage of clips from the show and a sketch with the current Doctor and his assistant, played by Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman.
