Hasta La Gadget!

By Simon Evans

MIAMI, June 21 (Reuters) – Shane Battier, benched earlier in the playoffs, delivered a masterclass in three-point shooting for the Miami Heat, playing a vital role in their 95-88 win in the NBA Finals on Thursday.

Battier made a postseason, career-high six three-point field goals as he scored 18 – his highest points total in a playoff game in four years.

“Reports of my demise were premature,” said a grinning Battier, who did not feature at all in the crunch Game Seven of the Eastern Conference final against the Indiana Pacers.

Averaging just four points per game in this year’s playoffs, Battier was certainly not expected to have 28 minutes on court in Game Seven – more than he played in the first four games of the Finals.

“The basketball gods – I believe in basketball gods and I felt they owed me big-time. I had a bunch of shots in San Antonio that went in and out,” he said.

“I know I am a better shooter than my numbers put up. A lot goes into it – I thought I had some open looks in the last two games and when I have open looks, I expect to make them – and I did,” he said.

Battier’s performance mirrored that of Mike Millers in last season’s title-clinching game when he scored seven three-pointers to sink the Oklahoma City Thunder.

VEINS

The display left Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praising the perfect attitude Battier took to being left out of the action.

“He was smart enough to know that sometimes it is about match-ups and in a series things change. But he is so important to what we do that eventually he would get his chance again – when he did, he made the most of it.

“The guy has won at every single level – high school, college, pro and that’s not a coincidence. He has something running through those veins that separates him, makes him a little bit different as a champion.”

It was a Battier three, early in the third quarter that gave Miami a four-point cushion, setting the tone for the second half and igniting the crowd and another of his trademark long-range baskets that made it 88-82.

Dwyane Wade, who claimed his third NBA championship with Miami, having been part of the 2006 title-winning team, said Battier’s display epitomised the way in which the Heat’s supporting cast had made a key contribution.

“In Game Six it was Ray Allen with the big shot and obviously last year Mike Miller had an unbelievable performance,” he said.

“Shane hadn’t hit a shot since I don’t know when but tonight he was unconscious. He’s just a big-time player. You want that for Shane so bad.

“He is going to go down as one of my favourite team-mates of all time just by being the guy that he is.

“And we needed it. We needed every inch of what everybody gave”. (Editing by Ian Ransom)

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A Tokyo court has ruled that Samsung infringed Apple’s patent for "bounce-back" at the ends of pages scrolling screens—which disagrees with the US Patent and Trademark office’s call that the patent is invalid.

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Stay away pickpockets! Cargo pockets are slash-resistant and expand to fit a guidebook (remember those?).

(Credit: Clothing Arts)

Congrats to Ron G. of Chittenden, Vt., for winning a SwingTip golf-analysis system in our June 7 giveaway, and to Katie D. of Rockaway, N.J., for winning a package of Kanex travel tech last week. This week’s prize would help Katie keep all that new gear safe as she trots the globe.

Put your smartphone in a pocket within a pocket.

(Credit: Clothing Arts)

We’re giving away a pair of P^cubed Pick-Pocket Proof Pants, which, as their name suggests, help keep your gadgets and other valuables safe from thieves while you travel.

The pants have a number of high-capacity pockets that both zip and button, with a triple-secure hidden passport/money pocket that provides three possible levels of security between your wallet and the world. Two front pockets accommodate smartphones as large as the giant Samsung Galaxy Note.

The winner gets to choose a pair of pants in the style and color of their choice, from a nylon cargo-style convertible variety to cotton slacks that would look more at home in the boardroom. The wrinkle-free garb, … [Read more]

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We’ve been hearing rumblings that the FAA wants to start letting you use certain gadgets on airplanes through the “terrible 10,000 feet,” and according to the WSJ, it’s about to do just that. A 28-member industry and government panel’s draft report strongly recommended relaxing blanket rules against electronics that have been in place since 1966 due to massive changes in technology since then. The committee also cited reports showing that passengers often forget to turn off gadgets without any consequences and that airlines, left to enact their own rules, are much too conservative. If it goes along with the document, the FAA will likely allow the use of certain devices, like e-readers and music players, during all phases of flight — though the ban on cellphones is expected to continue since the panel wasn’t authorized to broach that controversial issue. As for other devices, the details are still being bandied about, and the FAA is unlikely to announce a formal decision until the end of September. Still, now might be a good time to start fortifying that music and book collection ahead of your next big trip.

Filed under: Misc

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Source: WSJ (subscription)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — President Barack Obama told a gathering of progressive activists on Thursday that he needs their help in pressuring lawmakers to move his agenda forward.

Obama addressed the crowd at Netroots Nation via a video message. He cited rebuilding the middle class, access to preschool, gun control, comprehensive immigration reform, Internet access in classrooms and Obamacare as areas where progressive pressure is crucial.

“On all these issues, I’ll do everything in my power to keep making progress. But I can’t do it alone,” he said. “I need you to put pressure on members of Congress and make your voices heard, just like you’ve always done.”

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