Cortana’s How-To Instructional Video Revealed

Cortana is Microsoft’s voice assistant feature that will be debuting in the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update, and while Microsoft has yet to fully roll out the update to Windows Phone 8 users, the company has recently posted a video on how to use the voice assistant feature on Windows Phone.

The video Microsoft uploaded basically takes us through the basics of Cortana and what we can do with it, some of the commands we can use, and shows off some of its capabilities. In some way Cortana is pretty much what you would expect from a voice assistant feature, but at the same time Microsoft has made some interesting additions to it, such as its ability to make predictions.

During the World Cup 2014, it seems that thanks to Microsoft’s algorithms, Cortana was able to successfully predict 15 out of the 16 matches that took place, meaning that if you had place your bets using Cortana was your source, you would have easily walked away with a lot of money! In any case if you have a few minutes to spare and want to check out what you can expect from Cortana upon its release (it’s still considered under beta), check out the video above for more info!

Cortana’s How-To Instructional Video Revealed

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4.7-inch iPhone To Enter Production In July, 5.5-inch Model In August [Rumor]

apple logoIf the rumors are to be believed, Apple is set to launch two new iPhone this year – a 4.7-inch model and a larger 5.5-inch model. However last we heard, the 5.5-inch model could be facing some delays, hinting that it would either be limited in stock at the start or could even be pushed back to 2015.

That being said, a new report from Economic Daily has suggested that Apple is expected to kick off the production of the 4.7-inch model as soon as next week, meaning that it should be ready in time for launch and in sufficient quantities, assuming that Apple has anticipated the demand for the handset.

The publication goes on to note that as for the 5.5-inch model, that is expected to enter production in the second week of August, which puts it pretty damn close to the iPhone 6’s announcement which has been pegged for September. This suggests that when the iPhone is launched, we could be looking at limited supply at the start.

Rumors of Apple entering into production was fueled back in June where it was reported that Foxconn and Pegatron had started hiring more workers to help assemble the device. Foxconn had also revealed that they will be deploying Foxbots which will help with the assembling process.

4.7-inch iPhone To Enter Production In July, 5.5-inch Model In August [Rumor]

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Takee 1 Claims To Be World’s First Holographic Phone

A couple of years ago when the concept of 3D movies was starting to catch on, some companies, namely HTC and LG, decided that it would be a good idea to create 3D phones as well, meaning that users could look forward to 3D content and games without the need for 3D glasses, kind of like the Nintendo 3DS.

However fast forward to today, it seems that the idea of 3D phones did not catch on, but could holographic phones be next? Well a device by the name of the Takee 1 is hoping to kick off the trend with its holographic handset, which they are calling the world’s first holographic phone. In some ways it reminds of us Amazon’s recently announced Fire Phone as it does share similar features.

For starters the phone will sport a pair of cameras in the front that will track your face. From there, it will tweak the UI to create a depth effect, which like we said sounds a bit like the Amazon Fire Phone. However what makes it different is its ability to scan real world images using the camera to create 3D objects which can then be 3D printed, which in some ways reminds us of Google’s Project Tango.

The company also claims that the phone will be able to use in-air controls to allow the user to manipulate holographic images that will float above the phone’s display, as you can see in the video above. Now we’re not sure whether the video is using a mock up or if that’s how the actual projections would look like, but if it’s the latter, we have to say we’re very impressed.

As for the rest of its specs, the phone will feature a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a 13MP f/2.0 rear-facing camera, an octa-core MT6592T processor, a 2,500mAh battery, 32GB of onboard storage, and dual-stereo speakers. The company also claims that the phone’s metal chasis has been built using a new 3D metal cutting technology, and will be available in black, white, or a special edition 18k gold version.

Pricing and availability remain unknown but it will be interesting to see if it will be able to live up to its claims. What do you guys think? Could this be a case of overpromising and under delivering, or could Takee surprise us all and take the world by storm with its smartphone?

Takee 1 Claims To Be World’s First Holographic Phone

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Typhoon Rammasun: China Girds For Massive Storm

BEIJING (AP) — A powerful typhoon killed one person and damaged several houses on the southern Chinese island of Hainan on Friday after claiming 54 lives in the Philippines.

Typhoon Rammasun made landfall on Hainan southwest of Hong Kong at about 3:30 p.m. (0730 GMT) with winds as strong as 216 kph (130 mph), the official Xinhua News Agency said. The agency said Rammasun was the most powerful storm in at least nine years and possibly since 1973. A man in the town of Wengtian on Hainan died after he was struck by debris after his house collapsed in the typhoon, Xinhua reported.

More than 26,000 people on Hainan were evacuated and authorities required resorts and tour bus companies to suspend operations through Saturday afternoon. Xinhua said authorities had ordered the highest level of disaster alert for the region.

The local news website Hainan Net said ferries to the mainland and train service on the eastern part of the island were suspended. Xinhua reported that 36 trains in the Guangxi region west of Guangdong had been stopped.

The storm brought high winds and rain to Hong Kong and was due to plow through northern Vietnam after passing Hainan.

Rammasun barreled through the northern Philippines on Wednesday, drenching the capital, Manila, and knocking out power to whole provinces. The Philippine government raised the death toll Friday to 54. Three more people were missing and 100 injured.

Why I'm Excited About The Future of Feminism

Two and a half weeks ago, I was thrilled to open the annual conference of the National Organization for Women in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Albuquerque felt like the perfect place to meet up with activists and map out action plans to move the feminist agenda forward. Just a year ago, the women of Albuquerque formed an emergency coalition, Respect ABQ Women, to fight against a dangerous municipal anti-abortion ballot measure. Not only did they win, they won big — defeating the 20-week abortion ban by a 10 point margin. What a wonderful backdrop for celebrating our strength and mobilizing for the looming 2014 elections.

Representative Donna Edwards (D. Md.) kicked off the conference as our keynote speaker. She spoke about her experiences as a young mother, and how important it was for her to have a network of family and friends she could rely on. For most women, that network is more or less ad hoc; that’s why Rep. Edwards is playing a key role in pressing for a Women’s Economic Agenda. That includes quality, affordable child care, paid sick days, paid extended family leave, and stronger enforcement of equal pay laws. Needless to say, the room was on its feet after her speech!

The theme of this year’s conference was “Faces of Feminism: Strength in Diversity,” a framework that arose out of a day-long Women of Color and Allies leadership meeting (hosted by NOW) in October 2013. We know that women’s rights are under attack as never before, and that it’s more important than ever to build — in many ways, rebuild — the women’s movement from the strength of diversity, inclusion and intersectionality. That means, among other things, that as we work together we must each recognize when to step up and when to step back, when to speak out and when to use one’s position to amplify a sister’s voice (or simply to have her back).

The plenary panels and workshops featured academicians, national leaders and grassroots organizers discussing their work for the rights of immigrant women, women of color, women in labor unions, lesbians and transgender women, younger women, women with disabilities, and women in other parts of the globe.

Our plenary session titled “Young Feminists at the Intersections,” where young feminists shared their experiences and challenges advocating for women and girls in high school, college and beyond, drew a particularly large crowd. Millennials who identify as feminists consider it a given that sexism, racism and homophobia have no place in today’s society, and that undoing those -isms requires understanding how they intersect. For example, many African American women experience sexism within a context of challenges not shared by their white sisters — resegregated and under-resourced schools; the school-to-prison pipeline; racial disparities in wealth and health outcomes.

Conversely, many women of color experience race-based discrimination within a context of unequal pay, gender role stereotyping, domestic violence and sexual assault. Intersectionality demands that we recognize each other’s unique struggles even as we stand on common ground, working toward a shared vision of mutual respect and shared responsibilities.

No NOW conference would be complete without a strong focus on grassroots organizing, and one of the most important things feminist can do in the next five months is elect more feminists to office. Right wing forces are practically salivating at the prospect of taking over the Senate in 2014, just as they took over the House in 2010 — never mind how out of touch they are with what voters actually want. We must bring more women’s rights supporters to both the Senate and the House, but that will only come from a combined effort.

Candidates must do their part — it isn’t enough to point out how bad the other candidate is. To succeed, candidates must reach out and engage women voters on the issues women care about: better wages, equal pay, affordable child care, access to health care and an end to the constant attacks on safe, legal, medically appropriate birth control and abortion care. Only those who are loud and proud in their support for women’s issues will get women to go out and vote for them.

As advocates, we’re going to do our part too. At the conference, NOW PAC hosted a working lunch with PAC advisors Patricia Ireland and Carol Moseley Braun as well as Rep. Michelle Lujan-Grisham (D. N.M.), Prof. Christine Sierra of the University of New Mexico, and Kimberly Peeler-Allen, founder of Higher Heights for America. From different perspectives, the overarching message was clear: we have work to do! From this moment to Election Day, activists will be knocking on doors, making phone calls, engaging with our friends, co-workers, families and neighbors, and telling everyone we know how high the stakes are this year.

I came away from the 2014 NOW conference, as I always seem to, inspired by the energy and dedication of the amazing leaders and activists who were there with us, re-energized for the fights ahead, and deeply grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this powerful movement.

If you missed the conference, stay tuned — we’ll be posting highlights on NOW’s Youtube channel soon. And mark your calendars now for June 19-21, 2015 when we’ll be in New Orleans and June 23-26, 2016 when we’ll be in Washington, D.C. celebrating our 50th anniversary.

The 'Shocking' Truth about Net Neutrality

The spreading popularity of Net Neutrality really rankles those in Washington who have been trying so hard to portray it as a “government takeover of the Internet.”

NEW YORK — It’s rare for liberals and conservatives to find common ground in this era of political brinkmanship. That’s why it’s been refreshing to see a strong national consensus in support of Net Neutrality, the principle that protects free speech and innovation on the Internet.

Republican Alabama Representative Spencer Bachus, a champion of First and Fourth Amendment values, recently spoke out in favor of such protections, suggesting that the FCC treat Internet service providers like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon as common carriers, and prevent companies from blocking, censoring or discriminating against Internet traffic.

Makes sense, no? It does to the millions of people who have been flooding the Federal Communications Commission with letters, petitions and phone calls in favor of Net Neutrality. To protect Net Neutrality they have urged the FCC to reclassify Internet service providers as common carriers. Congress granted the FCC the authority to do this.

But don’t tell that to Phil Kerpen, the D.C.-based operative who makes it his business to fan the flames of partisanship and spread misinformation in the service of corporations.

Kerpen, who recently served as policy director for the big-business advocates at Americans for Prosperity, wrote in a recent commentary that it was “shocking” that Bachus would support a “liberal” idea that would “bring about total government economic control on the Internet that has never previously existed.”

In Kerpen’s version of reality, Net Neutrality “means the Internet ceasing to be a place of widespread innovation and competition and becoming something more like the old Ma Bell phone system, or your local water or power utility.”

While Kerpen is entitled to his views, he should at least be honest about them.

First, Net Neutrality is not a government takeover of the Internet. It’s the fundamental principle that prevents your phone or cable company from deciding which sites will work the fastest – and which won’t work at all.

This principle was baked into the DNA of the Internet at its inception: Users get to decide where they go on the network. A common-carrier rule would protect this free and decentralized flow of information. It doesn’t mean that the government would seize control of the network; it preserves the very democratic idea that the Internet is a space shared and shaped by its millions of users.

Second, common-carrier classification would not transform Internet service providers into government-run utilities.

Common-carriage rules are, well, common throughout the private sector. United Airlines is a common carrier. Disney’s rollercoasters are common carriers. Your cellphone voice service is a common carrier. None of these are government-run utilities.

In communications, common carriage is about protecting free speech over private networks. It’s a rule under which private communications companies have grown and prospered.

Moreover, telecom carriers invested 55 percent more to upgrade networks and services during the period when they were classified as common carriers than they have in the years since the FCC removed common-carrier rules from broadband services. Businesses invest and profit as common carriers.

Kerpen doesn’t want you to know this. In his alternate universe, common carriage stifles investment and silences free speech.

A lot more people see it as necessary to fuel innovations and protect our Internet rights. And they’re speaking out in record numbers. For them Net Neutrality is “the First Amendment of the Internet,” and rightly so.

We need more politicians like Bachus – leaders who are brave enough to take a stand against the phone and cable lobby and in favor of these everyday Internet users’ rights.

Rep. Bachus, don’t worry about fear mongers like Phil Kerpen. You stood up for the Internet. Now the Internet has your back.

Kim Kardashian Shares Photos Of Her 'Lady Lumps,' Sunbathes Topless In Yellow Bikini

Kim Kardashian may have voiced some discontent with her figure earlier this week, but the reality star is feeling very comfortable sharing some bikini shots on Instagram right now.

Kardashian posted the following two pics on Thursday, July 17. In one, she is seen sunbathing in a yellow bikini bottom sans top. She captioned the pic: “#OurLovelyLadyLumps.” In the other, she is seen from above, enjoying herself in the pool.

According to Us Weekly, the 33-year-old is back at Joe Francis’ house, Casa Aramara, in Punta Mita, Mexico. The blonde lounging next to her is reportedly Francis’ pregnant girlfriend Abbey Wilson.

Kim and husband Kanye West spent some time at Casa Aramara for their honeymoon last month.

Mere hours after posting the photos, Kardashian tweeted:

Should we expect more bikini shots just in time for the weekend?

The Top 12 Ways Restaurants Piss People Off

Dining out is one of life’s greatest leisure activities. Until it’s not. While most restaurants are well-oiled machines, there are so many moving parts that you can bank on something going wrong. Diners are willing to let a couple of these restaurant mishaps slide — we’re all human — but there are some blunders customers just can’t tolerate.

Consumer Reports put together a survey revealing the common restaurant complaints that put people over the edge. Consumers are pretty forgiving when the server forgets which diner gets which plate — as long as we get the food, right? And most people didn’t really care about restaurants offering nutritional information. But people were most upset when they were given dirty silverware — GROSS — with 76 percent of diners not forgiving this offense. Another major restaurant upset was condescending or rude servers.

Check out the infographic Consumer Reports put together to see the other top offenses (they’re the ones marked in blue) — and then go cook yourself dinner. At least then you’ll get exactly what you expect.

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h/t Fine Dining Lovers

13 Crunchy, Creamy Facts That Justify Your Love Affair With Peanut Butter

A love for peanut butter is a love like no other. The sometimes smooth, sometimes crunchy spread is so amazing, you might start feeling like you’re legitimately addicted. Because peanut butter goes so well with so many foods, you may have thought about having it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And when snack time rolls around, you can bet your Skippy that you’re eating some PB straight out of the jar.

So, for those who are hopelessly devoted to peanut butter, here are 13 ways glorious peanut butter can help your body, your soul and even the rest of the world.

1. Yes, peanut butter has fat. But it’s good fat.

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You know that eating olive oil in moderation isn’t a bad thing at all. The same rule applies to peanut butter. Two tablespoons of JIF smooth peanut butter has 2.5 grams of saturated fat. Two tablespoons of Barilla extra virgin olive oil contains four grams of saturated fat. Contrary to popular belief, consuming moderate amounts saturated fat is not problematic. Dr. Walter C. Willett , a well-know nutrition expert, told Harvard University that the body responds to saturated fat by increasing the amount of “both harmful LDL [cholesterol] and protective HDL [cholesterol] in circulation.”

2. It’s usually vegan and gluten-free, so everyone can eat it.

The ingredients in natural peanut butter are pretty simple, at least if you’re getting a quality spread. All it should include are crushed peanuts and maybe a little bit of salt. But most of us get a big commercial brand, like JIF or Peter Pan, which usually contains some more ingredients — most likely hydrogenated oils, sugar, and salt, which are also gluten-free and vegan-friendly.

3. Peanut butter is good for your dog.

If Cesar Milan approves of feeding his dog peanut butter, then you should too. Little does your dog know, it’s giving him some great vitamins and nutrients, like vitamin E and protein.

4. It provides some essential vitamins to humans, too.

Did you know that peanuts are one of the best sources of magnesium? It’s true. Two tablespoons of smooth peanut butter contains 49 milligrams of magnesium, which is 12 percent of your daily value. And magnesium is really good for your body! It helps in carrying calcium and potassium across cell membranes. The National Institute of Health explains that this process is “important to nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm.”

5. Peanut butter and bacon are a match made in heaven.

The Elvis Presley Sandwich.

In 1983, the Evening Independent decided to introduce their readers to something called the “Peanut Butter Banana Club.” The recipe calls for six (!) slices of bacon, one large banana, brown sugar, lemon juice, whole wheat bread, lettuce and crunchy peanut butter. And a lot of people seem to enjoy this version of the club sandwich. In fact, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg once said that his last meal on Earth would have to be a version of the peanut butter-banana-bacon sandwich. And he has some pretty detailed specifications. He told New York Post, “[…] it would be Wonder Bread toasted, with Skippy Super Chunky melted on it, slices of overripe banana and fresh crisp bacon.”

6. On the topic of salty bacon, peanut butter can help counteract too much sodium in a diet.

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This is a peanut butter hamburger topped with bacon from Half Baked Harvest

If you have found yourself eating too much salty food, peanut butter can come to your rescue. It’s chock full of potassium, a mineral that, according to the American Heart Association, relaxes blood vessels, which helps lower blood pressure. They also state that eating more potassium allows for more sodium to be released through one’s urine. Peanut butter ranks as a “high potassium food” with 210 milligrams in a two-tablespoon serving of the smooth variety.

7. Peanut butter could really help you stay on that diet.

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You may be shocked to believe this, but it’s true. Even though peanut butter has a good amount of fat in it, don’t forget that it’s a healthy kind of fat. It’s also a very filling food. Therefore, it keeps dieters fuller for longer, helping them resist the urge to mindlessly snack. Researchers at Harvard and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found in a study that people eating moderate-fat items, like avocados, oils and peanut butter, were able to stay on a diet longer and keep weight off for a longer period of time than those who ate a low-fat diet, which involved eating items with only 20-percent fat.

8. The more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches you eat, the more you could be helping the earth.

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In an effort to get people to start consuming less meat-based food to reduce our carbon footprint, The PB&J Campaign urges people to eat plant-based sandwiches (specifically PB&Js) instead of meat-based sandwiches for lunch every day. What a difference it makes! The campaign’s website states that each time you eat a PB&J for lunch instead of red meat, like a burger or a ham sandwich, you’re shrinking your carbon footprint by almost 3.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. You’ll also save 133 gallons of water and 24 square feet of land per each peanut butter and jelly lunch.

9. It can help you get the gum out of your kid’s hair.

We’ve all been there. Your kid’s chewing some gum and then all of a sudden it’s stuck in her hair. What’s a parent to do? Grab the peanut butter, of course! All you have to do is rub some peanut butter on the gum-affected area and the natural peanut oils will loosen the stiff gum, allowing for easy removal. Just make sure it’s the creamy kind (unless you like peanut bits in your hair).

10. Girls who eat peanut butter could lower their risk of developing breast cancer.

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In a study done by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Harvard Medical School, it was discovered that girls between the age of nine and 15 who regularly ate peanut butter were 39 percent less likely to develop benign breast cancer by 30. We guess that means it’s good news that the average American kid eats 1,500 PB&Js before he or she graduates high school!

11. Peanut butter has literally saved thousands of children from starvation.

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Back in 1996, a French scientist named André Briend desperately wanted to find a way to create a fast, ready-to-eat nutritional food for malnourished babies in underdeveloped countries. He made a product called Plumpy’nut, a 500-calorie silver foil package that contains a peanut butter paste filled with nutrients and vitamins that helps children get the healthy nutrients they need.

In a New York Times article, Doctors Without Borders nutrition specialist Dr. Milton Tectonidis explained just how much Plumpy’nut helped countries in crisis: “We’ve seen it working. With this one product, we can treat three-quarters of children on an outpatient basis. Before, we had to hospitalize them all and give them fortified milk.”

In 2010, the PlumpyField network (the producers of Plumpy’nut) came together with the United Nations to officially endorse a world action plan against malnutrition.

12. Peanut butter probably has as many antioxidants as your healthy juice.

Now you don’t have to feel left out when your friends keep boasting about all the antioxidants in their juices. You can tell them that your peanut butter sandwich has just as many antioxidants. According to the Peanut Institute, peanut butter contains phenolic acids, which are known to possess an “antioxidant function” that helps protect your body against various cancers and coronary heart disease.

Also, after testing a dozen different peanut varieties for their antioxidant count, Steve Talcott, an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, concluded, “When it comes to antioxidant content, peanuts are right up there with strawberries.” So now you can definitely call peanut butter (as long as it’s natural) a superfood.

13. Last, but definitely not least, you have the potential to eat peanut butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Peanut butter is versatile. You have the option of spreading it on something, mixing it with noodles, coating meat with it or turning it into a delicious sauce, just to name a few. Seriously, the options are endless. This would be our perfect — albeit, gluttonous — peanut butter-filled day:

We would totally start the day off right with these peanut butter and jelly pancakes from Heather Christo.

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For lunchtime, we’d stray away from the usual PB&J and whip up this “Peanut Butter and Jel-brie” from Finding Clairity.

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When dinnertime rolls around, we would get down with these Crispy-Roasted Indonesian Peanut Wings from Food 52.

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Then we would finish the day off with a sweet note with this “Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Concord Grape Coulis” from Food 52.

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Peanut butter forever…

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Wendy Williams' 50 Greatest Wig Looks For Her 50th Birthday

There is only one way to celebrate Wendy Williams’ 50th birthday: wigs — lots and lots of wigs.

With her own wig line and an award-winning “wigologist” on staff, it’s unsurprising that the talk show host is basically the end-all, be-all of hair. So without further ado, please hit play on the video above and scroll through 50 incredible wigs to celebrate 50 incredible years of Wendy.