ESPN to debut live player-tracking visuals during MLS Cup

The MLS Cup 2014 is taking place this Sunday, December 7th at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles, where the LA Galaxy will play host to the New England Revolution. Obviously, one of the main stories around the final match of the season is the retireme…

Sony PlayStation 4 celebrates the 20th birthday of the PlayStation

ps4-20thThe Sony PlayStation certainly has a colorful history, taking into consideration that Sony more or less “stumbled” into the console market by accident – or at least the circumstances surrounding the company actually led to the release of the PlayStation that subsequently took the world by storm, so much so that its sequels, the PS2, PS3, and now, PS4 have gone on to grow from strength to strength, always presenting the best possible technology at the time of its release. I still remember how the Sony PlayStation delivered Final Fantasy VII – across multiple discs, to boot, and never mind the long load times, it was worth every single second. With 20 years passing by since the launch of the original PlayStation, where it was first introduced to Japan on December 3rd, 1994, Sony has decided to celebrate two decades of the PlayStation in existence by introducing the special 20th Anniversary Edition PS4.

As you can more or less tell by its name already, the 20th Anniversary Edition PS4 will come in the classic PlayStation shade of grey – and the same applies to the controller, too. It will definitely help you roll back the years and think of all the great moments that you have spent with the PlayStation all those years ago, although the 20th Anniversary Edition PS4 will sport cutting edge technology that has made it such a best seller across multiple markets today where consoles are concerned.

If you happen to live in the US and would like to place a preorder for the 20th Anniversary Edition PS4, then you might want to hurry up since it will be available in very limited supply. Preorders will kick off this Saturday, December 6th. As for the pricing details, we do not know of it just yet, but I suppose all will be revealed later this morning.

Press Release
[ Sony PlayStation 4 celebrates the 20th birthday of the PlayStation copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Rechargeable Snow Shovel does the heavy lifting

rechargeable-snow-shovelWinter! Now this is definitely a fun time, for sure. However, life has its very own way of balancing things out. With winter comes snow, and unless you are super rich with an entire platoon of servants catering to your every whim and fancy so much so that you do not need to lift a single finger to attend to this thing known as house chores around the home, then chances are those of you living in a standard house would have to shovel your driveway of snow should there be too much of the white stuff falling overnight. Of course, there is always the option to hire help or to install Heated Traction Mats, but with the world’s economy not doing roaring business these days, why not get some exercise in? Good thing there is the $249.95 Rechargeable Snow Shovel that will help facilitate the shoveling of snow in your driveway much faster and with less effort.

The Rechargeable Snow Shovel is a cordless powered snow shovel which is capable of clearing a path without the need for any heavy lifting on your side. This is made possible thanks to a 500-watt motor which will propel a two-blade paddle auger, helping toss snow up to 25′ and clearing a 13″ wide by 6″ deep pathway. Apart from that, there is a second handle located half way down the shaft which can be adjusted for optimal two-handed control, while the over 6′-long contoured shaft delivers ergonomic comfort that is easy on the back. The Rechargeable Snow Shovel tips the scales at less than 15lbs, making it ideal for walkways, porches, or patios. A 3-hour charge delivers up to 50 minutes of shoveling.
[ Rechargeable Snow Shovel does the heavy lifting copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Proof That Victoria's Secret Models Take The Ultimate Selfies

The ultimate selfie? One taken by a Victoria’s Secret angel, of course.

Yes, we know the biggest fashion show of the year is over, but that doesn’t mean the stalking is. As always, we were keeping tabs and the angels were on top of their Twitter game. From plane selfies to backstage snaps, we got inside access thanks to the Victoria’s Secret Twitter account. And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, Taylor Swift popped up.

Scroll down for all the shots you might’ve missed this week!

10 Instagrams Accounts Guaranteed To Get You Into The Holiday Spirit

‘Tis the season for holiday crafting, and we’re searching for as many DIY-ideas as possible. While Pinterest is always an amazing resource for a virtual crafting party (which can occasionally lead us astray), we’ve found that Instagram is yet another gold mine for great holiday ideas.

So after endless hours sifting through photos galore, we’ve located the 11 best Instagram accounts to follow this December. The best part? While these accounts are holiday-appropriate right now, the people who run them have great advice and fun projects all year long.

So take a look, click “follow” and pick a project!

1. @crafthunter
She’s scouring out the best deals, always participating in giveaways and shows us the CUTEST things that are apparently super easy to make.


2. @homepolish
These totally-fab interior designers have all the tips and tricks you’ll need to spruce up your own home or apartment.


3. @eddieross
Need help making that perfect flower arrangement, or figuring out how to set your table for 10? Eddie (of Better Homes and Gardens magazine) has got you covered.


4. @savorhome
You won’t just want to follow this account — you’ll actually want to be Tiffany Scales — the blogger behind this account filled with cake, kittens and flowers.


5. @weareknitters
Knitter or not, you’ll fawn over these DIY-holiday hats.

Warm heads are always appreciated ❄ #colovrs

A photo posted by We Are Knitters (@weareknitters) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:58am PST


6. @mscraftberrybush
This Instagram account is all things Christmas right now, and we couldn’t be happier about it.


7. @eclecvintage
Kelly Elko, who runs the account, finds cool things EVERYWHERE — consistently inspiring us to up our decorating game.


8. @beautifulmessofficial
Not only can the dynamic duo of Elsie + Emma show us how to make tree skirts beautiful, their colorful (and hilarious) personalities shine through in every post.

We’re sharing 3 easy no-sew tree skirts on A Beautiful Mess this morning. We can’t pick a favorite! ❤️

A photo posted by Elsie + Emma A Beautiful Mess (@abeautifulmessofficial) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:25am PST


9. @ellaclaireblog
Warning: this account will overwhelm you with adorable photos of young Ella (mom, Kristen, runs the Instagram account) in addition to the crafty creations you’ll see.


10. @mooncanyon
Follow this account, and you’ll have no trouble making a wreath, setting a beautiful table or creating a perfect flower arrangement again.

autumn with @designlovefest

A photo posted by kristen caissie (@mooncanyon) on Oct 10, 2014 at 6:45pm PDT


Happy Instagramming!

Cozy Hats, Cute Holiday Outfits And More Wonderful Cheap Celeb Finds

There are two things on our minds this time of year: Staying warm and dressing up for holiday parties. And this week, on our cheap celebrity finds list, we saw a good mix of both.

Nina Dobrev snapped a photo of herself in a cozy $29 winter hat, Taylor Swift wore not one but two cute outfits perfect for any Christmas party, and for those of you who just want to stay inside and binge watch T.V., Victoria’s Secret angel Candice Swanepoel found a great tank for lounging around.

Check out the best cheap finds of the week and let us know which ones have been added to your Christmas wish list.

Militant soccer fans reassert their key role in protest with storming of Cairo stadium

By James M. Dorsey

Militant, street battle-hardened soccer fans stormed a Cairo stadium in advance of the second leg of crowned Cairo Al Ahli SC’s African Confederation Cup final against Ivory Coast’s Sewe Sport in a reassertion of the fans’ key role in protest against the regime of toppled president Hosni Mubarak and subsequent Egyptian governments.

The storming constituted a rejection by the fans of an appeal by the interior ministry, which has banned spectators from attending matches for much of the last four years, to cooperate in ensuring an Egyptian triumph on the pitch. The appeal further was an effort by the ministry, the target of deep-seated soccer fan hostility because of its control of Egypt’s despised police and security forces, to pave the way for a reopening of stadia to spectators.

The appeal was also an attempt to rekindle differences among various groups of militant soccer fans or ultras whose rivalry is rooted in their intense loyalty to competing clubs at a time that an Islamist group, Ultras Nahdawy, plays a key role in mass student protests against general-turned president Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, and Ultras White Knights (UWK), the support group of Al Ahli arch rival Al Zamalek SC that like the Ahli fans played a key role in Mr. Mubarak’s overthrow, is fighting an attempt in the courts to outlaw it as a terrorist organization.

The ministry had said it would temporarily lift the ban on spectators and allow 25,000 fans to attend Ahli’s match against Sewe Sport. “We ask Al Ahli fans to help us to play our role in securing the match, as we and they are working for the sake of Egypt, our motherland. We are not their enemies, this match will be broadcast in most African countries and we want good image of Egyptian football,” the ministry said in a statement before the storming.

Ultras Ahlawy – UA07, the militant support group of Al Ahli many of whose members believed they would be barred from entry to the stadium, responded on its Facebook page that has more than 1.1 million followers with a text entitled “Try entering the stadium.” The text reflected the ultras’ hostility towards the security forces as well as a failure to implement an earlier agreement to replace security forces in the stadia with private security company personnel. Ultras said privately that the group would respond to the ministry appeal in good time.

A ministry statement said 2,000 fans had stormed the Cairo International Stadium by using a truck to break down one of its gates. “All the legal procedures are being applied to handle the situation and also to avoid the existence of provocateurs among those who stormed the stadium,” the statement said.

The ministry said the storming of the stadium was resolved with the fans’ agreement to leave and be searched before re-entering to watch the match. The agreement came after the ministry had reportedly threatened to cancel the game in a move that could have severely damaged the fan’s image but also made the ministry vulnerable to claims that it had weakened Al Ahli’s chances of winning the title.

For much of the past months, militant soccer fans have made their mark on university campuses that had become a focal point of protest against Mr. Al Sisi’s regime rather than in stadia that had been closed. The influence of Ultras Nahdawy, a group was formed by militant pro-Brotherhood supporters of Zamalek and Al Ahli that has since distanced itself from the Islamist group, is visible in video clips of the student protests in which protesters much like militant fans in stadia jump up and down while chanting and fire off coloured flares and smoke bombs.

The battle of the students and the fans is one for public space and against efforts by Mr. Al Sisi to depoliticize youth emboldened by its success in overthrowing a dictator after 30 years in office and angered by their being side-lined in the wake of their successful revolt and the rolling back of heavily fought achievements.

Lack of public space under Mr. Mubarak who tolerated no uncontrolled public space propelled highly politicized, well-organized, street battle-hardened soccer fans to the forefront of anti-government protest. History threatens to repeat itself under Mr. Al Sisi despite the fact that the president acknowledges that he and his predecessors have failed to reach out to youth under the age of 25 who account for half of the Egyptian population.

That gap was fuelled by the side lining of the youth almost from the day that Mr. Mubarak was forced to resign. It was further evident with relatively few youth participating in a referendum under military-backed rule following the coup against Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first and only democratically elected president, and in Mr. Al Sisi’s election. The low youth participation stood in stark contrast to the large numbers that participated in parliamentary elections in 2012 and the polls that brought Mr. Morsi to power.

Mr. Al Sisi has promised to correct the situation by creating a National Youth Council, increasing opportunities for youth participation in politics, and enhancing scholarship openings for study overseas. At the same time, the president warned students and youth from engaging in activity “with questionable political goals that serve the interests of unpatriotic groups in their endeavour to destroy the nation.”

Mr. Al Sisi’s warning appears to have so far fallen on deaf ears with a large number of students, fans and youths evidently putting little faith in his promises. The storming of the stadium was the last indication of the president’s failure to convince his detractors of his sincerity.

The storming highlighted soccer facilities as but one of a number of flashpoints of opposition to Mr. Al Sisi’s regime. Other potential soccer-related flashpoints include the pending court case that could lead to the banning of the UWK initiated with regime backing by maverick Zamalek chairman Mortada Mansour and the appeal against the sentencing to death of 21 people and lengthy prison sentence for others on charges that they were responsible for a 2012 politically loaded brawl in Port Said in which 74 Al Ahli SC fans died. Al Ahli fans blame the military and security forces for the deaths.

James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute for Fan Culture, and the author of The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer blog and a forthcoming book with the same title.

Sheldon Adelson Looks To Harry Reid For A Big Favor

WASHINGTON — Billionaire casino magnate and GOP sugar daddy Sheldon Adelson wants a big favor from Capitol Hill, and he’s looking to the top Democrat in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to help him.

Adelson, the chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corp., is best known for spending tens of millions of dollars in recent years to help elect Republicans, largely through super PACs and “dark money” groups. It’s not a stretch to say that he is partly responsible for the fact that come January, Reid will surrender the majority leader’s gavel to a Republican, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell.

For the next few weeks, however, Reid is Adelson’s best hope for accomplishing one of the billionaire’s top goals: to prohibit online gambling anywhere in the United States. The question is why would the Senate’s top Democrat, known for railing against the influence of conservative billionaires in American politics, be willing to stick his neck out for Adelson.

The answer lies back home in Nevada, where in two years Reid will run for re-election in what is already shaping up to be a tough battle. As a powerful figure in Nevada politics with money to burn, Adelson could do a lot to back Reid’s opponent — or not.

But first, Adelson wants the Democrat to help close a loophole in federal law that allows the states to operate and regulate online gambling. Thus far, New York, Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey have adopted some form of Internet gambling, with a half-dozen other states weighing similar measures. Adelson, whose billions come from his empire of brick-and-mortar casinos, wants to ban online gambling in the U.S.

On Capitol Hill, his crusade against Internet gambling has split the powerful casino lobby in two, with Adelson on one side and just about everyone else on the other. For major companies like MGM Grand and Caesar’s Entertainment, online gaming looks like a new source of revenue to help them weather a major downturn in the casino industry.

But Adelson doesn’t see it that way. He has bankrolled a group called the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling and hired powerful lobbyists like former Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) and former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) to press Congress for a ban. Adelson has also brought conservative Christian groups into the coalition, including branches of Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition, the same group that took millions of dollars from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s casino clients in exchange for mobilizing opposition to gambling.

In the spring of 2014, the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling scored a victory when Adelson’s usual allies, the Republicans, introduced the Restore America’s Wire Act, a bill that would amount to a federal ban on Internet gaming. But then a surge in conservative opposition to RAWA culminated in last month’s cancellation of a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill.

Below is a typical ad from the Adelson-backed coalition, emphasizing the dangers of online gambling to families.

If RAWA isn’t enshrined into law before Dec. 31, it will need to be reintroduced when the newly elected Congress convenes in January, a delay that would give its powerful opponents, which include both many major casinos and the Fraternal Order of Police, more time to marshal their forces. This is where Reid comes in.

In order to avoid a government shutdown, Congress needs to pass an omnibus spending bill, bundling many separate appropriations measures, before Dec. 11. Given the size and complexity of omnibus bills, they are typically crafted behind closed doors by congressional leaders, who often engage in horse-trading over pet projects until the very last minute. This kind of process is perfect for moving Adelson’s online gaming ban.

In recent weeks, his army of pro-RAWA lobbyists fanned out across Capitol Hill offices, including those of the two lawmakers with the greatest influence over the omnibus bill: Reid and his House counterpart, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).

“I know [Reid and Boehner] have had some discussions to some degree about when legislation could move and the need to address the issue,” Adelson’s chief lobbyist, Andy Abboud, told the industry journal Gambling Compliance in mid-November. “It’s just not clear as to when the timing will be.”

Reid is usually a reliable backer of the casino industry as a whole, critical as it is to his home state’s economy. But last week, he told Gambling Compliance that he was still deciding whether to take action on RAWA before the end of the year. “We’ll have to see,” Reid said, noting that he had “talked to [RAWA sponsor Sen.] Lindsey Graham and others” about his options. “We’ll have to see what the House does,” Reid said.

The fate of the online gambling ban could serve as a barometer of how much Reid is willing to do to help out one wealthy businessman, even over the objections of other powerful Nevada interests.

Should RAWA be inserted into the omnibus spending bill, it would bolster suspicions on Capitol Hill that the fiery Democratic leader and the conservative billionaire have struck a bargain to help one another — specifically, that Reid will help Adelson accomplish his priority in Congress, and in exchange, Adelson won’t spend his money to bolster Reid’s opponent in 2016. Reid is likely to face Nevada’s Republican governor, Brian Sandoval, who was re-elected in November by a margin of more than 20 percentage points.

Many in Washington did a double take earlier this year when Reid defended Adelson on national TV. Speaking in May about the millions of dollars Adelson had spent building support for RAWA at the state level, Reid told MSNBC, “I know Sheldon Adelson. He’s not in this for money; he’s in this because he’s got certain ideological views. Don’t pick on [Adelson]. He’s not in it to make money.”

Representatives for Reid and Adelson declined to comment on whether their bosses had a political truce. But in an interview last month with Nevada political journalist Jon Ralston, Abboud went out of his way to characterize Reid and Adelson’s relationship as a warm one — and RAWA as a done deal.

“Mr. Adelson and Senator Reid have a very genuine friendship,” Abboud told Ralston. As for RAWA’s prospects, he was supremely confident. “The die is cast on this,” Abboud said. “The cake is baked.”

If true, that should please Adelson. The casino magnate has made billions of dollars from gambling over his lifetime, and he could make billions more if he manages to quash the competition in cyberspace.

In return for an online gaming ban, it’s probably unrealistic to imagine that Adelson would publicly back a Democrat like Reid for re-election. But it’s not a stretch to imagine a repeat of 2010, when the billionaire donated just $2,400 to Reid’s Republican challenger, Sharron Angle, whom Reid defeated handily.

If Sandoval runs for Reid’s seat in two years, Adelson could be forced to choose between two lawmakers he likes: the popular governor, whose PAC received $300,000 in contributions from Adelson in late October of this year, and Reid, the sitting senator who may have one big chance left to show Adelson that he has the billionaire’s back.

Can The Cops Be Stopped Before They Kill Again?

So, that happened: This week, hard on the heels of the Ferguson grand jury decision, a grand jury in New York City returns no indictment on the police officer who choked Eric Garner to death on the streets of Staten Island. Can the cops be stopped before they kill again? 

Listen to this week’s “So That Happened” below:

* * *

Some highlights from this week:

“What’s really frightening about white cops killing black men with impunity is that it’s not a new problem for the United States. If you want to tell the history of the United States, one way to do it is to talk about hundreds of years of racial oppression.” — Zach Carter

Meanwhile, America’s first brush with an Ebola outbreak has been resolved, but President Barack Obama wants to do more to prevent the next one. Will Congress come through, or has interest with Ebola faded now that it’s no longer a sexy, midterm election issue?

“Now, this effort by the Obama administration — he could be a victim of his own success, because they’re trying to get Ebola money out of Congress. Members of Congress, who themselves might have been acting all panicky, will now be like ‘What Ebola? Why do we have to spend more money?'” — Arthur Delaney

And finally, we would like to introduce a new word to your political lexicon: CROMNIBUS. We’ll tell you what a cromnibus is, and how it could totally screw up your life.

“It’s one of John Boehner’s steam valve release moves. It’s just all this anger, and he has to let it out in a productive way.” — Jason Linkins

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We’re very happy to let you know that “So, That Happened” is now available on iTunes. We’ve been working to create an eclectic and informative panel show that’s constantly evolving and as in touch with the top stories of the week as it is with important stories that go underreported. We’ll be here on a weekly basis, bringing you the goods.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to “So, That Happened” on iTunes, and if you like what you hear, please leave a review. We’d also encourage you to check out other HuffPost Podcasts: HuffPost Comedy’s “Too Long; Didn’t Listen,” HuffPost Weird News Podcast, HuffPost Politics’ “Drinking and Talking,” HuffPost Live’s “Fine Print,” and HuffPost Entertainment’s Podcast.

This podcast was edited by Ibrahim Balkhy and sound engineered by Brad Shannon, with assistance from Christine Conetta, Chris Gentilviso and Adriana Usero.

Have a story you’d like to hear discussed on the “So That Happened” podcast? Email us at your convenience!

This May Be Mary Landrieu's Last Election Day

Mary Landrieu is facing down long odds as Louisiana voters go to the polls Saturday for a runoff to decide whether she will remain the Deep South’s last Democratic senator.

Landrieu has fought off election scares before. But Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy is giving her the toughest run yet. Never before has Landrieu, the scion of a famous Louisiana political family — her brother is the mayor of New Orleans and her father was once governor of the state — faced such a dismal atmosphere for southern Democrats and poll numbers so low.

A HuffPost Pollster average has Landrieu at 40.6 percent, far behind Cassidy’s 54.8 percent.

Most of Landrieu’s problems are not unique. Senate Democrats everywhere had a miserable Election Night in November. President Barack Obama’s low approval rating has hurt his fellow party members as Republicans have sought to “nationalize” the election.

Cassidy has hammered at Landrieu’s 97 percent support for Obama in the Senate.

“I represent Louisiana. She represents Barack Obama,” Cassidy said on a recent phone call, according to Politico.

Landrieu actually won a plurality of votes in the election’s first round in November. But because Louisiana uses an unusual “jungle primary” system, she now faces Cassidy alone — without tea party Republican Rob Maness drawing off votes on the right.

Landrieu has been at pains to emphasize that with the Senate now firmly in Republican hands, the race is no longer a national referendum on Obama. “What is still left to be decided is who is best qualified to represent this state for six more years in the United States Senate,” she said at a campaign event on Tuesday, according to The New York Times.

But a last-ditch effort to distance herself from national Democrats — with a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline — failed by one vote last month, undermining Landrieu’s longstanding claim to posses more clout than Cassidy would as a freshman senator.

In the final weeks of the election, Landrieu has sought to rally her base among women and African-Americans, and to suggest that Cassidy was paid for hours he did not work as a doctor at Louisiana State University.

Unfortunately, for Landrieu, black votes were down by 17,600 in early voting for the runoff, a likely sign that Landrieu’s last-minute gambit is not working. With white voters turning against Democrats everywhere in the South — including Louisiana — in the last 20 years, she has few other bases to turn to.

“I’m going to fight for the people of my state until the day I leave,” Landrieu said after the Keystone bill failed. But she seemed to recognize just how dire her situation was with her next words: “I hope that will not be soon.”