5 Foundations Every Successful Relationship Needs

Having a happy and successful relationship can be a struggle.It seems that all too often, our relationships go downhill over time, and we are left to wonder “why can’t things just be the way they used to be?”.

Foundations are the key to maintaining all the goodness in your relationship. They will determine the quality and success of your relationships years down the track.

“A house must be built on solid foundations if it is to last. The same principle applies to man” - Sai Baba.If you use the following foundations in your relationship, you will have an incredibly long-lasting, happy and successful relationship.

1.   Laugh together

Laughter is a very powerful thing! Did you know that laughter is even used as a form of therapy? This is because it has such a positive effect on us. When you laugh with your partner, it shows that you enjoy each others company, feel positive towards one another and actually “like” each other.

“It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive and you have the power to choose either”. - Wayne Dyer

That’s right, laughter is a choice! And it involves choosing to feel happy towards each other, and not angry or negative. All too often you see couples who are never happy when they are together. They have become frustrated and are used to each other. And sadly, they lose the excitement and the appreciation they once shared for each other.

If you can relate to this, and would like to bring life and joy back into your relationship, then chose laughter.

Choose to make your partner laugh at least once a day. If you want to, you can even think of it as relationship therapy, since laughing is a real form of therapy!

2.   Know each others love language

Did you know that we all have different love languages?

Love languages are the different ways that we all communicate and understand love.

Your love language and that of your partner can be as different as Chinese and English!

So it is absolutely essential that you learn your partners love language.

“We must be willing to learn our spouses love language if we are to be effective communicators of love” - Dr Gary Chapman

Here are the 5 different love languages:

• Words of affirmation
• Quality time
• Receiving gifts
• Acts of service
• Physical touch

We all have one or two major love languages.

Here is an example of the importance of understanding your partners love language:

• If your love language is physical touch, a kiss will speak louder than 1000 words – but,

• If your love language is words of affirmation, one kind or affirming word will speak louder than 1000 kisses

You might be showing love to your partner in every way that you know how and still, they might be telling you that you don’t love them enough. Well, it’s no secret anymore! You need to learn their love language.

3.   Understand love as an action

As you can probably tell from the above point, love is an action. Love is understanding how your partner feels loved, and then doing it. People often think that love is a feeling, and that once the feeling disappears – there is little hope for their relationship. Well it’s absolutely not true!

“Love is a verb. Love – the feeling – is a fruit of love, the verb” – Stephen Covey

This quote shows us that “feeling in love” is just as much of a choice as “Loving as an action”.

When you choose to love your partner (even if they didn’t do anything to deserve it), you are showing them real love. Love, that is unconditional and that does not rely on them loving you first.

If you view “love as a feeling”, you will both be waiting and waiting – and you still won’t “feel it”.

So understand love as an action and a choice, and then do it! You will have an incredibly happy and fulfilling relationship because of it.

4.    Don’t cross the line

This is one of the most important things to remember for a happy and successful relationship.

There are certain things that we never want to say or do to our partner. These are things that you would consider “crossing the line”.

Maybe for you “crossing the line” means:

• Losing your temper
• Yelling or screaming at your partner
• Saying I hate you
• Saying something unkind to your partner
• Using manipulation to get what you want
• Going to sleep while being angry at your partner
• Not saying sorry when you know you should have
• Getting aggressive towards your partner
• Bringing your partner down because you were angry

These are all damaging things for a relationship, but if you ask any child “Do your parents do any of these things” most of them would probably say yes to a number of them.

My theory is – that once you “cross the line”, it becomes easier and easier to do it again and again.

You might not like to do those things but in the heat of an argument – if you have already said “I hate you” once before, it becomes a LOT easier to say it again.

If you want a happy and successful relationship, try really hard to not “cross the line”.

Your relationship will be so much better off for it and you will stand a better chance at actually “liking each other” years down the track.

5.   Apologize often

We all make mistakes. We all say and do damaging things to our relationship. We are simply human.

Successful relationships rely on us admitting when we are wrong and then moving past it.

Apologizing makes the process of moving on 1000% times faster and easier. When we don’t apologize when we know we should, we are being proud. Love is not prideful.

“In general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes” - John Ruskin

To have a successful relationship, apologize often – so that you don’t make the mistake of being proud. Well, that’s it for the 5 foundations every relationship needs to have. If you use these foundations, the chances of having an incredibly happy, long-lasting and successful relationship will increase astronomically. Good luck!

Featured photo credit: @Depositphotos.com/gpointstudio via depositphotos.com

7 Ways to Increase Your Water Intake

Drinking water is essential to your health because the human body is made up of over 60% water. When your water intake isn’t equal to your output, you can become dehydrated and it can cause numerous health issues. Drinking enough water daily ensures that your body functions properly. The water flushes out toxins and helps energize the muscles of your body. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to drink enough water each day. We often get bored with water and crave sodas. Check out seven ways you need to increase your water intake.

1. Add fresh fruit

Drinking plain water can be a little boring, so why not spice it up? Add your favorite fresh fruit to the water and enjoy your drink. Its taste is very refreshing and exquisite and, of course, fresh fruit infused water has many health benefits. You can add a slice of lime, orange, lemon or cucumber to a glass of water. The good news is that you don’t have to go to spa or restaurants to enjoy the taste and health benefits of fresh fruit infused water. Make it at home and save your money.

2. Make water accessible

The main thing you should do is to get all harmful items out of sight. I mean a pitcher of juice or a bottle of Coke. These drinks are full of Aspartame, artificial dyes and unnatural sweeteners. Make clean water more accessible. You can buy water purifying system or bottled water. Moreover, if you are going to be out and about all day or sitting at a desk, don’t forget to take along a bottle of water. 

3. Don’t gulp water at once

Sip water, don’t gulp! It is better to drink it partially all day long. Also, don’t wait until you get thirsty. Begin sipping early in the morning and sip all day long. It is harmful to gulp water at once, that’s why you should drink slowly and enjoy the taste of water.

4. Use reusable water bottles

I’ve got an idea how to increase the intake of water and I’d like to share it with you! If you don’t like running to the kitchen to fill your cup with water, try to do the following thing. Fill up 4-5 reusable water bottles with water and ice and place them in different rooms. You will have an opportunity to drink water more often than usual.

5. Keep water-to-go ready in your fridge

Unfortunately, my busy days don’t give me an opportunity to keep the level of water in my body in order. I don’t know about you, but I often forget to drink water. That’s why I always have water-to-go ready in the fridge. It takes a minute to grab a bottle and throw it in your bag. Thus, you can sip water almost everywhere.

6. Drink water before each meal

A glass of water 30 minutes before meal has a positive effect on your health. Firstly, it can reduce calorie intake. Secondly, it helps prevent overeating. But you shouldn’t drink more than one glass before each meal, because too much water can lead to serious health problems.

7. Eat water-enriched food

One of the easiest ways to increase your water intake is to consume more water-enriched foods. Fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon, cucumbers, strawberries and tomatoes, are high in water, so use them in your salads, smoothies or eat them raw. This way, you will increase your water intake and improve your overall health.

Water is a major constituent part of the body. It helps keep you hydrated as well as healthy. Do you drink enough water every day? What do you do to increase your water intake? 

8 Foods to Eat Every Day for Perfect Skin

Are you tired of using different expensive and ineffective beauty products? It’s time to throw away all those ineffective products and start eating foods for perfect skin. I went from terrible acne five months ago to not having acne now. It was hard, but it was possible, and less expensive than turning to pricey products. While some foods can aggravate your skin, others can enhance it. Check out a list of 10 foods to eat every day for perfect skin.

 1. Red bell peppers

Red bell peppers are a tasty vegetable that can be enjoyed either cooked or raw. One red bell pepper contains more than 100% of your daily vitamin C needs. It also contains significant amounts of dietary fiber and vitamin B6. Moreover, it is rich in carotenoids that can help prevent wrinkles and increase blood circulation to your skin, helping it look more youthful. Due to their carotenoids, red bell peppers are also great to fight acne.

A red bell pepper is a perfect, low calorie snack that contains about 30 calories and has a really satisfying crunchy bite. Keep slices of red bell peppers in the fridge, so you will always have something healthy and tasty to reach for when you are having a snack attack. The fiber that a bell pepper contains will help you to feel full longer with very little calories. Plus, you will have a flawless skin!

 2. Dark chocolate

This is one of my favorite foods to eat every day for perfect skin! Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, fatty acids and flavanols that promote glowing skin. The antioxidants in dark chocolate will help reduce roughness in your skin and protect it against sun damage. Moreover, cocoa relaxes arteries, increasing blood circulation that leads to healthier skin.

I usually buy cocoa powder or raw cacao for less fat. And if you like dark chocolate, eat your ounce of dark chocolate every day and make sure you choose at least 80% cacao content in order to avoid milk and added sugars found in a traditional chocolate bar.

3. Salmon

Salmon is an excellent food to fight stress, anxiety, and depression. Salmon also provides most of your daily vitamin D needs. And as you may already know, Vitamin D is responsible for keeping your heart, bones, colon and brain healthy. It also helps prevent colon cancer, anxiety, depression, heart disease and bone disease.

Salmon is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids that are excellent for fighting inflammation, wrinkles and acne. Its high omega-3 content also helps hydrate your skin from the inside out. Moreover, eating salmon keeps your scalp hydrated and promotes strong, healthy hair.

 4. Coconut oil

Coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fat with about 90 percent of calories as saturated fat. It contains lauric acid, a powerful antibacterial and antiviral agent that keeps away viruses, infections, inflammation and acne. Coconut oil is also rich in essential fatty acids and Vitamin E, which are perfect for keeping your skin moist, soft, and wrinkle-free.

I use coconut oil as a body cream and consume 1 tbsp. of raw coconut oil every day. Coconut oil is especially good for your thyroid. Plus, there’s considerable evidence that this oil can help lose weight. So many health benefits, don’t you think?

 

5. Green tea

Well, so I know green tea is actually a beverage, but tea leaves come from a plant! Even though I love black tea, I drink green tea every day because I know that it is a great source of antioxidants and a unique amino acid, L-theanine that helps relax your body and lower stress.

When the tea is hot, the bionic brew releases catechins, a kind of antioxidant with proven anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Green tea may also reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure. Drink 3 or more cups of tea every day for better results.

  

6. Seeds

Chia seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds are all great for your skin. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are both rich in selenium, Vitamin E, magnesium and protein. Selenium and protein keep all wrinkles away, Vitamin E enhances moisture in your skin and magnesium lowers your stress levels. The healthy Omega 3 fatty acids in flax, chia and hemp seeds are perfect for fighting wrinkles and acne. Plus, these seeds are rich in protein.

Just sprinkle seeds right on top of your salad or oatmeal and enjoy the great taste as well as perfect skin. I like to add seeds to a fruit yogurt, I think it tastes even better. I also add raw pumpkin seeds in my oh-so delicious smoothies. And what are your favorite seeds? How do you eat them?

  

7. Papaya

 Papaya is a wonderful fruit which has a rich history and numerous nutritional benefits. It is very low in calories (only 39 calories per 100 g!) and also contains no cholesterol. So if you are trying to lose weight, consider eating papaya every day to maximize its health benefits.

A great beauty food, papaya is low in fructose and is excellent for digestion! The antioxidant nutrients found in it, including Vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, are great at reducing inflammation and acne. Moreover, Vitamin C may also protect your skin against sun damage.

8. Carrots

Carrots are good not only for your eyes, but also for your skin. They are especially good for clearing up breakouts. Carrots are rich in vitamin A and they help prevent the overproduction of cells in the outer layer of the skin. That’s where excess sebum combines with dead cells and clogs pores.

Another great reason to snack on some carrots is because Vitamin A reduces the development of skin-cancer cells. So make sure you nibble on a half-cup of baby carrots every day for perfect skin. I love carrots and I think they make a great snack.

You don’t have to eat all these foods every day, but even some of them would be great! Be sure to avoid junk foods, too much sugar, trans fats and refined carbs for the best skin possible. Which of these foods do you eat every day? Share your thoughts, please, and thanks for reading!

http://en.amerikanki.com/

 

Amazon Fire Phone

It's here! Meet Amazon Fire, the etailer's very first smartphone. Anyone out there nail its name?

The Amazon phone is about what we expected on the spec front, but it's loaded with two features that Amazon claims help users "see and interact with the world through a whole new lens."

Those features are Dynamic Perspective and Firefly, which we breakdown further below, plus plenty of details on everything else the Amazon phone has to offer.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Amazon's phone event, besides the eye-catching 3D (which doesn't necessarily mean customer-catching), is the phone's heavy ties to buying. Amazon wants you to purchase things, and now it's come up with a way for you to do so from your pocket. 

What are your thoughts on Fire? Is it everything you were hoping for and more? Or a let-down that can't hold a candle to the iPhone 5S, Galaxy S5 or other flagship devices? Is Amazon simply trying to sell you more stuff, or looking like it legitimately wants to succeed in the smartphone space? 

Amazon Fire Phone price and release date

The Amazon phone will cost $199.99 (about £117, AU$213) for a 32GB version and $299.99 (about £176, AU$320) for 64GB. Off contract, Fire costs $649.99 (about £382, AU$691) and $749.99 (about £441, AU$798), respectively.

The Fire Phone will be an AT&T exclusive, and pre-orders start today. It ships on July 25 and should be available in stores then as well.

AT&T customers with a Next early upgrade package can get away with paying $32.50/month for 20 months on Next 12 or $27.09/month for 24 months on Next 18 for the lesser storage flavor. A 64GB will run $37.50/month for 20 months on Next 12, while a next 18 option costs $31.25 for 24 months.

As an added bonus, customers who buy the Fire phone will be treated to 12 months of Prime membership free, but the offer is only running for a limited time. 

Amazon Fire Phone Specs

The device features a 4.7-inch screen, a size ideal for one-handed use, said CEO Jeff Bezos. It ranks with 590 nits of brightness and other goodies like an ambient light sensor and Dynamic Image Contrast to make your screen images sing in various viewing situations. The resolution sits at 1280 x 720 with 315ppi.

Gorilla Glass 3 is slathered on the front and back, the buttons are made of aluminum and stainless steel details and a rubberized polyurethane grip make for a chic profile.

On the inside, the Fire Phone features a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 2.2GHz processor, Adreno 330 graphics and 2GB of RAM. As expected, the Fire runs a forked version of Android, Fire OS 3.5.0.

As for cameras, we know it's fixed with a 13MP snapper on the rear, complete with OIS and a powerful f/2.0 lens. There's even a dedicated camera hardware key - press once to turn it on, twice to take a shot. Amazon is throwing in free unlimited photo storage on Amazon Cloud Drive to sweeten the deal.

The front camera - the normal one - is a 2.1MP-er. Both it and the rear camera can capture video in 1080p.

Dolby Digital Plus surround sound speakers crank out the Fire Phone's audio. The Fire phone features global LTE and connectivity on nine LTE bands, four GSM bands and five UMTS. It features 802.11ac support, Wi-Fi channel bonding, Bluetooth and NFC. Note this is regular Bluetooth and not the LE kind that makes for wearable connections.

We suspect the device is going to need a lot of juice to run its 3D features, and Amazon only managed to put a 2,400mAh battery in to fuel the Fire. The company said in release notes that the Fire has 285 hours of standby time, up to 22 hours of talk time, up to 65 hours of audio playback and up to 11 hours of video playback. But running Dynamic Perspective and extensive testing is needed to see if these numbers are attainable.

Finally, a nanoSIM is preinstalled and the phone has space for a microUSB 2.0 and 3.5mm headphone ports.

Amazon Fire Phone 3D features

The Amazon phone screen has an interface called Dynamic Perspective to adjust the a 3D image on the screen to match users' head position. Lockscreens and wallpapers have a 3D effect, though that's not all.

Bezos demonstrated on stage how the device could render a building on a map in 3D. The building - the Empire State, to be exact - looked like it was coming out of the Amazon phone's screen, and moved as the user moved.

Neatly, in maps, you can tilt the phone to see what's "tucked" information that lives on another layer, like Yelp ratings and reviews, and see under and around edges.

The fun doesn't stop there. Fire Phone also lets you one-handed tilt through a line-up of items you may be shopping for, like women's dresses, in the Amazon Shopping app. You can also auto-scroll through an article, a web browser or ebooks, and tilting in Amazon Music reveals song lyrics.

And Dynamic Perspective seems acutely tuned to games, making the images you see on screen pop out and forcing you to manoeuvre around them just by moving your head.

Dynamic Perspective is good at recognizing what's a human head and what's not, and there will even be an SDK for the feature so app developers can 3D-ify their games and offerings.

Bezos explained onstage in Seattle that in the early days of the Fire Phone, Amazon went so far as to make its own headset to emulate 3D effects. That's not really practical for real-life, Amazon concluded, which is perhaps a little jibe at Google Glass.

To solve the 3D issue, Amazon did indeed stick four front-facing cameras on each corner of its phone. No matter what angle it's being held at, two cameras will always be facing the user, Bezos claimed. They are of the infrared variety - ultra-low power, Amazon swears - so they work in darkness.

The Dynamic Perspective system also relies on four infrared LEDs on the front to compliment the cameras. 

More Amazon Fire Phone Features

The Amazon phone is full of little touches, like swipes, to make it easier to use. Bezos and Co. seem very keen to make the Fire Phone as user-friendly as possible, probably hoping to keep their customer satisfaction rankings cozy in their No. 1 slots.

Following in line with the Kindle tablets, the phone features a dedicated Mayday button to connect to customer support. It will work over Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G, and is free.

Because video is so tied to the Amazon experience, the company has included a number of video features with its first handset. IMDB's X-Ray is headed to the Fire Phone, and Second Screen lets uses Miracast video from their Fire phone to their Fire TV. ASAP, another Fire TV feature, is also making it to its phone-y cousin.

The Kindle Store, Audible, Kindle Newstand and the recently purchased Comixology are accessible on the phone.

Taking advantage of Amazon's digital content library, the Fire provides "instant access" to over 33 million songs, apps, games, movies, TV shows, books, audiobooks and magazines. Prime members will get unlimited streaming access to movies and TV episodes at no extra chard. The same sort of deal applies to Kindle Owners' Lending Library and Prime Music members. 

An enhanced carousel features "active widgets" that show you the last several messages, emails or alerts in your various communication and organization apps.

The info pops up right on the home screen and users can deal with it without ever wandering away. Third-party apps can come up with their own uses; USA Today flashed headlines that are relevant to a user while Zillow popped up property information based on location.

The Music app features a "three-panel design," with the left for navigation, the center for various controls and the right with lyrics.

Amazon Fire Phone Firefly

Amazon also unveiled something called Firefly. By pressing and holding a dedicated button, the Fire Phone can recognize printed phone numbers, email and web addresses, business cards and much more. Firefly even works at a distance, so you can capture a phone number on a sign from across the street, for example.

The idea is to be able to send an email, make a call, save a contact or go to a website without having to type it all into your phone. 

It doesn't stop there though; Firefly can also recognize songs, TV episodes, art, magazines, movies, music, QR codes and bar codes. iHeart Radio and StubHub build their own apps with the Firefly SDK to make it easier for customers to start a new radio station or find concert tickets.

Users can pull up info on items like books or a painting, potentially making it a handy information tool.

By the numbers, Firefly recognizes 245,00 movies and TV episodes, 160 live TV channels and 35 million songs. It can supposedly ID 70 million items (over 100 million all told), such as books, DVDs, video games and CDs, and even work around issues like folds, glare and curves. Users can then read product details for these items, add them to their Wish List, and order them on Amazon.com.

Translation - it's easier to buy things with the Fire Phone.

Amazon is releasing an SDK for the feature, meaning third-party developers can take advantage of its item-recognition abilities in their apps, too. The SDK is available immediately.

How DO Astronauts Watch the World Cup Live in Space..?

If you think you’re going out of your way to watch your favorite World Cup soccer games down the pub because you’ve forgotten to subscribe to ESPN, imagine what it must be like for football fans in space. Space station astronauts and cosmonauts can’t simply tune in to regular TV and they certainly can’t pull up a bar stool at the Kings Head in front of the HD wide-screen.

But fortunately for the six-man crew orbiting over 200 miles above our heads, NASA has an infrastructure in place that allows live and recorded terrestrial television to be beamed into low-Earth orbit.

As explained by DNews’ Trace Dominguez NASA uses a special Ku broadband connection with the space station that allows requested shows or events to be watched by the space station crew between their busy work schedules. Of course, the astronauts can’t just flick channels whenever they please, Mission Control in Houston, Texas, has possession of the remote control.

“Space station crew members request whatever programming they would like to see, and Mission Control arranges for those television shows to be uplinked to them on their Station Support Computers,” Public Affairs Officer Stephanie Schierholz, at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C., wrote in an email to Discovery News. “NASA’s Johnson Space Center television infrastructure pulls in programming from both commercial and cable outlets and can route any connection to Mission Control for uplink to the crew.”

For up to 80 minutes of every 90-minute orbit around Earth, the space station crew can have connection to the Mission Control feed. “For example, the final match of the World Cup falls during off-duty time on a Sunday, so (the space station crew) might choose to watch some of the game live during the times they have Ku-band connection to Mission Control,” added Schierholz.

For more detail on how the space station gets its World Cup fever on, watch Trace’s space-soccer-tastic DNews video below:

World Cup Kicks Off, Here’s Brazil from Space

The soccer World Cup kicks off in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and during a recent orbital pass of the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman snapped a serene nighttime shot of the soccer nation.
In the photograph, the city lights of Rio de Janeiro (center-right) and Sao Paulo (far-right) can be seen and, interestingly, three of the World Cup stadiums are also in the frame: Arena de Sao Paulo, Estadio Mineirao (Belo Horizonte), and Estadio Do Maracana (Rio de Janeiro).

news.discovery.com

Adidas Brazuca

The Adidas Brazuca is the official match ball of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which is being held in Brazil.It is made by the company Adidas, a FIFA Partner and FIFA World Cup Official Match Ball supplier since 1970. The ball was supplied for the world cup by Forward Sports of Sialkot, Pakistan.

Naming

The name of the ball was revealed on Sunday 2 September 2012. It was selected by a public vote organised by the Local Organising Committee and Adidas, with over one million Brazilian football fans voting. The name Brazuca was chosen with 77.8% of the vote. Two other voting options were given: Bossa Nova (14.6% of the vote) and Carnavalesca (7.6% of the vote).

According to FIFA, "the informal term 'brazuca' our fellow is used by Brazilians to describe national pride in the Brazilian way of life", and "mirroring their approach to football, it symbolises emotion, pride and goodwill to all". The term is also used as slang for "Brazilian" and became well-known abroad due to the Brazilian diaspora.

Technical aspects

The ball is a developmental successor to the Adidas Tango 12 series of balls, with the same bladder and carcass but a different surface structure The ball weighs 437 grams and has a circumference of 69 centimetres. The ball has been made of six polyurethane panels which have been thermally bonded; the reduction in the number of panels is claimed to increase the consistency in the ball. The Brazuca ball has been stated to be more aerodynamic than the Jabulani ball used in South Africa for the previous World Cup. It is textured to feel more like the Adidas Finale 13, the official UEFA Champions League ball, than the Adidas Jabulani.

Design

The ball has a multi-colour design to represent Brazil

Testing

The Brazuca has gone through an extensive testing process before its use at the World Cup. Adidas had been developing the ball for over 2 years, and had worked with many teams and players to ensure the ball was acceptable. The ball has appeared in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, DFB-Pokal (German Cup) final as well as disguised as the Adidas Cafusa in international friendly matches.

Production

The Brazuca is produced in Pakistan. The original manufacturer is Taipei-based Long Way Enterprise who manufacture the ball in their subsidiary YaYork Plastic Products in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China. The company has been associated with production of Adidas balls since 1997.

However Long Way was unable to meet the high demand for the ball. A second supplier, Forward Sports (based in Sialkot, Pakistan), was brought in to help manufacture the ball.Forward Sports, who have been associated with Adidas since 1995 and already supplied footballs for both the Champions League and the German Bundesliga, were awarded the contract by Adidas at short notice after the original manufacturer in China failed to meet the demand.

 

 

 

Unveiling

Adidas unveiled the Brazuca at a launch event on 3 December 2013, two days ahead of the traditional unveiling of the World Cup match ball at the draw of the group stages of the World Cup Final. The launch event took place in Rio de Janeiro at Parque Lage and featured a 3D light projection, which revealed the Brazuca to everyone in attendance.

On 7 December 2013, Major League Soccer announced a FIFA-approved version of the Brazuca as the official match ball for the league's 2014 season.

 

 

Buy Brazuca Online..

Windows Phone 8.1: Top Eight New Features

 

 

 

Microsoft launched its highly-anticipated Windows Phone 8.1 update at its keynote address at the Build 2014 conference on Wednesday. The event also saw the unveiling of the Windows 8.1 Update operating system version, alongside three new devices, Nokia Lumia 930, Lumia 630 and Lumia 635, which will be the platform lead devices for Windows Phone 8.1 OS version.

Microsoft's Joe Belfiore, VP Windows Phone program management and design, introduced a bevy of enhanced features in the Windows Phone 8.1 that the Redmond giant hopes will bring more personal and smarter experience for consumers.

Microsoft has announced that Windows Phone 8.1 will start rolling out to Windows Phone 8 users in coming months. The Redmond giant also confirmed that the entire Nokia Lumia range will get OTA (over-the-air) update called Lumia Cyan, which will include Windows Phone 8.1 features and the new Lumia features into one update.

We've broken down the eight biggest new features in the Windows Phone 8.1 including the ones that made it into the highlights - Cortana, Action Centre, Word Flow and more personalised Start Screen.

1. Greater Start Screen Personalisation

Microsoft in an attempt to offer more customisable options to Windows Phone users, has added 'Start background' feature that allows users to add an image to the tiles on the Start screen of the device.

The feature will add an image of the user's choice to multiple tiles on the Start screen. Earlier, the Live Tiles on the Start screen on Windows Phone 8 were limited to solid colours.

In 2013, Microsoft added the third Live Tile column on the Start screen of the Nokia Lumia 1520, and then left it to manufacturer adoption. However, with the Windows Phone 8.1, the company has now added an extra column of Live Tiles on all screen sizes, with users able to choose whether to turn this feature on.

   

2. Cortana: Finally arrives to take on Apple's Siri and Google's Google Now

One of the highlight features of Windows Phone 8.1 is Cortana, which is Microsoft's voice-based virtual assistant. The Redmond giant's Cortana is based on a popular AI character in Microsoft's blockbuster video game franchise, Halo.

Cortana is powered by Bing and is similar to Apple's Siri or Google Now, completely replacing the search feature in WP8.1. Microsoft's Joe Belfiore claimed that the new digital assistant from Microsoft will get better with time as a user spends more time with it by asking questions to Cortana, filling up details in its Notebook section.

Cortana can be launched by pressing the Live Tile placed on the Start screen or by pressing the Search button on the Windows Phone device. Belfiore said that Cortana can interact verbally or by typing, and stressed its ability to understand natural language voice commands. It can also interact with third party apps, though developers will have to build Cortana-compatibility into their apps.

Microsoft has announced that Cortana will be available first in the US as a 'beta' and later will released in the UK and China in the second half of 2014, while in other countries Cortana might reach by 2015.

3. Action Centre for notifications

Microsoft has finally launched one of the most awaited features on Windows Phone platform, the Action Centre. The Windows Phone 8.1 update brings the Action Centre to all Windows Phone-based devices which will show notifications for calls, messages, emails, apps and others. It will also offer quick settings access to Flight Mode, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Rotation Lock options. Notably, the quick access options are customisable.

The Action Centre for Windows Phone 8.1 can be accessed by a simple drop down swipe gesture like seen in Android and iOS.

4. Word Flow Keyboard

Another big addition in the Windows Phone 8.1 has been the introduction of the Word Flow Keyboard, which is a Swype keyboard-like feature for Windows Phone users. The Word Flow Keyboard allows users to glide over the display and type words.

Microsoft claims that the Word Flow Keyboard is one of the 'most intuitive smartphone keyboards' and learns from users writing style. Belfiore noted that the Word Flow Keyboard supports 16 languages, though has not named the languages supported.

Belfiore even claimed that, thanks to Word Flow Keyboard, a kid was able break the Guinness World Record for fastest writing on a smartphone earlier held by Swype keyboard on a Samsung Galaxy S4.

 5. Skype Integration
Microsoft has also upgraded the Skype integration in Windows Phone devices with its latest Windows Phone 8.1. Now, the new Skype app for Windows Phone 8.1 comes with dialler integration that allows a user to switch a regular call to a Skype video call with a click of a button. Further, Skype has also been designed to work with Cortana, as users can setup Skype calls via the new voice-based virtual assistant.

  

6. Upgraded imaging experience

Microsoft takes the Windows Phone photography experience to the next level with the revamped Camera Roll, which gives quick access to clicked images, image tweaking tools and sharing capabilities.

The Smart Shots, Cinemagraphs, and Refocus photos options are directly accessible now from Camera Roll. Microsoft has also added the burst mode features to its Windows Phone 8.1 for clicking continuous images.

Creative Studio has been also added to the Camera Roll, which can use five new filters. The Nokia Storyteller has also received a slight addition with new video slideshow option that allows sharing via Facebook and Twitter.

7. New Sense feature for Windows Phone users

Microsoft has introduced the new Sense apps that include Data Sense, Wi-Fi Sense and Storage Sense.

Data Sense gives a detailed track of data usage on a Windows Phone, which could be braked down according to time- a month, a week etc. Data Sense includes a 'high savings' mode that the company claims will compress the images browsed on the Web, so a user can search more without with less data usage.

Another Sense app is Wi-Fi Sense, which automatically connects to a nearby Wi-Fi hotspot (when detected) to conserve cellular data.

Notably, when Wi-Fi is turned off in Wi-Fi Sense; Cortana can automatically turn it on, when a favourite location with hotspot is available.

Storage Sense can help users manage content stored on the microSD card and inbuilt storage by moving apps, music, images and videos between inbuilt storage and microSD card.

In addition, Microsoft has also improved its Battery Sense feature, giving a breakdown of apps' battery consumption, and also includes an 'automatic mode' in the Battery Saver option that can help extend battery life.

8. Slew of new delights

Apart from the major highlights of the Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft has also added a number of minor tweaks to its OS.

After multiple leaks, the onscreen keys are official with Windows Phone 8.1. The onscreen keys for Search, Start and Back will now appear at the bottom of the display and this will mean that future Windows Phone 8.1-based devices will not feature the three capacitive buttons at the bottom of the front panel.

Microsoft has also introduced the new Lock Screen, which now comes with multiple Lock Screen themes featuring different visuals and animations - APIs are also available for developers to create their own themes and widgets.

The Calendar app has received a redesign and now shows a week view, along with a weather widget which has been integrated into the Calendar app. It will show at the top.

Various apps such as Music, Video and Podcasts have received improvements and are now split apps, all capable of update vie the Store.

The Internet Explorer 11 for Windows Phone 8.1 was also introduced. The new IE11 comes with new features such as InPrivate browsing, password caching, and a super-handy reading mode.

Are you ready for your first home robot..? Meet Pepper

 

The path to mainstream home robots is strewn with the battery-drained corpses of AIBO and lesser-known, Dalek-esque robots like Wakamaru. But now Japan's SoftBank, flush from the purchase of Sprint, has introduced its robot game changer, teaming up with Aldebaran Robotics (the team behind NAO) to make sure it gets it right. This is Pepper-kun. He's adorable... and a bit of a ditz. Is it finally time, like it was for the home PC, for the home robot revolution? 

Those eyes

 

Pepper's giant eyes are designed to look at you wherever you are -- like the Mona Lisa. Creepy side-glances abound, but I was surprised at how comfortable I soon became when interacting with the 3-foot, 11-inch robot. The diminutive size and big eyes project that kawaii ("cute") aura that Japan loves. There's some manga-inspired design here, and it goes against the efforts to design more human-looking robots, which then inevitably tumble into the uncanny valley: Is it human? Is it a machine? It's like how parts of Blade Runner and Hiroshi Ishiguro's Geminoids might weird you out. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son talked about how he was inspired by Astro Boy, an Osamu Tezuka creation from over 50 years ago.

Fortunately, SoftBank's Pepper sidesteps that weirdness: It's designed to be inoffensive and lovable. Inside those black holes are an infrared sensor and a detector: This measures 3D depth. On the top of the head, there are four mics for directional sensitivity and a pair of speakers distributed between the ears. Confusingly, in the mouth, there's one of two high-definition cameras; the other resides between the eyes. There are touch sensors in the head and hands, as well as three bump sensors in the base. (I'll get to those; I'm working my way down.) This particular Pepper is the model that'll be working part-time in SoftBank's phone stores, although I'm told the hardware will be nearly identical to the ones the carrier will offer for sale early next year.

 That voice

 

Pepper speaks in childlike Japanese. The software behind it can speak and detect French, English and Spanish, but again, this is the robot that'll be working phone stores in Japan, where there's not a huge need for foreign-language skills at the moment. Pepper's "personality" features a love of cheesy jokes, but you'd probably have to appreciate that Japanese humor to get most of it. Still, it's a nice touch.

SoftBank's spokesman tells me there's a difference to the behavior between the shop-centric model (Pepper starts a lot of conversations and wants to play a lot of games), and the eventual home robot. The latter will base a lot of its interactions on established information and on face detection -- it'll know who it's talking to. Less small talk and gags and more "Don't forget your umbrella," "Are you feeling okay?"-type interactions. SoftBank is reiterating Pepper's ability to read into what you're saying emotionally, from a light-and-friendly "No," to an aggressive one. The meaning is different, and Aldebaran Robotics' boss told our Japanese colleagues that it can typically tell the difference if you say, "Yes," but your heart (and probably your face and intonation) says, "No."

Pepper, though, asks if he can join your family, asks what kind of person you are. It's friendly small talk, but it's also tinged with a hint of impatience. If he can't understand your roughly pronounced Japanese (sorry), he'll move on to a new question, or ignore you outright. But I don't feel all that offended; I feel like Pepper's still learning -- he's still a kid and I humor him. Maybe it's the way he talks, or the fact that he's a couple of feet shorter than me, but I forgive him for it, and that might be how it worms its way into Japanese homes.

The hands

 

They aren't going to pick up anything anytime soon. As you might have seen in the intro video, the hands, nay arms, are surprisingly fluid and Pepper's numerous poses are quite natural. There's a degree of give to the hands' movement too: They've been designed to be soft and pliable, because kids. Children can get excitable and they run around a lot. So to avoid poked eyes and subsequent tears, the fingers are bendable, while joints are surrounded by flexible rubber so that they don't pinch if a hand gets trapped in there. The whole body is a combination of gentle curves and SoftBank colors (white and light gray -- it's all very interior design-friendly).

There are touch sensors on the arms, as well as the head. But during our first meeting, it was the head patting that got Pepper's attention most. I'd love for Pepper to have the ability to hold our keys or umbrella while we prepare to go out, for example. I want my robot butler.

The leg(s)

 

 It's not a bipedal robot. ASIMO is safe for now. It's something Son mentioned at Pepper's debut, but it is a fact that wheel-based robots are far more energy efficient. SoftBank pegs the battery life of its newest sales assistant at around 12 hours. A combination of three specially designed wheels allow it to rotate on the spot, reverse and generally navigate its environment. To help, there are three bumper sensors and a trio of paired laser sensors augmented with sonar. This doesn't just avoid collisions, but also ensures that it can maintain a degree of distance -- you can keep your personal space. And if bipedal is your dream robot form, Aldebaran Robotics does have one in development.

The point

 

do you expect Pepper to do? That's the next challenge for SoftBank. It doesn't offer much in the way of manual labor or cleaning, but it definitely, unwaveringly, offers a glimpse into the sociable future of robots. Imagine Siri's savvy with Pepper's expressiveness and, er, Boston Dynamics' maneuverability -- that's probably the future.

 

But will it be a commercial success? By installing these robots in its stores (four at the moment, but rolling out further later this month), it could become a familiar sight in Japan -- and that's what Pepper will need if SoftBank's expecting normal people to stump up its 198,000 yen asking price. SoftBank's CEO Son said, "It's the first step," and the core part to this is its affordability. It may not be cheap in the world of phones and tablets, but nor is it out of this world (or your wallet). For a humanoid robot that wants to talk, $1,900 is a bargain.

 

 http://www.engadget.com