Waterproof Smartphone Duel: Samsung Galaxy S4 Active vs. Kyocera Hydro EDGE

Waterproof smartphones are not new; a variety of waterproof and liquid-resistant handhelds have been available for years. (So have a bunch of awkward accessories designed to waterproof any smartphone.) But the unique devices reached a new level of mainstream awareness following Samsung and AT&T's summer release of a waterproof version of the popular Galaxy S4 called the GS4 Active. 

What follows is a high-level look at both Kyocera Hydro EDGE and Samsung GS4 Active technical specifications, my thoughts on the most notable differences and, finally, a quick video in which I give the Hydro EDGE the dunktainer treatment.

Kyocera Hydro EDGE vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 Active: Tech Specs

Kyocera Hydro EDGE

How Waterproof?: Certified for IPX5 and IPX7 (IP57), which means the Hydro EDGE offers some protection against dust and debris and can be submersed for up to 30 minutes in up to 3.28 feet or 1 meter of water. (Read more about waterproof ratings on AndroidAuthority.com.)

Height: 4.9"

Weight: 4.5 oz., according to Boost Mobile; 4.9 oz., according to Sprint.

Width: 2.5"

Thickness: 0.39"

Display: 4" IPS, impact-resistant WVGA (800 x 480 pixel) touch screen with Asahi Dragontail glass

Camera: 5MP, auto-focus camera with flash and camcorder including "advanced" features such as panorama, HDR, facial recognition, smile/blink detection and burst mode settings.

Network: Sprint 3G

Selling Point: Kyocera Sonic Receiver Tech, which lets you "HEAR IN PLACES YOU NEVER COULD BEFORE." (Yes, Kyocera used all capital letters in its Hydro EDGE marketing material, presumably to let us know just how well you can hear people who speak in all capitals while using the Hydro EDGE.) With Smart Sonic Receiver tech, "sound transmits as vibrations that go directly into your eardrum;" "there's no speaker hole--the entire touchscreen is a sweet spot;" and "peak volume is 100db, which is the equivalent of hearing a jackhammer from 6.5 feet away."

Battery: 1600 mAh Removable Battery; 13 hours average talk time

Storage: 1 GB RAM/4 GB ROM

Processor: 1GHz dual-core

Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.1

Visit KyoceraSmartphones.com for more information on Hydro EDGE.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

How Waterproof?: Certified waterproof for IPX6 and IPX7 (IP67), which means the GS4 Active offers complete protection against dust and debris and can be submersed for up to 30 minutes in up to 3.28 feet or 1 meter of water.

Height: 5.5"

Weight: 5.39 oz.

Width: 2.8"

Thickness: 0.35"

Display: 5" FHD TFT (1920 x 1080 pixel) with Corning Gorilla Glass 2

Camera: 8MP rear; 2MP front; 4x digital optical zoom; auto focus; zero shutter lag; geo tagging; HD video recording; LED flash; various camera modes including, auto, aqua, night, sports, panorama, eraser, rich tone (HDR), and more.

Network: AT&T 4G LTE

Selling Points: A set of gestures that enable basic touch-free navigation; Support for NFC; Samsung S Beam; Wi-Fi Direct; and more.

Battery: 2600 mAh removable battery; up to 17 hours talk time

Storage: 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, with support for external microSD memory cards up to 64 GB

Processor: 1.9Ghz quad-core processor

Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2

Availability: AT&T in the United States

Price: $199.99 with new two-year AT&T wireless service agreement

Visit Samsung.com for more information on GS4 Active tech specs.

SOURCE: CIO.COM

Smartphones for soldiers reach Afghan front line

IBM unveils new programming language for Synapse processors

IBM has updated its plans to create a computer system that mimics the human brain.

The Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics (SyNAPSE) project, will try to carry out tasks that the brain finds easy but are difficult for computers.

The project involves IBM researchers working alongside Cornell University and Inilabs. The latest stage will involve devising a programming language with $53 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

"We need augmentation, a symbiotic relationship with our machines - a partnership if you will - to help us cope and prosper as we go into the future."

IBM said that the new programming model “ breaks the mold of sequential operation underlying today's von Neumann architectures and computers. It is instead tailored for a new class of distributed, highly interconnected, asynchronous, parallel, large-scale cognitive computing architectures.”

Dr Dharmendra Modha, principal investigator and senior manager at IBM Research, said: “Architectures and programs are closely intertwined and a new architecture necessitates a new programming paradigm."

He added: “We are working to create a Fortran for synaptic computing chips. While complementing today’s computers, this will bring forth a fundamentally new technological capability in terms of programming and applying emerging learning systems.”

Work on the project will focus on refining the programming language for the SyNAPSE chip architecture first revealed by IBM in 2011. IBM has devised support technologies within the programming cycle to enable the new model.

These include a simulator comprised of a network of neurosynaptic cores; a neuron model that forms a fundamental information-processing unit of brain-like computation and a programming model based on reusable building blocks called ‘corelets,’ each representing “blueprint of a network of neurosynaptic cores that specifies a based-level function”.

There is also a program library, which stores more than 150 corelets. IBM has created a curriculum, dubbed a “laboratory” that will encompass information on applications, architecture, chip simulation, programming language and prototype design models.

The long-term goal of the project is to build a system with 10 billion neurons and one hundred trillion synapses, while consuming merely one kilowatt of power and occupying less than two litres of volume.

Analysts said that such projects have outclassed humans in all forms of games - such as IBM's project Watson -  and are now moving up the scale of medicine to displace doctors in fundamental diagnosis, treatment choice and aftercare.

Such systems still lack instinct, intuition, emotion, compassion, cognition and the very qualities that we associate with biological entities but would be necessary for humanity to continue and develop, according to Peter Cochrane, ex-CTO of BT and currently a futurologist and analyst at Cochrane Associates.

“We are trying to deal with an increasingly complex and chaotic world with biological brains that are fundamentally unsuited to the task. We can only deal with three to five variable/topics/tasks at a time – yet we live in a world where we are often faced with hundreds at the same time," he said. 

“We therefore need augmentation, a symbiotic relationship with our machines - a partnership if you will - to help us cope and prosper as we go into the future.” 

He added that humanity would be unlikely to survive without such a relationship. 

SOURCE:http://www.itpro.co.uk

Smartphones Outsell Feature Phones for First Time

Smartphone sales in the second quarter outpaced those of feature phones, the first time that has happened, according to a report published Wednesday.

Smartphones accounted for 51.8% of mobile phone sales globally,research firm Gartner said in the report. The growth, up 46.5% compared with the same quarter last year, is driven by sales in the sub-$100 Android market, said Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner. Basic phones that don’t carry the same level as technology as a smartphone are characterized as feature phones.

“We have seen that smartphones are starting from around $60 in 2013,” Gupta  said. “That was not the case in the same quarter in 2012; then it was $120 or maybe even higher. The gap between average feature-phone price and low-cost smartphone price has really closed in the last couple of quarters.”

This has helped push Google’s Android market share from 64.2% in the second quarter to just (79% in 2013. Apple‘s share slipped from 18.8% to 14.2% in the same period.

According to Gartner, Asia/Pacific, Latin America and Eastern Europe had the highest smartphone growth rates of 74.1%, 55.7% and 31.6%, respectively, compared with the same quarter in 2012.

In possibly the only good news for Nokia, Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system grew to 3.3%, passing BlackBerry, which saw its already small market share halved to just 2.7%. However, Nokia’s once mighty Symbian suffered an even more precipitous collapse, falling from 5.9% to just 0.3% in the same period.

According to Mr. Gupta, the explosive growth in the very bottom end of the market is problematic for Nokia. “If you compare Nokia to other players that are both feature phone and smartphone makers, Nokia is very exposed,” he said. “The growth in smartphones is coming from emerging markets. Nokia still does not have a full portfolio to meet users’ demand.”

He said Apple faces the same problem. “We are expecting then to enter a lower end device to help them penetrate into emerging markets, but will that really help them?” Apple is expected to announce a new,  lower-priced iPhone at an event on Sept. 10.

Samsung is the big winner, further entrenching its position as the world’s largest mobile phone maker. Its sales of smartphones grew 56%, and the company now accounts for nearly one in every three smartphone sales.

SOURCE: http://stream.wsj.com

N.Korea unveils 'secure, homemade' smartphone

North Korea, one of the most isolated and censored societies on the planet, has unveiled what it says is a domestically-produced smartphone.

Industry analysts say the "Arirang", built around Google's Android OS, is likely manufactured in neighbouring China, however.

The existence of the phone, named after a famous Korean folk song, came to light during a factory inspection by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at the weekend.

During the tour, Kim was given a detailed briefing on the "performance, quality and packing of the Arirang hand phone," Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

Some analysts suggest the "Arirang" is aimed at getting North Koreans to use an officially-approved phone that can be properly monitored.

While Internet access is virtually non-existent in North Korea, which comes bottom of any media freedom survey, the country is not a complete IT desert.

Cell phones were introduced in 2008 through a joint venture with the Egyptian telecom firm Orascom, which says there are now two million users in North Korea.

A domestic Intranet was launched in 2002 and some state bodies have their own websites.

It is a natural progression for an impoverished country desperate for investment, but in North Korea the economic imperative is always weighed against the potential for social disruption.

Subscribers to the sole cell phone system provider, Koryolink, can call each other, but not outside the country.

The Intranet is similarly cut off from the rest of the world, allowing its very limited number of users to exchange state-approved information and little more.

Access to the full-blown Internet is for the super-elite only, meaning a few hundred people or maybe 1,000 at most.

For all the regime's efforts, the information barrier erected around North Korea has, in recent years, begun to lose some of its prophylactic power.

Smuggled Chinese mobile phones allow people near the border to connect with Chinese servers and make international calls, while re-wired TVs allow access to outside broadcasting.

The KCNA report on Kim's factory visit noted that the young leader praised the "Arirang's" developers for coming up with a product that "provides the best convenience to the users while strictly guaranteeing security".

KCNA photos of the factory visit show workers with the finished phones, inspecting, testing and packing them. There are no pictures of an actual assembly line.

"Despite KCNA's reporting that the handsets are made at the factory, they are probably made to order by a Chinese manufacturer and shipped to the factory where they are inspected before going on sale," said Martyn Williams, who runs the North Korea Tech website.

Steven Millward on the Tech In Asia website reached the same conclusion.

"Possibly, the whole smartphone is made in China, and only the final boxing is done in the rather sparse plant that Kim Jong-Un toured," Millward said.

In February, a picture of Kim Jong-Un with a smartphone triggered fevered speculation about which brand was favoured by the leader of one of the world's most repressive nations.

After ruling out an Apple iPhone or a Galaxy from South Korea's Samsung, the consensus was an HTC phone made in Taiwan.



SOURCE: YAHOO.COM

Iran Captures FIBA Asia 2013 Championship Crown

Yahoo! PH Sports/Czeasar Dancel (NPPA Images) - Iranian players celebrate after beating the Philippines in the gold medal match of the FIBA Asia Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Iran proved too much for an undermanned Gilas Pilipinas side, using its height and experience to run away with an 85-71  victory and capture the gold medal in the 27th FIBA Asia Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Without the injured Marcus Douthit, the Filipinos had trouble containing seven-foot-two Hamed Hadadi, Iran's NBA veteran who frolicked in the paint and scored a game-high 27 points to go along with 16 rebounds.

It's the third FIBA Asia title for Iran, which ruled this event in 2007 and 2009. The loss denied the Philippines a chance to win its first Asian crown since 1985. Iran, Gilas and Korea all qualified for the FIBA  Basketball World Cup to be held next year in Spain

Aside from the silver medal, the Philippines received some consolation after point guard Jayson Castro was named to the tournament's mythical team, along with Korea's Kim Mingoo, Chinese Taipei's Lin Chih Chieh, Iran's Oshin Sahakian, and Hadadi.

The Main Man: With Gilas Pilipinas walking wounded in the absence of Douthit, towering Iranian center Hadadi was simply too much, notably in the second half.

Waived by the Phoenix Suns in late June this year, the 7-foot-2 behemoth towered over his Filipino rivals with a game-high 29 points, 18 coming in the final 20 minutes, on top of 16 rebounds, two blocks and as many assists in 29 minutes of dominant play.

Proving he’s still the most intimidating inside presence in Asia, Hadadi–as expected–was named the tournament's most valuable player.

Honorable Mentions: Versatile Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, crafty playmaker Mahdi Kamrany and do-it-all Oshin Sahakian showed there’s more to Iran than just their prized center.

The 6-foot-6 Bahrami bucked a foul-plagued outing with 19 markers, most of them in the second half, plus seven assists while the 5-foot-11 Kamrany displayed an all-around outing of 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Not to be outshone was the 6-foot-7 Sahakian, who finished with a double-double outing of 12 points and as many rebounds, enough to earn for himself the tourney’s Best Power Forward award.

Game Turning Point: Kamrany’s buzzer-beating triple at the end of the third canto proved to the beginning of the Nationals’ end in the thrilling match.

After Jimmy Alapag canned two freebies that pulled Gilas within 53-59, the Iranians made the most out of the 5.8 seconds left in the third canto, hurriedly relaying the leather to a wide-open Kamrany, who coolly sank a right corner triple that restored their lead to nine.

It was all Iran after that. Hamed Afagh translated a lousy inbound pass by Larry Fonacier into an easy lay-in then Hamed Hadadi buckled down to work by scoring six of the team’s next eight points that put in full control going to the final 5:08 of play.

They Said It:

Iran coach Memi Becirovic: “Today’s game was the toughest game for us because we know 20,000 fans are behind the Philippine team. They played very good and they fight every time.”

Iran center Hamed Hadadi: “They missed their center Marcus (Douthit) but still they played very well. I think the best team we played were the Philippines.”

Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes: “Unfortunately, it ended the way it did. Still, if somebody told me last month that on August 11 we would have silver medals around our necks, we’ll be very, very happy. Ecstatic in fact. We came and achieved what we set out to achieve. Obviously, we wanted to win that gold but in the end, especially without Marcus, it was too difficult for us. I’m very, very proud of my players. They fought tooth and nail.”


Gilas Pilipinas guard Jayson William: “‘Yung goal namin, na-achieve namin (of making it to the FIBA World Cup in Spain). Pasalamat rin kami na nakaharap namin sila sa finals para sa experience.” 


SOURCE: ph.yahoo.com

NBA 2013-14 schedule's 10 games to watch

For all of the Los Angeles Lakers' storied history, Dwight Howard's return to L.A. will be a new experience for the franchise and its fans.

Dwight Howard hasn't had many nice things to say about the Lakers since his departure. (AP)Magic Johnson, Jerry West and James Worthy played their entire careers with the Lakers. So far, Kobe Bryant has done the same. Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired as Lakers. Shaquille O'Neal was traded. 

But Howard? He became the first elite free agent in the 16-time NBA champions' history to leave town when he signed a four-year, $88 million max contract this summer with the Houston Rockets.

When Howard returns to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Feb. 19, expect boos to rain down from all corners of Staples Center. Howard spent just one season in L.A., but the way he left might have made a bigger impression than anything he did on the court.

Howard's return to L.A. leads Yahoo! Sports' top-10 games for the 2013-2014 NBA season.

1. Dwight Howard returns to L.A. to face the Lakers, Feb. 19

Howard described his lone season with the Lakers as a "nightmare." He clashed with Kobe Bryant, played for two coaches named Mike in Brown and D'Antoni, didn't like D'Antoni's offensive system and didn't feel he received the proper respect for his return from back surgery.

After losing Bryant to an Achilles injury late in the season, the Howard-led Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. By departing to Houston to join the Rockets, who are led by James Harden, Howard turned down the opportunity to be the face of the Lakers once Bryant retires.

2. Kobe Bryant returns from injury for the Lakers, TBD

Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon injury April 12 against Golden State that caused him to miss the postseason for the first time in his career. He says his recovery is ahead of schedule; it's even possible he could return on opening night.

All eyes will be on Bryant whenever he gets back on the court. While six to nine months is the normal recovery time for such an injury, Bryant, 35, will be fighting Father Time. 

But if there is an athlete that could accomplish such a feat, Bryant is the one.

3. Derrick Rose returns to the Chicago Bulls, Oct. 29

The Bulls hope to see the Rose of old in their season opener. Prior to his knee injury, Rose was arguably the best point guard in the NBA. During the season he was sidelined, Rose worked strongly on his jump shot and his runner with his off-hand, which will likely make him a better shooter.

The big question: Will the athleticism that made Rose special also return? 

If Rose can get back to being himself – or an improved version of himself – the Bulls immediately become an Eastern Conference title defender that the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers should worry about. After such a long layoff and plenty of criticism in his hometown of Chicago, Rose has pressure to return as good as ever. 

4. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett return to Boston, Jan. 26

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce left behind a lot of good memories in Boston. (Getty Images)Pierce had spent all 15 seasons of his NBA career in Boston before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets this summer. Garnett came to Boston in 2007 and promptly helped Pierce and the Celtics win a championship.

This time, however, Pierce and Garnett will be in the visitors' locker room. 

Pierce, who will one day have his No. 34 jersey hanging from the Boston Garden rafters, will likely be emotional as the Celtics faithful give him a heartfelt, loud and lengthy standing ovation. Garnett also should be well received.

5. Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers returns to face the Celtics, Dec. 11

Rivers spent nine seasons as the coach of the Celtics, winning one championship with them in two Finals appearances, before controversially exiting this summer to coach the Clippers. 

The Celtics say Rivers wanted out of rebuilding process. Rivers, however, has said the Celtics were open to him leaving if they could get a draft pick for him. 

What do the Celtics fans believe? Their opinion will be heard when Rivers is introduced prior to the announcing of the Clippers' starting lineup. 

6. Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks, Jan. 20

Any Knicks-Nets game is going to be intense, emotional and fun to watch. But the first one in Madison Square Garden this season will be even more special to attend: It will be the first time the Nets visit MSG with ex-Knick Jason Kidd as head coach and Pierce and Garnett in uniform. 

New York appeared to be the better team last season in this strengthening rivalry and has added tall shooter Andrea Bargnani. But after the Nets acquired Pierce and Garnett, there is legitimate debate about which team in the Big Apple is truly the best.

Barclays Center is one of the world's best venues, but there will be no greater stage than at the famed Garden. 

7. Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers, Nov. 27

Will LeBron James want to try to deliver a championship to Cleveland? (USA Today Sports)Speculation about LeBron James' possible free agency next summer will swell when the former Cavaliers star returns to Cleveland for the first time. Three years ago, it was laughable to think the Akron, Ohio, native would ever return to Cleveland after he left for the Heat. Angry Cavaliers fans burned James' jersey, cursed him and threw objects at a big sign near the downtown arena that showcased his image. 

Time, however, has healed much of these wounds. The up-and-coming Cavaliers now have the talent to be an attractive destination for James, should he decide to leave.

Cleveland's roster now includes the NBA's widely regarded top young point guard in Kyrie Irving, center Andrew Bynum, No. 1 draft pick Anthony Bennett, forward Tristan Thompson and forward-center Anderson Varejao. Even Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has tried to make nice. Heat president Pat Riley will certainly have some say and influence in the end. Stay tuned.

8. New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers, March 25

Will Carmelo Anthony's lone trip to face the Lakers at Staples Center serve as a precursor for him signing with the Lakers next summer?

Anthony will be a free agent at the end of the season. Yes, he was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., is tight with Knicks owner James Dolan and appears to enjoy playing for the Knicks. But 'Melo is also a good friend of Bryant's, spends much of his offseason in his L.A. home and has been playing pickup ball this summer at the Clippers' facility. Oh, and his wife, LaLa, is an actress. 

But if Bryant is close to retiring, arguably the best pure scorer to fill his void would be Anthony. Anthony recently told TMZ he doubts he'll leave New York for the Lakers, but if Bryant gives a strong sales pitch? It could get interesting.

9. San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat, Jan. 26

American Airlines Arena in Miami certainly has horrible memories for the Spurs, who blew a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals by losing Games 6 and 7 there. 

And if they need any other reminders, the Heat now have a big mural on the arena that celebrates their titles in 2004, 2012 and 2013.

10. Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers, Dec. 10

The Pacers took the Heat to a Game 7 in last season's Eastern Conference finals, and could again emerge as the two-time defending champions' toughest competition in the conference. 

The Heat's roster hasn't changed much, minus Mike Miller leaving and the addition of Greg Oden. The Pacers are expected to be much improved after adding forward Luis Scola, guard C.J. Watson, forward Chris Copeland and intriguing rookie forward Solomon Hill. All-Star swingman Paul George is expected to move to shooting guard with the return of injured forward Danny Granger. With guard Lance Stephenson moving back to the bench, the bitter Pacers are much deeper, bigger and possibly more talented than James and the aging Heat.

Each of the meetings between the Heat and Pacers will loom large in the battle for home-court advantage in the playoffs.

SOURCE: Yahoo.com

Usain Bolt on cruise control in 100-meter heat at world championships

After Day 1 in Moscow, Usain Bolt is on track to recapture the 100-meter gold medal he lost at the last world championships. 

Even if a false start in Bolt's heat was reminiscent of the one that disqualified him in the 2011 final, it was the runner next to him who was sent packing Saturday. On the second attempt, Bolt cruised to a time of 10.07 seconds. Americans Mike Rodgers (9.98) and Justin Gatlin (9.99) had the top times.

In the men's 10,000, double Olympic long-distance champion Mo Farah fought off Ibrahim Jeilan over the last 150 meters, winning in 27 minutes, 21.72 seconds. Jeilan was timed in 27:22.23.

Defending champion Edna Kiplagat won the women's marathon in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 44 seconds. She beat Valeria Straneo by 14 seconds. In sweltering heat only 46 of 70 entrants finished.

In the decathlon, Olympic champion Ashton Eaton led after five events -- 4,502-4,493 over U.S. teammate Gunnar Nixon.

SOURCE: Mercury News

FIBA ASIA CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 Final Ranking

Final ranking

Rank	Team	Record	FIBA World Ranking
			Before	After	Change
	Iran	9–0	20
	Philippines	7–2	45
	Korea	7–2	33
4th	Chinese Taipei	6–3	42
5th	China	6–3	11
6th	Qatar	5–3	36
7th	Jordan	4–5	30
8th	Kazakhstan	3–6	47
9th	Japan	3–4	35
10th	Hong Kong	1–6	71
11th	India	2–6	58
12th	Bahrain	2–6	75
13th	Saudi Arabia	1–3	69
14th	Thailand	1–4	85
15th	Malaysia	0–4	69

SOURCE: Wikipedia

FIBA Asia Championship 2013: South Korea takes 3rd

South Korea beat Chinese Taipei 75-57 in the bronze medal game at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila on Sunday, claiming the third bid from the continent for the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Iran and the Philippines had qualified for the World Cup on Saturday by winning their semifinal matches. Iran and the Philippines will play for the FIBA Asia title on Sunday.

Korea claimed its second straight FIBA Asia bronze and its 24th medal in 26 appearances in the tournament. The nation will be making its seventh World Cup appearance in Spain next summer. Korea has never medaled at the World level. Korea last qualified for the Worlds in 1998. It last won a game at the World Cup in 1994.

Chinese Taipei could still make the World Cup if it is granted one of the four wild card berths FIBA doles out as the tournament approaches. Historically, however, three of the four bids go to European nations. China -- which Chinese Taipei beat in the quarterfinals -- is ranked No. 11 in the world and may be seen as a stronger option than Taipei, which is ranked No. 42 in the world.

Tournaments to select World Cup contenders from Europe, the Americas and Africa will happen this summer, as well. The total count of teams that have already qualified for the 32-team team is seven: Korea, Iran, the Philippines, host Spain, Olympic champion United States, Australia and New Zealand.

SOURCE: SB Nation

2012 Broke Climate Records, New Report Says

2012 was a year of climate records, from temperatures to ice melt to sea level rise, a newly released report on the state of the global climate says.

Even though natural climate cycles have slowed the planet's rising temperature, 2012 was one of the 10 hottest years since 1880, according to the report released today (Aug. 6) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

One reason the world's warming is slower in recent years is because of recent La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean, which cause atmospheric and ocean temperatures to cool, said Tom Karl, director of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center during a news teleconference."There are a number of factors that cause climate to vary from year to year, but when you look back at long-term trends, temperatures have been increasing consistently," he said.

But in the Arctic, surface temperatures rose twice as fast in the past decade as lower latitudes, said Jackie Richter-Menge, a report co-author and research civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "The Arctic continues to be a region where we have some of the most compelling evidence of the fact that global temperatures are warming," she said.

A strong and persistent southerly airflow in spring 2012 contributed to the Arctic's record warmth, Richter-Menge said. The effects included a record-low summer ice pack extent in the Arctic Ocean, and surface melting across 97 percent of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Richter-Menge said researchers are also seeing long-term changes, such as more coastal vegetation growing in the Arctic tundra and rising permafrost temperatures.

"The near records being reported from year to year are no longer anomalies or exceptions," Richter-Menge said. "They have become the norm for us and what we expect to see in the near future." [5 Ways Rapid Warming is Changing the Arctic]

Ice melt from Greenland and glaciers elsewhere are contributing to sea level rise, according to the climate report. In the past year, sea level rose a record 1.4 inches (35 millimeters) above the 1983 to 2010 average, said Jessica Blunden, a climatologist at NOAA's Climatic Data Center and lead editor of the report. "It appears ice melt is contributing more than twice as much as warming waters," she said during the teleconference. As the ocean warms, water expands, contributing to sea level rise.

The annual State of the Climate report compiles climate and weather data from around the world and is reviewed by more than 380 climate scientists from 52 countries. The report can be viewed online.

The planet hit several records or near records in 2012, the report said. These include:

• Record ice loss from melting glaciers. 2012 will be the 22nd year in a row of ice loss.
• Near-record ocean heat content, a measure of heat stored in the oceans. When the ocean holds more heat than it releases, its heat content increases.
• Record sea level rise of 1.4 inches above average.
• Record-low June snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere. The June snow cover has declined 17 percent per decade since 1979, outpacing the shrinking summer Arctic sea ice extent by 4 percent.
• Record-low summer Arctic sea ice extent. Sea ice shrank to its smallest summer minimum since record-keeping began 34 years ago.
• Record-high winter Antarctic sea ice extent of 7.51 million square miles (19.44 million square kilometers) in September.
• Record-high man-made greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. In 2012, for the first time, global average carbon dioxide concentrations hit 392 parts per million and exceeded 400 ppm at some observation sites. The number means there were 400 carbon dioxide molecules per 1 million air molecules.

Source: Yahoo.com

2013 FIBA Asia Championship Standings

Team Standings

GROUP E

Team	Win	Lose
Chinese Taipei	4	1
Philippines	4	1
Jordan	2	3
Qatar	4	1
Japan	1	4
Hong Kong	0	5

GROUP F

Team	Win	Lose
Iran	5	0
Korea	4	1
Kazakhstan	2	3
China	3	2
Bahrain	1	4
India	0	5

Upcoming Tablets for the Month of August

Asus MeMO Pad HD 7 

 Released Date: August 11

Processor: 1.2GHz Quad-Core A7

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Lenovo MIIX 10 

Released Date: August 16

Processor: Intel Z2760

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HP SlateBook x2

Released Date: August 26

Processor: 1.8GHz Tegra 4

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HP Split x2

Released Date: August 26

Processor: Intel Core i3

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Samsung Ativ Q

Released Date: August
Processor: Intel i5 Haswell

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Archos ChefPad

Released Date: August
Processor: Dual-core A9

Best and Worst Thing of Samsung Ativ Tab 3

The best things about:

It’s the thinnest Windows 8 tablet on the market today at only 8.2 mm, and despite being a full Windows 8 tablet it’s still supposed to be affordable, it weighs 550 gram, which makes it the lightest 10.1-inch Windows 8 tablet too, it has a built in S-Pen stylus, Side Sync software (see below), microSD card expansion, microUSB, and microHDMI ports, Samsung have made their own thin keyboard cover to this tablet, it has a Windows 8 tablet class leading 10 hour battery life, and sports a decent 64GB of storage.

The worst things about it:
The 10.1-inch display only have a 1366×768 resolution which holds it back a little. The 1.8GHz Intel Atom Z2760 does not make this the most powerful tablet either, and 2GB of LPDDR2 RAM is a little on the mediocre/average side for a Windows 8 tablet – However, all the downsides are there to keep the cost down. So this could give the Samsung Ativ Tab 3 a better price eventually than the whopping $599 launch and release price.

View Price at AMAZON.COM

South Korea Win Over China

South Korea defeat China at the FIBA Asia Championship with the score of 63-59

KOREA		CHINA
63		59

KOREA		CHINA
Points 1. J. KIM 15 2. S. CHO 12 3. D. YANG 11 4. S. KIM 9 5. S. LEE 6 Rebounds 1. S. CHO 4 2. D. YANG 4 3. T. KIM 3 4. J. KIM 3 5. H. YOON 3 Assists D. YANG 4 2. S. CHO 2 3. J. LEE 2 4. T. KIM 1 5. S. KIM 1		Points 1.J. YI 23 2. P. ZHOU 8 3. X. LIU 6 4. Z. WANG 5 5. Z. WANG 4 Rebounds 1. Z. WANG 10 2. J. YI 10 3. X. LIU 3 4. F. ZHU 3 5. S. WANG 2 Assists 1 Y. SUN 3 2. S. WANG 2 3. P. ZHOU 2 4. J. CHEN 1 5. X. LI 1

First Win for Gilas Pilipinas Against Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Nice win for the Philippines against Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the score of 78-66

	PHILIPPINES		KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
	78		66

PHILIPPINES		KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
Points 1. L. FONACIER -12 2. L. TENORIO 12 3. M. DOUTHIT 10 4. R. DE OCAMPO 9 5. J. PINGRIS 8 Rebound 1. M. DOUTHIT-11 2. J. PINGRIS 9 3. R. DE OCAMPO 6 4. L. TENORIO 6 5. J. AGUILAR 5 Assists L. TENORIO - 6 2. L. FONACIER 4 3. R. DE OCAMPO 3 4. J. CHAN 1 5. M. DOUTHIT 1		Points 1. A. ALMUWALLAD 18 2. M. ALMARWANI 12 3. M. ALHWSAWI 11 4. N. ABO JALAS 9 5. M. ALMARWANI 8 Rebounds 1. M. ALMARWANI 12 2. M. ALHWSAWI 6 3. M. ALMARWANI 6 4. N. ABO JALAS 3 5. M. ALMUWALLAD 3 Assists 1. M. ALHWSAWI 2 2. M. ALMARWANI 2 3. M. ALMUWALLAD 2 4. F. BELAL 2 5. M. ALMARWANI 1