Holiday Beard

That's right, humans -- Engadget has its very own Nexus One. You've seen leaked pics and videos from all over, but we're the first publication to get our very own unit, and we plan on giving you guys the full story on every nook and cranny of this device. In case you've been living under a rock, here's the breakdown of the phone. The HTC-built and (soon to be) Google-sold device runs Android 2.1 atop a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 3.7-inch, 480 x 800 display, has 512MB of ROM, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB microSD card (expandable to 32GB). The phone is a T-Mobile device (meaning no 3G if you want to take it to AT&T), and includes the standard modern additions of a light sensor, proximity sensor, and accelerometer. The Nexus One has a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, and we have to say so far the pictures it snaps look pretty decent (and the camera software is much faster than the same component on the Droid). The phone is incredibly thin and sleek -- a little thinner than the iPhone -- but it has pretty familiar HTC-style industrial design. It's very handsome, but not blow-you-away good looking. It's a very slim, very pocketable phone, and feels pretty good in your hand. Thought you'd have to wait for that Google event for more on the Nexus One? Hell no -- so read on for an in-depth look. C'mon, you know you want to. Now, of course everyone seems to have one question about the device -- is this the be-all-end-all Android phone / iPhone eviscerator? In two words: not really. The thing that's struck us most (so far) about the Nexus One thus far is the fact that it's really not very different than the Droid in any substantial way. Yes, we'd say the design and feel of the phone is better (much better, in fact), and it's definitely noticeably faster than Motorola's offering, but it's not so much faster that we felt like the doors were being blown off. It is very smooth, though we still noticed a little stuttery behavior (very slight, mind you) when moving between home pages. Still, opening applications and moving between them was super speedy, as was Google maps, and any area of the phone where you've got to get through long lists. Don't get us wrong, the phone cooks -- but it's not some paradigmatic shift for Android. One other note: multitouch has not been included here, so while the functionality is supported in Android 2.0 and up, we're still dealing with a one-finger-at-a-time experience... which leaves something to be desired when you've got a beautiful touchscreen like this to play around on. Google has also included some visual enhancements you've probably heard about, and minor UI tweaks which make getting around the OS a bit more direct. Firstly, there are a set of really snazzy looking "live" wallpapers, some of which react to touch, but all animate in the background while you're on the homescreen. The company has also changed up its application menu navigation a bit, killing the sliding drawer for a more direct home button and overlay of the icons (which no longer scroll off the page normally, but wrap around a 3D cube on the edges). Google has also expanded the amount of homescreens to five, and gives you quick navigation to them by long pressing on the new "dots" which represent pages not in view. While most UI details look and feel the same, from just a bit of typing the keyboard does seem more responsive and accurate, and we're guessing the Snapdragon helps there as well. Throughout the phone there are also new animations and flourishes which make Android 2.1 feel way more polished than previous iterations (including the Droid's 2.0.1), though it's still got a ways to go to matching something like the iPhone or even Pre in terms of fit and finish. Regardless, it's clear Google has started thinking about not just function but form as well, and that's very good news for Android aficionados. We're going to have a lot more info and a full review coming in just a few days, but for now, feast your eyes on the video and gallery, and hang tight for more Nexus One goodness. Oh, and if you've got some questions on the device, shout them out in comments and we'll try to answer and / or cover them in the review. [via Engadget]

As seen on iTabletUser: USB 3.0 is out. Well sort of. But mainstream, yes and no too! Asus and Gigabyte will be releasing hardware support. But Intel and AMD, not until 2011. So will Apple iTablet support USB 3.0 or not? iTabletUser says no.

Did you feel for a moment the awesome movie Avatar would be Anti-American? Breitbart: However, there is one thing about the movie that really upsets me.  It is blatant anti-military and less blatant anti-American.  [...] There are scientists assigned by the New World Order to Pandora to negotiate a peaceful solution, but they are overruled by the military and the business interests at every turn.  Eventually, the military solution is the final solution.  The military then attacks with pure hatred and determination the locals on the planet.  They do not care for the sanctity of the alien life, whether it be women or children. The glee with which the American Marines participate in this massacre is appalling and does not show the true feelings and concerns of the real United States Military.  James Cameron should apologize to the American Military and should make a statement that he does not truly feel this way about them.  He should also apologize to the American public for painting our young men and women that defend this country as cold-blooded killers. However, I am sure the Mr. Cameron will not do this as the movie is obviously a political comment on Iraq and Afghanistan. [via Fark ] He ends his editorial by saying that we should boycott Starwood Hotels because they say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”.  Really.  Because political columnists are nothing if not shrill and barely coherent.  “An’ another thing, Mr. Cameron, why come when I go to da Sizzler, my food done git cooked by a Messican!?” The sad thing is, even though you can’t go through life worrying what these A-holes who twist everything into an attack on their imaginary way of life that they saw in a soap commercial from the 50s will think, James Cameron brought this on himself.  As I already pointed out, he basically made a movie about evil mercenaries who kill noble natives who were just minding their own business, worshiping trees and raping pterodactyls.   It may not be a liberal plot, but it is a pretty cheesy story.  Why not just make the villain a rich lady who wants to make a coat from the blue cat-monkey pelts?

It might be more impressive on a technical level than as a piece of storytelling, but Avatar reaffirms James Cameron's singular gift for imaginative, absorbing filmmaking. Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. More than ten years in the making, Avatar marks Cameron's return to feature directing since helming 1997's Titanic, the highest grossing film of all time and winner of eleven Oscars® including Best Picture. WETA Digital, renowned for its work in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and King Kong, will incorporate new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that will transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters. From the music to the muse, this is clearly a James Cameron flick, clearly a masterpiece, and clearly marks a revolution in blockbusters, for if you only see one film in a 3-D cinema this year, make it Avatar.

MANILA — In one of the worst episodes of election-related violence in the Philippines in recent memory, a group of more than 40 people — including lawyers, journalists and relatives of a local politician — were kidnapped by armed men on Monday, and military officials said at least 21 of them had been killed. Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, a military spokesman in Manila, the capital, said 21 bodies had been recovered in Maguindanao, a province on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines that has often been wracked by election violence. Thirteen of the dead were women, according to the military. Twenty-two people were unaccounted for, according to military officials. Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton, a security official in the province, said in a radio interview that the victims had been shot. But relatives of most of the victims said at least 30 abductees had been killed and many of them beheaded by a group of about 100 men. Jesus Dureza, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s adviser on Mindanao, recommended that a state of emergency be declared on Maguindanao Province. “Everyone should be disarmed. Anything less will not work," he told reporters in the south. The victims were reportedly stopped on their way to an election office to file candidacy papers for Esmael Mangudadatu, the deputy mayor of the town of Buluan, who plans to run for governor of Maguindanao. Mr. Mangudadatu said on ABS-CBN television that his wife, his sister and several other female relatives had been in the group and that he had received confirmation that they had been killed. He said they had been filing his candidacy documents in the hope that women would not be attacked. Lawyers and reporters accompanied the group, although the military did not identify the bodies they had recovered. “We believe more bodies are buried,” Colonel Brawner said, according to Reuters. “Unfortunately, the killing happened before our troops got there.” Mr. Mangudadatu’s uncle, Pax Mangudadatu, the governor of Sultan Kudarat Province, said the deputy mayor’s supporters had been attacked by backers of Andal Ampatuan, the current governor of Maguindanao. The families are bitter political enemies. The governor did not issue an immediate comment about the attack. The filing of candidacy documents for the local and national elections, scheduled for next May, began Friday. The official campaign period begins a few months before the elections. Attacks on candidates and supporters during campaign periods are common throughout the Philippines. In the 2007 local elections, nearly 100 people were killed in such attacks. Election violence is more extreme in Maguindanao, where an Islamic insurgency and decades-old clan wars complicate the security situation. Loose firearms, many of them in the hands of criminal groups and political warlords, have worsened the situation in this and other areas. The Arroyo administration expressed shock and outrage at the killings on Monday. “Justice will be served, and the perpetrators will be punished, whoever they are,” said Gabriel Claudio, Mrs. Arroyo’s chief political adviser. Carlos Isagani Zarate, secretary general of the National Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao, called the attack a “brutal and barbaric display of naked power.” Two officials with his union, Connie Brizuela and Cynthia Joquindo, both attorneys for Esmael Mangudadatu, were believed Monday to be among the dead. Steve Rood, representative to the Philippines of The Asia Foundation, a United States-financed body that has studied the conflict in Mindanao, said the violence in the region was the result not just of the Islamic insurgency but also of the “struggles for power and prominence among families.” Mr. Rood said he expected the national election commission to take control of security in Maguindanao Province during the elections, much as it did in the town of Abra in the north in 2007 after the assassination of a politician. In such cases, the commission has direct command over the Philippine police and the military.

It happens. Ever once in a while, you pass gas, yes, you fart. Or don't you? But once in a while you fall slightly sick - perhaps a late night, salmon, cod fish, diet pills or a heavy meal before sleep. You pass out orange liquid. Oil-like droplets. Depending on the length of the symptom, it can suggest malabsorption of fat, a liver, bladder or gall release problem, and even viral infection. Try taking a lot of yoghurt, if the problem persists, visit your doctor. Isn't it messy to be cleaning up every hour? Yes. See a doctor.

New ELO system score calculation on DotaPod. ELO is a chess masters standard of scoring. Everyone starts with 1000 and based on your wins, losses, the opponents you faced, your rank increases or decreases accordingly. The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess and Go. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo (1903–1992, born Élő Árpád), a Hungarian-born American physics professor. The Elo system was invented as an improved chess rating system, but today it is also used in many other games. It is also used as a rating system for multiplayer competition in a number of computer games, and has been adapted to team sports including association football, American college football and basketball, and Major League Baseball. In general the Elo system has increased the competitive climate for chess and inspired players for further study and improvement of their game. However, in some cases ratings can discourage game activity for players who wish to "protect their rating". Examples: 1. They may choose their events or opponents more carefully where possible. 2. If a player is in a Swiss tournament, and loses a couple of games in a row, they may feel the need to abandon the tournament in order to avoid any further rating "damage". 3. Junior players, who may have high provisional ratings, and who should really be practicing as much as possible, might play less than they would, because of rating concerns. Selective pairing A more subtle issue is related to pairing. When players can choose their own opponents, they can choose opponents with minimal risk of losing, and maximum reward for winning. Such a luxury of being able to hand-pick your opponents is not present in Over-the-Board Elo type calculations, and therefore this may account strongly for the ratings on the ICC using Elo which are well over 2800. Particular examples of 2800+ rated players choosing opponents with minimal risk and maximum possibility of rating gain include: choosing computers that they know they can beat with a certain strategy; choosing opponents that they think are over-rated; or avoiding playing strong players who are rated several hundred points below them, but may hold chess titles such as IM or GM. In the category of choosing over-rated opponents, new-entrants to the rating system who have played less than 50 games are in theory a convenient target as they may be overrated in their provisional rating. The ICC compensates for this issue by assigning a lower K-factor to the established player if they do win against a new rating entrant. The K-factor is actually a function of the number of rated games played by the new entrant. Elo therefore must be treated as a bit of fun when applied in the context of online server ratings. Indeed the ability to choose one's own opponents can have great fun value also for spectators watching the very highest rated players. For example they can watch very strong GM's challenge other very strong GMs who are also rated over 3100. Such opposition, which the highest level players online would play in order to maintain their rating, would often be much stronger opponents than if they did play in an Open tournament which is run by Swiss pairings. Additionally it does help ensure that the game histories of those with very high ratings will often be with opponents of similarly high level ratings. Therefore, Elo ratings online still provide a useful mechanism for providing a rating based on the opponent's rating. Its overall credibility, however, needs to be seen in the context of at least the above two major issues described — engine abuse, and selective pairing of opponents. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elo_rating_system http://www.dotapod.com/viewthread.php?tid=5413&page=1&fromuid=2#pid68151

This video is very cool  and nice to watch.

There was a website called mybrute , it is all about luck and it is fun . When you want to create a new brute , you have to go to someone account like from your friends , if none of your friends have an account you could go into websites like deadpool-w11.mybrute.com or .uzibutton.mybrute.com if  you are interested in it . when you are in one of the account you must type your name , then you could change your appearance and lastly , the colour . After choosing , click on validate  then your brute and my brute would automatically battle but for that round it is not counted  as that is just the starting but after that round it is counted and if you think that your character is good you could cre ate is a account at the top of the website then you could click the link create a account then you fill in what you suppose to fill in then nobody could log in into your account only you as you know the password