In sum, here's what Rovi Digital Copy offers: the chance to buy a discounted digital copy of a movie you've already paid for that can be played on many computers, tablets, game consoles, smartphones and set-top boxes, but won't necessarily be accessible from or compatible with all of your devices.
As limited as it is, this offer may still appeal to the same people who think it's worth paying Apple $25 a year for an online copy of their digital music collection, or who bought CD copies of the vinyl albums on their bookshelves. and as demonstrated by the popularity of online photo sites, there is something powerfully appealing about being able to shift a media collection from one's living room or home computer to the cloud, where it can be enjoyed from just about anywhere.
Even the relatively small step forward represented by Rovi Digital Copy is still a leap for the piracy-phobic Hollywood studios. Their main argument against other approaches to DVD copying has been that they enabled people to copy movies rented from Netflix or borrowed from friends, creating permanent collections on the cheap. Rovi's software can't stop that sort of behavior, either; instead, it minimizes the effect by allowing only one digital copy to be bought per disc. Nevertheless, that curb was enough to satisfy Rovi's studio partners.
Rovi's service helps plug a gaping hole in Hollywood's UltraViolet initiative, which encourages people to buy Blu-ray discs by including access to a digital copy of that movie in the cloud. So far, however, UltraViolet only works for selected new Blu-ray releases. as a result, it's trying to sell people on the benefits of movie ownership — in particular, the ability to enjoy a film anywhere, any time, and on a variety of devices — that applies only to a fraction of the titles in their collection. Rovi's solution can extend those benefits potentially to a movie lover's entire DVD and Blu-ray collection — for a fee, unfortunately, and with non-trivial caveats.
RELATED:
Editorial: is UltraViolet movie magic?
CES: Moving your DVD collection to the cloud?
– Jon Healey in Las Vegas
Healey writes editorials for the Times' Opinion Manufacturing Division. Follow him at twitter.com/jcahealey.
Image: a chart showing how Rovi Digital Copy would work. Credit: Rovi
Spelling is becoming popular outside the classroom, too.
“We hear about more and more schools at the elementary- and middle-school level forming after-school spelling clubs,’’ said the director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Paige Kimble. She’s also noticed a surge of interest in the bee’s e-mail newsletter for teachers, featuring words of the week and teaching tips. Subscriptions have jumped 125 percent in a year, she said.
One reason people are paying more attention to bad spelling could be that the Internet has made them more aware of it.
“People never knew how to spell,’’ said Geoffrey Nunberg, a linguist and professor at University of California Berkeley. “they kept it a secret unless you saw their shopping lists or Christmas letter. you didn’t see the comments they wrote on other people’s blogs. you didn’t see their own blogs. I think a lot of what is perceived as the decline of spelling is just that we see a lot more spelling by a much wider range of people than we used to.’’
An increased interest in bees is welcome news to many parents, especially those with children who aren’t athletic and who want them to compete in other ways.
“We get panic calls all year long’’ from parents looking for schools or clubs that sponsor spelling bees,’’ said Lisa Morrissey, who runs the South Shore Regional Spelling Bee Program. “We’ve even had parents willing to move towns to be in a town where they could participate in a bee.’’
One mother she’s heard from is Susannah Adams of Scituate, who has three children, including a first-grade boy. Adams said she is “a little frustrated’’ that his school does not have a spelling bee.
“I feel like kids his age are starting to find what their niche is outside of school,’’ she said. “he doesn’t fit that sports kind of mold, so I thought maybe a spelling bee could be different. Academics is one of his strengths, versus trying to find him a soccer team or a baseball team. I think it’s great that spelling bees are becoming so popular and are not as nerdy as they used to be.’’
In many cases, spelling clubs are initiated by grown-ups who have a nostalgic passion for spelling. Henry Ochoa might never be spelling during commercials were it not for Trina Heinisch, a social worker at his school who in 2010 founded the school’s annual spelling bee. The school now competes at Boston’s Citywide Spelling Bee, scheduled for March.
“I have such fond memories of spelling bees,’’ said Heinisch, including the sting of being eliminated from a bee after stumbling on “fruit.’’ (She reversed the vowels.) “and I began to wonder how I could give our kids the same opportunity.’’
In October, she put up a poster outside her office with photos of last year’s champions, and a weekly countdown until school spelling bee day. as soon as it went up, “I begged her to give me the spelling words,’’ said Henry.
“he persevered,’’ said Heinisch, turning to Henry. “do you know what that means?’’
“Don’t give up,’’ he said, and tried to spell it. It came out “p-e-r-s-i-v-e-r.’’
“Super close,’’ said Heinisch.
Her enthusiasm for spelling is matched by that of Michael Moore of Billerica, who started the Billerica Spelling Bee, which since 2010 has drawn 600 students in grades 3 through 8. Inspired by watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee on TV, the father of three partnered with Billerica Partners for Education, an educational nonprofit organization.
Moore blogs about the bee and maintains a Billerica Spelling Bee website as well as a Facebook page with momentum-building postings such as: “are you getting ready for the Bee by studying during school vacation?’’
“I’m a decent speller, but I work at Microsoft in marketing,’’ he said, noting the irony that Microsoft Word helped popularize the computer spelling check. nonetheless, his goal is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, and develop correct English.
He also holds occasional spelling bee workshops at the town library, such as the one that drew nearly 40 children just a few days before Christmas.
“It’s fun to get up on stage and show people I can spell,’’ said Ariana Schmidt, a 12-year-old at the event.
Emma Tilley, 13, described competitive spelling as a “good intellectual challenge, especially if you get a word you don’t know.’’
According to 12-year-old Max may, the time spent learning how to spell properly is time well spent.
“Basically, if you play baseball or something you can get somewhere in life,’’ said Max, who was wearing a baseball jacket. “But if you work in a restaurant or something like that, you’ll need to know how to spell.’’
I’ve been following the story of DC Comics getting a new logo for a month or so but, as with Watchmen 2, it’s only when you provide actual visuals that anyone sits up and takes notice. such as Fark did today.
One of the problems with reporting the trademark registration of the new DC Comics and DC Entertainment logo with the US government was the low quality visuals registered on the site. You just couldn’t get a proper look at the wee beastie.
On the European equivalent however, it’s a whole different story. It’s still in black and white for trademark purposes, not tying it down to one colour scheme, and it’s also not animated, but at least we get a proper look at the thing.
So, here for the first time, are the new DC Comics and DC Entertainment logos in higher resolution.
As well as the many many things it is registered for, far more than with the US government. my favourites are goods made of whalebone, cases for personal hygiene products and nautical apparatusm but you’ll have your own. enjoy.
Bleaching preparations and other substances for laundry use; cleaning, polishing, scouring and abrasive preparations; soaps; perfumery, essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions; dentifrices; Cosmetics, namely lipstick, lip gloss and non-medicated lip balm; mascara; nail enamel; face powder, face cream, skin lotion and skin gel; body powder; bath oil, bath gel and non-medicated bath salts; hand cream and lotion; body cream and lotion; sunscreen preparation, namely cream and lotion; shaving cream and after-shave lotion, skin cleanser and non-medicated body soaks; body deodorant, cologne and perfume; soaps, namely, liquid bath soap, gel soap and bar soap; toothpaste; detergent soap, namely, liquid and powder; fabric softener; deodorant soap, skin soap; and shampoo and shampoo conditionerdeodorant soap, skin soap; essential oils, hair lotions; toothpaste; mouthwash; non-medicated toilet preparations; bubble bath; shower gel; body cream and lotion; cosmetics all for sale as part of a kit; sachets for perfuming linen; makeup all for sale as part of a kit; nail enamel; nail care and manicure kits (cosmetics); emollient preparations and substances; essential oils, massage oils and lotions all for sale as part of a kit; sun-tanning preparations; sunscreen preparations, namely cream and lotion.Pharmaceutical and veterinary preparations; sanitary preparations for medical purposes; dietetic food and substances adapted for medical or veterinary use, food for babies; dietary supplements for humans and animals; plasters, materials for dressings; material for stopping teeth, dental wax; disinfectants; preparations for destroying vermin; fungicides, herbicidesPharmaceuticals, namely vitamins and mineral supplements; adhesive bandages; food for babies; air fresheners; vitamins; drinks predominantly of vitamins; health food supplements made principally of vitamins; pharmaceutical preparations containing vitamins; vitamin and mineral supplements; preparations consisting of mixtures of vitamins and minerals; adhesive plastic and cloth bandages for skin wounds; alcohol for topical use; baby aspirin.Common metals and their alloys; metal building materials; transportable buildings of metal; materials of metal for railway tracks; non-electric cables and wires of common metal; ironmongery, small items of metal hardware; pipes and tubes of metal; safes; goods of common metal not included in other classes; ores.; Metal key holders, metal key rings, metal key chains, metal key clips and metal money clips; identification bracelets made of metal and non-precious metal bracelets; metal piggy banks; decorative metal boxes, jewellery boxes made of metal/non-precious metal; letter boxes made of metal; figurines of common metal; and decorative tin cans (made of non-precious metal).Scientific, nautical, surveying, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signalling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus and instruments for conducting, switching, transforming, accumulating, regulating or controlling electricity; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; compact discs, DVDs and other digital recording media; mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing equipment, computers; computer software; fire-extinguishing apparatus; Motion picture films featuring comedy, drama, action, adventure and/or animation, and motion picture films for broadcast on television featuring comedy, drama, action, adventure and/or animation; audio video discs, and digital versatile discs featuring music, comedy, drama, action, adventure, and/or animation; stereo headphones; batteries; cordless telephones; CD players; CD ROM computer game discs; telephone and/or radio pagers; compact disc players; radios; mouse pads; eyeglasses, sunglasses and cases therefore; game equipment sold as a unit for playing a parlor-type computer game; downloadable software for use in playing online computer games, downloadable computer game software; Computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones; video and computer game programs; video game cartridges; computer and video games which are designed for hardware platforms, namely, game consoles and personal computers; CD-ROM and digital versatile computer game discs and computer programs, namely, software linking digitized video and audio media to a global computer information network; downloadable audio-visual media content in the field of entertainment featuring animated motion pictures, television series, comedies, and dramas; computer software, namely, computer software for streaming audio-visual media content via the Internet, computer software for streaming and storing audio-visual media content, downloadable audio and video players for media content with multimedia and interactive functions, video search and annotation software, content protection software, database management software, database synchronization software; computer programs for accessing, browsing and searching online databases, software that enables users to play and program entertainment-related audio, video, text and multi-media content; computer application software for streaming and storing audio-visual media content; computer application software for streaming audio-visual media content via the Internet; downloadable computer software for streaming audio-visual media content via the Internet; downloadable computer software for streaming and storing audio-visual media content; downloadable publications in the nature of books featuring characters from animated, action adventure, comedy and/or drama features, comic books, children’s books, strategy guides, magazines featuring characters from animated, action adventure, comedy and/or drama features, coloring books, children’s activity books and magazines in the field of entertainment; cellular telephone accessories, namely hands-free accessories, cellular telephone covers and cellular telephone face covers; encoded magnetic cards, namely, phone cards, credit cards, cash cards, debit cards and magnetic key cards; and decorative magnets.Vehicles; apparatus for locomotion by land, air or water; Bicycles, tricycles and children’s car seats (automobile safety seats for children), car straps, seat belt, shoulder straps, automobile seat covers, windscreens for automobiles, sun-blinds adapted for automobiles (automobile sunvisors).
Precious metals and their alloys and goods in precious metals or coated therewith, not included in other classes; jewellery, precious stones; horological and chronometric instruments; Clocks; watches; jewellery, namely bracelets, ankle bracelets, brooches, chains, charms, cuff-links, earrings, lapel pins, necklaces, ornamental pins, pendants and rings, belt buckles; alarm clocks; desk clocks; alarm watches; sporting watches; costume jewellery; tie pins; tie clips; action figures (decorative) of precious metal; figurines of precious stones; figurines coated with precious metal; adhesive wall decorations of precious metal; amulets; cases for clocks, watches or jewels; cases and containers of precious metal; coins.
Paper, cardboard and goods made from these materials, not included in other classes; printed matter; bookbinding material; photographs; stationery; adhesives for stationery or household purposes; artists’ materials; paint brushes; typewriters and office requisites (except furniture); instructional and teaching material (except apparatus); plastic materials for packaging (not included in other classes); printers’ type; printing blocks; Printed matter and paper goods–namely, books featuring characters from animated, action adventure, comedy and/or drama features, comic books, children’s books, strategy guides, magazines featuring characters from animated, action adventure, comedy and/or drama features, coloring books, children’s activity books; stationery, writing paper, envelopes, notebooks, diaries, note cards, greeting cards, trading cards; lithographs; pens, pencils, cases therefor, erasers, crayons, markers, colored pencils, painting sets, chalk and chalkboards; decals, heat transfers; posters; adhesive plastic film with removable paper for mounting images for decorative purposes; mounted and/or unmounted photographs; book covers, book marks, calendars, gift wrapping paper; paper party favors and paper party decorations–namely, paper napkins, paper place mats, crepe paper, invitations, paper table cloths, paper cake decorations; printed transfers for embroidery or fabric appliqués; printed patterns for costumes, pajamas, sweatshirts and t-shirts; printed publications, pamphlets, brochures, newspapers, journals and magazines, manuals, magazines, printed matter and paper goods, namely, maps; paper doilies, paper hats.
Leather and imitations of leather, and goods made of these materials and not included in other classes; animal skins, hides; trunks and travelling bags; umbrellas and parasols; walking sticks; whips, harness and saddlery; Athletic bags, baby backpacks, backpacks, beach bags, book bags, diaper bags, duffel bags, gym bags, tote bags, coin purses, fanny packs, knapsacks, waist packs, shopping bags; umbrellas; wallets; accessories made of leather, namely wallets, handbags and belts; leather bags; school bags; shoulder bags; shoe bags; shopping bags; towelling bags; toiletry bags; weekend bags; work bags; purses; chain mesh purses, not of precious metal; change purses; clutch purses; cosmetic purses; evening purses; leather purses; purses, not of precious metal; wallets; parts and accessories for all of the aforementioned.
Furniture, mirrors, picture frames; goods (not included in other classes) of wood, cork, reed, cane, wicker, horn, bone, ivory, whalebone, shell, amber, mother-of-pearl, meerschaum and substitutes for all these materials, or of plastics; Plastic license plate frames, sleeping bags, plastic bibs, plastic cake decorations, non-metal key chains, chair pads, deck chairs, non-metal money clips, corks for bottles, drinking straws, picture frames, pillows and seat cushions, booster seats, infant walkers, bassinets, high chairs, hand-held fans, decorative mobiles, snow globes, and soft-sculpture wall decorations; office furniture; photograph frames; photograph frames of metal, wood or paper; wall plaques; key cards (not encoded); curtain holders, hooks, rails, rings, rods, rollers and tie-backs; bamboo, bamboo curtains and bamboo blinds; bead curtains; blinds; jewellery boxes; storage containers; trunks and chests; cabinets; chairs; desks and tables; dressing tables; easy chairs; beds and waterbeds; bedding (not including linen); bed fittings not of metal; bedsteads; furniture screens; clothes hooks and coat hangers; coat stands; garment covers; divans; mats; mattresses; support pillows for use in baby car safety seats; support pillows for use in baby seating; sleeping bags; door fittings and door furniture; drinking straws; flower stands; footstools; hat stands; display boards; bottle caps not of metal; bottle casings of wood; bottle racks; magazine racks; plate racks; mirror tiles; trays not of metal; containers of wood and of plastic; playpens for babies; mobiles; cots; cradles and cribs; chimes; inflatable publicity objects; statuettes and figurines of wood, wax, plaster and of plastic; works of art of wood, wax, plaster and of plastic.
Household or kitchen utensils and containers; combs and sponges; brushes (except paint brushes); brush-making materials; articles for cleaning purposes; steelwool; unworked or semi-worked glass (except glass used in building); glassware, porcelain and earthenware not included in other classes; Glass, ceramic and earthenware goods, namely, bowls, plates, coffee cups, and cups; beverage glassware, namely, jugs, mugs and drinking glasses; sugar and creamer sets; infant cups; cookie jars; ceramic, glass and china figurines; toothbrushes; non-electric coffee pots not of precious metal; lunch boxes; lunch pails; wastepaper baskets; ice buckets; plastic buckets; shower caddies; cake molds; serving utensils, namely, pie servers, cake turners, spatulas, scrapers, and cake servers; canteens; plastic coasters; thermal insulated containers for food or beverages; cookie cutters; cork screws; water bottles sold empty; decanters; drinking flasks; gardening gloves; rubber household gloves; and dinnerware, namely, paper plates and paper cups; oven mitts; demitasse sets consisting of cups and saucers; plastic coasters; cocktail shakers; thermal insulated containers for food or beverages; cork screws; corn cob holders; decanters; drinking flasks; cutting boards; bottles, sold empty; bottle openers; cookie cutters; pans; kettles; dishes; plates not of precious metal; buckets; champagne buckets; shower caddies, not of precious metal; tea caddies, not of precious metal; soap boxes; vacuum bottles; hair combs; powder compacts sold empty; non-metal decorative boxes; hair brushes; cake molds; coffee cups; coffee mugs; napkin holders; towel holders; non-metal piggy banks; plastic cups; salt shakers; pepper pots; shoe horns; toothbrushes; toothbrush cases; waste baskets; incense pots; serving trays not of precious metal; serving utensils, namely, cake turners, spatulas, scrapers and cake servers; vases not of precious metal; cases for personal hygiene products; toilet cases; candlestick holders not of precious metal; chopsticks; parts and accessories for all of the aforementioned; combs and sponges; brushes (other than paint brushes); brush-making materials; instruments and material for cleaning purposes; steel wool; unworked or semi-worked glass (excluding glass used in building); plastic water bottles; dusting brushes; brushes for clothes; bathroom pails; cake molds; plastic coasters; coffee cups; all purpose containers; window dusters.
Textiles and textile goods, not included in other classes; bed covers; table covers; Bath linens, namely, bath towels and wash cloths; bed linens, namely; bed blankets, bed canopies, bed pads, bed sheets, bed spreads, pillow cases, comforters, duvet covers, mattress covers, dust ruffles, blankets, throws, crib bumpers, and pillow shams; textile wall hangings; curtains; draperies; cotton, polyester and/or nylon fabric; linen; kitchen linens, namely, barbecue mitts, cloth napkins, dish cloths, fabric table cloths, kitchen towels, fabric place mats, oven mitts, washing mitts, fabric table runners, pot holders and cloth coasters; handkerchiefs, quilts, and golf towels; rugs; travelling rugs; lap rugs; quilts, canopies; sleeping bags (sheeting); cloth; fabric; table covers and table linen; place mats; napkins, serviettes and table runners; kitchen linens, namely, barbecue mitts, cloth doilies, cloth napkins, dish cloths, fabric table cloths, kitchen towels, fabric place mats, curtain holders of cloth; banners; household linen; covers for cushions; loose covers for furniture; shower curtains.
Clothing, footwear, headgear; Clothing for men, women and children – namely, shirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, jogging suits, trousers, pants, shorts, tank tops, rainwear, cloth baby bibs, skirts, blouses, dresses, suspenders, sweaters, jackets, coats, raincoats, snow suits, ties, robes, hats, caps, sunvisors, gloves, belts, scarves, sleepwear, pajamas, lingerie, underwear, boots, shoes, sneakers, sandals, socks, booties, slipper socks, swimwear and masquerade and Halloween costumes and masks sold in connection therewith.
Games and playthings; gymnastic and sporting articles not included in other classes; decorations for Christmas trees; Toys and sporting goods, including games and playthings-namely, action figures and accessories therefor; playsets for action figures; toy furniture; plush toys; balloons; bathtub toys; ride-on toys; equipment sold as a unit for playing card games; toy vehicles; dolls; flying discs; electronic hand-held game unit; game equipment sold as a unit for playing a board game, a card game, a manipulative game, a parlor game and an action type target game; stand alone video output game machines; jigsaw and manipulative puzzles; paper face masks; skateboards; ice skates; water squirting toys; balls-namely, playground balls, soccer balls, baseballs, basketballs; baseball gloves; swimming floats for recreational use; kickboard flotation devices for recreational use; surfboards; swim boards for recreational use; swim fins; toy bakeware and toy cookware; toy banks; toy snow globes; paper party hats; and Christmas tree ornaments.Meat, fish, poultry and game; meat extracts; preserved, frozen, dried and cooked fruits and vegetables; jellies, jams, compotes; eggs; milk and milk products; edible oils and fats; Processed and dried vegetables; processed and dried fruits, processed ginseng; raisins, fruit salads, fruit jellies, marmalade; preserved onions, preserved olives; crystallized fruits; vegetable and fruit juices for cooking; jams, chocolate nut butter, cocoa butter and peanut butter; canned fruits and vegetables; pickles; soybean-based food beverage used as a milk substitute; frozen fruits and vegetables; potato chips; processed and dried meat; meat; milk; seafood; and margarine; foodstuffs in the form of snack foods; snack foods made from meat; snack foods made from pre-cooked vegetables; snack foods made from eggs; corn snacks (other than confectionery); potato snacks; potato chips; potato crisps; cheese; cheese in the form of dips, spreads and sticks; milk shakes; dairy products for making milk shakes; preparations for making milk shakes; prepared meals, prepared cooked meals, prepared frozen meals, all included in class 29.Coffee, tea, cocoa and artificial coffee; rice; tapioca and sago; flour and preparations made from cereals; bread, pastry and confectionery; ices; sugar, honey, treacle; yeast, baking-powder; salt; mustard; vinegar, sauces (condiments); spices; ice; Cookies, bases for making milkshakes, breakfast cereal, bubble gum, cake decorations made of candy, chewing gum, frozen confections, crackers, frozen yogurt, ice cream, pretzels, peanut butter confectionery chips, malt for food; soybean malt; malt biscuits; sugar confectionery, namely candy, candy bars, candy mints, candy coated and caramel popcorn, and candy decorations for cakes; edible decorations for cake; rice cakes; pastilles; pastries; biscuits and bread; coffee beverages with milk; cocoa beverages with milk, chocolate-based beverages, coffee and coffee-based beverages, cocoa and cocoa-based beverages; tea, namely, ginseng tea, black tea, green tea, oolong tea, barley and barley-leaf tea; meat tenderizers for household purposes; binding agents for ice-cream; sugar, rice, tapioca, sago, artificial coffee; flour and preparations made from cereals, ices; pasta; honey, treacle; yeast, baking-powder; salt, mustard; vinegar, fruit sauces, sauces (condiments); spices; ice; cookies, chocolate; chocolate confectionery; chocolate decorations for Christmas trees; cakes; cake preparations; edible decorations for cake; popcorn; flavoured popcorn; cereal based snack foods; crisp snack food products; crispbread snacks; prepared savory foodstuffs in the form of snack foods; flour based savory snacks; corn chips; tortillas; prepared meals, prepared cooked meals, prepared frozen meals, all included in class 30; canned pasta foods.
Beers; mineral and aerated waters and other non-alcoholic beverages; fruit beverages and fruit juices; syrups and other preparations for making beverages; Vegetable juice for beverages; sweet drinks prepared with rice and malt, fruit powder, fruit syrup, concentrated fruit juice; lemonades and syrup for lemonade; cola syrup; powders for effervescing beverages; pastilles for effervescing beverages; non-alcoholic beverages, namely soft drinks, fruit nectars; fruit juices, fruit drinks, fruit flavored soft drinks, fruit punch, seltzer water, soda water, drinking water and sports drinks; preparations for making aerated water and juice; mineral and spring water; mineral and aerated waters and other non-alcoholic drinks; fruit drinks and fruit juices; syrups and other preparations for making beverages; vegetable juice for beverages.
Advertising; business management; business administration; office functions; Retail store services and on-line retail store services featuring consumer goods, namely, clothing, toys, sporting goods, household linen, household tableware, housewares, carrying bags and packs, wallets, paper goods, writing instruments; jewellery and watches and consumer electronics; Compiling of information into computer databases; Marketing, advertising and promotion services; market research and information services; advertising services, namely, promoting the goods and services of others via computer and communication networks; operating on-line marketplaces for sellers of goods and/or services; online retail store services featuring digital media, namely, pre-recorded digital sound, video and data recordings featuring music, text, video, games, comedy, drama, action, adventure or animation; promoting the goods and services of others over the Internet; providing on-line computer databases and on-line searchable databases in the field of entertainment; on-line advertising and marketing services; providing and rental of advertising space on the Internet; providing on-line auction services; comparison shopping services, namely providing commercial information and advice for consumers and providing price comparison services; business management; business administration; office functions; advertising and promotion provided on-line from a computer data base or the Internet; provision of space on web sites for advertising goods and services; market surveys; analysis of advertising response and market research; Retail services and on-line retail services for perfumery, essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions, apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images, magnetic data carriers, recording discs, data processing equipment and computers, precious metals and their alloys and goods in precious metals, jewellery, precious stones, motion picture films, vinyl records, audio tapes, audio-video tapes, audio video cassettes, audio video discs, digital versatile discs, stereo headphones, cordless telephones, hand-held calculators, audio cassettes and CD players, CD ROM games, hand-held karaoke players, video cassette recorders and players, compact disc players, digital audio tape records and players, electronic diaries, radios, audio tapes sold together with booklets, game equipment for computer games, video and computer game programs, video game cartridges and cassettes, downloadable sound, music, image, video and game files, digital media, namely downloadable audio-visual media content, downloadable publications in the nature of books and magazines, horological and chronometric instruments, paper, cardboard and goods made from these materials, printed matter, bookbinding material, photographs, stationery, adhesives for stationery or household purposes, artists’ materials, paint brushes, office requisites, instructional and teaching material, leather and imitations of leather, and goods made of these materials, trunks and travelling bags, umbrellas, parasols and walking sticks, furniture, mirrors, picture frames, goods of wood, cork, reed, cane, wicker, horn, bone, ivory, whalebone, shell, amber, mother-of-pearl, meerschaum and substitutes for all these materials, or of plastics, household or kitchen utensils and containers, combs and sponges, brushes, unworked or semi-worked glass, glassware, porcelain and earthenware, textiles and textile goods, bed and table covers, footwear, headgear, games and playthings, gymnastic and sporting articles, decorations for Christmas trees, meat, fish, poultry and game, meat extracts, preserved, frozen, dried and cooked fruits and vegetables, jellies, jams, compotes, eggs, milk and milk products, edible oils and fats, coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, rice, tapioca, sago, artificial coffee, flour and preparations made from cereals, bread, pastry and confectionery, ices, honey, treacle, yeast, baking-powder, salt, mustard, vinegar, sauces (condiments), spices, ices, beers, mineral and aerated waters and other non-alcoholic drinks, fruit drinks and fruit juices, syrups and other preparations for making beverages.
Telecommunications; Providing on-line facilities for real-time interaction with other computer users concerning topics of general interest; providing on-line chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among users; electronic transmission and streaming of digital media content for others via global and local computer networks and via mobile telephones, smartphones and other mobile communications devices; streaming of audio and video material on the internet and via mobile telephones, smartphones and other mobile communications devices; transmission of downloadable audio-visual media content in the nature of full-length, partial-length, and clips from motion pictures, television programming, and videos; video-on-demand transmission services; enabling users of mobile telephones, smartphones and other mobile communications devices to communicate with each other; telecommunications. telecommunications services; chat room services; portal services; e-mail services; providing user access to the Internet; radio and television broadcasting.
Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities; Entertainment services, namely, providing online video games, providing online computer games, providing temporary use of non-downloadable video games; Production of video and computer game software; entertainment services in the nature of live-action, comedy, drama, animated, and reality television series; production of live-action, comedy, drama, animated and reality television series; distribution and display of live-action, comedy, drama and animated motion picture theatrical films; production of live-action, comedy, drama and animated motion picture theatrical films; theatrical performances both animated and live action; Internet services providing information via an electronic global computer network in the field of entertainment relating specifically to games, music, movies, and television; providing a web site featuring film clips, photographs and other multimedia materials; providing news about current events and entertainment, and information related to education and cultural events, via a global computer network; and providing information for and actual entertainment via an electronic global communications network in the nature of live-action, comedy, drama and animated programs and production of live-action, comedy, drama and animated motion picture films for distribution via a global computer network; providing a computer game that may be accessed by a telecommunications network; and electronic publishing services, namely, publication of text and graphic works of others on-line featuring articles, novelizations, scripts, comic books, strategy guides, photographs and visual materials; amusement parks services; amusement park rides; live or pre-recorded shows and/or movies; entertainment and/or recreation information; entertainment club services; education and entertainment services provided via a global computer network; information relating to education and entertainment provided on-line from a computer database or the Internet; electronic games services provided via a global computer network; providing on-line publications (non-downloadable); on-line publication of electronic books and journals (non-downloadable) publication and distribution of printed media and recordings; provision of live entertainment; production of live entertainment; audio-visual display presentation services for entertainment purposes; organising of events, exhibitions and shows for entertainment purposes; production of audio entertainment; production of entertainment shows featuring dancers and singers; provision of entertainment services on cruise ships; video arcade services; providing amusement arcade services; theme park services; amusement park services with a theme of films; amusement park services with a theme of radio productions; amusement park services with a theme of television productions; education and training services relating to the establishment, operation, administration, management and conduct of amusement and theme parks; movie studios; recording studio services; television entertainment; cinema services; providing cinema and theatre facilities; rental of cinematographic and motion picture films; distribution of cinematographic and motion picture films; editing of cinematographic and motion picture films; showing of cinematographic and motion picture films.
Well — I’m back! I loved the recent holidays but they went too fast. And, to be honest, I missed a white Christmas. last year at this time it truly was a winter wonderland. Today — good grief — feels like early April. that said, it’s only January and one never knows what Mother Nature has in store for us.
I do know we’ve a shiny new year to fill with fabulous sales and bargains. Of note — all the Valentine’s Day goodies in the stores (Talk about pushing the envelope — I actually saw them on Boxing Day) and believe it or not, I’m already being plied with Mother’s Day gift ideas.
Please don’t rush time, folks. It’s going too fast as it is.
It’s wedding season sale time. how do I know? The famous Ritche Bridal Super Sale starts today for the next four days, offering savings of up to 80% on all sorts of beautiful designer wedding gowns and fashions for the whole bridal party. look for huge deals on wedding gowns, headpieces, veils, accessories, flower-girl and mother-of-the-bride dresses, tiaras and evening wear. Sizes 6 and up. Note, the Avenue rd. location will be closed during the sale.
RITCHE BRIDAL SUPER SALE, Jan. 12-15, Montecassino Hotel, 3710 Chesswood Drive (Sheppard Ave. W. and Allen rd. area; free parking) Thu.-Fri. noon-9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Ritche.com.
If you’re getting married or looking for the perfect wedding or shower gift, listen up — the Royal Doulton store in the Pickering Town Centre will be closing its doors on Jan. 27, putting everything in this iconic shop on sale. The store has been in business for about 23 years and staff, made up of an amazing group of dedicated ladies who have built a very loyal clientele, admit “it’s very sad we’ll be closing the doors here in the next few weeks.” The up-side to this is the tremendous deals that are now available to customers during this time — further reductions and markdowns on everything in the store, with prices slashed from 50% to 75% off the retail. definitely the famous figurines rule, but the company also carries Waterford Crystal, Wedgwood dinnerware and giftware. You’ll also find beautiful Vera Wang frames perfect for weddings, regularly $120 on sale for $48, and limited edition “dancers” on sale for 60% off. Shop early for the best selection, shop often as the prices will be going down closer to the closing date.
ROYAL DOULTON PICKERING TOWN CENTRE CLOSING SALE, 1355 Kingston rd. Pickering, 905-420-3801, Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat. 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Speaking of stores closing, back in late October while waiting on a friend to have dinner, I popped into The Book Mark book store on Bloor St. W. I loved the store — had visited it in the past — and found the staff and the prices exceptional. We had discussed the idea of writing a story and tying it into the great jump in book clubs. so it’s with great sadness I learned the store recently announced it will be closing its doors after 47 years of service due to rising rent rates and property taxes. It’s known as Toronto’s oldest independent bookstore and it’s a real gem. Before The Book Mark closes its doors forever, pop in and check out the deals and talk shop with the staff. And check out the neighbhourhood — it’s one of the nicest parts of town, with excellent stores and businesses and a great place to park yourself for some much-needed downtime.
THE BOOK MARK, 2964 Bloor St. W. Etobicoke, (east of Royal York on the north side), 416-233-2191.
I attended this sale last year and picked up the most awesome deals. The good news is — the KitchenAid Small Appliance Event is now taking place at the International Centre. Coupled with the Crocs footwear sale, you’re guaranteed to find that ideal KitchenAid chopper, blender, pot or pan that is nicely discounted at this sale. so mark it on your calendar!
KITCHENAID SMALL APPLIANCE EVENT AND CROCS FOOTWEAR, starting Jan. 11, International Centre, 6900 Airport rd. Hall 7. Open daily, Wednesdays to Sundays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
I’ve been happily haunting my local Chapters/Indigo shops — my favourite being on The Queensway, across from Sherway Gardens — because there are so many fabulous deals not only on seasonal stuff, but other goods as well. I visited the Chapters/Indigo on Weston rd. and Hwy. 7 and picked up a plethora of calendars — all deeply discounted. loved the Dilbert calendars! good time to start doing your holiday shopping for Christmas, 2013!
CHAPTERS/INDIGO after-Christmas sale events.
Are you looking for a great place to have brunch or breakfast? Why not check out Il re Trattoria on King St. E. I popped in with my good friend Mairlyn Smith recently and enjoyed some mighty fine fare, including a wonderful plate of eggs benedict with the best home fries I’ve had in a while. The brunch menu was perfect — not too many items, not too little. The coffee was excellent and I notice they have a pretty eclectic menu for both lunch and dinner, too, including poutine in various styles including with cheddar, curds and porchetta. It’s open early for breakfast all week, which is nice. It’s been around for a while and looks like a nice place to stop for a while and enjoy the moment.
IL RE TRATTORIA, 246 King St. E., 416-868-4573, Mon.-Wed., 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Thurs., 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Fri., 7 a.m.-9 p.m, Sun., 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Body Shop is such an iconic name, a company famous for its original, natural and ethical beauty messaging. Well, The Body Shop, in collaboration with Tamara Mellon, OBE, (chief creative officer and co-founder of Jimmy Choo,) has recently designed an exclusive limited edition bag to support innocent victims of child sex trafficking globally. known as The STOP bag, (a reusable cotton bag) it features personalized handprints from Oscar winning actress Nicole Kidman, super chef Jamie Oliver, musician and producer extraordinaire Mark Ronson, Oscar winner and UN Goodwill Ambassador Mira Sorvino and CNN host Piers Morgan, who have all pledged their support for the campaign. The Stop Sex Trafficking of Children & Young People campaign is the largest in the 35-year history of The Body Shop. The Stop Sex Trafficking of Children & Young People campaign is a three-year global campaign in partnership with NGO ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking), an international network of children’s rights organizations, and the Somaly Mam Foundation, a network providing rehabilitative support for survivors of sex trafficking. The campaign aims to put an end to the trafficking of children and young people, guarantee their rights to be protected from exploitation and inspire long-term change to protect children and young people. Profits from the sale of the bag will benefit beyond Borders and the Somaly Mam Foundation.
The bag will be available this month and will retail for $10, with about $2 from every purchase donated to both campaign partners.
“I am thrilled to have worked with The Body Shop to design The STOP bag and raise awareness,” says Mellon. “I feel very strongly about prohibiting sex trafficking and knowing that the profits will help to end this modern day slavery and safeguard children makes the project even more worthwhile.”
Also, starting Feb. 6 and at your favourite Body Shop store, a delicious line of chocolate-inspired treats like soaps, creams and more, perfect for Valentine’s day and Easter. The line is called Chocomania and yes, it’s decadent, sensuous — and sin-free — certainly a fat and calorie free-treat for your body!
For details on the Chocomania line and the STOP campaign, check out Thebodyshop.ca for additional info.
Christian Bale couldn't entice U.S. moviegoers to go see "Flowers of War," the most expensive movie in Chinese history, last weekend. nor could director Zhang Yimou of "Hero" fame.
"The Flowers of War," a dark and violent Chinese-language movie about the Rape of Nanking that cost more than $90 million to produce, grossed an anemic $48,558 in 30 U.S. locations last weekend. Its per-location average: a mere $1,619.
"The Flowers of War" belly flop — and the problems it has faced on the way to the U.S. market — underscores the challenges Chinese movies can face in America.
also read: Hollywood's China Revolution: Smaller Is Better
when it comes to attracting Stateside audiences, some Chinese movies, no matter how lavishly produced, get lost in translation.
Set in China during the 1930s, "The Flowers of War" revolves around a mortician (Bale) who protects convent girls and prostitutes from the invading Japanese army.
it has grossed nearly $100 million in China, making it one of the highest-grossing films in the country's history.
that might sound impressive, but producer and China film-industry expert Rob Cain called it underwhelming for a movie with a production budget of that size. His company, Pacific Bridge Pictures, estimates the movie's China gross at $95 million, a few million short of "Aftershock."
"They're going to need the picture to do $150 million in China to recoup that in China, and there's no way they're going to get that, so they need it to be a real international hit," he said.
"As long as the distribution work is done well, you can always make the money back in China," he told TheWrap through a translator. "China will be the largest market besides the U.S. in the next five years, so for me, I have the confidence to know that the market is going to be in play for my movie."
also read: Oscar's Foreign Entries: Steve Pond's Shortlist Predictions
Jay Cohen, who is putting together a film finance fund with basketball star Yao Ming points out that the Chinese market is different than Hollywood, where the focus is firmly fixed on the bottom line.
"they make movies for specific reasons," Cohen, head of independent film for Gersh, told TheWrap. "Sometimes, it's to introduce the culture of China to other markets, sometimes for cultural history. No one is going to lose money, but sometimes they do it for a sense of cultural pride."
The U.S. rollout for "Flowers of War" has been marred by false stops and starts, not to mention negative reviews. Domestic distributor Wrekin Hill moved up the movie's U.S. theatrical release date from early March to last Friday, in the second U.S. date change for the film, which was China's Oscar entry for foreign language film and was a Golden Globe nominee.
Heading into last weekend's 30-theater release, Wrekin Hill President and CEO Chris Ball insisted to TheWrap that date change had less to do with box office and Oscar prospects, but more about demand for the film.
"It's absolutely nothing to do with the Academy or otherwise, it's just that we have a film people want to see," he said. As announced earlier this week, the film did not receive a nomination.
but Ball did concede that the company had Oscar ambitions.
he said Wrekin Hill originally wanted to give "The Flowers of War" a wide release in March "to allow a little more breathing space between the initial release, perhaps get some nominations and go from there after the Christmas rush."
but then "The Flowers of War" grossed $90,000 when it was released in three U.S. cities in December for a qualifying run.
also read: Chinese Government: Christian Bale 'Should be Embarrassed'
The release-date conundrum was just the latest in a series of hang-ups for "The Flowers of War."
In late November, new Pictures Film requested that the minimum ticket price be raised, prompting Chinese cinema circuits to threaten to boycott the movie. At the order of the film bureau of China's government-controlled State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television, a compromise was eventually reached.
The following month, the Los Angeles Times published an interview with Bale in which the actor said he participated in the film because he wanted to collaborate with Yimou — not that he specifically wanted to work in China.
Bale's promotional efforts backfired when he visited China in December. After attempting to visit activist Chen Guangcheng, who was under house arrest, Bale was roughed up by police and scolded by the Chinese government.
"If anyone should be embarrassed [by the incident], it's the relevant actor, not the Chinese side," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
The movie faced the obvious challenge of trying to market a movie that features dialogue mostly spoken in Mandarin. The film is 145 minutes long, features a cast of mostly unknown actors and, according to some critics, is a pro-China propaganda film.
new Pictures Film took steps to position the film for success in the U.S. Originally titled "Nanjing Heroes" and "13 Flowers of Nanjing," the film's name was changed in an effort to appeal to U.S. audiences. also, a substantial portion of the script is in English — 40 percent, according to the filmmakers.
The original Wrekin Hill goal was to expand "The Flowers of War" into theaters located close to Chinese communities, after first trying to appeal to the arthouse crowd.
Anna Chi, a Chinese writer/director who has written scripts for Miramax and John Woo, acknowledged the challenges. although "Zhang has certain followers who will go see his movie regardless," she said, "for general audiences, I think it might be challenging, because of the length and the subject matter. It's a pretty hard movie to watch — and I actually knew the story."
For his part, Bale did not.
"I had heard of the Rape of Nanking, but I didn't know much about it," he told TheWrap. "I knew Yimou's work, so they sent me the script and asked if I had an interest. And Yimou … came over to visit, and we sat together, and I decided to do it."
regardless of "Flowers of War's" ultimate take in America, Chinese filmmakers and American companies will continue trying to make crossover films. After all, Cohen notes, there are 1.3 billion people in China.
"And they enjoy movies about Chinese history," he said. "they enjoy looking at how insiders look at Chinese culture."
(Additional reporting by Sharon Waxman, Steve Pond and Brent Lang)
Related Articles: Hollywood's China Revolution: Smaller Is better Chinese Government: Christian Bale 'Should be Embarrassed' Oscar's Foreign Entries: Steve Pond's Shortlist Predictions
But today, in a media cosmos dominated by the Internet, Twitter and Facebook, staging an event that’s geared toward morning TV is the equivalent of printing out all of your email and sending it by Pony Express.
In today’s pop culture, anything that has any air of anticipation is a potential TV event. look at sports, where everything from the NBA and NFL draft to the announcement of the MLB all-star game selections is packaged and presented as a TV show. Even the Heisman Trophy, given to the best college football player, is presented in prime time on ESPN, where last December’s award pulled in 4.6 million viewers. The NFL draft is such a hot ticket that in 2010, ESPN’s coverage of the draft’s first-round selections actually got higher ratings than two NBA playoff contests, including the Lakers against the Oklahoma City Thunder, put together.
PHOTOS: Oscar nominees react
If a telecast showing NFL prospects strolling up to a podium can outdraw a pair of exciting NBA playoff games, it’s hardly a stretch to imagine that a prime-time TV special built around the Oscar nominations could be transformed into a serious ratings bonanza. ABC, which broadcasts the Academy Awards, would be happy to have a show with some glamour and sizzle that could in turn be used to hype its Oscar telecast. (CBS, which broadcasts the Grammys, now does a prime-time Grammy nomination show.)
Dawn Hudson, the academy’s new chief exective, was supposedly brought in as an agent of change at the slow-moving institution. I’ve heard through the rumor mill that she is pressing ahead with several new initiatives, but since she hasn’t returned any of my phone calls, I don’t know whether a nomination-day TV special is high on her list or not.
So here’s some free advice: do it right away. The best thing about a TV show built around the nominations is that, simply by virtue of being new, it would be liberated from all of the stuffy, confining traditions that have kept the Oscars from undergoing any major renovations. The most obvious benefit? Since they’ve already been excluded from the current five-minute format, a new show wouldn’t have to bore viewers with nominations for any of the arcane technical categories, which are locked into the Academy Awards format, despite the fact that they gum up the works and make for awful television.
Even better, the new show could try all sorts of experiments deemed too radical for the big event, whether it’s doing remote feeds from studio lots, talent agencies and nomination parties or having a camera crew at the homes of some of the leading actors, getting their instant reaction — good, bad or ugly — to the news. Let's face it, the essence of nomination day is what makes great TV — the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. I mean, who wouldn't want to see "The Help's" Viola Davis relishing the moment or "Moneyball's" Jonah Hill getting a congratulatory call from costar Brad Pitt. A good producer (perhaps ABC could borrow a hotshot from ESPN, its sister company) could also break up the announcement of different categories with a few pre-taped segments. It would be nice to see highlights from various careers that haven’t already been ridiculously overexposed — obvious possibilities from this year’s candidates being Jean Dujardin for leading actor, Alexander Payne for best director or Iran's Asghar Farhadi, who not only landed a foreign-language film nomination for "A Separation" but an original screenplay nod as well. The academy should also embrace the inevitable: Since everyone spends most of his or her awards season attention span engaging in horse-race style speculation, the nomination show should have a pair of Oscar pundits offering instant analysis about the biggest surprises.
It’s a no-brainer that the show should have a fresh face as its host. but more important, it should have a fresh attitude. every other award show on TV, including the Grammys, Golden Globes, ESPYs and MTV Video Awards, has tons more on-screen fun than the Oscars. A show built around the nominations would be an opportunity to remind viewers that the Oscars, despite all its gravitas, knows how to have a good time. The academy can jealously guard its prestige all it wants, but at some point it has to accept the fact that if you’re putting on a TV show in the 21st century, stodginess almost guarantees a swift trip to the scrap heap.
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Photo: Jennifer Lawrence and motion picture academy President Tom Sherak in Beverly Hills announcing the leading actress candidates for the 84th annual Academy Awards. Credit: Matt Sayles/Associated Press.
After she watched a feisty maid give a mean-spirited society woman her comeuppance in “the help,” Yvonne Cooper of Tunkhannock walked out of the theater feeling certain.
“I thought, that lady who made that pie (Octavia Spencer, as Minny) should get Supporting Actress. She was awesome.”
Cooper, 70, is one of several savvy movie buffs who correctly predicted last year’s top Oscar winners in a Times Leader contest, and she typically bases her opinions on films she has just seen.
But, she admits, just as emotion and memories of an actor’s achievements likely influence voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, they carry weight with her as well.
“I loved Christopher Plummer in ‘the Sound of Music,’ ” she said, hinting she’d favor Plummer to win the Supporting Actor category for his role in “Beginners,” in which he portrays an older man finally coming out of the closet during his sunset years.
If you saw “Beginners” in Northeastern Pennsylvania, by the way, chances are it was during the 2011 Fall Film Festival at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock.
and if you’d like to see Glenn Close’s cross-dressing, Oscar-nominated performance in “Albert Nobbs,” which was released in major markets early last year, you may have to wait for another film festival to see it on the large screen.
“We’re trying to get that one,” said Jennifer Jenkins, director of theater arts at the Dietrich.
Meanwhile, as cinema fans await the Academy Awards presentation, which will air Feb. 26 on ABC, they can reflect on a year of films and just how good, or not so good, they may have been.
“It was awful. It made no sense whatsoever,” Elizabeth Parrish, 69, of Hanover Township said, describing “the Tree of Life.” She’s mystified as to how that movie received a best Picture nomination, alongside “the Artist,” “the Descendants,” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” “the help,” “Hugo,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Moneyball” and “War Horse.”
“I don’t think the caliber of films this year was as good as it usually is,” she said, giving “the Descendants” credit for “fabulous” Hawaiian music in its soundtrack but calling the movie itself “mediocre.”
“I loved ‘War Horse,’ ” she said. “I think it’s a touching movie, but I don’t think it’s necessarily an Awards movie, just a feel-good movie.”
Parrish, who also correctly predicted last year’s top Oscar winners in the Times Leader contest, expects to hear good things about “Hugo” this year. “any time Martin Scorsese is involved, that carries some weight,” she said.
She joins fellow-winner Cooper in praising “the help,” and she’d like to see Viola Davis (who played Aibileen) win for best Actress. but then Parrish has always liked Meryl Streep, too, and Streep has been nominated for her performance in “the Iron Lady.”
Decisions, decisions.
But it’s all fun.
As Cooper said, going to the movies offers “a little bit of an escape; it shows you how other people live.
“ I really like when a film is based on a true story,” she said earlier this week, as she and her daughter headed out to catch “we Bought a Zoo.”
The best assorted links from across the web (and what you should watch on TV tonight) for Tuesday, January 24th. this edition brought to you by the best craigslist ad for Super Bowl tickets we’ve seen this week. If you’d like to see something on SportsGrid, send it to . Now here’s our starting five.
1. CHUBBY PRINCE FIELDER: GREAT LITTLE LEAGUER, OR GREATEST LITTLE LEAGUER? Prince Fielder signed a fat contract today, so an internet flood of photos of him when he was a fat little kid soon followed. He appears to be a happy fat kid (his father, Cecil, played 13 years in the big leagues, so he would bring chubby young Prince around the ballpark; they hate each other now), which makes it okay to note his fatness. Anyway: can you imagine the power numbers chubby Prince was putting up in little league? The fear he induced in opposing 9-year-olds as he walked/waddled to the plate? there is nothing in the way of stats to back this up, but based on that photo alone, we have to assume he was one of the greatest slugging little leaguers of his era. Performance enhancers? Nay. just lots and lots of big Macs.
2. DWIGHT HOWARD MAKES FUN OF FAT TEAMMATE. Really, a lot of fat jokes being thrown around today. Not cool, you guys.
3. THE LONELY LIFE OF TERRELL OWENS: “Even in the NFL, where tales of brutal childhoods and absent fathers are as common as concussions, Terrell Owens’s story stands out. Raised mostly by his joyless Baptist grandmother, who kept the kids inside her tiny, dark home virtually every moment they weren’t in school and sometimes drank so much she passed out, he discovered the hard way at age 11 who his father was: after he developed a crush on the girl across the street.”
4. BEST ADVERTISING LIE EVER?
5. NOT SPORTS RELATED, STILL IMPORTANT: The best look yet at Anne Hathaway’s full costume in the upcoming Dark Knight Rises comes courtesy of newly-released statues. Batman. Collectibles. Anne Hathaway. Nerdy? yes. Form-fitting? Also yes.
WHAT’S ON TV TONIGHT: Michigan at Purdue (ESPN, 7 p.m.); Cavaliers at Heat (NBATV, 7:30 p.m.); Australian Open quarterfinals (ESPN2, 9 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.), State of the Union address (CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, 9 p.m.); Justified (FX, 10 p.m.); Southland (TNT, 10 p.m.).
AND, FINALLY TONIGHT: Worst Church Singer ever is worst church singer ever.
While the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update gives users a wealth of features that, in many cases, should have been available from the outset, they still make Microsoft’s mobile operating system a far more intuitive, user-friendly experience.
Pros
Groups are a convenient way to quickly access most frequent contacts
Great improvements to Bing search
Email conversations (threads) a welcome addition
Cons
Maps app has some drawbacks
Browser still lacking Flash support
Email conversations don’t always work properly
Not too long ago, the major Windows Phone 7 update known as “Mango” was finally released as a free download from Microsoft. Designed to patch up many of the holes and pitfalls from which the initial iteration of the mobile OS suffered, Windows Phone 7.5 boasts “over 500 new features,” according to Microsoft.
But many of those features are minor updates that the average user may not even notice, so for the sake of streamlining things, we’re here to offer our thoughts on some of the best or most notable additions and improvements.
Email
Probably one of the most important new features in the Mango update is the addition of “conversation view.” Previously, emails were just thrown into your box individually — much like in Outlook — regardless of whether or not they were part of an ongoing thread. Now, Microsoft has taken a leaf out of Google’s book and organized emails into collapsible conversations. It’s a welcome change, one that greatly reduces the clutter of one’s inbox when emailing back and forth with people.
The only issue is that there are definitely some quirks with the way emails are sorted into conversations. it seems that instead of organizing the threads according to the subject (and people replying directly to the same series of specific emails), the emails are organized by the people involved. I say this because many of my conversations include emails that aren’t always part of the same chain. for instance, I had a thread that was going back and forth between me, my father, and my brother, but randomly placed within the collapsible conversation was a completely different email that I had sent to a friend of mine on an entirely different subject that clearly was not part of the same chain. obviously, this tends to make some of my emails hard to find when they’re not located in the right conversation. Hopefully this will get worked out soon, because it’s an otherwise excellent addition that helps clean up my inbox.
Another major update to the email app on Windows Phone is that users can now link inboxes to get all of their email in one place. this could be a good idea for the occasional individual who has multiple personal accounts, but I only have one personal account and my work email. As such, I didn’t have much use for this update because I intentionally keep the two apart (which is thankfully still an option). nobody wants to mix business with pleasure.
Bing Search
The Bing Search on WP7.5 sports a few new features that, to me, seem like great ideas not in terms of originality, but because they consolidate certain conveniences of external apps and bring them all to one location. for example, many people (myself included) have downloaded some kind of barcode scanning app, which allows you to scan tags on products and run a subsequent web search for shopping results on the item. Now, the Bing Search includes a feature called “Vision,” which automatically activates the camera and allows you scan barcodes, text, and CD, DVD, and book covers before triggering a relevant web search. it cuts out the middleman and eliminates the need for using a third party app.
And you know Shazam, the app that allows you to hold up your phone when a song is playing and it will tell you the song and artist? Not necessary anymore either, as the Bing Search features a “Music” function which, when tapped, automatically starts listening to the music playing before identifying it for you (complete with a link to buy it in the Zune store, should you so please). again, these aren’t original ideas, but it was a smart move that upped the convenience level for users by putting them all in one place as part of the Bing Search.
Speaking of consolidation, web searches done through the Bing Search function will also include any relevant results from the apps in the Zune Marketplace. thanks to the Mango updates, Microsoft has done a good job of making the Bing Search on WP7.5 kind of a one-stop, catch-all function for all of your searching needs.
Groups
I personally found this to be one of the better parts of the upgrade in that it isn’t just a tweak to an existing feature, it’s a whole new idea and a really solid way to organize your contacts. you can now group your contacts into…well, groups, which you can then pin to your start menu. this meshes extremely well with the whole live tile aspect of the Metro UI, giving you very quick access to specific people with whom you know you will be in frequent contact.
Once you tap on the tile for the group that you created (or you can just access it through the existing “People” menu button), you’ll find that WP7.5 has basically created a whole little menu full of information for all of the people included. Besides being able to message all of the members at once (via text or email), they are each given live tiles that you can select individually if you want to call them, write on their Facebook wall, etc.
Even better is that, like the “People” and “Me” tiles, there is a “What’s New” section within the group that displays all of the social media updates for just the group’s members. There’s also a “Pictures” section that displays a live slideshow of randomized pictures of members of the group, which can also be tapped to see an entire album of all pictures that include any of the group members (it’s populated through Facebook). you can also select individual albums from the group’s members if you want to narrow things down a little bit. In all, it’s a very streamlined, pragmatic addition that offers you an easy way to stay in touch with your most important contacts.
Maps
The Maps app from Windows Phone 7 has received some much-needed improvements in Mango, though there’s still a little room for improvement in certain areas. but credit where credit is due, first.
Rather than just basic directions and search options, users can also use Bing Scout, which does just that: it scouts the area around your location to provide you with options for food and drink, events and attractions, shopping, and highlights, which are just highest-rated attractions regardless of category. What’s especially nice is that all of the results from Bing Scout — or any searches done within Maps, for that matter — are marked with little flags on the map, which can in turn be tapped to bring up more detailed information on the location, including address, phone, reviews, hours, directions from your location, etc. A “suggest changes” option is also available on each location’s page to help improve the user experience.
There is also a useful option to just locate yourself on a map via GPS with no need to type in any directions. Now, you can just open Maps and tap the “Me” button and a pulsing dot is brought up on the map to display your location.
Other new options include the ability to show or hide traffic (an excellent addition), flag favorite places, switch to aerial view, or revert to a directions list that you pulled up previously. I especially appreciated the last feature, as it drove me crazy in the past when I would open Maps, look up directions, close it, and then have to type in the location again five minutes later when I wanted to check my progress. Speaking of which, you can now also set the maps to either stay oriented north at all times, or rotate with your current direction when following a directions list, which helps a ton, especially when driving (but make sure your passenger is holding it!).
Now, there are a couple of things I still wish had been implemented with this update to help really bring Bing Maps up to snuff. First of all, I would have liked to see an added ability to switch between different types of directions — driving, walking, public transportation — a la Google maps. As far as I can tell, there’s no way to do this, which really worked against me when I was in new York recently and was trying to find my way back to Penn Station on foot. it took me a while to realize that the directions that were given to me were by car and they ultimately led me to a roadway that was not accessible to pedestrians (not to mention the fact that it was a wildly inefficient route by foot as it had to follow the numerous one-way streets). so I had to improvise, all the while wishing for a way to specify to Bing Maps that I was walking.
Also somewhat problematic is the app’s ability to find the place you’re looking for when you run a search for directions from your current location. when here in Boston, on more than one occasion I have punched in the name of a restaurant or venue in the “End” field of the directions box without the city or state and, instead of just being intuitive enough to find the location of said name that is nearest to me, I have been given directions to places of same name that can be found in new Hampshire, Minnesota, or one time — when the app was feeling especially adventurous — London. If you just do a regular search with your current location marked, it seems to fare better. but if you try to enter a location in the directions fields without a city and state, you often get some pretty wonky results.
This is part 1 of a multi-page article. Part 2 discusses the greatly updated web browser in Windows Phone 7.5, as well as other new features.
Shops come and shops go; but only a favoured few become genuine Leicester Classics. In the first of an occasional series, Linda Steelyard confesses to being a member of the, erm, Set.
Okay, we’ll admit it. Most of us have an occasional moan about shopping in Leicester. “wish we still had that branch of .” “We could really do with a thingummy – they’ve got one in Nottingham.”
They’re soon forgotten, though, because we know that for every minor whinge there’s a great big pile of stuff to celebrate.
There’s Highcross, for instance, which means we no longer have to travel to another city when we fancy a dose of John Lewis, Zara, Carluccio’s or any of the other delights that its brought to Leicester.
We’ve got the characterful Fenwick. The only branch of the 130-year-old department store chain in the Midlands, it is in one of the city’s landmark buildings, is packed with interesting brands and has been serving discerning shoppers for half a century.
And we’ve oodles of top-quality independents.
In fact, we’re so loved up with shopping in Leicester at the moment that we’ve decided to put the Counter
Culture spotlight on our Leicester Classics – the long-standing stores we have a schoolgirl (or boy) crush on.
We’re starting with Set, which has been in the city for 15 years, first in High Street, and now in St Martin’s Square.
We could sum up Set as “the ultimate treat shop”.
Its heart might belong to contemporary design and cheeky monkey quirkiness, but we reckon you could find a gift for every member of your family here.
And not just any old “that’ll do” gift, but a gift that perfectly taps into their taste. now that’s an achievement.
Set sells all sorts of things, but every item is designed to put some fun, style and colour into your life.
Its huge collection of jewellery ranges from in-your-face designer styles (you’d be hard pushed to find a better selection of contemporary watches by fashionable brands) to delicate, vintage-inspired pieces.
Kitchenware starts with items by collectable Italian design brand Alessi, and concludes with mugs bearing Scrabble letters.
There are handy gadgets to make life that little bit easier, things for youngsters to cuddle, pretty purses and stylish bags and unusual goodies that exist just to amuse and entertain (glasses that make your eyes look funny, balloons you can mould into dinosaurs, that sort of thing).
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! it packs a lot in for a little ’un.
Our favourite items when we visited included Alessi’s super-cute Banana Brothers and Paradise Birds salt and pepper sets, Momiji dolls and mugs, anything with an owl on, heart-shaped measuring spoons, a charm bracelet and all of the amazing-looking cameras (not digitals – film cameras that make photography itself fun).
It’s a wonderful buffet of lovely things, and we hope we’re still spending our pennies there 15 years from now.
Info
Set is in St Martin’s Square, Leicester. there is a second “clearance” branch just across the square.
As you might already be aware if you remember Set hitting the headlines a few years ago when one of its Christmas cards caused offence to a passing shopper, it isn’t frightened of the occasional swear word.
