Iza Calzado in pretty good shape

MANILA, Philippines - No, she doesn’t want to talk about “the break up” anymore. She wants to work out, take acting classes, dance.

For the past three months, Iza Calzado has been hounded by the media about the break up with her boyfriend, businessman Atticus King, but she has chosen to give only diplomatic replies.

Looking at her schedule now, it’s quite clear she isn’t wallowing in broken-heartedness or self-pity – or, least, she’s not allowing herself to do so. She’s part of the noontime staple show “Eat Bulaga” Mondays to Fridays unless, she says, “something worthy of skipping work comes up. Raket, you know.” She has dance rehearsals in between for the weekly noontime variety show “Party Pilipinas,” and now hosts the new showbiz talk show “Showbiz Exclusives” for GMA News TV.


STARweek caught up with Iza at 4 p.m. at the GMA studios in Quezon City; she admitted she was sleepy.

“My schedule is a little tough and I only take one day off to do things,” she says as make-up artist Mike Lariosa does her eyes. “I don’t have anybody to make utos even to just get appliances for the house…I haven’t really considered getting one until now.”

She rattles off a few more items in her jam-packed schedule. CrossFit training three times a week, another fitness program, dance classes on Tuesdays, yoga every other week. And oh, last night, she says, she saw the movie No Other Woman with friends.

“It was all right. Anne’s hot,” she says of actress Anne Curtis who played the role of a notorious playgirl in the movie. “Bagay sa kanya ’yung role. I’m not saying na bagay sa kanya maging other woman. It’s the feel of the role. She pulled it off.”

And then she starts talking about CrossFit training.

“I like that it’s an intense kind of work out. I like that it’s tough. I see results and I think that I’ve gotten stronger in the three months that I have been doing CrossFit. This is a different kind of push,” she says, more animatedly now. “But I also know that you have to be more careful because sometimes you have to push yourself to do more volume and intensity. You have to make sure you don’t get injured.”



The results Iza is talking about is evident in her new slender and more defined physique.

“So this, I incorporate with my dance training, because in my head now, everything that I do has to complement the things I make money out off,” she says, throwing her head back in a hearty laugh.

And then there is also the workout by Ido Portal, a movement teacher, as Iza describes him, and the “fitness idol” of her ex-boyfriend.


“We attended the workshop before and I was really the weakest link kung baga in terms of strength,” she laughs. “But I like his teaching methods. He has online coaching and I signed up. He made a program for me and I’m following it.”

She’s looking forward to his visit to Manila on Nov. 19 to 20 during which he will host workout sessions at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

“It’s about strengthening the body, making you a better mover and being in control of your body. Because, you know, flexibility is all there and it makes sense for me to do this than to keep running or do triathlon because I like to dance,” she says, wide awake now.

Just listening to her talk about her workouts is honestly exhausting.

“I’m not the best dancer but I loooovvve to dance,” she continues as Mike takes the curlers out of her hair.

“What is your favorite dance form?” we ask the obvious question.

“Actually, thank you for asking. I’ve always had a knack for ballroom and it’s still there. It’s been there since high school, but there’s really something wonderful about contemporary and jazz,” she’s now gesturing animatedly with her hands. “The timing, the movement, it’s just beautiful, really. Hip-hop is fun but I just don’t get it as much as I do the other dances. ”

Iza is passionate. It’s in the firm handshake, her animated expression, the happiness in her voice when she talks about a killer – literally – workout. You know she wants you to be interested in whatever she says because she taps you on the knee when she tells you about it.

“And I’ll be taking up an acting workshop. It’s called the Stella Adler method,” she says. “It’s for theater, film, and television. I would say I’m lucky I don’t have a soap right now because I can study.”

By now, there would be no point in asking if she does sleep at all. But do these things help her cope with her newly single situation?

“Don’t understand why people keep… It just happened. It has nothing to do with the break up. It helps me cope with life in general and it helps me achieve my goals. I’m doing these things because I want to be better in the things I do,” she says.

Iza is looking forward to a lot of things right now. For “Showbiz Exclusives,” for instance, she’ll be eager for the opportunity to interview seasoned actresses Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos.

Is she ready to date again? “Sure, why not?” she says, not yet enthusiastically but in a manner that sounded sincerely cool. And when she does, surely she’ll be in great shape for it, right?



source: philstar.com

PHL takes part in intl health conference

The Philippines was represented in a recent international health conference in Brazil that tackled the social determinants of health, the Philippine embassy there reported.

According to the embassy, some 1,000 delegates representing 125 United Nations member states attended the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health in Rio de Janeiro from October 19 to 21.

“It brought together World Health Organization Member States, civil society and academia to discuss and exchange experiences in reducing health inequities through action on social determinants of health and well-being," the embassy said in a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The conference, convened by the WHO and hosted by Brazil, is one of the largest meetings in WHO´s history since the International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan in 1978.

Those who represented the Philippines in the meet were:

Dr. Ramon Lorenzo Rosa Guinto, Doctor of Medicine of the University of the Philippines, Manila, representing the International Federation of Medical Students; and

Dr. Edelina de la Paz, Professor of Community Medicine and head of the People's Health Movement.

Philippine ambassador to Brazil Eva Betita also took part in the conference. - VVP, GMA News

source: gmanews.tv

Lady Gaga lettuce dress proposal; Michael Jackson, this year's biggest earner

MAILA, Philippines – First it was the meat dress. Now will Lady Gaga be wearing one made of lettuce soon?

That’s what Indian animal rights activists have been asking Lady Gaga to do as the pop superstar visits India this weekend to grace the unveiling of the country’s first Formula 1 race.

PETA India is hoping that the “Born This Way” singer would honor India’s reverence for animals by turning vegetarian for the duration of her visit and to pose for photos in a lettuce gown to promote the importance of refraining from eating meat.

Lady Gaga, in one of her more outrageous fashion statements, famously wore a dress made of meat at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

“If she agrees, we’ll make her a dress entirely of lettuce and held together by pins and threads. It will be a full length gown, and we’ll make sure it looks sexy. The dress would be constructed leaf by leaf [on] the singer’s body, taking some five to six hours and someone will be on hand to spray water on the lettuce so that it doesn’t wilt.” said Sachin Bangera of PETA India.

Lady Gaga will be performing at an invitation-only show in a five-star hotel in New Delhi as one of the highlights after the country holds its first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix race.

***

Michael Jackson is number one in life and in death.

For a second straight year, Michael Jackson racked up enough earnings to be hailed as the world’s top dead earner. This according to a list compiled by Forbes magazine of stars whose earning power remains beyond the grave.

The “Thriller” singer, who died two years ago at the age of 50, brought in $170 million for his estate for the past year. This places him ahead of almost every pop music act, both living and dead, as the biggest earner. Jackson only fell short of beating super rock band U2.

The King of Pop beat the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley, who came in second at $55 million because of his song catalog and a hit Las Vegas stage production featuring his songs by Cirque De Soleil. Coming in at third was eternal hottie Marilyn Monroe, who earned $27 million in earnings over the past year.

Forbes consulted agents, lawyers and other experts to come up with the year's 15 deceased top earners.

The list also contains cartoonist Charles Schulz of “Peanuts” characters fame while another rock and roll legend, John Lennon of the The Beatles, and screen legend Elizabeth Taylor both earned around $12 million in revenues.

Completing the macabre Forbes list is theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, children’s book author Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, writer Stieg Larsson, actor Steve McQueen, composer Richard Rodgers, who all also earned substantially.

Beatle George Harrison, American pin-up girl Bettie Page and pop art creator Andy Warhol rounds up the list.

source: mb.com.ph

Half-brother of Sen. Bong Revilla shot and stabbed dead

A half-brother of Sen. Ramon “Bong" Revilla Jr. was shot and stabbed dead in his Parañaque City house shortly before midnight Friday.

Ram Revilla succumbed to his injuries after at least one gunman entered his house in BF Homes in Parañaque at about 11 p.m. Friday, radio dzBB reported early Saturday.

The report said the assailant also stabbed Ram’s girlfriend. A separate report on PEP.ph said Ram and his girlfriend, identified as Jonelle Manahan, were brought to the Parañaque Medical Center.

On the other hand, the dzBB report quoted Sen. Revilla as saying he doubts robbery was the motive in the killing of his half-brother.

He cited reports reaching him showing nothing appeared to be taken from the victim’s house.

The PEP.ph report said the victim made his film debut in “Anak Ka ng Tatay Mo" in 2004.

His other movies included “Exodus" (2005) and “Resiklo" (2007). — ELR, GMA News

source: gmanews.tv

iPhone 4S suffers from battery woes

Engineers at Apple Inc. are contacting owners of the new iPhone 4S in an attempt to solve problems with battery life on the, amid observations of dramatic drops in battery longevity.,

A report on UK’s The Guardian quoted an owner who said Apple contacted him directly and asked him to install a monitoring program on the phone to try to diagnose the problem.

“My battery life was extremely poor – 10-percent drop in standby every hour. I noticed that the usage figure was roughly half that of standby, even when the phone was not being used, so I assumed something was crashing or running in the background. I switched off all the new features including Siri and location services, but it was still really poor. I also tried setting up a clean phone with no apps but it is still really poor," said the owner.

According to the iPhone 4S owner, he then got a call from a senior Apple engineer who said he was “reaching out" to users for data and admitted this was an issue.

He said the Apple engineer than asked “lots of questions about my usage" and then asked if he could install the fix.

“(The Apple engineer) was incredibly helpful and apologetic in the typical Apple way!" the iPhone 4S owner said.

The Guardian noted Apple’s data sheet for the iPhone 4S “quietly" pointed out the standby time for the new phone would only be 200 hours - compared to 300 for the iPhone 4, and 250 hours even for the original 2007 iPhone.

It said Apple did not offer any reason when asked, but noted that other lifespans such as 3G talktime were as long, or longer than previous models.

According to The Guardian, iPhone 4S users were “surprised" by how rapidly the phone’s battery appears to drain, especially compared to the iPhone 4.

But it also noted the 4S has a more powerful dual-core A5 processor, and a 5.3 watt-hours capacity, 0.05Wh more capacity than the iPhone 4.

In some cases the short life has been blamed on corrupted contacts imported from Apple’s MobileMe or iCloud services, or from Google’s Contacts list.

Deleting and then reinstalling them sometimes seems to fix the problem, the report said.

The report added problem has generated huge discussions on Apple’s support boards, with some people finding that backing the phone’s contents up to their computer and then restoring it improves the life.

On the other hand, the Guardian said its own tests on an unrestored iPhone 4S using Google Contacts and MobileMe suggest that the phone drains fastest when mobile data is switched on, while Wi-Fi usage makes little difference to battery consumption.

Neither location services, which try to orient the phone based on Wi-Fi and mobile data information, nor the voice-driven assistant Siri, appear to affect battery drain particularly. — TJD, GMA News

Source: gmanews.tv

'The Office' Star Divorcing 'Mentalist' Hunk

The woman who played the receptionist on the British version of "The Office" is pulling the trigger on her 4-year marriage to "The Mentalist" hunk Owain Yeoman ... TMZ has learned.

Lucy Davis filed divorce papers in L.A. County Superior Court earlier this month ... citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

According to the docs, the couple separated back in January. They have no children together.

FYI -- Lucy's character was the basis for Pam Beesly on the American version of "The Office" ... which begs the question ...

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/10/27/the-mentalist-star-wife-files-for-divorce-owain-yeoman-lucy-davis-cbs/#.TqqSn1sbBog

European deal ignites rally in global stocks, euro

NEW YORK - A long-awaited plan to staunch the European debt crisis sparked euphoria across financial markets on Thursday, driving up the euro and the price of world stocks and commodities, while thrashing the dollar.

Major US stock indices, which had been close to bear territory in the summer because of the debt crisis, climbed back into the black for 2011, with the benchmark S&P 500 on track to post its biggest monthly gain since 1974.

Metal prices jumped 5 percent or more, US oil rose more than 4 percent and the euro gained more than 2 percent after European leaders agreed to a sweeping plan to resolve a crisis that has threatened to push the US and other economies back into recession.

The dollar took its biggest beating against a broad range of currencies in 2-1/2 years and investors spurned safe-haven US government debt, pushing bond prices down and benchmark yields to their highest in 2-1/2 months.

The deal reached in Brussels envisions a recapitalization of European banks, a far more powerful rescue fund for the euro zone and 50 percent losses for Greek debt holders.

For the moment, investors shrugged off the fact that key aspects of the deal, including the mechanics of boosting the firepower of the European Financial Stability Facility and providing Greek debt relief, could take weeks to finalize.

Three months ago, euro zone leaders unveiled another agreement that also was meant to resolve the festering crisis.

"This is not a magic elixir. It's a very good start and certainly more than people had expected," Bill O'Neill, partner at commodity investment firm LOGIC Advisors, said of the deal.

The euro surged past stop-loss points as investors reacted positively, gaining 2.2 percent to $1.4190. Investors were forced to unwind bets against the single currency as they awaited more details.

World stocks extended gains to hit their highest level since early August, with the MSCI all-country equity index rising 4.3 percent.

US stocks rallied more than 3 percent, and in a sign of investor relief, Wall Street's "fear gauge," the CBOE Volatility Index, fell 15 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 339.51 points, or 2.86 percent, at 12,208.55. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 42.59 points, or 3.43 percent, to 1,284.59.

The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 87.96 points, or 3.32 percent, to 2,738.63

Data showing the U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in a year in the third quarter as consumers and businesses stepped up spending also helped spur risk appetite.

US gross domestic product expanded at a 2.5 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the Commerce Department said.

Emerging market shares, as measured by MSCI, surged 4.0 percent. European shares soared to their highest close in 12 weeks, with French banks, heavily exposed to euro zone peripheral debt, among the biggest gainers.

Credit Agricole gained 22 percent and BNP Paribas shot up 17 percent.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares ended the session up 3.7 percent at 1,020.10, the highest close since Aug. 3.

Crude oil jumped to $112 a barrel as the European debt deal and supportive U.S. data eased concerns that economic weakness could curb energy demand.

ICE Brent December crude closed up $3.17 to settle at $112.08 a barrel, while U.S. light sweet crude oil rose $3.76 to settle at $93.96 a barrel.

The dollar appeared the biggest loser from the deal, which could refocus attention on the weak US fiscal state.

Government debt prices tumbled.

The benchmark 10-year US Treasury note was down 47/32 in price to yield 2.38 percent.

Spot gold prices rose $18.65 to $1,742.40 an ounce.

US gold futures for December delivery settled up $24.20 at $1,747.70 an ounce.

However, some strategists were leery of the outcome of the crisis in Europe.

"Decisions have been made, whatever they are, and that's a good thing. I fear further down the road we'll find they're not as good as we thought," said Gavin Launder, fund manager at Legal & General, which has 356 billion pounds ($570 billion) under management. — Reuters

Source: gmanews.tv

Fil-Am brothers booted out from 'X Factor'

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-American brothers, Nathan, 14, and Justin, 17, better known as The Brewer Boys, were eliminated from “The X Factor” reality show Tuesday night [US Time].

Despite performing the George Michael original “Faith,” it proved to be insufficient to push the brothers into the next round. The duo was one of the five acts booted from the reality show, which included Phillip Lomax, Dexter Haygood, Simone Battle, and Tiah Tolliver.

The competition began with the contestants being divided into groups to be mentored by the four judges: Girls go to Simon Cowell, Groups to Paula Abdul, Over 30s to Nicole Scherzinger and Boys to L.A. Reid.

Recall that The Brewer Boys, who play “bluegrass-inspired,” (a sub-genre of country music mixed with a little jazz) pop music, were paired up with mentor Abdul. She was responsible for selecting a medley of Hall & Oates “Rich Girl” and “Faith” for the duo to perform on the first live performance episode of the show.

In the end, it wasn’t good enough to advance the brothers on the show.

“We feel good. We just want to thank the judges. Thank you so much, Miss Paula, for everything. We've learned a lot,” Justin said on the show after finding out the duo’s fate.

“Thank you so much for this opportunity, I'm sorry we didn't live up to your expectations,” Nathan added.

“Listen to me. You surpassed my expectations, Nathan,” Abdul responded.

Despite the elimination, Abdul had words of encouragement for the pair.

“I love you guys. You're going to go on and magic is going to happen,” she told them.

Justin and Nathan hail from Temecula City in California’s Riverside County. According to a tweet on their official Twitter account posted Oct. 15, their mother hails from Manila while their grandfather hails from Cebu.

In the show, L.A. said that mentor Paula was seemingly a “little out of her comfort zone,” because the rest of the contestants were either into pop or R&B.

Meanwhile, Simon noted that the boys “have improved” but reminded everybody that what’s at stake is a multi-million-dollar contract.

The brothers’ elimination, along with the others, left the judges with 12 more contestants vying for the $5 million recording contract.

Source: mb.com.ph

Andy Rooney Hospitalized Serious Complications After Surgery

"60 Minutes" icon Andy Rooney has been admitted to a hospital after developing "serious complications" following a minor surgery last week ... this according to CBS.

A rep for the network says the 92-year-old is in stable condition ... but wouldn't release any specific details about Andy's condition.

Story developing ...



Source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/10/25/andy-rooney-hospitalized-stable-condition-60-minutes-cbs/#.Tqh9A1sbBog

Black Eyed Peas' apl.de.ap named US Embassy adviser

Filipino-American singer-rapper Allan Pineda, a.k.a. apl.de.ap of the American alternative hip hop group "Black Eyed Peas," was named an informal advisor to the US Embassy in Manila.

US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. named Pineda an advisor following the group's concert Tuesday night in Pasay City.

"Ambassador Thomas spoke at the Black Eyed Peas concert last night at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds. He has named Apl.de.ap (who is Filipino-American) an informal advisor to the Embassy," the embassy said in an entry on its Facebook account Wednesday.

Earlier, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III personally thanked Pineda for his efforts to improve the state of education in the Philippines by helping in the building of more classrooms in the country.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino talked to Pineda on Monday at a dinner hosted by Aquino's cousin Rafael Lopa.

Pineda was born in Angeles City, Pampanga to a Filipino mother and an African American father. At age 14, he was adopted by an American family.

Later as an eight-grader, he met William Adams (will.i.am) and the two of them began rapping and performing together around Los Angeles.

The Black Eyed Peas released their first album in 1998. The group has already received several Grammy Awards and has sold around 60 million albums worldwide. - VVP, GMA News

Source: gmanews.tv

Earthquake hits Turkey, many feared dead

HAKKARI, Turkey - A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 shook southeastern Turkey on Sunday, Turkey's Kandilli Observatory said, triggering the collapse of buildings and killing many people, according to a local mayor.

State-run media reported 50 people had been injured, while the prime minister's office said the earthquake had caused a loss of life and damage. No figures were available on the death toll.

"A lot of buildings collapsed, many people killed, but we don't know the number. We are waiting for emergency help, its very urgent," Zulfukar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis district, which was hit badly, told the news broadcaster NTV.

"We need tents urgently and rescue teams. We don't have any ambulances, and we only have one hospital. We have many killed and injured," he said.

Emergency teams were trying to rescue people believed to be trapped in a building in Van, near the Iranian border, state-run news agency Anatolian said. It said 50 injured people had been taken to hospital in Van, but did not give details on how serious their injuries were.

The Kandilli Observatory said the earthquake struck at 1041 GMT and was 5 km (3 miles) deep. The U.S. Geological Survey earlier reported that the magnitude was 7.6.

Television pictures showed damaged buildings and vehicles, crushed under falling masonry, and panicked residents wandering in the streets.

Turkish media said phone lines and electricity had been cut off. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was heading to Van to see the damage, media reported.

Aftershocks continued after the initial quake, whose epicentre was at the village of Tabanli, north of Van city, the agency said.

In Hakkari, a town around 100 km (60 miles) south of the city of Van in southeastern Turkey, a building could be felt swaying for around 10 seconds during the quake.

There was no immediate sign of any casualties or damage in Hakkari, around two and half hours drive through the mountains from Van, around 20 km from the epicentre.

Major geological faultlines cross Turkey and small earthquakes are a near daily occurrence. Two large quakes in 1999 killed more than 20,000 people in northwest Turkey.

Two people were killed and 79 injured in May when an earthquake shook Simav in northwest Turkey. - Reuters

Source: gmanews.tv

50% of Web sales via social, mobile apps by 2015

By 2015, companies will generate 50 percent of Web sales via their social presence and mobile applications, according to research firm Gartner.

Vendors in the e-commerce market will begin to offer new context-aware, mobile-based application capabilities that can be accessed via a browser or installed as an application on a phone, the analyst firm said.

As the number of mobile phones overtakes PCs, customers will use mobile browsers and applications as the main points of interaction, it added.

“E-commerce organizations will need to scale up their operations to handle the increased visitation loads resulting from customers not having to wait until they are in front of a PC to obtain answers to questions or place orders,” said Gene Alvarez, research vice president at Gartner.

“In time, e-commerce vendors will begin to offer context-aware mobile-shopping solutions as part of their overall Web sales offerings.”

“Customers are clamoring for new and easy ways to interact with the organizations they deal with, and no company should think itself immune to this new business dynamic,” Alvarez said.

“As more people use smartphones, they will expect an extension of their customer experience to be supported by this kind of device while demanding that social aspects of the Web be intertwined with this experience.

“At the same time, organizations are looking toward new countries and regions for growth. As a result, it is time to take a fresh look at your organization’s Web sales capabilities to ensure that social software, mobile technology and globalization are part of your organization’s online future.”

Industries such as entertainment, software development/publishing and media are being driven by fast-moving changes in their businesses, such as mobility, and the increasing number of mobile devices available to their buyers.

Others are finding that sales of additional services and products can be added to their customer-service-focused websites. Due to consumerization, sites in all industries are being impacted by customer experience delivered in the retail space, as customers continue to use their online experiences as the benchmark by which to evaluate all others.

Gartner predicts that by 2013, 80 percent of North American and European online sellers will expand into Brazil, Russia, India, Africa, Japan or China.

Organizations based in North America and Western Europe are already launching website-based sales operations in new countries, in the hope of expanding to new markets.

These organizations believe that untapped countries can spur growth by enabling the enticing of potential customers who have never purchased from the organization, but who have a desire for its products.

“The increasing availability of access to the Internet via PCs, laptops and mobile devices is creating new sales channels in countries, because entry barriers are lowering, thereby increasing the number of online shoppers,” said Alvarez.

“By entering these countries via an Internet sales model, organizations can establish a presence in locations without having to create a physical sales location.”

E-commerce managers in Type A (leading) organizations and industries, such as travel, hospitality, retail, consumer electronics, media and entertainment, will begin to take advantage of GPS location services enabled by phones to push personalized, location-based content to mobile devices for users who have subscribed to these services.

This content will be created via the use of customer patterns and their link to driving sales.

These organizations will also have connected (via Web browsers and mobile applications) to many social communities, enabling the organizations to tap into the social networks of customers and leverage the wisdom of the crowd.

Source: http://newsbytes.ph/2011/10/19/firms-to-make-50-of-web-sales-via-social-mobile-apps-by-2015/

NYPD arrests more Occupy Wall Street protesters

New York — The anticipated conflict between Occupy Wall Street protesters and city officials happened after all on Friday as NYPD officers arrested at least 14 individuals, leaving a few battered and bruised.

Many expected a confrontation early in the morning because Brookfield Properties, which owns the park the protesters' have made their headquarters, planned on cleaning it. That meant the activists needed to evacuate for the day, which many felt was just an excuse to remove them permanently.

Instead, Brookfield decided to postpone its cleaning, at which point protesters poured into the streets of lower Manhattan.

It is unclear how disruptive the marches were, but videos and photos have cropped up of injured civilians. One police officer ran over a man's leg with his scooter while another man was punched in the face.

This impromptu march must have been part exuberance, part media spectacle. The movement first registered on the national consciousness through a combination of celebrity endorsements and mass arrests.

Also on Friday, police officers in Denver arrested 23 protesters for unlawful conduct on public land, and, in one case, jaywalking. The Denver occupation has been going on for about three weeks.

Those gearing up for another confrontation between the Occupy Wall Street protesters and the NYPD will be sorely disappointed: The real estate company that owns Zuccotti Park, where the protests began, decided Friday morning to put off its planned cleaning of the square.

Members of Occupy Wall Street had vowed to stay in the park during the cleaning because they feared it was merely a ploy to evict them. That caused many in the media to speculate about what might happen, especially in light of the first major conflict between the two parties on the Brooklyn Bridge.

In that case, the NYPD arrested around 700 protesters, giving the movement a significant dose of media attention and spurring copycat demonstrations around the country.

Celebrity backer Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Records, provided hourly support leading up to the Friday morning deadline on Twitter, including tweets at New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and even one quoting Gandhi. — Reuters

Source: gmanews.tv

'World's most expensive coffee' now offered in Davao civet farm

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (PNA) – Civet coffee, the “world’s most expensive coffee” being sold at an average of P1,000 per 100 grams, is now in this city.

For coffee lovers, the taste and aroma of civet coffee is all that matters even if they knew it came from the intestinal tract of the civet cat.

The civet cat is of the family Viverridae of Africa and Asia, having anal scent glands that secrete a fluid with a musky odor which is even used in the manufacture of perfumes.

Local trader Philip Dizon said the civet coffee industry is moving so fast that he never regretted engaging into such kind of business.

Dizon said a mere 25 grams of civet coffee can sell for more than $150 to $200.

But despite the price, coffee lovers seem to cannot get enough.

However, he said maintaining a half-hectare civet coffee farm in Kapatagan, Davao del Sur, a foothill of the country’s highest peak, Mount Apo, is not all for money.

Dizon said civet cats are farm pests that farmers hate so much because of the destruction it brings to their crops.

This hatred has led farmers to kill the civet cats unmindful that these mammals are a source of big money and the world’s most valuable coffee.

It is from this scenario that Dizon started his civet coffee farm by caging the civets not only for money but also to help the farmers benefit from the civet coffee industry.

From being an enemy, the civet cat now became the best friend of farmers because it helped uplift their lives.


Source: mb.com.ph

Apple iCloud moves out of beta

The iCloud, Apple Inc.'s long-awaited cloud-based storage service, received what could be its final update Wednesday (Manila time) - the removal of its "Beta" tag.

Enthusiast site MacRumors said the iCloud.com website was updated with a new login screen, and the service now shows icons in the background.

"(But) iCloud.com, itself, still seems restricted to developers for the most part. There have been sporadic reports of non-developers being able to upgrade, but it seems you must have created one in iOS 5," it said.

The iCloud was expected to Wednesday (US time) alongside iOS 5 and Mac OS X 10.7.2, Apple's respective operating systems for mobile devices and Macintosh computers.

Apple had released iTunes 10.5 on Tuesday in preparation, it noted.

A separate article on The Next Web said iCloud is allowing all MobileMe users to transition their accounts to iCloud, but signing up for new accounts is still not available.

"Although current MobileMe users can transition their accounts to iCloud right now, they will have to wait for a few hours for the launch of iOS 5 and a software update to Mac OS X Lion in order to use iCloud with their devices," it said. — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanews.tv

iOS 5 takes away Multi-Touch from original iPad, says tech site

Amid all the goodies it promises to give, iOS 5 - Apple's latest operating system for mobile devices - may ironically be taking away some goodies from the original iPad tablet.

Users of the iPad 1 may no longer have a “developers only" feature that allowed system-wide four- and five-finger Multi-Touch gestures, according to tech site The Next Web.

"(W)hat Apple giveth, Apple also taketh away. Users of the original iPad will find that iOS 5 takes away the system-wide Multi-Touch gestures that they have grown so used to in the past few months," it said.

With the four- and five-finger multi-gestures, one can swipe up with four or five fingers to raise the multitasking panel.

Similar swipes to the left and right allow the user to switch between running apps. A pinching gesture using those same fingers lead to the Home screen.

"As with Apple’s trackpads and Mac OS X Lion, which prevent you from being able to go back to other trackpads and operating systems once you have gotten used to them, any iPad without these gestures seems much less usable," The Next Web said.

The iOS 5, considered among the most significant in iOS’s history, includes 200 new features including a new notification system, iMessage, Newsstand, Reminders, and Twitter integration.

"If you have never used the Multi-touch gestures I have described above on your iPad and don’t care to start now, or if you have but think you can live without them, by all means, upgrade to iOS 5. If you are using an iPad 2, you should definitely update to iOS 5. Apple has packed it to the seams with some amazing features and the mad rush to update to it that we will be seeing later today will be justified," The Next Web said.

But those who have gotten used to the Multi-touch gestures on the iPad 1 and think they can live without the new "fancy features" of iOS 5, "perhaps you should stick with iOS 4.3," it advised. — ELR, GMA News

Source: gmanews.tv

Sony recalls 1.6 million LCD TVs worldwide

TOKYO (AP) - Sony Corp. says it is recalling 1.6 million LCD televisions globally because of a defect that can trigger overheating, smoke and melting parts.

Sony says has received 11 such reports in Japan, though none involved injuries or damage beyond the TVs. The models subject to the recall in Japan are the Bravia KDL-40X5000, KDL-40X5050, KDL-40W5000, KDL-40V5000 and KDL-40V3000.

The defective part — an inverter transformer used for LCD backlights — is also used in models sold overseas. But Sony says it has not received reports of similar problems.

The company will release local recall information for customers in each affected market.

Source: philstar.com

September Vehicles Sales Gain 8.6%

MANILA, Philippines — Motor vehicle sales continued to improve with sales in September posting 8.6 percent increase over the previous month and the decline on a year to date basis has narrowed down to 3.5 percent over the same period last year, a report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) said.

In the report, CAMPI said that sales in September reached 12,555 units or 8.6 percent up over 11,558 units in August.

For the January-September period, total auto sales hit 105,663 units or 3.5 percent lower than the 109,517 units in the same nine-month period last year.

The decline on a year-to-date basis has been narrowed down to 3.5 percent as against from 4.1 percent decrease in the eight month period this year.

CAMPI attributed the sluggishness in the year to date due to the reduction in the supply of some models.

CAMPI’s original sales forecast this year was placed at 175,000 or 4-5 percent higher than 2010 sales figure.

In May this year, CAMPI mulled the reduction in growth target to flat or between 1 to 2 percent at best following the reduced production of the country’s major car manufacturers due to the disruption in the supply of parts and components as a result of the Japan disasters.

Of the overall sales, the passenger car sales grew by 4.2% with sales of 4,195 units while commercial vehicles contributed an 11% growth with 8,360 units. Overall sales in this segment for the January-September period reached 35,485 units or 2.4 percent down versus 36,339 units in the same period last year.

In the commercial vehicle segment, the highest growth was registered by light commercial vehicles at 26.7%. A combination of factors boosted the monthly sales performance in the various segments such as improvement in supply of some models, fleet deliveries and introduction of new models.

The nine-month sales for the commercial segment posted a 4.1 percent decline to 70,178 units versus 73,178 units in the same period last year.

Of the commercial vehicle categories, the Asian utility vehicles registered a 9.8 percent decline in September over August and 4.7 percent decline on a year to date basis.

The huge decline in AUV sales was attributed to the limited supply of models in this category.

Sales of light commercial vehicles posted a significant 26.7 percent in September over August due to the introduction of new models and consistent high demand for sports utility vehicles.

On a year to date, however, LCV sales posted a negative 4.2 percent.

For light trucks, month on month sales increased by 10.1 percent due to completion of fleet transactions. Year-to-date sales for LCV also increased by 3.5 percent.

Sales of trucks and buses improved by 11.9 percent in September versus August while sales on a year to date basis was up 9 percent due to deliveries and stock availability.

In terms of ranking, sales of industry leader Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. declined by 4.5 percent to 39,421 units from 41,281 units in the same period of 2010.

Source: mb.com.ph

Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney says 'I Do' for third time

LONDON - Paul McCartney married for the third time on Sunday, exchanging vows with American heiress Nancy Shevell at the same London register office where the former Beatle wed his first wife Linda in 1969.

The beaming couple emerged from the grey-stone Old Marylebone Town Hall to confetti and cheers from dozens of fans who had waited hours to catch a glimpse of the music legend and his new wife.

Brunette Shevell, 51, wore a knee-length, long-sleeved white dress which reports said was designed by McCartney's fashion designer daughter Stella.

The bride also had a white flower in her hair and carried a small posy of roses, while "Hey Jude" singer McCartney wore a dark suit and light blue tie. One newspaper had a headline saying: "Yes-today", in a reference to the famous Beatles song.

Despite his huge wealth as a key songwriter and frontman for the world's most successful pop band, 69-year-old McCartney chose a modest civil ceremony before a small group of family and friends.

Ringo Starr, the only other surviving member of the "Fab Four", and his wife Barbara Bach were among the guests at the wedding. Ex-Beatle John Lennon, who was assassinated in New York in 1980, would have been 71 on the day of the wedding.

After the ceremony, which lasted just over an hour, the newlyweds returned to McCartney's home in St. John's Wood for an evening reception.

The property in the upmarket area of north London is just a few streets away from the Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles recorded many of their most famous songs.

Asked how he felt after marrying for a third time, he told reporters: "Terrific, thank you. I feel married. I feel absolutely wonderful."

Sweet serenade

Rock'n'roll royalty including Starr, Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and guitarist Jeff Beck attended the reception, as did model Twiggy and artist Tracey Emin.

Late Beatle George Harrison's widow Olivia turned up to the soiree, which was also designed to be a low-key affair.

McCartney's spokesman declined to divulge any details of the wedding day, but celebrity-hungry tabloids in Britain, where the affectionately named "Macca" is hugely popular, have been poring over every detail.

According to reports, McCartney composed a song for Shevell especially for their big day.

He was also expected to perform "Let it Be", which he sang to Shevell on one of their first holidays together three years ago, and her favorite "Let Me Roll It", the Sunday Mirror said.

McCartney was married for 29 years to American photographer Linda until her death from breast cancer in 1998. He said at the time that he and Linda had spent just 11 nights apart during their marriage.

McCartney's marriage to former model and charity campaigner Heather Mills was less happy.

The couple wedded in 2002 in a lavish ceremony at Castle Leslie in Ireland estimated by celebrity magazines to have cost around $3.2 million.

But four years later they confirmed they had separated, blaming media intrusion into their private lives, and in 2008 the couple divorced.

A judge had to rule on the size of the divorce settlement after the couple failed to reach agreement themselves, and Mills was awarded 24.3 million pounds ($38 million), ending one of the most acrimonious breakups in showbusiness history.

She had claimed 125 million pounds and said McCartney was worth 800 million pounds, although a judge found his fortune was worth half that amount.

McCartney has a son, two daughters and a stepdaughter from his marriage to Linda, and a daughter from his marriage to Mills.

The independently-wealthy Shevell, who was married to an attorney for more than 20 years and serves on the board of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, has a son. - Reuters

Source: gmanews.tv

Demi Lovato goes back on tour, a year after breakdown

LOS ANGELES - Teen star Demi Lovato is going back out on the road, a year after entering treatment for bulimia and other emotional problems.

Lovato, 19, will start a 10-city U.S. tour in November to celebrate the success of her latest album "Unbroken" and its debut single "Skyscraper", her spokesman said on Friday.

Lovato, the former star of Disney Channel's "Sonny with a Chance", suffered an emotional breakdown in November 2010 when she pulled out of a concert tour with the Jonas Brothers and entered a three month treatment program.

She has since spoken openly about her 10 year battle with eating disorders and said she started cutting herself at the age of 11.

Lovato has since quit the TV series that made her one of Disney Channel's biggest international teen stars, saying she wanted to focus on her music career.

Lovato has performed recently in New York and Los Angeles to promote the September release of "Unbroken". The new mini-tour will start in Detroit on November 16 and end in Chicago on December 3. - Reuters

Source: gmanews.tv

Steve Jobs: I wanted my kids to know me

SAN FRANCISCO—Steve Jobs, in pain and too weak to climb stairs a few weeks before his death, wanted his children to understand why he wasn’t always there for them, according to the author of his highly anticipated biography.

“I wanted my kids to know me,” Jobs was quoted as saying by Pulitzer Prize nominee Walter Isaacson, when he asked the Apple Inc. cofounder why he authorized a tell-all biography after living a private, almost ascetic life.

“I wasn’t always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did,” Jobs told Isaacson in their final interview at Jobs’ home in Palo Alto, California.

Isaacson said he visited Jobs for the last time a few weeks ago and found him curled up in some pain in a downstairs bedroom.

Jobs had moved there because he was too weak to go up and down stairs, “but his mind was still sharp and his humor vibrant,” Isaacson wrote in an essay on Time.com that will be published in the magazine’s Oct. 17 edition.

Jobs died on Wednesday at the age of 56 after a long battle with a rare form of pancreatic cancer.

Outpourings of sympathy swept across the globe as state leaders, business rivals and fans paid respect to the man who touched the daily lives of countless millions through the Macintosh computer, iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Jobs had struggled with health issues but said very little about his battle with cancer since an operation in 2004. When he stepped down in August, handing the CEO reins to longtime operations chief Tim Cook, Jobs said simply that he could no longer fulfill his duties as chief executive.

Apple has been similarly guarded about the circumstances of his death, saying only that their chair was surrounded by his wife Laurene and immediate family. Jobs had four children from two relationships.

Funeral arrangements have not been disclosed and it is uncertain when the company will hold a planned “celebration” of Jobs’ life. Officials in Sacramento said there will be no state or public funeral.

From Tokyo and Paris to San Francisco and New York, mourners created impromptu memorials outside Apple stores, from flowers and candles to a dozen green and red apples on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.

Beyond death

With his passion for minimalist design and a genius for marketing, Jobs laid the groundwork for Apple to continue to flourish after his death, most analysts and investors say.

But Apple still faces challenges in the absence of the man who was its chief product designer, marketing guru and salesman nonpareil. Phones running Google’s Android software are gaining share in the smartphone market, and there are questions about what Apple’s next big product will be.

But Wall Street analysts said Cook’s new team-based approach and operational savvy will keep the company on track—at least for now.

Jobs’ estate

Jobs, in his trademark uniform of black mock-turtleneck and blue jeans, was deemed the heart and soul of a company that rivals Exxon Mobil as the most valuable in America.

With an estimated net worth of $7 billion—including a 7-percent stake in Walt Disney Co.—it was not known how Jobs’ estate would be handled.

His death revived speculation that some of his estate might be donated to cancer research groups or hospitals. California law requires a will to be filed in probate court within 30 days of death.

Rebel streak

Jobs was given up for adoption soon after his birth in San Francisco to an American mother, Joanne Carole Schieble, and a Syrian-born father, Abdulfattah “John” Jandali.

A college dropout, Jobs started Apple Computer with friend Steve Wozniak in his parents’ garage in 1976.

Jobs changed the technology world in the late 1970s, when the Apple II became the first personal computer to gain a wide following. He did it again in 1984 with the Macintosh, which built on breakthrough technologies developed at Xerox Parc and elsewhere to create the personal computing experience as we know it today.

The rebel streak that was central to his persona got him tossed out of Apple in 1985, but he returned in 1997 and, after a few years, began the roll-out of a troika of products—the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad—that again upended the established order in major industries.

Awe for a wizard

Jobs was a conjurer, a modern magician who reached into tomorrow and came up with things that changed millions of lives.

As people gathered at Apple Stores from Sydney to San Francisco to mourn him, the feeling was more than grief for an executive or even an inventor. It was something closer to awe for a wizard.

Apple has sold 129 million iPhones and 29 million iPads. And in the decade since it revolutionized the music industry by offering “1,000 songs in your pocket,” it has sold 300 million iPods, or roughly enough to outfit every person in the United States.

Venerated by rivals

In a measure of his impact on personal technology, Jobs was venerated by his fiercest competitors in the hours after his death.

Bill Gates, the cofounder of Microsoft, a company that Apple once treated as Goliath to its David and then blew past in market value, said it was “an insanely great honor” to have known Jobs.

A statement of grief came from Sony, whose Walkman and Discman were buried by the iPod.

Heads of state around the world added their thoughts. President Barack Obama said Jobs exemplified American ingenuity. Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon bemoaned the loss of “one of the most visionary minds of our times.” India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was “deeply saddened.”

Former US President Bill Clinton said: “His passion for his work and his courage in fighting his cancer were an inspiration to us all.”

Apple in tears

In the Ginza shopping district of Tokyo, people held up iPhones and iPads, their screens facing outward and displaying sharply defined, touchable graphics of flickering candles.

At an Apple Store in Hong Kong, old and new means of grief came together: People scribbled “RIP” and “We miss Steve” and longer notes of condolence on Post-It notes, and stuck them to an iPad display.

And at the 24-hour Apple Store in midtown Manhattan, passersby left flowers and candles, actual ones.

Even in Syria, seven months into an uprising, people paused to take pride in Jobs, whose father was born in Homs, the third-largest city.

“This shows that this country can produce geniuses, if only we had freedoms instead of a suffocating dictatorship,” said Sara, a 23-year-old Syrian student who refused to give her full name for fear of Syrian government reprisal.

On Facebook, people posted revisions of the Apple logo, a stylized apple with a detached leaf and a half-moon bite taken out. One added a frown and tears to the apple. Another replaced the bite with a silhouette of Jobs himself. With a report from Reuters

Source: http://technology.inquirer.net/5167/steve-jobs-i-wanted-my-kids-to-know-me/

Apples’s lead over rivals could narrow without Jobs

SEOUL — The death of Apple's inspirational leader is likely to have a deep impact on the technology giant behind the iPod, iPhone and iPad, giving rivals a greater chance of catching up.

Steve Jobs' creative spirit was so closely tied to the fortunes of Apple that his death raises questions about the company's ability to keep its pipeline of transformational products running at such a fast pace.

"As a technology analyst, I am sorry for his death. It was Jobs' Apple, not Apple's Jobs," said Kim Young-chan, an analyst at Shinhan Investment in Seoul.

The CEOs of rivals including Samsung Electronics, Amazon, Google, Nokia and Sony mourned the death of Jobs, a sign of the respect they held for the Silicon Valley legend.

Jobs, who was 56, had fought a long battle with pancreatic cancer. In August, the man known for minimalist design and marketing genius handed the reins of Apple to long-time operations chief Tim Cook.

Cook unveiled the latest version of Apple's iPhone this week, in a launch that, unusually, failed to wow fans.

"The tragic passing of the company's influential leader and the industry's mixed response to the recent iPhone 4S model create challenges for Apple in coming quarters," said analyst Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics.

"Industry eyes will inevitably turn to the iPad 3 launch next year to see whether Apple can continue the company's impressive legacy of innovation created by Steve Jobs," he said.

In a sign of stiffening competition, Amazon.com Inc. took the wraps off its Kindle Fire tablet last week, tacking on a mass market-friendly $199 price tag that analysts said poses a serious threat to the iPad.

"Apple is facing a competitive fire storm from not just one company but a coalition of rivals that are trying to beat it, including some of the largest consumer electronics companies on the planet," said Ben Wood, head of research at British mobile consultancy CCS Insight.

Samsungs’ chance

Analysts have said the South Korean conglomerate Samsung is one of the best placed companies to deliver something fresh and exciting to rival Apple. It already makes the closest competitor by sales to Apple's iPad tablet.

Samsung chief executive G.S. Choi said in a statement: "Steve Jobs introduced numerous revolutionary changes to the information technology industry and was a great entrepreneur."

The two companies are scrapping for top spot in the smartphone market, having overtaken Nokia, the market leader for the past decade, earlier this year.

Apple is also Samsung's biggest customer through the sale of mobile chips and display screens.

The relationship and rivalry has helped Samsung become a top global brand over the past decade with a stock market value of $115 billion — still modest compared with Apple's $345 billion.

But the relationship has also produced tensions over mobile devices. The two companies have sued each other in 10 countries involving more than 20 cases since April.

Samsung's Galaxy range of smartphones and tablet computers run on Google's Android operating system.

"Steve Jobs was particularly passionate about the enforcement of Apple's intellectual property," said Florian Mueller, an intellectual property expert. "From a strategic point of view, Mr. Jobs' successor doesn't have a choice other than to fight equally hard."

Jobs liked to make his competitors uncomfortable. Rivals were "flummoxed" by the iPad, he declared in March when he took the stage to unveil Apple's latest tablet.

"They went back to the drawing boards. They tore up their designs because they weren't competitive," Jobs said.

Lee Seung-woo, technology analyst at Shinyoung Securities, said Apple had transformed the industry, but its influence would wane without Jobs at the helm.

"Under Jobs, Apple consolidated segmented IT sectors into one big consumer market and claimed so many victims," Lee said. "Without Jobs, Apple's rivals now have some time to step up and majors such as Google, Samsung, Microsoft and Facebook will try to fill the gap."

Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at research consultancy Ovum, said Apple would do well in the short term as the company would roll out products Jobs had a hand in.

The iPhone — introduced in 2007 with the touchscreen template now adopted by its rivals — is the gold standard in the booming smartphone market, and its sales have dealt a blow to the ambitions of many competitors.

"The question is whether it can continue to launch iconic and successful products without him... In the longer term, Apple risks becoming a more ordinary company without him," Dawson said.

Howard Stringer, the chief executive of Sony Corp. said: "The digital age has lost its leading light, but Steve's innovation and creativity will inspire dreamers and thinkers for generations."

"Jobs was an outstanding CEO and his successor Tim Cook faces a test (as to) whether Apple will be able to lead the global market as it was before," Lee Jun-hyuck, a fund manager at Dongbu Asset Management.

Phones based on Google's Android, which is available for free to handset vendors such as Samsung, HTC, LG and Motorola , now have a greater combined market share than Apple's iPhone, which is still the world's No. 1 selling smartphone. — Reuters


Source: gmanews.tv

Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs DEAD AT 56

Steve Jobs -- the mega-genius who co-founded Apple Inc. -- has died ... reps for the company have confirmed.

Jobs was 56.

Jobs suffered a number of serious health issues over the years. In 2004, he announced he had a rare -- but treatable -- form of pancreatic cancer ... and had a tumor successfully removed from his pancreas later that year.

TMZ posted a picture of Jobs two days after he resigned as Apple's CEO in August, clearly showing a deterioration in his health.

In 2009, Jobs received a liver transplant after announcing his "health-related issues were more complex than I thought."

Jobs is survived by his wife, Laurene, and 4 children.

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/10/05/steve-jobs-dead/

Angeline Quinto's not changing her religion for crush Coco Martin

MANILA, Philippines – After openly declaring her crush on Coco Martin and having recently received a necklace with a crucifix pendant from him, singer Angeline Quinto revealed that she won’t change her religion for him should they become an item.

During her interview with Boy Abunda on the Tuesday episode of “Bandila,” the “Star Power” champ was asked if she’s willing to change her religion for the Prince of the Philippine Indie Films, a question obviously inspired by the one Ms. Universe 2011 3rd Runner Up Shamcey Supsup had to answer during the pageant in Sao Paulo, Brazil three weeks ago.

“No, po. [I won't change my religion for him.],” she immediately replied.

She explained, “Kasi kung mahal naman talaga ako ni Coco, siyempre respetuhin naman po niya ‘yung relihiyon ko, kasi ganon din naman po ako sa kanya.”

A life of firsts

In the interview, the forthcoming film “You Light Up My Life” star revealed a few firsts in her life since she joined showbiz after her win in the competition early this year.

Boy: Unang bansang binisita?

Angeline: Singapore po

Boy: Unang binili sa iyong unang sweldo?

Angeline: Havaianas po at Gasul.

Boy: Unang crush?

Angeline: Showbiz po ba? Kaklase ko po dati, Robert po ang pangalan. Sa Showbiz, si Coco po.

Special persons

Later on, Boy steered the interview towards the special people in her life and what’s the first thought that pops into her head when their names are mention.

Boy: Sarah Geronimo?

Angeline: Isang mabuting kaibigan po.

Boy: Regine Velasquez?

Angeline: Idolo ko po.

Boy: Coco Martin?

Angeline: Yummy, Tito Boy! Ha ha ha! [alluding to the coffee commercial where Martin was the lead star]

Boy pressed on by mentioning Sharon Cuneta, to which Angeline replied, “Pangalawang ina ko po.” And then Boy asked about Angeli Flores, who is now the only Filipina member of the first pan-Asian girl group Blush, and she said, “‘Star for A night’ co-contestant po.”

Family matters

In parting, Angeline was asked about her father who, in an earlier interview, she revealed was not very encouraging to her craft. Boy asked about the status of their relationship and if she has already forgiven his for saying she’s just wasting her time joining singing contests and not winning any single one of them.

“Sa ngayon po, Tito Boy, talagang mabuting mabuti na po kami ng mga kapatid ko po… lalong lalo na po yung tatay ko. Sa tingin ko naman po hindi naman na kailangan pang humingi ng pasensya ang tatay ko,” she answered.


Source: mb.com.ph

Cancer comedy '50/50' hits home for Anjelica Huston

LOS ANGELES - Oscar winning actress Angelica Huston has often played quirky roles in films like "The Addams Family" and "The Royal Tenenbaums." This weekend, the 60 year-old Hollywood star plays her most "normal" character to date in the cancer comedy "50/50."

The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young man whose life changes drastically when he is diagnosed with cancer. Huston plays Diane, his overbearing mother.

Huston's own husband, sculptor Robert Graham Jr., died three years ago, and she talked to Reuters about that life-changing event and how it impacted her character in "50/50." She also revealed she's working on a memoir.

Q: It takes a minute or two to even recognize you in "50/50." What made you decide to wear a frosted wig?

A: "The way I look in life is a bit dramatic for what I wanted for her. Certain roles demand that you take a big step outside yourself. I wanted her to be a middle class woman living in Seattle who shops at the mall, wears blazers and probably would have played golf if she weren't having to go through this ordeal with a son who's sick and a husband who has Alzheimer's."

Q: Did you draw on your own experiences for the role?

A: "I lost my husband a year before I made this movie. So it came from a deeply personal place. I took everything -- all of my experience from the five months I spent with him in (intensive care) to day-to-day occurrences in the hospital -- which was kind of ludicrous at the same time as being heartbreaking. I think so much of what a caregiver does is to bring love and humor to a situation in which they have absolutely no power. That's what I was kind of channeling for Diane."

Q: Is that one of the reasons you accepted the role?

A: "It was coincidental. I don't think it hurt that I'd had the experience. Although, God, I prefer not to have had the experience, no question about that. I didn't accept the role because it was cathartic, I accepted it because it really touched me. I fell in love with this woman who is going through this horrible ordeal, whose presence was suffocating to her son. I understood it from quite a few points of view, from his point of view as well as my own, and the character's."

Q: Were there days on the film that hit too close to home?

A: "Yes. Not to talk about cancer when cancer is in the room is not to talk about the elephant in the room. To be able to talk about the elephant in the room was for me quite a relief at the time. At the same time that it's painful, it's also a wonderful way of exorcising demons and pulling in the demons to have a closer look at them."

Q: Switching gears. You're currently filming the upcoming TV drama "Smash" set in the world of Broadway. Is this your first time doing a TV series?

A: "I've guested a few times, but I've never done a series. I play a Broadway producer and I'm shooting in New York, so I'm out of my comfort home and ground, Los Angeles."

Q: What made you decide to take a series?

A: "Well, I'm a single woman now. I think work is very important for me right now. Something to do with my time, particularly since my life has changed so radically over the last couple of years. But it's good. It takes my mind off other things."

Q: In what way?

A: "The death of a parent is one thing. But the death of a chosen mate is very different because it's the life that you've chosen, not the life that was given to you. The surprise factor when it doesn't go your way is really life changing. You're never prepared for it. You're given hope until the last minute and that's part of what makes it shocking."

Q: You've lived quite a life. Any plans for a memoir?

A: "I started writing my memoirs last year, and I think the publisher is looking at (a publication date of) 2013. I've been asked to write it through the years and this seemed like a good time to do it."

Q: What can we expect to see in it?

A: "So far its memories, dreams, reflections. I'll see what shape it takes." - Reuters


Source: gmanews.tv

Facebook data practices under investigation in Europe

Social networking giant Facebook faces complaints from a European group before Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner over how it manages members’ personal data.

Europe v. Facebook had filed 22 complaints with the Data Protection Commissioner, claiming Facebook may have violated European privacy laws governing how firms manage personal data.

A report on PC World said the complaints concern issues ranging from how Facebook deals with deleted posts and contacts, to what the group claimed to be an unclear privacy policy of Facebook.

The PC World article said the group filed the complaints in Ireland because Facebook’s user agreement says that users outside the U.S. and Canada are entering into an agreement with Facebook Ireland, the company’s European headquarters.

For its part, Facebook has maintained it complies with data protection laws around the world.

The complaints stemmed from members of the group asking Facebook for personal data stored on them by the site. Facebook is required under European law to respond to such requests.

The group published redacted data obtained by some of its supporters to show what kind information Facebook stores.

Accelerated process

On the other hand, the Data Protection Commissioner’s office said the complaints accelerated the investigation process, as it was already planning to audit Facebook.

Ciara O’Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the office, said the Data Protection Commissioner will undertake an investigation of the complaints and also an audit of Facebook.

This will involve visiting the company’s facilities in Dublin and “looking more generally at how they process personal data," O’Sullivan said.

PC World reported the audit will begin in October.

Facebook to 'cooperate'

Facebook said it has regular contact with the Data Protection Commissioner, and “we look forward to demonstrating our commitment to the appropriate handling of user data as part of this routine audit."

It addressed questions that people who requested their Facebook data found that information they thought they had deleted was still present in the file.

“This is mostly likely due to the user removing a post from a specific place on Facebook rather than deleting it, or because we needed to retain information for a limited period for an investigation. We’re continuing to work on ways to make this process as seamless as possible," PC World quoted Facebook as saying.

Facebook also addressed a claim that photo tags are applied without a person’s consent. In August, Facebook changed the tagging feature so that people can choose to approve a tag before the photo shows up in their own profile.

Users can also adjust their privacy settings to turn off “Tag Suggestions," a feature that uses facial recognition to help a user’s Facebook friends to automatically identify and tag the user in their photos.

But data protection officials in Germany do not believe that feature complies with the law. Hamburg’s Data Protection Agency (DPA) contends that Facebook should obtain users’ consent before their biometric data, used to enable the tagging feature, is stored. — TJD, GMA News

Source: gmanews.tv