The Next iPhone Is Coming! Here's What to Expect

zaterdag 24 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by John Biggs 13 hours ago

Summer is almost over. That means cicadas are humming, kids are picking up their back-to-school gear, and our vacations are winding down. That also means there's a new iPhone right around the corner!

Every year, around this time, rumors start to fly about new iPhones. Apple likes to run their events around the beginning of September to coincide with back-to-school season, and that means they usually launch new phones about a month later. This year, according to most tech sites, we can expect to hear about the next iPhone on September 10.

What's predicted about the announcement? Well, first we're probably going to see something like the iPhone 4S -- a souped-up iPhone 5 (that will probably be called the iPhone 5S). Further rumors point to a built-in fingerprint reader on the home button, which would allow you to unlock the phone with a single press and, more importantly, add payment functionality to iOS.

We know that the new iPhone will also run iOS 7, Apple's brand-spanking-new operating system. iOS, for those who haven't gotten a chance to dig, is a stunning -- and jarring -- redesign of the old Apple OS. Gone are the weird leather textures, realistic buttons, and bad maps. Instead you get a screen that looks like something out of Star Trek: buttons fade in and out and are mildly translucent. Your icons look 3D when you move the phone, and instead of swiping all the way to the "left" to find the search menu, you simply drag down from the top of the screen. It will freak some people out.

There are also some rumors that Apple will release something called the iPhone 5C, a cheaper model for the developing world. This model will look more like the iPod Touch than an iPhone and be encased in colorful plastic. If I were a betting man, I'd put all my money on the 5S rumors, however, because a cheaper and more cheaply-made iPhone sounds a little far-fetched.

What else can we expect? A refreshed iPad, possibly, although Apple tends to update those later in the year. And the official launch of iOS 7 for the current crop of iPhones so people can get used to the new interface.

Is any of this certain? Nope. It's actually quite fun to posit just what Apple will do next -- think of it like a good game of Clue -- but, in the end, Apple does what Apple wants to do. 

What do you think the next iPhone will look like? Will you buy one?

Image via Apple

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'50 Shades of Grey' Lands E.L. James a 'Role' That No One Saw Coming

woensdag 14 augustus 2013

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by Linda Sharps 2 hours ago

I tend to see the same comments on every article about E.L. James' erotic trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey: Ugh, these are the worst books EVER! Her writing is SO TERRIBLE! I wouldn't read this series if you tied me down, stuffed a ball gag in my mouth, and repeatedly struck my naked buttocks with a LEATHER WHIP!

I don't disagree that James' writing can be a little ... problematic at times. ("Laters baby," inner goddess, "fair point well made," etc.) The Fifty Shades trilogy isn't the best series I've ever read in my entire life, but hey -- I'm just one of of the millions upon millions of readers who have bought all three books. Isn't that proof enough that James is a huge success, whatever you think of her style?

Or consider this: James began writing just four years ago, and today Forbes announced that she's the highest earning author in the WORLD. We can go ahead and criticize her overused phrases all we want, but James is probably laughing all the way to the bank.

E.L. James has only written three books, but those books put her on Forbes' list of top-earning authors of 2013 list, where she crushed the competition with an estimated $95 million in earnings. Longtime author James Patterson, who cranks out five or more books a year, is in the second spot with a reported $91 million, and Suzanne Collins reportedly pulled down $55 million for The Hunger Games trilogy.

Fifty Shades of Grey sold more than 70 million copies in the U.S. just during the first eight months it was on stands. Not half bad for something that started out as Twilight fan fiction, right? Practically overnight, James was launched from an obscure e-book author to a publishing sensation. Her ranking on the Forbes' list is nothing short of amazing, particular when you consider how her series sold faster than any other author in history.

Despite my 'laughing to the bank' comment, I get the feeling that James has remained humble abut the cultural phenomenon she launched. I imagine that having her writing picked apart in such a public way has been difficult, particularly since she's flat-out admitted her limitations:

I’m stunned by [their] popularity. I’m not a great writer.

While I'm not sure how much of that $95 million actually made it to James' bank account, or what she brought home from the movie deal, I'm sure James is much more financially well off than she was before. It doesn't sound like she's taking her windfall for granted, though -- here's what she recently told The Observer:

Yes, I'm more conscious of money now than before. I've had the odd moment when I've thought: I could buy that. But I've always decided not to, in the end. It's just stuff, really, and I've got enough stuff.

Honestly, I'm thrilled for her. She's enjoying a truly unprecedented amount of success for writing something she once describe as her "mid-life crisis writ large," and regardless of a lack of universal acclaim for her writing abilities, you can't deny she's opened up a huge dialogue about adventurous sex -- and forged the path for more mainstream erotica. Personally, I can't see how that's a bad thing.

What do you think about Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy topping Forbes' bestselling author list?

Image via timelessreflectionsphotography/Flickr

Click the "Like" button below to get Linda Sharps's stories on Facebook. Click the "Like" button below if you're a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Linda Sharps

lives in Eugene, Oregon with her family, where she works from home while wrangling two rambunctious boys. She always has a caffeinated beverage in hand and a LEGO embedded in her foot.

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Kristen Stewart Makes a Major 'Career' Move We Never Saw Coming

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AppId is over the quota
by Mary Fischer 2 hours ago

Get. Outta. Town! She must be experiencing a lull in her movie career, because Kristen Stewart reportedly enrolled at UCLA and plans on studying English Literature. Yep -- KStew's going back to school to get her degree and become intellectual and all that shiz.

Supposedly she still plans on taking film roles here and there and weaving her studies into her routine -- which may prove to be a bit of a challenge given how rigorous some college programs are these days. (But you know she'll get all sorts of extensions and special treatment from her professors. Lucky.)

Want to know the reason why she's interested in hitting the books again?

Supposedly she's "considering a life after film" and figures getting a degree from a prestigious university will pretty much set her up to do anything she wants in the future.

Life after film? What life after film? Doesn't she realize who she is? I mean, it's all well and good that she's making her education a priority -- but does she really think she'll have to worry about landing a job at any point down the road? I think not. She's Bella Swan/Cullen, for crying out loud, and she always will be. There's a certain degree of job security that comes along with her name.

And that's why I think going back to school probably has more to do with Kristen having a bit more time on her hands now than she did while filming the Twilight Saga -- and while dating Robert Pattinson. She needs something to do on all those lonely nights instead of gluing herself to the TV or reading about Rob's latest mystery blonde in the tabloids, so burying her nose in various text books will likely help fill the void, don't you think?

All jokes aside, however, I guess we have to give her credit for setting a good example by making the decision to continue her education even though she's financially set and all. Most young women in her shoes wouldn't even dream of committing to something as grueling as an English Lit degree, so maybe Kristen really is even more mature and grounded than anyone gives her credit for.

What are your thoughts on KStew going to UCLA?

Image via Splash

Click the "Like" button below if you're a fan of Robert Pattinson. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Fischer

is the writer behind The Mommyologist, and the mom of a future famous comedian. Her current loves include cosmopolitans, reality TV, and shoes that don't pinch her feet.

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Raven-Symonè Issues Statement Adding Clarity to Her 'Coming Out' Tweet

zaterdag 3 augustus 2013

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by Amy Boshnack 6 hours ago

 Every actor and actress that comes out in support support of gay marriage is a superstar in my opinion. The more the merrier. Let's get the word out that everyone should be treated equal. And so when Raven-Symonè tweeted that she can finally get married now -- many, many people cheered. Not just because she was helping to champion the cause of gay marriage -- but because she no longer felt the need to hide the fact she is gay. But wait ... maybe she was just doing what a lot of people have done before her ...  refusing to even entertain the idea of marriage until there was marriage equality for everyone.

Maybe she was officially coming out in her Tweet ... or maybe she was simply giving a shout out in support. Well, she's answered that question for us now ...

In an official statement, through her rep, Raven made things clear:

I am very happy that gay marriage is opening up around the country and is being accepted ... I was excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage. I, however am not currently getting married, but it is great to know I can now, should I wish to.

Man that must have been liberating. It's a terrible thing that still, today, people feel the need to hide who they really are because of fear of criticism or backlash from people they love -- and worse -- public outrage from ignorant people who don't understand the word acceptance.

It could not have been easy growing up as publicly as Raven grew up. She started out on The Cosby Show at age 3 for goodness sake! But she is 27 now ... and she should be proud of who she is!

Do you see a day in this country when there will be marriage equality for everyone?

Image via Getty

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amy Boshnack

is as New York as you can get but somehow manages to hide that thick accent. Her work in TV news and print magazines didn't break her so, thankfully, now she's known as the "sugar" that makes The Stir just right. You can also catch her on The Daily Stir.

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'Teen Mom' Star Gets Her Own Special ... And a Spin-Off Could Be Coming!!! (VIDEO)

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by Emily Abbate 19 hours ago

For a while now, there's been all sorts of rumors of a slew of different Teen Mom stars getting their own specials or spin-offs. After Farrah Abraham's sex tape escapades, I was in utter disbelief when there were rumblings of a Big Brother-esque spin-off with her, wild child Jenelle Evans, and both of their mothers. And oh JEEZ, remember when rumors hit that a Jenelle and Nathan Griffith spin-off was in the works? Ugh. Hello, disaster.

Well, Teen Mom fans, prepare yourselves because the time has finally come. A Teen Mom special is happening, and it's not with who you might think.

Get this: Maci Bookout is going to get her own one-hour special on MTV called Being Maci, airing Sunday, August 18 at 10 p.m. right after a 16 and Pregnant marathon. The Teen Mom star announced the big gig with the help of her son Bentley in a super cute video. Take a look:

How overly adorable is Bentley, right?!

According to MTV's blog Remote Control, the special will follow the 21-year-old around Chattanooga, Tennessee, as she hangs out with her friends and deals with all the local drama. Of course, it'll also catch her spending some quality time with her too-cute son.

My thoughts? I bet this is MTV testing the waters to see if Maci would garner enough interest for her very own multi-episode spin-off. Out of all the Teen Mom stars, I think it's safe to say that Maci would totally be the best candidate for her own gig. She's respectable, a great mother, and seems to have her ducks in a row. I'm sure a Farrah Abraham spin-off would be a whole bunch of eye-catching risque drama, but I think MTV would be much smarter to give Maci the opportunity in the long haul, enabling their audiences to have a real role model to look up to.

Will you tune in to Maci's special? Do you think the Teen Mom should get her own spin-off?

Image via MTV

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