With the 2010-2011 football (soccer) season just around the corner, teams are making their last round of preparations to get off to a great start. Many of the top European clubs will be in action today in a massive round of International Club friendlies. If you’re looking to watch International Club friendlies live / stream / online or even at a pub with some friends on this hot sunny day – check out our schedule and some of the top matches to look forward to.

Football: International Club Friendlies July 31

Starting with the teams from the UK – Guadalajara defeated Manchester United 3-2, AEK Athens defeated Glasgow Rangers 1-0, and Blackburn beat Sydney FC 2-1 in the day’s earlier matches. Other matches today from ‘the Island’: Union Berlin vs Middlesbrough, Celtics v Lyon, Brighton & Hove v Aberdeen, Bristol v Blackpool, Burnley v Stoke, Derby County v Birmingham, Hull v Dundee United, Ipswich v West Ham, Leeds United v Wolverhampton, Millwall v Hearts, Newcastle United v PSV Eindhoven, Norwich v Everton, Port Vale v Walsall, Southampton v Fulham, Southampton v Reading, Watford v Charlton Athletic, Arsenal vs AC Milan, and Feyenoord vs Aston Villa.

Other top matches for the day include: Kaiserslautern, Auxerre, Bordeaux vs AS Roma, Schalke vs Hamburger SV, Caen vs Rennes, Sochaux vs Nancy, Brest vs Lille, Bayern Munich vs FC Cologne, Haladas vs Werder Bremen, PSG vs FC Porto, Lechia Gdansk vs Vilarreal, and Espanyol vs Sampdoria.

So many matches to choose from today, and it will be the first real chance to see some of the top European sides following the FIFA World Cup.

If we had to pick a handful of matches today to watch, it would boil down to these 5 matches.

Top 5 Matches of the Day

The number 1 match we feel you must watch: Arsenal vs AC Milan. Live stream online for this match will start at 17:20 central European time.

The number 2 match we’d say you should watch: Celtic vs Lyon. Live steam online for this Scottish/French champion encounter will kickoff at 15:00 CET.

At number 3, what we would say is the match to watch: Feyenoord vs Aston Villa. Live stream online for this encounter is late at night (22:15 CET), and will be the last match of the day.

The number 4 top match of the day to watch: Bordeaux vs AS Roma. Live stream online for this match is set at 16:45 CET.

And last but not least, the number 5 top match to watch: PSG vs FC Porto. Live stream online coverage for the match will commence at 19:00CET.

That wraps up our look at the July 31 International Club Friendlies. Be sure to check back later for scores, results, and highlights of the matches discussed here today.

The third round of the Europa League Qualifying resumes today with 34 matches in the first match of dual leg tie. This officially marks the beginning of the new season for some of top European Clubs including Liverpool, Juventus, Sporting Lisbon and Galatasaray. For everyone looking to watch Europa League live qualifying matches, we’ve identified some of the top matches and the respective kickoff times.

<h3>Europa League Qualifying</h3>

At 18:00 the matches are Beroe vs Rapid Vienna, Dnepr Mogilev vs Ostrava, Inter Turku vs Racing Genk, MyPa vs FC Timisoara, Ruch Chorzow vs Austria Vienna. Then there is a pair of good matches and those who wish to watch Molde vs Stuggart live or Elfsborg vs Teteks will have to tune in at 18:30 CET. At 19:00 Rangers FC vs Lausanne Sports, at 19:30 Kalmar vs Levski Sofia, and at 1945 Maccabi Haifa vs Dinamo Minsk are some matches worth checking out.

europa league qualifying

There are many Europa League qualifying matches scheduled at 20:00 Central European time with Cercle Bruges vs Anorthosis, Dinamo Bucuresti vs Hajduk Split, and Galatasaray vs OFK Belgrade being some interesting Europa League matches worth watching live or streaming online. FC Nordsaelland vs Sporting Lisbon, Olymipiakos Piraeus vs Maccabi Tel Aviv, Plzen vs Besiktas, Red Star Belgrade vs Slovan Bratislava and Sturm Graz vs Dinamo Tblisi is set to take place at 20:30 CET. 2045PM is the kickoff time for some of the biggest third round UEFA Europa League qualifying matches including AZ Alkmaar vs IFK Gothenburg, Rabotnicki vs Liverpool, and Shamrock Rovers vs Juventus.

Football fans planning to stream or  watch Rabotnicki vs Liverpool live / online should be warned that the top caliber players such as Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano will not travel with the club.

That wraps up our look at the July 29 Europa League Qualifying matches in the third round and some matches you should consider if you’re thinking about taking time off to watch Europa Leauge qualifying live or online. Stay tuned for Europa League qualifying highlights, results, and scores after the matches are completed.

Mountain View, California, USA (BGN) – The undisputed internet advertising leader and search giant has for years been desperately hard at work to try to find alternate sources of revenue besides its ‘Adsense’ program. Numerous acquisitions and billions of dollars later – Google still hasn’t managed to find their next cash cow to give its board and investors a sigh of relief. Google execs are hoping that will all change with the upcoming rumored ‘Facebook killer’: “Google Me”.

Google already has a social networking platform to its name called Orkut – a relatively unknown networking portal outside of Brazil and India. Google also introduced recently something akin to Twitter in which web surfers could instantly share links, thoughts, pictures and a variety of other social media items through Google’s free email platform, Gmail.

Google has made it very clear with its 100 million investment in Zynga that it has made it a top mission to grab some of the social networking pie. There’s also the belief that Facebook is becoming so big that it might soon cannibalize the whole web and make Google and its main search product obsolete.

Google Me

Currently nothing is definite about how Google Me will work and what it will look like. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has already let it be known that they are in no way trying to imitate Facebook and at this point with 500 million users, it’s probably an insurmountable task to try to beat Facebook at its own game.

If anyone can take down Facebook however, you would think that Google are on the top of the list of possible candidates. Google is already rumored to be in talks with the leading social game developers and hopes that its recent acquisitions in the flash based gaming market can reap dividends once Google Me does see the light of day.

Google is currently involved in so many facets of the internet and technology that it is quite surprising how distant it has been thus far in the social networking sphere. Surprisingly enough, it could be all of Google’s past lackluster expansion efforts that can, once combined, provide the company its sought after new killer product.

Google TV, Android, Google Docs, Knol, Google Checkout, Orkut, Gmail, Google Buzz, Google Search and everything else under the Google umbrella (which seems to be just about everything these days) – can fit in quite nicely with a carefully planned “Google Me”. If Google manages to find a way through the highly sensitive privacy topic, and be able to gather what everyone is doing on these different platforms, it will be able to fend away Facebook and retake its throne atop the internet kingdom.

As Google CEO Eric Schmidt says, “The rule of the Internet is it never stops”, and with Google Me, the plan is to not to stay behind.

The implementation of Arizona’s new sb1070 immigration law is fast approaching, as Justice Department officials, civil rights lawyers and immigrant advocacy groups petition for last minute injunctions. The controversial new law, dubbed sb1070, will allow Arizona police to question and arrest people without a warrant if (and it’s a big IF) they have reasonable suspicion that they may be an illegal immigrant.

sb1070 immigration law

The immigration law sb1070 has sparked controversy since its inception because of its apparently harsh line on immigrants. The measure will effectively mean that immigrants have to carry identity documents with them at all times to qualify their status, should they be stopped.

In addition, should the law be passed Thursday, it will become illegal for people to associate in employment with illegal immigrants. This restriction on association will extend to assisting illegal immigrants with transport through Arizona.

The Justice departments view on sb1070 is clear for all to see since they have attempted to get an injunction against the law. The department said in a statement, “Arizona impermissibly seeks to regulate immigration by creating an Arizona-specific immigration policy that is expressly designed to rival or supplant that of the federal government.” They continued with, “As such, Arizona’s immigration policy exceeds a state’s role with respect to aliens, interferes with the federal government’s balanced administration of the immigration laws, and critically undermines U.S. foreign policy objectives.”

The new sb1070 immigration law is on target to be approved as the state tries to tackle illegal immigration, and should it be passed may represent a watershed moment in the methods used by authorities to tackle immigration into the USA.

Cupertino, California, USA (BGN) – Apple has just announced a new slew of products, the most interesting among them being the Apple Magic Trackpad. Apple’s Magic Trackpad is essentially a MacBook pro touch pad with the advantage of being attachable to a multitude of devices (although no PC or iPad support mentioned thus far) and having a 80% larger real estate for all the multi-touch maneuvering one can possibly undertake.

apple magic trackpad

Among the Apple Magic Trackpad’s features: we have two-finger scrolling, pinch to zoom, fingertip rotation, multiple finger swipes, with the clear bonus of having the whole surface being ‘clickable’. That last point has already made some early adopters shelf their mouse, to be replaced by these battery powered, Bluetooth packing portable tablet devices. It’s a bit soon to evaluate what percentage of Apple users will deem this a “mouse-killer” but kudos to the Apple design team for even making us think of a world without ‘mice’. Although it’s worth reminding, industry veterans are still befuddled at how quickly iPads made us question the existence of netbooks, once the tech darling of the digital age.

Apple Magic Trackpad

The Apple Magic Trackpad price has been set at 69$, which will most probably prevent this from being a common item amongst regular computer users. There will certainly be a niche for these devices but Apple users are already voicing concerns about the practicality of having another device when total laptop integration would have made for a much more seamless experience.

The wireless keyboard and Apple Magic Trackpad go well side by side, and the new Apple battery charger will let you charge all the batteries you will need to fuel those two battery drenching accessories.

As with most Apple products these days, the Apple Magic Trackpad will most certainly have its fair share of lovers and haters – and while the initial industry wide consensus is that the mouse will live to see another day, it’s clear that the Apple team is aiming to create a world where mice become extinct.

In a recent blog post, the Playstation 3 team has announced an all new Playstation 3 firmware update. The PS3 Update 3.41 will be “released shortly” according to the PS3 staff, with the biggest new addition being a recommendation feature within the Playstation 3 store.

Navigating through the PS3 store will be much easier and allow for discovery of items that one might like, but previously would have never considered. As many popular shopping portals have implemented in the past, the new PS3 3.41 Firmware update will add “You May Like” recommendations throughout its shop to entice users to spend more and also be matched with content they didn’t know about.

ps3 update 3.41

PS3 Firmware Update 3.41

The recommendation feature is scheduled to go live at the end of July. Sony keeps on trying to improve the interface of its PS3 shop – they had recently additions such as the five star rating system. With online media portals and shops becoming so lucrative – Sony has tried to carve out its own share of the pie with these latest changes. Sony is still way behind the likes of direct competitor Microsoft and their wildly popular Xbox live market place – as well as iTunes, Amazon, and now the new Battle.net platform that has been create by Blizzard. The number 1 feature that PS3 users still want and haven’t received is the cross game chat.

Besides the PS3 Update 3.41 – the PSP 6.31 firmware update will also be released shortly according to the PS3 official blog – but will only carry minor stability upgrades.

To download the PS3 Update 3.41 – PS3 owners can follow the same method as always and while it’s not the major PS3 firmware update that they had hoped for – it is still a step towards improvement for a console that has taken its time to establish itself in the market.

Barcelona, Spain (BGN) – For the first time, the 2010 European Athletics Championship will be held in Spain – at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Catalonia. The athletics tournament will last a total of 6 days, from July 27 to August 1st 2010 along with an opening ceremony on the 26th. With 50 nations and over 1300 athletes taking place – it is set to be one of the biggest athletic championships of the year. The European Athletics championship usually takes place every four years, and a total of 47 events (24 men, 23 women) has brought in this time a record amount of participants.

2010 European Athletics Championship

For those looking to watch 2010 European Athletics live stream online or on their TV – you will need a full 2010 European Athletics Championship schedule. The times in the European Athletics Championship 2010 schedule are in local Spanish time, so fans are advised to make the necessary time difference conversions: http://bit.ly/9neA01

2010 European Athletics Championship

You have several ways to watch European Athletics 2010 online / live / streaming – you can find out about the official ways to watch EAA 2010 live stream here at the official site: http://www.european-athletics.org/barcelona2010/live-streaming.html . For a full list of events and 2010 European Athletics Championship in Barcelona highlights, results, video, news, pictures and more – the official website of the this years’ event will have all the live coverage for athletics fans: www.bcn2010.org .

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Detroit, USA (BGN) – After months of leaks, teasers and speculation – details of the all new 2011 Ford Explorer has been available for all eager car enthusiasts. The updated mid-size Ford SUV seems to have embarked on a new chapter with the vehicle taking the best parts of what has transformed Ford in recent years from aging giant to new frontier pioneer.

The all new Ford Explorer 2011 packs a new platform, a streamlined body losing some of the weight of past models, top of the line safety technology, and a transition to environmentally friendly fuel-efficient engines.

2011 Ford Explorer

But Ford hasn’t totally gone away from its roots – still sporting proudly the “4WD” badge, the 7.9 inches of ground clearance, and a feature called TMS (Terrain Management System) where the driver can choose a type of terrain and the 2011 Ford Explorer can adjust on demand.

2011 Ford Explorer

Ford has continued to build on its reputation as one of the leaders in in-car safety with a multitude of features: high strength steels, multiple airbags, side canopies in case of a roll-over, a new curve control feature and a deep integration of car alert systems which have both safety and convenience implications. The biggest new safety feature is the world’s first inflatable safety belt – which will help backseat passengers become safer than ever.

Despite the technological, aesthetic, and safety improvements – the main talk around the 2011 Ford Explorer will still boil down to its engines: either a four-cylinder EcoBoost engine (2.0-liters / 237 horsepower), or a 3.5-liter V-6 290 horsepower engine. Either way it looks like the 2011 Ford Explorer, despite its larger size compared to previous models, will be a undeniably efficient mid-size SUV out of the USA. All 2011 Explorer pictures, previews, and reviews indicate that Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) have a hit on their hands – and interested parties will be able to buy 2011 Ford Explorer towards the end of this year.

A new BBC iPhone app has been launched by the corporation that deals with the latest breaking news sent straight to your iPhone. Compatible with the iPad as well, this newly launched BBC News iPhone app could become the go-to source for all news while on the move.

BBC iPhone App

The BBC iPhone app will be free to download which will give it a massive popularity in the smartphone app sector, one of the most competitive areas news corporations are attempting to exploit.

If you’re running apps on other smartphones, such as the HTC Desire, fear not for the BBC has plans to release an Android version of the app later in the year. For now the app is solely related to BBC News, but in time the BBC hope to extend the reach of its app to include both BBC Sport and the iPlayer, one of the most innovative web-based media outlets ever designed.

There have been concerns that the BBC iPhone app could fall foul of competition laws given the influence the corporation has, but the launch has still gone ahead and will be monitored in the coming months.

After the announcement that Capcom and Namco would collaborate the first Street Fighter X Tekken gameplay video has been shown. Featuring Ryu vs Kazuya on the Street Fighter IV engine this clip from Comic Con drew wide astonishment as fans saw for the first time the potential of the title.

Street Fighter X Tekken Gameplay

The fight starts with Ryu taking on Kazuya but at a certain point Ryu lets rip his super, only for a VERY big twist that sends the crowd into raptures. By the judgment of the reaction of the fans it appears that Street Fighter X Tekken could even eclipse Marvel VS Capcom 3 as the most wanted new Street Fighter coming out next year.

If there were any concerns that the mix of Street Fighter X Tekken wouldn’t work this sort and very rough gameplay video totally put fans’ fears at rest. In the coming months there will be more updates on the game and news about Namco’s version of the game called Tekken X Street Fighter. That iteration of the game will run on Namco’s Tekken 6 engine but both games will feature all the characters you’ve come to know and love over the years.

For now, the Street Fighter X Tekken gameplay movie is enough to set the pulses waiting and expect to hear more news about the game at the TGS in September. Fei Long vs Marshall Law anyone?