It all kicks of today, 2 months of watching the most amazing football players in the world battle for the most prestigious trophy in football history, The World Cup.

I’ve got my beer in the fridge, snacks at the ready and I am predicting 2 – 0 to Brazil in the opening game. Hold tight because I will update this post in a few hours after the match.

Result: Brazil 3 – 1 Croafia
Not the finest game of football I have seen. The score line did not reflect the game. Croatia looked strong throughout the entire game. I love to watch Brazil play ball but in my honest opinion the referee gifted Brazil the game with two poor decisions. Brazils penalty, their player went down in the Croatian box with the gentlest push, then Croatia had a goal disallowed.

It just simply was not Croatia’s night, but needless to say even though Brazil won 3-1 they will need to be a LOT sharper in defence if they plan to vo all the way to the final.

Monday morning blues; I wake and my town’s destroyed
Debris, smoke the helicopters, all cause a further void
My towns become bleaker within a night
Its like anger and misery are exhibited everywhere in sight
I know that Im gonna have to pick up the pieces ’cause I still have to live here
I know that I will live with the consequences for many more years
Destruction and panic ignites the atmosphere
All the good things that I watched build up over the years are now shattered and stained with fear

Tuesday afternoon desperation; I need to feed my family
The riots continue; it’s funny cause its like fury is just becoming part of mainstream society
My friend’s seven months pregnant, she’s just as desperate as me
We just need a proper meal, fuck the luxuries!
She’s smoking skunk to calm her nerves
‘Stop smoking girl, this is not what your baby deserves’
My words dont do a thing and I haven’t got the energy to help her no more
Deep down I appreciate her suffering; it’s just that I need to focus on my chore
Nappies, baby milk, chicken and vegetables
We stack our trolley looking forward to our normal meals
The security guard catches us, he’s been watching us
I guess we fit his stereotype of ghetto hoes
His face gleams as he exposes us, almost like he had won a hundred lottery draws
He revels in his success as I hang my head in shame
The police come and fine me, now I have even less money to my name

Wednesday morning frustration; I’m trying to figure out a plan
I done things the wrong way and then the right and the wrong way seems to be the right plan
My mum needs me, i need my bed, but  I get up and go
Frustration and irritation linger amongst the traffic; the streets are a picture of sorrow
The bus driver crashes into me; his life’s tainted by dissatisfaction so he chooses to punish me
Hes fucjed up my ride now and left me with less money
The men are angry and feeling sympathy for my cause
Anger runs like electricity infecting everyone in close proximity with its force
The police arrive and this time they are on my side
There’s nothing they can do, it’s mad that this shit is becoming part of life

Thursday afternoon meeting with my rent officer
I’m already dreading it and i sit in Hesitant composure
I can’t afford the rent but He doesn’t wanna hear my story, he’s already relishing in his glory
To him I am just another scrounging cheat
He looks at me like I belong beneath his feet
He could be my family and he comes from the same struggle as me but yet he’s warring with me
The system sets us up to hate our own so how can we ever be free?

Friday fuckery and it seems that they are cleaning up the streets
The post man arrives with some more bad news for me to beat
Another bailiff letter threatening me for cash even though I can’t afford to eat
Another fine from the supermarket even though I still had to pay the police
depression and complete solace
I’m astonished that I’m still able to breathe

Saturday night oblivion and I drink to my heart’s content
Tequilia, sambucca and brandy
The cocktail helping me to escape from my reality
tonight I am free
I just want to get fucked up and not care about anything but me
It all hits my system and emotions begin to spill
I can’t hold back the tears and the pain is all i can feel
rage makes me wanna viciously yell
This has been seven days from hell

Sunday afternoon, I arise and I realise what I have to do
I’ve got to get myself together that’s the only way I’m going to make it through
I pray and hope for a better day
I remind myself of my blessings and they help me to find my way
Cause I almost lost my way but the tests in these seven days
Is what helped me to be saved

Team Scorpio will be putting the sting back into driving once again at the end of this summer, and the ICU Online Web TV film crew will be there to cover all the action.

Car lovers everywhere, the party will be at the Dutch House SE12 9AL, see the best modified cars, beautiful girls, experience the sound clash of the best car audio systems and see who wins the prizes to be handed out by Team Scorpio owner Mr Cass.

Some say the car scene is dying out, modified cars are now no longer in fashion, and it may seem that way, but the truth is the spirit of “The Driver” (someone who drives not because they have to, but because they want to) will never die, as long as there are machines that reach high speeds that can be controlled by man (and women) there will be a community of dedicated drivers who have these two things in common, the need for speed and love to drive.

The Run is just one of many events held this year and if you appreciate the car scene then the Dutch House will be the place to be Sunday night the 1st of September.

Man and machine become one:

Recently I had the opportunity to test drive the Mazda MX 5, all I can say is wow. I had been an auto technician for over 15 years (before turning my trade to media) and in that time I can say I have driven almost every make and model car there is, Except Lamborghini and Ferrari, but when I do drive them it will be all over ICU Online, believe me. So with the exception of the Lambo and Ferrari I have quite a lot of experience to run a comparison to.

Now a decent 2nd hand MX 5 will set you back about £5K – £7K about 4 years old with about 40,000 miles on the clock. I can honestly say the MX-5 is by far the best little 2 seater sports car you can buy for that money. This little roadster in my opinion was more enjoyable to drive than the more powerful BWM Z4, Porsche Boxter, Mercedes SLK, and the Crysler Cross fire which all cost twice as much as the Mazda if not more.
The experience starts as soon as you sit in the car, as the door shut I immediately felt the car was a part of me, the driving position is absolutely perfect, I have never been more comfortable in the drivers seat of a car. And everything seemed to be exactly where it should be, except will all Japanese cars the indicator is where the windshield wiper should be and vise verse, so every time I indicated to turn left my wipers would come on, but you soon get use to that.

The Mazda MX5 is not a powerful car, it is not about power and speed, but more about control and quality, you feel one with everything you do, changing gear, steering around corners, even changing lanes just all seemed more fun in this Mazda than in any car I had ever driven.

I could not explain why it was so much fun to drive, so I researched what other car enthusiast had to say about the MX5 and conclude rather than go on and on, I will share with you exactly what the top gear and 5th gear guys have to say about this beautiful, beautiful machine. This car is now at the top of my wish list, I will get the Audi RS4 a little later in life now.

This is what Richard Hammond from top gear had to say about this beautiful machine:

Ok so Richard Hammond has the same opinion about this car as I do, but this car is also female friendly, if there are any lady car enthusiast out there and you are looking for a real driving experience this is the car for you.

And here is Vicky Pollard from 5th Gear testing the same car:

In conclusion, if buying a two seater is just a status symbol the buy all means get a BMW Z4, or the Porsche Boxter or the Mercedes SLK, but if it is for the love of driving the Mazda delivers everything these other cars do for half the money. And if your worried about top end speed or acceleration? the Mazda is actually built practically for real world use, I have never met anyone who has driven a performance car to its limit on UK roads who still holds a valid drivers license.

A 2005 Mazda MX5 2.0 liter standard (as opposed to sports) with approximately 50,000 miles on the clock is worth £7,400.

If you love driving, it is worth every penny.

Recently I took my 10 year old Renault Leguna to Renault for a service, the bill came to £2088, double what the car was worth. So I immediately jumped on the Auto Trader http://www.autotrader.co.uk a site I highly recommend if you are looking for a decent secondhand car, and within minutes I saw this, a 1996 Ford Escort Mk 5 with only 44,000 miles on the clock and a full service history to prove the miles were genuine.

It almost seemed too good to be true, so I dialled the number and found out the owner had only posted the ad 30 minutes earlier. So I jumped on a train and traveled the 200 miles to go see this car.

For a car to only have done 44,000 miles in 14 years is remarkable, that is an average of 3,123 per year. And believe me when I say it drove like a four year old car. The gears were nice and tight, the steering nice and firm, no strange sounds, the engine purred like the well oiled machine it is. And the asking price???? Get this, £475.

In the time it took me to get to the guy selling the car his phone had rung almost 600 times. Before buying the Escort I was considering buying a newer used car for just under £5000, which meant all the paper work of getting approvals etc, I had been driving a courtesy car for the week, a 2010 Clio, the new used car was about to set me back £138 a month for the next four years.

This 14 year old Escort has given me every bit of satisfaction that the 2 month old Clio gave me, which goes to show, if you’re not worried about keeping up with the Jones’ and you are looking for a cheap practical car to get around,  there are still some amazing deals on the auto trader worth checking out.

Note: Always check your car via the AA or RAC, make sure it is not stolen, written off or that it has no outstanding finance (https://www.mycarcheck.com/). If the mileage is over 75,000 make sure you see a recite for a new timing belt, a new timing belt can cost between £100-£300 to fit depending on the make and model, or if it snaps between £500 – £3000 to repair. Always get the vehicle that comes with the full service history and avoid the used cars without. Always keep the service history, it may help you sell it on later.

Ok last week we looked at oversized rims and asked the question “does size matter” and concluded that bigger wheels actually do increase the top end speed of a vehicle. But what about over sized exhaust pipes? Could having an exhaust pipe big enough to hide a sheep increase performance of your car?

Let’s take a closer look at exactly what is happening in your engine. Now once again I have to use the engine diagram of the 4 stroke cylinder to give a visual representation of what’s going on.

1. The inlet valve opens and fuel gets drawn into the compression chamber by the downward movement of the piston, a.k.a “SUCK”.

2. All valves are closed and as the piston rises, it creates a compression, a.k.a “SQUEEZE”.

3. The spark plug is ignited at the peak of the compression, igniting the fuel which creates an explosion that forces the piston back down, a.k.a “BANG”.

4. The outlet valve opens and as the piston rises, the exhaust fumes are pushed out of the chamber and down the exhaust pipe, a.k.a “BLOW”.

So suck, squeeze, bang and blow are the four stages of the combustion engine, and right now we are going to focus on the blow. Have you ever used a garden hose? When water is flowing down the hose, if you narrow the end you build up pressure causing the water to jet out, if you widen the end, the water pressure drops and the water flows out freely. Think of your exhaust pipe like a garden hose. Now if you have a narrow pipe, the pressure will be higher meaning more force is needed to push the fumes out, if the pipe is larger less force is needed. So all that is being achieved by having a big bore exhaust is less pressure is needed on the up stroke 4 to push the exhaust gas out. But could this really improve the car’s performance?

In theory yes, in any mathematical equation if you lessen the resistance on one side of the equal sign you increase the flow on the other side, therefore on paper the bigger bore exhaust should improve the cars performance, but probably by 0:00:02 seconds. the improvement would be so negligible you would barely feel the difference, you would have to probably largen your pipe to the proportions of the above picture before you feel any improvement, which may only work out to about 2 or 3 mph, but then you would have to factor in the weight of your now tail chimney.

My conclusion therefore is a larger tail pipe is not really suited for improving speed, but is much more suited for engine performance and creating less pressure in the combustion chamber.

Note: It is important to know if you increase engine power you should increase your exhaust size, if the engine is too powerful and the exhaust too small the pressure will blow the exhaust. If the exhaust is too small it can also hamper performance where exhaust gas is not escaping fast enough and the combustion chamber remains filled with exhaust fumes which mixes with the fuel and lessens the power of the explosion.

So size does really matter I guess.

A question was put to me, why do people put these massive wheels on their vehicles? And does it affect the performance?

Well I must admit that big shiny wheels do tend to make most cars look a little better, in most cases the wheels are the finishing touches to a car’s general look, but the more important case of whether or not it can affect the handling is what I will focus on right now.

First of all, I would like to explain what a revolution is. It is 1 complete cycle of the engine, meaning a piston has sucked in petrol on the down stroke, compressed the petrol on the up stroke, the spark has ignited the petrol causing an explosion, forcing a high powered down stroke, the burned gas is forced through exhaust valves on the final upstroke before the whole procedure starts again. This is one revolution of a four stroke engine, so when you see 1500 rpm, it means this four stroke procedure is happening 1500 every minute.

So if we take two identically sized engines and fit them in identical cars, yet one car has 22″ wheels and the other has 17″ wheels, what will the difference be?

As the engine turns, the drive wheels also turn, and a full cycle of the wheel will result in the car moving forward approximately 2 feet. However, with the bigger wheel, a greater distance a full cycle of the wheel will cover. The relationship between the revolution of the engine and the revolution of the drive wheels will remain consistent despite the size of wheels and tires, but the distance traveled in regards to the size of wheels and tires will always be greater with larger wheels.

Therefore size does matter in regards to speed, because if two engines are at 3000 rpm, both wheels will be revolving at the exact same speed, but the one with larger wheels will travel a greater distance in the same amount of time.

The problem will be when a car is manufactured the speedometer is calibrated with the manufacturer’s wheels, so that when the engine is doing a certain amount of rpm’s in a particular gear, a measured distance is covered. By increasing the wheel size, the calibration of the speedometer set by the manufacturer becomes void, although your speedometer will tell you that you are traveling at 30mph you could in fact be traveling at 35mph or 40mph depending on the size of the wheel.

Now this could all have been said a little easier I know, but I am actually answering the claim made by someone who states smaller wheels increase speed. I hope this has been helpful.

Pablo G

Every one in this world has value; we are all worthy of being happy, healthy, and prosperous. Often times we sell ourselves short and never achieve greatness because we don’t believe in our own hearts that we are worthy or that we can do it. This fear of yourself will keep you on the ground, as opposed to elevating you to new heights. If you will settle for less, people will give you less; if you will settle for more, people will give you more. Things that are convenient in life often have high frequency visits because gaining access doesn’t require much work. There’s nothing wrong with being a convenience to someone, just so long as the arrangement is mutually beneficial.

Once a convenience becomes an inconvenience for you, then it’s time to re-evaluate your position in that relationship,  require more, or position yourself in a more beneficial relationship. Place value on your time, energy, effort, money, and resources; not everyone who’s around your circle needs to be in your circle. When it comes to building relationships, it’s essential that you set your own personal goals for your life, and with each person you meet, you give them a place in your life depending on whether or not that are in alignment with your goals.

Without a plan, without goals, without any idea of what you want your relationship to be like in the future, you will inevitably find yourself settling for whatever/whoever is most comfortable at the moment. If you want your relationship to be a success in the end, you have to have a successful beginning. Always begin with the end in mind. There are billions of people in this world, and you only need “one”; you don’t have to accept just anyone, you can develop a plan of action and get exactly what you need from a significant other.

Key word significant! Your significant other is someone who is worth mentioning, someone you’re proud to be with, someone you’re looking forward to growing with. When it comes to someone who is merely a convenience,  you can barely see past the end of the month with this person, let alone a lifetime. This is your life we’re talking about, and you’re not getting any younger; every day you live your life should be lived with purpose. When it comes to people you give your time to, you should add people add value to your life, and subtract the people who don’t.

As you continue to grow as a person, your values and your priorities will change, and so will your desire to associate with certain individuals. Depending on your current position in life, you may feel as though a convenience is exactly what you need. That person who agrees to be a convenience more than likely feels the exact same way about you. The only problem with that is the foundation of your relationship is not build on anything solid; the foundation of a convenience is based on temporary short-term satisfaction which doesn’t last.

Once one or both parties finds themselves, and develops love for themselves, they will no longer need you. Finding the “perfect match” isn’t about finding someone who has the same exact thing you have; finding a match is about finding someone who can produce something your life is missing. The last thing you want to be missing from your life is love and happiness because it’s impossible to give out something you are without. If your source for love and happiness dwells in someone else, then you’ll be left unfulfilled if that person is a) unavailable or b) decides to leave you.

You are worth more than a quick lay and a brief stay; there is someone out there who will love, cherish, honor, and be loyal to you, and you won’t have to share him with anyone. You have to believe in your heart that you are worthy of greatness; the way you prove this is by disassociating yourself from failures. Once you change your heart, you will change your mind, which will prompt you to make better choices for your life and your relationships. The key is to have Faith and believe that God knows your heart, he knows the work you need to do on yourself, and he knows the type of man you need in order to achieve relationship success. #GodIsLove

Men are simple and only require Food, Sex & Peace of Mind; if you give this to a man, you will certainly have no problem keeping him around. But that’s not the end; keeping him around is merely a convenience. Now that you know what makes him happy, you need to sit down at the table and negotiate before any “goods” are distributed. A man will do ANYTHING for the opportunity to sleep with a woman; with this in mind, you need to take this opportunity to set standards and requirements, otherwise you will fall in the trap of being his convenience.

Your vagina is your negotiating power! Once you give a man your body, you no longer have any room to negotiate, and you’ll be stuck giving this man Food, Sex & Peace of Mind trying to figure out “What am I doing wrong? I’m giving him everything a man needs, but he’s not giving me what I need… How can I fix this?” It’s too late! You are now officially his convenience because you did too much too soon. Sex is the ultimate goal for a man, so if you give it to him on day one, you’ll be lucky if you see him on day 2 (especially if the sex was bad). Even if the sex was bad, he may give you a call just to feel something wet and warm, but he won’t much more use for you outside of the bedroom.

Men are very simple and do not require much; but you, you’re a female and you want the WORLD! A man can sleep with multiple different women 7 days a week with no emotional attachment, and no desire for any type of future whatsoever. Don’t get your little heart broken trying to play a man’s game; don’t get yourself caught up in the convenience trap. If you want more than Food, Sex & Peace of Mind, then you need to require it, otherwise, men will continue to take you for a test drive until you’re completely out of miles, and then move right along to the next.

It’s important to have actual conversations about short-term and long-term goals, just to see how a person feels about their life and to see where they plan on going in the future. A man knows the role he wants a woman to play in his life before he even meets her. Getting to know someone properly is essential to relationship success and it will help you to differentiate what is suspense and what is substance. Instead of allowing someone to treat you like a convenience, give your time to someone who will treat you like a priority. You are worth it!

If you’ve been inspired by today’s blog, please subscribe, post your comments below, and share it with your friends. Also, please visit my new website and connect with me on all of my social networks!www.askcheyb.com

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Life & Relationship Coach

-AskCheyB

CI Games has announced that Alien Rage, the sci-fi first-person-shooter putting the challenge back in genre, will invade Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC worldwide Autumn 2013. A new cinematic trailer has also been released today which sets up the ominous backstory and the hunt for the ultimate power source: promethium. Capable of powering an entire planet or completely destroying it, it’s up to players to prevent the universe’s prize of promethium from falling into the wrong hands and taking down everything that comes in their way.

In Alien Rage players will unleash a fury of powerful weapons as they blast their way through armies of Alien forces hell-bent on taking them down. Battling through 14 intense levels, players will be able to discover and equip ten epic weapons each designed with two unique, strategic firing modes to prepare to face a barrage of enemies and unstoppable mega-sized bosses that will push players’ FPS skills to the limit. With unforgiving enemy AI, players must utilize tactical maneuvers to not only get an advantage in battle but to simply survive the intense old-school styled shooter experience in Alien Rage. For more information on Alien Rage check out: http://alienragegame.com/

After seventy-seven years of hurt Andy Murray finally lifts the Wimbledon Mens Single Championship Trophy. And to be honest he fully deserved it, beating the world’s number one cede ‘Novak Djokovic’ strait sets 6-4 7-5 6-4.

 I am not really a big tennis fan, but yet even I was caught up in the Murray fever, from his quarter-final game when he came back from two sets down, it seemed there was something special about Murray, he looked like a champion. Being so use to the great English hope always ending in tears, I gave up expecting an English Wimbledon Champion in the days of Tim Henman.

In  the semi finals Murray faced Polish giant J Janowicz, the 6 foot eight who has a 144 mph serve won the first set, and was 4 games to 1 up in the second set when I wrote Murray off, got up, switched off the TV and went out to enjoy the sun, after all, hoping in an English man to win Wimbledon is like hoping in the England Football team to bring home a World Cup, pain!

I was astonished when I saw the result, Murray had come from 4-1 down to win the second set 4-6, then he went on to win two more sets beating J Janowicz 3 sets to 1. How I wished I had the stomach to have watched that game in its entirety. Suffice to say I would not be making the same mistake with the mens final.

Andy Murray is the real deal, if you missed the finals its worth watching on BBC iPlayer while it is stall available.

OK, my question after watching this beautiful promotion of a very beautiful car is simply, “Where the hell has the British motor industry gone?”. No seriously, is there anything left? let’s take a look at where some of the great names are today.

• Aston Martin is owned 92% by privately held Kuwait investment companies and 8% by Ford
• Bentley is owned by Volkswagon AG (Germany)
• Rolls Royce is owned by BMW Group (Germany)
• Jaguar is owned by Tata Motors Ltd (India)
• Land Rover is owned by Tata Motors Ltd (India)
• MG & Rover is owned by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (China)
• TVR is owned by Nikolai Smolenski, (a Russian business man)
• Mini is owned by BMW Group (Germany)
• Leyland Motors was defunct in 1986
• Triumph was defunct in 1983

The fact is that today if you want to buy a British car, you are left with the following choices: a Bristol, a Bowler, a Caterham or a Ginetta, although these are amazing vehicles, none of these brands are internationally recognised.

The Bristol

The Bowler

The Caterham

The Ginetta

Although these cars may be beautifully made, have you personally heard of them? And/or have you ever seen one in real life?

]]> http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/2013/07/07/aston-martin/feed/ 0 http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/2013/07/04/meet-the-uks-average-gamer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=meet-the-uks-average-gamer http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/2013/07/04/meet-the-uks-average-gamer/#comments Thu, 04 Jul 2013 09:42:22 +0000 Oceanbreeze http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/?p=18719 Continue reading →]]> 35 years old, earning £23,000 a year, plays games for 2.5 hours a day, five days a week – meet the UK’s “average” gamer

Videogames social network Pixwoo unveils results of nationwide poll

4^th July 2013: The average gamer is married, aged 35 and earns £23k a year, a study revealed yesterday.

Researchers found that while the stereotypical gamer is a student with plenty of time on their hands, it is actually settled, working Brits who are most likely to unwind playing videogames.

And female gamers spend just as much time indulging in their videogame hobby as their male counterparts.

They will spend around two and a half hours a day – five days a week – in front of their console and stay up until 10.58pm playing computer games.

It also emerged that gamers own two different consoles, 18 games and take around a month to complete one game.

A spokesman for gamers’ social media network Pixwoo.com, which commissioned the research, said:

‘’The image most people have of a gamer is usually a young boy, holed up for hours in end in their bedroom, only stopping the game for food, drink and toilet breaks. But these results show that the stereotype couldn’t be more wrong.

‘’Not only are women just as likely to be gamers as men, but we are talking about fully grown adults who work, have a family and are in a relationship.”

The study, of 2,000 Brits who consider themselves a ‘gamer’, found that they will spend a total of 12 hours and 32 minutes playing on some kind on console each week.

But researchers found that the hobby isn’t always good news for relationships, with the average gamer rowing with their partner twice a week over their pastime.

More than one in twenty of those in relationships say it is a constant source of their rows while 15 per cent have broken up with someone because of it.

More than three quarters even admitted they don’t think they will ever grow out of their love for computer games.

While the games are usually switched off by 11pm, gamers have stayed up as late as 1.12am engrossed in their contests.

They will also spend around four hours queuing for a new game at a midnight store opening once a year.

The study also found that the average video game fan has five online friends in the gaming community, with 29 per cent saying they have met at least one of those face-to-face.

And while a third say they are most like to play games with ‘real-life’ friends in the same room, almost a quarter tend to play with friends remotely.

Almost one in five usually play with ‘online friends’ they have got to know through the gaming community.

Just under half also discuss their games and search for hints and cheats on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

It also emerged that the Wii is the most popular console to own, followed by a PlayStation 3 and an Xbox 360.

And 44 per cent will definitely be treating themselves to either a PlayStation 4, Xbox One or a new PC within the next 12 months.

A spokesman for Pixwoo.com added: “This snapshot into the lives of ordinary gamers disputes many myths about the pastime, showing how integrated gaming is into our daily routine. Pixwoo.com is launching am iPhone and Android app for gamers to share their passion among friends old and new, offering a place to talk about games without being bothered by aspects of other social networks, like pictures of what people are having for dinner.”

The average gamer will:

*Play computer games five days a week, for 2 hours and 32 minutes each day.

*Will stay up until 10.58pm playing games

*Has stayed up until 1.12am on occasion

*Owns two different consoles

*Owns 18 games

*Can complete a game in four-and-a-half weeks

*Will go to a midnight opening for a new game once a year, spending four hours queuing each time

*Has two rows a week with their partner about gaming

*Has five online friends in the gaming community

*Is 35 years old

*Earns £23,244 a year

*Is married or in a relationship

*Has one child

*Drives a Ford, Vauxhall or BMW

*Works almost 32 hours a week

ENDS

Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition for PC delivers action-packed single player gameplay through the full feature length story mode and the Tag Team and Challenge Tower modes. Multiplayer modes, including traditional 1 vs. 1 matches and King of the Hill mode, allow players to choose from an extensive lineup of iconic warriors from the Mortal Kombat legacy and challenge their friends to intense competitive showdowns. The Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition Fight Stick and gamepad functionality are supported on Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition for PC. Players will also be able to access achievements and leaderboard stats online on www.mortalkombat.com.

Scientists have revealed a lot of new Earth-like planets over the past few years, but one new solar system puts all the rest to shame.

It’s called Gliese 667C, and it has not one, but three and possibly four Earth-like planets orbiting in the habitable zone, the region where liquid water — and perhaps life — is possible. (Via ESO)

Not only are there as many as seven planets in the system, there are also two nearby stars close enough to look almost like extra suns.

The three super-Earths in the habitable zone are called that because there’s a good chance they’re rocky planets like Earth — not gas giants like Jupiter and Neptune — so they may have an atmosphere similar to ours.

What’s more, this system is only 22 light years away — a stone’s throw in galactic terms. A writer for The Christian Science Monitor says: “For astrobiologists, finding such a high-density neighborhood around a star so close represents a scientific goldmine as a new generation of space telescopes come on line.”

One such telescope: the James Webb Space Telescope. Dozens of times more powerful than Hubble, the James Webb may be able to find signs of life around distant stars. (Via NASA)

That prompted a writer for The Atlantic to remind us how close we may be to answering whether we’re alone in the universe. “That is the moment we live in — one in which we can begin to ask not whether something is out there, but whether we might actually be able to find it.”

There’s a lot about these planets that’s still speculation, but as more data comes in, scientists will be able to get a more and more accurate picture of this galactic jackpot.

Sources: ESO, The Christian Science Monitor, NASA, and The Atlantic

A) The center line is there to separate vehicles traveling in opposite directions along the same stretch of road. There are a few variations of the center line, a solid center line without any breaks means “do not overtake” you will usually see these line on bends  hump bridges or chicanes where on coming traffic may not be visible, also on stretches of motor way entrances or exits with steep corners and the solid line that separates the motorway from the hard shoulder.

First here is a useful list of countries that travel on the left hand side of the centre line. Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bophuthatswana, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Ciskei, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua, New, Guinea, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Seychelles, Sikkim, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Helena, St. Lucia, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, US Virgin Islands, Venda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Trivia 1: The accelerator, brake and clutch pedals are all in the same order (Right foot accelerate, left foot clutch and middle pedal brake) no mater what side of the car the steering wheel is on.

Trivia2: A great rule of thumb when driving in a foreign country who use the opposite side of the road, if you are renting a vehicle, the central line is always on the drivers side of the vehicle,  and the passengers side is nearest the curb, meaning if you find you are nearest the curb and your passenger is nearest the central line, YOU ARE DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD! However if you take a foreign vehicle to a foreign country which has opposite steering (come on you know what I mean) then we wish you the very best of luck.

]]> http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/2013/06/27/highway-code-005-central-line/feed/ 0 http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/2013/06/27/child-hears-parents-for-first-time/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=child-hears-parents-for-first-time http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/2013/06/27/child-hears-parents-for-first-time/#comments Thu, 27 Jun 2013 07:00:10 +0000 Costas777 http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/?p=18614 Continue reading →]]>

It’s something most of us take for granted, but for one family in North Carolina, it was a gift that brought them even closer.

Three-year-old Grayson Clamp, born deaf, is the first child to have a device surgically implanted into the base of his brain stem to help him hear — and this was the amazing result. (Via CNN)

 “A little boy, born deaf, given the gift of sound thanks to new technology.”

 “Daddy loves, you Daddy loves you!” (Via Fox News)

Grayson was born without cochlear nerves, which carry sound from the inner ear to the brain. Initially he was fitted with another implant, but it didn’t work.

His new device had only been used on adults in the U.S. until his parents enrolled him in an FDA clinical trial at the University of North Carolina.

 “Surgeons inserted a tiny microchip onto the brain’s sound processing center, right there on the brain stem, to stimulate hearing, skipping the ears and going straight for the brain.” (Via ABC)

And although his doctor says he still has a lot of work to do, Grayson is working with a speech therapist and has started babbling. (Via WTEV)

His mother told ABC: “Now we have hope that he will develop speech and live an independent life. Before this, there was no hope. This can change his life.”

 And that sounds pretty good.

Sources: CNN, Fox News, University of North Carolina, ABC, and WTEV

Motorway signs:

We will start by looking at the Signs you will see on the motorway and and in later blogs we will work our way out to city signs. Firstly you will notice all signs concerning the Motorway have a blue background and white writing. These signs will be situated overhead across the motorway or to the left of the hard shoulder.

image 001

Image 001 gives you the name of the motorway you are now on. The names beneath the motorway are the next town or cities distance, in this case Sheffield is 32 miles away and Leeds is 59 miles away.

image 002

Image 002 lets you know the motorway you are now on has come to an end, at this point you should be reducing your speed from the national speed limit to the speed limit if you do not see a sign between 40 – 50 mph is a good rule of thumb.

image 003

Image 003 Count down markers to let you know how close your exit is. The first marker with 3 stripes is approximately 300 yards from the exit. Each bar represents 100 yards. You should already be in the left hand lane by the time you reach the first marker, note: 300 yards travelling at 70 mph takes approximately 8.8 seconds, in other words by the time you see the first three stripe marker your exit is less than 10 seconds away. Note if you are not in your correct lane at this time the safest option is to indicate left safely manoeuvre into the left lane and if you are unable to do this within time to exit, remain in your lane and take the next exit, return to the motor way from the next exit and come back to your correct exit. A very high percentage of fatal motorway accidents occurs when a driver sees that he/she is about to miss their exit and attempts to quickly change lanes causing other drivers to brake suddenly. It is much wiser to miss your exit and return from the other direction than to attempt a drastic lane change at 70 mph.

Here are my thoughts about relationships.

All to often I hear the word “Love” being thrown around, yet not many of us will admit what ‘Love is’, recently two friends of mine had a difference of opinion, one wanted a relationship because she was “In Love” and he did not want a relationship because he was not “In Love”.

But what is Love exactly?

If you feel a strong overwhelming desire to have an individual in your life and you become obsessed with them, please understand this is not love! The object of your desire will often be having very uncomfortable feelings, like being stalked. Just because you think about someone all day every day and need to hear his or her voice, this also does not equate to Love.

If you tell a person “I Love you” what exactly are you saying? It is my belief if people actually knew what Love means it is a word that would be thrown around a lot less.

To Love someone is to consider them more important than yourself, to consider their needs before your own and to prioritise their circumstances and situations over and above your own. Ask any parent if they love their children, in fact you don’t even have to ask, look at their actions. Do you think a Mother could eat a meal if her child was starving? The object of her love will receive her self-sacrifice, but unfortunately even among parents love is growing cold.

If you meet someone of the opposite sex and you want to show him or her love, then do not try to possess him or her, let him or her go and give them their freedom. If said person desires to be with you as much as you desire to be with them your friendship will naturally gravitate towards this conclusion. But if you find yourself lying, making up stories, manipulating situations trying to force said person to like you, it is important you never tell that person “you are in Love” as a means to trap them or emotionally blackmail them into caring for you. If you do use the “I love you” trap you deserve your broken heart.

We should not desperately throw ourselves at people and hope they reciprocate, this is a very risky thing to do, what if they do not reciprocate? You have now created an awkward moment, and what could have been a really great friendship is now a damage limitation exercise.

It is better to get to know people, and where there is chemistry and you feel a special bond with someone, practice being genuine with yourself first, admit to yourself what you feel, and them love them, set them free, accept them for who they are, look for signs of reciprocation and do not force them. If you give a person a chance to get to know you for who you are then there is no need for the “relationship game” where you put your best foot forward and act a certain way to win the object of your desire, eventually the real you will come to the surface and you will join the 80% statistic of relationships that break up.

We can often confuse feelings of Lust for the emotion of Love, I will quickly explain the difference, Lust is the natural chemical that we feel when we see something or some one we desire, between men and women this is essential for procreation, if there is no lust there would be no procreation, if any religious nut comes and tells you ‘lust’ is evil, wish them a nice day then run. Lust is very important for the pulling together of male and female for procreation, but lust is the desire to have, to obtain, to satisfy self, this has nothing to do with love which is the ability to serve, to give to protect. Often we protect the object of desire which is love and lust working hand in hand, but it is important to know the difference between the two.

For example a man and a woman who have lost the lust for one another can still care deeply for one another and live together for the sake of their children whom they love. Rather than pursue their own selfish happiness, they pursue a course of happiness which is best for the ones they love.

In conclusion Love is selfless, if someone (with whom you are not in a relationship) tells you they love you, test them, take someone from your opposite sex out for a meal, if the person who claims to love you becomes jealous then they do not love you at all, they simply want you all for themselves, this is Lust (the desire to have). If they truly love you they will give you space and freedom. IMPORTANT: If you are already in a relationship do not, I REPEAT “Do Not” test your partner this way, this advise is only concerning someone you do not know who could be using the “I Love you” trap. Concerning your partner, practice knowing their needs and understanding what makes them feel cared for and special. Communicate well and let them know what makes you feel cared for and special.

]]> http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/2013/06/26/dont-fall-for-the-the-i-love-you-trap/feed/ 0 http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/2013/06/26/sonys-smartwatch-comeback/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sonys-smartwatch-comeback http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/2013/06/26/sonys-smartwatch-comeback/#comments Wed, 26 Jun 2013 08:32:59 +0000 Costas777 http://blog.icuonlineweb.tv/?p=18620 Continue reading →]]>

Sony is dusting off its shoulders from last year’s smartwatch bust, which failed to impress, and it’s at it again — unveiling the Sony SmartWatch 2.

Made for Android operating systems, the second generation has quite a few upgrades from its predecessor — most notably water resistance and near-field communication, which makes linking gadgets simple. (via Sony Xperia)

Sony was one of the first companies to come out with the smartwatch and perhaps that speed could be the root of its sloppy outcome. Gizmodo called the last model “the worst thing Sony has ever made.”

While it did have the most important feature of a watch — telling time — its occasional failure to respond or load data apparently made them want to “bite their arms off.”

Well then — with this latest generation of smartwatches, Sony supposedly worked hard to prevent those issues. So, let’s break down what else we can expect.

Bigger screen with higher resolution(1.6 inch, 220 x 179 pixels)

• Brighter screen
• Longer battery life
• More attractive with aluminum body and stainless steel wristband.

It also works with a wider range of Android phones — making it easier to answer calls, take pictures and control presentations all by just touching your wrist. (Via Mashable)

Also, unlike the old version, the 2 allows you to read previous downloads without being connected to your phone. (Via Engadget)

In a statement Sony said:

“We have over 200 unique apps dedicated for Sony SmartWatch with over one million downloads to date and we are continuing to work with our strong developer network to deliver ever more compelling smartwatch experiences.”

And of course round two will still have the more basic features, Facebook and Twitter updates, caller ID and calendar entries. Sony’s SmartWatch 2 is expected to hit stores worldwide in September.

Sources: Sony Xperia, Gizmodo, Mashable, Engadget, and Sony

The study tested a new type of insulin pump. Developed by Medtronic, it includes a sensor to help detect low blood sugar. Insulin pumps allow patients with Type 1 diabetes to easily control the amount of insulin in their bodies, artificially replacing the function of the damaged pancreas.

A medical consultant told Fox News this new technology eliminates one of the main concerns with insulin pumps today: a tendency to overcorrect if the user isn’t careful.

“It’s much more dangerous medically to have low sugar even than high sugar. You can have a cardiac arrest from that. We’re very worried about these insulin pumps overdoing it and causing low sugar. This will shut off when that happens.”

The study, which was published Saturday in the The New England Journal of Medicine, shows that patients using the new insulin pump were 31.8 percent less likely to experience low blood sugar levels during the night.

While presenting the study’s results at the American Diabetes Association conference Saturday, study lead Dr. Richard Bergenstal said this trial is a huge step forward for diabetes treatment.

“This is the first step in the development of the artificial pancreas. … Before we said it’s a dream. We have the first part of it now and I really think it will be developed.” (Via The Washington Post)

Medtronic’s device is available in Europe and is currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration for distribution in the U.S.

Sources: Medtronic, Fox News, The New England Journal of Medicine and The Washington Post

Hello readers,

My name is Chey B, I’m a Life & Relationship Coach and author of “Food, Sex, And Peace Of Mind” (What A Woman Needs To Know To Keep A Man). My mission is to help people build happier, healthier, longer-lasting relationships by applying great morals, values, and principles to everyday living. Life is about building relationships and leaving behind legacies, so I encourage each and everyone of you to choose today to start living!

Food, Sex & Peace of Mind is what a woman needs to know to keep a man! It sounds simple, and it is, however a more strategic approach needs to be taken in order to make this attempt at keeping him happy successful! A man always knows what he wants from a woman, but he sometimes needs a little help with seeing the value in what he truly needs! When you connect with a man, your advantage over other women will come based on the value you add to his life (outside of the bedroom). Getting to know a man on the inside and out will be your playbook for figuring out how to play offense, win him over, and in the end get him to celebrate you! The quality of your giving will make all the difference in the quality of your relationship.

If you leave it up to a man, he will be A-ok with the simple things in life, the bare minimum, or stuck in his “whatever works” mentality. Everything is black and white when it comes to men, and this is where the value of a woman comes into play; a woman adds vibrance, color, and an abundance of love into the picture. He may be ok with eating Ramen Noodles for dinner 7 nights a week, but he would much rather to have a home cooked meal prepared by a loving, caring woman. He will immediately see the value in having you around, and he will want to hold onto you because of that value, which would’ve been otherwise missed had you sat back and watched him eat Ramen Noodles every night. There’s nothing wrong with Ramen Noodles (I personally love them), but anytime there’s an opportunity for you to upgrade your man, it’s in your best interest to make anattempt to take it!

Many women today are convinced that men do not want to be in long-term monogamous relationships, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. A man simply wants to reach certain milestones in his life before taking on the responsibility that comes along with a commitment. In other words, he doesn’t yet feel as though he is worthy, and he’s doing the honorable thing by sparing you the heartache, pain, and struggle of being in a relationship with a man who’s simply notready. When a man is finally ready spiritually, emotionally, and financially, he’s in his Single By Design mode, and he’s not looking to settle for just anyone! When a man achieves greatness, he will be looking to commit to a great woman.

A man knows the role he wants a woman to play in his life before he even meets her. This is why it’s important for you as a woman, to know who you are and show who you are so that when you come across a man who’s finally ready to settle down, he will immediately see value in you, and consider you for a future. He’s looking for an upgrade! Someone who can take his life, relationship, business, and family to the next level, as opposed to simply keeping him leveled. Men are simple and like to do simple things, but on his own time, and his own way! Although he may want less, being with a woman will guarantee that he gets more, because at some point or another, a woman eventually wants more.

Healthy relationships never stop growing; in order for a relationship to successfully grow, you have to continually plant new seeds, love and nurture it, and watch everything that you’ve invested come into fruition. If you come into a relationship with the same exact values as a man (i.e. eating Ramen Noodles 7 nights a week), at some point or another, he’s going to say to himself “Why am I with her? I can eat Ramen Noodles, sit around and watch TV, etc with my boys or by myself and spend less. Where’s the value in this relationship? Sure, the sex is great, but we’re not growing! She’s just “here”!” Don’t let this scenario be you; take a man’s simplicity and upgrade him with your creativity!

If you want your relationship to be a success, you have to work towards making it a success! The goals you put in place for yourself as an individual and for each other as a couple will give you something to look forward to each and everyday. If you grow complacent, your relationship will get stale, and one or both parties will seek something and/or someone that is worth looking forward to. In efforts to work towards relationship success, keep in mind “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Relationships (According to AskCheyB). Respect, Love, Trust, Loyalty, Honesty, Support, and Communication.

Respect: There is no limit to how far a man will go for you if he believes in his heart that you are someone who respects who he is and all that he does. Each and every one of us seeks validation from someone else on one level or another; for a man, he takes pride in knowing that he is able to be of value to his woman. Everything you say and do will show just how much you love and respect your significant other, or the lack thereof. His motivation to do better and be better will come through the person he values the most! If you are in his life, your respect isn’t just wanted, but it’s needed in order for him to feel confident about the future of your relationship.

Love: A man’s home is his place of peace; it’s where he rejuvenates his mind, body, and spirit! A man will involve you in everything if you are being his everything! (i.e. Lover, fighter, cook, accountant, adviser, masseuse, you name it). A relationship is about creating “win wins” for both parties; you are a team, you stick together, and you continually add value to each other’s lives. If you find that your man is in a bad mood, you have to remember that the two of you are one, or working towards becoming one, so use this opportunity to remind him why you are the most important woman in his life. Continue to show him love appreciation, and affection so that he’ll never have a reason to treat you with anything less.

Trust: There is power in words, so speak them into existence, but do so with an open and honest heart! When using your words, follow through with your actions, and make sure that they are both in alignment; this will build your significant other’s confidence in you and will also strengthen the bond in your relationship. When building trust, do so out of selflessness, not selfishness; you want to keep secrets with your partner, not from your partner. Being true to yourself starts with loving yourself; when love is present, it’s evident, and needs no explanation. When love is absent, in comes cloudy vision, lies, deceit, cover ups, etc, which in turn raises your significant other’s awareness. People who have taken the time to truly love themselves know what true love looks and feels like, so don’t allow selfishness to ruin what could potentially be a winning team. Stay true to him, as you would want him to stay true to you.

Loyalty Be consistent with your character and remember that you both are on the same team and are playing to win! When your significant other is not around, he should feel confident in knowing that you are treating yourself with the same dignity and respect as you would if he were standing right next to you. The slightest bit of betrayal can bruise a man’s ego, and hurt his pride, which will cause turmoil in your relationship. A man wants to know that he is number one in your life, and that no other man or woman (outside of your family) gets the privilege of having a number in your book. Your loyalty to one another is one of the most important things that will keep you together!

Honesty: Life is about building relationships and leaving behind legacies. When it comes to the growth and development of your relationship, let go of the past, and look forward to your future. If you want your significant other to love who you are, he needs to know who you are. Being transparent will allow your partner to see your strengths, your weaknesses and everything else in between. When you allow your partner to see who you are, where you are strong, and where you are weak, you then allow him to see which areas he will be able to help you the most. That moment of vulnerability could mean a lifetime of victory!

Support: If your man is struggling financially, be his cheerleader, his motivation, his inspiration, and his support system as he works towards getting back on his feet. Instead of being the woman who holds him down, be the woman who lifts him up! It’s easy to to commit to someone when everything is good, but the real challenge will come when everything is bad! The way you handle yourself, your partner, and your relationship under turbulent times will confirm where you stand as an individual, and as a couple, and will have a great impact on your relationship’s future.

Submission is also a very powerful tool that will only grant you more and more of your man’s favor. When you submit, you’re showing him that you want him to lead, and that you trust and respect his judgement/leadership. A man has his pride, and pride can be quite useful when it’s focused in areas that inspire growth! If for example, a man is proud to be a servant of God, loyal husband, father, and contributor in his community, that’s a beautiful thing, and as his woman, you should be proud as well. When a man is proud of something, or passionate about something, be there to support him, or be there to advise him on how to upgrade his ideas, vision, and/or passion.

Communication: With wisdom comes understanding! Men and women communicate differently, and that’s ok because this will challenge you to adapt in unfamiliar territory. Once you understand the way men prefer to send and receive messages, you will find it much easier to get what you want and with a great attitude (on his part). Men are simple, so don’t make things complicated; if you want something done, simply let him know what it is you want, and leave him to it! If you have additional information that might be helpful, by all means share it, and then (again), leave him to it. He will figure it out in his own way and on his own time, but rest assured, he will figure out. The best part is, you will get what you want (minus the fuss) and in the end, everyone’s happy!

What a man needs in his life is a woman who has wisdom; someone who understands him and accepts him for who he is as opposed to trying to mold him into someone she wants him to be. A woman who is a great listener, communicator (not to be confused with speaker), supporter, who can be his go-to girl for everything he needs. As his woman, it’s in your best interest to be innovative and have the ability to adjust, figure things out, and accommodate him. If he has everything he needs at home, he’ll have no reason to outsource.

If you’ve been inspired by today’s blog, please subscribe, post your comments below, and share it with your friends. Also, please visit my new website and connect with me on all of my social networks!www.askcheyb.com

Add me: http://www.facebook.com/cheyenne.bostock.7

Follow me: @AskCheyB

Life & Relationship Coach

-AskCheyB

iPads for every student? The Los Angeles school board is shelling out $30 million for just that — and that’s only the initial price tag.

The board voted 6-0 to close the deal with Apple — equipping students at 47 schools with iPads. Board members reportedly found the iPad to be the least expensive of all their options. (Via KCAL)

Of the two school board members who voiced reservations about the costs, one told The Los Angeles Times:  “This is one of the most high-profile contracts this board will ever approve. This contract is “as big as they come.”

Other critics said the money could be better spent reimbursing staff salary cuts or bringing back the more than 300 laid off teachers. But the board pointed to its source of funding —  a 2008 bond dollar issue set aside for upgrading technology.

The cost boils down to $678 per device — which is higher than the cost of the tablet in the stores because it comes pre-loaded with educational software. (Via KNBC)

According to Engadget, that $30 million is only enough for 45,000 iPads in a school district of 640,000 students. That’s only the first phase of the rollout,” as the district has committed to spending hundreds of millions of dollars with Apple over the next few years.

It’s a major feat for Apple, scoring a deal with the second-largest school district in the country, as the tech giant continues its effort to lock up the education market.

MacRumours points out the Cupertino company has sold more than eight million iPads to educational institutions worldwide.

And Microsoft and Google aren’t far behind — with Microsoft offering a limited-time education discount on its surface tablets… (Via AllThingsD)

…and Google’s planning to launch an education section in its app store. (Via PC Mag)

According to one analysis,  this year Apple’s iPad has replaced PC sales in the education market.

Sources: KCAL, The Los Angeles Times, KNBC, Engadget, MacRumours, AllThingsD, and PC Mag

There’s a possible cure for stereo blindness (the inability to see in the third dimension) and it’ll only cost you around £10!

The BBC reports 67-year-old neuroscientist Bruce Bridgeman was cured of his stereo blindness while watching Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” in 3D. (Via YouTube / VISO Trailers)

Before the movie, Bridgeman relied on many visual tricks to determine the depth of objects in his 2D world.

He used the shading and perspective of objects and something called motion parallax, a phenomenon in which objects closer to you appear to move faster, while ones farther away appear to move much slower. (Video via Wikimedia Commons / Natejunk2004)

So let’s gather up all the 2D viewers of the world and buy ’em a ticket to a 3D film, yeah? Unfortunately, no. PopSci gives the common medicinal disclaimer: “Results may vary.” (Via Popular Science)

The brain has this handy built-in feature that scientists call plasticity, “the brain’s ability to disregard tasks it isn’t employing and also pick up on tasks it hasn’t been using.” When you watch a 3D movie, both eyes have to send data to the brain, thus a 3D film could nudge the brain into functioning properly once again.

In fact, doctors already use a similar technique to treat lazy eyes. Placing an eye patch over the properly functioning eye can force the brain and the malfunctioning eye to sync up. So why wouldn’t 3D movies have the same success? CNN explains:

 “Other experts say the vivid 3-D movie could have indeed jolted Bridgeman’s visual system in this way, but that it wouldn’t work as a quick fix for most people with eye alignment problems. … The act of watching a movie isn’t going to fix someone who has an eye turned abnormally.”

 Specialists say the 3D movie probably affected Bridgeman’s brain, not the muscles in his eyes, causing them to subconsciously align in a way they couldn’t previously.

Sources: BBC, YouTube / VISO Trailers, Wikimedia Commons / Natejunk2004, Popular Science, and CNN.

Microsoft is taking the retail route to revitalize sales of its flagship operating system.

 The largest software company in the world will soon set up shop in 600 Best Buy stores across North America. This — as the newest Windows operating system’s apparent popularity doesn’t appear to be driving hardware sales. (Via KHOG)

 “ … Windows 8 has sold more than 100 million copies. But sales of new devices running the new software, including Microsoft Surface tablet — they haven’t been as strong as hoped … ”  (Via WNBC)

A writer for Forbes says the move differs from the store-within-a-store concept employed by both Apple and Samsung inside Best Buy locations.

Instead, it “ … represents a complete take-over of the PC department. Windows Stores will effectively replace the computer department at these 600 Best Buy locations.”

And it’ll showcase more than PCs — with tablets, software, phones and Xboxes all in the mix.

The Windows stores will be hard to miss. PC World says they’ll be between 1,500 and 2,200 square feet, “ … on par with the size of the homes into which those PCs will be installed.” (Via PC World)

 Microsoft already has something of a retail presence — it owns 70 retail stores, including 30 “pop-up” stores like what you see in malls. The New York Times tech section notes the potential of an impending showdown:

 “Microsoft is investing much more heavily in the retail side of the business, where Apple has a distinct advantage with its stores.”

 The Wall Street Journal says it’s also an attempt by Best Buy to get on the right side of changing trends in both computing and shopping. The retailer will dedicate more than 1,200 employees to the effort.

Sources: KHOG, Forbes, PC World, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal

This Saturday, ICU ONLINE will be will be presenting a live boxing bout between Danny Williams, who floored the famous Mike Tyson in Louisville, Kentucky in 2004, and former WBU world champion Dominic Negus.

This will be streamed through our website at http://www.icuonlineweb.tv/clash-of-the-titans/ this Saturday at 22nd June 2013 at 6 pm GMT.

The live venue for the Clash of the Titans will take place at the prestigious Troxy in East London.

This week, former social media giant Myspace officially relaunched to the public with a $20 million ad campaign to put some wind beneath its wings.

But Myspace is a new beast this time. It launched a new Web version and iOS app rebranding the site as a social music service. The app offers social radio and streaming music. It even has a GIF creator. (Via Myspace)

The streaming music industry is already pretty crowded, but Chief Executive Tim Vanderhook says Myspace’s approach will be unique.

 “We’re giving everyone in the world their own radio station. We’re crowdsourcing to make new stations. Apple’s taking an algorithmic approach. That’s been done before.” (Via The Guardian)

It’s been a bizarre transformation for Myspace, which at one point had 100 million accounts and more daily U.S. visitors than Google. It was the premier social networking site until social media juggernaut Facebook began to take off.

The company’s decline can be charted by their price tag. In 2005, News Corp. bought Myspace for a staggering $580 million. Six years later, it was bought by a group of  investors led by Chris and Tim Vanderhook for a meager $35 million.

With such a huge fall from grace in the rearview mirror, The Huffington Post says Myspace’s social music relaunch has a better-than-average chance of coming up short.

 “Most brand relaunches fail under the best of circumstances. … The fact is the MySpace [sic] brand, if it is known at all, has become something of a joke among a good [amount] of the young people they seek to attract. … MySpace should be worried.”

But what about that $20 million ad campaign? Myspace is hoping that will be enough to buy a new identity.

Myspace has already released two spots that are part of the ad campaign. One spot shows artists like Pharrell, Ciara and, unfortunately, Riff Raff dancing, making faces for the camera and telling viewers to join the party online. (Via Mashable)

 And if the campaign doesn’t work, Myspace still has its secret weapon.

 Pop and film star Justin Timberlake is also an investor in the company and played a big role in helping replenish the “cool” factor by promoting the company himself. (Via Rolling Stone)

 And while it’s too soon to know whether Myspace’s marketing worked, the Los Angeles Times reports the site attracted 11.6 million users in May, once again putting Myspace in the top 10 social networks in the U.S.

Sources: Myspace, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Mashable, Rolling Stone, and Los Angeles Times