5 great Android apps that do amazing things the iPhone can’t (May 2014)

By Zach Epstein on May 28, 2014 at 11:10 AM

Email @zacharye

Welcome to the fourth installment in BGR’s popular series on great Android apps that do amazing things the iPhone cannot. Earlier posts in this series have highlighted some phenomenal Android apps including Profile Scheduler, Cover, Aviate and one of my favorite Android apps, AirDroid.

Thanks to Android’s flexibility and versatility, there are plenty more where those came from.

Looking for more awesome Android apps? Be sure to check out our earlier posts in this series.

This time around, we have some real gems for you, but there are thousands of other apps out there that might fit the bill. Feel free to leave a comment below or shoot me a note on Twitter if you know a good app that should be featured in this series.

In the meantime, here are five great Android apps you should check out right away.

Most users don’t realize this, but the lock screen is one of Android’s greatest and most powerful assets.

On the iPhone, the lock screen displays a phone, the time, the date and a list of notifications. All of that information is useful, of course, but what if there is other information that might be even more useful to some users?

That’s the beauty of Android.

Maybe I want to see recent tweets on my lock screen. Maybe you want shortcuts to certain apps. Maybe your friend Billy wants his Facebook news feed. Maybe Billy’s sister Molly wants her friends’ Flickr photos.

The lock screen is the first thing you see each time you turn your phone on, and it should display exactly what you want it to display.

There are a number of Android apps that give users more control over their lock screens, and one of my favorites is Start.

Start is a complete reimagining of the lock screen, rather than a widget or a skin. It transforms the start screen on your device from a simple lock screen to a hub with up to 24 app shortcuts and a wide range of data from services like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and plenty more.

Here’s a quick feature list:

• Enjoy excellent performance with no delays
• Easily launch up to 24 apps of your choice or just let our smart algorithm set it automatically for you
• On Screen quick access configuration with a long press
• Stream your social media feeds with a single swipe
• Launch the camera and any related app
• Call/text/email your friends and family without unlocking your phone
• Get your favorite content from hundreds of sources
• Select your favorite theme or use your own personal picture as a background
• Chose and configure our widgets e.g. date, time and battery meter
• Switch between ring/vibrate/mute and unlock your phone with cool sliders

Start is completely free in Google’s Play store. Of note, the image at the top of this post shows an upcoming new version of Start that is currently in closed beta.

Dragon Mobile Assistant

Siri is a great service for many users, but what if there’s an even better option out there?

There are a few other voice assistant services out there for iOS devices, but they’re all just normal apps. If you want to use one, you have to launch the app. It can do a few things in the background in order to enhance your experience, but not to the extent that Siri can.

On Android, it’s a different story.

Google Now is wonderful, but what if there’s something even more wonderful available? Well, on Android, you can install the voice assistant of your choice and it can take over your phone and offer functionality that is just as versatile as Google Now.

One voice assistant app worth checking out is Dragon Mobile Assistant.

Created by Nuance Communications, one of the many companies Apple partnered with to create Siri, Dragon Mobile Assistant is a similar personal assistant that can answer questions and do your bidding.

Best of all, it can replace Google Now on your phone so it’s always running and always available. Just swipe up from the bottom of your screen and instead of getting Google Now, you’ll open Dragon.

Here’s a quick video that shows off some key features:

Dragon Mobile Assistant is a free download from the Google Play store.

HD Widgets

Ahh, widgets. Android has them, iOS doesn’t.

Widgets have an upside and a downside, the former being limitless functionality enhancements and the latter being battery drain. Ask most Android users and they’ll tell you that the pros far outweigh the cons.

HD Widgets is a fantastic example of an app that adds wonderfully designed widgets to your smartphone or tablet that are fully customizable and very flexible. In fact, you can even download additional add-ons and themes for HD Widgets from the Play store.

As-is, however, HD Widgets makes more than 100 gorgeous widgets available on your device that display the time, date, current weather, forecast, utility controls and plenty more. There are also tons of different designs and sizes available.

HD Widgets costs $1.99 on Google Play, and there are plenty of free add-ons to enhance it.

Agent

Agent is an app that features functionality every smartphone should have right out of the box.

In a nutshell, Agent is a great app that makes your smartphone smarter. The software features five different “agents” that are designed to automate and improve various aspects of your smartphone experience.

From the app’s description:

★ Drive Agent is triggered by bluetooth and motion sensing (activity detection). It can be configured to read SMS messages aloud, respond with voice, auto respond to texters and callers to let them know you’re driving (editable message) & only respond to your own hand-picked list

★ Battery Agent triggers at a percentage you choose. It helps conserve battery by giving you the option to turn off bluetooth, dim your screen and reverts back to normal settings automatically when you charge your phone. Will also let you know how much battery it saved you.

★ Parking Agent remembers where you parked, based off your speed or bluetooth connection. Will remember your last five parking spots

★Meeting Agent syncs with your calendar to silence/ put your phone on vibrate when you don’t want to be disturbed. It can be configured to activate for busy events only, gives you the ability to specify your working week so that it only syncs with your calendar on days and times you prefer, works with shared calendars and auto responds to selected contacts during these “busy” events.

★ Sleep Agent will silence your phone automatically when you go to sleep. You can configure sleep times for different days of the week, minutes of inactivity before activating, auto response to selected callers and texters during your sleeping hours, list of contacts that can wake you & Bluetooth, autosync, wifi and mobile data deactivation.

The best part? Agent is completely free in the Android app store.

Smart IR Remote

There are 1,000 different remote apps for iOS that let users control 1,000 different devices. How about one app that let’s you control 700,000 different devices?

Smart IR Remote is a terrific app for any android device with a built-in infrared blaster. Examples include what are likely the two best Android phones in the world right now: The Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One (M8).

Once you’ve got the blaster, you’re good to go. Smart IR Remote can control any device in its data base, which includes more than 700,000 devices. It also supports air gestures, macros, widgets, combining remotes, “floating remotes” that can can remain available on every screen when the app is closed, and plenty more.

And with the HTC One (M8) and some other devices, there is also a learning function that allows you to program custom buttons (or completely custom remotes).

Smart IR Remote is $6.99 in the Google Play store, which is much cheaper than any universal remote on the market.

Check out our earlier posts in this series for more great Android apps you won’t know how you ever lived without!

Missing MH370 jet search area ruled out

(Photo: Rufus Cox, Getty Images)

Acoustic signals thought to be linked to missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been ruled out as related to the final resting place of the vanished plane, investigators leading the search said Thursday.

The U.S. Navy's Bluefin 21 finished its final underwater mission in the southern Indian Ocean on Wednesday after scouring 330 square miles, the Australian-based Joint Agency Coordination Center said.

"The area can now be discounted as the final resting place of MH370," the JACC said in a statement.

The agency said that an expanded search of 21,600 sq. miles, based on satellite analysis of the plane's most likely route, would probably begin in August after commercial side-scan sonar operators are contracted.

That search is expected to last 12 months.

Earlier, U.S. Navy spokesman Chris Johnson dismissed comments made by ocean engineering expert Michael Dean to CNN that acoustic "pings" heard in the area in April did not come from the jet's black boxes. Dean had said those "pings" came from a source unrelated to the jet.

"Mike Dean's comments today were speculative and premature," Johnson said in a statement. Washington-based Dean could not be immediately reached for comment.

The plane carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew vanished on March 8 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Two-thirds of those traveling on the plane were from China.

Authorities believe the jet diverted sharply from its flight path and flew south to the Indian Ocean. But not a single piece of the missing Boeing 777 has been found in one of aviation's most baffling mysteries.

On Tuesday, the Malaysian government made public 47 pages of raw satellite data used to conclude that the jet crashed into the southern Indian Ocean.

Contributing: Associated Press

What countries does the U.S. borrow from? Ask USA TODAY

(Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)

When you hear about the United States borrowing money, you probably assume that money is being borrowed from China. Would you be surprised to hear that the U.S. actually borrows the most from its own citizens?

If you buy a U.S. Treasury security or bond, you're essentially loaning the government money.

How exactly does this system work? Do we borrow from other countries as well? USA TODAY Money reporter John Waggoner answers these questions and more in the video below.

Have a question of your own? Send it to us using #askusatoday on Twitter, or via e-mail using askusatoday@usatoday.com.

Money reporter John Waggoner explains how the United States borrows from its own citizens in the form of securities and bonds. Have a question of your own? Send it to us using #askusatoday on Twitter.

U.S. Census Bureau Will Finally Count Married Gay Couples As Families

The U.S. Census Bureau will be counting same-sex married couples as families for the first time. It's pretty incredible to think that it's taken this long, right??

The Washington Post reports:

The Census Bureau, which struggles to keep up with the rapid changes in American life, is about to start categorizing same-sex married couples as families.

The 2013 American Community Survey results, which will be reported in September, will mark the first time the census integrates an estimated 180,000 same-sex married couples with statistics concerning the nation’s 56 million families. Until now, they had been categorized as unmarried partners, even when couples reported themselves as spouses.

Because of the large disparity between the number of gay and straight married households, combining the two is not expected to have a significant effect on the statistics that scholars and planners use to analyze how families are changing. Its significance is largely symbolic of the growing acceptance of gays in American society.

Symbolic or not, it's important that gay families be counted and acknowledged by the U.S. government. Visibility is key so this is definitely a positive step forward.

BRAZILIAN GODDESS

BRAZILIAN GODDESS

Gisele Bündchen goes for some ‪#‎Balmain‬ custom-made essentials for Lui Magazine June 2014.

Chrome For Windows Will Now Only Install Extensions From Google’s Web Store

This has been a long time coming, but starting today, Chrome users on Windows will only be able to install extensions from Google’s own Chrome Web Store. Google argues that this is meant to keep malicious extensions — which are often installed from third-party sites — in check.

Users who have already installed extensions from third-party sites may find that they have been disabled and cannot be re-enabled or re-installed. The only way to get them back up and running is by installing them through the Chrome Web Store (assuming the developer has made them available there).

Google first announced its plans for this move last November. At the time, it told developers who were hosting their extensions themselves to migrate to the Web Store as soon as possible. At that time, the company said that it would start enforcing this policy at the beginning of this month. But some developers weren’t quite ready yet, so the companydecided to delay these changes until today.

As a result, chances are that the impact of today’s announcement will be relatively limited and that you won’t notice anything unusual. If some of your extensions stop working, though, you know why.

Developers will continue to be able to install extensions locally and businesses can also enable local installs through their Enterprise policies. In addition, users on the developer channel will also be unaffected by today’s changes.

Google X Built A Fully Self-Driving Car From Scratch, Sans Steering Wheel And Pedals

Google’s experimental Google X division has been working on self-driving cars for a while, but it’s created the prototype for a brand new version that looks nothing like the retrofitted version.

“We took a look from the ground up of what a self-driving car would look like,” Brin said at the CODE Conference tonight, after showing a demo video.

What does a built-from-the-ground-up self-driving car look like? Well, you start by taking away all the things that allow you to actually drive the thing — you take away the steering wheel and pedals that give a driver control. Check out our gallery post for a dozen more photos of the cutesy vehicle.

Brin said the company has not had any crashes so far, but the company has also been testing it in pretty safe conditions. But for Google, the self-driving car is part of a bigger vision for re-envisioning the transportation environment.

“What I’m excited about is how we could change transportation today,” Brin said. If you look at people who are too old, too young, or disabled, and can’t get around, that’s a big challenge for them.”

Brin said the company decided to develop this prototype vehicle because it could do a better job than with one of its retrofitted vehicles.

The big reason it could be better was safety — placement becomes more optimal with where it could put lasers. Steering was also better, with redundant power steering, and it had redundant braking as well.

The cars, for now, only drive about 25 miles an hour, which also increases safety. It also adds about two feet of foam on the front, and instead of glass uses plastic. The company plans to build about 100-200 prototypes.

Brin said that the company would be testing the vehicles with safety drivers by the end of the year, but the company hopes to surpass its safety level later this year.

More at:  http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/27/google-x-introduces-a-fully-self-driving-car-sans-steering-wheel-and-pedals/?ncid=rss&source=gravity&cps=gravity

Bars & Melody - Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer act | Britain's Got Talent ...

Microsoft warns against Windows XP security update hack

Hackers discover way to trick Microsoft into continuing to support Windows XP after updates ceased

Microsoft warns against hack that allows continued Windows XP updates Photograph: Mark Sykes/Alamy

Microsoft has warned against using a hack that allows Windows XP to continue to receive important security updates after Microsoft withdrew support in April.

The hack tricks Microsoft’s update servers into applying security patches to Microsoft’s 13-year-old Windows XP. A small change within Windows XP makes it appear as other versions of Windows that are still supported until 2019. 

Microsoft warned that Windows XP customers may face problems if they install the updates. “The security updates that could be installed are intended for Windows Embedded and Windows Server 2003 customers and do not fully protect Windows XP customers,” Microsoft said in astatement released to ZDnet. “Windows XP customers also run a significant risk of functionality issues with their machines if they install these updates, as they are not tested against Windows XP.”

Switch browsers at the very least

The UK government paid £5.5m to extend support for Windows XP for one year to allow the public sector more time to migrate to Windows 7 or other supported software. Other countries including the Netherlands also negotiated similar deals with Microsoft.

An Internet Explorer security bug that was actively being used by hackersto gain control of Windows computers came just days after Microsoft ceased security support updates for Windows XP, emphasising the importance of continued security updates for crucial software.

Microsoft later reneged on its support withdrawal and fixed the bug in Internet Explorer on Windows XP. Security experts warned that this would just be the start and that Windows XP users should upgrade their software to a currently supported system like Windows 7, but at the very least should switch to a browser like Google’s Chrome or Firefox that is actively supported.

An estimated 430m PCs were still running some version of Windows XP at the point at which Microsoft withdrew support. In the UK, Windows XP was still used on 17% of computers four weeks later according to data from security firm Secunia.

• Are Windows ‘XPocalypse’ reports overblown?

• How can I use Windows XP safely not it’s no longer supported?

The England international invoked memories of the pair's triumph over Chelsea in Moscow in 2008 ahead of Saturday's match, which Real Madrid went on to win 4-1

Cristiano Ronaldo has thanked Wayne Rooney for wishing him well ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League final triumph over Atletico Madrid in Lisbon on Saturday.

Before the match, Rooney tweeted his former Manchester United team-mate and invoked the memory of the pair's triumph over Chelsea in the competition in 2008, saying: "All the best tonight Ronnie remember Moscow."

Ronaldo went on to score Madrid's fourth goal from the penalty spot in extra time as Los Blancos secured their 10th European crown over their city rivals at Estadio da Luz.

In doing so, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner broke the record for goals in a single Champions League season (17) and became the first player ever to score in two finals for different winning teams.

Ronaldo and Rooney have not always been on such good terms. In the aftermath of the 2006 World Cup, relations between the two men briefly soured as a result of Ronaldo's perceived role in getting his United team-mate sent off by referee Horacio Elizondo during Portugal's quarter-final clash with England.

But the incident was quickly forgotten and the two men went on to win three consecutive Premier League titles together at Old Trafford, as well as the 2008 Champions League final after victory over Chelsea on penalties in Moscow - with Ronaldo heading the opening goal of the match before missing in the shootout.

Ronaldo and Rooney could meet again if England encounter Portugal in the knockout stages of this summer's World Cup in Brazil. 

See all Ronaldo's 17 Champions League goals:



MORE AT: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914/champions-league/2014/05/27/4843953/ronaldo-thanks-rooney-for-champions-league-final-support?CMPID=FBUK_140527_ronaldorooneyhttp://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914/champions-league/2014/05/27/4843953/ronaldo-thanks-rooney-for-champions-league-final-support?CMPID=FBUK_140527_ronaldorooney

Twitter users to grow 24.4 percent in 2014, US still largest market

John Ribeiro@Johnribeiro

• May 27, 2014 12:10 AM
• print

Twitter users are expected to grow 24.4 percent this year to over 227 million with double-digit growth forecast to continue through 2018 when the number of users will be nearly 400 million, according to a report.

The US will continue to be the country with the largest number of individual Twitter users through 2018, eMarketer said on Tuesday. But its share of users, currently at 20 percent, will drop over the years and give Twitter the opportunity to grow its advertising revenue from outside the U.S.

The Asia-Pacific region increased its share of the number of Twitter users to 30.5 percent in 2013 in comparison to 26 percent for second-place North America. High growth countries in Asia-Pacific were Indonesia and India with 76.3 and 68.8 percent growth, respectively.

The research firm said its estimates are based on how many individual users log in or access Twitter each month within the calendar year. It said its figure differ from Twitter’s reported figure for users because it uses consumer survey data to remove business accounts, multiple accounts for individual users and other sources of potential double-counting.

Twitter reported average monthly active users (MAUs) were 241 million as of Dec. 31, which increased to 255 million at the end of the first quarter.

The figure for Asia-Pacific does not include China which blocks Twitter, although users still access the social networking site using virtual private networks.

By 2018, the share of the Asia-Pacific region is forecast to reach 40.1 percent as the share of North America drops to 19 percent. If there are changes in China’s policies towards foreign social networks, the share of Asia-Pacific could soar further, eMarketer said.

India and Indonesia are forecast to have the third and fourth-largest base of Twitter users in the world in 2014, with about 18 million and 15 million users, respectively.

The popularity of Twitter and other social media in India was reflected in the extensive use of these tools during the recently concluded federal elections in the country. The new prime minister Narendra Modi uses Twitter and Facebook frequently to communicate to literate users and has over 4.4 million followers on Twitter.

Put a muzzle on the 'Wolf of Wall Street'

Jordan Belfort, the man whose life of Wall Street excess was chronicled in a recent movie, stormed out of a 60 minutes interview in Australia after being asked about his financials (again)

Microsoft and Macklemore: Which do consumers like more?

Microsoft is making a bigger push into physical retail stores. But will consumers buy in? Here's the latest effort at the opening of the Microsoft store at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, on May 20, 2014.

When Apple unveils a new iPhone, customers in long lines are usual sights. But what about Microsoft? Does the tech giant based in Redmond, Washington, boast fandom too?

The answer is yes, if a recent store opening in New Jersey is any indication.

Hundreds of tech shoppers showed up Thursday for the unveiling of aMicrosoft store at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey. It didn't hurt that the opening featured a DJ, prizes, about $1 million-worth of product and software donations to local charities—and a concert by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. More than 200 people had camped out at the mall overnight for a chance to win giveaways and receive free tickets to the musical performance.

"We're opening our stores to build relationships with our customers one at a time," said Jonathan Adashek, general manager of Communication Strategy for Microsoft Stores. "Our customers are asking for these stores."

Brad Quick | CNBC

Microsoft launched its latest store location at the Garden State Plaza in New Jersey on Thursday, May 22, 2014.

Microsoft has more than 90 retail stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

And the retail store push is part of a broad strategy under Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella.

Microsoft is trying to gain market share in a competitive market for mobile devices that includes Apple's iPad and MacBook Air laptop. The Microsoft Surface tablet, launched in October 2012 and refreshed last year, has about 2 percent of the tablet market, failing to make a dent on Apple's iPad, according to Reuters. Microsoft has only 3 percent global share in smartphones, chiefly through Nokia.

Brad Quick | CNBC

Microsoft’s new retail stores feature products including the Surface tablet.

Microsoft is betting the new Surface Pro 3, which runs the full Windows operating system, will be the device consumers and businesses turn to when they're replacing laptops. The new device has a 12-inch screen, slightly bigger than its last model, but is thinner and weighs less. It comes in three models, starting from $799,

Big picture, an increased tablet presence would add to Microsoft's hip brand factor, which often can be associated with Microsoft Xboxes.

"We are not building hardware for hardware's sake," Nadella said at a recent product event.

Read MoreInside 'big coal country' as coal-fired energy demand returns

—By CNBC's Heesun Wee and Brad Quick. Follow them on Twitter@heesunwee, and @bquick83.

Apple iPhone 6 is coming: What you should know

(Photo: Bloomberg Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Going into an iPhone launch there's never much doubt about whether Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL ) latest addition to the key lineup will sell better than its predecessor. Where the confusion usually lies is in how much better the newest model will do than the one before it. While the 5s and 5c have performed about in line with analyst expectations, the 4s outperformed even most of the bullish projections. What can Apple investors expect from the iPhone 6 this year?

Another blowout?

For the most part, there are big expectations for Apple's iPhone 6.

The hyperactive rumor mill, as noted by MacRumors, expects the key differentiator for the next-generation iPhone to be a larger display screen. Fortunately, there seems to be a considerable market for smartphones with displays larger than 4 inches.

While early rumors suggested Apple would launch both a 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhone this fall, the consensus agreement now is that the 5.7-inch iPhone has been pushed back toward the end of the year. But a 4.7-inch display would add almost three quarters of an inch to the current diagonal measure of the iPhone 5s, enough to push Apple into that proven market for larger displays.

Just how good does the market for larger smartphones look? A third of all smartphones sold globally in the first quarter of 2014 had screen sizes larger than 5 inches, according to research firm Canalys. The market hit 90 million units in the quarter, making it the fastest-growing segment of smartphones when measured by display size. Comparatively, Apple sold 43.7 million iPhones during the quarter.

At this point, it's irrefutable: The market for larger smartphone displays looks lucrative. Apple seems to have plainly acknowledged this fact. Recent documents that surfaced in court filings in an Apple-Samsung case showed a slide in a slide show entitled, "Consumers want what we don't have." The slide detailed the growing adoption of smartphones with displays larger than 4 inches.

Recent supply-chain checks by longtime Apple analyst Katy Huberty at Morgan Stanley also supported speculation that the consumer demand for Apple's iPhone 6 will be robust. Based on her recent trip to the Far East, Huberty believes suppliers are prepping for iPhone 6 sales to be 20% higher than 5s sales.

A rosy outlook for iPhone 6 is great news for the company's investors. With the iPhone accounting for 57% of Apple's total revenue in its most recent quarter, a jump in sales for this device will be great for the business -- especially considering the iPhone is Apple's most profitable product segment.

So what should investors expect from the iPhone 6 launch? Big numbers. In the months following the fall launch, Apple certainly could see year-over-year growth in iPhone sales in excess of 15%.

MORE AT: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/24/apple-iphone-6/9333607/

5 of the most inexpensive colleges in the U.S.

Around four out of every 10 working American adults are college-degree holders. These degrees come with a price tag of around $23,000 per year for a moderately priced in-state college and around $45,000 for a private college, according to College Board statistics published on College Data.

(Photo: franny-anne Getty Images/iStockphoto)

With degrees having such a hefty price tag, if you earn the median household income, you'd be spending 45% of your income on in-state tuition and an astonishing 88% of your income on a private college. Even if you work in one of the highest-paying jobs, paying for a college degree out of pocket will cost a substantial portion of your income. An oral surgeon who earns the median pay for his occupation would have to put out 30% of his annual income to pay for tuition, room, board, and books at a private college.

When preparing for college, students often choose a school based on its reputation. It is a common thought that schools with big names, like the Big 10 schools or an Ivy League school, will definitely lead a degree holder's resume straight to the top of a pile.

But is there any truth to this? Some recruiters and other experts say "no." According to a publication by the College Solution, employers seek out candidates from a variety of schools – large, small, known and unknown. The publication adds that what you do during your time in school matters. Your achievements, credentials, and activities will set you apart from competition in the job market.

Considering school choice will not make or break your career opportunities and the cost of tuition is so incredibly high, why not go to an affordable college? Here is a list of some of the most inexpensive colleges and Universities in the United States, based on publications by Online U and The Best Colleges.

1. Liberty University Online

This is a non-profit school with accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. For the 2013 through 2014 school year, students can attend undergraduate classes part-time for $385 per credit and full-time students pay $340 per credit hour. A student taking a full 12-hour course load pays around $4,300 per term in tuition and fees. Liberty also offers a discount for military members and for emergency response personnel.

2. Western Governor's University

Also a non-profit school, basic tuition at WGU is $2,890 per six month term. WGU advertises that was founded by 19 governors and is "designed for working adults." It offers online degree programs in many areas, such as information technology, teaching licensing programs, business degree programs and health and nursing.

3. Columbia Southern University

Undergraduate tuition at Columbia Southern is $200 credit per hour for the 2013 through 2014 school year. Offering bachelor's degree programs in basic areas like business, finance, criminal justice and information technology, CSU is accredited by the Distance Education Training Council and is a member of the American Council on Education.

4. Eastern New Mexico University

For the 2014 through 2015 academic year, tuition and fees for full-time, in-state students is $2,428 per semester ($4,856 per year) and out-of-state students pay a higher rate of $5,316 ($10,632 annually.) If you decide to live on campus as an in-state resident, you can get the whole package (ID card, room and board, as well as books included) for around $6,375. As an out-of-state student, you pay around $9,262 per semester.

5. Fort Hays State University

To attend FHSU, students pay only $182 per credit hour for undergraduate programs. This school has an 18-to-1 student to faculty ratio and it offers bachelor's degree programs in many areas, including business education, teaching, information technology, management and marketing and healthcare.

MORE AT: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/24/wscs-5-of-the-most-inexpensive-colleges-in-usa/9510279/http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/24/wscs-5-of-the-most-inexpensive-colleges-in-usa/9510279/

Can Rio be ready for the World Cup?

Next month, more than three and a half million soccer fans are expected to head to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the World Cup.

But there are some serious questions about whether Rio is ready to play host. And the World Cup is just a dry run for the Summer Olympics two years from now.

Protests have erupted in Brazil in recent weeks over the high cost of hosting the soccer tournament.

Brazil is reportedly spending $11 billion, more than double what South Africa spent and five times more than Germany.

Protests are just one of several problems plaguing the Brazilian government ahead of the World Cup. Several of the 12 stadiums being built are not finished. Major infrastructure updates have either been postponed or canceled.

And Brazil is also preparing to host the Olympics.

Olympic sailors training in Rio have already complained about pollution. A trash-filled canal feeds into a bay where the sailing and windsurfing events will take place. Last month, a top Olympic official called Brazil's preparations the "worst" he'd ever experienced.


Brazil is reportedly spending $11 billion to host the World Cup

Professor Lee Igel studies the role of sports in society at New York University.

"If there are issues in Brazil around security, transportation, any of these sorts of things that make the World Cup not what it should be, it's going to have an effect on the Olympic Games in 2016," Igel said.

Which is why Brazil is working frantically to make the World Cup a success.

With fans coming from around the world, officials plan to deploy 100,000 law enforcement and security personnel during the tournament.

Liliana Ayalde is the U.S. ambassador to Brazil.

"Any major event like World Cup has its challenges," Ayalde said, when asked whether Brazil was ready. "I think similar issues have been raised in other major events. We have been following it, and I think we feel that they are fully committed to having a successful game."

When the opening match takes place on June 12, many there hope to keep the focus on the field, not on issues off of it.

READ MORE AT: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/world-cup-2014-can-rio-de-janeiro-brazil-be-ready/