Best Way to Punish Putin? No World Cup

In the wake of the MH17 disaster, the world needs to make Vladimir Putin’s pride—not the Russian people—pay. And a good first step would be to stop pretending sport is politically neutral.

Two days after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all passengers and crew aboard, the world is contending with a fiendishly difficult question: what is the appropriate punitive response to this atrocity?

The civilian airliner was destroyed with a ground-to-air missile of Russian provenance, fired either by Russia-backed separatists or by the Russian military. Moral and political responsibility for the slaughter must lie, ultimately, with Moscow, even as we investigate the forensic sequence of a commander’s chilling order—“Fire!”—and an underling’s deadly compliance.

Three hundred people, 189 of them Dutch, are dead at the hands of forces who owe their loyalty to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, the man who has thrown his weight behind the armed rebellion in Ukraine. He is in every way the separatists’ godfather. The dismemberment of Ukraine is as much his cause as theirs. So any response has to make him hurt, personally; it has to puncture his ego, his pride. And one certain way to hurt him would be to strip from Russia the right to host the 2018 World Cup.

States opposed to Putin’s international lawlessness can (and should) contemplate all manner of economic sanctions against Russia in response to the shooting down of MH17. As it happens, the very day before the plane was felled, the U.S. had restricted access to American capital markets for Rosneft, the Russian oil company, and Gazprombank, the financial arm of gas-goliath Gazprom. Yet while sanctions like these can be painful, they can also make Putin more adamantly resistant to withdrawal from Ukraine. Give the nature of the Russian state and its undemocratic political system, Putin is perfectly equipped to survive a turning of the financial screws. He will, no doubt, portray sanctions as an act of aggression against the people of Russia. So punishing Putin, not the people of Russia, should be our primary aim.

Hosting the World Cup is the weapon Putin uses to prove to his people that he is all-powerful, that there is no point in opposing him.

How does one punish the autocratic, omnipotent president of a quasi-superpower? It is much harder to do so than to spank the piddling ruler of a smallish rogue state, but options exist. Putin believes that a World Cup in Russia can be sold to his people as an endorsement of his rule. Why should the world become an accomplice in a dictator’s Ponzi scheme of pride? As he preened for the cameras at the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro on July 13, it was clear that Putin regards Russia’s staging of the cup’s next edition as a propaganda godsend, a global vote for his achievements. Imagine his consternation if he were prevented from putting on such a show. 

Putin preys on the fact that the West thinks money and sport are neutral, or at least civilizing influences. So when Russian money comes to Wall Street or the City of London, it stops being political for the West; it is also a peculiarly Western conceit that the gathering together for sport has a civilizing effect on the nations participating. But for Putin, money and sport are tools, or weapons. Hosting the World Cup is the weapon he uses to prove to his people that he is all-powerful, that there is no point in opposing him. In letting him host that cup, we all become part of that weapon.

The cup is four years away, perfect time for FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, to undo formal agreements with Moscow while giving another host every opportunity to provide for the entire infrastructure. Stadiums take up to two years to build; airports need to be upgraded; a range of hotels must be secured, as must the capacity for domestic rail and road transportation to cope with an influx of hundreds of thousands of fans.

As sponsorship contacts are being scripted and haggled over, a passionate drive is in place by pro-Ukraine opponents of Putin to organize a boycottof companies that will sponsor a World Cup in Russia. How long before those companies, which include Anheuser Busch, Visa, Kia Motors, and Sony, start to press FIFA for a change of host?

The World Cup is quite unlike the Olympics, where every nation has a right to participate. Qualification is exacting, and a majority of the teams that do qualify are from the West. The Asian powerhouses are Japan and South Korea, and the West African nations who tend to comprise Africa’s contribution to the roster are not beholden to Putin. Mustering a coalition of disapproval for the World Cup should be much easier than it would be for an Olympiad.

In all of this lies the chance, also, for FIFA to redeem itself. Under Sepp Blatter, its interminable head, the body has been opaque and corrupt. Now is the moment for FIFA and Blatter to take a rare moral stand and not act as obstacles to the revocation of Russia’s hosting rights.

Who should host the Cup instead? May I propose the Dutch, who were among the original bidders for 2018. Unlike Russia, their country is a world soccer power, with an open, democratic society, a civic exemplar. And after the downing of MH17, in which so many of its innocent citizens were killed by men loyal to Putin, a World Cup in The Netherlands would be cosmic justice. 

Google To Stop Labeling Apps With In-App Purchases As 'Free'

TECH

By the end of September, Google will no longer label apps as “free” if they allow for in-app purchases. The change will certainly take place in Europe but is likely to affect Google users around the world.

Disclosure: I’m co-director of ConnectSafely.org, a non-profit Internet safety organization that receives financial support from Google. Also, ConnectSafely works with the European Commission on Safer Internet Day. 

The change is in response to an agreement with the European Commission (EC), which is especially protective of families with children who have been known to rack up bills via in-app purchases.

Both Google and Apple were asked by Europe’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC Network) to assure that:

• Games advertised as “free” should not mislead consumers about the true costs involved;
• Games should not directly encourage children to buy items in a game or to persuade an adult to buy items for them;
• Consumers should be adequately informed about the payment arrangements for purchases and should not be debited through default settings without consumers’ explicit consent;
• Traders should provide an email address so that consumers can contact them in case of queries or complaints.

Changes and new guidelines

According to an EC statement, Google “will not use the word ’free’  at all when games contain in-app purchases. It will also “help monitor apparent breaches of EU consumer laws.” The EC said that Google has “adapted its default settings, so that payments are authorised prior to every in-app purchase, unless the consumer actively chooses to modify these settings.”

In a statement , Google said “We’ve been working closely with the European Commission and consumer protection agencies for the last few months to make improvements to Google Play that will be good for our users and provide better protections for children.”

No commitment from Apple

Apple has added in-app purchase parental controls to iOS

Apple has not, according to the EC, made a similar commitment. An EC  press release said that  ”regrettably, no concrete and immediate solutions have been made by Apple to date to address the concerns linked in particular to payment authorization, Apple has proposed to address those concerns. However, no firm commitment and no timing have been provided for the implementation of such possible future changes.”

In a statement to Recode.net, Apple said that its iOS “controls go far beyond the features of others in the industry,” and added that they “are always working to strengthen the protections we have in place, and we’re adding great new features with iOS 8, such as Ask to Buy, giving parents even more control over what their kids can buy on the App Store.”

In January, Apple reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission where it agreed to pay a mnimum of $32.5 million to settle a complaint “ that the company billed consumers for millions of dollars of charges incurred by children in kids’ mobile apps without their parents’ consent,” according to the FTC. The January settlement also required Apple “to modify its billing practices to ensure that Apple obtains consumers’ express, informed consent prior to billing them for in-app charges.”

How to use parental app purchase controls

This page  from Apple  explains how to control kids’ ability to make in-app purchases on iOS device. Android users, starting with Android 4.3, Android tablet users can now set up restricted profiles by following these steps.

MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE KILLED AS PASSENGER PLANE SHOT DOWN IN EAST UKRAINE

REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev

An armed pro-Russian separatist stands on part of the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane after it crashed near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014.

A Boeing 777 Malaysia Airlines passenger plane from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed in eastern Ukraine about 10:00 EDT.

"Malaysia Airlines has lost contact of MH17 from Amsterdam," the Malaysia Airlines tweeted. "The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace."

There were reportedly 295 people on board (280 passengers and 15 crew) when it crashed in Torez, about 25 miles from the Russian border in the region of Donetsk. There were 23 Americans on the flight. There were no survivors. Ukraine's Interior Ministry says that more than 300 people died in the incident.

"Locals say everything exploded in the air, fell in pieces, both bodies and plane itself," Journalist Noah Sneider tweeted from the area. "[People] thought they were being bombed."

An adviser to the Ukraine Interior Minister says pro-Russia separatists shot down the passenger plane with a Russian-made BUK ground-to-air missile system, and Ukraine's security services (SBU) have leaked alleged conversations between rebels who are discussing the downed plane. 

U.S. intelligence has confirmed that a surface-to-air missile was fired at the flight. 

The rebels have shot down multiple aircraft in the past month but deny involvement in the Malaysia Airlines incident. Crucially, the separatists in the area reportedly commandeered a set of the BUK system as of last month.

Local residents in Donetsk told Business Insider that they saw a Buk missile system in the area. And Radio 24 (Pадио 24), a Ukrainian radio station, posted this tweet which shows a Buk missile system in Snezhnoye, Ukraine:

The translation of the Ukrainian text reads: "Buk" terrorists were in Snezhnoye today.

Furthermore, The Interpreter reports the Ukrainian journalist Roman Bochkala and an AP journalist have seen separatists with the BUK system.

The region of Donetsk is a stronghold of pro-Russian rebels who are fighting the Ukrainian army. The separatists deny responsibility (via The Interpreter), but they did claim to shoot down a "Ukrainian transport plane" in the same area earlier today.

And Igor Strelkov, the pro-Russian separatist leader who is linked to Russian intelligence, claimed that rebels had shot down the "transport plane" in Torez — the same town that the Malaysia Airlines plane went down.

"In the region of Torez AN-26 plane has been shot," he wrote on Russia's version of Facebook. "We have warned them – not to fly 'in our sky.'"

On July 8, the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine closed the airspace to civilian aircraft after a military transport plane, which was flying at an altitude of over 20,000 feet, was shot down by rebels.

The Interpreter reports that the Ukrainian military has been claiming that separatists have advanced missiles for a week after the transport plane went down.

President Barack Obama is “aware” of reports of the plane crash, a White House official told Business Insider, and he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer tells Business Insider that the crisis in Ukraine will now escalate considerably.

Also earlier today, Ukraine claimed that a Russian jet shot down a Ukraine SU-25 fighter plane. For months, Ukrainian and U.S. officials have warned against civilian aircrafts flying over Ukrainian territory, especially near eastern Ukraine and the annexed peninsula of Crimea.

Following are images from the scene — warning: GRAPHIC.

REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev

Here's a video reportedly showing the initial moments of the crash:

Alcohol and Energy Drinks A Dangerous Combo, Study Says

Researchers have published a study that shows college students combining caffeinated drinks with booze don’t realize how intoxicated they really are.

In a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, researchers at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan have concluded that mixing alcohol and energy drinks poses a serious public health risk, especially among college students. "We found that college students tended to drink more heavily, become more intoxicated, and have more negative drinking consequences on days they used both energy drinks and alcohol, compared to days they only used alcohol," said Megan Patrick, a research assistant professor and co-author of the study.

According to the study, students who either drank alcohol and energy drinks on the same day or who combined the two at the same time wound up spending more time drinking – thus consuming more alcohol – than they would have without the caffeinated drinks. The result of spending more hours drinking raised users' blood alcohol levels to higher peaks. But because of the stimulant effects of the energy drinks, the users reported that they felt less drunk than they actually were. "This can have serious potential health impacts, for example if people don't realize how intoxicated they actually are and decide to drive home," Patrick said.

But a similar study conducted by the Department of Community Health at the Boston University School of Public Health found that it wasn’t necessarily the combination of alcohol and caffeine that posed a risk, but the profile of the drinkers themselves that led to negative consequences. "It appears that the consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages has a direct effect on increasing risk by masking intoxication and making it easier for youth to consume more alcohol,” said Dr. Michael Siegel, one of the authors of the Boston University’s study. “It also appears that consumption of alcohol with caffeine may itself be a marker for youth who engage in riskier behavior.”

JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGESCaffeinated energy drinks are a popular mixer in alcoholic beverages for many college students, but combining the two leads to riskier behavior, researchers caution in a new study.

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Shawn Dwyer

Android Kit Kat 4.4: How Is Your Appetite ?

Android Kit Kat 4.4 
Following Androids OS naming system all versions of their mobile OS appear to be named after sweet foods and the latest 4.4 Kit Kat truly does offer us something sweet to rave about. It’s been out for around a year now and like its snack name sake this is silky smooth morsel will leave you salivating for more.

While at first glance there may not appear to be a huge visual difference in this latest’s rendition those familiar with the previous Android versions will notice a number of subtle changes such as the black background from the notification bar has been removed and the status icons for Battery, Data and Wi-Fi are white, but aesthetics aside the new Kit Kat OS is more than just a cosmetic update, here are some of my favorite features.

Much faster than 4.3
It’s certainly faster and that’s because rather than making the system requirements greater which is usually what happens when OS versions are upgrade they have steamlined the OS and improved the way it handles the phones memory resources and processor speed so as the system requirements have gone actually gone down meaning that you get more performance for less, fantastic. As a knock on effect on to this developers can use this better system resourcefulness to create much higher performing apps.

Improved Dialer features
The Dialer, which is after all what a phone is about, has been updated so now your most frequently contacted numbers will appear higher in the contacts list than those people who you rarely call, which is a nice little default setting making the system more functional.

Another nifty upgrade is the ability to search for places through the contacts window. So if you want to do your dry cleaning then type in dry cleaners and it will bring up the nearest dry cleaners. Great for when you’re in a new city.

Immersive mode
There is full screen app mode called “immersive mode”. This can be used to remove all of those distracting on screen icons and tool bars which works well with apps such as e-book readers allowing them to utilize the full screen without showing tool bars so it improves the experience and makes using these apps even more enjoyable. You can easily recall the interface by doing a swipe down from the top of the screen.

“OK Google” 
Perhaps one of the major changes and Android’s answer to Apple’s Siri is Google Now. You can access it by saying the magic words “OK Google”, when on the home screen. You will then be prompted to give more commands which can be anything from a web search to setting a reminder.

Remotely wipe your phone if you lose it
Many of us have been there. It’s painful and upsetting, not only will you lose your contacts, pictures and personal data which could be disastrous if they fall into the wrong hands, but your highest score on candy crush will be gone as well and you will have to start again.

Well you can’t get that back but Google has helped you stop this data from falling into the wrong hands as you can now wipe your phone remotely. Remember you will need to enable these settings before losing the phone.

By going to the Google Settings application and selecting the Android manager you can turn on the “Remotely Locate This Device” option and “Allow Remote Lock and Factory Reset” this will allow you to change the lock screen password and wipe the entire device in the event you lose your phone. Just make sure is actually lost first and hasn’t fallen down the back of the sofa.

Sources :-

http://www.engadget.com/products/google/android/4-4/

http://www.kitkat.com/android/#/userexperience

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/android/android-44-kitkat/21550/android-44-kitkat-review-good-bad-whats-still-missing

Say Hi to the First Roll-Up TV Screen

LG has revealed a working roll-up TV that is also transparent when not in use. The Ultra HD screen uses a special film instead of plastic as backing to allow screen to be rolled into a tight tube for transport.

The big screen you can ROLL UP: LG shows off the ultimate in portable TVs - and transparent screen even seems to disappear when not in use

• LG have developed working 18inch version - and says 60 inch version will go on sale in 2017
• Uses special film instead of plastic as backing to allow screen to be rolled into a tube
• Finished screen with be Ultra HD resolution 16 times better than conventional HDTV
• Firm also showed is also transparent when not in use

By MARK PRIGG

It is the ultimate in portable TVs - a giant screen you can simply roll up and take away with you.

LG today showed off a working 18inch version - and says a 60 inch screen could go on sale in 2017.

The Ultra HD screen uses a special film instead of plastic as backing to allow screen to be rolled into a tight tube for transport.

The panel can be rolled up to a radius of 3cm without affecting the function of the display.  

This proves that LG Display can bring rollable TVs of more than 50 inches to the market in the future, the firm said.

'LG Display pioneered the OLED TV market and is now leading the next-generation applied OLED technology,' said In-Byung Kang, Senior Vice President and Head of the R&D Center at LG Display.

'We are confident that by 2017, we will successfully develop an Ultra HD flexible and transparent OLED panel of more than 60 inches, which will have transmittance of more than 40 percent and a curvature radius of 100R, thereby leading the future display market.'

The panel can be rolled up to a radius of 3cm without affecting the function of the display.

LG Display used high molecular substance-based polyimide film as the backplane of the flexible panel instead of conventional plastic to achieve the maximum curvature radius.

The polyimide film also helped reduce the thickness of the panel to significantly improve its flexibility.

As for the transparent OLED panel, it boasts 30 percent transmittance, which was achieved by adopting the company’s transparent pixel design technology. 

LG Display has successfully lowered the haze of the panel which is generated by using circuit devices and film components to a level of 2 percent.  

With this breakthrough development, the company has been able to improve greatly the technology level of the transparent display. 

Samsung has already shown off a prototype flexing screen. However, the new mesh technology will allow screens that can be completely folded or rolled into a tight tube without damaging them.

Considering that the transmittance of existing transparent LCD panels is around 10 percent, this new panel offers significantly improved transmittance.

The University of Houston researchers have developed an entirely new stretchable and transparent electrical conductor, bringing the potential for a fully foldable cell phone or a flat-screen television that can be folded and carried under your arm closer to reality.

The gold nanomesh electrodes produced by Ren and his research associates Chuanfei Guo and Tianyi Sun at UH, along with two colleagues at Harvard University, provide good electrical conductivity as well as transparency and flexibility, the researchers said in a paper in Nature Communications.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2688061/The-big-screen-ROLL-UP-LG-shows-ultimate-portable-TVs.html#ixzz37YcH08Kt