Danny Puff

By Alex Jordon


Keep a healthy, balanced diet is important for preventing or controlling the type 2 diabetes, with a healthy eating habits, you can still enjoy lots of foods and all you have to do is about controlling weight and preventing dangerous spikes in blood sugar.

• Eat regular meals
• Add more vegetables and fruits in your diet
• Cut down on the fat of the foods you eat, particularly saturated fats
• Eat more fish (oily fish is the best choice)
• Reduce salt intake
• Drink alcohol in moderation

All these eating habits do help for people with type 2 diabetes, and be carefully when choosing foods, following these 7 foods can help:

Aloe vera juice

The compounds of aloe vera such as lectins, mannans and anthraquinones are proven to be useful for decreasing blood lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes. If you are suffering from high blood sugar level, try adding aloe vera juice in your breakfast menu or have it with dinner. It’s well known that aloe vera is famous in dealing with skin issues, and it also:

• Supports digestive system health
• Cures scars after surgery
• Helps dental problems


Egg whites

One egg white contains around 16 calories and 4g of high-quality lean protein, which are perfect for controlling blood sugar levels. In addition to being low in saturated fat, eggs are filled with 13 vitamins and minerals which are important for overall health, and eating eggs at breakfast can give you a full feeling for longer time, making eggs an excellent choice for weight loss too.

Almonds

Two studies showed eating almonds can help people with type 2 diabetes to maintain the blood glucose and cholesterol levels.Eating an ounce of almonds just before eating a high-starch meal can lead to 30% reduction in post-meal glucose levels for people with type 2 diabetes.

Plus, the high content of magnesium in almonds(268mg in every 100g almonds) may reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 33%, adding more magnesium-rich foods can do a big favor for preventing the unhealthy rising of blood sugar, foods such as pumpkin and squash seeds, soy milk, spinach, tofu, whole wheat bread, oysters, peanuts and halibut are recommended.

Fat-free yogurt

The study shows that eat low-fat yogurt instead of potato chips as a snack may cut the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by almost half. Fat-free yogurt naturally contains rich protein and high quality carbohydrates, which are great for preventing the rising of blood sugar. And the high content of calcium works for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes too. Make sure to choose the fat-free or low-fat brands:

• Labelled fat-free
• Low-fat and contains less than 20g of total sugar per serving
• Greek nonfat yogurt, which contains almost twice as much protein as regular yogurt

Fish

Whether you like fish or not, try to add fish to your diabetes diet from now on. Fresh fish is an outstanding source of lean protein and high monounsaturated fat content instead of saturated fat, pair fish with vegetables or beans will help you maintain a healthy blood sugar level. And there are some good choices between varieties of fish, tuna, salmon, herring, lake trout, sardines and mackerel are recommended.

Beans

According to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Beans (such as white, black, soy, kidney and navy) are a healthy choice for people with type 2 diabetes to control and reduce the risk of heart disease. Beans are with high-quality carbohydrates and soluble fiber, which can help stabilize the blood sugar levels, and the rich of lean protein are good for lowering blood pressure.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a heart-friendly food and a soluble fiber content called beta-glucan it contains helps lower blood cholesterol, and patients with type 2 diabetes also have a high cholesterol usually. Studies have found that eating whole grains such as oatmeal may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 35%-42% .

About The Author: Alex Jordon has written articles on various physical and mental health related conditions, including diabetes/ heart disease/ autism/depression/Nutrition/fitness/diets/fad diets/herbs/alternative therapies/weight loss/obesity in children and adults/smoking risks/alcohol risks/fast foods/disease….

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By Jim Edwards


Apple is set to release iPhone 6, its latest update to the iPhone juggernaut, in the fall. While iPhone 6 sales are expected to be huge for various reasons, there is a broader question facing Apple: Is it boxed in as a brand and a platform that merely serves the richest 15% of the world, while everyone else uses Android?

And if that is the case, can a mobile device that serves such a small minority of the planet stay relevant in the years to come? To put it in its bluntest terms, what is the point of launching the new Candy Crush Saga on a platform that hardly anyone — in a global sense — uses?

The question is not merely academic. In Q4 2013, according to research firm IDC, Google’s Android mobile operating system had a 78% share of all users globally. Apple’s iOS had just 18%. Now, IDC predicts that in 2014 Android will claim 80.2% of users and only 14.8% will be on Apple’s iOS system. Mobile app revenue is growing faster on Android than Apple, also, according to Distimo. It’s the same situation — Android growing faster — in mobile ads, according to Opera Mediaworks.

This is what the history of mobile phone sales looks like, according to IDC:


Apple is holding on to a sizeable chunk of the market. But Android is eating the rest. The quality of Android phones is getting better and better, IDC says, and that offers a long-term challenge to Apple.

Here is IDC’s forecast for the future:


In IDC’s forecast for 2018, note that Android actually loses market share and sinks to 77.6% of the market. But that occurs after Android adds about 404 million phones, while Apple adds only 63 million — and its share sinks to 13.7%. Apple doesn’t gain share — it merely loses it to Microsoft’s Windows, a humbling irony, at least in the IDC scenario.

Two factors are driving this.

Smartphone growth is in the East, not the West:


In IDC’s forecast, the major growth geographies for phones are China and Asia. That’s a problem for Apple because Android dominates China and Asia, according to Distimo. For a long time, that was because Apple’s strategy in the East — low distribution and high pricing — was feeble. That may be about to change. Apple had a big launch in China with wireless carrier China Mobile in January. Apple offers the old-model iPhone 4S in some developing countries as an entry-level phone. Analysts are now expecting growth for Apple in China.

But will it be enough?

Not if pricing is a factor. Android is driving the market into ever lower prices:


Note that the average Android price is heading toward $200 and the average iPhone price is heading toward $600. Apple is asking the question, do you want to pay three times as much for our phones? Thus far, 80% of the market has answered “no.”

Branding and quality are important, of course. Apple usually wins there. And Apple’s business model is to only do the most profitable thing, not the most widespread thing. So loss of share may not bother Apple CEO Tim Cook. It may, in fact, be good for both margins and shareholders.

But the history of computing has one iron-cast lesson for us all: Devices get cheaper over time, and better over time. The high-priced seller usually loses. This is why nobody uses $8.8 million Cray computers anymore.

Cray Inc. — which was the ne plus ultra brand of computing in the late 1960s and early 1970s — is still in business, to its credit. Perhaps Cook ought to visit the company’s Seattle HQ and ask how that high-priced niche worked out for them.

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By Kirsten Acuna

A big Hollywood blockbuster often requires a lot of cash.

While it doesn't always take a big production budget to make a break-out hit, the most successful movies are often the costliest.

We turned to IMDB and Box Office Mojo to gather the priciest films ever made, and consulted the consumer price index to adjust for inflation.?

We've also included the original reported and estimated budgets for comparison. A few franchises make the list twice.

While none of this year's movies are among the most expensive, many of the most successful films ever made cost more than $200 million.

20. "The Amazing Spider-Man" (2012): $236.7 million


Original estimated budget: $230 million
Worldwide gross: $752.2 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $779.9 million

19. "Wild Wild West" (1999): $241.1 million


Original estimated budget: $170 million
Worldwide gross: $222.1 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $315 million

18. "Superman Returns" (2006): $244.9 million


Original estimated budget: $209 million
Worldwide gross: $391 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $458.3 million

17. "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006): $246.1 million


Original estimated budget: $210 million
Worldwide gross: $459.4 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $538.3 million

16. "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (2008): $246.9 million


Original estimated budget: $225 million
Worldwide gross: $419.7 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $460.5 million

15. "Spider-Man 2" (2004): $250.1 million


Original estimated budget: $200 million
Worldwide gross: $783.8 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $980.3 million

14. "King Kong" (2005): $250.4 million


Original estimated budget: $207 million
Worldwide gross: $550.5 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $665.9 million

13. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (2003): $256.8 million


Original estimated budget: $200 million
Worldwide gross: $433.4 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $556.5 million

11. "John Carter" (2012): $257.2 million


Original estimated budget: $250 million
Worldwide gross: $284.1 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $292.4 million

11. "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012): $257.2 million


Original estimated budget: $250 million
Worldwide gross: $1.08 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross: $1.1 billion

10. "The Hobbit" (2012): $257.2 million


Original estimated budget: $250 million
Worldwide gross: $1.02 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross: $1.05 billion

9. "Avatar" (2009): $261 million


Original estimated budget: $237 million
Worldwide gross: $2.8 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross: $3.1 billion

8. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006): $263.7 million


Original estimated budget: $225 million
Worldwide gross: $1 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross: $1.2 billion

7. "Waterworld" (1995): $271.3 million


Original estimated budget: $175 million
Worldwide gross: $264.2 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $409.6 million

6. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2009): $275.3 million


Original estimated budget:? $250 million
Worldwide gross: $934.4 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $1 billion

5. "Tangled" (2010): $281.7 million


Original estimated budget: $260 million
Worldwide gross: $590.7 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $641.1 million

The film usually raises eyebrows as one of the most costly films to make since it's an animated film. The high cost for "Tangled" was due in part to the complex blend of traditional hand-drawn animation from older films ("Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King") with CGI to give the film the distinct feeling of one of the classics in the 21st century.

4. "Spider-Man 3" (2007): $293.9 million


Original estimated budget: $258 million
Worldwide gross: $890.9 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $1 billion

3. "Titanic" (1997): $294.3 million


Original estimated budget: $200 million
Worldwide gross: $2.2 billion
Worldwide adjusted gross: $3.2 billion*

*Includes tickets for 2012 "Titanic 3-D" re-release.

2. "Cleopatra" (1963): $339.5 million


Original estimated budget: $44 million
Gross in 1963: $57.8 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $445.8 million

1. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007): $341.8 million


Original estimated budget: $300 million
Worldwide gross: $963.4 million
Worldwide adjusted gross: $1.1 billion

(All budget estimates have been adjusted for inflation.)

Click here for the full list.

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By Sara Bliss - Writer, Beauty


Joyce Carpati is one of the many wondrous gems on Advanced Style, Ari Seth Cohen's blog and documentary celebrating the fabulous over-50 set. Joyce, who splits her time between Paris and New York and still works as a beauty consultant, is glamorous, witty, and, not surprisingly, given her 82 years, full of sage advice.

“I have a lot of wisdom to impart,” exclaims the former marketing director for Cosmopolitan. From looking beautiful as the years move on—“don't do too much!”—to being happy—“Life is a privilege; embrace it!”—you're going to want to listen.

Eighty-two and proud: I'm 82 and I don't believe in lying about my age. I've worked hard to be 82 and I'm proud of it! It is a wonderful time of your life if you feel well. You can be who you are. I find I have no inhibitions; I am going to tell you what I think. I have been through a lot. I have some wisdom to impart and if someone wants to know something, here I am.


On aging beautifully: Less is more! You shouldn't try too hard. It's a natural process to get older. "C'est normal!" as the French say. What we have to do is look as lovely as we can at every age. You shouldn't try to look younger, just look as lovely as you can whatever age you are.

Young at heart: I always tell people that to be relevant, you have to know what is happening in the world. Understand how people feel, style, and job situations. It is about being involved and being interested in everything. I love music, theater. I enjoy the opera and I just got back from Paris, where I have an apartment and family. I am very interested in politics and what's happening in this country. I am almost obsessed with it.

The 100-year-old product: I have gray hair and I wear it in a lovely braided style that people admire. I get stopped on the street all the time. I do my hair myself. I sometimes add a little shade of blue-gray or a little darker silver-gray with a spray rub called Fanci-Full. It's been on the market for 100 years, and what is so nice is that you can wash it out. I also use a German shampoo that enhances gray that I found living abroad called Schwarzkopf, and it is excellent.


For glowing skin: I use Ivory soap and warm water, I like that clean feeling. I have a night cream I've used for 25 years, Dr. Orentreich's night cream, with Retin-A. I've also always used sunscreen. Even when I was younger, I stayed away from the sun.

The merits of drugstore makeup: I love makeup from Boots, an English company. They are the finest cosmetics you can imagine. They have wonderful eye makeup, the lipsticks are sensational, and they make a lovely group of moisturizers and masks. I love Chanel, but Boots you can just buy at Duane Reade and Walgreens!

Keep on moving: I go to the finest Y in New York, the 47th Street Vanderbilt Y. I do water-walking in the pool, marvelous exercises that a therapist gave me. There is also a gym upstairs, and I often bike and watch the news of the day.

Beauty foods: I start the day with a wonderful breakfast of oatmeal. I'm noticing everyone is eating oatmeal, young and old, very good for your arteries. I also eat a lot of fish and vegetables.

The gift of life: Life is a gift. Living long and aging is a privilege and we have to embrace it with every bit of strength in our body because it is a wonderful time.

Photos: Ben Ritter

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By Marie Claire - Love + Sex

There he is, the man of your dreams. He's sitting across from you at the coffee shop or standing at the opposite side of the bar. His eyes meet yours, a quick glance, and then it's back to his drink. Was he giving you a signal?

It's not easy to decipher the mind of the modern male, but learning to decode what his nonverbal communication truly means is an invaluable asset in the game of love. So in order to be sure you're reading him right, look out for the following 10 signs.

Leaning into Love: If a guy is interested in you, you'll find that his body will lean forward toward yours. This move can be either very subtle or extremely "in your face" (literally!). It's his way of letting you know he'd like to get even closer. Once his interest is piqued, you'll both find it hard to pull away!

RELATED: 10 Ways to Spot a Commitment-Phobe

Keeping It Even Closer: A vital aspect of the physical nature of romance is reciprocity. Translation: meeting his advances with your own. This not only signals your own interest, but also serves to keep his.

The Eyes Have It: We've all heard the proverb, "The eyes are the window to the soul." If he's interested in you, he'll focus on you with those piercing peepers and hold it. Return his romantic gaze with a quiet smile and let him know that you are interested. He'll be at your side in no time.

Touching Is a Good Thing: If a guy is interested in you, then he'll want to be near you. He'll also want to take every opportunity to touch you. Maybe it's your arm, your leg, your knee - it doesn't matter, as long as his presence is physical and affectionate. It's his way of letting you know he likes you.

RELATED: 7 Signs the Guy You're Seeing Is Boyfriend Material

Funny Meeting You Here: Coincidence is out. Serendipity is in. Those so-called "happy accidents" may not be so accidental after all. Perhaps his "surprise" appearance at your favorite Starbucks or hangout is a signal that he's trying to connect with you (but doesn't want you to think he's a stalker!). Take this as a positive sign and make the most of your next encounter. You may find that you share more in common than just an addiction to double lattes.

Listen Closely: How do you know that you have a guy's attention? When he's not talking about himself. It's that simple. The next time you're in a bar, listen closely to any table full of men and you will hear them speaking rapturously about their favorite subject: themselves. For a man to shut up and really listen to what you have to say, you know it must be love (or at least a strong attraction). He'll put that male genetic ADD to rest once and for all after he's found his Miss Right.

The Guy Who Liked Chick Flicks: Okay, we all know he'd much rather be watching the big game, but it's an important sign if he shows an interest in the things you like as well. If he's happy to watch a movie you picked out or doesn't complain when it's time to hit the mall for a little shopping trip, you've made a serious leap forward in the dating game! Give him extra points if he makes the popcorn.

RELATED: I Went Out on 157 First Dates

Funny Lady: Can't tell a joke to save your life? Does he laugh at it anyway? Men are very in touch with their sense of humor (women often complain that men never take anything seriously, right?), so if he's sending some hearty laughter your way, it's a good bet he's looking at you as relationship material.

Confidence, Man: If a guy's into you, you make him nervous. He'll get goose bumps or a rapidly beating heart just from being around you. Look for signs like unexplained laughter, sweaty palms and fidgeting. Guys always want to be in control of their emotions - we like to be in charge. If he has trouble doing that around you, it's most likely because you make him nervous and excited. Don't take it for granted; help him to relax, and he'll thank you by being a great guy you can depend on.

The Feeling Is Mutual: Men and women have very different brain chemistries: She is verbal; he is not. He is driven by visual desires, while she is guided by her deep emotions. Women are taught to rationally express their feelings and feel no shame in crying, and men punch things. Therefore, if you get a guy to actually open up and express his emotions, consider it a major achievement in your relationship. Discussing your feelings for each other is a powerful bonding experience for the two of you and serves to strengthen a relationship for whatever challenges the future may bring.

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By Elise Solé, Shine Staff - Team Mom

For some, the idea of moms and their daughters wearing matching clothes sounds a little over the top; for others it seems downright adorable. The latter is the target consumer base for Matchmi, a new clothing company launched this month that sells matching dresses for mothers and daughters. It s the brainchild of creative director Lacie Thorne, 32, a former New York City designer behind celebrity brands such as Jennifer Lopez Apparel at Kohl s and Kmart's Nicki Minaj Collection and Adam Levine Collection .

I got the idea for Matchmi back in December after stumbling across a Facebook page for a company that sold mother-daughter outfits I was surprised that it had almost 100,000 likes, Thorne, a married mother of one, tells Yahoo Shine. I realized there was a real market for mothers and daughters who got a kick out of dressing alike. Thorne began immediately sketching her own designs and drafting a business plan. Most people were supportive but some were skeptical, she admits. I got comments like, Why would a mother want to dress like her daughter? That s a constant uphill battle for us.

However, Thorne says that unlike many brands that sell hokey and unstylish "mommy and me" outfits, her designs are sleek and cater to women with children aged 18 months to 4 years old an age when little girls are looking to emulate their mothers, she says. But for pairs who don t want to completely match from head-to-toe, Matchmi also sells dresses with coordinating details such as patterns. Women's clothing ranges from $75 to $90 and children's clothing ranges from $50 to $58.

In October, Thorne's husband received a job transfer to Hong Kong and the couple, along with their then-2-month-old son moved overseas. Next month, Matchmi will make its debut at Hong Kong Fashion Week. Pieces will then start being sold via Matchmi's Facebook page and in regional clothing boutiques in the Southeast United States in January.

Despite the fact that the mini-me trend has been dubbed "creepy" by some, there's no shortage of companies that cater to stylish mother-daughter sets. Clothing company ETSI sells dresses and tracksuits for moms and their little girls, whileMatcheez offers a range of outfits to entire families seeking coordinating clothing. And in 2012, H&M launched a limited-edition Fashion Friendly collection featuring adult clothing (skinny jeans, shift dresses), matching shoes, and accessories along with identical versions for children. Even Victoria Beckham and Katie Holmes have been spotted in coordinating outfits with daughters Harper Beckham and Suri Cruise. And the hashtag #Webetwinning is currently trending on Instagram whereby mothers are uploading photos of themselves with their pint-sized doppelgangers.

What s the appeal for mothers and daughters to become carbon copies of each other? Researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia call it the "consumer doppelganger" phenomenon and point to moms as the driving force, saying that mothers tend to be heavily influenced by the makeup and clothing their daughters purchase. In 2011, the team at Temple interviewed 343 pairs of mother-daughter pairs who averaged 44 and 16 years old They found that moms who describe themselves as young at heart, are fashion conscious, and who view their daughters as stylish are more likely to dress in similar outfits or similar styles to their offspring.

In the future, Matchmi hopes to expand into father-son, sibling, and grandparent-grandchildren collections and matching styles for the entire family. Now, that we'd like to see!

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By Dean Takahashi

No new consoles debuted at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). But we saw plenty of new technology that reminds us that the hardware that hosts games could, until recently, be described as a supercomputer. For sure, we always get excited about games, but it's a sure bet that your favorite title has some really cool tech behind it. And some new technologies may even enable a whole new generation of games.

E3 did have some no-shows. Valve's Steam OS and the Steam Machines from its partners were missing in action because of delays that pushed the products into 2015.

Here's GamesBeat's perspective on the best new technology demos that we saw at E3 2014. For the sake of comparison, here's our list from last year.

1. Square Enix Project Flare. Any description of Project Flare has to start with If it works . That's because the cloud-gaming 2.0? technology, first described in November, is still in the tech demo stage. But Square Enix chairman Yoichi Wada has a team of 20 working on enabling a gaming revolution, putting a web-connected supercomputer at the hands of gamers. It could make possible virtual game worlds that have 17 times the playable area of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the 2012 award-winning fantasy title. By using a more efficient blend of web-connected data centers and software designed for the cloud, Square Enix believes it can replace consoles with virtual supercomputers. You can log into huge game worlds, play both single-player and multiplayer experiences in the same space, and see huge numbers of game characters all governed by individual artificial intelligence.

A single game map could cover an area of 32 kilometers by 32 kilometers, with dozens of players hosted on a single graphics processing unit (GPU) in the cloud. And the cloud could support vast numbers of players because it can have vast numbers of GPUs in a server farm. Square Enix says the worlds can be massive and would require no loading times. Everything in the world will be calculated, rendered, and deformable. But a single player will receive a stream of video that shows only what the player's camera view can see. Networking, patching, hacking, and pirating will be gone. You ll be able to fly like Superman through a world filled with huge numbers of objects such as trees, mountains, and rivers. It sounds too good to be true. But if it works . Dean Takahashi.

2. Oculus VR showed some real games in development from its partners. The company has shown off a lot of progress since it first debuted at E3 two years ago. Now the company has a lot more credibility, as it is about to be acquired by Facebook for $2 billion. Last year, the company showed off its 1080p Oculus Rift virtual reality headset development kit. In January, it took the wraps off version two of that development kit. That version went a long way toward eliminating motion sickness, as it had positional tracking and it deleted the blurry frames that made us nauseous. This time, Oculus VR showed off demos such as Playful Corp. s Lucky's Tale, a platform game in three dimensions; Alien: Isolation, a virtual reality version of Sega's upcoming console game based on the Alien franchise; and a demo dubbed Superhot by the Superhot Team where you could freeze the action in a 3D game in order to dodge bullets.

Brendan Iribe, chief executive of Oculus VR, acknowledged in an interview that Oculus needs to deliver on its roadmap and get a real product out the door. He also said the company is working on new input systems that work well with the visuals as well as sound. Overall, Oculus wants to ship a full platform for virtual reality, rather than just a headset. It's a long way before that happens, but based on the progress that we ve seen, we re excited that it will . The next version of Oculus Rift should get rid of the screen door graphics, where a grid appears across all of the imagery, Iribe said. And with the full backing of Facebook to take care of the bills, we can expect that it will happen on a large scale for the mainstream consumer market. It's another if it works situation, but we re reasonably confident based on the track record that Oculus is serious. Dean Takahashi

3. Sony's Project Morpheus. Sony's virtual reality headset is running a little behind of Oculus Rift, in terms of the quality of its demos. But Sony executives say they ve been working on the tech for the new medium of virtual reality for four years. With their current development kit, they can show off virtual reality demos with a 1080p high-definition display and a 90-degree field of view.

Sony unveiled Project Morpheus at the Game Developers Conference in March with a couple of demos that included a shark attack scene, where you stand inside a steel cage and get lowered into an ocean and surrounded by water. Then a Great White shark swims around and shows its teeth at you.

Sony showed a couple of more demos at E3. I got to try out a Luge demonstration, where I lay comfortably on a bean bag. I put the Morpheus headset over my glasses and strapped it tight. Then I looked at my legs and feet, which seemed like they were extending into the screen. The luge started moving down the hill on a curvy mountain highway. I passed cars and had to dodge them by maneuvering the luge back and forth with my head. If I moved to the right, the luge moved with me. It was a little mis-calibrated, but it worked reasonably well. I smashed into an occasional car coming in the other direction. With demos like these, Sony has the right idea. As they are experiences that you can t get on a traditional console. Dean Takahashi

4. Alienware Alpha. The gaming division of Dell, Alienware, was all set to take E3 by storm with a Steam Machine dubbed the Alienware Alpha. But when Valve delayed the launch of the Steam OS and the Steam Controller until 2015, Alienware pivoted to adopt the Windows operating system with an Xbox 360 wireless controller. The result is a sleek and menacing looking gamer PC for the living room. The box is small and light, with a slightly higher price tag than it would have if it were a Steam Machine (since Microsoft charges more for the OS). It will cost $549 when it debuts this fall.

Players will still be able to use the Big Picture mode of Valve's Steam software to run PC games on a television. Big Picture works with 240 such titles already. The only drawback now is that you won t be able to play those games with a Steam Controller. There are also 450 titles with partial gamepad support. The machine will have a Intel Core i3 Haswell -based processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory, and a custom-built Nvidia Maxwell GPU with 2GB of dedicated video memory.

Alienware will outfit the box with its own graphical user interface (GUI) that turns a PC menu into something that can be navigated from 10 feet away. And Alienware still says it will launch a Steam version of the box by next year. Dean Takahashi

5. Just Dance Now. Ubisoft's new version of its Just Dance franchise is the first one designed for mobile users. One of its coolest features is that you can pack as many as 20,000 dancers into a single dance match. Through a combination of mobile tech and cloud gaming, Just Dance Now can get a bunch of people playing at the same time, in real-time, all scoring together in a giant competition. The game is run on web-connected servers in a data center and the video is streamed to a screen such as your television or laptop. You use your smartphone, with sensors such as accelerometers and gyros for detecting motion, to capture your moves. Those are the same motion sensors that are used in Nintendo's Wii video game console that debuted in 2006. Since that time, Just Dance has sold more than 50 million units.

Ubisoft's Massive division worked on the technology, dubbed Blue Star, so that it consumes very little actual mobile bandwidth. It works across multiple devices and is latency free, according to Jason Altman, executive producer at Ubisoft. Two years in the making, Just Dance Now will be available later this year on both Android and iOS smartphones, as well as other platforms. Ubisoft is also working on Just Dance 2015 for the consoles, but Just Dance Now is a way for the company to attack the growing market of mobile users who probably wouldn t pay $60 for a game. Altman said Ubisoft hasn t decided upon an exact business model yet, but you can bet it will be inexpensive. With the virtually unlimited number of users per session, Altman said you can expect event-based competitions, such as getting everybody at a concert to dance in the same Just Dance Now game. That would be something to see. Dean Takahashi.

6. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. If you watch the video for this game, you ll see that about 2 minutes and 20 seconds into it, it switches over from a pre-canned computer-animated movie to live gameplay. You ll see flickering flames, dust motes, smoke, cracked building floors, and lots of things moving on the screen at the same time. When the player emerges from the building to see the full destruction of the city around him, it's an impressive site, and it all remains inside the game engine. The movement between cinematics and gameplay is seamless. While players have become accustomed to this level of visual quality in console games, the Call of Duty demo shows you what it really looks like on a next-generation video game console.

Microsoft showed off the game running at a full 60 frames per second on the Xbox One, but the game will also come out this fall on the Sony PlayStation 4 and the PC. Perhaps the most impressive scene in the demo is when the drone swarm arrives. This sea of drones all fly together like a bunch of flying sardines swimming in a school. It takes a lot of horsepower to show off something like this, and the next-gen consoles are clearly capable of some pretty impressive stuff. Sledgehammer Games, the developer of the title, has been working on it for almost three years. Now we can see how Call of Duty, the familiar first-person shooter that comes every year in the modern combat genre, is ready to raise the bar again. On top of that, the demo scene is really quite dramatic and emotional. And the sound is really good too. Kudos to Activision for recognizing that cool visual technologies are really at their best when they come with a gripping story and sound effects too. Dean Takahashi

7. SteelSeries Sentry Eye Tracker. Game peripheral maker SteelSeries teamed up with eye-tracking technology firm Tobii to create the Sentry Eye Tracker, which lets a player control a computer game with their eye movements. If you glance at a target, a game's crosshairs will move to that target and you ll be able to destroy that target much more quickly, at least theoretically, than a player with a game controller. The system takes your reaction time of thinking of something in your brain and sending signals down to your fingers to move a reticle toward a target. It could result in an unfair advantage for people who are in competitive game matches.

The system has already caught the eye of professional gamers. Sony is also working on eye-tracking technology in its Magic Lab research and development laboratory, and it recently showed off a demo that showed how you could quickly target enemies in the Infamous: Second Son game. Both technologies rely upon infrared cameras that track your eye and measure when it moves. SteelSeries is the first to test the waters on this front, but we re looking forward to whether this can enhance the controller or mouse input systems that have been with us forever. Dean Takahashi

8. No Man's Sky. Hello Games showed off a new demo of its infinitely replayable, procedurally generated galaxy exploration game. This sci-fi game is about exploration and survival in a universe that has no end. Every atom, leaf, fish, plant, shark, and everything else you see in the video is generated by the developers algorithms.

Procedural technology has been used before, but certainly not on this scale. It's pretty mind-boggling, and reminds me of Electronic Arts Spore game. But it is safe to say there isn t much competition for No Man's Sky. You could spend all of your time in this game scanning and uploading creatures, plants, and other things that you discover. There is a real game in here, but we haven t heard all that much about it yet. It doesn t have a lot of narrative, but there's a lore and a purpose to the game.

The demo got a lot of air time at Sony's E3 press conference, and it raised a lot of eyebrows. It is particularly impressive because the game is being made by an indie team with just four people. Their previous game was Joe Danger, and it's safe to say this is something completely different. The release date hasn t been determined, but you can expect it on Sony's platform. Dean Takahashi

9. Control VR. This virtual-reality tech fills in a crucial blank in the VR gaming experience: full upper-body motion tracking. It accomplishes this by placing 19 half-inch rotational sensors (similar to the ones in our smartphones) across our fingers, hands, forearms, and chest. The result? Games and other applications using Control VR can now track precise movements that aren t possible with just a VR headset, like making hand gestures or high-fiving another player. I tried on the prototype with an Oculus Rift in a small but busy E3 booth. Though crude and simple, the demo two players were astronauts exploring the moon was effective: I opened and closed my hands many times without the system losing track of them, I waved at the other player before pushing him aside, and I poked at little buttons on my in-game wristband to shoot ping-pong balls. I can t wait to see what game developers do with this. Giancarlo Valdes

10. Tom Clancy's The Division. Ubisoft's The Division arrives next year on next-generation consoles and the PC as yet another post-apocalyptic world. But this one looks really beautiful, if that is the right word for a landscape with fires, smoke, debris, and dead bodies.

The game won t run on older generation consoles because it takes advantage of the Snowdrop game engine, which Ubisoft's Massive game studio has developed over the years to bring to life a full virtual world.

You can pull out to view a whole map of New York City and then drill down on particular sections where you want to concentrate your squad. In a demo of the the game, Ubisoft's developers showed that you can approach a tactical battle in multiple ways. You can, for instance, go directly after another squad. But you ll find that there's another enemy squad nearby that can help it out and pin you down. You can take out that first squad at the outset, and then turn to the second one. But the response will never be exactly the same. So the Snowdrop engine enables fluid tactical situations that will change, depending on the choices the player makes. All the while, everything looks, uh, beautiful. Dean Takahashi.

GamesBeat 2014 VentureBeat's sixth annual event on disruption in the video game market is coming up on Sept 15-16 in San Francisco. Purchase one of the first 50 tickets and save $400! Oculus VR was founded by Palmer Luckey, self-described virtual reality enthusiast and hardware geek. The company launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund development of their first product, the Oculus Rift, a ground-breaking vir... read more

Brendan Iribe is co-founder, president and CEO of Scaleform Corporation where he oversees product development, marketing and sales, and business development, and has established the company as the leading user interface technology prov... read more

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By Julie Bort


While Amazon has introduced a lot of cool gadgetry for consumers with its new Fire smartphone, it certainly didn't ignore business users.

Amazon has a surprisingly robust list of features for work, including some things that will make enterprise IT professionals happy.

1. Microsoft Outlook email, calendar, contacts. The Fire can link to a corporate Microsoft Exchange email system using Microsoft's ActiveSync tool. Not only will that sync your data, but it also makes sure the phone meets corporate security policies. IT should be pleased.

2. View Microsoft Office Files. The phone includes an OfficeSuite Viewer app so you can look at files like spreadsheets or PowerPoints, if not create them, right on your Amazon Fire.

3. Encryption. Fire can be set up to encrypt the data on the phone so that if it gets lost, hacked or stolen, no one can read your files.


4. Support for enterprise security software known as Mobile Device Management. This is super important to IT professionals. With mobile device management (MDM), IT can locate phones, remotely wipe them, add corporate apps and enforce security policies, such as passwords.

5. Files from the corporate network. Amazon promises that you can access your corporate network on your Fire phone via your user name and password.

6. Coming soon: support for the secure corporate network or VPN (virtual private network). Some companies require extra passwords and security to access files and apps. Amazon says it's working on baking this feature into Fire. In the meantime, it is offering a selection of VPN apps from its app store.

7. Easier corporate passwords, also coming. That's a feature known as "single sign-on" where you use one password to access all things on the corporate network that requires a password. Amazon says this is also coming soon to Fire.

8. Enterprise app store. Amazon offers something called "Whispercast" as a tool businesses can use to manage the Fire phone, Kindle Fire tablet and other Kindle devices. They can use this to add and remove books, files, and apps like a private app store.

9. Apps. Most importantly, Amazon says it's working on getting popular business apps into its app store. This includes apps to take notes, scan documents, prepare invoices, and remote desktop from your tablet. Free apps like Skype and GoToMeeting are available, too.

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By Marie Claire - Love + Sex

These telltale signs prove he's worthy of something more serious.By The Editors

He's a nice guy. Somewhere deep down you may hope that the brooding bad boy is going to suddenly change - perhaps order you a refill when you head to the bathroom instead of talking up the bartender. But really, he's just looking out for himself. A nice guy is just that: He cares about your feelings, is interested in spending time with you, and is courteous. All traits, that if this goes well, he'll pass onto his son.

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Being reliable isn't just something he saves for his bros. When he says he'll meet you at 7 p.m. he's there on time. And, after your third date when you left your keys in the cab, he came over to sit with you outside your apartment until the locksmith came.

He doesn't want to play games. He's not looking to just get laid, he's in this to find someone to date seriously. So, when you text him "I'm so tired today," he responds within minutes (not a day later) with a "Me too. Dinner later?"

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There's never a shortage of something new to talk about. It's only been four dates, but you already can't wait to tell him about your day and listen to him recount his.

You feel like you could introduce him to your friends tomorrow and they'd get along seamlessly. You don't have to worry if your friends will like him or make excuses for his behavior once they do.

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He remembers the things you tell him. On your first date you told him your favorite movie was Ever After but you somehow lost your copy when you moved apartments. On date five he brings you a new one.

You feel comfortable around him. You don't have pretend to be more or less of what you actually are. And while you're still shocked that he didn't make a run for it after seeing you in sweatpants, he actually seemed genuinely interested as you explained your sweatpants categorization: fancy, errands, sleep, clerning, and sick.

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By Pet360 - Pets


By Jessica Remitz | Pet360.com

Though we all like to keep our pups in tow whenever we can find a dog-friendly outdoor space to romp and play, but as the weather heats up, it may be best to leave certain breeds at home. We asked Dr. Louise Murray, vice president of the ASPCA Animal Hospital, to share the top breeds that are at risk for overheating in warm weather in addition to some tips for keeping your pup cool and safe in the summer months.

Although many of the breeds on this list are brachycephalic-or have short noses and wide, flat heads-it's important to take proper precautions for keeping any dog cool in warm weather and never (ever!) leaving them in a hot car for any period of time.

#1 - Pug

Playful, confident and friendly, Pugs are well loved for their charisma and charm. With a wrinkled face, short legs and compact body, the Pug's unique expression and physique is well known among dog fanciers and pet parents alike. Because of its small size, Pugs can happily adapt to both city and country living.

Brachycephalic breeds-or dogs with short noses, compact skulls and compressed upper respiratory systems-like the Pug are inefficient panters, which means that they're unable to cool themselves as effectively as other dog breeds. Because of this, brachycephalic breeds are more prone to overheating and require extra care in warm weather, particularly access to shade and plenty of water.

"Dogs can become dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of water when it's hot outdoors," Murray said. "If they are panting heavily, bring them to a cooled-off area and give them water."

She also recommends providing pets with a shady place to escape if they're out in the sun or keeping them completely indoors when it's very hot.

#2 - Pekinese

An ancient toy breed that originated in China over 1,000 years ago, the Pekinese is a happy, loveable lapdog. Loyal and devoted to it's family, the Pekinese can also be wary of strangers. With a thick undercoat and long, dense overcoat, Pekinese require regular grooming, in addition to special care in warm weather.

If you anticipate spending a lot of time outdoors with you dog, it's important to check with your veterinarian to make sure they're healthy enough to participate in the plans you make, Murray said. "Every dog is different, so there's no set of guidelines that can apply to every one," she said.

#3 - Bulldog

Originally used for bull baiting, the Bulldog is now one of the most popular companion animals in America and is one of the most popular AKC breeds. A short yet powerful dog with a heavy build, trademark under bite and lots of loose skin, the Bulldog makes an adorable couch companion, albeit one that may be prone to snorting and drooling.

Learn more about Bulldogs.

While the Bulldog may require some prodding to go out for a walk, they might have some trouble breathing as they run or play because they are brachycephalic, Murray said, so take care not to over-exercise them.

"Dogs will not limit their own activity, so pay close attention to how your dog is acting as they play," she said.


#4 - Shih Tzu

Another ancient dog breed that was kept as a companion and lap dog by Chinese royalty, Shih Tzus remain popular family pets and companions. A playful breed that loves learning new things, Shih Tzus are generally good with children and other dogs. With a dense undercoat and long, straight outer coat, the Shih Tzu requires regular grooming and may snort and sneeze (in addition to overheat in warm weather) frequently because of its short muzzle.

You'll want to avoid spending too much time on the pavement with your dog in warm weather, as the ground can heat up quickly and can create blisters or burns on the pads of your dog's paws, Murray said.

#5 - Boston Terrier

One of the first breeds established in the United States, the Boston Terrier is a lively, intelligent breed with a gentle and easy going disposition. A compact breed with large ears and a wide smile, Boston Terriers generally require a minimal amount of exercise and grooming and, aside from their propensity to overheat in warm weather, tend to be easy keepers.

#6 - French Bulldog

This little lap-warmer was bread as a companion for French royalty beginning in the 19th century. With a small, compact body and large, rounded ears, French Bulldogs also have short muzzles and broad, flat faces. Sweet, affectionate and friendly, French Bulldogs get along well with everyone but tend to become attached to one person in particular. In addition to their high risk of over heating in warm weather, French Bulldogs also need to have the spaces between the wrinkles on their face and neck kept clean and dry to prevent skin infections.


#7 - Boxer

Used for fighting and bull baiting in the 18th century, Boxers have become popular family pets, police dogs and military dogs. Large and muscular with a square head, short nose and high-tucked abdomen, Boxers love to play and spend time with their people. Particularly affectionate with children, the Boxers can be protective of their families in the presence of other dogs and require lots of attention.

If dogs are allowed to be active during the hottest parts of the day, they are at risk for heatstroke, which can be fatal if not corrected quickly. If at all possible, Murray recommends limiting extended outdoor time to early afternoon or evening on hot days. If your dog must be out and about during the hottest hours of the day, provide them with plenty of water, access to shade and time to take breaks and catch their breath, she said.

#8 - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Considered a fashionable lap dog for women in the 17th century, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel remains a popular and friendly companion. An easygoing breed that falls in love with everyone it meets, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is small bodied with a round head, short nose and fluffy drop eats. A breed that loves attention, its medium-length coat requires regular grooming. Although the breed can fare well in either the city or the country, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels-like the other breeds on this list-will need to have access to air conditioning or plenty of cool places when the temperature heats up.

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