Review: The HTC One M8 Is Android’s Cream Of The Crop
If you’ve ever used a Moto X, you know you can check the time on the Active Display screen just by tilting the phone or picking it up off a table. The Moto X knows when you’re holding it and the gesture-based interaction made it the smartest of the smartphones when it came out last year. Other smartphones have similarly employed a swipe-from-offscreen interaction (Samsung Galaxy, BlackBerry 10, iPhone with iOS 7) model that allows users can access certain functions from behind a locked screen with a simple swiping.These instant-access interactions now come to the HTC One M8, with a swipe down from the top to open voice control, a swipe up from bottom to bring you to your last-used app, a swipe left to visit the home screen and a swipe right to BlinkFeed, HTC’s content feed screen. Like LG devices, if you double tap the screen from an off position (power on, screen off), it will take you to the locked home screen.Gesture control like this is not exactly a new concept; if anything, this is proves that HTC can take cool concepts from other phones and seamlessly incorporate them to create a unique user experience. The HTC One M8’s Dot View cases allow for easy gesture-specific controls while the front cover is closed. If you swipe down on the cover, HTC One M8’s voice system activates, and you can tell your phone who you want to call. If you double tap the case, you can see the time and weather at a glance. If you are a fan of cases (which I am not), the Dot View case is a cool conversation starter that employs an imaginative gesture-based user interface.Whining: Sense, Zoe, BlinkFeed, M8 Tags:#Android#Google#HTC#HTC One M8#HTC One M8 review#HTC Sense#Reviews Every so often, a product comes along and takes the best of almost everything that came before it and packages those things into a beautiful and functional device that’s hard not to admire. The HTC One M8 is such a product.Almost every smartphone comes with its fair share of warts, and the HTC One M8 is no different in that regard. But the M8 has learned from user behaviors and the competitive landscape, which amounts to an excellent device that stands atop the Android heap and next to (if not above) Apple’s iPhone or any Nokia Lumia available.A Company In FluxFor the second year in a row, HTC has built what will likely be one of the year’s best reviewed smartphones (if the M8 can withstand the competition over the rest of 2014), but the company’s revenue and market share remain flat.See also: How The HTC One M8 Smartphone Camera Performs In The Real WorldThe reason for HTC’s stagnation is open for debate. HTC will claim it hasn’t been able to effectively market its phones. The manufacturer recently just hired the Samsung marketer responsible for the “Next Big Thing” campaign but HTC cannot compete with Apple and Samsung in marketing dollars. Another argument is that HTC has been damaged by cellular operators that lust after exclusive agreements to carry a device. Maybe the decline has come from production and shipping delays of its last two flagship devices, or patent battles with the likes of Apple.In reality, HTC’s failures are a combination of all of the above. The question continually asked by pundits is whether the newest HTC flagship can pull the company out of the mire. At ReadWrite, we tend to believe in quality products, so the answer is a definite “maybe.” It’s hard to be positive knowing all the extenuating factors: Motorola made a great smartphone with the Moto X and hemorrhaged money until Google had to sell it to Lenovo. Nokia has done some fine work with the Lumia series and hemorrhaged money until it sold to Microsoft. If HTC is to fail with its own flagship smartphone, it represents a pox on all of the houses in the smartphone manufacturing world. A pox on Apple and Samsung for creating an anti-competitive market. A pox on HTC for failing to achieve the success that its design chops deserve. A pox on Google for allowing the maker of some of the best smartphones on the market to whither and die. So where does the HTC One M8 shine and where does it need to improve? Let’s break it down.Shining: Industrial Design & PerformanceAs long as the manufacturer is alive, HTC should take home the industrial design award basically every year.With all due respect to Apple and certain Nokia devices, the One series has been phenomenally designed over its three generations. The One M8 is a compact and beautiful phone with a full metal casing and no hard edges. Everything that was good about the original HTC One has been refined in the One M8, including the forward facing speakers, the slightly larger screen, the weight and the grip. From an aesthetic point of view, the One M8 is gorgeous. dan rowinski Let’s just get one thing out of the way. The name “One M8” is just all kinds of terrible. The HTC One was originally codenamed the “M7” but the moniker was dropped before the phone was released. The “M8” moniker was the development codename for the device that somehow found its way into the actual product name. Good luck with that, HTC marketing.When it comes to skins—the unique user interfaces manufacturers add to Android smartphones—beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may prefer the interface of the Samsung Galaxy S5 or one of LG’s G series smartphones. Some users (usually Android “purists”) prefer the Google Experience of Nexus devices. HTC employs what its calls HTC Sense. The sixth iteration of Sense is what is shipped with the One M8 and, yes, it does feature some improvements over the last version of the launcher. The gesture-based controls and contextual computing is technically part of Sense and those features definitely add to the positive experience and feature parity of the phone. At the same time, HTC—like Samsung—loves to push its marginal “features” that basically amount to a small mountain of frustrating and annoying features. For instance, Zoe is HTC’s dual-still-photo-plus-video-feature that is confusing to use and difficult to share. Zoe is like adding all of the motion and “best shot” features of other smartphone cameras (notably, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5) into one setting within the camera app. The HTC One M8 camera is particularly good outside of Zoe, so I’d imagine most people won’t need to use this setting. To note, these types of frailties are of the nitpicking variety. Even the Google Experience Nexus devices have the Google Now home screen you can’t really get rid of if you want. The Galaxy S5 has a magazine-like homescreen pre-loaded onto the device. These device-specific feeds are popular on Android products right now. Similar less-than-stellar user experiences exist in just about any device you pick up, from the iPhone to any Windows Phone to the Nexus 5, Moto X, LG G2, Sony Xperia, or Galaxy S5.Overall, the HTC One M8 packages excellent industrial design with a more refined user experience that its predecessor which makes for an excellent Android-based smartphone. If you like Android, you are probably going to dig the HTC One M8. It’s the best of Android and the best of HTC together in one sterling device. Related Posts Sense 6 also employs the next version of HTC’s “BlinkFeed,” a feature that takes an entire homescreen to act as a social feed and newsreader.BlinkFeed in Sense 6 is actually much improved from that found in the last version of Sense shipped with the HTC One in 2013, allowing users to add more customized feeds and publications. But the same basic problem exists with BlinkFeed in Sense 6 as it did in Sense 5: You cannot delete it and maintain an additional customizable home screen. You can either have BlinkFeed or you don’t. You can’t get rid of it to add an extra screen and HTC Sense 6 only allows for five homescreens (unlike Google Experience Android which will let users add as many as they like).You can delete BlinkFeed, as Phil Nickinson explains in the video from Android Central below, but note that once you get rid of BlinkFeed, you lose the ability to access that panel unless you want the feed back.
What it Takes to Build a Highly Secure FinTech … The camera on the HTC One M8 is a little hit-and-miss, but overall it is a marked improvement over the HTC One camera that introduced the concept of “ultrapixels” into the popular lexicon, confusing the heck out of smartphone buyers everywhere. (See our full review of the HTC One M8’s camera here.)Gestures & The Pixel CaseThe HTC One M8 is highly similar to its predecessor, but it also comes with a few new features. Gesture control and screen tapping should be familiar to Android users that have used either a Moto X or LG G2, while the chic pixel case—known as Dot View—is a curiosity all on its own. The performance of the One M8 is none too shabby. The One M8 employs the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and it shows up in just about everything that can be done on the phone. From taking pictures (more on the camera below) to switching between CPU-intensive apps, the One M8 is on top of the “superphone” hardware spectrum that essentially puts a powerful PC in your pocket. Given that the One M8’s release comes in the first half of 2014, it will likely be eclipsed in the hardware department by the end of the year, but right now it is fast and responsive and has the ability to run just about any app you might want … and then some.The One M8 is also successful in two areas consumers greatly care about: The screen, and the battery life. The HTC One M8’s 5-inch, 440 ppi display is notably crisper than last year’s model and comparative to other Android flagships within the past 12 months, including the Samsung Galaxy S5. And its battery (2,600 mAh) is only slightly bigger than last year’s (2,300 mAh) design, but the performance is much improved and also comes with a built-in battery saver function that Samsung Galaxy device owners may be familiar with.Let me give you an example of the HTC One M8’s battery life. This past weekend, I traveled with the One M8 while driving down to Washington, D.C., from Boston. Starting from a full charge, the One M8 went to the zoo and snapped many pictures (especially of Bao Bao the giant panda) that were automatically uploaded to Google+, found me directions to get home, played Spotify for about five hours and then helped me navigate around traffic on the George Washington Bridge.In all, the One M8 withstood a solid nine hours of non-stop activity, and still had about 9% of its life left. A quick refresh with an external charger and the battery jumped back up to 26% and played Spotify for another four hours to get me back to Boston. The HTC One could not have performed this feat (though the Galaxy S5 may have). Role of Mobile App Analytics In-App Engagement Why IoT Apps are Eating Device Interfaces The Rise and Rise of Mobile Payment Technology
Like a dog wagging its tail in anticipation of treats to come, dolphins and belugas squeal with pleasure at the prospect of a fish snack, according to a new study. It’s the first direct demonstration of an excitement call in these animals, says Peter Madsen, a biologist at Aarhus University in Denmark who was not involved in the study. To hunt and communicate, dolphins and some whale species produce a symphony of clicks, whistles, squeaks, brays, and moans. Sam Ridgway, a longtime marine biologist with the U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Program, says he heard distinctive high-pitched squeals for the first time in May 1963 while training newly captured dolphins at the Navy’s facility in Point Mugu, California. “We were throwing fish in, and each time they would catch a fish, they would make this sound,” he says. He describes it as a high-pitched “eeee,” like a child squealing in delight.Ridgway and his collaborators didn’t think much of the sound until later in the 1960s, when dolphins trained to associate a whistle tone with a task or behavior also began making it. Trainers teach animals a task by rewarding them with a treat and coupling it with a special noise, like a click or a whistle. Eventually only the sound is used, letting the animal know it will get a treat later. The whistle was enough to provoke a victory squeal, Ridgway says. Meanwhile, beluga whales would squeal after diving more than 600 meters to switch off an underwater speaker broadcasting tones. “As soon as the tone went off, they would make this same sound,” Ridgway says, “despite the fact that they’re not going to get a reward for five minutes.” He also heard the squeal at marine parks in response to trainers’ whistles.Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*)Ridgway suspects the squeals are tied to the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with the reward centers of mammal brains. Since 1956, scientists have identified reward systems involving dopamine neurons in rats, dolphins, monkeys, and humans, among other mammals. Dopamine release can take about 100 to 200 milliseconds, so Ridgway pored over 4 decades of recordings made in open waters to time the animals’ responses. He found that the dolphins take an average of 151 milliseconds to make their squeals and belugas take about 250 milliseconds. Though Ridgway and colleagues didn’t directly measure dopamine in the brain, that’s enough time for dopamine to spark the sound, he and colleagues report online today in The Journal of Experimental Biology.Ridgway, who is semiretired, says the victory squeals were never a specific research project, but he wanted to publish the results to tie together 52 years of observations.Marc Lammers, a biologist at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology in Kaneohe who studies cetacean communication and behavior, says dopamine release is a novel way to explain these emotive calls. But conditioned responses in captive, trained animals may not necessarily translate to involuntary pleasure sounds in wild animals, he adds. Wild belugas and dolphins emit bursts of these sounds in a variety of settings, from feeding sessions to aggression or courtship aimed at other animals. What’s more, squeals, squawks, or creaks sound differently to us than to cetaceans, which hear at a much higher resolution, Lammers says. “They’re our best attempt at putting a label on a certain type of sound, rather than describing the acoustic quality of the sounds themselves,” he says. “Just because that’s what it looks like or sounds like, or that’s the context—it’s hard for us to know what’s inside the animal’s head.”Wild dolphins and whales have been shown to produce mews, rasps, buzzes, and creaks to alert other animals when food is available. But this study doesn’t show that victory squeals are an intentional form of communication, either for food sharing or simply emotional sharing, says Paul Manger, a biologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. “To support the idea that somehow there’s a social context to it, they’d have to take the experiments further and show some intentionality; intention to share or deceive,” Manger says. Further work using two dolphins at a time could help clarify whether the calls have some social context, or are just involuntary cries of delight, he says.(Video courtesy of Sam Ridgway, National Marine Mammal Foundation)
Patent registrations in India doubled last year and have risen ten fold in the past five years.India’s controller general of patents granted a 15,261 patents in 2007-08 as against 7,539 granted in 2006-07. It has alreadyawarded 6,000 patents in the first quarter of the current year.But this is not a reflection of a rise in Indian ingenuity. Nearly 91% of the patents granted are to foreign holders. Related Items
Typhoon Kammuri accelerates, gains strength en route to PH Brace for potentially devastating typhoon approaching PH – NDRRMC “I am still studying, but I learned how to manage my time with the help of my coaches and senior teammates,” the Team Lakay member said. “I love this sport, I love to compete because this is my passion.”Kingad (5-0) is in his second year of his Physical Education major and he had to lessen the units he takes per semester so he can properly juggle his time training and studying.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSWATCH: Drones light up sky in final leg of SEA Games torch runSPORTSSEA Games: Philippines picks up 1st win in men’s water poloSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutoutAnd in the process of finishing his degree, the 22-year-old plans to disprove the stereotype that professional fighters don’t put a premium on education.“I am giving everything I have in training for this fight and bringing home the belt will be a testament that pursuing your passion is not a hindrance in securing your future through education,” said Kingad. MOST READ Kia pleads for understanding: ‘Give us a chance to prove our philosophy’ Read Next CPP denies ‘Ka Diego’ arrest caused ‘mass panic’ among S. Tagalog NPA Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Stronger peso trims PH debt value to P7.9 trillion PHOTO FROM ONE CHAMPIONSHIPThere are two things that Filipino mixed martial artist Danny Kingad wants, the ONE Flyweight title and his college diploma from University of the Cordilleras.Kingad is set to face ONE Flyweight champion Adriano Moraes for the title on November 10 at Mall of Asia Arena and as he hits the bags at night preparing for the fight, he does the same thing on his books in the morning.ADVERTISEMENT
LATEST STORIES Japan ex-PM Nakasone who boosted ties with US dies at 101 Kin of Misamis Oriental hero cop to get death benefits, award — PNP QC cops nab robbery gang leader, cohort “It is also a way of breaking the stigma that fighters have in our society.”Kingad is aware that being a professional fighter is not a lifetime job and having a college degree will open avenues for him in the future.“Education is very important because my career as a fighter will not last for long time,” said Kingad who had his first professional fight in 2014. “By the time I reach 38 or 40-years-old, I need to retire and have another job to support my family.”ADVERTISEMENT Team Lakay’s rough start lights a fire under Danny Kingad PLAY LIST 01:04Team Lakay’s rough start lights a fire under Danny Kingad00:59Sports venues to be ready in time for SEA Games01:27Filipino athletes get grand send-off ahead of SEA Games01:37Protesters burn down Iran consulate in Najaf01:47Panelo casts doubts on Robredo’s drug war ‘discoveries’01:29Police teams find crossbows, bows in HK university01:35Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games Kammuri turning to super typhoon less likely but possible — Pagasa View comments
Australia’s strong start gave way to an Indian comeback on Day 1 of the Mohali Test. Opener Shane Watson’s fortuitous, sedate hundred was followed by Zaheer Khan’s fine old-ball spell.Scores – India vs AustraliaBrief Scores: Australia 224-5Dropped on zero by Virender Sehwag at gully off the day’s second ball off Zaheer, Watson was let off again on 37 by MS Dhoni off Pragyan Ojha.After the fall of Ricky Ponting (71) and the end of their 141-run stand, Australia slowed down as Watson crawled to his second Test hundred off 258 balls. The dull finish to the day was spiced up only by Ponting’s spat with Zaheer.Ponting, having elected to bat, had some luck himself. He was caught down the leg-side off a no-ball from Ishant Sharma, who was wayward, bowled plenty of no-balls and then left the field in the noon session after a knee problem.Ponting’s run-out, thanks to a direct hit from Suresh Raina, turned things around. Australia’s scoring rate slipped dramatically, from a little under five runs in the morning, to under two in the evening.After Ponting’s fall, at 154-2 in 41.4 overs, Australia made 90 runs today at 1.86 runs in 48.2 overs. Watson too slowed down near his hundred, partly since he’s been out three times in the 90s.Zaheer had earlier in the day trapped Simon Katich in front with the in-swinging ball. The delivery would be used again with the old ball to remove Mike Hussey and Marcus North, all left-handers.Hussey played inside the in-coming ball and was hit in front, while North left a similar delivery which gently dislodged the off-bail on its way.advertisementThis is Watson’s third hundred in a week, having made two in Australia’s warm-up game against Board President’s XI at the start of this tour.While Pragyan Ojha continued to be economical, Harbhajan Singh, like Ishant, was off-colour but made up with the wicket of Michael Clarke in the evening session. World No. 1 India had had the better of Australia when the two had last met in a Test series, in India in 2008.The hosts had won 2-1 the series in which Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly retired from Test cricket.The Mohali wicket, normally known for pace and bounce, is expected to get slower and lower as the game progresses.India have left out Murali Vijay, Amit Mishra, Sreesanth for this game. Cheteshwar Pujara too would have to wait longer for his Test debut.Raina and Ojha have been retained, while Gautam Gambhir returns to the team after a break.Australia are playing by their strengths, going in with three pacers and Nathan Hauritz as the lone spinner. Teams:Australia (Playing XI): Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Tim Paine (w), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger.India (Playing XI): Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, MS Dhoni (w/c), Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma.
PrasadNagpur, Apr 14 (PTI) The BHIM-Aadhaar Pay mobile application launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will boost “transparency and honesty” in payment of income tax in the country, Union Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here today.”The essence and the idea behind the Prime Ministers Digital India initiative is that if we send Rs 100 from Delhi, then it must fully reach to the poor beneficiary. That is the reason some 28 crore bank accounts have been opened for the poor in the last two years,” said Prasad.He was addressing a programme to mark the culmination of “Digi Dhan Mela” organised by the NITI Aayog at the divisional sports stadium located in Mankapur area.Apart from Modi, Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Hansraj Ahir, Ramdas Athawle, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were present on the dais.Modi today paid tribute to B R Ambedkar at Deekshabhoomi here, where the Dalit icon had embraced Buddhism, to mark his 126th birth anniversary.He launched BHIM-Aadhaar mobile application, a biometric-based payment system which will make payment through thumb impression a reality.Prasad said, “as many as 113 crore Aadhaar cards, 108 crore mobile phones, 50 crore internet users, 35 crore smart phones have been connected under Digital India.”He said that 72 mobile manufacturing companies have entered India since Modi government assumed power.”The whlole world is discussing about the Aadhaar initiative of India,” he said.The minister said that the launch of the “BHIM-Aadhaar Pay” app will boost transparency and honesty in payment of income tax. “It will also help in making the Indian Army as well as Indian roads the strongest in the world,” he said.advertisementOn the occasion, Prasad announced a 20,000 square metre “Incubation centre” in Nagpur for making it “new IT centre of the country.”Addressing the gathering, Union Highways Minsiter Nitin Gadkari termed the Digital India initiative “a very big and progressive thinking to fulfill the dreams of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.””Digital India will provide economic and social justice to the poor and farmers. The Digital India initiative will have a lot of positive impact on various sectors in the country,” he said. PTI CLS NSK
Manchester United 3 Stoke City 0: Valencia, Martial and Lukaku trim gap at the top Dom Farrell Last updated 1 year ago 05:50 1/16/18 
Getty Images Alexis Sanchez may be bound for Manchester United but Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku showed they have ample firepower against Stoke. Manchester United closed the gap between themselves and Premier League leaders Manchester City to 12 points with a 3-0 win over struggling Stoke City at Old Trafford.Manchester City were beaten in the top flight for the first time this season on Sunday, 4-3 at Liverpool, and United’s victory, along with reports they are set to sign Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez at the expense of their neighbours, means there is a fleeting instance this term of the bragging rights residing on the red side of town.Stoke, with newly appointed manager Paul Lambert watching from the stands, acquitted themselves well and carved out some clear first-half chances, only for Antonio Valencia and Anthony Martial to breach the Premier League’s most porous defence with fabulous first-half finishes, while Paul Pogba was influential in the hosts’ midfield. 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A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk’s remarkable rise to world’s best player Martial and Juan Mata passed up chances to compound the Potters’ misery after the break, meaning Romelu Lukaku’s 72nd-minute third goal felt wholly inevitable, as thoughts began to turn towards the Belgian’s prospective new strike partner.Lambert must now rouse a side in the relegation zone who have suffered eight defeats in 11 league games, with 50 in their goals-against column this season.The #MUFC striker controls @AnthonyMartial’s pass, turns past two defenders and fires low and hard past Butland – get in! pic.twitter.com/ygIIvqhww1— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 15, 2018Stoke’s caretaker boss Eddie Niedzwiecki handed a debut to right-back Moritz Bauer and the £5.5million signing from Rubin Kazan was a touch fortunate not to be punished for hauling Martial down inside the area after six minutes.It was Bauer’s opposite number Valencia who raided forward from full-back to cut inside Josh Tymon and arrow an excellent left-footed shot into the top corner shortly afterwards.Xherdan Shaqiri called United goalkeeper David de Gea into action as he looked to add to his catalogue of spectacular volleyed goals, while Stephen Ireland – making his first Premier League start since April 2015 – should have done better when he hooked a shot wide from inside the United box in the 17th minute.There was a more glaring miss from the former Manchester City midfielder when he lost his footing and shovelled an attempt past the post from Shaqiri’s ball into the box, before De Gea was bested by Peter Crouch in the air and Phil Jones bailed out his goalkeeper with brilliant block to deny Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.Martial had an effort deflected behind off Kurt Zouma as United look to reassert themselves and the France forward accepted a pass from Pogba to curl a wonderful shot beyond Jack Butland from 20 yards and make it 2-0 after 38 minutes – an advantage preserved when De Gea got a strong hand down to Shaqiri’s thumping strike in the final action of the half..@AnthonyMartial’s scoring record v Stoke at Old Trafford:2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 pic.twitter.com/hkzo2NglI3— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 15, 2018Butland rushed out early in the second period to thwart Martial, by which point Stoke’s resolve seemed to have dissipated.The ex-Monaco youngster should have had a second before the hour when he bundled between Kevin Wimmer and Bruno Martins Indi to sidefoot at Butland from close range.Under pressure from Jesse Lingard, Zouma then sold Darren Fletcher short with an awful pass and Lukaku scampered towards goal, with the ball finding Mata via Lingard.The Spanish playmaker threaded the ball narrowly wide of Butland’s far post and chose to forgo precision for power when he lashed over the bar in the 65th minute.It remained for Lukaku to offer a timely reminder of his centre-forward qualities, taking down a drilled pass from Martial to muscularly turn and finish with aplomb.Marcus Rashford came off a bench lacking rumoured Sanchez makeweight Henrikh Mkhitaryan to test Butland with a deft backheel, while fellow substitute Mame Biram Diouf fired into the side-netting after De Gea saved to crown Stoke’s misery. Key Opta stats: – Manchester United have won 28 of a possible 30 points in Premier League home games against Stoke.- Stoke have conceded 50 Premier League goals this season – five of the previous six sides that conceded 50+ goals at this stage of the season were relegated (exception: Swansea in 2016-17).- Stoke have conceded more league goals than any other team in Europe’s big five divisions this season (50).- Antonio Valencia has scored three Premier League goals for Man Utd this season (19 apps), as many as in his previous four seasons combined (103 apps).- Paul Pogba has been directly involved in 14 goals in his last 14 Premier League games (4 goals, 10 assists).- Romelu Lukaku has had a hand in 13 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions for Man Utd at Old Trafford this season (10 goals, 3 assists).- Anthony Martial has scored in all three of his Premier League appearances against Stoke at Old Trafford.- Stephen Ireland made his first Premier League start since April 2015 vs Sunderland – 996 days ago.- Jack Butland (43) has conceded more Premier League goals this season than any other goalkeeper.- In contrast, David de Gea has kept more clean sheets in the Premier League this season than any other goalkeeper (13). read more
Diana Whalen, Deputy Premier, Justice Minister, and MLA for Clayton Park West, says she will not re-offer in the next provincial election. Premier Stephen McNeil thanked her for her service. “Diana is a hard-working representative,” said Premier McNeil. “She is a key member of cabinet and caucus, a strong example for other women entering politics, and a dear friend. “She was always willing to do what was right for the people of Nova Scotia.” Ms. Whalen served as an MLA since 2003. Before that, she served as a municipal councillor and worked as a management consultant. She is the province’s first female deputy premier. “I entered politics to serve my community, and I’m proud to have been part of this government,” said Ms. Whalen. “I’m especially grateful to my constituents for the confidence they’ve placed in me, and for their continued support and friendship. “Because of my recent health issues, I have decided it is a good time to make a change. It’s been a privilege and honour to serve as minister and MLA. ” Ms. Whalen said she will stay in her role as minister and deputy premier until the next election. – 30 –
WINNIPEG – A Winnipeg high school hopes that teaching its students about the Holocaust will help put a stop to a recent spate of anti-Semitic bullying.Ted Fransen, superintendent with the Pembina Trail school division, says earlier this summer during the holiday break a group of students from Shaftesbury High School sent hateful, anti-Semitic messages to another student through social media.When the division found out, its leaders contacted the police and the B’nai Brith.Fransen says they are bringing in Cantor Moshe Krause, a Holocaust survivor who became known for singing to fellow prisoners at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to buoy their spirits, to the school next week to speak with students and staff.Fransen says he hopes it will be a rich learning experience.A letter was also sent out to parents by the school’s principal, Catherine Birch, saying the school community was “saddened by these events.”“We’re leaving the punitive pieces to the police, because there’s a justice element to this,” says Fransen.“We’re going to make full advantage of being an education institution and doing a learning piece with the students.”Police have spoken to a number of those involved and say no criminal charges are being laid.“This is indeed a natural reaction of a strong and cohesive community,” says Birch.“The actions of these students do not represent who we are as a school community. Shaftesbury is committed to our values of diversity and inclusion.”(CTV Winnipeg, The Canadian Press)
Former St. Louis Cardinals baseball superstars and World Series champion teammates Ozzie Smith and Vince Coleman joined forces to once again win a title – this time on the golf course – at the 12th annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI) hosted by ARIA Resort & Casino.The tournament was held at Shadow Creek for the third consecutive year and was highlighted by the winning duo’s score of 11-under par, 133. More than $500,000 was raised for charity as a result of the 2013 event.Smith and Coleman, who each took home $20,000 for their designated charities, followed up their first-round score of six-under par 66 with a five-under par 67 on day two. They were able to overcome a late surge by the second-place team of Ahmad Rashad and the “Great One” Wayne Gretzky to win by four strokes. The two teams were tied heading into the 17th hole but Smith/Coleman birdied the final two holes while Rashad/Gretzky bogeyed their final two holes.Click here for MJCI Final Results.Defending champion Brandi Chastain and this year’s teammate Ken Griffey, Jr., shot a seven-under par 65 to take the lead after day one. However, the All-Star athletes struggled on Sunday and finished the 36-hole tournament at three-under, 141. Fan favorite, NBA legend and tournament host Michael Jordan teamed up with NFL Super Bowl champion and “sack master” Dwight Freeney to finish in a tie for ninth at Even par, 144.When asked about the team win Coleman said, “I told Michael ‘give me my teammate. I know Ozzie and I love him. If there is anyone I want to go down swinging with it’s him.’ We’ll definitely be back but we won’t be able to defend together, because if I know Michael, he won’t make us partners again.”Discussing their strategy, Hall of Fame shortstop Smith said their approach was simple. “We said, ’Let’s make birdies. Let’s not give anything back.’”Bringing additional fun and laughter to the tournament, the multi-talented Will Smith lent his support to friend and tournament host Michael Jordan when he attended the gala celebration Friday night headlined by musical star John Legend and again Saturday for the first round of the celeb-only tournament. At Shadow Creek, Smith appeared on the first tee and was introduced by the announcer as “the guy who’d like to play the role of Michael Jordan ,” and the crowd roared.Hosted at Shadow Creek, MJCI marks only the third time the exclusive golf course has opened its doors to the public. Proceeds from the charitable tournament are benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, James R. Jordan Foundation, Opportunity Village and Cats Care, the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats’ charity arm. Since its inception in 2001, MJCI has raised more than $6 million for over 45 charities.MJCI celebrities in attendance included Michael Jordan, Flex Alexander, Marcus Allen, Anthony Anderson, Miles Austin, Brian Baumgartner, Jerome Bettis, Wayne Brady, Dez Bryant, Chevy Chase, Brandi Chastain, Don Cheadle, Chris Chelios, Roger Clemens, Vince Coleman, Michael Crabtree, Brian Cushing, Richard Dent, Kevin Dillon, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Michael Finley, Josh Freeman, Dwight Freeney, Janet Jones-Gretzky, Wayne Gretzky, Ken Griffey Jr., Penny Hardaway, Ron Harper, April Holmes, Brett Hull, Dan Jansen, Brody Jenner, Bruce Jenner, Andre Johnson, Toni Kukoc, Mario Lemieux, Kenny Lofton, Greg Maddux, Chi McBride, Win McMurry, DeMarco Murray, Kevin Nealon, Hakeem Nicks, Jonathan Ogden, Paul O’Neill, Jake Owen, Patrick Peterson, Michael Phelps, Ahmad Rashad, Jerry Rice, Salli Richardson, Rob Riggle, Stuart Scott, Bruce Smith, Ozzie Smith, Will Smith, Jason Taylor, Alan Thicke, Andre Ward, Winky Wright, Adrian Young and others.Source:PR Newswire