After eye pokes were a huge problem at UFC 159, the UFC said they will propose a rule change to have doctors decide if fights should end because of an eye poke. On Cagewriter's Facebook page, we asked readers what could be done in fights to reduce this foul that has messed up too many bouts.
One reader thinks fighters should have to take more responsibility for when certain kind of strikes go awry.
Fine Michael Bisping for sure. You shouldn't be allowed to throw a punch with your index finger extended and say sorry, it was an accident. When there is a disincentive to pawing at each others' faces openhanded they will stop doing it and eye pokes will go down. -- Knowa Metcalf
Bisping's eye poke is what ended his bout with Alan Belcher. Fining athletes to change their behavior has a precedent. The NFL has levied fines for certain types of hits, though inconsistency in enforcement has been a problem.
Changing up the equipment used in fights could also be a solution.
It's simple, extend an individual finger pad with a slightly cupped angle to it that still allows the fingers to be open and closed, but the tips of the fingers would be slightly covered and the hands would not open 100%... But more like 90-95%, thereby reducing the ability for the fingers to completely extend and poke the opponent in the eye. Finger straps would hold the pads to the fingers. -- Michael Carter
As far as eye pokes, the best solution may not be in the gloves but rather in the design of an ultra thin goggle. Something that won't interfere with sight, can be vented to avoid fogging, but also very streamlined and as unobtrusive as possible. -- Al Lamp
But inadvertent eye pokes, like groin shots, are going to happen.
I see eye pokes like I see groin shots, they are gonna happen. Designing a different glove may help a little, but even boxers get thumbs in the eyes and their whole hand is covered. I say treat eye pokes as a foul, a warning on the first one and take points away for any after the warning. Give the person who got poked 5 minutes to recover just like a groin shot. If they dont recover then stop the fight after a doctor looks at it. -- Bruce Leighty
Like every other problem that comes up in a sport where two people are fighting each other, eye pokes will likely never go away completely. Being open to innovation will help MMA reduce this annoying way to end fights.
D-batteries haven't been in your stereo since the late 1980s, so why are they still in your flashlight? It's the 21st century, our batteries are smaller and our bulbs are brighter. So stop lugging around that unwieldy hunk of aluminum (no matter how tough it makes you feel) and pick up this 1000-lumen submersible spotlight.
Ricardo Portillo died about a week after being punched in the face by a soccer player. Courtesy: KUTV, Portillo family
TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (CNN)-
A referee who died after being punched by a teenage player knew well the violence that too often surfaced in his recreational soccer league. But neither he nor his family thought it would turn deadly, his heartbroken daughter told CNN Monday.
?The first time he got attacked was like 10 years ago. He was a player. He got a broken leg,? Johana Portillo said on CNN?s ?Starting Point.?
?And then the next time it was about five years ago I think. He had a broken rib, being attacked by a player, too. ? I was like, ?Why do you keep doing it? You just keep just hurting yourself.? He said that that was his risk because that was his passion.?
She worried often about her father, she said. But she was shocked by the call she got days ago. ?I never thought it was going to be this serious.?
Police: Teen punched ref in the face
On April 27, Ricardo Portillo, 46, was refereeing a game of Fut International, a Hispanic soccer league for children between ages 5 and 17, in the Salt Lake City suburb of Taylorsville.
He cited a player for an infraction and issued him a cautionary ?yellow card.? A second infraction would result in the player?s ejection from the game.
The 17-year-old player, police say, turned around and punched Portillo in the face.
At first, authorities thought Portillo suffered only minor injuries. But at the hospital, doctors discovered serious internal head injuries.
For seven days he remained in critical condition.
On Saturday night, Portillo died from his injuries.
Player in juvenile detention
The teenager, who has not been named publicly, is in juvenile detention.
Police initially charged him with aggravated assault. But with Portillo?s death, authorities expect to upgrade the charges.
League president Mario Vasquez told CNN affiliate KUTV he did not know the suspect personally, and was not aware of other incidents involving the player.
The league has a no-tolerance policy and kicks out players if they engage in violence toward each other, referees or parents, Vasquez said.
Family in shock
Portillo had three daughters and three grandchildren, who live in Mexico. He moved to the United States 16 years ago.
?I just need time to heal. It?s a lot of pain that this kid caused my whole family, especially my sisters and I,? Johana Portillo told CNN, adding that they?re in shock.
?I will forgive this kid because it?s only in God?s hands. ? But right now, it?s too soon for me to forgive.?
Similar incident in the Netherlands
There was a similar attack in the Netherlands in December. Police charged two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old who beat a 41-year-old linesman during an amateur soccer game.
The linesman?s son was playing in the game when the incident occurred.
The linesman, Richard Nieuwenhuizen, fell into a coma and died the next day.
By Jackie Castillo and Josh Levs
The-CNN-Wire/Atlanta/+1-404-827-WIRE(9473) ? & ? 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
Inventure-backed Froont has launched in public beta today with a web-based tool that aims to make it easy for designers to create, prototype and share responsive website designs, without the need to code. In fact, Froont offers the potential to leave developers out of the design (and even prototyping) process altogether, which in some cases may be a very good thing.
CAIRO (AP) ? Five weeks ago, the head of the Arab League capped a summit in Qatar with an impassioned appeal to strengthen the rebel fighters trying to bring down Syrian President Bashar Assad. On Sunday, he denounced Israeli's airstrike into Assad's territory as a dangerous threat to regional stability.
The contrast reflects a fundamental conundrum for Arab leaders.
Nearly all Arab states have sided with the rebel forces seeking to topple Assad and inflict a blow to his main ally, Iran. And Sunday's attack by Israeli warplanes in Syria ? the second in three days ? was the type of punishing response many Arab leaders have urged from the West against Assad after more than two years of civil war.
The fact the fighter jets came from Israel, however, exposes the complications and regional crosscurrents that make Syria the Arab Spring's most intricate puzzle.
While Israel and much of the Arab world share suspicions about Iran, including worries over its nuclear ambitions and expanding military, the perception that they are allied against Assad ? even indirectly ? is strongly knocked down by many Arab leaders.
The airstrikes also highlight one of the critical side issues of the Syrian conflict: the Iranian-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Israeli warplanes apparently targeted a shipment of highly accurate, Iranian-made Fateh-110 guided missiles believed to be bound for Hezbollah.
Toppling Assad would cut the arms pipeline that runs from Shiite giant Iran to Hezbollah. But Hezbollah remains deeply popular on the Arab street for its battles with Israel, including a war in 2006 in which Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets into Israel.
No Arab leader wants to be perceived as giving a green light for Israeli attacks.
Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby warned of serious repercussions from the Israeli attacks and called on the U.N. Security Council to "immediately move to stop the Israeli aggressions on Syria."
Elaraby described the Israeli airstrikes as a "grave violation of the sovereignty of an Arab state that will further complicate the issue in Syria and expose the region's security and stability to the most serious threats and consequences."
Also Sunday, Elaraby held talks with Mouaz al-Khatib, who recently resigned as chief of the Syrian National Coalition of opposition forces, to discuss the Israeli raids and other issues. At an Arab League summit in late March, Elaraby backed a declaration by host Qatar that gave member states "the right" to back the Syrian opposition.
Qatar and other wealthy Gulf Arab have become leading backers of Syria's opposition in a dual bid to expand their influence while crippling Iran. Official Gulf reaction to the Israeli attacks was limited to straightforward reports with little commentary.
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi condemned Israel's airstrikes, calling them a violation of international law and warning they complicate the civil war in that country.
The statement from Morsi's office added that Egypt also "strongly objects" to the bloodshed and the use of Syria's military against its people, but rejected the violation of Syrian sovereignty and "exploiting its internal crisis under whatever pretext."
Egypt launched an Arab bid to bring a peaceful end Syria's civil war, but it gained little momentum.
Lebanon's Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour called on the Arab League to take a "firm stance regarding Israel's aggression against Syria." Mansour said that Israel is paving the way "for a wide aggression that would blow up the region."
In Iraq, the Syrian crisis has forced the Shiite-led government in Baghdad to try to balance its ties to Arab partners and its close bonds to Iran. In a statement, influential anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said "Syria's dignity should be preserved" and urged Assad to "retaliate."
Egypt's Popular Current, a leftist opposition group headed by former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi, said in a statement that it condemns the "licentious" Israeli attack.
"No single Arab person, regardless of how much they disagree with the regime of Bashar Assad, can accept this aggression," the group said, calling Israel the "first enemy" of the Arab world.
The airstrikes come as Washington considers how to respond to indications that the Syrian regime may have used chemical weapons. President Barack Obama has described the use of such weapons as a "red line," and the administration is weighing its options, including possible military action.
Humanity has often looked to the insect world for its
technological metaphors, and now for digital inspiration
Swarms. Hive minds. The web*.
It can be hard to avoid talking about our digital culture
without using insect metaphors.
Yet for new media theorist Jussi
Parikka, it may be more than just a metaphor. Parikka is reader
in Media and Design at Winchester School of Art and author of the
Anne Friedberg Award-winning?Insect Media.
"For me?Insect Media?started from a
realisation and a question: why do we constantly talk about digital
culture and networks through insect metaphors?" says Parikka. "Is
it just a metaphoric relation? If yes, why do we make sense of high
technological culture through references to these small brained,
rather 'dumb' animals? Or is there even more to this?
Parikka explains that philosopher of communication
theory?Marshall
McLuhan?thought about media as extensions of man, but that
he sees media as extensions of the non-human.?
According to Parikka, the Victorians were the first to spot the
relationship between the insect world and
the technological one they were creating. Out of this fascination
came entomology, the scientific study of insects.
"Victorians were as fascinated with insects as they were with
steam," he says, as they perceived the "parallels, connections and
impacts that insects had on human populations and
cultures".?
They saw insects as "media machines" that sensed, moved, and
indeed communicated in different ways from that of humans. Beehives
became a "constant reference" in culture. So the smooth efficiency
of the then relatively new Bank of England or the General Post
Office was as easily compared to that of "a hive of bees" as are
the workings of the internet today.
Other arthropods like spiders were described as builders,
engineers and weavers. They were even portrayed as the original
inventors of telegraphy, the email of the day.
As a result of this use of metaphor the "ideas of calculation,
optimisation and rationality were firmly embodied in the insect
world long before the advent of the computer". So it was only "a
small step" to start to see digital culture in a similar way, using
the same metaphors, Parikka believes.
"From the perspective of a computer scientist, it is hard not to
see ant colonies as
massive computation machines, optimising their algorithms, for
instance, to find the best food routes.
"After all, insects are hackers and are interpreting the rules
to survive."
However, Parikka began to think that this use of metaphor was
more than just a way of our culture perhaps trying to "domesticate
these new machines of computation".
"We need to be aware of the massive amount of things that happen
in digital culture which are not human" and instead appear more
insectoid.
"The speed of the flash crash of the stock market was due to the
automated software processes; the speed of the signal travelling
through the fibre-optic cable; the distributed calculations and
packets firing across the globe as part of internet connection?
These are much quicker than us humans."
It has even been argued that today the best technology can be
created only by disregarding what it means to be human, rather than
as an extension of humanity.
In robotics, Parikka argues that pioneers such as Rodney Brooks
started to design insectoid and arachnoid types of robots as they
would be much more efficient forms of machine in, for example,
the harsh conditions of space missions.?
"Think of it through robotics or artificial intelligence: if you
want to design a very efficient robot, let's say for moving, you do
not necessarily make it bipedal, with two legs -- or even with two
eyes, two ears: instead, it is as if robotics had picked up
entomology books and realised that insects do it better.
"In fact, insects give clues as to how to robots may evolve, as
there are more efficient ways of using the space with, for
instance, six legs; or perceiving space with a different mechanism
of vision; or distributing your brain power into a hive formation,
rather like crowd sourcing."
Phil Husbands has "some sympathy" with Jussi
Parikka's argument. Husbands is Professor of Computer Science and
Artificial Intelligence at the University of Sussex. He is
co-director of The Sussex Centre for Computational Neuroscience and
Robotics (CCNR) that takes inspiration from insect behaviour and
physiology to help with artificial intelligence, robotic control
and control of simulated objects in games.
"We are trying to understand some fundamental things
and trying to understand them relative to humans can be very
unhelpful," Husbands says.
By observing the behaviour of ants, including the way
they sometimes stop and visually scan the world, scientists at
Sussex last year were, for example, able to understand the nature
of the special "learning walks" ants engage in when exploring new
terrain. Then using these "very efficient and simple view-based
methods" they were able to come up with a biologically plausible
algorithm that could provide robots with "a highly robust and
minimal method for navigation in difficult environments like deep
space."
"If we think like a human then it's going to be very
hard work to solve some of these challenges," according to
Husbands. "Instead ants are optimised for interacting with their
environment. Their resources are limited but they are very
sophisticated.
"So with a very small brain they can do very simple
things in very efficient ways which can then be implemented very
economically" in robots and artificial intelligence. "It's very
illuminating and chastening to think about insects," he adds. "It's
a reminder of a very different view of the world."
For Michael Dieter, a researcher into media and culture at the
University of Amsterdam, the significance of Parikka's work is that
it is "an attempt to historically trace the relationship between
entomology, or the study of insects, and the development of modern
media technologies."
He describes the goal of Parikka's work as "to unsettle our
commonplace conceptions of the divide between nature and digital
culture when it comes to technology and these small animals".
What he achieves, Dieter believes, "is to demonstrate that there
are significant direct relations between the design of modern and
contemporary media and the analysis of insect behaviours".
Parikka is able to do this by a combination of thinking beyond
the human world-view and using the new approach of "media
archaeology", which tries to understand the development of our
technical communication systems through the technologies that
weren't followed or reached a dead end.
However, for Dieter the relationships between the insect world
and our modern wired world have been "forged by capitalism", and
the economic forces that have driven this are something that
Parikka "needs to give further thought to".
For others the criticism of Insect Media may be more
straightforward: digital networks don't grow -- they are built.
In the end, for Jussi Parikka, Insect Media is "is not
about predicting the future but more about realising that this is a
fundamental link in terms of how we see technology from the
Victorians to the current high-tech culture. It is as if the most
advanced technologies of today have established a link to the
ancient evolutionary force of insects."
Even if our digital networks are built by humans, they still
contain within them the same tendencies as those of the ants or
bees.?
Indeed, Parikka doesn't want to stop with insects, as other
animals -- such as
dolphins -- could be seen as having their own media or methods
of communication that connect with the digital world, almost a kind
of "cybernetic zoology".?
Ultimately this is a reminder, he believes, that our digital
culture exists in a biological context: "It is completely reliant
on natural resources, from rare earth minerals to energy."
So when "soft technologies" such as pesticides are perceived to
be causing the colony collapse disorder that is causing the mass
extinction of bees, perhaps we should be "gravely worried about
that" for the future of our own hive mind.?
"Bees then are the canaries in the mine for our own
technological culture."
Jussi Parikka's latest article on "Insects and Canaries" is
due out in a forthcoming edition of Angelaki: Journal of the
Theoretical Humanities
*We realise spiders are arachnids, not insects, but the word
"arthropod" isn't quite so snappy.
'Into Darkness' stars and director J.J. Abrams to debut new sneak peek at 7:56 p.m. ET on MTV, followed by a 30-minute chat on MTV.com. By Todd Gilchrist
Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana in "Star Trek Into Darkness" Photo: Paramount
(Reuters) - Kellogg Co and Hillshire Brands reported quarterly results on Thursday in line or better than Wall Street estimates, but both food companies' shares fell in early trading.
U.S. packaged food stocks have gained more than 21 percent this year as investors look for defensive, high-yield investments and hope for more deal-making following the buyout of H.J. Heinz Co .
Specifically, Kellogg shares rose nearly 16 percent and Hillshire shares rose more than 26 percent, fueling expectations of strong results.
"When you go on big runs like that, you have to beat and raise guidance," said Edward Jones analyst Brian Yarbrough. Regarding Kellogg, he added: "This is just a ho-hum quarter, so I think there could be a little profit-taking."
Shares of Kellogg, which makes Corn Flakes cereal, Eggo waffles and Keebler cookies, fell 1.6 percent to $63.55 on the New York Stock Exchange, while Hillshire, which makes Ball Park hot dogs and Jimmy Dean sausages, fell 4 percent to $34.14.
Hillshire reported higher-than-expected earnings and said for the full-year, they should come in at the high end of the previous range.
Hillshire, which separated last year from D.E Master Blenders 1753 , is also seen as a potential takeover target.
Kellogg said net income was $311 million, or 85 cents per share in the first quarter, down from $351 million, or 98 cents per share, a year earlier.
The decline in profit was largely due to the rising cost of commodities, Kellogg said, adding that the first quarter included a majority of the inflation it expects for the full year.
Excluding accounting adjustments, costs from integrating the newly acquired Pringles business and a hit from the devaluation of Venezuela's currency, earnings were $1.02 per share. That was in line with company expectations and analysts' average estimate, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Net sales rose to $3.86 billion, but missed analysts' average estimate of $3.94 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The world's biggest cereal maker said it was on track to meet its goal for the full year, which calls for profit growth of 5 percent to 7 percent. That would translate to earnings of $3.82 to $3.91 per share.
(Reporting by Martinne Geller in New York; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)
Payday loans, also known as cash advance, is an easy finance option for those who are in need of some instant cash. There are many businesses providing this service across the country and this happens to be a popular source of finance amongst many Americans. So if you are interested in this type of credit, here are 5 essential facts listed below which will help you understand what cash advance is and how it works -
?
Don?t worry about the credit score
?
If you have a not-so-fair financial past and poor credit score, don?t worry. Unlike traditional bank loans, there is no credit check when it comes to get approved for these types of credits. Instead of your credit, these types of loans are secured by your employment.
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You must have a secured employment
?
The money you borrow from the lender, will be secured through the total amount of money you make. This signifies that your salary must be higher than the combined amount of the loan and additional fees. Make sure the employment is consistent and regular and note that any sort of freelance work or occasional employment is not counted. Some companies even require the borrower to have the job for a minimum time, before the loan will be sanctioned. There is also a minimum salary requirement which is usually something around 800 dollars per month, excluding all the taxes.
?
Make sure you have a bank account
?
It is through your bank account the lender will get paid. If the cash becomes due, he posts the charge to your account. Moreover, it will take much longer to get the credit approved if you don?t have a bank account. However, don?t forget to keep your banking information with you, especially the routing number as it will be needed to deposit money to your account.
?
Be truthful to your lender
?
While applying for a loan, make sure you provide absolutely correct information. Remember that being truthful to your lender is probably the most important factor to get approved for the loan. If you think that you can?t fulfill all the approval requirements, tell him and he will try to help you in every possible ways.
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It?s a short term finance option
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The costs and features of payday loans make them suitable for short term requirements. Due to the high fees of borrowing, they prove to be very expensive when you think of a long term involvement.? Usually the fees vary from 15 to 35 dollars for every 100 dollars and the time period, usually allotted for repayments is 14 days.
?
So, these are some of the basic facts that will help you get the best payday loans.
The Stewart and Cochran family members, who joined the Family Fitness Challenge, walk on April 18 in Millbrook, Ala. From left: Jared Stewart, Debra Stewart, Ashley Stewart, Edward Cochran and Lenora Cochran. (Photo: Lloyd Gallman, Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser)
Montgomery, Ala., resident Ashley Stewart and her family have made drastic changes over the past three months, going from being almost completely sedentary to preparing to run a 5K, from eating fried foods and fast food to planting their own organic vegetable garden, from putting their health on the back burner to making it a priority.
Five family members have lost a total of 113 pounds since mid-January and made vast improvements in their overall fitness. ?To know that we?re able to jog and run now is crazy,? Ashley says. ?I don?t think I had ever seen my mom work out before this, and now she?s doing some kind of workout almost every day. It?s nice to see.?
The Stewarts and five other families have been participating in USA TODAY?s Family Fitness Challenge ? an initiative to help people across the country get more active and lose weight. The project is being produced in partnership with USA WEEKEND Magazine and?The Doctors?TV show. The families were paired with a fitness expert from the American College of Sports Medicine and a registered dietitian from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The family includes Ashley Stewart, 25, and her husband, Jared, 25; her parents, Ed, 46, and Lenora Cochran, 45; and her mother-in-law, Debra Stewart, 52. At the beginning of the challenge, Ed had the most weight-related health issues, including type 2 diabetes, gout, high blood pressure and sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep. But he has made dramatic health improvements over the past three months.
STORY:?Meet the Stewarts
STORY:?Ten tips for a healthier life
Ashley offers her assessment of the family?s accomplishments:
Biggest loser:??My dad. He lost 36 pounds. He looks like a million bucks. His face has slimmed down a lot, and even his tummy looks smaller. He weighed 241 pounds at the beginning of the challenge and now weighs 205. He?s 5-foot-8. He exercises every day, and dare I say it ? he?s becoming a gym rat. He can run 55 minutes without stopping. My dad and Jared have lost so much weight, they need new clothes.?
Biggest health improvement:??Not only is my dad the biggest loser, but he also has had the biggest health improvement. He is no longer taking insulin shots to control his diabetes, and the dosage of his diabetic medication has been reduced. He is able to sleep without snoring, and he has had no flare-ups from gout since embarking on this healthy journey.?
Biggest fitness accomplishment:??We run. I have never imagined myself getting on the treadmill at the gym or going outside for a jog or run. As a family, we?re able to jog/run together, and as individuals, we jog/run for exercise. It?s a good way to get our heart rate up, and I?m so proud that we?re able to do it.
?Debra did 12 push-ups at the start of the challenge, and she could 40 push-ups six weeks into it. Jared has lost 25 pounds. He goes to the gym every day. He is jogging on the treadmill now, where before, he could only walk. He?s lifting weights. You can see the weight loss in his face and his neck.?
Biggest diet change:??Consuming less sugar. Sometimes when people think of eating sugar, they think about cookies and cakes. Of course, we liked those, but we also added sugar to foods that were otherwise healthy, such as peas, carrots, collard greens, even spaghetti. Down south, everything tastes better fried and with a little sugar.
?We?ve learned to enjoy the natural tastes of vegetables without unnecessary additives. Instead of a hunk of red velvet cake for dessert, we enjoy the natural sweetness of fruit. On special occasions, we may still have cake, but always smaller portions and lower-sugar and lower-fat recipes. It?s amazing the swaps you can make in your regular recipes to lighten food up.?
The Family Fitness Challenge will feature six families aiming to make lifestyle changes.
?
Biggest fitness change:??We now move. Before we moved only when we had to. Now we move because we want to. When I miss a group fitness class at the gym, I actually feel like I missed out on something. We now find fitness time enjoyable; before, it was a chore. I always wondered what it would feel like to enjoy working out, and now I get it.?
Hardest obstacle to overcome:??Controlling our personal environments. The gym serves pizza once a month, work parties happen often, and we have other family members and friends who eat lots of great-tasting food that isn?t good for us. We began taking lunch and snacks to work. I even put snacks in my car so I?m not tempted to stop for fast food. When going to gatherings where there will be food, we offer to bring a dish that?s healthy and delicious. When going out to eat, we review the menu and nutrition facts in advance to make meal decisions ahead of time. This is real life, and we can?t hide from food, but we can control what we eat and how much.?
Best lesson learned:??That healthy living is a way of life. So many times, we tried miracle diets to lose weight, but the weight always returns. This time, with making healthy choices and exercise, the weight is gone and it?s not coming back. The only regret we have is that we didn?t do it this way sooner.?
Best advice to others: ?Never give up. I have had my days where I felt like I will never lose the amount of weight that I want to because I ate peanut-butter cups at snack time. Peanut-butter cups will absolutely ruin a diet, but not a lifestyle. I had to remind myself that tomorrow is a new day and I could start fresh. Giving up is how I got to an unhealthy lifestyle in the first place, so I constantly remind myself that I don?t want to go back to that life.?
How they are going to stick with it: ?Our family will continue our healthy lifestyle by continuing to have Sunday Funday, where we get together and try new healthy recipes and work out together. We are planting an organic fruit and vegetable garden so that we can have access to fresh fruits and vegetables at a fraction of the normal costs. We will also stick to planning meals in advance and once-a-week weigh-ins to keep us on track.?
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Original article- Nanci Hellmich, USA Today- April 22, 2013
No, this isn't the world's thinnest phone thanks to Alcatel and BBK, but Oppo's recently announced R809T is still a seemingly attractive device judging by the above official image. Measuring at 6.93mm thick (instead of the rumored 6.13mm), we're surprised that Oppo didn't set this to be the follow-up to the Finder: sure, it's 0.28mm thicker, but it also aces the latter with a 4.7-inch 720p in-cell display, a 1.2GHz quad-core chip with 1GB RAM (likely MediaTek's Cortex-A7-based MT6589 SoC), Android 4.2 and a sorely missed 3.5mm headphone jack -- so no micro-USB adapter required. Then there's also an 8-megapixel main camera plus an increasingly common 2-megapixel, 88-degree wide front-facing imager, which is obviously no match for the 5-megapixel counterpart on Oppo's Ulike 2.
Pricing and availability have yet to be announced, but given the "T" in the model name, chances are it'll only work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, anyway; unless you really don't mind using just GSM. Close-up shot after the break.
Inventure-backed 
Payday loans, also known as cash advance, is an easy finance option for those who are in need of some instant cash. There are many businesses providing this service across the country and this happens to be a popular source of finance amongst many Americans. So if you are interested in this type of credit, here are 5 essential facts listed below which will help you understand what cash advance is and how it works -
