Katy Perry 'wanted Russell Brand to file for divorce due to parents'

Katy Perry wanted Russell Brand to file the papers for their divorce to avoid upsetting her parents, it has been reported.
The couple realised they had relationship problems a few months ago, but were attempting to work things out.
However, despite their best efforts, both parties felt that "it just wasn't there" and decided to divorce a few weeks ago.
Perry's parents are evangelical Christians, so she didn't want to be the one to officially end the marriage by filing the court documents, instead tasking Brand with the duty.
Both Perry and Brand wanted to be out of town when the papers were filed, which is why she was in Hawaii and he returned to England - spending Christmas 7,000 miles apart.

Brand filed for divorce on Friday, citing "irreconcilable differences" for the split.

"Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends," he said.

Quad-core Samsung Galaxy S III

Samsung’s Galaxy lineup has been one of the most sought after smartphone lines worldwide. The Galaxy S II became the company’s fastest selling smartphone ever, selling 3 million units in just 55 days. Moreover, Samsung sold more than 30 million Galaxy S and Galaxy S II smartphones worldwide as of October. There is no question that consumers are interested in the Galaxy lineup and it is almost certain that we will see a Galaxy S III in 2012. According to Korean website ETNews, the much anticipated device will debut at Mobile World Congress in February and feature a quad-core Exynos chipset. Additionally, the Galaxy S III will sport a Super AMOLED Plus 720p display, LTE connectivity, 2GB of RAM and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with TouchWiz. It has also been rumored that Samsung’s flagship device will feature 3D technology that will integrate the device with 3D television sets. Mobile World Congress is scheduled for February 27 through March 1, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible

Ford unveiled the 2013 Shelby GT500 at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, but only in its coupe form - an odd decision considering Chevrolet had already announced their ZL1 Convertible. However, this doesn’t mean the masses will not be privy to a GT500 Convertible; it just means that it has been delayed just a bit until the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

Changes in the exterior of the convertible GT500 will follow along the lines of the coupe with a "more modern and edgy" design, as well as new wheels and an overall improved look. Of course, the Convertible model will get a soft top for those cruising days.

As for the power, the GT500 debut promised a top speed of 200 mph for the Coupe model, but we highly doubt that will transfer over to the Convertible.

As the coupe version the GT500 Convertible will be powered by a 5.8L supercharged V8 engine producing a staggering 650 HP with a quieter and more efficient TVS unit.

Maserati hits the matte with exclusive GranTurismo S Limited Edition

We like us some matte finish here at Autoblog, but we have to admit that the usual smattering of matte black vinyl wraps leave us a bit in the dark. That's why our eyes pop just a little wider when we see a car that cuts the glare but keeps the palette. That's also why the storied brands of the Fiat group are getting top marks in our books these days.

At the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the group's top brand Ferrari showed off a concept 599 with regenerative braking and a delicious matte green finish. The following year at the same venue, Alfa Romeo lifted the veil on the tempting 4C Concept in a beautiful shade of matte red. And at the Bologna Motor Show earlier this month, their sister brand Maserati showcased this special GranTurismo in matte blue.

The car in question is a unique GranTurismo S Limited Edition exclusive to the Italian market, limited to only twelve examples to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. It also packs carbon spoilers front and rear, as well as carbon side mirrors and door handles, with matte black side skirts and headlamps, and black 20-inch rims with polished aluminum brake calipers. Check it out in the press release after the jump and the high-res images in the gallery for a closer look.

LG's 55-inch 'world's largest' OLED HDTV panel is official

We only have a few more days left until the festivities truly kick off at CES 2012 in Las Vegas, but LG has already tipped its hand with a press release promising the "world's largest" OLED panel for the show. We've seen smaller screens from LG before and it had already promised a 55-inch OLED HDTV for mid-2012, so this news is just another sign the company is ready to take its technology mainstream. LG's tech uses white OLEDs overlaid with colors, which it claims makes for a lower error rate and clearer "ultra definition" screen, with more colors than standard LCDs. Check after the break for one more promo pic of LG's super skinny 5mm prototype, we'll get a better look at it (and the inevitable competition from Korean rival Samsung) at the company's booth January 9th.

Kate Middleton and Prince William Celebrate First Christmas as Royal Newlyweds

Kate Middleton opted for a burgundy coat and fascinator for her first Christmas as part of the royal family today. Duchess Catherine greeted some young fans and stood close by her husband Prince William as they arrived at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk, England. Kate and William were also joined by his brother Prince Harry, their father Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla. Unfortunately this holiday season may be a difficult one for the royal family, since Prince Philip is in the hospital. Harry and William reportedly visited Philip on Friday, and apparently he is set to be back at home soon.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have already had quite a festive Christmas, attending the annual preholiday royal family meal. Prince William also showed off his dance moves when he and Kate visited his mother Diana's favorite charity last week. Overall it has been quite a 2011 for the newlyweds, and we're celebrating by taking a look back at Kate and William's cutest moments from the royal wedding to their North American tour and beyond.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Devices to Get Android 4.0 Updates in Spring 2012

2012 is going to be the year of Ice Cream Sandwich for Android users it seems, as Sony Ericsson has now committed to update many of the Xperia family smartphones to Android 4.0. It was just 2 days ago that we heard of Samsung's upgrade schedule, making it apparent other manufacturers would start laying down their plans as well.
Sony Ericsson is planning on rolling these updates out in late March to early April 2012, and they'll be upgrading the following devices to Android 4.0 versions;

• Xperia Arc S
• Xperia Ray
• Xperia Neo V
• Xperia Mini
• Xperia Mini Pro
• Xperia Arc
• Xperia Play
• Xperia Neo

As a note, Sony Ericsson stated that the Xperia Minis, Arc, Play and Neo will be the last to get the upgrades. Hey, at least they are actually committing to Ice Cream Sandwich on many of their existing handsets though!

New Kia Ray is Korea's first production Eectric Vehicle

Kia has unveiled the automaker's very first production electric vehicle. The Kia Ray EV will offer buyers a range of around 86 miles depending on driving conditions and will include a fast-charge option that should top off the cells in around 25 minutes. Otherwise, expect the 16.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack to take around six hours to charge on a 220-volt circuit. A 50 kW electric motor provides power to the front wheels, which is good enough to get the EV to 62 mph in 15.9 seconds. That may seems slow by most standards, but its worth noting that the internal combustion Ray with its 1.0-liter gas engine makes due with significantly less torque.

Kia says that Ray EV boasts 123 pound-feet of torque, which is 77 percent more than the 1.0-liter machine. The boxy EV also uses a new type of regenerative braking system in which the electric motor generates boost for the hydraulic brake assist – just like on an internal combustion vehicle. The automaker says that the result is a linear brake that still manages to recuperate energy that would otherwise be lost during deceleration. As wonky brake feel is one of our chief sticking points with all EVs, this comes as welcome news.

Kia will manufacture 2,500 Ray EVs for government agency use in Korea, so don't expect to be able to get your hands on one anytime soon

Toshiba introduces 10 inch Windows tablet in Japan

Toshiba has a few Android tablets under its belt, but the company’s latest 10 inch tablet runs Windows 7 Professional. It’s coming soon to Japan and it’s aimed at enterprise customers.
The Toshiba Dynabook WT301/D has a 10.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, an Intle Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 64GB solid state disk.
It supports 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, and has a VGA front-facing camera and 1.3MP rear camera, stereo speakers, and USB and micro HDMI ports. The tablet will also come with business software including Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010.
Toshiba plans to launch the new tablet in Japan in January. There’s no word on how much it will cost or if or when it will be available in the US.

Nokia Belle coming soon

The all new Nokia Belle (previously Symbian Belle) user interface will soon be available for download to some existing smartphones and begin shipping with a selection of smartphones that are already on the market.
Launched earlier this year with Nokia 701, Nokia 700 and Nokia 603 smartphones, the UI has received lots of positive feedback from our customers.
The enhanced versions of Nokia N8, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01 have now started their journey from the factories to the shops with Nokia Belle preinstalled, arriving first in China, then around the world.
For those already owning a Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia E6, Nokia X7, Nokia C6-01, Nokia C7, and Nokia Oro, the wait for Nokia Belle is almost over. Starting in February 2012, Nokia will release the all new Nokia Belle software update to existing customers and you’ll be able to download it right on to your phone, bringing a whole heap of improved features.
Nokia Belle brings you more home screens, expanding the current three home screens you get with Nokia Anna to six. That’s more screen real estate to host your apps and widgets.
The home screen widgets have been improved and made more functional than before. Plus some of them, such as the email widget, give now much more information making reading emails much easier at a glance.

Prince William and Kate Middleton Head to Buckingham Palace For a Royal Family Meal

Prince William was behind the wheel yesterday when he and his wife, Kate Middleton, visited Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. The Queen hosts a preholiday lunch for her relatives every year, and this year, William and Kate were joined by Prince Harry, Prince Charles, and others. Later in the day, William, Kate, and Harry reunited for the Sun Military Awards. David Beckham also turned out for the event, which honors the good work of British servicemen and women. Kate wowed on the red carpet in her black velvet Alexander McQueen gown. She accentuated the strapless design with a stunning diamond and ruby necklace, bracelet, and earring set that she apparently received as a gift at her April royal wedding.

BlackBerry PlayBook Shipment Hijacked,

This is as entertaining a story as much as it's down right depressing if you're an RIM lover/staffer. A truck loaded up with 5,200 BlackBerry PlayBooks was on its way to Ontario, Canada via Plainfield, Indiana. The heist took place when the driver for the truck made a stop to eat and shower only to find after his return that the truck was gone!
The local police are working with the FBI Interstate Task Force to find the stolen truck and goods aboard, and currently have footage from a surveillance camera to hopefully aid in the hunt. The loss could be worth anywhere between $1.5 - $5 million depending on what models of tablets were in the shipment. If they aren't found, that would only add to the loss Research In Motion already swallowed for the PlayBook to cover the cost of inventory sitting on shelves. That cost was over $485 million already.

Green Technology Expected to Rescue The Economy

A rising number of entrepreneurs are delving into a sea of green – a wave of opportunities in the green technology industry that have the potential of producing millions of green jobs. Although the world’s richest people cannot be expected to rescue the economy as the world gets ready to turn the corner into a new year, experts say green business leaders do have the potential of paving the way for a brighter economic future.
According to experts, the world’s wealthiest individuals actually are placing more of their focus on protecting their own assets in the slow-growth economy. For this reason, they are expected not to be as risk-taking in 2012 – at least not as risk-taking as is necessary to help to boost the economy.
Robert Frank, a Wall Street Journal writer who spoke recently at the Economist’s World in 2012 summit, said that millionaires throughout the world likely will have to pay more in taxes to help nations that are struggling with high debts.
In addition, Frank said he expected that the number of millionaires in Asia should be higher than the number of millionaires in the United States next year.
However, green technology is opening up several doors for aspiring entrepreneurs, and the work of these entrepreneurs should create many more job opportunities in America. Green businesses can be both cost-saving and money-making in that they provide green products and services that help customers to reduce their ecological footprints while saving on energy costs. Billions of dollars are wasted as people waste water, energy and other important resources.
Green companies also promote recycling, which further saves people money. Because of the increasing demand for green businesses’ offerings – such as clean energy and clean water – their money-making potential is high, which translates to more green job opportunities, thus getting more unemployed individuals back to work.
Small green businesses actually are more capable of creating new jobs faster than large companies can and thus should be at the forefront of leading America’s economic recovery through clean energy technologies and green employment opportunities, according to the Center for Small Business and the Environment.
The wealthy worldwide may be expected to be more cautious with their spending next year in light of the volatile economy, but the volatility of the market – combined with people’s growing realization of the need to save money and save their planet – should provide a breeding ground for green entrepreneurs to arise and make a difference. It’s a difference that can preserve the Earth, people's hopes of landing jobs, Americans’ wallets and subsequently the economy for coming years.

The World's Most Expensive Car Crashes

This car crash may top the list of the next television show: The World's Most Expensive Car Crashes. Occurring in Japan, the crash contained eight Ferraris, three Mercedes-Benzes, a Lamborghini, and two other vehicles. The whopping total of vehicle damage was $3.85 million, making it one of the most more expensive car crashes in history.
Nobody was seriously injured in the accident, but the road in the southern prefecture of Yamaguchi was closed for six hours after the accident. According to The Asahi Shimbun, a local newspaper, the sports cars were driven in convoy by a group of automobile aficionados on their way to Hiroshima.
Police report that the accident occurred when one of the Ferraris' drivers changed lanes and hit a crash barrier. The Ferrari then spun across the road and the other cars collided while trying to avoid hitting the spinning Ferrari. The group of cars were traveling at speeds in excess of 85 mph, according to a witness who told Japanese television, TBS.
Ten of the drivers and passengers received minor injuries in the crash and some of the vehicles were beyond repair.

Kanye West Wants Kim Kardashian

Looks like Kanye West has his eye on the newly single Kim Kardashian.
According to sources there was love in the air at the after-party for Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Watch The Throne” concert in Los Angeles Tuesday night.
All the celebrities swarmed to the after-party at the Beverly Hills estate and West was not shy about showing his affection towards Kim.

“Kanye was eating Kim up like she was a piece of cake,” says the source. “He was all over her — caressing her head, touching her waist.”
“I think he was dying to kiss her, but there were too many people in the room,” the source adds. “He wouldn’t talk to anybody else.”
Even West’s ex, Amber Rose, has said that him and Kardashian have had a romantic yet brief past.
Kardashian was loving it. “She was totally into it,” adds the source.
According to the insider Kardashian hung out with West in a small room along with Beyonce and Gabrielle Union. Then at one point Kardashian and West got up and went outside together… possibly to um show her a tour of the house (wink-wink).

A Smaller iPad for Family

There is an iPod Family with the iPod touch, classic, nano and shuffle. There is an iPhone Family with the

• Low Tier: iPhone 3GS (8GB)
• Mid Tier: iPhone 4 (8GB)
• High Tier: iPhone 4S (16GB, 32GB and 64GB)

2012 will mark the year of the iPad Family more than likely with a:

• Low Tier: 7.85” iPad mini
• Mid-Tier: iPad 2
• High Tier: iPad 3

If the iPad mini can hit a sweet spot of $199 in its basic configuration, we could expect the iPad family to consistently capture 60-70% share for years to come.
How do I know the entry-level iPad has been planned? For the twelve years I worked at Motorola, I saw how complex it was to get all the global certifications required for new cellphones – at least two years in advance of a product launch. It is no less complex for a 3G or 4G iPad. My experience included the first generation RAZR which paved the way for industrial design (I.D.) to be used as a competitive differentiator - just as Apple has used I.D. for the plethora of successful products that Apple fans use and love. It also takes time to work out the kinks from a prototype I.D. to get to mass production - 12 to 18 months. So Apple’s move wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction. It has been a carefully planned and well-orchestrated event that was a natural part of their multi-year roadmap process.
What the Kindle Family has done is validate the low tier space. Apple is consistent yet they are not copycats, for Jobs left the art of developing product families within the DNA of the company. You can count on me among those in line waiting to get my hands on the iPad mini.

Samsung Galaxy Note for AT&T 4G LTE

AT&T will be bringing the Samsung Galaxy Note stateside early next year as the SGH-I717, we've learned. Like the international version of the phone, GT-N7000, AT&T's Note will be highlighted by a huge 5.3-inch screen with a 1280x800 resolution. However, I717 will incorporate at least two important differences as well.

First, and pretty predictably, the Galaxy Note on AT&T will be 4G LTE capable -- as we can expect most high-end phones on both Verizon and AT&T to be from now until 5G. Secondly, I717 will be one of the few Samsung handsets powered by a Qualcomm chipset -- a dual-core 1.5GHz MSM8660, apparently. It's not at all clear why Sammy is eshewing its own Exynos chip for a competitor's silicon here, especially when the Galaxy S II has been so lauded for its performance.

Britney Spears Engaged to Boyfriend

Wedding bells will be ringing once again for Britney Spears as she accepted a proposal for marriage from her former manager, Jason Trawick. The two have been boyfriend and girlfriend for more than a year, and Trawick confirmed to “Access Hollywood” that he proposed to her on Thursday.
Mr. Trawick told “Access Hollywood” that he got down on one knee to pop the question to the pop star. The two were not alone as Spears' sons, Sean Preston, 6, and Jayden James, 5, were witnesses to the marriage proposal.
Britney Spears hinted at a proposal as well, in a tweet this morning, “OMG. Last night Jason surprised me with the one gift I've been waiting for. Can't wait to show you! SO SO SO excited!!!!!Xxo”
Ms. Spears turned 30 earlier this month, and Trawick is 40 years old. Ms. Spears told People magazine that she “really wants to get married and have another baby.&rdquo
Ms. Spears' first two marriages ended in annulment (Jason Alexander) and divorce (Kevin Federline). A source told “Us Weekly” that marriage is one thing they've both wanted for a while. “It's a way to cement their family. They're both extremely happy and can't wait to become man and wife.”

Kate Middleton has landed atop Britain's Best Dressed Women list

Earning recognition for her chic style sense, Kate Middleton has landed atop Britain's Best Dressed Women list, compiled by the UK version of Harper's Bazaar.
Following an impressive year of iconic fashion moments, the Duchess of Cambridge was awarded the honor by an elite crop on industry insiders, including Roksanda Ilincic, Philip Treacy, Antonio Berardi and the mag's editors, Kim Hersov and Lucy Yeomans.

“Catherine’s incredible style evolution has gripped us all. She gave us the year’s — if not the century’s — most thrilling fashion moment at the royal wedding, and is shaping up as an amazing ambassador for British designers and the high street," explained Yeoman's on the publication's website.
Along with Kate, others making the sartorial it-list were "Florence + the Machine" frontwoman Florence Welch, Kate Moss, Keira Knightley, Emma Watson and Alexa Chung.

Samsung's Transparent Video Display

Samsung;s flexible display screen is not expected to hit the markets until 2012, but the manufacturer is showing off how they intend to transform our lives. The video is a concept video just how far fetch is wait to be seen.
If Samsung can pull off this amazing video display it may just revolutionize everything around us. Think about how good life will be with transparent, flexible screens and smartphone-tablet hybrids.
Displays will be just a start, if the technology does work it won;t be long until tablets, televisions and computers are not far behind.
What about the battery pack ? Is that attached to a cable then shoved into the users pocket?

Sony Ericsson will be Rebranded as "Sony" by Mid-2012.

Last October 2011, Sony announced that they'll buy-out Ericsson's share for EUR 1.05 billion and will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony, now it will rebrand it's smartphone and it'll drop the Ericsson from the company name and just be called "Sony".
In a comment made by Sony's Vice President Kristian Tear at Times of India.

A lot of planning goes into getting the branding right but we will be done by middle of next year. It will also mean that the marketing and advertising investments will go up. We haven't been as fierce as we were a few years back but we will step it up, refocus and invest more in brand-building in select markets and India is one of those markets.

It looks like the declining sales and marketshare made it easy for them to buy-out and re-brand their smartphones but it won't be easy for Sony to claim lost glory specially now that there are bigger players in the mobile phone market.

Nokia X2-02 – Dual SIM music marvel, Crazy about music, internet and apps

Nokia launches the Nokia X2-02, a great music phone with Easy Swap Dual SIM, allowing you to easily manage your costs while staying connected to your friends and family. 
With an internal FM antenna, MP3 player, dedicated music keys, recording capability, an in-built loudspeaker for music playback, and 32GB of memory space, the Nokia X2-02 lets you store and play thousands of songs. The Nokia X2-02 also offers a special audio processing feature that brings you the clearest sound you’ll find at this price. And its “Play via Radio” feature allows you to record songs directly from the radio, and then share playlists through your home music system, your car, or with other mobile phones.
Easy Swap allows you to manage your costs by moving easily between as many as five SIM cards using a dedicated SIM manager – and you can swap SIM cards without having to turn off and reboot your phone. Use the dedicated SIM manager key to manage up to five SIM settings and give each SIM card a name.
The Nokia Browser makes it easier, faster and more affordable than ever before to access the Internet, compressing web pages by up to 90% so that they download quicker and keep data costs low.
The Nokia X2-02 comes loaded with dedicated Facebook and Twitter clients that you can launch directly from the home-screen shortcut bar, so you can check live status updates and tweets from your friends and family at a glance.
The phone looks great too, and you can choose from five exciting colours – Bright Red, Dark Silver, Orange, Violet and Ocean Blue.

In Brief:
Series 40
Superior audio quality
FM Radio and Play via Radio
Memory support for up to 32GB microSD
Easy Swap Dual SIM
Nokia Browser

The phone’s dimensions are 113 x 50 x 15 mm and it weighs 93g including the battery. The display is 2.2-inch, 240×320 pixels, and it comes with a 2-megapixel camera.
As well as connecting to the internet through the Nokia Browser, the phone offers easy access to social networks, email, chat and IM. There are also thousands of apps and games to enjoy in the Nokia Store.
The Nokia X2-02 has a standby time of up to 18.5 days and a talk time of up to 9.7 hours.
While prices vary by market, we anticipate the price at retail, before applicable taxes and subsidies, to be around EUR 60.

Optimize your blog’s with RSS feed

Your RSS Feed is sometimes the only way your visitors experience what you have to offer on a regular basis.
It serves to inform and entertain, but is also an essential tool for driving traffic back to your website and improving your overall search-engine ranking.
If all your feed does is show a poorly formatted excerpt of your posts, the hundreds of visitors who are not hitting your main site everyday will have no reason to read your content or share it with others.
When optimizing your RSS Feed, you have to consider the kind of content you curate. There are several reasons why you may want to use your feed to generate clicks. You may have a product, feature or art-directed element to your full site that needs exposure, or your content may be largely image-driven.
Here are some simple tips for optimizing and RSS Feed that will improve its functionality and get it to produce positive results for your site.

1. Use Feedburner

Feedburner is not just a fad application you should use because it is a part of Google’s app offerings. It has serious power and provides extensive traffic analysis and optional ad delivery mechanisms that you won’t find anywhere else for a cost of zero dollars.
Feedburner integrates several of the core functionalities you need for your RSS Feed to be successful. Activate SmartFeed and the Title/Description Burner to start.

2. Give your feed a strong title

In most cases, your feed will inherit the name of your website. If that name is ambiguous or starts with a Z, your feed may not get the attention it deserves.
Try to start your feed with a letter that occurs earlier in the alphabet, as most readers are alphabetic. Make sure it contains keywords that relate to what your content has to offer, or provides enough detail for your readers to remain familiar with it. For example” Shadowy Ramblings of an Artist” would be better phrased as “Art & Remablings of John Scott.”
If you don’t want to change your website title, you can give your Feed its own title under the “Title/Description” option of the Optimize tab in Feedburner.

3. Enhance your blog with Feed-boosting plugins

If you took my advice on #1 and have your feed setup in Feedburner, there may be a plugin available for your CMS or blogging platform to help direct feed traffic through Feedburner for the most impact. Below are links to some of the most common:

Blogger

• Redirect
• RSS Widget
• Email Subscriptions

TypePad

• Redirect
• RSS Widget
• Email Subscriptions

WordPress

• FeedBurner plugin
• Yoast SEO

4. Write content with high SEO value

Using descriptive keywords in your post titles, adding “ALT” descriptions to links and tagging your content properly will help search engines index your content faster. If you are writing an article on the medicinal qualities of the spearmint herb, an optimized title would be “Spearmint medicinal qualities for healthy living.” This title places the important keywords at the beginning, and adds a “hook” phrase to the end that targets readers interested in healthy living, who may not have otherwise cared about mint.

If you use WordPress, the Yoast SEO plugin is a complete solution for your blog that includes feed optimization settings and a simple addition to your post editor for creating alternate titles and keywords intended for your feeds and search results.

5. Always use fully qualified URLs when linking to other sites or content on your own site.

A fully qualified URL contains “http://” and your domain, rather than an internal path such as “../blog/?=234” or similar. Some websites may not be able to syndicate your feed if your links are not properly set. This includes making sure links to external sites always open in a new window or tab by using target=”_blank” in your link tags.

6. Include ALT text for your images.

Not only does this ensure your feed meets accessibility standards for screen-readers, it allows your images to be properly syndicated. This is critical if you publish a photoblog or other image-centered content.

7. Separate images from content

If you have an art-directed blog or your content revolves around photos, you will want to drive readers back to the main site to view your content in its full glory. Consider removing images from your feed or only providing a post thumbnail, and offering a separate feed for images. This method optimizes your content feed for mobile devices and drives users who are interested in your visual content to your main website.

8. Add a footer to your RSS Feed

Use an RSS footer to add social bookmarking links, copyright information, related post links, author information, or ad graphics to the bottom of each post. This tactic dramatically increases the number of clicks to other articles on your blog and keeps your content circulating. Most social bookmarking plugins for WordPress offer an option for adding themselves to your feed. FeedBurner also provides footer options for adding email subscription and social links with the FeedfFlare optimization.

9. Ping regularly

Pinging notifies various search engines that your feed has been updated and invites them to come index your content for higher visibility. The Yoast SEO WordPress plugin, along with many other quality SEO plugins, includes an option for pinging some services automatically when new content is published on your blog.
If you are using a different platform, or want more control over pining, you can use a free service like Ping-O-Matic or Feedshark. Add your Blog Name, Site URL and Feed URL, then select the engines to ping. If you opt to use FeedBurner, PingShot is available under your Publisize tab and provides a similar service.

10. Get backlinks

It does no good to have an awesome feed if no one is reading it. Help boost your feed’s popularity by submitting it for syndication across scores of networks.
Before doing this, it is a good idea to make sure everything else I’ve covered above is in order, especially the copyright information in your feed footer. Additionally, add a link back to your website, even if the feed already links individual items to the original post on your blog.

Yamaha shows retro lightweight 125cc

Yamaha's press conference at the Tokyo Motor Show today was a genuine sign of the times. Four brand new world premiers were shown. The largest internal combustion engine amongst them was a 250cc model with fat tires designed to go anywhere - the SUV of motorcycles was the claim.
There was also a three-wheeled electric commuter, a fold-up electric pedal-assist bicycle and, wait for it, an 80 km/l (226 mpg Imperial or 188 U.S. miles/gallon) retro 125cc commuter that's somewhere between a bicycle and motorcycle - it weighs just 80 kg and it is beautiful.
Firstly, the I've always been a big fan of 125cc four-strokes - it happened about 30 plus years ago when I was testing a 125cc Kawasaki for a motorcycle magazine and at the end of a week of valve-bouncing and lane-splitting, found I'd managed close to 100mpg for the daily commute. It was around the time of the first energy crisis and I figured that I'd found the answer.
If a high-revving, OHC four-stroke could achieve close to a 100 mpg when being shamelessly mistreated, what sort of economy could it deliver if it were tuned for economy, ridden gently and placed in a suitably lightweight frame?
Yamaha's Y125 appears to answer that question. Modeled on Yamaha's first motorcycle, the YA-1, the Yamaha Y125 is a modern interpretation of that motorcycle. Though the YA-1 was itself a copy of the German DKW RT125 and was powered by a two-stroke engine, I am certain readers will agree the Yamaha concept has faithfully updated the YA-1.

The YA-1 weighed around 140 kilograms and produced 5.6 bhp @ 5000 rpm for what was at the time, a highly competitive motorcycle not just on the road, but on the racetrack.
The big difference with the Y125 is in the fuel consumption. Yamaha claims the bike uses its "world" 125cc four-stroke motor, though the engine certainly seems to have been lightened and polished and beautified, and heaven knows what they've done with the internals.

The Y125 uses what is by today's standards, close to a bicycle frame with sophisticated lightweight suspension and similarly, the brakes are also featherweight. The end result is a bike that tips the scales at 80 kg - just a tad more than half the original YA-1's total.

At this stage, it's a concept but who knows what might happen simply because it's such an enticing bike that takes everything back to basics. Sure, the lights are LED and the rear wheel is driven by a belt rather than a chain, but nothing seems like rocket science - it's just a very traditional basic design updated with modern day computer design and material science, and it is an absolute celebration of the form of the original Yamaha.

The "world" motor Yamaha claims is used in the bike produces double the horsepower of the original YA-1, so the Y125 will never be embarrassed for acceleration or top speed on urban roads. The 80kg weight will ensure it is far quicker than your average scooter to ride, and the fuel consumption of 80 km/l (226 mpg Imperial or 188 U.S. miles/gallon) is testimony to what can be done when you really want to achieve economy in a two-wheeler.

Sources close to Microsoft have informed TNW that the public Windows 8 beta will be released in late February of 2012.

The timing of the public beta launch has been the subject of much debate in the technology community. It is expected that Windows 8 will be released in 2012, but the exact expected date for the completion and shipping of the forthcoming operating system remains undisclosed. However, knowing the release time frame of the beta itself allows us to better project when the work should be done on the Windows 8 project.
TNW previously spent a good deal of time employing Windows 7′s release milestones in a Windows 8 context, estimating that Windows 8 should be released to manufacturers (RTM) in June. Given the newly known ‘late February’ planned beta release, our estimate remains possible, if perhaps a bit optimistic.

I was unable to confirm exactly what will be in the beta itself. The feature set is not yet nailed down. It will be decided, as always, by the engineers working on the project deciding which components are ready for release. So, no word yet on the email function currently missing from the developer preview of the OS, and if it will be in the beta.  We’ll keep you up to date as we hear from our sources.
While February is perhaps farther off than some were hoping, Windows 8 continues to make progress, and assuming Microsoft makes this milestone we think it should still be on track for its expected third quarter launch next year. That means it could be, unless something goes horribly wrong, on hardware everywhere for the next holiday sales cycle.

Top Android MP3 Players for 2011

With the large holiday season ahead, shoppers are looking for great buys and even better, quality built products. Since Apple released the iPod Touch, manufacturers have followed in their footsteps to create devices that will interest buyers, minus the monthly data costs.
Since the Apple’s release, companies have engulfed the MP3 player market as one of the most popular touch screen players. More notable in the android division lies Samsung, who is drastically changing the consumer playing field with such devices as the samsung Galaxy S2, and the highly anticipated Galaxy Nexus.
Let us venture into these new products so maybe you can buy your child, grandchildren, wife, or even yourself one of the best MP3 products for the holidays.
Samsung Galaxy 4.0
The name does say it all. This device packs a friendly 4.0 inch screen for easy viewing at a reasonable size, without the hassle. For software, it carries the familiar Android 2.3.5 along with Android Market.
With competitors such as the iPod Touch, the Galaxy 4.0 lists for a current deal price on Amazon, around $5 more, for a total of $189.00; list price of $229.00. However, for that price you get access to just about anything that’s on a regular Android Smartphone, just without the phone part.
In addition, there is instant access to a 8GB Micro SD Card which can be upgraded to a large 32GB card. You can find a spanking deal on the internet, especially with extended Cyber Monday deals for around $31.00 here, with an included reader.
For those picturesque moments, the Galaxy 4.0 carries a 3.2 MP camera in the rear, and a VGA front facing camera for video calls. With a 1200 mAh battery, it will last you about a day.
Wrapping it up, the phone is a great deal. It really brings something different for those who are looking for an affordable device, without any contracts or monthly fees.
Samsung Galaxy 5.0
This MP3 is quite a player indeed, with its massive screen size of 5.0 inches. If you like large devices but do not want a tablet size, the 5.0 is up your alley with a deal of $229.00 on Amazon.

Even though this is the same as the “list” price of the 4.0, you are still saving $40 when you decide to buy online. Included in the price, you get more of the same features as the 4.0, such as the 8GB card upgradable to 32GB, 3.2 MP camera on the rear, and VGA camera on the front, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi compatibility, and Android 2.3.5.
Even though the price on amazon seems well worth it, the list price will set you back around $270.00. A little far fetched for an inch larger? But, if you want to be the holiday gift giver that out beats the rest, go for it!
Creative ZEN Touch 2

If you are looking for a more slimmed down “price-wise” device without every single feature known to mankind, take a look at the Creative ZEN Touch 2.
It doesn’t have much for a camera or video recording, 2MP to be exact. However, the compact player offers a reasonable 3.2 inch touch screen display.
For storage, the ZEN Touch offers a nice 8GB of internal storage, with an SD Card capacity up to 32GB. There is also a 16GB Internal storage version available.
You can find it available here, on Amazon.com for around $149.99
Philips GoGear Connect 3
The final item on the list is the Philips GoGear Connect 3 MP3 Player. This puppy features Android 2.3.3 OS with a little style. This is a great alternative to the quite pricey, Samsung Galaxy players we listed. Just like the ZEN, is has a 3.2 inch touch screen display.
A nice addition is that besides the Android Marketplace, you will be able to access the Amazon App Store as well. Like the others, it has around a day’s battery charge capacity. For storage, you will find 8GB of internal storage, and a 16GB card which can be upgraded to 32GB.
To seal the deal you will also discover that sound-isolating earphones are included, as well as surround sound performance.


All in all, these devices offer the user great choice in picking their next audio device. Thank goodness we are no longer monopolized by Apple’s torture and have more variety for the upcoming holiday season.

How to Root Samsung Galaxy Note and Install CWM Recovery

You now have the Galaxy note and the first thing that comes to your mind is to root it, and the next thing is to install Recovery like Clockworkmod. We found the easiest method that can root and install Clockworkmod Recovery at the same.
Requirements:

• Samsung Galaxy Note
• USB Data Cable
• Computer

ROOTING ONLY:

1. First Download this file Doomlord_v3_root-zergrush-busybox-su_2.zip
2. Then Extract it to a new folder via winzip/winrar.
3. Next, enable “USB Debugging” on your Galaxy Note. On your homescreen, tap Menu > Settings > Application > Development, then make sure “USB Debugging” is checked.
4. Connect your Galaxy Note to your computer via its USB data cable, then tap the “Turn on USB storage” button on your phone.
5. Next open the new folder with the extracted files, find and double  click the runme.bat to run the program.
6. Follow the instruction and wait until it is finished.
7. Now your Galaxy note is finally rooted

ROOTING WITH CLOCKWORKMOD RECOVERY:

1. First Determine what kernel version you have, from homescreen tap menu> Settings -> About phone -> Kernel Version.
   Note the string present there: 2.6.35.7-N7000XXKJ4-CL641703
   Here, the characters in red is kernel version
2. Then download the file that match your kernel version:
   Kernel KJ1
   Kernel KJ4
   Kernel KJ6
   Kernel KK1
   Kernel KKA
   Kernel KK9
3. Extract it to a new folder via winzip/winrar.
4. Next, enable “USB Debugging” on your Galaxy Note. On your homescreen, tap Menu > Settings > Application > Development, then make sure “USB Debugging” is checked.
5. Connect your Galaxy Note to your computer via its USB data cable, then tap the “Turn on USB storage” button on your phone.
6. Then on your computer go to the new folder you created, search for the not-rooted-yet.bat and double click it to run the program.
7. Next just follow the instructions and wait to finish.
8. Now your phone is finally rooted with Clockworkmod Recovery installed!

2012 Subaru BRZ finally bows

It's finally arrived: Subaru's version of the long-in-gestation Toyobaru has just said hello to the world at the Tokyo Motor Show. In case you've been in Witness Protection for the past two weeks, we'll recap the major specs: 2,689 pounds, 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet from the direct-injected 2.0-liter boxer engine, six-speed manual and automatic transmissions on offer and a lower center of gravity than a Ferrari 458 Italia.

There's still no word on pricing yet, but this is the rear-drive sports car that will be working to redefine little, fast, flickable handling. One more thing about the Subie version: it's the only one you can get in this shade of blue. You can refresh yourself on the details in the press release after the jump, and say hello to our newest little friend in the gallery of high-res images.

Kris Humphries: I Was Kim's Reality Show Pawn

Sources very close to Kris Humphries tell ... Kris is gunning for an annulment based on fraud because he feels "he was just slotted in the plot line of Kim Kardashian's latest headline and newest business venture."

We're told Kris believes Kim never intended to stay married to him, but needed a groom to fuel ratings for her show.  One source says, "Once they were finished taping, she just didn't need a groom anymore."

Kris is telling people he feels like a pawn in the game. 

And, we're told, Kris is outraged by people who think he was in on the wedding scam -- according to one friend, "He would have never flown in his childhood pastor to marry them and involve his church."

Finally, Kris feels Kim's own statement that she posted on her blog is a smoking gun ... specifically, "I felt like I was on a fast roller coaster and couldn't get off when now I know I probably should have.  I got caught up in the hoopla and the filming of the TV show."

Jennifer Lopez's New Guy Meets Her Kids, Max and Emme!

Jennifer Lopez enjoyed a getaway to the Hawaiian island of Kauai last week with her boyfriend, Casper Smart, and her children, Max and Emme Anthony. During their six-night stay, the new couple explored the island by helicopter and hung out at their resort. J Lo wore a bikini for one sweet afternoon of sharing PDA with Casper by their pool.
It seems Casper also got along well with J Lo's 3-year-old daughter, Emme. Casper played with Emme on the beach while Jen dipped her toes into the Pacific water. J Lo and Casper have since returned from their romantic holiday and are off again on another trip. Jennifer and backup dancer Casper are set to entertain Morocco's royal family this week during a new mall opening in Casablanca.

Miley Cyrus: California Pizza Kitchen Cutie

Filling up on some tasty food, Miley Cyrus was spotted grabbing a bite to eat at California Pizza Kitchen in Studio City, CA on Thursday afternoon (December 1).
Clad in a short black dress with black tights, the former "Hannah Montana" star toted a bottle of Fiji Water as she exited the local eatery after finishing up her Italian lunch.

Meanwhile, Miss Cyrus took to Twitter to announce plans to take the stage at the 2011 American Giving Awards next week, as she wrote, “I will be presenting at the #GivingAwards! Tune in Dec 10 @ 8pm on @NBC :)”
The 19-year-old is also lined up to make an appearance on the CNN Heroes telecast - with the show taking place on December 11th on CNN.