Samsung is doing 'very very well'

Samsung Electronics has reported a 41% jump in quarterly profits, boosted mainly by strong sales of its Galaxy range of smartphones.

It made a net profit of 7.15tn won ($6.4bn; £4.2bn) in the January to March quarter, up from 5.05tn won during the same period a year ago.

And with its latest smartphone model - the Galaxy S4 - set to go on sale later this week, analysts expect profits to rise further in the coming months.

Bryan Ma, an analyst at IDC Asia Pacific, told Leisha Chi that the firm is doing "very very well"

North Korea embraces 3G service

Almost two million North Koreans now use the country's only 3G network, reports a blog dedicated to technology news in North Korea.

The figure has been confirmed by 3G provider Koryolink, a partnership between Egyptian telecoms firm Orascom and the North Korean government.

The service can only be used to make voice calls, and all international calls are banned.

At the start of 2012 Koryolink claimed to have one million 3G subscribers.

In January 2013 the government began allowing visitors to the country to bring in their mobile phones for the first time.

Unlike residents, they would now be able to use the 3G network for mobile internet access as well, by purchasing local SIM cards, the country said at the time.

However last month a China-based tour operator called Koryo Tours, which specialises in tourist visits to North Korea, posted a note on its website saying that 3G was no longer available for visitors.

North Koreans only have access to a very limited, state-run set of internet pages.

When Google Chair Eric Schmidt visited the country at the start of the year he urged the government to allow citizens access to the wider internet and said it would be "easy" for the 3G network to include data access.

"As the world becomes increasingly connected, the North Korean decision to be virtually isolated is very much going to affect their physical world and their economic growth," he wrote in a blog post.

Facebook stock slides 6% as insiders get chance to sell

Thursday is only the first in a series of lockup expirations for Facebook. A total of 1.8 billion shares could come to market in the next nine months.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Facebook's life as a public company has been a nightmare from day one, and the pain continued on Thursday as some company insiders got their first chance to dump shares.

Facebook stock hit a new intra-day low of $19.69 Thursday morning, and ended the day 6.3% lower at $19.87.

About 22 million shares changed hands in the first 10 minutes of trading, and by the end of the session that volume soared to nearly 157 million shares. About 271 million shares are newly eligible for sale Thursday.

Like many initial public offerings, Facebook's May 18 debut debut included a "lockup" agreement that requires some shareholders to hold on to their stock for a certain period -- typically 90 to 180 days. Lockups are meant to prevent the market from being swamped with too many of a company's shares immediately after an IPO. Keeping stocks scarce can help boost their value.

But when a company's locked-up shares are set free, the stock typically tanks, since millions of new shares flood in at once. Facebook (FB) has already lost nearly half its value since its debut.

Facebook's fellow newly public Internet companies felt the pain when their lockups ended.LinkedIn (LNKD) slumped as much as 7% on its lockup expiration day, and Groupon(GRPN) fell 10% to hit a new low.

Thursday is only the first in a series of lockup expirations for Facebook. Its unusual staggered system means several more expiration days are coming, and a total of 1.8 billion shares could hit the market in the next nine months.

The big Facebook stock dump could come in mid-November. That's when Facebook will convert the special form of restricted stock units, or RSUs, held by most of its staff into actual shares of its stock.

Pop went the social media bubble. Now what?

Facebook's employees will owe taxes this year on the value of that stock. Like most companies that issue RSUs, Facebook is handling the logistics on its employees' behalf. The employees are still ultimately responsible for making sure their tax bills are fully covered.

Facebook plans to withhold a big chunk of its employees' shares -- roughly 120 million -- and sell them on the open market to cover the tax bill. Selling off so many shares at once could hammer the company's stock price. So Facebook has a Plan B: It can tap its credit lines and cash reserves to pay off the tax bill without issuing equity.

A Facebook representative declined to comment about which route the company plans to take, but the company has carefully lined up its options. It took out a $3 billion credit line specifically earmarked for the potential RSU-linked tax bill, and it's currently sitting on $10 billion in cash.

At Facebook's current share price, the tax bill would total around $2.6 billion. If its stock price keeps dropping, that bill will shrink further.

Facebook did get a vote of confidence from one investor last week. Netflix (NFLX) CEO Reed Hastings, who's also a member of Facebook's board, disclosed to regulators that he recently bought $1 million worth of shares in the social network. 

Apple's iCar is finally here

FORTUNE -- According to J.Crew CEO and Apple board member Mickey Drexler, Steve Jobslong dreamed of taking on the global automotive industry by building an Apple car, the would-be iCar. The Apple chief reportedly told the New York Times something similar. Though Jobs never got to make it happen, the iCar is coming. Sort of.

At this year's Shanghai Auto Show, Volkswagen unveiled the iBeetle. Why the "i?" The new variant of the classic design is built around deep integration with Apple's (AAPL) iPhone. It sports a docking station for the popular smartphone on the dashboard. A plugged-in iPhone can tap into the vehicle's navigation and audio systems. (A wireless connection is also available.)

MORE: Should Bloomberg be afraid of Twitter?

How is this different from pervious iPhone-auto integrations? Volkswagen is releasing an app that supercharges what the iPhone can do inside the vehicle. One part of the program displays vehicle information, such as coolant temperatures and oil levels. Another can compare driving times and distances. It also pipes in tunes from Spotify or iTunes and, natch, makes calls that can be run through the car's stereo too.

Of course, much of this isn't new. Carmakers, telecoms, software designers, and chip makers are rushing to bring the innovations made ubiquitous by smartphones and tablets to cars. Researcher ABI estimates that by 2016, over 200 million cars will have Internet access -- and that means loads of sensors, apps, and processors. Dashboards are quickly being replaced with high-tech features associate with mobile devices, from video calling to custom dials.

VW says the car was designed to match the look of Apple's smartphones. In other words, it'll be available in gray, white, and black. The iBeetle and iBeetle convertible are due on dealer lots at the beginning of next year. The iBeetle's price was not revealed.

50 million customers hit in LivingSocial hack

LivingSocial is requiring all customers to change their passwords after a cyberattack on its systems.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

If you're a LivingSocial customer, get ready to change your password.

The daily deals site recently suffered a cyberattack on some of its servers, and customer data for more than 50 million users may have been accessed, the company said late Friday. Credit card data was not affected.

Some users who attempted to log in on Friday were greeted with a message about the "unauthorized access," and were required to reset their passwords.

A LivingSocial spokesman sent CNNMoney a copy of an email that the company is sending to customers, which says the hackers may have accessed names, email addresses, encrypted passwords and the dates of birth for some users.

All LivingSocial users had some data stored on the hacked server, the spokesman said, except for customers in Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Those countries use TicketMonster and Ensogo, which are on different systems.

The company declined to comment further on details of the hack, instead sharing an internal memo that CEO Tim O'Shaughnessy sent to employees earlier today about it. Tech blog AllThingsD first reported on the hack, citing that internal memo.

Related story: Stop hackers in their tracks

In the message that greeted users attempting to log in, LivingSocial said it is "actively working with law enforcement to investigate this issue."

News of the LivingSocial hack comes three days after the Associated Press Twitter account was compromised. The hackers sent a tweet falsely claiming an attack on the White House had left President Obama injured, sending stocks sharply lower for a brief moment. 

HOW TO TIE a TIE

Four in Hand Knot

While this tie knot can be worn by anyone, it looks especially well on men with shorter necks as the knot's rather narrow and elongated form stretches the perceived height of the neck a tiny bit.The Four in Hand Knot makes for a narrow, more discreet and slightly asymmetrical tie knot. It is best suited for a standard button-down dress shirt and works best with wide neckties made from heavy fabrics.

To tie the Four in Hand Knot, select a necktie of your choice and stand in front of a mirror. Then simply follow the steps below:

 1) Start with the wide end ("W") of your necktie on the right, extending about 12 inches below the narrow end ("N") on the left.

 2) Then cross the wide end over the narrow end

 3) Turn the wide end back underneath the narrow end.

 4) Continue by bringing the wide end back over in front of the narrow end again.

 5) Then, pull the wide end up and through the loop around your neck.

6) Hold the front of the knot loosely with your index finger and bring the wide end down through the front loop.

7) At last, remove your finger and tighten the knot carefully to the collar by holding the narrow end and sliding the knot up.

That's it! That is all there is to the Four in Hand Knot. You will quickly learn to tie this necktie knot in less and less time every time you practice it. Just keep going, my friend!

For permanent downloads of the Four in Hand Knot video to your PC or cell phone as well as easy to print out one-page cheat sheets for you wallet or closet, you may want to check out my Tie Knot Video Series page.

FBI RELEASES NEW BOSTON BOMBING SUSPECT PHOTO

How to set up the ultimate home theater PC

At some point, you've probably considered hooking your computer up to your TV. Maybe you even purchased a video cable, only to realize that being hunched over your computer and tethered to the TV is far from the awesome setup you had in mind.

Hooking up your computer to your TV can be as simple or as complex as you want. A basic setup lets you stream the occasional Web video, while a more advanced rig lets you access movie and music files from computers across your home network.

But the most brag-worthy home theater PCs (HTPCs) include all the right elements: carefully chosen hardware, proper display settings, ergonomic accessories, and software that turns your PC into a set-top box.

Choosing a PC

It all starts with the PC. An out-of-use laptop or desktop is the ideal candidate for your HTPC, since it can be stationed in your media center along with the rest of your home theater equipment. Alternatively, you can use a roving laptop that gets put into HTPC mode when you plunk down onto the couch after work.

In the end, what really matters are the guts of your computer. An old PC is fine, but one that's too elderly will leave you with a laggy interface and inconsistent video streaming.

When you choose (or build) your HTPC, aim for these minimum system configurations:

Windows
Ideal minimum:
A Windows XP SP3 PC with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor 2.4GHz or better
At least 2GB RAM
HDMI- or Mini DisplayPort-out

Bare minimum:
A Windows XP SP3 PC with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor 1.6GHz or better
At least 512MB RAM
DVI-out

Mac
A Macintosh computer with an Intel Core Duo processor 1.6GHz or better
At least 1GB of RAM
Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 or newer

How to activate Facebook Chat Heads on your iOS device

If Chat Heads aren't yet showing up for you in the updated iOS app, you're going to want to read this.

Today Facebook updated its iOS app, bringing Chat Heads to the platform, although it's in a limited way. The new feature will only work while you're actively using the Facebook app.

Chat Heads will slowly roll out over the coming weeks to iOS users, but if you're the impatient kind who isn't afraid to edit some files on your device, you're going to want to head on over tothis post oiMore.n 

The post will walk you through the process of saving, viewing, and editing a PLIST file from the Facebook app; you then add or change a single value in the file, load it back onto your device, then close out the Facebook app and relaunch it. You'll then be able to take advantage of Chat Heads on iOS right now. Of course you'll need to be running version 6.0 of the Facebook app on your iOS device in order for this to work.

The guide also includes a workaround to unlock the new Stickers feature. The solution to unlock Stickers requires a proxy, which isn't something everyone is going to want to set up and use.

I enabled Chat Heads on my iPhone 5 by using iExplorer to grab the PLIST file and Xcode to edit it. The entire process took less time than it takes to brew a cup of coffee at a fancy coffee shop. Not being a big fan of Stickers, I opted to stop with the Chat Heads trick and simply wait for Facebook to enable Stickers on my account.

'American Idol' Ratings Dip, Big Brands Still Line Up

In the heyday of "American Idol," the notion that it could fall ratings victim to a zombie slugfest or standard crime drama would have been laughable.

That was then. With Fox's singing contest shedding about 20% of its audience so far this season to hit new lows, it's been leapfrogged repeatedly in total viewers by series including the CBS procedurals "Person of Interest" and "NCIS."

In a harsher blow to a blockbuster that once ruled the advertiser-adored young adult segment, "American Idol" has been overtaken this season by AMC's "The Walking Dead," despite the addition of glossy new "Idol" judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban.

But in its 12th season, "American Idol" is managing to hit the right notes with sponsors if not always with fickle viewers: It has retained its status as TV's advertising leader among series and the loyalty of its biggest backers, including Ford and Coca-Cola.

‘Breaking Bad’ Actor Pleads for Script’s Return

That allegedly stolen “Breaking Bad” script is still missing and now one of the show’s stars is making a public plea for its return.

In a message to the alleged thief, Charles Baker, who plays Skinny Pete on the show, said via TMZ: “You’ve already made a choice to steal from a person who is loved by millions of people … don’t make it worse by betraying the rest of the cast and crew and fellow fans of the show. You have the choice to be a better person than that.”

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico arrested Xavier McAfee Saturday for the alleged burglary, but they have been unable to recover the script, which went missing from star Bryan Cranston‘s car. McAfee made an appearance in court Monday but has not yet entered a plea.

In just-released 911 tapes, Cranston can be heard saying, “I need to report a breaking and entering into my automobile.”

Read More About the ‘Breaking Bad’ Script Being Stolen

The Sheriff’s Office told ABC News that Cranston parked his car in the Sandia Mountain Range March 1 near where the hit AMC series is filmed.

Law enforcement officials allege that McAfee smashed the actor’s passenger side window and snatched his shoulder bag, which contained an iPad and a script for one of the final episodes of the show’s last season. McAfee was later overheard bragging about the alleged theft to friends at a bar, police said.

With the script still missing, the secrets of the show’s much-anticipated series finale is in jeopardy.

More than 2.6 million people watch the show in which Cranston plays high-school-chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-maker Walter White.

Orlando Magic Fan Dupes Girlfriend Into Marriage Proposal

An Orlando Magic fan at the team’s home game Monday night against the Miami Heat thought she had won the lottery when she was picked from thousands of fans to try to sink a halftime shot for $20,000.

The fan, Elena, missed the shot but got a possible lifetime of happiness instead when her boyfriend, Eric, surprised her with a marriage proposal.

“It was just complete shock,” Elena, who asked that her last name not be used, said today on “Good Morning America.”

“It was probably the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me in my life, so far,” she said.

So far, Elena notes, because she said “yes” to the proposal and who knows what her now-fiance, Eric, will do next.

Eric, also asking that his last name not be used, said the idea to surprise his girlfriend came to him at two in the morning.

“We have such a happy, joking relationship.  I said, ‘What can I do to prank her?,’” he explained on “GMA.”

Inspired, he sent an email to his contacts at the Orlando Magic and their home arena, the Amway Center, and they were game, too.

“They came back to me and were like, ‘Yes, we’d love to do it.  We’ll get everybody involved,’” he said.  “I just had so many people supporting me at the Magic organization.”

Elena looked like she needed some support as she, wearing a dress and obviously not prepared to shoot for $20,000, took to the court.  Before she could be too disappointed with her miss, however, she was met by Eric mid-court, flanked by the Orlando Magic mascot, “Stuff,” holding a sign telling fans this was not a contest, but a marriage proposal.

Elena realized what was happening not because of the sign, but when she saw Eric on one knee, and then with the ring.

“Everything just came together so easily,” Eric said.  “All I had to do was bring her to the game and show up.”

William Levy's 'La Tempestad' Telenovela News Update: Levy and Co-Star Ximena Navarrete Ordered To Take Acting Classes Due To Bad Acting

After several days on set for his new telenovela, William Levy has been ordered to take intensive acting classes before continuing production.

Producer Salvador Mejia ordered Levy and his co-star Ximena Navarrete to go to the Televisa acting school and take intensive classes after faulty acting on set. He stated Levy has not been able to develop his character naturally and his Spanish accent is hard to understand. Of Navarrete he said that her voice and movements did not read well on camera.

However, Mejia complimented Spanish actor Ivan Sancchez and said that although he had a Gallego accent from Spain, he was doing a great job.

"La Tempestad" has made headlines throughout the past weeks after Levy revealed his new hairdo. The actor was heavily criticized and ridiculed by the actor's large fanbase. Levy then revealed the new tattoo he got done for the series. He stated that he had gotten two but one was hidden.  

Navarrete's election for the main role has also been criticized with many calling her a vampire and too ugly for Levy. She has also been called a bad actress. The former Miss Universe beat out actresses Silvia Navarro, Angelique Boyer, Sandra Echeverria and 

Elizabeth Gutierrez for the role of Marina.

Production has criticized the actors for the lack of chemistry and the long hours due to Navarrete's inexperience. They have also criticized Levy for his hard-to- understand Cuban accent. After numerous appearances in American television and film, production has stated that his Spanish is barely comprehensible and a complete headache. The script has been rewritten to accommodate him.

The series began shooting on Wednesday, March 6th in Veracruz and is set to move to studios after filming on location. "La Tempestad" also stars, Laura Carmine, Jessica Coch, Diana Bracho, Cesar Evora, Alfonso Herrera and Luis Manuel Avila. The series is based on the Colombian telenovela "La Tormenta" and is set to air in Mexico on May 13, 2013 on El Canal de la Estrellas.

Epic Fail / Wins Compilation April 2013!

Rihanna cancels yet another show on her Diamonds tour due to illness

RIHANNA has called off another concert on her Diamonds world tour due to illness.

The singer was scheduled to perform in Houston on Monday but will not now be appearing.Her promoter Live Nation confirmed only that the cancellation was "as a result of illness" but did not say what was wrong with the star.The postponement is not the first time the Grammy-award winner has called off shows on her current tour.She was forced to miss concerts in Baltimore and Boston last month because of sickness.

Rihanna was struck down with laryngitis on those occasions and there are reports the illness has again returned.The singer tweeted previously to apologise for letting down fans saying “this is the hardest thing for me to deal with!”Rihanna is due to bring her Diamonds Tour to the UK in June and July, and will kickstart the series of concerts in Cardiff.

Condom snorting

A TEENAGE girl unravels a condom on camera, pushes it up her nose and SNORTS it - before gagging as she pulls it out of her mouth.

The pretty brunette is the latest teen to take part in a vile and DEADLY new internet craze - called The Condom Challenge.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4890174/condom-snorting-the-vile-and-deadly-new-internet-trend.html#ixzz2QfbVjIWh
Funny Video Visit Here

Brits on board as bus crashes in French Alps killing one

A BRITISH coach driver was killed and three people badly hurt when a bus of young ski staff careered off a cliff in the French Alps.

Many more Brits reportedly suffered less serious injuries in the accident near Alpe d'Huez.

The bus was ferrying 51 people back from resorts in the popular region. Sources said the passengers were chalet staff and ski instructors returning to Britain at the end of the winter sports season.

Beyoncé causes nipples of excitement at world tour launch

BEYONCÉ shows her playful side as she takes to the stage in an outfit adorned with fake nipples.

The singer ensured the opening night of her world tour didn’t go unnoticed thanks to a series of sexy outfits she donned throughout the show in Belgrade, Serbia.

Pick of the bunch was a glittery figure-hugging costume that created the illusion she was performing in the nude.

Dark shadings at the contours of her boobs and two pointy lumps replicating her nipples must have initially fooled fans into believing she was baring all

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/4890055/beyonce-mrs-carter-show-tour-opening-night-belgrade.html#ixzz2QfZFvpXi

Chilling image of mystery figure on rooftops above Boston bomb blasts

THIS chilling image shows a mystery figure lurking on a rooftop – as a bomb blast rips through the Boston Marathon finishing line below.

The person does not seem to react as the ground-floor of the building erupts into flames following the second explosion.

The image was posted on Twitter shortly after the devastating attack – which killed at least three and injured over 140 innocent bystanders.

It was not immediately clear whether the figure on the roof had anything to do with the terror attack.

But some claim it raises the unnerving possibility that a perpetrator watched on as the street-level carnage was unleashed.

Christiano Ronaldo converts to Islam?

Actually not, but all muslims in this world expect him to embrace Islam one day. exactly what I want to share to all of you is about the welfare of Cristiano Ronaldo who has lakukan.walaupun he had not embraced Islam, but we hope that Allah will open the door him to become a Muslim one day. This story may be said to be quite long but I assume it is quite rare to hear. Yes, imagine that he is among the influential and recognizable of the world and he's a religion other than Islam, and suddenly he help the people of Islam around the world, such as in Palestine, he was willing to sell his gold shoes simply to help people that is not religion same like him. here some nice pictures for me to share with you all.

and most recently during the qualifying round of the group stage of the World Cup 2014, an Israel player tries to change his jersey with but he declined

conclusion, we as Muslims also need to help each other, not only in terms of money but love and other assistance, we also can make Cristiano Ronaldo as an example to us, Allah opened the door to her heart one day.

Funny Video Visit Here

Double explosion rocks the Boston Marathon

Twin blasts close to the finish line 
— Reports of 'two deaths' and many injured

TWO explosions at the finish line of the world famous Boston Marathon have resulted in two deaths and many injuries, Boston Police Dept say.

Authorities out on the course carried off the injured while the stragglers in the 26.2-mile trek were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts.

According to one report, unexploded devices were found in the area.