HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

Minority Report (2002) Dual Audio BRRip 720P ESubs

Posted on December 10th, 2014 by Admin

||Minority Report (2002)||

[BRRip | Hin-Eng | 720P]

Ratings: 7.7/10
Released On: 21 June 2002
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Genre(s): Action | Mystery | Sci-Fi
Star Cast: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton

Synopsis: In the year 2054 A.D. crime is virtually eliminated from Washington D.C. thanks to an elite law enforcing squad “Precrime”. They use three gifted humans (called “Pre-Cogs”) with special powers to see into the future and predict crimes beforehand. John Anderton heads Precrime and believes the system’s flawlessness steadfastly. However one day the Pre-Cogs predict that Anderton will commit a murder himself in the next 36 hours. Worse, Anderton doesn’t even know the victim. He decides to get to the mystery’s core by finding out the ‘minority report’ which means the prediction of the female Pre-Cog Agatha that “might” tell a different story and prove Anderton innocent.

||Download File Via Torrent||
Click Here To Get File
||Free Watch Full Movie Online Via Single Links||
Nowvideo | Cloudy | Played | Vodlocker | Hbulk
||Free Download Via Single Resumable Links Size: 959MB||
Nowdownload | Direct | Clickup | Voowl | Filevice | Jumbo
Fcloud | 2Drive | Indi | Fileup | Userfile | Usercloud | Multi
Click Here To Get Rar File Links

Adventure Tested: La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX

Expand

La Sportiva updated their popular line of Nepal mountaineering boots with the new Cube GTX. The Cube is an incredibly lightweight, single layer, technical winter boot that's ideal for mixed terrain. We put it to the test in the country of its namesake while climbing in the Himalayas.

What It Feels Like To Vomit, Just After Summiting A 20,000' Peak

This is a brutally honest account of my first Himalayan climb — an attempt on the 20,305' Imja … Read more

What Are They Supposed to Do? Previous versions of the Nepal offered amazing warmth and superb technical performance on all types of climbing terrain while remaining lightweight. The 31 oz Nepal Cube GTX ($575) is designed to offer similar performance, but is a full 4 oz lighter than the EVO GTX. Additionally, the Cube's insole and midsole are a combined 12mm thinner than the EVO's — creating a lower profile for added stability.

Many of the EVO's existing construction materials and features have been carried over to the Cube including the use of a 3.2 mm thick silicone-impregnated leather upper, resolabe Vibram soles with an Impact Brake System (which slants the sole lugs in opposing directions to provide traction both forwards and back) and a GoreTex insulated liner. The Cube also uses a hinged ankle to prevent lateral torsion and has a removable, adjustable tongue for a custom fit. These features combined make the Cube GTX one of the most technically-advanced mountaineering boots on the market.

Expand

Fittingly, I tested the Nepal Cube GTX in Nepal.

How're They Supposed To Do It? The Cube uses a 4mm thick carbon fiber honeycomb insulated insole. The honeycomb design allows the insole to be incredibly lightweight and thin while providing adequate insulation and rigidity for climbing cold, rough terrain. Additionally, the crampon-ready polyurethane midsole is only 2mm thick. For contrast, both the EVO's insole and midsole are 9mm thick. Thinner soles allow climbers to have more stability by lowering their center of gravity, putting them more in-touch with the ground, with or without crampons.

The Cube is nearly 15% lighter than the EVO; that weight savings was achieved through the improved insole. Lighter boots improve the climber's performance both during approach (less weight in the pack) and while climbing (lighter feet equals less energy exerted with every step).

Hiking Nepal In Edmund Hillary's Footsteps

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first people to summit Mt. Everest.… Read more

The silicone-impregnated leather supplied by Perwanger of Italy. They tan the leather with a special process that makes it extremely water-repellent, while still remaining breathable. It's the most durable leather available; made from the corium, which is the strongest part of the leather.

The ankle utilizes a hinge system that allows lateral flexibility while still allowing longitudinal lockout for excellent support and safety.

Expand

Air-injected rubber rands protect the Cube's leather from cuts, gashes, and abrasion.

How Does It Perform? I put the Nepal Cube GTX to the test all over the world in all kinds of climbing conditions. First, on an end-of-season climb of Mt. Baker in the North Cascades. That climb was cold, wet, and featured mixed terrain. Then I tested them in Iceland, again in cold, wet conditions with fresh snowfall and lots of glacier travel. Finally, I brought them to the country of their namesake for an end-of-season climb of the 20,305' Imja Tse — more popularly known as Island Peak. Though that climb was only one day long and dry, it was cold and high.

The first thing worth noting about the Cubes is their low weight for a winter boot. My "approach hike" to Island Peak was more than 100 miles long. In addition to climbing gear and clothes, I was carrying computer and camera equipment. All of that added up to about 60 pounds and I shaved weight wherever I could. The Cubes are about a pound lighter than my La Sportiva Spantiks and they still did the trick for a short, but high-altitude climb.

Expand

The resolable Vibram soles feature the unique Impact Brake System, which is said to increase braking power and reduce impact forces.

Wearing the Cubes is like wearing a pair of very supportive (but very warm) hiking boots. They do not feel heavy or clunky; this is arguably due to their low weight (heavy duty hiking boots can often weigh up to 30 oz) and thinner soles, which noticeably improve contact with the ground. When we finished glacier travel and started hiking down from Island Peak, everyone switched out of their heavy double boots into hiking boots; I was able to leave the Cubes on without any exertion penalties. While the boots are light — they still provide massive support. When climbing rock, I was able to step up using only my toes without worrying about slippage caused from boot flex. Yet even with their rigidity, the Cubes remained comfortable for hiking.

Mt. Baker, the snowiest mountain the world, is known for its cold wet conditions; my experience was no different. Our entire climb was through wet snow; the Cubes did not wet out, yet they vented well - keeping my feet dry the entire day. While climbing down from a volcano in Iceland, we got caught on an outlet glacier during a torrential, all-day-long downpour. The boots eventually did wet out, but mountain boots are not designed to endure the type of rain that we experienced. Though they wet out, my feet stayed warm in the near-freezing temperatures.

Download »

Air Assault 2

Action »

Rough, cruel, and intense helicopter 3D action game.

Download Air Assault 2 free full version game and start playing now!

Description:

Take to the skies again with Air Assault 2, the intense sequel to the action hit that pits you against a determined enemy over the desert, the sea, and a vast industrial complex. Featuring more than 100 unique enemy units, an exciting storyline, and some of the most amazing 3D graphics you've ever seen, AirStrike 2 will keep you glued to your seat for hours. What are you waiting for, Pilot? The world is counting on you!Download free full version game today and get your fair share of adrenaline!
Free Game Features:
- 18 large levels with 3 powerful big bosses;
- 5 different landscape types;
- Over 100(!!!) different units with unique characteristics;
- 6 different helicopters to fly on;
- 10 unique weapons with 3-7 level upgrade;
- 15 different bonuses and 5 missile types;
- Night missions with varying weather conditions;
- Five levels of difficulty for hardcore-gamers and rookies;
- Original soundtrack and powerful sound effects;
- A leading-edge 3D Graphics Engine;
- Free full version game without any limitations.

Categories: Action » Battle » Combat » Killing » Shooter » Shooting » War » Army » 3D » Helicopter

Advertisement

Game Requirements:

• - File Size: 22 Mb;
• - Microsoft Windows operating system;
• - Easy game removal through the Windows Control Panel.

 Screenshots:

Click to enlarge

Download »

Goodgame Empire

Action »

Great strategy title. Build your own castle, create a powerful army and fight epic player versus player battles.

Download Goodgame Empire free full version game and start playing now!

Description:

Become the lord of a castle and turn your small fortress into the capital of the entire kingdom in this exciting online strategy game. Establish an efficient economic system and assemble a mighty army to defend your realm and extend your territory. Forge alliances with other players worldwide to crush your enemies, and become the sole ruler of a mighty empire!
Build your own castle, create a powerful army and fight epic player versus player battles on a dynamic world map. Crush your enemies, conquer land and rise to the ruler of a mighty empire in this free game!
Free Game features:
- An army comprising di fferent melee and ranged fi ghters;
- Combat against other players and an alliance system;
- A dynamic world map;
- Strategic battles using various units and siege tools;
- The ability to upgrade your castle with numerous buildings;
- An economic system with di erent resources;
- Outposts for securing more supplies;
- Entertaining campaigns with missions and attractive rewards.

Categories: Action » Multiplayer » Battle » Combat » Strategy » War » RTS

Advertisement

Game Requirements:

• - File Size: 2 Mb;
• - Microsoft Windows operating system;
• - Easy game removal through the Windows Control Panel.

Top 10 Games

• 1 Motoracing
• 2 Living Legends: Ice Rose
• 3 Royal Envoy 2
• 4 Azteca Puzzle
• 5 Goodgame Empire
• 6 Zombie Shooter 2
• 7 Gardenscapes
• 8 Bomber Mario
• 9 Call of Atlantis
• 10 Alexander: Secrets of Power

Video and Screenshots:

Click to enlarge

Download »

Offroad Racers

Racing »

3D Offroad Racing Game.

Download Offroad Racers free full version game and start playing now!

Description:

The Off-road Racers contest is an event where monster trucks, rally cars, pickups and buggies compete with each other. Opponents can try to stop racers on their way to finish in three different racing modes. Download free full version pc game today, complete 18 stages and win the contest!
Free Game Features:
- Real offroad racing game;
- 3 different racing modes;
- 18 offroad stages;
- Modern 3D graphics;
- Extraordinarily addictive game play;
- Original soundtrack and powerful sound effects;
- Free full version game without any limitations.

Categories: Racing » Car Racing » 3D » Cars » Driving » Monster Truck » Race Car » Cool » Boys

Advertisement

Game Requirements:

• - File Size: 70 Mb;
• - Microsoft Windows operating system;
• - Easy game removal through the Windows Control Panel.

Tracking a Gadget’s Journey From the Mine to Beneath the Christmas Tree

Imagine you're in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Behind you is China, below you are thousands of tons of consumer goods destined for faraway ports, then stores, then maybe a spot beneath a Christmas tree. You are part of a vast economy that supplies the things we buy—a galaxy of cities, systems, and people that is largely unacknowledged and rarely seen. Unless you know where to look.

Liam Young and Kate Davies, a pair of designers and researchers based in London, know where to look, and have done just that. As part of their ongoing design research studio called Unknown Fields Division, they've been focused on parts of the world that even fewer people have ever visited: Tracing the supply chain of the global economy in reverse, documenting the complex systems and spaces that deliver electronics and other products to stores all over the world.

Imagine their route as the reverse of the path your new smartphone might take on its way to your door. The crew began by climbing aboard massive cargo ships bound for Chinese ports, then docked along with thousands of cargo containers. Then on to the massive wholesale market where international buyers snap up everything from Christmas decorations and RC planes; then to the factories and worker dorms themselves, and then deeper into Inner Mongolia, to the villages where the rare earth elements used to build electronics are mined.

Like macro-scale detectives, they began at the end and traced the supply chain back to the very beginning, when the circuitry in your phone was just dust in an Inner Mongolian mine. In doing so, they documented the vast landscape of the global economy.

"What we're trying to do is talk about this extraordinary, planetary-scale infrastructural system that we've put in place that most of the world doesn't know exists," Young tells me over the phone after having returned from the second of two trips to Asia. "The scale and production of infrastructure required to deliver the world that we know is utterly extraordinary, but it's so big and so ubiquitous that it's kind of become invisible," he adds. "This project is trying to reveal the systems behind modern living."

Expand

Scores of workers line the continuously moving conveyor belts of a Microwave oven factory in China. Image © Liam Young/Unknown Fields.

4) The Cargo Ships

Since Young and Davies decided to trace the supply chain in reverse, the last leg of your average gadget's journey was actually their first leg: The massive cargo ships themselves.

Hitching a ride on some of the world's most advanced commercial ships was, as Young tells me, mostly just a matter of asking. They contacted Maersk, the Danish company that is by far the biggest shipping corporation in the world, to ask that it allow six of their members aboard Maersk vessels arriving in Yantian, a port in Shenzhen, around the same time. After he had assured Maersk's reps that the group wasn't preparing an expose on international shipping, things fell into place quickly

What Really Happened to the MTA's 60 Million Leftover Subway Tokens

It's been over a decade since the MTA did away with subway tokens, those dirty metal bits of New York-ness that seemed unremarkable until, suddenly, they were gone. Since then, rumors have swirled about the fate of the 60 million tokens once in circulation—where were they? Now, we have an answer.

The question of what the MTA did with all those tokens—tons of them—is an ongoing bit of lore in NYC. Back in 2003 when the tokens were decommissioned in favor of Metrocards, The New York Times wrote that "the agency will not say what will become of the remains, 60 million of them, except that it has no plans for disposing of them." The same year, Gotham Gazette reported that 41 million of them had ended up in a "vault somewhere in Queens." And earlier this week, a listicle from Thrillist about the NYC subway brought up the fate of the tokens once again. "After a few calls to the MTA, it seems what happened to them is still largely a mystery," they write.

It's a romantic thought: An anonymous warehouse, perhaps in some industrial part of the city, where piles and piles of bronze tokens glitter in the darkness. I got in touch with MTA spokesperson Kevin Ortiz to find out for sure. Turns out, my dream was just that. Ortiz says that 45 million of the tokens were scrapped—meaning that they were melted down and turned into scrap metal for other uses. "We still have an inventory of approximately 9 million tokens of different varieties that are sold to licensees as part of agreements to use the tokens for marketable items like cufflinks, watches, golf markers, etc," he says.

Of course, nine million is still plenty of tokens—but nowhere near enough for Scrooge McDuck to swim through.

The Fight Over Tokyo's Olympic Stadium Is Getting Very, Very Ugly

1

We already knew that Japanese architects (and the public) are no fans of Zaha Hadid's massive Olympic stadium—they've been protesting the design for a year. But last month things escalated—rapidly—when a whole slew of new insults emerged, and now, Hadid has responded. It's pretty bad!

If you're just tuning in, here's a little synopsis. Hadid was chosen to build the new National Stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics based on a design that a group of high-profile Japanese architects quickly criticized as too big, too expensive, and offensively ill-designed. Protests against the chosen design have escalated to include hundreds of members of the public, and eventually, an altered design was announced that would cut down on the exorbitant cost of the proposed design, originally $3 billion.

In November, some of critics spoke toThe Guardian about their qualms. Here are a few notable quotes included in the post from critics and architects of the design:

• "A monumental mistake."
• "A disgrace to future generations."
• "I'm saying it's just ridiculous [...] We are raising our voices, but they don't listen. We are not a civil society where citizen voices can be critical."
• "Like a turtle waiting for Japan to sink so that it can swim away"
• "The sight left me in despair. If the stadium gets built the way it is, Tokyo will surely be burdened with a gigantic white elephant."

This week, Hadid struck back. In an interview with Dezeen, calling them hypocrites and hinting that their derision is based on xenophobia:

"They don't want a foreigner to build in Tokyo for a national stadium. On the other hand, they all have work abroad. Whether it's Sejima, Toyo Ito, or Maki or Isozaki or Kengo Kuma.

"The fact that they lost is their problem, they lost the competition. If they are against the idea of doing a stadium on that site, I don't think they should have entered the competition."

"It saddens me. What can I do? They're going ahead with it irrespective. So..."

It's not exactly the most flattering set of statements—from either side—and it's almost definitely not the last we'll hear from either side of the feud. As if the architecture world needed any more bad press. [Dezeen; The Guardian]

Father Makes Son Play Through Video Game History, Chronologically

Expand1

For the last ten years, Andy Baio has been performing an experiment on his son. It is equal parts cruel and fascinating. Rather than let him play whatever video game he wanted, Baio made his boy work his way to modernity by playing through the history of video games chronologically. Starting with 1979's Galaxian.

His son Eliot was born in 2004, so Baio has this week published the findings of his decade-long "experiment in forced nostalgia and questionable parenting." The point was to let his son explore the history of the medium and how it has transformed over the decades, maybe giving him an appreciation of older (or newer but cruder) games that he might otherwise have dismissed as relics.

Eliot was given his first video games on his fourth birthday. Those games were Galaxian (1979), Rally-X (1980), Bosconian (1981), Dig Dug (1982), Pac-Man (1980), Super Pac-Man (1982), Pac-Man Plus (1982) and Pac & Pal (1983).

Next was the Atari 2600. Then the NES. Then the SNES. And so on. And by God, whether it was working or not, it sounds like Eliot was kicking ass.

The 2014 Hater's Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog

It's a difficult world out there, people. War, poverty, brutality, corruption, social and racial injustice … these are not civil times we live in. Which is why, more than ever, we NEED the comfort and warmth that only life inside the Williams-Sonoma catalog can provide. Follow me, America. Follow me inside these glossy pages, where there is no anger. No violence. No internet commenters explaining why YOUR SO STOOPID.

In here, there is nothing but endless kitchen countertops, and meticulously arranged buffet spreads with pre-made bundt cakes (prep it a day early, and your party is a snap!) that have been drizzled just so with triple-butterscotch icing. There are fancy chocolates enrobed in other fancy chocolates. There are WHIMSICAL TINS (yes, the copy actually says that). There are thousands of newfangled cooking tools and gadgets and devices that only a Greenwich, Conn., kitchen could possibly have space to accommodate. There are dustings and sprinklings and twee little bows, all perfectly arranged for your perfect little evening of perfect holiday entertaining with your perfect neighbor guests and your perfect children standing by the table in their john-johns and singing gaily to you all as you pipe fresh, warm cognac into each other's butts.

There is grace in this catalog. You are safe from the outside world here. It's just you, your $685 Vitamix blender ("No waste and plenty of extra fiber!"), and no possible way for city residents to access your neighborhood via public transit. While the world burns outside, you will be snug and secure with all your loved ones, talking about your times at Princeton (I assume all of you went to Princeton), breathing in the scents from a literal Dutch oven, and spooning out fresh cassoulet from one of your MANY Le Creuset cooking dishes. Isn't life FABULOUS?! Isn't Christmas just grand when you spent thousands of dollars and hours upon hours of your free time making everything just so perfect, so you can spend the rest of your time micromanaging your family into oblivion, so that they are always within your maniacal control? I bet this catalog is for people who freak out if a dog nuzzles against them.

Anyway, as a card-carrying white person, I have once again received this catalog in the mail. So as we did in 2012 and 2013, let's go through it and point out some of the more ludicrous items to be found. I'm sad to report that there are NO chicken coops on sale this year. You'll have to source those elsewhere, amigo. But there IS an Ina Garten cameo here! You knew there would be.

Download »

Shadow Kings

Action »

Goodgame Shadow Kings - Dark Ages, the fantasy MMO game!

Download Shadow Kings free full version game and start playing now!

Description:

In a fantasy kingdom, men, elves and dwarves have lived peacefully together for generations. But their carefree way of life has long been a source of envy among the creatures of darkness. After decades of preparation, an army of orcs, goblins and trolls have launched an invasion, and are threatening to bring ruin to the once peaceful world.
Shadow Kings allows the players to set up own cities and the first challenge will be produce resources and building up their settlement and the next one have to build up and army against dark forces of evil. Decide about fate of your town and inhabitans, their fate is in your hands. You will have to conquer enemy outposts and fight epic battles.
Shadow Kings is a MMO building strategy game. Playing together in alliances and navigating complex diplomatic possibilities demand strategic skill, while regular events and new content ensure lasting enjoyment. Everything what I say with beautiful and cute graphics. Sounds like awesome experience, isn't it?

Categories: Action » Battle » Building » Sim & Farm » Skill » Strategy » Army » Magic » Dragon » Fairy

Advertisement

Game Requirements:

• - File Size: 1 Mb;
• - Microsoft Windows operating system;
• - Easy game removal through the Windows Control Panel.

Sweeping New Olympic Rules Hope to Fix the Broken Games 6 kcampbelldollaghan Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan ProfileFollow Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Filed to: olympics international olympic committee urbanism cities new rules Monday 4:35pm Sweeping New Olympic Rules Hope to Fix the Broken Games With few cities willing to host them, the Olympics are in trouble. And with ongoing allegations of fraud and incompetence, the International Olympic Committee is in even more trouble. Today, the IOC approved dozens of new rules that attempt to address the expense and mismanagement of the Games. The new guidelines are expansive—suspiciously so—and they range from allowing multiple cities or even multiple countries to host the same Olympics, to cutting down on the cost of bidding to host at all, to new rules for auditing and transparency within the IOC. It's easy to see why the IOC wants the world to know it's changing. The last few years have seen a seemingly endless parade of outrageous stories about corruption and mismanagement from within the IOC. And from without, there's been the growing international objections to the extraordinary financial burden the Games—and even just the bidding process for the Games—puts on cities. And so last month, the IOC published a document (PDF) in advance of its yearly meeting details a plan called 20+20, in which it described 40 different recommendations for how the organization could improve. At the IOC's 127th annual session this weekend, every single recommendation was approved unanimously—according to the IOC, there were zero votes against any of the items, though the Chicago Tribune reports that there were clearly members who did not raise their hands during voting. Making It Cheaper and Easier to Host What's the IOC so desperate to change? First of all, the way cities host the games. The IOC will now guide potential host cities through the process, and "actively promote the maximum use of existing facilities and the use of temporary and demountable venues," a nod to the horrendous effect the Olympics have had on past host cities' financial and urban health. Going even further, the IOC will also allow hosts to split events between multiple cities within a country—and if it's necessary, host some events in entirely different countries. So if a country didn't have the ski jump necessary to hold the event, they could appeal to a neighboring country or city to host it. It's a model that looks more like the World Cup, where multiple cities split the burden, and it could open the door to the Olympics behind held in, say, New York City and Philadelphia, or Los Angeles and San Francisco. Sweeping New Olympic Rules Hope to Fix the Broken Games Rosa Khutor, an area near Sochi that hosted Olympic venues. Image: Alexander Belenkiy The idea is to make it less financially taxing to build venues and space for every single event in a single city, and the IOC says it will also help cities balance "long-term investment in infrastructure and return on such investment on the one hand, and the operational budget on the other hand," ostensibly to avoid the kind of budget overruns seen in the Sochi Olympics, which went more than $40 billion over budget building infrastructure and venues—the long-term urban benefit of which still remains to be seen. We're Green, We Swear As you read further into the long list of promises the IOC is making, you'll notice a core theme: sustainability. The IOC is also making it cheaper to bid at all, cutting down on the meetings and sessions the cities must pay for during the bidding process. It's also pledging to completely change how the Olympics are organized to make the process more sustainable: Not only by letting cities and countries share the burden and promoting reusable venue design, but by putting a cap on the number of athletes and events in each year's games and monitoring labor standards, which have been an issue at Brazil's Olympic venue sites, below. Sweeping New Olympic Rules Hope to Fix the Broken Games Rio's Olympic Village under construction. AP Photo/Leo Correa The IOC will "include sustainability in its day-to-day operations," it says vaguely, and "integrate and implement sustainability measures that encompass economic, social and environmental spheres in all stages of their project." What's more, it's pledging to be far more transparent with its dealings, auditing its financial records to International Financial Reporting Standards and requiring the IOC to "produce an annual activity and financial report, including the allowance policy for IOC members." If it feels like a whole lot to promise, that's because it is. In the end, the list is an ambitious attempt to fix some of the IOC's most high-profile missteps over the past few years. Whether or not the committee ends up overhauling the way it spends money and governs itself, the new rules for how cities compete to host the Games are a long-overdue step towards making the Olympics a worthwhile investment for cities—something they haven't been for a long, long time. Lead image: AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau 6 118

Expand

With few cities willing to host them, the Olympics are in trouble. And with ongoing allegations of fraud and incompetence, the International Olympic Committee is in even more trouble. Today, the IOC approved dozens of new rules that attempt to address the expense and mismanagement of the Games.

The new guidelines are expansive—suspiciously so—and they range from allowing multiple cities or even multiple countries to host the same Olympics, to cutting down on the cost of bidding to host at all, to new rules for auditing and transparency within the IOC. It's easy to see why the IOC wants the world to know it's changing.

The last few years have seen a seemingly endless parade of outrageous stories about corruption and mismanagement from within the IOC. And from without, there's been the growing international objections to the extraordinary financial burden the Games—and even just the bidding process for the Games—puts on cities.

And so last month, the IOC published a document (PDF) in advance of its yearly meeting details a plan called 20+20, in which it described 40 different recommendations for how the organization could improve. At the IOC's 127th annual session this weekend, every single recommendation was approved unanimously—according to the IOC, there were zero votes against any of the items, though the Chicago Tribune reports that there were clearly members who did not raise their hands during voting.

Making It Cheaper and Easier to Host

What's the IOC so desperate to change? First of all, the way cities host the games. The IOC will now guide potential host cities through the process, and "actively promote the maximum use of existing facilities and the use of temporary and demountable venues," a nod to the horrendous effect the Olympics have had on past host cities' financial and urban health. Going even further, the IOC will also allow hosts to split events between multiple cities within a country—and if it's necessary, host some events in entirely different countries.

So if a country didn't have the ski jump necessary to hold the event, they could appeal to a neighboring country or city to host it. It's a model that looks more like the World Cup, where multiple cities split the burden, and it could open the door to the Olympics behind held in, say, New York City and Philadelphia, or Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Rosa Khutor, an area near Sochi that hosted Olympic venues. Image: Alexander Belenkiy

The idea is to make it less financially taxing to build venues and space for every single event in a single city, and the IOC says it will also help cities balance "long-term investment in infrastructure and return on such investment on the one hand, and the operational budget on the other hand," ostensibly to avoid the kind of budget overruns seen in the Sochi Olympics, which went more than $40 billion over budget building infrastructure and venues—the long-term urban benefit of which still remains to be seen.

We're Green, We Swear

As you read further into the long list of promises the IOC is making, you'll notice a core theme: sustainability. The IOC is also making it cheaper to bid at all, cutting down on the meetings and sessions the cities must pay for during the bidding process. It's also pledging to completely change how the Olympics are organized to make the process more sustainable: Not only by letting cities and countries share the burden and promoting reusable venue design, but by putting a cap on the number of athletes and events in each year's games and monitoring labor standards, which have been an issue at Brazil's Olympic venue sites, below.

Expand

Rio's Olympic Village under construction. AP Photo/Leo Correa

The IOC will "include sustainability in its day-to-day operations," it says vaguely, and "integrate and implement sustainability measures that encompass economic, social and environmental spheres in all stages of their project." What's more, it's pledging to be far more transparent with its dealings, auditing its financial records to International Financial Reporting Standards and requiring the IOC to "produce an annual activity and financial report, including the allowance policy for IOC members."

If it feels like a whole lot to promise, that's because it is. In the end, the list is an ambitious attempt to fix some of the IOC's most high-profile missteps over the past few years. Whether or not the committee ends up overhauling the way it spends money and governs itself, the new rules for how cities compete to host the Games are a long-overdue step towards making the Olympics a worthwhile investment for cities—something they haven't been for a long, long time.

Health

9 Tricks For Waking Up Earlier

Business InsiderJul 25, 2014, 01.35 PM IST

iamtheo via flickr

Not only does the early bird get the worm, but he's generally happier and has a higher overall satisfaction with his life.
"We don't know why this is, but there are a few potential explanations," writes researcher Renee Biss in a study conducted by the University of Toronto. "Evening people may be more prone to social jet lag; this means that their biological clock is out of sync with the social clock."
While there's a strong argument that this bias is a holdover from when we were a farming society - research shows that people have naturally varying sleep profiles, also known as "chronotypes" - the fact remains that modern society is shaped around the early-bird ideal.
For those of us who aren't naturally early risers, we've assembled a few tips for waking up earlier.

1. Decide that you're going to wake up early.

In one German study, researchers found that people who were warned that they were going to be woken up at 6 a.m. already had alertness-driving stress hormones building in their bodies at 4:30 a.m. Folks who weren't warned didn't have any of those hormones - and were groggier upon waking.
"Our bodies, in other words, note the time we hope to begin our day and gradually prepare us for consciousness," says Psychology Today writer Jeff Howe.

2. Clear out your morning.

Psychologists talk about "cognitive loads" like most people talk about the weather. To say that something has a high cognitive load means that you have to put a lot of mental effort into it, like memorizing a poem or figuring out what to do with an Excel spreadsheet. You don't want high cognitive loads in the morning, since it's a waste of the scarce amount of willpower we have in a day, and it's annoying to have to think about things when you just woke up.
Routine is an ally in the war against cognitive load. Wear the same clothes, eat the same breakfast, do the same workout every day, and it'll free up mental space.

3. Get sun as soon as possible.

Like every other (non-nocturnal) living thing on Earth, humans get turned on by sunlight.
A University of Liege study found that people who got a bit of bright light early in the morning were more alert than a sun-starved control group. They also showed more activity in cognition-heavy parts of their brains.
Plus, as the Huffington Post notes, it makes it easier to get to sleep at night. It also helps fight off Seasonal Affective Disorder during the short days of the winter months.

4. No matter what happens, don't hit snooze.

You wake up with a wave of stress hormones; it's your body's way of getting you ready for the day. But if you hit the snooze button, then you're telling your body to do the opposite, so you'll end up feeling even more clumsy than if you'd just stayed upright.

5. Give yourself a pinch.

A University of Michigan study found that participants who massaged their pressure points got a boost of alertness. The way to do it, care of HuffPo:
The study had volunteers stimulate five pressure points on the body for three minutes each: the top of the head, the point between your thumb and index finger, right below the center of the knee cap, below the ball of the foot, and the base of your neck.

6. Get up at the same time every day.

Our bodies function most effectively when they've got a consistent rhythm, which sleeping in on the weekends can interrupt. If you wake up at the same time every day, you can train yourself to wake up without an alarm clock.

7. Wake up with a more gentle alarm clock.

The more jarring the sound that you wake up to, the more "sleep inertia" you'll feel when you open your eyes.
"Sleep inertia can feel worse when you're awakened abruptly," says Hans Van Dongen, an assistant professor in the University of Pennsylvania's Division of Sleep and Chronobiology. "A clock that allows you to wake up gradually may ease those first few moments of sleep inertia, which are the worst."

8. Get moving.

Your blood gets a little stagnant when you've been sleeping all night. Get your circulation going by exercising. It doesn't have to be a marathon; three minutes of basic yoga poses can wake your body up.

9. Get hydrated.

This one's easy. You lose water by sweating and exhaling through the night - it's part of the reason you lose a pound or two by the time morning comes - so you naturally need to replenish liquids when you wake. One full glass of water should do the trick.

Gionee Marathon M3 Review: All Charged Up

Smartphone features are improving faster than you can spell the word 'smartphone', but one aspect that is lagging behind is battery life. The only feasible option at the moment is an extra battery pack. This is not convenient since it's one more thing to carry around, and the battery pack needs to be charged as well.
A few smartphone companies are experimenting by providing higher capacity batteries in their smartphones, thereby adding a little bulk. We prefer this approach since the race to build anorexic smartphones is going a little too far in our opinion.
Gionee experimented with a massive 4200mAh battery in its Marathon M2 smartphone. The Chinese company has already released its successor, the Gionee Marathon M3. We've seen a feature phone, the Maxx Power House MX200, tout a 5200mAh battery but the Marathon M3 is the first Android smartphone we've come across that boasts of a 5,000mAh battery. Let's find out if the Marathon M3 can cross the finish line with energy to spare.
Look and feel
The Marathon M3 is not distinctive with respect to its candybar design, and Gionee has decided to keep things simple. The design is purely utilitarian, which is not bad at all. At the heart of it all is the massive battery, which is unsurprisingly non-removable. The sheer size of this battery contributes to the phone's 10.4mm thickness and 180.3g weight. We are not complaining about this heft because it is actually reassuring, and the Marathon M3 does feel comfortable to hold and use with one hand.
The Marathon M3 is predominately made of plastic and is available in black or white. While the phone has a fixed battery, the back cover is actually removable. Prying it open reveals two SIM card slots and a microSD card slot. On top of the phone is a 3.5mm audio jack. The Micro-USB port and microphone are lined up at the bottom. Above the 5-inch display, one can find the front-facing camera, earpiece and cutout for the ambient light sensor. Below the display is a row of capacitive buttons, which aren't backlit. Trying to find them in the dark becomes a problem. The power button and the volume rocker are both on the right edge of the Marathon M3. The tactile feedback of these buttons is pretty good. The primary camera, flash and speaker are all on the rear.
Specifications, software and camera
The Marathon M3 uses a Mediatek 6582 quad-core SoC clocked at 1.3GHz. We've seen this SoC used in much cheaper phones. The phone has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage space. The storage can be expanded by 128GB using a microSD card. Moreover, since it also supports USB OTG, storage shouldn't be a concern.
The primary camera can shoot up to 8-megapixel images and has an LED flash module to support it in low light conditions. There is also a 2-megapixel front camera for selfies. The phone has integrated Dolby DTS sound. It can connect to 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
The 5-inch IPS LCD screen has a display resolution of 720x1280. This 294ppi density of this screen is pretty crisp but the distinct black border surrounding the screen is slightly off putting. For an LCD screen, it is quite saturated and the colours do pop. However, the viewing angles and the sunlight legibility are average to say the least.
The phone is running the latest Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) with Gionee's proprietary skin Amigo UI on top of it. However, the flavour of Amigo in this phone is slightly different. Unlike the Gionee Elife S5.1 (Review | Pictures) we reviewed a little while ago, Amigo UI on this phone has a dedicated app drawer and home screens. In that sense, except for the bright colour palette, the software is not too different from stock Android 4.4.2. Just like what we saw on the Elife S5.1, Gionee bundles a ton of bloatware most of which are not fun to use. You'd be better off deleting a few right at the onset of using the phone.
The 8-megapixel camera captures surprisingly good photographs in daylight. Except for blowing out highlights a little, the captured images had great amount of detail and the colours were pretty natural too. There is a pinkish hue that is visible but that can be negated by changing the auto white balance option.
The default camera app by itself is a welcome departure from the unintuitive one we used in Gionee's Elife series of phones. Also, there are a ton of manual options and filters to choose from. Coming back to the performance of the camera, in low-light conditions, the camera is absolutely unusable as pictures turned out grainy. The captured 1080p video was serviceable at best. Also, the 2-megapixel front camera captures decent selfies.
Performance
This is where the Marathon M3 falters. In daily use, we found the phone to be sluggish, and it didn't respond to taps and swipes instantly. While RAM management was much better than other Gionee phones we've used in the past, the fact that we had to actually worry about it was a bit of a downer.
The benchmark numbers are typical of other phones with the same MT6582 chipset. In our AnTuTu and Quadrant benchmark tests the phone scored 17,713 and 7,166 respectively. We also put the phone through the graphics benchmark tests 3DMark Ice Storm and GFXbench and the phone scored 3143 and 7fps respectively.
We tried our regular batch of assorted videos and found that the phone played all the videos we threw at it except that the 1080p 40mbps video was choppy. Thanks to the Dolby DTS implementation, the loudspeaker is almost as loud as the BoomSound speakers on high-end HTC phones. Also, even at the highest volume there was no audible distortion. Even the bundled headset sounds really good but it is not comfortable to wear for long periods. The sound quality in calls was pretty good and we faced no connection issues either.
Coming to the most important part of the review, the battery life. In our intensive battery test, the phone lasted 14 hours and 36 minutes. This is stupendous for a phone in this price range. In our daily use we noticed that the battery lasts really long in standby. You should easily be able to squeeze two days from this phone with moderate usage. What's even better is that you can use this phone to charge other phones. We tried and it worked well with a Nexus 4 and an iPhone 5c. (Review).
Verdict
The Gionee Marathon M3 stays true to its promise of providing great battery life. Additionally, the phone could be a great asset if you are someone who watches a lot of videos on the move. The camera is also a pretty competent performer. Unfortunately, the problem arises in the performance thanks mostly to the heavy skin on top of Android 4.4.2. We really wish Gionee tackles this problem of Amigo UI as soon as possible. If you want a device that has better all-round performance, you cannot go wrong with the Motorola Moto G (Gen 2) [Review | Pictures].