Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch images leaked ahead of September 4th launch

Been wondering what Samsung's upcoming smartwatch was going to look like? Take a seat, VentureBeat got a first look at the upcoming wearable over the weekend. According to the outlet, the prototype device features a three inch display, built in speakers and a 4-megapixel camera built directly into the watch's wrist strap. VentureBeat describes the Samsung Galaxy Gear a lightweight, but somewhat dwarfing, featuring a "clunky" and large wristband and quite a bit of bulk. Although VentureBeat wasn't allowed to take pictures of the alleged prototype, they did manage to snag a few screengrabs from an internal promotional video -- showing off the device's camera, screen and touch menu system. The watch also is said to support Samsung S Voice commands as well as an assortment of pre-loaded health apps that include heart and calorie monitors, as well a pedometer. Users can also take pictures of food and categorize it for later review.
Although the prototype seems to suggest that Samsung is marketing the device as a health accessory, its features also fill the bill for a standard smartphone companion. VentureBeat noted social media features, a functional call log and independent internet access via WiFi, allowing users to use the watch without a smartphone if needed. The watch is also reportedly rated to last for more than ten hours on a single charge -- a little shy in longevity if it's your primary timepiece, but perhaps enough for a fitness focused accessory. We'll find out more when Samsung officially reveals the wearable on Wednesday, but if you're itching for more info, check out the attached source for more images and VentureBeat's own artistic rendition of the prototype.

UFC 164: Pettis taps Henderson for lightweight crown

MILWAUKEE – The champion went to work on his game plan immediately in the fight – but that just meant the challenger had to bide his time.
Anthony Pettis survived champ Benson Henderson's early clinch work against the cage, and then he went to work, himself. Pettis landed kick after kick to Henderson's rib cage, and when the fight hit the canvas, he latched onto the champion's right arm.
From there, the finish was quick – and surprising, because Henderson didn't tap. He had to verbally submit to the armbar with 29 seconds left in the first – and the Ultimate Fighting Championship had a new lightweight champion who got it done in front of his hometown crowd.
The lightweight title bout was the main event of Saturday's UFC 164 pay-per-view at Milwaukee's Bradley Center.
Henderson (19-3 mixed martial arts, 7-1 UFC) pressured Pettis (17-2, 4-1) right away and drove in to push him against the cage. The champion went after a single-leg takedown and worked to try to trip Pettis to the canvas. Eventually, Pettis worked his leg free to put the fight back to the center.

Henderson again came inside with a left hand and went after a takedown. But again, the hometown favorite defended – but ate an uppercut on the way out. Henderson went right back to the clinch, where he kicked at Pettis' calves.
With about 90 seconds left, Pettis landed a solid right kick to the body for his best strike of the round, then came back with five more to the same spot.
With a minute left, Pettis tried one of his "Showtime"-style moves, but Henderson put him on his back. And that would prove to be his undoing. Once there, Pettis quickly worked for an armbar – and that was it. The official time of the stoppage was 4:31 of the first round.
Pettis' road to the UFC lightweight title was a rocky one. He took Henderson's World Extreme Cagefighting title in that promotion's final event in December 2010. Henderson, went on to win the belt in the UFC and defended it three times. But Pettis had to work through a loss to Clay Guida to eventually regain the top contender spot – only to decide to drop to featherweight to challenge Jose Aldo.
UFC 164: Full play-by-play
That fight never took place at UFC 163 thanks to a short-lived Pettis injury. But T.J. Grant, Henderson's original challenger for Saturday's card, had to pull out of the title fight – and Pettis got his shot, and a shot in front of his home fans in Milwaukee.
"When I had to pull out against Jose Aldo, my dreams were crushed," Pettis said. "I thought I was never going to get a title shot. But you can't write a better story."
Maybe you can, though – and maybe Pettis already is trying to do that. He was quick to call out featherweight champ Aldo, saying the two should pick which belt to fight for and meet for a title.
Henderson, who kept his right arm inside his shirt after the fight, said he'll work his way back.
"I'll be back, don't worry about that," Henderson said. "Anthony's a tough dude. He proved himself to be the No. 1 contender, and proved himself to be the champ. He got my arm ... with a high-level armbar. The strategy was to put pressure on him – he's not as good going backward. The kicks he hit me with that were pretty good were while he was coming forward."
In the UFC 164 co-main event, former heavyweight champion Josh Barnett returned to the organization for the first time since 2002 and stopped fellow former champ Frank Mir quickly in the first. And in a key featherweight bout, former title challenger Chad Mendes won his fourth straight by knockout since his title-fight loss to Aldo to inch closer to another shot at the champion.
UFC 164 results:
Anthony Pettis def. Benson Henderson via verbal submission (armbar) - Round 1, 4:31
Josh Barnett def. Frank Mir via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:56
Chad Mendes def. Clay Guida TKO (punches) - Round 3, 0:30
Ben Rothwell def. Brandon Vera via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 1:54
Dustin Poirier def. Erik Koch via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
Gleison Tibau def. Jamie Varner via split decision (29-28, 27-29, 29-28)
Tim Elliott def. Louis Gaudinot via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Hyun Gyu Lim def. Pascal Krauss via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 3:58
Chico Camus def. Kyung Ho Kang via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Chico Camus def. Kyung Ho Kang via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Soa Palelei def. Nikita Krylov via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 1:34
Al Iaquinta def. Ryan Couture via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Magnus Cedenblad def. Jared Hamman via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 0:57
John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Milwaukee. Erickson and Morgan write for MMAjunkie.com, a USA TODAY Sports Media Group property.

Johnny Manziel Hits back after bad summer

Given how the Summer of Johnny ended, with an impotent NCAA ruling and a university whose chancellor backed him like a rabid Internet message board poster, maybe it's no surprise Johnny Manziel acted this way.
Everything he has done and said since the Heisman Trophy has affirmed Manziel's belief that he cannot be touched, that he is bigger than the university he represents, that he is even above NCAA rules. But everyone answers to someone, and Saturday someone finally stood up to Johnny Football.
PREVIOUSLY: Manziel issued unsportsmanlike flag, criticized on ESPN
GAME STORY: Manziel's big half propels A&M past Rice
Thank goodness for Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin.
After everything Manziel has gone through the last few weeks – and make no mistake, he's very lucky to have been on the field at all Saturday against Rice – you'd think maybe just a smidge of humility might have been in order.
Instead, after sitting out his NCAA-mandated suspension in the first half, Manziel returned and threw three touchdowns in the Aggies' 52-31 victory. But he didn't finish the game, as Sumlin yanked him after he earned a taunting penalty following a touchdown pass to Mike Evans with 9:48 remaining. That followed Manziel's blatant "Show me the Money" hand gesture after a touchdown and an apparent "air autograph" directed toward a Rice player.
SECOND HALF SPOTLIGHT: Manziel on the money after suspension
TIMELINE: Manziel's wild offseason
Manziel, of course, was likely responding to trash talk from Rice's players about the autograph controversy that put him in the NCAA's cross hairs this summer. But as Sumlin told the news media after Saturday's game, Manziel is going to hear it all year long.
"That wasn't very smart. That's why he didn't go back in the game either," Sumlin said. "You would hope at this point, you'd learn something from that. We're still working on that. He wasn't going back in the game no matter what was happening."
It's quite obvious now that Sumlin still has a very immature player on his hands, one who is brilliantly talented enough to take Texas A&M all the way to a Southeastern Conference title but also one who is just volatile and narcissistic enough to implode on him.
Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) rushes against the Rice Owls during the third quarter at Kyle Field.
Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) rushes against the Rice Owls during the third quarter at Kyle Field.  Thomas Campbell, USA TODAY Sports
Fullscreen
    Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) rushes against the Rice Owls during the third quarter at Kyle Field.
    A referee yells at Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) to get on the sideline against the Rice Owls during the second quarter at Kyle Field.
    Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) huddles up before the game against the Rice Owls at Kyle Field.
    Manziel (2) stiff arms Alabama defensive back Deion Belue.
    Manziel threw 24 touchdown passes and ran for 19 more.
    Manziel (left) and offensive linesman Luke Joeckel (76) celebrate a touchdown against South Carolina State.
    Manziel runs the ball for a touchdown against Arkansas.
    Manziel celebrates defeating Southern Methodist.
    Manziel passes against Florida.
    Manziel celebrates a touchdown against Sam Houston State.
    Manziel celebrates scoring a touchdown against Louisiana Tech.
    Manziel passes against Arkansas.
    Manziel celebrates with fans after a victory over Louisiana Tech.
    Manziel scrambles from LSU linebacker Kevin Minter.
    Manziel rolls out of the pocket under pressure for Mississippi State.
    Manziel celebrates a touchdown against Alabama.
    Manziel scrambles out of the pocket under pressure from the Alabama defense during the fourth quarter at Bryant Denny Stadium.
    Manziel celebrates after the 29-24 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant Denny Stadium.
    Manziel surveys the field against Sam Houston State during the first half.
Next Slide
Texas A&M just wants 12 more games out of Manziel without incident, but deep down Sumlin must know that might be too much to ask unless he asserts some control and makes Manziel understand that his actions have consequences. Even if the NCAA is powerless to administer them or fanboys such as Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp enable them.
PREVIOUSLY: How Manziel warmed up for suspension
HIGHLIGHTS: How the top 25 teams fared
Sharp, if you remember, said he knew Manziel was innocent of all charges, even though he had never asked him about any of the specifics. No concern over why thousands of pieces of memorabilia with Manziel's signature were floating around in cyberspace, no need to find out why autograph brokers were telling ESPN they had paid him for those signatures, which is against NCAA rules.
Just another member of the Cult of Johnny, sending every signal that he can do what he wants, when he wants.
"I don't have to hear from him," Sharp said.
But Saturday showed Manziel has to hear from the guy who controls his playing time. And that guy wasn't too thrilled with the Johnny show against Rice. Everyone loves watching Manziel do his thing; he's as captivating a player as the sport has seen in quite some time. But finally, an adult showed an interest in teaching him a lesson. You have to wonder why it took this long.

David Frost dies

David Frost (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

David Frost, veteran British broadcaster, dies at 74

Veteran British broadcaster David Frost, best known for his series of interviews with disgraced U.S. President Richard Nixon, has died. He was 74.

His death was reported by the BBC, which aired many of his shows, and by Al Jazeera English, where he also worked.

The BBC published a statement from Frost's family asking for privacy "at this difficult time." The family said Frost spent Saturday evening giving a speech on a cruise ship, where he suffered a heart attack. He's survived by his wife of 30 years and three children.

"My heart goes out to David Frost's family," British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted Sunday morning. "He could be -- and certainly was with me -- both a friend and a fearsome interviewer."

Nixon interviewer dead at 74

Frost's interviews with Nixon, and the story behind them, were portrayed in the play and film "Frost/Nixon," written by Peter Morgan.

In a 2009 interview, Frost told CNN he did not see the interviews as "an intellectual 'Rocky,'" as Morgan called them.

Nixon at one point let down his guard, telling Frost, "I'm saying when the president does it, that means it's not illegal." For many viewers, that moment cemented Nixon's infamy.

More than 30 years later, Frost remembered Nixon as a surprisingly awkward figure who, while once discussing what they'd done the previous evening, asked the host, "Did you do any fornicating?"

"It was amazing to discover how ... hopeless he was at small talk," Frost told CNN. "I mean, here was this incredible professional politician, a great pro. And he'd never learned small talk."

Watch a 2009 CNN interview with David Frost

In a 2011 interview with CNN, Frost praised former U.S. President George H.W. Bush. "He was wise," Frost said. "He was cautious, he knew what he was determined to do."

But it wasn't all serious interviews with politicians. Charlie Courtauld worked with Frost in his later years at Al Jazeera English. "What was remarkable about Sir David was his ability to put any interviewee at ease, from the most high and mighty to an ordinary person in the street," Courtauld said in a statement.

"He found interest in anybody. Whoever he was interviewing would realise that Sir David was genuinely interested in them and their lives. He was very much a people person."

In his early days as a presenter, Frost also dabbled in satire. In the early 1960s he hosted a program on the BBC called "That Was the Week That Was."

The short-lived show included luminaries like John Cleese and marked the beginning of a broadcast career that mixed news and entertainment.

Born in southern England, Frost considered following in the footsteps of his Methodist minister father. That ambition didn't last. Before entering university, Frost also ruled out professional soccer, turning down an offer from a team in Nottingham.

Frost married in 1981. The union with actress Lynne Frederick was brief, just 18 months. In 1994, Frederick committed suicide. Frost later said of Frederick, "Life was very unfair to her."

Frost's second marriage would last.

In 1983 he wed Lady Carina Fitzalan-Howard. The couple had three sons. The late Princess Diana was godmother to the youngest.

Although Frost came from humble beginnings, later in life he lived quite well. He was knighted in 1993. His annual summer fete drew A-listers and headlines. This year, for example, Pippa Middleton drew attention for the red lace number she wore.

Frost's lengthy career led to many accolades, but in 2011 Frost described himself as an "OK father." Still, in comments to the Daily Mail, Frost said he loved being a father and he simply tried not to impose on his sons. "It's terribly important not to be too ambitious for them, just to be ambitious for their happiness," he said.

Satyagraha hits the theatres today

Amitabh Bachchan (Photo credit: Soumik Kar)

Satyagraha hits the theatres today. The film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Amrita Rao and Manoj Bajpai is a dialogue with the youth of today, Prakash Jha said at most of his promotional events.
The director picked a rather new (as compared to last week's critically acclaimed political thriller Madras Cafe) subject for Satyagraha.
Although the director claimed that his movie is not based on the Anna Hazare movement, most reports suggested otherwise. With a topic like that, Prakash Jha helming the project and actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Manoj Bajpai - the expectations were sky-high. Prakash Jha, however, could not live up to the expectations, at least for most critics.
Saibal Chatterjee writes for NDTV, "Prakash Jha's Satyagraha is a political film that, for all its well-meaning bluster, neither stings nor scalds. It fails to hit the core of the truth that it seeks," and further elaborates, "Unfortunately, Satyagraha barely skims the surface of a complex theme, leaving many a crucial question unanswered. As a result, it can hardly be expected to shake a vast nation and its somnolent rulers out of their torpor."
Saurabh Dwivedi writes for India Today, "The movie is replete with the old tried-and-tested formulae - including item numbers - which also helps explains why the movie lost ground."
Saibal Chatterjee writes, "A problem that has beset Jha's recent films is back to haunt Satyagraha as well. The principal characters do not converse like you and me. They make speeches from a rostrum. When they are not letting out hot air from a pedestal, they deliver grand statements of intent to each other and everyone within earshot. It is an approach that is better suited to street theatre than to the big screen."
Sarit Tanwar writes for DNA, "You can't make a film about what is wrong with the system, while surrendering to the system. It is a cop-out. Satyagraha could have been so much more had it taken the Madras Cafe route and made an honest, hard-hitting film. The bollywood-isation of the film is what ruins it."
The actors have, interestingly, impressed the critics with performances.
Saurabh Dwivedi writes, "When it comes to cinema, its truth is equally divided amongst the three monkeys - story, acting and direction. What the movie lost out in story and direction, it made up for with acting. The movie's saving grace was Amitabh Bachchan, Manjoj Bajpai and somehow managing to secure the third spot on this list, Ajay Devgn."
Srijana Mitra Das writes for Times Of India, "Devgn is Satyagraha's strong body while Amitabh - gaunt in grief, moving in fortitude - is its soul. And Bajpai is its glittering, malevolent cloak, delivering a satiny performance hair-raising in its perfection. Bachchan voices the movie's philosophy - "Janta sarkaar ki malik hai. Malik nirdesh deta hai. Maang nahin karta."
Sarit Tanwar sums up, "There is enough anger/frustration amongst people, if Satyagraha's purpose was to remind us that nothing changed even after the movement, the rallies and the noise on the social network, it succeeds."
Film critic Mayank Shekhar (W14) agrees, "At some point, you hear yourself go, “Ab bas bahut ho gaya yar. Bandh karo bak bak.”  We get a lot of this on TV anyway, and at least we know what’s going on there."
Tweetspeak:
@SRKsGurl: Just read NDTV reveiw if #Satyagraha now regretting why did take the ticket in advance.. I wilk have to watch #ChennaiExpress this weekend:)
@reachrummana: There are no easy solutions in a country like India and #Satyagraha brings to fore the many issues
@VikasAgarwalll: Issuing Fatwa to all AB, Ajay, Arjun, Manoj, Kareena fans & AAP workers to watch #Satyagraha this weekend ! :P
@nishantshekhar1: Satyagrah just mocks Team Anna movement..poor direction...worst climax..and bad casting...watch it only for Manoj Bajpayee.
Have you watched the movie? Share your views in the comment box below.

Happy Birthday, Michael Jackson: Remembering the ‘King of Pop’

Michael Jackson (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Michael Jackson performing The Way You Make Me Feel in 1988 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cover of Frankie Lymon

Cover of Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson would have been 55 today. The ‘King of Pop’ died four years ago, but his music and legacy live on. Here’s a look at some of the best Post coverage of Jackson’s life and death, starting with a 1988 review of Jackson’s performance at the Capital Centre.
Michael In Motion: Jackson Dazzles, Surprises at Capital Centre, Oct. 14, 1988

Michael Jackson is the Body Electric.

At Capital Centre last night, he proved so interesting to watch that he could have sounded like Tiny Tim and nobody would have complained.Well, almost nobody, and since he sounded just like Michael Jackson, it all worked out in the end.

For all the good singing -- and there was plenty of that -- it always seems to come back to movement and emotion with Jackson. He is a dancer beyond compare, the embodiment of the perpetual motion principle, seemingly boneless, with lubricating oil in his veins. This is a man with more moves in a night than Nationwide has in a year. You could hate him, but you couldn't take your eyes off him. Richard Harrington

Michael Jackson’s Musical Legacy Will Endure, June 26, 2009

Try, for a moment, to separate the art from the artist. Consider Michael Jackson's entertainment proffer in a vacuum-sealed space.

In that bubble, where Bubbles and all the peculiarities and plastic surgeries matter not one whit, you will find a man -- and, if you go back far enough into the archives, a child -- who was unquestionably one of the most transcendent performers in popular music.

He was Elvis with an androgynous tenor, Sinatra with a moonwalk and killer pop instincts, Prince with more mass appeal, John, Paul, George and Ringo with high-water pants, white socks and a single, sequined glove.

Jackson was a singular talent, even if he was sometimes derivative. He sang like Frankie Lymon by way of Smokey Robinson and Diana Ross, though his soulful, ingratiating voice sounded original and distinctive; to this day, it remains one of the most easily recognizable voices in the world. J. Freedom du Lac

For Black America, Jackson Broke Barriers Long Before ‘Thriller’, June 26, 2009

He was but a 14-year-old child in 1972, and black mothers and aunts and big sisters in the ghettos of the nation seemed to pull that child to their bosoms. He was a little brother; he was a precious boy; he was like the prodigy in your own church. There he was on "American Bandstand" and on "Soul Train." The early '70s actually represented some beautiful times in America -- freedom rising, integration building and little Michael singing on the hand-held radio. Little Michael with the prettiest and fluffiest Afro in the land.

Throughout the years, he claimed covers of Ebony and Jet magazines. And even when his life had begun to take on tawdry dimensions, black America refused to abandon him. It was as if they knew the pain that had greeted so many child performers, black or white. 

James Spader Is Back With 'The Avengers' And A Hot TV Show

The newest cast member to join The Avengers is James Spader. The 53-year-old actor will be taking on the role of bad guy Ultron.(In a previous post I said that Ultron is a really big robot and was immediately jumped on by the fan community. I won’t do it again.) So is the ultimate ’80s star poised for a comeback?
It looks like he’s well on his way. Fans are going crazy for the casting news. Actor Tom Hiddleston got a huge boost from playing bad guy Loki in the last Avengers movie. At this year’s Comic Con he got the biggest applause during the Marvel panel when he came on stage in full Loki gear. His success in that movie will likely help boost the box office of the second Thor movie. Loki, who is Thor’s adopted brother, was also the bad guy in the first Thor film and from the trailer, it looks like he’s up to his old tricks in the new movie.

Spader already has a built-in fan base so his work in the movie could be a real turning point in his career.
Spader peaked early with roles in ’80s movies like Sex, Lies and Videotape, Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero (which costarred current Avenger Robert Downey Jr.).
Although he appeared in movies like Stargate in the ’90s, he never really broke out as a bona fide movie star. He got plenty of attention for the 2002 S&M movie Secretary but the film only grossed $9 million at the global box office. Spader had better luck in TV where he starred on Boston Legal for four years. That’s a good run but the show never really turned in to a breakout hit.
Spader is the kind of actor who’s always seemed like he had potential but just wasn’t finding the right role. While his role in The Avengers will earn him plenty of attention, it might not be thing that catapults him to lasting stardom. Fans, feel free to correct me here. But from everything I’ve seen Ultron is a robot who doesn’t have a human face. It’s possible we might not see Spader’s mug in the upcoming movie.
He’ll have a better chance to strut his stuff with The Blacklist, a new show premiering on NBC September 23rd. The show has a very Silence of the Lambs vibe with Spader playing a “criminal mastermind” who surrenders but will only talk to a rookie FBI agent. The show is getting some great buzz already. If it’s a hit, Spader could be in for a whole new level of fame and fortune, one that even eclipses what he was able to do in the ’80s. Get ready for James Spader 2.0.