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Google's Internet satellite ambitions may be bigger than we thought.

The search giant is planning to spend more than $1 billion and perhaps much as $3 billion on satellites that expand Internet access to more remote parts of the world, according to a new report in The Wall Street Journal.

While specifics of Google's plan remain limited, The Journal reports that Google has a dedicated satellite team of 10 to 20 people and plans to kick off its endeavor by launching 180 low-altitude satellites.

Google did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

The company introduced Project Loon last year, which aims to bring Internet access to more difficult terrain through balloons. Google also acquired Titan Aerospace in April, which develops drones that could help with the Internet access and is rumored to be nearing an acquisition of Skybox Imaging, which provides high-resolution satellite imagery.

Facebook has also expressed interest in using drones and satellites to expand Internet access and was said to be looking to buy Titan Aerospace before Google snatched it up.

All the papers you stayed up late to write the night before they were due, all the meal plan points you spent on Doritos and Gatorade, and all the beer pong battles you won have actually been worth it.

But the world outside of academics can be a scary place.

You'll need a thick skin, good attitude and parents who won't mind the six-month phase in which you "figure things out." We asked some Twitter comedians for their best advice to help guide you through this difficult transition.

Sometimes you just don’t want to get off the couch. It could be because of an epic Game of Thrones marathon, a blustery storm, an illness. Whatever the reason, the following sites, apps, and services won’t judge you for being lazy – it’s how they make their money.

These days you can get just about anything with the click of a button. What makes these sites different is that they’ll bring it right to your door – almost instantly. From dry cleaning to fashion advice to a bottle of wine, you’ll want to bookmark the following sites before your next hibernation (or weekend House of Cards marathon).

he Xbox community was abuzz earlier this year when the team at Capy Games announced that they’d be bringing Super Time Force to the public. Not only bringing it digitally to the Xbox 360, but to the Xbox One as well, doing so through the ID@Xbox indy-publisher program. Here they’ve lived up to their hype, bringing a game that’s every bit as entertaining as the trailers and gameplay segments released earlier this year led us to believe it would be.

The game Super Time Force is made of pixels. Pixels arranged in a way that will make you forget about the world of 1080p/60fps. Instead of pushing the envelope with realism, the crew at Capy have relaxed back into a visual environment in which they’re able to deliver an ideal aesthetic.

You get the impression in Super Time Force that the entire screen has been accounted for. This game is a glorious whirlwind of pixels jacked up in a way that makes us want to never stop playing.

Neeraj Pandey has been on a creative siesta after Special 26. The film that earned rave reviews from the critics, catapulted Akshay Kumar into a league above being a mere Khiladi actor. Kumar was earlier known mostly for his wonderful stunts and fabulous fitness but after Special 26, people began noticing him for his acting as well. With the recent association between Neeraj and Akshay, it seems another sparkling film is at vicinity. The duo have earlier proved their prowess by delivering a memorable and intelligent film, and are all set to strike fortune again it seems.

Recently many news reports informed that Akshay was spotted shooting in Kathmandu, Nepal for an extensive schedule for Pandey’s next film which is a thriller. Though the details of it were reserved carefully, a leading daily reported that the film has been titled ‘Baby’.

The film is expected to release in the Republic Day weekend of 2015. Akshay has been shooting relentlessly for the film. With Gabbar in hand, Akshay has been running on packed schedule. The actor will not take a break and fly down to Istanbul to finish shooting Baby’s second schedule as well.

Well, the Khiladi Kumar’s energy is mesmeric. Keep checking out this space to learn more about the film.

Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor starrer 2 States has beaten and made a record for this year. The movie, by earning 3.50 crores on its Day 8 i.e. 2nd Friday, has beaten Salman Khan starrer Jai Ho‘s record of Highest 2nd Friday at the Domestic Box Office. 2014′s so far the Highest Grosser, Jai Ho had managed to rake in 3.30 crores on its 2nd Friday.

With this, 2 States now stands at a Domestic total of 63.50 crores at the Box Office. Interestingly, this flick has earned more than the new releases’ combined collections.

While Revolver Rani earned 1.90 Crores, Kaanchi collected 0.85 crores and Samrat & Co. 0.25 crores only. Looking at the current pace the film is performing, it seems 2 States might even emerge as the Highest 2nd weekend grosser of 2014.

This rom-com has done very well on Day 9 i.e. 2nd Saturday. The final numbers are still being compiled. Watch this space for 2 States’ 2nd Saturday collections.

Ravi Shastri, the former India allrounder and IPL governing council member, has warned that a repeat of altercations such as the one involving Kieron Pollard and Mitchell Starc could result in much stiffer penalties for the players, including "double" their match fee or even a ban. 

"They should be given a fine and then a stern warning stating that (if) once more then it could be double the penalty and even a match ban," Shastri told ESPNcricinfo. When asked whether increasing monetary sanctions alone could prevent a breach of the IPL's rules, Shastri remained confident. "It could. It is in the hands of the match referee. But I would tell the player that next time if you even come close (to a breach) you will face serious consequences."

Shastri provided the example of the "stiff" $50,000 fine imposed on then Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne during the 2011 IPL for breaching the playing contract. Warne had allegedly verbally abused the then Rajasthan Cricket Association secretary Sanjay Dixit, and a disciplinary panel comprising former IPL chairman Chirayu Amin and Shastri imposed the penalty. "The penalties can be pretty stiff. We penalised Warne an amount which amounted to his match fee for a match. He was on a $700,000 contract with Rajasthan Royals. Tell me one player who has been fined $50,000 anywhere."

Shastri, who also sits on the IPL's code of behaviour committee and the technical committee, said that no advisory has been issued to match referees in light of the Pollard-Starc incident since the officials were aware of the rules. "That is the match referee's jurisdiction. Only after they take a decision do we have a right to comment."

The IPL's handling of the incident has once again reopened the debate about whether slow over-rates are more important to the league than bad behaviour and attract more fines because of the impact on TV programming. Shastri rubbished the notion and said that the IPL had set a better example than anybody else, including the ICC, when it came to penalizing tardy over-rates. "Slow over-rates slow the pace of the game and captains are appropriately fined. No other cricket body in the world takes so strong (an action) as the IPL. Even the ICC can take a leaf out of the IPL."

Shastri had earlier expressed his annoyance at Pollard and Starc's behavior in his Times of India column. "This one went beyond bad behavior," Shastri wrote. "You can joust, tease, stare, have a spat, give a send-off and all that can still be tolerated, but you can't almost come to blows. It bordered on violence, luckily without anything untoward happening. Both aimed to hurt each other with bat and ball. The faults by both are many - disrespect to umpires, abuse of equipment, utter disregard for the name of their employers, contempt for sponsors and injuring the spirit of the game itself.

"Starc likes to provoke. We all watched him give a mouthful to Virender Sehwag after his short ball had rammed the opener on the helmet and gone to the fence. Even that is tolerable in small doses. Pollard was nothing if not physical. Both need to be spoken to with a stern warning and not just a fine."

The altercation began with an exchange of words after Starc bowled a bouncer to Pollard in the 17th over of Mumbai Indians' innings against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Pollard pulled away as Starc ran in for the next delivery, but the bowler continued and bowled the ball at Pollard's body. In response, Pollard threatened to throw his bat at Starc, but it fell close to the batsman. Andy Pycroft, the match referee, fined Pollard 75% and Starc 50% of their match fees.

The bad behaviour in the match, Shastri wrote, wasn't just confined to Pollard and Starc.

"In the same game, [Yuzvendra] Chahal was also involved in a pronounced send-off to the batsman he dismissed," Shastri wrote. "It was Chahal's good luck that Yuvraj Singh was at hand to humour the offended on-field umpires. Mostly it's the bowlers who are stepping out of line.

"All the stakeholders must clamp down on such behaviour. It doesn't improve you as a cricketer much less as a human being. It's been a splendid IPL so far and it deserves better from its performers."

Thursday, May 8, 2014
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT) 

Last season, consistency was one of the characteristics that defined Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad - their scrappy, minimal-fuss brand of cricket making them popular with fans. This season, however, while Royals have hit on a winning patch and surged to the top half of the table, Sunrisers, despite big additions to their batting, are faltering lower down.

In Sunrisers last game, AB de Villiers played the kind of innings few teams could have done anything about, but their two victories have shown how critical it is for their top order to fire. Perhaps the best example was their victory against Delhi Daredevils in the UAE, where Aaron Finch and Shikhar Dhawan added 56, the best opening stand for the side so far - which set the base for a score of 184. Compare that to their losses in which their highest total has been 155.

Like their batting, the Sunrisers bowling also relies heavily on two individuals - Amit Mishra and Dale Steyn. While Steyn will have recovered from the mauling by de Villiers, Sunrisers could bring back Mishra on a track that can be expected to be a little slower.

Royals settled into their new home ground with a win and they would like to keep that form going. They don't have a stellar away record in the IPL and with their next fixtures against Royal Challengers and Chennai Super Kings, a win here could give them a buffer.

Rajasthan Royals: WWWWL Sunrisers Hyderabad: LWLWL

Rajasthan Royals: 3rd, with 10 points from seven games
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 7th, with 4 points from six games

The teams opened their IPL 2014 campaigns against each other, with Royals huffing their way to a four-wicket win in the last over in Dubai. Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner got starts but Sunrisers were restricted to 133. The Royals reply, meanwhile, revolved solely around a fifty from Ajinkya Rahane and an unbeaten 48 from Stuart Binny, who rescued the chase from a position of 31 for 3.

Karun Nair played a valuable hand in Karnataka's Ranji Trophy title win this season and he seems to have found his feet for Royals too. He takes his time at the start, but once settled he has been unafraid to switch gears, even going after the faster bowlers in the opposition.

Batting at positions between No. 5 and 7, Darren Sammy has come in quite often with Sunrisers stuck in a rut. As the most important batsman in the lower order, his form has denied Sunrisers a final push, putting even more pressure on the top order.

"I just try to pick the best batsman in the team, preferably the one that generally bats at the death and is used to facing yorkers, slower ones and slower bouncers. I try and pair up with him when I can."
James Faulkner gives an insight into his death-bowling preparations.

England, Ireland, Scotland and Sri Lanka begin preparations for World Cup 2015

Download the Reliance ICC Rankings App via www.icc-cricket.com/mobile to predict the outcome of the series

One month after the conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014, action in international cricket resumes this week and One-Day International (ODI) cricket will be in focus.

Dublin will host two ODIs between 1996 world champion Sri Lanka and the giant-killer of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, Ireland, on 6 and 8 May.

Then on 9 May in Aberdeen, three-time ICC Cricket World Cup finalist England will square-off against Scotland, which qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 by winning the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2014 earlier this year in New Zealand.

With just nine months to go before the start of the event, which runs between 14 February and 29 March, these three ODIs mean that the first phase of build-up for all sides has well and truly begun.

While England and Sri Lanka have more to lose, Ireland and Scotland have plenty to gain from their respective series.

Ireland currently sits in 11th place on the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings with 34 ratings points, and trails third-ranked Sri Lanka by 78 ratings points. Because the rankings are weighted to reflect this difference, Ireland will gain points if it wins even one match in the series.

Scotland, currently unranked, has an opportunity to inch closer to getting on to the main rankings table. However, to make that happen, it will have to beat England.

To get on to the main rankings table, Scotland needs to either win two ODIs against Full Members, or achieve one win in an ODI against a Full Member and also win more than 60 per cent of ODIs against other Associates.



Meanwhile, fans in Dublin and Aberdeen will get to see some of the biggest names in action during the ODIs to be played there.

Among the stars in the top 20 of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen likely to be seen in action are Eoin Morgan (15th) and Alastair Cook (20th).

Among the bowlers inside the top 20 of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI Bowlers likely to be seen in action are James Anderson (eighth) and Angelo Mathews (16th).

Sri Lanka captain Mathews also starts the series against Ireland as the number-two ranked all-rounder on the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI All-rounders.

Forthcoming fixtures:

Ireland v Sri Lanka

6 May: First ODI, Dublin

8 May: Second ODI, Dublin

Scotland v England

9 May: One-off ODI, Aberdeen

Fayyaz Ahmed and Mohammad Naveed hold nerve with unbeaten 36-run stand as UAE wins its first match of ACC Premier League by two wickets

It issued the update on Thursday to fix a bug that let hackers gain access and user rights to computers. Microsoft ended support for Windows XP earlier this month, ceasing to issue bug fixes or security updates for it. But the firm said it decided to make an exception as the flaw was discovered just days after the support ended."Even though Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft and is past the time we normally provide security updates, we've decided to provide an update for all versions of Windows XP," Adrienne Hall, general manager of Trustworthy Computing at Microsoft, said in a blog post. "We made this exception based on the proximity to the end of support for Windows XP."The flaw was reported earlier this week and there had been uncertainty over whether XP users would get the update when it was released.

Unlike the block function, which is designed to stop communications with an undesirable user completely, muting is intended to be temporary. It will mean users can block out people who, for example, live tweet football matches every weekend, or post about TV talent shows. Many third-party Twitter apps have offered a mute option for some time. According to technology news site The Verge, selected users running Twitter's Apple iOS and Google Android apps reported seeing the feature appear. The Verge described muting as a "stealth unfollow", ideal for ignoring work colleagues. 

Engagement worries

Twitter has not commented specifically on its plans for rolling out the mute feature.But in a blog post about "experimentation", the company explained: "You may see some features that your friend doesn't see, or vice-versa. This is all in service of making Twitter the best it can be. We appreciate your help in doing that, so thank you."The new feature has come at a time when Twitter is aiming to increase the amount of time existing users spend on the service.According to its latest financial results, published earlier this week, the first three months of 2014 saw timeline views increase by 15% to 157 billion. But the company's shares fell by 11% because of slow growth - over those three months, the site's user base increased by just 3.8%. Twitter also reported a net loss of $132m (£78m), but posted revenue of $250m, 90% of which came through advertising.

Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 finally opened in U.S. theaters on Thursday night after proving to be a draw overseas. The film pulled in an estimated $8.9 million on Thursday night, and is targeting a $95-100 million opening weekend tally.

But this thread is WIDE open to discussion. You checked out Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Some loved it! Some despised it. We’re giving you an open forum to discuss the movie with the freedom of spoilers!

If you haven’t seen Spidey’s sequel yet, run! This page is LOADED WITH SPOILERS. The rest of you can spend the weekend raving (or ranting) about our newest Spider-Man movie. And participate in our poll below, telling us how you thought The Amazing Spider-Man 2 turned out.

How many stars would you give The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ? 

 

Saudi citizens can now petition 90-year-old King Abdullah directly and lodge complaints through an Internet site set up at the initiative of the monarch himself.

The portal tawasol.royalcourt.gov.sa, named after the Arabic word for communication, was launched on an experimental basis on Wednesday.