2
Rinse the carafe in cold water then fill with one part white vinegar to two parts water.

3

Pour the vinegar and water solution into the coffee maker's reservoir and turn the maker on to brew a pot. Once the brewing cycle is complete, shut off the coffee maker.

4
Allow the vinegar solution to sit in the carafe for about 15 minutes .

5
Rinse out any vestiges of vinegar by brewing water only through the coffee maker twice more, again shutting of the coffee maker and letting it cool about 15 minutes between cycles.

6
Wash the carafe and filter basket in warm, soapy water. Rinse and get ready to enjoy great-tasting coffee once again.

On Wednesday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department issued a statement saying they are “currently investigating” the case, and “Jose Conseco has been named as the suspect in this investigation. At this time no charges have been filed and our investigation remains ongoing.”

“Per department policy neither victim information or investigation details are available for release,” the statement continues.

Police did confirm they are hoping to speak with the former Oakland A's star – and he has agreed.

In the meantime, Canseco, 48, has taken to Twitter to profess his innocence in a series of Tweets that he has since pulled down. In one Tweet, he reportedly called out his accuser by name, asking her, “Will u take a polygraph cause I will.”

“I am humbled that many have an interest, and draw strength from my on-going journey,” she gushes. “I'm grateful for the prayers and well wishes of so many people. I'm thrilled that Jamie Raab and Grand Central Publishing will help me tell my story.”

Roberts temporarily left her “GMA” anchor seat for nearly six months to undergo treatment for Myelodysplastic syndromes. She returned to work at ABC in February this year, after undergoing a successful bone marrow transplant.

This is not Roberts' first book. In 2007, the anchor who's also a breast cancer survivor published “From the Heart: 7 Rules to Live By”, which later became a New York Times bestseller.

Not content to sit on that success, Samsung has announced via its blog that the Galaxy S4 (Review | Pictures) will be available in four more colours: Blue Arctic, Red Aurora, Purple Mirage and Brown Autumn. The Blue and Red will be available this summer, with the other two colours coming later.

Samsung Galaxy S4 was unveiled back in March carrying White Mist and Black Forest colour options. The phone sports a 5-inch full-HD screen with a resolution of 1080×1920 pixels, and pixel density of 441ppi. It is powered by 1.6GHz Exynos octa-core processor and comes with 2GB of RAM.

Samsung has no plans to launch the 32GB and 64GB variants of the S4 in India as it believe the microSD card slot for expanding the storage will suffice. The Galaxy S4 sports a 13-megapixels rear shooter and a 2-megapixel one on the front. The Galaxy S4 also offers more camera features including dual-shot, employing the use of both front and back camera, an eraser shot mode to remove people from photos, and a Cinemagram like feature called Cinema Photo, among several other tricks.

Samsung Galaxy S4 was later launched in India carrying a price tag of Rs. 41,500.

Recent attacks broke into news organisations' accounts, such as the Financial Times and the newswire service the Associated Press (AP).

One tweet sent from AP's hacked account said President Obama had been injured.

Some attacks have come from political organisations, notably the Syrian Electronic Army, which appears to act in support of President Assad's government.

It claimed credit for hacking several news organisations, including AP.

Two-step
Twitter product security head Jim O'Leary said that despite the new security plans, users should start out with a strong password:

“Of course, even with this new security option turned on, it's still important for you to use a strong password and follow the rest of our advice for keeping your account secure.”

Twitter said the new system would allow users to opt in to a two-step system that would require a verification code for each sign-in.

Mr O'Leary said this would be simple: “You'll need a confirmed email address and a verified phone number. After a quick test to confirm that your phone can receive messages from Twitter, you're ready to go.”

A message would then be sent to the account holder's mobile phone with a verification code to log in with. Businesses which run a Twitter account managed by several people will have to find a way of sharing texts from a single mobile number to take advantage of the facility.

Other security breaches suffered by Twitter included one in February, when 250,000 users had their passwords stolen in an attack.

News organisations including the BBC were warned by Twitter last month to tighten security in the wake of the high-profile hacks, one of which got into the BBC's weather feed.

Benchmark oil for July delivery was down $1.37 to $92.91 per barrel at late afternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract declined $1.90 to close at $94.28 a barrel on Wednesday.

HSBC Corp. said a preliminary version of its monthly purchasing managers' index fell to 49.6 for May from 50.4 in April. Numbers below 50 indicate contraction. Oil prices fell because a downturn in energy-hungry China would likely lead to a decline in crude demand.

“I think the economic slowdown in Europe, the U.S. and Japan is finally hurting China,” said Francis Lun, chief economist at GE Oriental Financial Group in Hong Kong. “It confirms a pattern since the beginning of the year of a slow decline in the manufacturing sector.”

Stock markets in Asia fell sharply and Japan's Nikkei 225 plunged more than 7 percent as a spike higher in government bond yields and the Chinese data sparked a correction that traders said was inevitable given the benchmark's remarkable 50 percent gain this year before Thursday's plunge.

Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oil varieties, dropped $1.25 to $101.35 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on Nymex:

— Wholesale gasoline fell 2.2 cents to $2.791 a gallon.

— Heating oil lost 3 cents to $2.838 a gallon.

— Natural gas rose 2.3 cents to $4.215 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The figure from the Office for National Statistics is unchanged from the initial estimate it gave in April.

It confirms the UK avoided falling into a triple-dip recession, and suggests signs of recovery in the economy.

On Wednesday the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged the government to do more to stimulate growth as well as continuing austerity measures.

It reflects concerns that UK economic growth has been persistently weak since it first fell into recession following the financial crisis in 2008.

In its commentary accompanying the revised figures, the ONS said GDP growth has been slowed by weakness in the domestic and global markets.

It said the services sector, which accounts for around three quarters of the economy, has continued to grow steadily and is now above its pre-recession levels.

But it said increased inflation and slower wage growth was hurting people's ability to spend.

Meanwhile, the construction sector has continued to struggle. It has been seen as a significant drag on economic growth in recent years.

The crash injured 55 people Wednesday, including three of the four bus drivers, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Chad Hill said.

One of the drivers was taken by helicopter to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne. A doctor at the scene told school officials the driver’s injuries appeared not to be critical, Hill said.

He said more than 100 students from Wawasee School Corp. were on the buses when the accident occurred about a mile north of North Webster, which is about 40 miles west of Fort Wayne.

The exact cause of the accident that happened about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday likely won’t be released for days because the buses need to be inspected for any mechanical problems, Hill said.

Most of the injured went to Kosciusko Community Hospital in Warsaw, where spokeswoman Joy Lohse said 43 of the patients first to arrive were not in serious or critical condition. Lohse said she didn’t have any additional information, including how many of the patients were students or their exact conditions.

Hill said the number of injured there rose as the evening went on because of walk-ins or students brought in by their parents after first going home.

A nursing supervisor at IU Health Goshen Hospital in Goshen said four students being treated there were in good condition.

Photos from the scene showed the bus in the back of the collision had heavy damage to the front end, with the hood of the vehicle lying in the road. The bus in front of it had a deep dent in the back. The damage to the other two vehicles was not as visible.

Hill said the accident apparently occurred when the bus at the front apparently stopped to let a student off.

Children who were not injured were taken by another bus to Wawasee Middle School where they were picked up by their parents, Hill said.

Cameron's office said he was cutting short a trip to Paris to return to London, and he would chair another meeting of the emergency committee on Thursday.
Live television images of the scene showed a trail of blood staining a pavement, cordoned off streets and crime scene investigators marking the scene.
David Dixon, head teacher of a nearby primary school, said police told him there was a serious incident. He said he saw body lying in the road outside.
He told the BBC that he then made sure children were inside and put the school into lockdown mode. He said he then heard shots fired.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is called in when officers are involved in shootings, confirmed that it is investigating the incident.
The barracks — which house a number of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and independent companies of the Grenadier and Coldstream Guards — were the site of shooting events during the 2012 London Olympics.

They have outclassed the New York Rangers all over the ice in surging to a 3-0 lead in a series that could be over Thursday.

If the Bruins start firing on all cylinders, the Rangers will have little hope of even forcing a Game 5 let alone entertaining thoughts of matching the greatest comeback in sports.

The Bruins could afford to relax Wednesday, and many of them did, as the team held an optional practice at Madison Square Garden — the site of Boston's 2-1 comeback win a night earlier that pushed the Rangers within one loss of elimination.

Fried chicken is generally regarded as a stereotypical food associated with African Americans and the reference is sure to outrage Woods.

Several guests at Tuesday night’s awards dinner were clearly shocked by Garcia’s comment, while one leading Tour professional said: ‘You didn’t hear that’ as he walked past journalists present. The Spaniard understandably looked sheepish as he practised on Wednesday morning.
Garcia did issue an apology through the European Tour in a statement saying: 'I apologise for any offence that may have been caused by my comment on stage during The European Tour Players' Awards dinner.
'I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner.'

Asked for his reaction to Garcia's comment on Twitter, Graeme McDowell wrote: 'private/humor filled environment but he shouldn't have said it #slip,' while Lee Westwood felt Woods would not be 'particularly bothered' by it.
'It's an awkward situation where they obviously just don't get on,' Westwood added.
'It's in the public and you guys (the media) will stoke it up and you don't need to.
'I get on with both of them but I have no interest of getting in the middle of that relationship. It's nothing to do with me.'
Garcia’s comments were a distasteful echo of a similar incident involving Woods after he won The Masters in 1997. Previous Augusta winner Fuzzy Zoeller advised the press to tell Woods, whom he described as ‘that little boy’, not to request ‘fried chicken or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve’ at the following year’s Champions’ Dinner.
That incident sparked fury among Woods’ camp. In an initial statement, Zoeller claimed he had been joking but he later issued a full apology to his rival. Zoeller was dropped by two of his sponsors, K-Mart and Dunlop, over the controversy.

In 2011, Woods’ former caddie Steve Williams caused uproar at the annual caddie awards dinner in Shanghai when, asked about his celebration after Adam Scott’s Bridgestone Invitational victory at Akron, Ohio, he said: ‘My aim was to shove it right up that black a*******.’ Williams later apologised and Woods said Williams was ‘certainly not racist’.
Garcia, who makes his first appearance at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth for 11 years, had already had one more dig at Woods after arriving in England.
‘So, Tiger Woods has called me a whiner? He’s probably right,’ he said, before adding: ‘But that’s also probably the first thing he’s told you guys that’s true in the last 15 years.’
It was the fifth or sixth time the toxic pair had clashed. You feel like giving them boxing gloves and telling them to sort it out.
The long-running feud raised its head again at the Players Championship at Sawgrass a fortnight ago and the egos of both are still raised. Asked on Monday whether he felt like ringing Garcia to clear the air, Woods contented himself with an icy, one-word answer. ‘No.’

Garcia’s riposte? ‘That’s what he’s like.’
The Spaniard was busy avoiding questions on his tax situation this week — the relaxation of the tax rules in this country for visiting sportsmen is the chief reason that he’s playing — when the man from the Mirror played a blinder.
‘Now Sergio, an easy question: why don’t you like Tiger Woods?’ Garcia loved that. ‘You don’t have to like everyone, do you?’ he said. ‘Do you like everyone in your walk of life? It’s the same with me and Tiger. I don’t need him as a friend. I don’t need him in my life. It is as simple as that.’
The root of their mutual antipathy goes all the way back to 1999. The pair were duelling for the US PGA and the teenage Garcia had the temerity to point across the course at Tiger, as if to challenge him. Twelve months later, the Tiger tail was tweaked again when Garcia celebrated loudly after beating him in an exhibition match.
Since then, it has been all Woods. Right now, for instance, the majors tally stands at 14-0. But there are clear signs that, at 33, some of the old Garcia swagger is returning, and not just for his barbed Woods comments.
You can see his delight at being here with his Ryder Cup team-mates, who pulled off the Medinah miracle last year, in what is likely to be an emotional reunion at the European Tour’s flagship event.
Just to complete his week: there’s no Tiger to beat him, either.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate crude oil dropped 90 cents to $95.81 per barrel.

Gasoline prices dropped 0.699 cents to $2.8357 a gallon. Home heating oil fell 0.0342 cents to $2.91266 a gallon. Natural gas added 0.099 cents to reach $4.189 per million British thermal units.

At the pump, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $3.654 Tuesday, up from Monday's $3.653, the AAA Fuel Gauge Report said.

Uriah Heep confirmed the death of the bassist on its official site. “It is with great sadness that Uriah Heep announce the passing of our friend the amazing Trevor Bolder, who has passed away after his long fight with cancer. Trevor was an all-time great, one of the outstanding musicians of his generation, and one of the finest and most influential bass players that Britain ever produced,” the statement read.

“Trevor was a world class bass player, singer and songwriter, and more importantly a world class friend. He will be sadly missed by family, friends and rock fans all over the world. We are all numb to the core,” the band's guitarist Mick Box said.

Bowie also made a statement on his official site in regards to his former musical partner's passing. “Trevor was a wonderful musician and a major inspiration for whichever band he was working with. But he was foremostly a tremendous guy, a great man,” he said.

Black Sabbath's bassist Geezer Butler mourned Bolder's passing on Twitter, “RIP to Trevor Bolder of Uriah Heep.” Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy wrote, “RIP Trevor Bolder – bass player from Bowie's Spiders From Mars (Ziggy Stardust is my #5 album of all-time) Man, too many rock deaths… : (.”

Bolder joined Spiders from Mars in 1971. He contributed to the band's hit albums “Hunky Dory”, “Aladdin Sane” and “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust”. He later joined Uriah Heep in 1976. He and the band kept playing until his deteriorated condition forced him to take a break a few months ago.

Earlier this year, Bolder told Classic Rock Magazine about his health, “I had pancreas cancer so I had to have that removed. Not the entire pancreas – but still, it was bad news. They've cut out the bad bit. I've had a bit of chemo, got to have that, which I'm doing now, in case there's anything hanging about.”

Iraheta, 21, first met Hager through her friend and guitarist David Immerman. (Hager is a multi-platinum producer who has worked with the likes of Duran Duran, Scott Weiland, Mandy Moore, and the Backstreet Boys.) The three started writing songs together — and the rest is history.

“Our souls were patched together in this project,” the pink-haired star told THR in April. “It was so honest. We felt like a family, so we continued to write as a band.”

Iraheta's new husband is originally from Houston, Texas. He graduated from Boston's Berklee College of Music in 1991.

2. In a large skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef and drain fat.

3. Stir in condensed cream of mushroom soup, condensed cream of chicken soup, milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper and green beans.

4. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish and layer with the tater tots.

5. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until tater tots are browned and crispy.

Instructions

Stopping Incontinence Through Kegel Exercises

1
Locate the correct muscles. The muscles used in the Kegel exercises are those of the pelvic floor. Conveniently enough, these are the same muscles used to stop the flow of urine. While using the toilet, practice stopping your stream of urine. Pay careful attention to which muscles you are using to do this. These are the ones you want to isolate during your Kegel exercises.

2
Set a schedule. In order to see improvement, you will need to perform your Kegel exercises every day, several times a day. You may wish to set aside certain times to help you stay on track, such as when you first wake up in the morning or while you watch TV in the evening. You can also try setting a signal to remind you to Kegel, such as every time you stop at a red light or something else that happens several times every day.

3

Perform the exercises correctly. Using the muscles that you identified in step 1, contract and hold the contraction for a count of four. Relax for a count of four and do it again. This may be hard at first but over time it will get easier. Your goal should be to do this for five minutes, 3 times per day. You will probably not see any benefits for several weeks as your muscle tone builds but stick to it! Eventually it will pay off.

4
Track your exercises. It's important to make sure that you are doing your Kegel exercises every day and frequently enough. If you track them on a chart, you will know when you have missed a session or a day and can get back on track. While it does take a while to see results, remember that this could prevent a future surgical procedure and an embarrassing problem.

5
Increase your regimen. As the exercises get easier, you may wish to work your muscles a little harder. You can perform the Kegel exercises with your knees apart to increase the intensity or you can up the number of sessions you do per day. Kegels don't just help with incontinence, but offer other benefits like easing the childbirth process and increasing sexual satisfaction.

Prepare for the Fun …

Before the fun comes the planning and preparation. Think ahead and make a list of possible activities your family can do together at each step of the camping “trip,” as well as what supplies you'll need and any prearrangements necessary for each activity. Supplies might include sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, flashlight (with extra batteries), cooking and eating utensils, water, plates, cups and napkins, a trash bag, camera, field guides (for identifying birds, insects, flowers or stars), magnifying glass and binoculars.

… And the Not So Fun

Also anticipate and try to avert any unpleasant surprises. Consider, for example, any little ones who have never spent a night outdoors. If fear of the darkness is a possibility for one of your tots, talk with her beforehand about nocturnal critters. Describe the sounds they may make and why — always focusing on the wonder of it all. You might accompany her into the backyard at night on several occasions before the camping adventure, making a game of the night noises and allowing her to grow comfortable with them.

Set Up Camp

Begin the adventure by getting everyone involved in camp setup. Ask the kids to help with unpacking and setting up the campsite. Suggest they clear any rocks and sticks from the ground where the tent will be located. Then have the family work together to set up the tent. If you have no tent, no worries. Drape a simple blanket, tarp or sheet of plastic over a tree branch or clothesline and hold its corners down with stakes or rocks.

Foraging for Food

The shelter is ready, now it's time to forage for food. This is where the preparation beforehand comes in. You will have put fruit, berries and nuts in various small sandwich bags and placed them in the crannies of the yard and the branches of trees and bushes. (Make sure you remember where you placed each one!) Join your kids in a hunting-and-gathering trip, working together to find the snacks. Give subtle (or not-so-subtle) hints to help them hone in on any final few they're unable to find.

Nature Explorations

Show your kids that even their own backyard is a part of the world's ecosystem with a nature walk. Look for birds with binoculars. Turn over rocks and other objects, or dig into the dirt with a small hand spade to discover what insects lie beneath. Search for interesting plants or flowers, and gather leaves or unusual stones. Encourage your children to examine what they find with a magnifying glass, and have them try to identify each, using a reference book or field guide if necessary.

Games People Play

If it still isn't quite time for dinner yet, take the time to play together as a family. Attempt some of the old favorites like shadow tag or leap frog. Teach your children how to make string figures, such as the cup and saucer or cat's cradle. Or try rock jacks. Purchase small, shiny glass stones from a craft store or collect natural rocks. Have everyone sit on a blanket or other smooth surface and teach them how to play jacks with rocks.

Dinner Around the Campfire (or Grill)

It's hard to imagine a campsite without a campfire, so check the codes in your area to find out if an open fire is permitted. If so, follow all the safety rules — and teach them to your little ones. If you'd prefer to avoid charring your grass, layer dirt or sand inside a fire ring and build the campfire on that. On the other hand, if actual fire is a no-go, a small grill makes an easy substitution. Then break out the buns, the meat and the appetites.

Nighttime Discoveries

When the sun has set and the stars are out, join your kiddos in a search for nocturnal insects like moths and spiders. (Be aware and cautious of any that are dangerous in your area.) Ask them the names of what they find and to share their thoughts about them. Watch and listen for owls, bats or other creatures and have your children try to identify them. If the sky in your area is clear enough, point out the constellations to your kids and watch for shooting stars together.

Winding Down the Evening

As the evening slows and everyone is beginning to relax, gather around the campfire (or grill) and make a bedtime snack of sticky s'mores. (Keep the wet wipes handy!) Afterward, teach everyone some campfire songs. You might lead them in some silly classics like “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Be Kind to Your Web-Footed Friends.” Or you might choose from more inspirational gems like “This Land Is Your Land,” “Kumbaya” or “America, the Beautiful.” And if you just can't remember any campfire songs, consider current pop hits.

And to Our Tent We Go

When night arrives, gather around the lantern or flashlight, wrap in sleeping bags and tell spine-chilling ghost stories (or tamer tales if there are less daring tots among you). And if, in the end, any kiddos are too frightened to stay outside the whole night, don't force them. Simply allow them a little more time to grow into the adventure. There will be other chances to share the joy of camping with your kids. After all, your backyard campground isn't going anywhere; it's always waiting right outside your door!

The phone is the cheapest quad-core processor phone available in the market at this point in time. However, it has 512MB of RAM so it probably won't be one of the smoothest performing ones.

The Lava 458q features a 4.5-inch screen with a resolution of 480×854 pixels. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the latest iteration of the operating system.

The phone sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front facing camera. It offers 4GB of internal storage expandable via microSD card. The phone offers 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity options. The Lava 458q has a 2,000mAh battery.

It would be available across all major online and offline retail stores.

Earlier this month, Lava had launched Iris 455 and Iris 405 smartphones. Priced at Rs. 8,699, the Lava Iris 455 sports a 4.5-inch 540×960 pixels capacitive display and runs Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor along with 512MB of RAM. The smartphone packs in 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded by another 32GB via microSD card and connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. The Lava Iris 405 is priced at Rs. 7,499 and comes with a smaller 4-inch 480×800 pixels display. It is also powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and runs Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean).

Lava 458q key specifications

• 4.5-inch display with a revolution of 480×854 pixels
• 1.2GHz quad-core processor
• 512MB RAM
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• VGA front facing camera
• 4GB internal memory, expandable via microSD card
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
• 2,000mAh battery

For the past two years, Microsoft's Xbox 360 has outsold its rivals. But it's been eight years since that machine came out, and Microsoft is the last of the three major console makers to unveil a new system. In those eight years, Apple launched the iPhone and the iPad, “FarmVille” rose and fell and tablets began to threaten desktop computers, changing how people interact with games and beyond.

Now, the stakes are high as Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are all using their latest machines not only to draw gamers but also to command the living room. The goal is to extend their reach beyond loyal legions of hardcore gamers and to become as important to our lives at home as smartphones have become to our lives on the go.

Don Mattrick, Microsoft's president of interactive entertainment business, said the company has spent the past four years working on an “all-in-one home entertainment system.”

At an hour-long unveiling at the company's Redmond, Wash., headquarters on Tuesday, Microsoft executives used voice controls to switch back and forth seamlessly between watching live TV, listening to music, playing a movie and browsing the Internet – all while running apps for stuff like fantasy football and Skype chats on the side of the screen.

“It really extends the home entertainment experience,” Gartner analyst Brian Blau said.

He said the console seems to appeal to “more than just a core gamer in the family” and should be of interest to all types of audiences, from sports players to TV viewers to those who are “social and want to share things.”

The Xbox One unveiling follows Nintendo Co.'s launch of the Wii U in November and Sony Corp.'s tease in February of the upcoming PlayStation 4. Each of the new consoles has shifted away from simply serving as gaming machines, as they incorporate streaming media apps and social networking features.

People will be able to connect their cable or satellite set-top box and watch TV through the Xbox One. It will have its own channel guide and allow viewers to change channels by voice command.

Senior Vice President Yusuf Mehdi demonstrated how the console switched quickly between channels after saying show names such as “Mary and Martha” or commands like “watch MTV.” His voice command of “What's on HBO?” brought up the channel guide for HBO.

“No more memorizing channels or hunting for the remote control,” Mehdi said.

The interface for the TV goes well beyond the functionality in the Wii U, which still requires users to press buttons to change the input source on the TV. Xbox One seamlessly flipped between games, movies and TV shows with voice commands.

In addition to the console, Microsoft unveiled a new version of its camera-based Kinect system with better motion and voice detection, including the ability to recognize faces, tell if you're smiling or talking and gauge your heart rate. In a demonstration, the new sensor detected up to seven people in front of it. Microsoft said the new Kinect will be included with the Xbox One and is deeply integrated into the system, but it won't necessarily always be watching users in their living rooms.

“There's the ability for you to manage the privacy settings so you can turn it off,” Marc Whitten, Microsoft's chief product officer of interactive entertainment business, said in an interview in his office after Tuesday's presentation. “Just like the 360, the biggest thing for us is that you are in control of your privacy.”

The company also introduced a more ergonomic Xbox controller, with a slightly different layout from the Xbox 360 controller and trigger buttons that vibrate. The new console will also add the ability to play Blu-ray discs, matching what Sony has in its older PlayStation 3.

The Xbox One won't require a constant connection to the Internet, but having it will be useful for many of the gaming and entertainment features. The Xbox has been popular largely because of its Xbox Live service, which lets users play games online with other players with annual plans that cost as much as $60 a year.

“The box wants to connect to the Internet,” Whitten said. “That said, we understand the Internet is flakey. It doesn't always work. We want to make sure you can still play your games, watch movies and watch TV if the Internet is down.”

Despite talk that Microsoft might restrict the use of games previously owned by others, the company confirmed that the Xbox One will indeed play used games, but it didn't provide details on how that would work. It said games for the Xbox 360 won't work on the new system because the underlying technology is different, though the company said it will continue to make games for the older machine. Whitten said the Xbox 360 “is going to be incredibly vibrant for some time to come.”

Among the games previewed for Xbox One were the military shooter “Call of Duty: Ghosts” from Activision Blizzard Inc., soccer extravaganza “FIFA 14″ from Electronic Arts Inc. and racing simulator “Forza Motorsport 5″ and time bender “Quantum Break,” both from Microsoft Game Studios. Microsoft said more games will be shown at next month's E3 video game conference in Los Angeles.

The company said there will be more than 15 games available exclusively on the Xbox One in its first year, eight of them new franchises. In recent years, the Xbox has been the exclusive home to such popular gaming franchises as sci-fi shooter “Halo” and alien shoot-'em-up “Gears of War.”

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said Tuesday's presentation was more general than what Microsoft will likely give at E3, where games will be central as thousands of game industry insiders, bloggers and journalists gather for the annual industry conference.

“They didn't focus on games,” he said. “They focused on everything else.”

That everything else includes a multiyear agreement between Microsoft and the National Football League to develop new interactive viewing experiences for pro football games through such products as the Xbox One and Microsoft's Surface tablet computer. Fans will be able to watch games, chat with other fans, view statistics, access highlights in real time and gather fantasy information about players and teams – all on a single screen. For those who prefer multiple screens, fans can get an even deeper experience on mobile devices such as tablets.

Microsoft is also branching into creating original content beyond games, following the trend of other technology companies such as Amazon.com Inc. and Netflix Inc. Director Steven Spielberg will produce a TV series based on the “Halo” games.

The original Xbox debuted in 2001, and its high-definition successor premiered in 2005. The Xbox represents a small fraction of Microsoft's overall revenue, but it is an important consumer-facing business for Microsoft and offers a way to direct traffic to other Microsoft-owned services, including Skype. Microsoft's stock fell 23 cents, or less than 1 percent, to close Tuesday at $34.85.

Nintendo kicked off the next generation of gaming in November with the launch of the Wii U, the successor to the popular Wii system. The Wii U features an innovative tablet-like controller, though its graphics is on par with the previous-generation Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo said the console sold just 3.45 million units by the end of March, well below expectations.

Sony was next, teasing plans for its upcoming PlayStation 4 – without showing the actual box – at a February event in New York. The reaction to that console, which featured richer graphics and more social features, was mixed. The PS4 is expected by the holidays.

Microsoft didn't waste any time showing off the Xbox One console, new Kinect sensor and Xbox controller at the beginning of Tuesday's presentation.

Rosario, who had two hits in the game, delivered the game-winner off Matt Reynolds (0-2) after Arizona gave up a one-out double to Carlos Gonzalez and then intentionally walked Troy Tulowitzki, who had smacked a solo home run earlier in the game.

DJ LeMahieu went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Rockies who have won four of their last five games. Wilton Lopez (1-1) closed out the 10th for the win.

Jason Kubel and Martin Prado had two RBI apiece for Arizona. The Diamondbacks lost for the second time in seven games.

Arizona scored four runs in the seventh inning to tie the score 4-4 and send the game into extra innings.

Trout completed the feat with a solo home run in the eighth inning that sealed the Angels' third consecutive win.

Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Howie Kendrick all had two RBI apiece, and Jerome Williams (3-1) scattered six hits over eight scoreless innings to notch the win.

Aaron Harang (1-5) took the loss for the Mariners after being victimized for seven runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings. Seattle was outhit by Los Angeles 15-6.

The couple disappeared on Friday, but Spanish authorities only confirmed the kidnapping on Tuesday.

The kidnappers contacted the hostages' family and identified themselves as members of the left-wing rebels Farc, Colombian authorities say.

The group, which last year vowed to stop civilian hostage-taking, has not claimed responsibility.

'Absolute discretion'
Angel Sanchez Fernandez and Maria Concepcion Marlaska Sedano were reportedly on their way to Cabo de La Vela, one of the region's main tourist sites, when they disappeared.

Their car was reportedly found abandoned on Friday with a damaged windscreen.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said the government was co-operating with Colombian authorities, but refused to give any details about the kidnapping.

“The house rule is to keep absolute discretion [in these cases],” he told reporters.

The Farc have been involved in hundreds of kidnappings over the decades, but in recent years, the rebels said they had given up the activity and claimed to have released their hostages.

It is not rare for ordinary criminals to use the Farc's name in an attempt to strengthen their bargaining position, correspondents say.

But neither Colombian authorities nor the rebels confirmed that the group had any participation in the latest kidnapping.

The Farc is involved in peace talks with the Colombian government to put an end to the nearly five decades old conflict.

Fighting in the Gamboru district of the Borno state capital yesterday left 10 militants dead, while 65 others fleeing military attacks on their camps in the northern and central parts of the state were arrested trying to enter the city, Chris Olukolade, a defense ministry spokesman, said today in an e-mailed statement from Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

“All the suspects are in custody of Joint Task Force and are currently being interrogated,” Olukolade said. Eleven vehicles and weapons including rocket-propelled grenades were among items seized by troops from the insurgents, he said.

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is a sin” in the local Hausa language, has carried out gun and bomb attacks across Nigeria’s north and Abuja since the police killed its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, while in custody for his role in clashes with the security forces in Maiduguri in 2009. The group says it wants Islamic rule in Africa’s biggest oil producer.

President Goodluck Jonathan on May 14 declared emergency rule in the three northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa to tackle the insurgency that has killed thousands since 2009. Parts of the country’s northeast were being taken over by Islamist militants, Jonathan said. Africa’s most populous country of more than 160 million people is almost evenly split between a mainly Muslim north and a predominantly Christian south.

24-Hour Curfew
Jonathan’s action followed violence in Baga, a fishing town on the shores of Lake Chad, that killed as many as 228 people after security forces responded to an attack by militants on April 16, according to local officials. The army says 30 insurgents, six civilians and a soldier were killed, and 30 houses were burned down. New York-based Human Rights Watch said satellite images of Baga show at least 2,000 homes were destroyed.

Troops mounted air and ground attacks two days ago on camps used by the militants, destroying anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons, according to the army. A 24-hour curfew was imposed today on eight Maiduguri districts, including Gamborou, as the joint military task force operating in the area hunts for militants, Sagir Musa, a military spokesman in the city, said in an e-mailed statement.

Tourists, from Brazil, Argentina and Spain, were taken to hospitals in Nevsehir and the neighboring Kayseri province. The governor visited injured tourists at the private Cappadocia Hospital.

The crash is the latest in a string of hot air balloon accidents this year.
In March, pro football player Donte Stallworth was among two people injured when their balloon crashed into power lines in Miami. In February, a gas explosion caused a balloon to plummet from the sky in Egypt, killing 19 people in the deadliest balloon crash in decades.

Annual revenues fell 4.4% to £44.4bn, after the firm cut prices in Europe in an attempt to retain customers.

In Italy service revenue fell 12.8%, while in Spain it dropped 11.5%.

Vodafone said it had written down the value of its businesses in Italy and Spain by a further £1.8bn, taking the total writedown for the year to £7.7bn.

The writedowns meant that earnings after taxation plunged to £673m in the group's financial year to the end of March, compared with £7bn in 2011-2012.

“We have faced headwinds from a combination of continued tough economic conditions, particularly in Southern Europe, and an adverse European regulatory environment,” chief executive Vittorio Colao said.

However, Mr Colao said he remained “very excited” about Vodafone's longer term prospects.

Verizon Wireless, the US mobile operator 45%-owned by Vodafone, was the one bright spot in the results. Vodafone received a 30.5% year-on-year rise in the profits from its stake to £6.4bn.

There has been speculation over whether Vodafone will sell off its stake in Verizon Wireless, worth an estimated £88bn, an amount almost equal to Vodafone's total market capitalisation.

However, on a conference call following the results Mr Colao said that he had “nothing new to announce” about its stake in Verizon Wireless, and added that it was a “fantastic asset”.

A spokesman for local investigators said the men were killed in a gunbattle with officers after refusing to surrender during a raid on a house in a suburb of the capital of Ingushetia, a region to the west of Chechnya.

The wife and child of one of them left the house before the firefight, he told Reuters by telephone.

More than a decade after federal troops defeated a separatist rebellion in Chechnya, insurgents stage frequent attacks in nearby regions fighting to establish an emirate in the patchwork of mainly Muslim provinces on Russia's south.

Two car bombs killed at least four people and wounded dozens of others on Monday, in one of the bloodiest attacks this year, in capital of Dagestan, a province bordering Chechnya to the east.

The Kremlin is worried about the spread of violence outside the region. In a suburb of Moscow on Monday, security forces killed two suspected militants alleged to have been plotting an attack in the capital.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered law enforcement authorities to ensure insurgents do not attack the 2014 Winter Olympics next February in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, which is close to the North Caucasus.

Although most fatal water accidents don’t make headlines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 3,000 unintentional drownings in pools occur each year — a staggering average of 10 a day. Most victims are 14 and younger, and for every child who dies, four more receive emergency care. An additional 500 drown in boating-related accidents.

Children should never swim unattended, even if they are competent in the water. Hotel and motel pools pose a definite danger. And although crowded public pools with lifeguards on duty provide a reasonable level of safety, it's always wise to know where your children are, as drownings can and do occur before a lifeguard recognizes the problem. It may be difficult to imagine that a wading pool with less than a foot of water can be deadly, but a small child can drown in less than 2 inches of water.

“There are 7 million pools in the United States and even nonfatal drownings can cause brain damage resulting in long-term disabilities,” said John Drengenberg, safety director at Underwriters Laboratories (UL), an independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization. “Eighty percent of those who die are male, and children ages 1 to 4 have the highest rates.”

Avoiding Water Tragedies

Parents often think swimming lessons are the best way to avoid water tragedies. But kids who know how to swim are apt to take chances a more mature person would never take.

Drengenberg says that you can avoid accidents by applying a simple 10/20 rule: “A supervising adult should scan the pool every 10 seconds and be within 20 seconds of reaching the pool.”

When families get together, everyone may think that someone else is watching the pool, which can mean that no one is watching the pool. You need to appoint at least one adult to supervise. And while adults may be tempted to ask an older child to look out for the younger ones, an older child is still a child — and children are easily distracted. An adult should always be assigned to pool duty.

Inner tubes, floaties and water wings can create a false sense of security. They aren’t life preservers and can deflate quickly, leaving a child floundering. It’s also easy lose a grip on swimming “noodles,” which keep kids afloat only as long as they grasp them tightly.

“Unlike the movies, kids don’t scream and thrash,” Drengenberg said. “Drowning is a silent death. They simply slide under the water and are never heard from again.”

If a child is missing, don’t waste time looking around the house or neighborhood. Go directly to the pool. Drengenberg explains that the quicker you get the child out, the better the survival rate with minimal brain damage.

To ensure the safety of wading pools, remove all toys, empty the pool and turn it upside down. Hot tubs, too, pose a hazard. Always keep them locked and covered.

In-ground and large pools that require particular vigilance — not just for the family, but also for uninvited neighborhood kids who might sneak in when you’re away. You’ll need to install at least a 4-foot fence with self-latching gates that a young child can’t reach. The addition of an alarm that sounds when the gate is opened further increases safety.

To improve swimming pool safety, have drains inspected for cracks and teach kids to stay away from their suction. Trim overhanging branches so adventure-seekers won’t be tempted to swing from the limbs while swimming.

You also need to be smart about where you and your kids swim. Know how deep the water is and avoid isolated swimming spots, as you need someone to hear you if you call for help. Leave the cold-water swimming to the real polar bears. If the water temperature is less than 70 degrees F, it can trigger hypothermia.

Boating Safety

Water safety doesn't apply only to swimming. When it comes to all water activities, safety should always be your first consideration.

“If you're boating,” Drengenberg said, “make sure you have U.S. Coast Guard-approved/UL-Listed Personal Flotation Devices (life jackets/PFDs) for each person onboard. Approved vests turn an unconscious wearer’s face up in the water and offer a better chance for rescue.” The U.S. Coast Guard reports that 88 percent of people who die in boating accidents are not wearing PFDs.

Specific PFDs are designed for activities like boogie boarding, kite surfing, paddle boarding and water-skiing — and each has different requirements. Every boat must be equipped with the appropriate PFDs to fit the “crew” and suit their activities.

Jackets should fit snugly and be tested in shallow water to see how they perform. Look for rips and holes, and make sure straps and hardware are in place. Check for fit by pulling up on the jacket’s shoulders to make sure it keeps a child’s chin and ears from slipping through the neck holes. As children grow, buy larger PFDs just as you buy new clothes and shoes.

Playing in the water should be fun — and safe — for everyone.

Belt scored four times and his blast in the fifth inning handed a 6-0 lead to San Francisco, which opened a homestand by snapping a three-game skid.

Angel Pagan drove in three runs while Andres Torres went 3-for-5 with an RBI double en route to the victory.

Vogelsong (2-4) allowed just three hits over five shutout innings, walking one and striking out two in posting his first victory since April 11.

But he exited the game after being hit in the right (pitching) hand with a pitch while batting in the sixth inning. The Giants said Vogelsong will be out six weeks with a fractured right hand.

Washington starter Zach Duke (0-1), filling in for the injured Ross Detwiler, was roughed up for four runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings as the Nationals stumbled to a third straight loss.

Corbin (7-0) turned in his ninth straight start of allowing two or fewer earned runs with the dominating performance while lowering his ERA to 1.44.

The left-hander allowed only one run and struck out 10 in the 97-pitch gem, which boosted the National League West-leading D-backs to a fifth win six games.

Didi Gregorius went 3-for-5 with two RBI and Eric Chavez added three hits, including an RBI single, as Arizona claimed the opener of a three-game series.

Rockies starter Jon Garland (3-5) was touched for five runs on 11 hits over six full frames.

Jordan Pacheco recorded Colorado's only RBI.

The Sony Xperia L is a mid-range device that screams Sony from the first look. And in a world filled with affordable mid-range Android devices design is of paramount importance. In this case, the Xperia L is an elegant phone, featuring a noticeable inward curve and a beautiful diffused LED light strip at the bottom that lights up whenever you have notifications pending.

With a 4.3 inch screen the Xperia L is a compact handset, great for single handed operation. It has no huge ambitions when it comes to performance or camera quality, but for some a smooth overall experience in the interface might be enough. Is there more to the Xperia than it appears on the surface, though? Read on to find out.

Design:

The Xperia L has the very distinct for Sony concave shape we have first seen in the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. It adds an extra flare of elegance but is also practical as it makes it harder for the device to slip out of the hand. Overall the device feels solidly built. In terms of physical dimensions, it has this prolonged hexagon shape that makes it look a bit larger than the typical 4.3-inch smartphone. The soft-touch plastic back makes it pleasant to hold.

All of the physical buttons are located on the right hand side: the new round power button that sticks out a bit, a volume rocker above it and a dedicated camera shutter key on the bottom. On the back there is an 8-megapixel camera with a single LED flash.

Screen:

The 4.3-inch screen is a welcome break from the large 5-inch and bigger screens of today as you can actually operate this device with just one hand. Sony uses the Android on-screen buttons for navigation. That means they do take up a bit of those 4.3 inches, so in reality there is less room for icons and other usable content.

At 4.3 inches diagonal and with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels the screen is not amongst the sharpest ones out there. Pixel density comes at the mediocre 228ppi.

Viewing angles are fairly average and when you tilt the device you’d notice colors losing their saturation. Even without tilting the device though colors look a bit bleak and that is especially noticeable in the blacks that tend to look greyish rather than pitch black. Brightness is sufficient for outdoor use especially if you manage to get the device at the right angle to avoid reflections.

Study author Dr. Craig Lammert, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, said PSC is an inflammatory disease of the bile ducts that results in inflammation and subsequent fibrosis that can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and biliary cancer.

“While rare, PSC has extremely detrimental effects,” Lammert said in a statement. “We're always looking for ways to mitigate risk, and our first-time finding points to a novel environmental factor that also might help us to determine the cause of this and other devastating autoimmune diseases.”

The study involved a large group of patients with PSC and primary biliary cirrhosis and a group of healthy patients.

The study found coffee consumption was associated with reduced risk of PSC, but not PBC. However, PSC patients were much likelier not to consume coffee than healthy patients were. The PSC patients also spent nearly 20 percent less of their time regularly drinking coffee than the control group.

Senior author Dr. Konstantinos Lazaridis, a Mayo Clinic hepatologist, said the findings suggested PSC and PBC differ more than originally thought.

“Moving forward, we can look at what this finding might tell us about the causes of these diseases and how to better treat them,” Lazaridis said.

“It's not true,” the rap mogul allegedly says when responding to Darden's congratulatory message. “The news is worse than blogs.”

Bey herself seemed to address the pregnancy rumors on an Instagram post, which she later deleted for an unknown reason. “I can't stop the rumors from starting, and I can't really change peoples [sic] minds who believe them, all I can do is sit back and laugh at these low life people who have nothing better to do than talk about me,” she said.

The pregnancy rumor emerged on heels of her interview on “Good Morning America”. She revealed her desire for baby No. 2 back then, “I would like more children. I think my daughter needs company. I definitely love being a big sister and at some point when it's supposed to happen.”

When she attended punk-themed Met gala later on, some suggested that her black-and-gold regal Givenchy gown which was accessorized with a high-waisted belt was carefully picked to hide her supposed baby bump.

The singer fanned the flames on the rumors when she canceled a concert in Antwerp, Belgium on doctor's orders citing dehydration and exhaustion.

“To my dearest fans in Antwerp,” she apologized in a handwritten note, “I've never postponed a show in my life. It was very hard for me. I promise I will make it up very soon. I'm sorry if I disappointed you. Thank you for your concern. I'm feeling much better now and I'm ready to give you a great show.”

The musician died at a clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, surrounded by members of his family, according to a statement issued by his publicist.

Manzarek formed the Doors after a chance meeting in July 1965 on Venice Beach, Los Angeles, with Jim Morrison, a fellow alumni from the film school who was to become the band's vocalist.

After they were joined by Robby Krieger on guitar and John Densmore on drums, the band released six albums, all of which were successful. After Morrison's death in 1971, the band continued on as a trio, releasing two more albums.

Manzarek, who was born and raised in Chicago and studied at the Department of Cinematography at UCLA, Manzarek occasionally sang for the Doors and was portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan in the 1991 film biopic about the band.

“I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today,” Krieger said in a statement.

“I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him.”

Manzarek played in several other bands after the Doors, including Nite City, a rock group which released a number of albums in the 1970s.

In 1998 he wrote a best-selling memoir about his experiences, Light My Fire: My Life with the Doors. He is survived by his wife Dorothy, a son, and three grandchildren.

“We remember Sally Ride not just as a national hero, but as a role model to generations of young women,” Obama said in a statement released by the White House. “Sally inspired us to reach for the stars, and she advocated for a greater focus on the science, technology, engineering and math that would help us get there. Sally showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve, and I look forward to welcoming her family to the White House as we celebrate her life and legacy.”

Ride first traveled on the space shuttle in 1983. She left NASA in 1987 to focus on science education, especially for girls. She died July 23, 2012, of pancreatic cancer at age 61.

The Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, is presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. More honorees will be announced in the coming weeks, and the awards will be presented at a ceremony at the White House later this year.

Also on Monday, NASA announced it would pay tribute to Ride by creating a new agency internship program in her name and renaming a science instrument aboard the International Space Station in her honor.

The Sally Ride Internship will help students from underserved backgrounds pursue a research interest at one of NASA's centers nationwide, a release from the agency said, providing as many as 10 internships in the spring and fall semesters of each school year.

NASA said it would also honor Ride by renaming a camera aboard the space station the Sally Ride EarthKAM.

Through her company, Sally Ride Science, hundreds of thousands of middle school students have participated in space research by using EarthKAM by requesting images based on their classroom investigations.

“Sally's impact on our nation and future generations of explorers is immeasurable,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, who served with Ride in NASA's astronaut corps in the 1980s. “God speed, Sally Ride, and thank you for reminding us to reach higher, break barriers and dream big.”

Obama has ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. Individuals and business owners affected by the disaster may apply for federal grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs.

The president promised federal assistance in a phone conversation earlier Monday with Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (FAL'-ihn). The Federal Emergency Management Agency has sent a special team to Oklahoma's emergency operations center to help out and dispatch resources.

Below, the full declaration from The White House:

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Oklahoma and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and tornadoes beginning on May 18, 2013, and continuing.
The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the counties of Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Sandy Coachman as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FEMA said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

FEMA said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties may apply for assistance by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Go slow and low when it comes to diet
Sugar might give you an instant kick, but you’re going to crash in the long run. Opt instead for a high-fiber, low-glycemic choice such as beans, sweet potatoes, quinoa, lentils or apples. High fiber plus carbohydrates in these whole foods help supply a steady stream of energy so you feel energized all day long and don't need to reach for that 3 p.m. double-fudge brownie. Another way to help avoid the blood-sugar roller coaster is to supplement your diet with Sunfiber, which is a tasteless, colorless, odorless secret dietary weapon for anyone suffering from glucose intolerance or troubles with blood glucose management.

Get your Zs
If I had to pick just one strategy for great energy, fast fat loss and overall health, it would be to consistently get seven to nine hours of sleep nightly. My top tips for sound slumber include: turning off technology well before bedtime, skipping late-night noshing, keeping your bedroom dark and cool, developing sleep rituals to help you wind down at the end of the day, and maintaining your circadian rhythm (give melatonin a try, if necessary).

5 Bedroom tips for better sleep >>

Stress less
Did you know that stress rapidly uses up your nutrients and destroys your sleep quality? Stress and life’s daily demands burn up vitamin C and your energy-assisting B vitamins. Vitamin B5 deficiency can even lead to adrenal fatigue. Stress also lowers serotonin, the feel-good hormone your brain eventually converts to melatonin for good sleep (you need vitamin B6 to make melatonin). Stress weakens your immune system, putting you at risk for colds and flu. I recommend products containing Wellmune WPG to safely boost your immunity. I also recommend you take a multi-vitamin to help replenish the vitamins that are depleted during chronic stress.

Does stress make you fat? >>

Get a handle on allergies
You probably think of allergies as something that happen in the spring, but the reality is a runny nose, stuffiness, watery eyes, congestion and other miserable allergy symptoms can happen anytime — and they are often worsened by stress. I don’t know about you, but being stuffed up and not able to breathe easily is pure misery. Stay away from drugstore nose sprays that have harsh and even addictive ingredients. Instead, reach for Alkalol, which helps naturally relieve nasal congestion caused by sinusitis and allergies. I love its invigorating extracts and essential oils that help clean and moisturize my nasal passages, kill germs and bacteria, and soothe irritated tissue. I breathe easier, and knowing I can pick it up at CVS or Walgreens for less than 10 bucks makes me feel better.

Avoid over-scheduling
Multi-tasking and squeezing obligations into your day planner are surefire ways to feel overwhelmed and under-accomplished. Prioritize your list with the top things you need to do, and focus on those rather than overloading with less-important tasks. Focus on one thing at a time, do it well and then let go. And definitely schedule some down time into your day to relax and rejuvenate.

Enhance your mental focus
If you feel frazzled and unfocused, Suntheanine – a patented pure form of L-theanine – can naturally stimulate alpha-wave activity in your brain, promoting relaxation and alertness. I use it when I notice that I am getting a bit “edgy” from stress. Suntheanine may also boost your mood, cognition and alertness. Clinical research shows that 50 mg to 200 mg of Suntheanine may be all you need.

Burst training
Scheduling an hour for aerobics class in your already-loaded schedule only creates more stress for both your mind and body. According to fitness professional Charles Poliquin, aerobic exercise raises cortisol (your stress hormone), accelerates aging and lowers testosterone. Burst training is the efficient, effective antidote to an hours-long gym routine that you can do in just minutes. I love to combine it with weight resistance for the two best kinds of exercise on the planet. You can get both with my 4 x 4 Workout, which fits into your busiest schedule: you can knock the whole thing out in just 15 minutes, three times a week.

Stay well-hydrated
Even being a bit dehydrated can crash your metabolism and raise your stress hormones. When you realize you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Sip water throughout the day to stay energized and focused, starting with a glass when you wake up and then drinking steadily throughout your day. A really easy way to meet your water quota: Keep a liter canteen on you, fill it up a few times and you’re done. If you want flavored water, add lemon, lime or orange to purified water and refrigerate. It tastes like your favorite spa water without going to the spa! The only time you don't want to drink water is during meals, when too much water can dilute your stomach enzymes and prevent protein breakdown. Otherwise, drink away!

That’s why I decided to dig into the research journals to uncover proven, little-known ways that consumers can save money. Here are three.

1. Consolidate your bank accounts
For years, the conventional wisdom was that spreading money across various bank accounts encourages consumers to save. But new research by Promothesh Chatterjee, an assistant professor in the School of Business at The University of Kansas, turns that on its head. “We find that individuals are more likely to save if they have only one primary account, rather than many accounts,” Chatterjee said in a statement. “Basically, people look for an excuse to spend, and vague information facilitates this — and having multiple accounts provides just enough vagueness to do the trick.”

2. Avoid the color red in certain shopping situations
The color red can trigger consumers to spend more money than they otherwise would have, according to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research in 2012. The study looked at eBay auctions and compared how consumers responded to products listed with a red background vs. a blue background. They found that the color red induces aggression and thus increases bids in an auction. “Our results suggest that incidental exposure to color on webpage backgrounds or on walls in brick-and-mortar stores can affect willingness-to-pay,” the authors write. “In situations where consumers compete with each other to buy a scarce or a limited edition product, firms may increase consumers’ willingness-to-pay by exposure to red versus blue backgrounds.”

3. Picture yourself old
Want to save a ton of money for retirement? The secret may be to picture yourself as an old person (gray hair, wrinkles and all), according to a study published in the Journal of Marketing Research in 2011. The researchers had one group of participants view a photo of

themselves as they looked that day and another group view a photo that had been digitally rendered to make them look 70. Then the participants were told to imagine that they had just unexpectedly received $1,000 and to allocate it among four options: 1) buy something nice for someone special, 2) invest in a retirement fund, 3) plan a fun and extravagant occasion, and 4) put it into a checking account. Those who had seen a photo of themselves at age 70 were more than twice as likely as the other group to put the money into the retirement account. You can use this tool from Merrill Lynch to picture yourself old. We suggest you do it when that tax refund check comes.

Step 2: Make The Base
Smash the digestive biscuits and a quarter of the Maltesers in a food bag with a rolling pin until you have biggish chunks. Pour into a mixing bowl, add the rest of the Maltesers and raisins and pour in the chocolate mixture. Stir everything together and then tip into a small greased and lined baking tray. Squash down with the back of a spoon and pop into the fridge to chill.

Step 3: Make The Topping
Heat the cream and 2 tbsp of syrup in a pan. Once it’s hot, but not boiling, take off the heat and add 100 g of broken up dark chocolate and 100 g of broken up milk chocolate, then stir until the chocolate has melted and it has thickened up. Pour over the biscuit base and smooth over. Place back in the fridge to chill and set. Once set, cut it into small squares or slices and serve.

The 23-year-old actress and the 27-year-old actor were just spotted last week arriving at JFK Airport for a departing flight in the Big Apple.

Last summer, Robert and Kristen‘s relationship was put to the test after she was caught in kissing pics with Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders.

White was born in Washington D.C. on May 4, 1926 to parents James Andrew White and Lucia W. After graduating from a high school in Washington, White entered University of North Carolina majoring in English. At the university, she became interested in the world of theater as she participated in many school plays. She graduated in 1947 and got her Master degree from Catholic University in Washington D.C.

In early 1950s, she left for New York and appeared on TV series like “Playhouse 90″, “General Electric” and “Philco Playhouse”. She moved to Los Angeles and starred in many Hollywood movies and TV shows including “Magnum Force”, “Vice Squad”, “Man Crazy”, “Bonanza”, “The Rifleman”, “The Untouchables” and “Father Knows Best”. However, she is best known for her role on “Twilight Zone” episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.”

In the episode, she played William Shatner's wife who had to support her husband who just recovered form an anxiety breakdown. Shatner's Mr. Wilson claimed he saw a gremlin when he and his wife were on a plane.

The episode was so popular that it got spoofed on “Saturday Night Live”, “3rd Rock From the Sun” and “The Simpsons”.

Murphy's blast off Jose Ortega (0-1) erased a 7-5 deficit for the Rangers, who banged out 18 hits in the victory, their third in a four-game series with the Tigers.

Murphy drove in four runs overall while Adrian Beltre and Lance Berkman combined to go 7-for-10 with four RBI in the victory.

Mitch Moreland added two hits and drove in a pair of runs and Geovany Soto went 3-for-5 with a run scored for Texas, which improved to an MLB best 29-15.

Robbie Ross (2-0) earned the victory with a scoreless seventh inning and Joe Nathan wrapped up the win with his 13th save.

Cabrera finished 4-for-4 with a three-run clout and two solo shots in the second three-homer game of his career.

Prince Fielder supplied a bases-clearing double for the Tigers, who fell for the fourth time in five contests overall.

The Senators, trailing 2-0 in the Western Conference semifinal series, seemed destined to fall again, trailing 1-0 with less than a minute remaining in regulation and Pittsburgh on a power play.

Ottawa Coach Paul MacLean then pulled goalie Craig Anderson to add an attacker for a 5-on-5 situation, and the move paid off.

Daniel Alfredsson took a pass from Milan Michalek and backhanded a shot over the shoulder of Penguins netminder Tomas Vokoun with 28.6 seconds left for the equalizer.

After a scoreless first overtime, Ottawa struck 7:39 into second extra frame when Andre Benoit launched a shot at Vokoun and Greening was there to backhand the rebound into the net.

Anderson turned aside 49-of-50 shots for the Sens, who took the longest game of the current post-season.

Tyler Kennedy scored and Vokoun ended with 46 stops of the Penguins, who will again attempt to put a stranglehold on the series in Wednesday's Game 4.

Marinov says there are two reasons to believe that commodity prices will fall over the next18 months.

“The expectation [is] that demand for commodities may be weakening from here, or if anything, won't accelerate,” he says. “And the energy revolution in the U.S. which is adding to the supply of commodities and effectively with supply increasing and demand not necessarily growing leads to lower commodity prices from here.”

He says a pullback in commodity prices could result in the growth rate of the Canadian economy slowing, or outright shrinking. He also believes that a falling commodity prices will push down inflation and result in central banks such as the Bank of Canada and the Bank of Australia cutting interest rates.

Overall, Marinov expects the price of oil to drop around 10 percent in the next 18 months.

“It seems like the commodity currencies may have to suffer a bit more, especially against the U.S. dollar,” he says.