iPhone 5 Could Have Big Future As Camera

Apple created an ideal electronic solution with the 2007 release of the iPhone. Is it possible, however, that for Apple the product’s greatest value is in the smart phone’s camera?  A report from Barclays PLC studies the power of the company’s most iconic device in the imaging market, and the effects that might have on pricing.


The theory is that the more devices the iPhone 5 can replace, the higher the utility of the device to consumers is, and the higher price they will pay. The iPhone 5 currently works as a phone, and for most customers as an mp3 player. It also serves to delay some of the time spent on personal computers for certain segments of the market.

Apple has seen its share plummet in recent days after a poorly received earnings report. The company deserves another look according to the report from Barclays PLC , which deals with more than just the digital camera part of iPhone 5 appeal.

A second benefit of the all-in-one model is that when consumers seek to update one function of their device, i.e. their camera, they have to replace the entire product, at full cost. The market model is a great one for Apple , but the iPhone 5 has yet to replace cameras.


For a certain segment of the market, the iPhone 5 has managed to replace point-and-shoot digital cameras, but it hasn’t made enough headway into the market to be considered a stalwart force in the segment. A Barclays report studies usage patterns on the social networking site Flickr, which is owned by Yahoo! Inc. .

The study finds that the iPhone 5 is being increasingly used as a digital camera, and is taking market share from traditional point and shoots. The iPhone 4s is the most valuable camera on Flickr currently, with more than 5200 daily users as of January 28th, the iPhone 4 is in second place with a shade over 4000 average daily users.

The iPhone 5 meanwhile, maintain more than 2300 average users, a good number for a device which is less than 6 months old. The iPhone 5 trounces usage by Samsung users. The Galaxy S II and S III have 676 and 620 users respectively. The usage of the iPhone 5 on photo sharing services like Flickr means more than cannibalization of point and shoots, it also means higher data usage.

A device, like the iPhone 5, is more valuable to wireless carriers if it causes them to use more wireless data, making up for the subsidies the carriers have to pay to put the smart phones on the market. The massive advantage of the iPhone 5 over the models offered by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) means that carriers may be more willing to continue offering subsidies to Apple, even if they choose to limit them to other carriers.

According to the Barclays PLC  the iPhone, and the iPhone 5, are becoming the digital camera for the younger market. That, along with the enhanced data usage from iPhone 5 users, means that Apple Inc. has an advantage over its competitors, and still has room to grow, despite the current impressions of the markets.

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Bullet to the Head Review

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kan, Jason Momoa, Sarah Shahi, Christian Slater, Jon Seda.

Director: Walter Hill.

Screenwriter: Alessandro Camon. Based on the graphic novel by Alexis Nolent.

Producers: Alfred Gough, Alexandra Milchan, Miles Millar.

A Warner Bros. release. Running time: 91 minutes. Vulgar language, violence, gore, drug use, adult themes. Playing at area theaters.



The difference between Bullet to the Head and practically every other action picture you’ve seen in the last year can be summed up in two words: Walter Hill. The director, who hasn’t made a movie since the 2002 flop Undisputed, has lost none of his facility for effective (but never gratuitous or excessive) violence, for his understanding of the male-macho psyche and for his keen interest in what happens when men from different backgrounds and opposing world views are forced to work together reluctantly in order to bring down a common foe.

These themes and elements were prevalent throughout Hill’s impressive work in the 1970s and ’80s ( The Warriors, Southern Comfort, 48 Hrs., Red Heat, Streets of Fire, The Long Riders, Extreme Prejudice). Now 71, the director remains intrigued by these ideas — in his obsessions, he’s somewhat reminiscent of Sam Peckinpah, except not crazy or alcoholic — and he purposely uses traditional buddy-cop formulas to dig in deeper. A perfectly-cast Sylvester Stallone as James, a New Orleans hit man out to avenge the murder of his partner (Jon Seda) by a barbaric killer (Jason Momoa) who may have ties to organized crime.

In his investigation, James must team up Taylor (Sung Kan), a cop from Washington, D.C., whose former partner may have been killed by the same mobsters. Like he did in previous films, Hill uses the ethnic and cultural differences between his two protagonists (Taylor is Asian) for odd-couple humor and easy jokes but also as a way of depicting how people sometimes bend their own moral codes as a way of getting a job done.

Stallone, looking groomed and fit, radiates the aura of a man who is comfortable trampling over the boundaries of society in order to carry out his work (his only rule: no women or children). His confidence is the film’s rock-solid center; compared to him, Kan comes off as amateurish and out of his league. He isn’t a strong enough foil for Stallone, the way Eddie Murphy bounced off a dour Nick Nolte in 48 Hrs., and the movie suffers greatly from his uneven performance.

But there’s more to Bullet to the Head than car chases and shootouts, even though the film has plenty of both. Hill’s direction remains as clean and unfussy as ever — the action is brutal but extremely well-orchestrated — and he peppers the edges of the film with eccentric flourishes, such as Christian Slater’s amusingly over-the-top turn as a corrupt businessman. The movie is lean and tight — it runs 91 minutes — and if it doesn’t exactly break new ground, Bullet to the Head reminds you of the pleasures of a genre that today is exploited primarily for comedy or satire. When Stallone growls “Sometimes you have to abandon your principles and do the right thing,” Hill wants you to consider the statement and how differently it applies to each of his two protagonists. The world has become far more complex and less black-or-white than it was in the 1980s. Bullet in the Head is a throwback to the past with its eyes trained on the present, and it proves Hill has lost not a bit of his edge.

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PlayStation 'Orbis' Rumors: Game Recording, Controllers, and Speeds!

It's all but officially confirmed that Sony will be revealing its next-generation PlayStation console – codename "Orbis – at a February 20 event in New York City. For those not on the East Coast, eager gamers will be able to tune into the event online to watch Sony parade its new console around the stage. Assuming, of course, that all of the pundits predicting the new console's release prove true – and there are plenty.
That means two things: First, Sony will officially beat competitor Microsoft to the punch as far as new console reveals go. Second, there's going to be plenty of information coming out of the woodwork as we approach February 20 as far as what's in the new PlayStation, what it might feel like to operate the new PlayStation, and just how Sony's new console will stack up against Microsoft's similarly undisclosed (for right now) but highly rumored system.
So, in that order, let's take a look at some of the biggest rumors so far surrounding the new PlayStation console.
First up, one of the new leaks suggests that the new PlayStation is going to come with DVR-like recording capabilities. Not for TV shows, mind you, but for games – rumors suggest that the console will be able to record up to 15 minutes of continuous gameplay. Which means that a gamer could nail a super-tough part in his or her favorite title, pause the game, review the footage, and then upload screenshots or video clips of said accomplishment to an online system (here's hoping it's YouTube-friendly).
We've chatted about the potential changes to the PlayStation controller previously. Those are still mostly in play, but a few more details have leaked out as to what the potential design might actually look like. According to a report from Edge magazine, the new PlayStation controller will be exactly the same size as Sony's previous DualShock controllers. However, the area currently occupied by the Start and Select buttons will be replaced by a PlayStation Vita-style touchpad – allowing gamers to interact with their systems using simple finger gestures but not in a matter as fancy as, say, the WiiU's controllers with built in touch screens.
Finally, there's the big comparison: Just how beefy will Sony's console be when stacked up against the capabilities of Microsoft's rumored machine? According to the latest rumors, Sony will actually have a faster console – 1.84 terflops of computing power to the new Xbox's 1.23 – but Microsoft's console will have double the memory (8GB) compared to Sony's. That's all assuming, of course, that either teraflop figure actually holds true, a topic of much debate over the past week or so. Both systems are rumored to run eight-core processors and support Blu-ray playback.

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Adrian Peterson finishes his amazing comeback season with NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors

Whether or not Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson wins the Comeback Player of the Year award or not, his status as the league's newly-crowned Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year puts quite the exclamation point on a season few thought could possibly happen. Peterson suffered a knee injury in December of 2011 and underwent surgery soon after. His recovery was on the near-miraculous scale, and despite the "pitch count" Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier said he'd put Peterson on to start the season, Peterson became the sixth player in NFL history to gain more than 2,000 yards on the ground.

Peterson is the first running back to win the MVP award since LaDanian Tomlinson took the title in 2006. He received 30.5 votes, while Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning nabbed 19.5 votes.


Perhaps most impressive about Peterson's season was the fact that he seemed to get better as the season rolled along. Of his 2,097 rushing yards, 1,322 came in the season's last eight games. He had just one game in which he rushed for under 100 yards in his final 10 games, and he exceeded the 200-yard mark in single games twice -- against the Green Bay Packers and the St. Louis Rams. He gained 99 yards on 20 carries against the Packers in a playoff loss despite the fact that backup quarterback Joe Webb replaced Christian Ponder, and the Packers were reading run on every single play.

In truth, Peterson had every defense reading run most of the time, which makes his season all the more impressive. Ponder, still adapting to the NFL in his second season, averaged 6.1 yards per attempt in the 2012 season. Peterson averaged 6.0 yards per carry. And the fact that the Vikings were in the playoffs one year after a 3-13 mark lends even more credence to how deserving he was.

At last week's Pro Bowl, Peterson predicted that he would win the MVP, which led to some good-natured ribbing between himself and Manning, who won Comeback Player of the Year.
"I'm going to win it. I will get it," Peterson said of the title.
"Everyone should play like Adrian Peterson," Manning responded around a group of players. "The guy does everything full speed. The Pro Bowl. Promoting himself for MVP."


Peterson was among a group cracking up at that.

"I thought it was funny, man," Peterson said. "Manning is always pulling somebody's chain. This time, he got me. That's just the way he is. And I have a ton of respect for him."
Respect for both players has certainly been earned, but it's Adrian Peterson who carried the day on Saturday. He did so just like he carries the ball and just like he carries his team -- with absolute authority.


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Antonio Silva scores major UFC 156 upset with knockout of Alistair Overeem

Antonio "Big Foot" Silva patiently fought Alistair Overeem at UFC 156, and then pulled off the biggest upset of the young year with a knockout win in the third round.

The first round was more clinch-filled than expected, but Overeem definitely got his licks in. He used leg kicks and punches as well as fantastic movement to hold off Silva. Overeem also landed 13 body shots in the first round.

Overeem went a different route in the second round, taking down Silva early in the round. After Overeem controlled and beat up Silva for much of the round, they were stood up and they finally started throwing at each other. Both fighters got in knees and punches until they were stopped by the round ending. As they headed to their separate corners, Overeem threw a look at Silva that seemed to say, "Bring it."

Silva complied. In the third round, Silva became aggressive and Overeem stood right in front of him. "Big Foot" landed a bevy of punches that first wobbled Overeem, and then sent him to the ground. Silva had to be pulled back by referee Herb Dean. The fight was stopped 25 seconds into the final round.

“After I knocked him out I was yelling at him ‘Let’s go! I want more… come fight!" Silva said through a translator after the bout.

This was Overeem's first fight since beating Brock Lesnar late in 2011. Overeem was given a title shot after the win, but lost his opportunity after pre-fight tests caused him to be suspended in Nevada. He was hoping for a title shot immediately upon his suspension, but had to beat Silva first. That title shot is not likely now.

Before knocking out Overeem, Silva had experienced an up and down past few fights. He beat MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, then lost to Daniel Cormier in the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix, and to Cain Velasquez at UFC 146. After that, he scored a first-round TKO over Shawn Jordan.

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Super Bowl 2013: Vernon Davis has grown into leader for San Francisco 49ers

Two weeks ago, Vernon Davis stood at a lectern and delivered his sermon. The sinner had been reformed; the child was now grown.

“It’s not about me,” he said, the eye contact strong and his voice rising. “It’s definitely not.”


The San Francisco 49ers had just beaten the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC championship game. Davis, the 49ers’ 29-year-old tight end, had perhaps his best game of the season, on what at the time was the year’s biggest stage.

“Everything that we dream of, like going to the Super Bowl, that’s what it’s about,” the Washington native continued after the 28-24 win. “And I understand that. It took me a few years, but now I understand.”

Years ago, Davis was seen as an immature, occasionally petulant player whose attitude held back his potential. Now, as he approaches 30 and prepares to play in America’s biggest game, Davis has emerged as an unexpected leader. More than four years after Davis’s former coach, Mike Singletary, benched and famously blasted the young tight end and said he “would rather play with 10 people” than have Davis on the field, he has taken on a reduced role but nonetheless represents the heart and soul of San Francisco’s magical season and playoff run.

“If I can block, pass protect — I’m extremely happy,” Davis kept saying in Atlanta. “Last week I had one catch, but it was the happiest moment of my life.”

This week, Davis sat at the site of the Super Bowl and reflected on an occasionally tumultuous, often impressive career. He smiled and talked about the slip-ups of a young player, and how those were similar to the lessons he learned at Washington’s Dunbar High School. Even in those days, Davis had to be shown the way, rather than being told about its path.

“There’s a time to step up to the plate and do what you’re supposed to do,” said Craig Jefferies, Davis’s football coach at Dunbar. “Or be gone.”

Back then, Jefferies tried often to pull the best out of this young star. Davis picked up football only in high school, but Jefferies saw what he could be — if only Davis would allow it. The coach remembered a talented and driven youngster who worked hard on football and weightlifting, but when it came time to show leadership, would hit a wall.

Jefferies made Davis a captain in hopes that the title would bring out a feeling of responsibility, but Jefferies’s expectations seemed a poor fit for a young man the coach described as an introvert. Still, Jefferies said, Davis cared about the team’s direction; the coach found that if he yelled at the team, it would be Davis who felt the burden to fix what was wrong.

“He was still learning,” said Jefferies, who now coaches at Oxon Hill High.

Still learning even at the University of Maryland, where he became a star under former coach Ralph Friedgen, still learning when he emerged as a potential first-round draft pick, and still learning as a young pro — after the 49ers drafted him sixth overall in 2006. He was a blend of size and quickness, with dependable hands that led to comparisons of Davis with the great ones.


It was around this time that Michael Irvin, the Hall-of-Fame former wide receiver, took an interest in Davis. Irvin said this week that he had dinner with Davis the night before the draft, and not for the only time that weekend, the young man cried about his blessings. Opportunities lay ahead for the young man, but Irvin recalled that he saw a player not quite ready for the demands of his new job.

For one, Irvin said, Davis hadn’t yet realized the occasionally complicated nature of being a team player. If Davis had a bad game, others knew about it. He fought with teammates during practices and bickered with coaches.


As Davis had possessed the talent but not the leadership at Dunbar, now he had the enthusiasm but not the necessary restraint.

“I understand that passion,” Irvin said, “and what he was trying to do was bring that passion on the football field and bring the team to where they are now. But he didn’t know how. It was good passion, just misguided.”

When Singletary was elevated to interim head coach of the 49ers in 2008, he immediately emphasized discipline. Unlike Jefferies, Singletary was willing to single out Davis, and he did so publicly during his first game with the whistle. After Davis committed a personal foul against the Seattle Seahawks, Singletary confronted the player on the sideline. Apparently sensing indifference from Davis, Singletary exploded, sending Davis to the locker room as television cameras followed the scene. Later, Singletary’s now-famous rant focused on Davis’s attitude.

“That person is not sold out to be a part of this team,” Singletary said. “It is more about them than it is about the team. I cannot play with them. Cannot win with them. Cannot coach with them. Can’t do it. I want winners. I want people who want to win.”

Jefferies said this week that he believed this was a humiliating but necessary move to reach Davis, who realized then that it was time to grow.

“That did wake Vernon up,” Jefferies said, “and it did open his eyes to put the team first and be more serious.”

A season later, Davis was a Pro Bowler and had the first of consecutive 900-yard receiving seasons. Singletary was fired in December 2010 and is now on the Minnesota Vikings’ coaching staff.

Davis was tested again this season when Singletary’s replacement, Jim Harbaugh, benched quarterback Alex Smith and named Colin Kaepernick as the 49ers’ starter, bringing on a commitment to the pistol offense with him. This meant fewer chances for Davis to catch passes, and perhaps his younger self would’ve been frustrated. Maybe he would’ve even made his frustrations public. Instead, Davis said, when catches were scarce, he redirected his attention toward improving as a blocker. In his first six seasons, he averaged 50 receptions; this year, even including the postseason, he has 41 and only 548 yards.

“I once read something that said: ‘In order to be great, you have to be a servant; you have to be a slave.’ ” Davis said this past week. “It’s a way of saying that you have to be humble, and that’s something that I’ve learned here.

“I’m not worried about statistics and things like that. When I was younger, I was. It was all about statistics. I had to get this number of catches, this number of yards. I don’t really care about that anymore.”

In the NFC championship game, the Falcons built a 17-0 lead. At halftime, with the 49ers trailing 24-14, Harbaugh addressed the team and told them to be calm and play smart. Then Davis stood in the locker room, shouting at players and telling them to embrace this opportunity. This was what Jefferies wanted out of Davis so many years ago, and it’s what the 49ers needed.

San Francisco came back to win, advancing to the Super Bowl, and with Kaepernick unable to break his usual runs, it was Davis who stepped forward, finishing with five catches for 106 yards and a touchdown.

Said Irvin: “Sometimes we step back to move forward.”

Sitting at Super Bowl media day, Davis laughed about the exchange with Singletary five years ago.

“Cannot win with them,” Davis said, mimicking his former coach, and he later said he was appreciative of Singletary’s guidance. Without it, he said, maybe he wouldn’t be sitting here.

“That’s one thing I appreciate about him,” Davis said. “He was always there for us, and he stayed on us no matter what.”

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Chris Kyle, Author Of 'American Sniper,' Shot And Killed At Gun Range

Chris Kyle, an ex-Navy SEAL who wrote the bestelling book American Sniper about his service in Iraq, was shot and killed at a gun range in Texas, multiple outlets reported Saturday night. A second man was also killed.

According to local TV station KHOU, officials said that Kyle was shot at point-blank range "while helping another soldier who was recovering from post traumatic stress syndrome" at a range near the town of Glen Rose.

The Dallas Morning News reports that Lancaster, Texas police arrested a suspect, 25-year-old Eddie Ray Routh, after a brief chase.

Kyle had become well-known for his exploits in Iraq, where he deployed four times, set the record for sniper kills at 150, received numerous commendations, and, according to the Stephensville Empire Tribune, was given the nickname "The Devil of Ramadi" by insurgents.

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