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 Bayern Munich 2-2 Chelsea (5-4 on pens): Lukaku's dismal penalty sends Super Cup to Germany after late equaliser

30 Aug 2013 22:58

Pep Guardiola's side come from behind twice to beat Chelsea, who had Ramires sent off

Jose Mourinho suffered shoot-out heartbreak against Pep ­Guardiola last night – and then launched an angry attack full of sour grapes.
Bayern Munich gained some sort of revenge for last year’s Champions League final defeat to Chelsea by lifting the Super Cup after a dramatic contest settled by substitute Romelu Lukaku’s weak penalty miss in the shoot-out.
Chelsea, who finished with 10 men after Ramires was sent off, twice went ahead through Fernando Torres and Eden Hazard yet were denied more European glory by Javi ­Martinez’s equaliser to take the final to penalties with the last kick of the game.
But Mourinho’s hatred, rivalry and contempt – call it what you like – against his big managerial rival Guardiola was there for all to see.
Blues boss Mourinho said: “The best team lost. The ­opponents scored two, we scored two. But they scored one more penalty. The best team played with 10 men for a long, long period in the game.
“We played against the ­champions of Europe and my players were the best team – we only have reasons to be proud to believe in the future. But I prefer just to say the best team lost and stay with it.”
Mourinho was also unhappy with Ramires’ 86th minute sending-off for a second yellow card, and added: “If you are in love with football, you don’t kill a final with a second yellow card like this.”
Mourinho’s rant came across as bitter and took the shine off a classic as Guardiola reigned supreme over his great rival.
What also shone through was a Chelsea defiance and ­determination first instilled by Mourinho, maintained when they won European trophies and reinvigorated by the Special One’s second coming.
Sadly for Chelsea, even ­Mourinho’s magic was not enough last night.
Straight from the first whistle, Bayern’s extra quality and Guardiola’s style pushed Chelsea back as the Germans dominated and yet the­ ­underdogs refused to buckle and were equally dangerous on the break.
In fact, it took the Blues just nine minutes to punish Bayern after Franck Ribery’s shot just missed the target.
Chelsea led a stunning counter attack with Hazard supplying Andre Schurrle and the German’s right-wing cross was perfect for Torres.
Torres swept home a brilliant right-foot shot from just inside the box to give Manuel Neuer no chance.
Guardiola roared his team forward and sure enough, three minutes after the restart Ribery lashed home a shot which Petr Cech should have done better with.
But trouble flared in the 86th minute when Ramires, already booked for tripping Ribery, got a second yellow and his marching orders for diving into a tackle on Mario Gotze.
We should have known this would be the making of Chelsea and in the third minute of extra time David Luiz’s pass found Hazard who deceived Neuer with a powerful shot.
Cech did his level best to defy Bayern with stunning saves from Ribery, Mario Mandzukic and then Martinez. But, heartbreakingly, into injury time in extra time, Bayern levelled through Martinez to send the game into ­penalties.
The penalty takers all held their nerve but Lukaku, with the 10th and final penalty, hit a weak spot-kick and Neuer dived low to his left to make up for that Champions League heartbreak in Munich.

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Watch Miley Cyrus Music Awards performance 

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Blurred lines … MTV was criticised for exploiting women stars like Miley Cyrus. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

An organisation backed by Miley Cyrus's dad has criticised a raunchy MTV Video Music Awards performance by ... Miley Cyrus. The Parents Television Council have accused MTV of "falsely manipulating the content rating" for their program, encouraging children to watch "adults-only material" such as Cyrus's twerking routine with Robyn Thicke.
As the New York Times points out, conservative outrage is nothing new for MTV's skin-studded red-letter night. It's not even the first time that a former child star writhed in flesh-tone underthings. But Cyrus isn't just the previously family-friendly Hannah Montana: she is also the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, who sits on the Parents Television Council's advisory board.
Although the Parents Television Council's press release did not mention Billy Ray, it did single out Miley's tongue-waggling performance: "MTV continues to sexually exploit young women by promoting acts that incorporate 'twerking' in a nude-coloured bikini," it wrote. "How is this image of former child star Miley Cyrus appropriate for 14-year-olds?" However the council also underlined that sexually provocative pop stars aren't the object of its indignation – MTV's parental ratings are.
Link to video: MTV VMAs: Miley Cyrus performance sparks criticism Billy Ray Cyrus's response was more ambivalent. "Thanking God for so many blessings tonight," he tweeted in the hours after the VMAs. "Continue to pray for world peace. More love ... less hate." But the 52-year-old later explained that he wasn't referring to Miley's performance: he was talking about Syrian war crimes. "FYI ... late last night I was watching devastating news out of Syria," he wrote. "Chemical weapons used on innocent children is unacceptable!"
Miley Cyrus's fourth album, Bangerz, is out 4 October.

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Google Nexus 4

 

Love a good bargain? Then step this way as Google's got a corker for you. The superb Nexus 4 smart phone now starts at only £160 for the 8gb model, a saving of £80 over its original price.
The 16gb model has seen a similar reduction too, costing £200, rather than £280. That's a ridiculously good price for such a great phone.
For your money you'll be getting a 4.7-inch phone with a crisp 720p display, a powerful quad-core processor and cool software extras like the photo sphere camera. The phone waltzed its way to earning a much coveted Editor's Choice award in our review.
It's not clear why Google has knocked so much off the already low price, particularly as it hasn't given the Nexus 10 tablet a similar discount. Retailers often discount products ahead of a new model launch, so it's possible we might be seeing a new Nexus phone on the way.
Even at full price the Nexus 4 is a superb bit of kit, outperforming most phones of a similar price. At this price, it really has no rivals -- it's simply the best phone you can get for the money. At the time of writing, the Google Play store gives a 1-2 day delivery time, but that might change if demand gets too high.
It's possible too that Google has limited stock of the phone. When it first launched there were severe stock delays forcing excited phone fans to wait well over a month to snag their new handset. Get your orders in now if you're keen.
Are you going to buy a Nexus? Have you just bought one and are miffed at the price drop?

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Nintendo is FLATLY UNHINGED: New 2DS is a handful of game

Nintendo is FLATLY UNHINGED: New 2DS is a handful of game

Nintendo has abolished hinges and autostereoscopic 3D displays to create a new handheld console called the 2DS.
Keen to kick smartphones and tablets off the mobile gaming throne, Ninty has revealed a portable games device that doesn’t sport a clamshell casing and looks a bit like a fondleslab.

It does feature all the usual DS controls, including a stylus, and, bizarrely perhaps, two separate displays: one 3.5 inches, the other 3.0 inches, as per the original 3DS.
It is, said Nintendo, a “handheld portal to a world of amazing games and features”. You can say that of any Android or iOS device, of course, and (just about) Windows ones too.
Conveniently for buyers and sellers of kid-friendly games software, the 2DS runs 3DS and DS titles, of which there are a good 2,000. Well “almost all” of them, according to Nintendo – it’s the ones that require accessories that plug into the Game Boy Advance slots on the previous DS machines’ that won’t run on the new device.
The 2DS will come in two colour schemes: black-and-blue and red-and-white. Both come with a 4GB SD card. The console is set to go on sale on 12 October. No word yet on UK pricing, but it’ll be $130 in the US, so expect to pay around £100 here. You can pick up the clamshell DSi – conveniently stow in nippers’ luggage – for little more than that.
Still, it’s cheaper than an iPad or iPhone, so expect Nintendo to shift a fair few this Christmas. But will it reverse the decline of the dedicated mobile games console? Undoubtedly not. Given the unimpressive demand for Nintendo’s other device, the Wii U, the 2DS doesn’t appear a likely saviour for the company either.

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New Kindle Fire HD vs. Nexus 7

New Kindle Fire HD vs. Nexus 7

It’s now been almost a year since the Kindle Fire HD was released, and as surely as fall follows summer, Amazon is preparing to launch an updated line of tablets to compete against the rejuvenated Nexus 7 and the (assumed) iPad Mini with Retina display. According to “trusted sources,” Amazon will be releasing new versions of the 7- and 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD and the entry-level Kindle Fire in September — and, if the trusted source is to be believed, the Kindle Fire HDs will come with very impressive hardware specs indeed.
With the new Nexus 7 already released, and receiving generally excellent reviews, how will the new Kindle Fire HD stack up?

Kindle Fire HD 2

According to a source who spoke to BGR, both the 7- and 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD tablets, and the entry-level Kindle Fire, will receive significant overhauls in terms of appearance, hardware, and software.

The existing Kindle Fire HD 7. This rounded edge will apparently become more ‘chiseled.’

All three tablets will lose their rounded edges and bezels and take on a more “chiseled” appearance, apparently making them more comfortable. The new tablets will be lighter, too, though we don’t have any exact figures.
On the hardware front, the 7-inch Fire HD will have a 1920×1200 display, 2GB of RAM, and a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC (clocked at around 2GHz, apparently). There’s a front-facing camera (but no rear-facing camera), WiFi (probably up to 802.11n), and various storage (16/32/64GB) and cellular options.
The 8.9-inch Fire HD will have a 2560×1600 display and a rear-facing camera, but otherwise the specs appear to be identical.
Software-wise, both tablets are apparently running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean internally, with Amazon’s usual customizations. Android 4.3 is still almost brand new, so we’ll almost certainly get Android 4.2.2 or 4.2.3 when the Fire HD tablets launch sometime in September.
Price-wise, Amazon will be trying to match its current line-up ($200 for the 16GB 7-inch model, $270 for the 8.9-inch). With Google’s Nexus 7 price bump from $200 to $230, we wouldn’t be surprised if Amazon follows suit — or, on the other hand, Amazon could well try to push the advantage.

Kindle Fire 3

The Kindle Fire 3 will receive its own set of hardware and software upgrades. The display will make the jump to 1280×800 (up from 1024×600), and it will inherit the SoC that’s used in the current-gen Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (OMAP 4470, SGX544 graphics). RAM will stay at 1GB; and probably so will the price, at $160.
These might sound like fairly small upgrades, but it’s still almost a doubling in pixel density and CPU/GPU performance. It won’t match up to the Nexus 7 or iPad Mini, but at $160 it isn’t meant to compete — it’s meant to pick up all of those consumers who want to get in on the tablet thing while spending as little money as possible. (Considering the Kindle Fire is still Amazon’s best-selling product, it would seem there are a lot of people like this.)

Kindle Fire HD vs. Nexus 7

Just like last year, the big question is, should you buy the Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire HD? And, just like last year, it’s a toss-up. If these specs turn out to be real, then the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7 will have almost identical hardware specs, with the only real differentiator being the rear-facing camera and the software. If Amazon keeps the 7-inch HD at $200, then that would make a huge difference, too. Really, there isn’t a whole lot in it, unless you feel very strongly about the software (Amazon’s version of Android is really quite different from the stock experience, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing).
The 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD, of course, won’t have much in the way of competition (except from the iPad Mini, I suppose, but that will be in a different price bracket) — and the Kindle Fire, at $160, will continue to mop up the remainders. I wonder where in this price range the Surface Mini will debut, too.
If all goes to plan, the new Kindle Fires should be announced sometime in September, and released soon after. Amazon has a tendency to release one or two new products each year, too, so we wouldn’t be shocked if CEO Jeff Bezos also has a surprise product announcement up his sleeve. An Android-based game console or set-top box, perhaps?
Now read: The future of tablets, according to Amazon: No batteries, no processors, all streaming

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Single Handed Barber promises an easier DIY do

Clipping your own hair can involve some complicated acrobatics and multiple mirror arrangements with no guarantee of satisfactory results. A buzz cut might seem pretty simple to pull off on your own, but unless you have rubber arms, it can be mission impossible to get it done evenly all over the head. The Single Handed Barber promises to make a trim a simple one-person affair.

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The self-grooming device being sold by Hammacher Schlemmer joins the ranks of clippers such as Remington’s ShortCut Clipper that gives fans of the clean-cut hairstyle a little more autonomy.
The circular trimmer comes with a promise to make cutting hair as simple as combing it, partially thanks to a design that enables the user to comfortably control the device single-handedly and mow the hair with circular movements. Inside, the cutting is done by a rotary system of stainless steel blades that allows the hair to be cut in any direction, with the makers claiming the unit adapts nicely to the contours of the head.
Four different lengths are possible with 1/8-, 1/4-, 3/8- and 1/2-inch attachments included. The trimmer also comes with a rechargeable battery that can power the unit for four five-minute sessions after a 16-hour charge. If the device works as promised this will probably be enough for most people, otherwise the DIY barber can plug it in and take their time. To add a professional touch to the proceedings, a barber’s cape is included, along with a comb, scissors and a storage pouch.
The Single Handed Barber retails at US$59.95 and the price includes a lifetime guarantee.

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Toyota begins testing Winglet on public roads

Toyota is taking to the public sidewalks of Japan with the Winglet, its two-wheeled personal mobility robot that looks like a miniature Segway. The trial, designed to test the Winglet's safety and practicality in the real world, takes place in Tsukuba city's Mobility Robot Experimental Zone, an area designated for just this type of thing. The move points to a possible commercialization of the robot in the future, which has been demonstrated only as a concept thus far.

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The first phase of the test, which focuses on safety and compatibility with pedestrians and other traffic, begins today and will run through to March 2014. Some 80 test subjects from the local municipality and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) will have access to eight Winglet Long Types. This model is designed for adults, though Toyota has also shown smaller versions for teenagers and children.
Those who sign up will be able to ride the robots on sidewalks on their commutes or while going out during their work day, and report on their experiences. It appears that they will adhere to road and traffic rules regulating bicycles and scooters. After that Toyota says it will assess the Winglet's overall functionality and convenience and whether or not a demand exists.
The Segway may not have ushered in a brave new world of personal mobility, but perhaps it targeted the wrong market. Toyota's Winglet, which shrinks the concept and adds a much needed stylistic overhaul, could find success in the more densely-populated urban centers of Japan if it makes the grade. It's just one of a handful of eco-minded concept vehicles currently in the works, alongside rival Honda's UNI-CUB, that are designed for short trips.

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Lernstift digital pen uses vibrations to improve spelling and penmanship

These days, we are so reliant on computers that many of us rarely pick up an actual pen or pencil and rely on auto-correct to fix our spelling mistakes. But Falk Wolsky and Daniel Kaesmacher think there's still a place in this modern world for good penmanship and correct spelling and have taken to Kickstarter to get their Lernstift (German for "learning pen"), which vibrates to indicate when the writer makes spelling mistakes or exhibits poor penmanship, into production.

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We first heard about Lernstift in February 2013, when the company revealed an early prototype and began seeking investors. After the press attention the idea received at that time, the company raised US$200,000 from a mix of individual and corporate backers. It has now turned to Kickstarter to raise an additional £120,000 (US$180,000).
The idea for Lernstift was hatched when Wolsky's wife was helping their son do his homework and discovered he was making mistakes without her noticing. After she had expressed her wish for "a pen that points out errors right when he makes them," Wolsky decided to create such a device. The result is a digital pen that gently vibrates when it detects that a mistake has been made.

On the outside, it's a bulky pen that's designed to be ergonomic for the hands of children, but on the inside it boasts a mini-computer. Using an embedded Linux system, the board contains a motion sensor, processor, memory, vibration module, and Wi-Fi module. Lernstift allows for exchangeable writing tips, meaning kids can choose between using a pencil, a fountain pen, and a ballpoint pen.
Lernstift has two primary functions: Orthography Mode, which recognizes spelling mistakes; and Calligraphy Mode, which recognizes flaws in form or legibility. To begin with, Lernstift will only be able to spell check single words, but future software updates are planned that would allow grammar-checking of whole sentences.
Although it is being mainly aimed at kids aged between five and eight years old, anyone who is learning to write, or trying to improve their writing skills, can conceivably benefit from using the device. The digital pen will initially be capable of correcting just two languages – English and German (though which form of English isn't clear) – but there are plans to add many more languages, including Russian, Spanish, French, and Italian, after launch.

Thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi, Lernstift can connect to other internet-connected devices. This means apps will play an integral part in the experience, with plans for software intended both for individuals and schools. An open API will also allow developers to build software for use with Lernstift.
The retail price of a single Lernstift is being set at $190, but early backers of the Kickstarter campaign can get one for between $135 and $150. The video below shows the founders of the company explaining the thinking behind Lernstift and a brief explanation of how it works.

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SanDisk Connect storage drives can wirelessly stream to multiple mobile devices

Like many mobile workers, my notebook, tablet and smartphone share backpack space with portable storage. Accessing stored files over a physical connection, however, can be something of a challenge. Even if you're luckier than I and manage to find a free USB port when you need one, connecting multiple devices to your storage can quickly turn into a messy cable fight. SanDisk has launched a new Connect range of storage vaults that can bypass that nightmarish tangle soup altogether. The Wireless Flash Drive and Wireless Media Drive are each able to wirelessly connect with up to eight mobile devices simultaneously without so much as an external router in sight.

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The Connect Wireless Flash Drive can be used to store, share and stream music, video, image and document files across multiple devices. The pocket-friendly 3.07 x 1.04 x 0.54 in (78 x 27 x 14 mm), 0.95 oz (27 g) unit offers up to four hours of continuous video streaming from the thumbdrive on a single charge of its integrated Li-Pol battery, and can share a movie with up to three different devices at the same time. The device has a USB 2.0 connector for physical connectivity and charging, and is available in two storage capacities. The 16 GB flavor is priced at US$49.99, while the 32 GB unit will set you back $59.99.

If your mobile storage needs run to collections of HD videos, multi-megapixel photos and lossless audio files, the Connect Wireless Media Drive will likely be your vault of choice. This 2.6 x 2.6 x 0.52 in (65 x 65 x 13.5 mm), 2.5 oz (71 g) digital file safe comes in a 32 GB flavor for $79.99, or a 64 GB version for a penny short of a cool hundred bucks. Each packs an SDHX/SDXC media card slot for potentially unlimited expansion possibilities, and comes with a 1500 mAh battery with twice the life per charge as the flash drive. It's capable of streaming up to five different HD movies at once, and also includes USB 2.0 connectivity for charging and cabled file transfer.

Both formats offer drag and drop functionality across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows and Mac. More functionality and control is available via a free-to-download SanDisk Connect app. Security-conscious users can WPA2 password protect the 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connection between Connect storage drive and mobile device (which has a range of up to 150 ft/50 m).
The Connect storage line is available for pre-order now via online retailers like Amazon, Newegg and Micro Center. Best Buy will start to stock the line from August.

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Ubuntu Edge is a smartphone and desktop computer in one

The fine line between full-featured smartphone and powerful computer has been blurred with news that Canonical is developing a pocket-sized dual OS superphone that runs both Android and Ubuntu. When running Ubuntu mobile, users of the new Ubuntu Edge will be able to launch apps and access settings by swiping the edge of the display. Cabling the phone to a monitor and pairing it with a wireless keyboard and mouse allows power users to launch a full version of the Ubuntu desktop computing platform, with seamless transition between environments.

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The Edge's Ubuntu phone OS is said to present an uncluttered interface where navigation is undertaken using screen edge swipes, hence the product name. System toolbars are activated via the top edge, app toolbars are available at the bottom, a favorite apps launcher is on the left and open apps can be flicked through on the right.
The phone can also boot into Android, and from launch users will be able to access the Ubuntu desktop environment from within Google's popular OS using the Ubuntu for Android app. Shortly after launch, the developers will push out an update to integrate the full version of the Ubuntu desktop environment into Ubuntu mobile.
The Ubuntu Edge is being developed as an open device, so won't be tied to any particular network. The phone is designed to work in any country that provides GSM/3G/LTE-based network services, and will pack dual LTE antennas for super-fast surfing wherever in the world you might find yourself.

Though hardware specs are subject to change ahead of actual production, at the moment they include a 4.5-inch, 1,280 x 720 resolution sapphire crystal display that will be selected for accurate color reproduction and dynamic range, an unspecified multi-core processor, 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of onboard storage.
Canonical is aiming for dimensions of 124 x 64 x 9 mm (4.9 x 2.5 x 0.35 in), with a textured, angular metal body that's home to an 8 MP low-light-friendly rear-facing camera, and a 2 MP webcam at the front. It will come with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4, built-in GPS and will be NFC-capable.
In addition to an accelerometer and a gyro, the Edge will also sport a compass, proximity sensor and barometer. Its two microphones will benefit from active noise cancellation, stereo speakers will pump out high definition audio, and there's a 3.5-mm audio jack for a less public listening experience.
The developers plan to maximize the amount of energy in the space available by making use of upcoming silicon-anode Li-ion battery technology, and the device will feature MHL and USB on-the-go support via an 11-pin connector.
The Ubuntu Edge project has already gone from concept sketches through to test handsets, and is currently at the pre-production prototype stage. It's not intended to make a break for commercial release, but rather be manufactured as a strictly limited edition enthusiast device. As such, the Canonical has opted to take the crowdfunding route to turn the idea into reality.
A rather lofty funding goal of US$32 million has been set, but as Indiegogo backers have already stumped up nearly $7 million in just a few days, we'll wager that this one's ripe for success. All of the early bird levels have gone, so backers will need to pledge at least $775 to secure a Ubuntu Edge. Canonical expects delivery to take place in May 2014.
The company's Mark Shuttleworth introduces the concept and the proposed hardware in the video below.

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