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Apple Announcement: iTunes TV Episode FAQ for Apple TVSeptember 2, 2010 12:35 am

The Apple announcement of September 1 proved to be an important one, with Steve Jobs announcing Apple would be putting more effort into the Apple TV platform.  Yesterday’s Apple announcement indicated that the company wants to help bring the success of the iPod, iPhone and iPad to Apple TV.

In order to do so, Apple is now offering TV episodes for 99 cents via iTunes, as well as $5 first run movies in high definition.  To clarify issues surrounding the new Apple TV features and downloadable episodes, the Apple announcement was followed with an iTunes TV Episode FAQ, which you can see below.

In honor of the Apple announcement, the new version of Apple TV is on sale for $99.  You can pick it up right here.

Apple iTunes TV Episode Rental FAQ – Apple TV

– What are the minimum system requirements to rent TV episodes?
iTunes 10 or later is required to rent TV episodes on your computer. iOS 4.1 is required to rent or view TV episodes on your iPhone or iPod touch.
– What types of TV episodes can I rent?
Choose episodes from current or past seasons with select shows available in HD. Watch your episode on your Mac or PC, iPhone, or iPod touch. Browse the iTunes Store and look for episodes with a Rent button, or check the Top Rentals Charts to find top sellers. Once you click Rent, your episode will begin to download immediately.
- How long do I have to watch a rented TV episode?
You have 30 days to watch your show and 48 hours to finish viewing the episode from the time you click Play.
– Where can I watch my rental?
You can watch your rental on your computer, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, or iPod touch. You can watch HD TV rentals on your computer, iPhone 4, or iPod touch (4th generation).
- How many times can I view the TV episode?
Once you start watching your rented TV episode you can view it as many times as you wish within the 48-hour window.
- What happens to my rented TV episode if don’t watch it?
If you don’t watch your rented episode it will expire in 30 days and disappear from your iTunes library. You will need to rent it again in order to watch it.
– Are rented TV shows available in HD?
Yes, select shows are available for rent in HD. You can rent and view HD TV episodes on your computer, iPhone 4, or iPod touch (4th generation).
- Can I use my iTunes Store credit to rent?
Yes, you can use your iTunes Store credit to rent movies and TV shows or to purchase movies, music, TV shows, audiobooks, apps, and more.
- How long will my TV episode take to download?
The download time depends on the speed of your Internet connection.
- Can I delete a rented TV episode before the expiration date?
You can delete the TV episode prior to the expiration date if you want to make more space on your hard drive, iPod, or iPhone. However, the episode will automatically disappear from your iTunes library 48 hours after you’ve begun viewing it.
– Can I play my rental on more than one device?
If you download a rented TV show on your computer: You can play it on your iPhone, or iPod touch if it’s a standard-definition episode (TV episodes in HD can be played on your iPhone 4 or iPod touch (4th generation)). iOS 4.1 or later is required. Once you move the episode from your computer to a device, the episode will disappear from your computer’s iTunes library. If you download a rented TV show on your iPhone 4, or iPod touch (4th generation): It is not transferable to any other device or computer.

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Miranda Kerr Shows Off Her New Baby Bump in Kora Organic Skincare LineSeptember 1, 2010 8:59 pm

Miranda Kerr hasn’t been trying to hide her baby bump, and we’re quite happy to say that Miranda looks beautiful, still, with that baby bump! In a recent video Miranda Kerr did for Kora Organic Skincare line she talks about her new organic life style saying that “Kora is about nurturing your core, your inner and outer self-your mind, your body and your spirit.”

The video of Miranda Kerr for Kora Organic Skincare can be seen below

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Apple Announcement Today: Steve Jobs on iPod, iTunes, iPadSeptember 1, 2010 11:57 am

Today isn’t just significant because your work week is half-finished, but also because Steve Jobs will be making a highly anticipated Apple announcement in San Francisco.  The Apple announcement will kick off at 10 a.m. local time, 1 p.m. eastern.

There is no expectation of a new product introduction at today’s Apple announcement, but many believe the focus will instead be on how Apple can balance its existing product lines.  Fans are eager to know whether Steve Jobs and company can keep the iPod evolution going by introducing new features to the music players, as their sizes couldn’t get much smaller.

In addition, there may be questions as to how to balance the iPad, Apple computers and the iPhone, as all perform similar functions, albeit with a number of differences, not limited to just size.  Steve Jobs may use today’s Apple announcement to explain why consumers should spend money on the iPad when they already have a computer and an iPhone.

While Apple sales continue to be strong (especially with the iPhone 4), the company’s stock has dropped seven percent through the last three months.  Jobs is unlikely to mention sliding stock prices, but we’ll have to wait and see when the Apple announcement begins at 1 p.m.

One definite part of the presentation will be Apple’s introduction of 99-cent TV show rentals via iTunes.

September 1 Apple Announcement Quick Facts

  • 10 a.m. pacific, 1 p.m. eastern
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Streaming free on Macs, iPhones, iPads
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Study: Cardio Doesn’t Hinder Muscle Gain; May Increase Lean MassAugust 28, 2010 6:24 pm

For years, debate has raged between old-school and new-school muscle-building enthusiasts on how a proper bulking, or muscle-building, phase should be performed. The old-school approach often supports an ”all-or-nothing” approach, taking things to the extreme, such as eating as much as humanly possible in order to maximize muscle gains, not worrying about the fat gains that occur as well. The theory here is that the only thing holding most people back from gaining the amount of muscle they desire is an inadequate intake of calories, so simply going on a “see food” diet will be the cure. From this perspective, the inevitable fat gains are a small price to pay for big muscles, and fat can simply be burned off during a cutting cycle later on down the road.

This mindset is in opposition to a newer school of thought, one that promotes a “lean-bulking” system, in which fat gains are kept to a minimum but significant muscle is added to one’s frame. Obviously, this can be tricky business, or else the world would be filled with a lot more ripped individuals. Instead of a one-way ticket to Gorgeville, lean bulkers will keep an extremely watchful eye on their intake, making sure that a modest caloric surplus is reached. The theory is that this will provide the body enough fuel to build muscle but not so much that it will be stored as fat. Often, other nutritional strategies such as carbohydrate cycling are used as well.

But nutrition isn’t the only area in which there is conflict between the all-out bulk and lean bulk theorists. Another significant, hotly debated topic is that of the use of cardiovascular exercise during the muscle-building phase. To the most hardcore muscle-seekers, cardio isn’t a good thing – it burns valuable calories and doesn’t stimulate the muscles in a way that will spur significant hypertrophy. Lean bulkers, though, will argue that cardio is necessary, not only for long term health, but to keep fat gains to a minimum, and to some extent, to spur appetite. Despite those justifications, though, the question of whether cardio significantly detracted from muscular gains has remained unanswered…until now.

A recent study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research aimed to put an end to this debate. In the study, a group of men were split into three groups – one control, one performing just resistance training, and a third performing cardio and resistance training simultaneously. These groups were followed for 16 weeks. Contrary to what a hardcore, all-or-nothing bulking enthusiast might believe, the cardio didn’t hinder muscular gains – the researchers found no significant differences between the resistance training only and the resistance and cardio groups. Perhaps more surprising, though, is that the cardio and resistance training group experienced a bigger increase in lean mass than the resistance training only group (1).

And while there will always be debate raging between the hardcore and conservative bulking theorists, this study suggests that cardio will not impede strength or lean mass gains when one is consuming adequate calories. Of course, that tends to be where most fall short – not eating enough to support activity AND growth is why many believe that additional exercise outside of resistance training hinders muscle gains. However, an intelligent nutrition and training plan will take care of that.

Not a fan of running outside?  You can find low prices on treadmills and other exercise equipment here.

SOURCE:

1. Shaw, Brandon S1; Shaw, Ina2; Brown, Gregory A. Comparison of Resistance and Concurrent Resistance and Endurance Training Regimes in the Development of Strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2009; 23(9): 2507-2514

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Circuit Training Improves Sprint Agility, EnduranceAugust 27, 2010 1:15 pm

With so many people interested in fitness and health, new exercise programs and plans are constantly developing. Gone is the day when lack of variety can be used as an excuse for avoiding exercise. With so many alternatives to simply running on a treadmill available, you’d be hard pressed to find some form of physical activity that doesn’t interest you in the least. Think about it – the classic cardio-training area at nearly every gym across the country has expanded from just a few treadmills to a massive collection of different equipment. Now, it is common to find exercise bikes, ellipticals, rowing machines, arc trainers…the list goes on.

But you don’t need to limit your exercise selection to traditional modes of cardio, though. You can work your cardiovascular system by playing sports such as tennis, basketball or racquetball at many gyms, and some facilities even have pools available for underwater aerobics and swimming. And for those who still can’t find something enjoyable despite this massive selection of activities, there is always weight training.

While many people associate weight-training with the process of building a physique similar to that of Arnold Schwarzenegger, that is inaccurate in the vast majority of cases. Unless one is training specifically to maximize hyptertrophy (muscular growth) and consistently consuming a surplus of calories, the body will not naturally expand into a big and bulky form. And just because you’re not running or jumping, that doesn’t mean weight training isn’t providing a cardiovascular workout. On the contrary, weight training offers a solid stimulus to the cardiovascular system. And for those who are exercising primarily for weight management, training with weights offers an additional benefit. The development of muscle raises one’s resting metabolic rate, meaning that even when you’re not exercising, you can still be burning calories.

Those interested in weight training for weight management may be particularly interested in a specific technique known as circuit training. Unlike a program that would be used by a bodybuilder, circuit training uses relatively light loads and short rest times between exercises. In circuit training, exercisers usually perform just one set per machine, but moves quickly to another machine, repeating the process on a number of machines in a pre-defined “circuit.”

Despite the fact that circuit training may have the reputation as being “too easy” or not useful for athletes, a study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that this is not the case. In the study, a group of healthy subjects participated in 10 weeks of circuit training, three times each week. The program consisted of three circuits of eight stations during each workout. After comparing pre- and post-training assessments, the researchers found that circuit training did indeed have applications for athletes.

Sprint agility times and anaerobic 2scores improved significantly in the circuit training, but not the control group, indicating that circuit training is useful outside of weight-management. The researchers also noted that manipulating resistance could help circuit training build muscular strength as well. In addition, circuit training was praised for its low cost and equipment requirements.

So if you’re trying to find an alternative to traditional forms of cardio, give circuit training a try – the benefits are nearly endless.

SOURCE:

Taskin, Halil. Effect of Circuit Training on the Sprint-Agility and Anaerobic Endurance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2009; 23(6): 1803-1810.

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Netflix Hits the App Store With Live Movie Streaming – Netflix for iPhone AppAugust 26, 2010 3:30 pm

No more syncing up the iPhone with the iMac and no more waiting by the computer for your last night’s movie download to finish uploading into our iPhone 4. We think it’s time for live-streaming of Netflix movies.

Jamie Odell, Director of Product Management at Netflix hinted a new free Netflix App for the iPhone and iPod Touch back in April, 2010 and announced it publicly just about two months ago. We don’t want to break the news too quickly but if you watch Netflix already (instantly) you know the capabilities that are waiting for it. Yes, that is – a Netflix streaming to your iPhone & iPod Touch.

We test Netflix for iPhone today on the Long Island Rail Road on the way to the office, (New York City) and our Netflix for iPhone Review concludes: probably because of the millions of people downloading the App, and trying to test it at the same time it is why Netflix App was extremely slow. However we’re going to give it about a week for iPhone users to forget they have this app and we can fully test it and see what it’s worth. So in the meantime we’re going to enjoy our shiny iPhone 4 but stream Netflix to our iPad.

The Netflix App is free from the App Store at http://iTunes.com/apps/netflix and have a Netflix membership starting at $8.99 a month.

Here is a video streaming of the Netflix iPhone App:

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The Situation Endorses Protein Vodka, Ultimate Bro BoozeAugust 25, 2010 2:00 pm

There’s no question about it - Jersey Shore‘s Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is out to make himself a brand in order to extend his 15 minutes of fame.  The club-hopping, grenade-grabbing partier has linked himself with a pre-workout supplement, an ab-training video (despite the fact that his abs aren’t even the most impressive on Jersey Shore), and now… a protein-infused vodka.

Perhaps someone read The Situation a bit of Alan Aragon’s guide to alcohol for athletes, because it seems that the star (?) now realizes that booze isn’t exactly the kind of juice that will pump your muscles up.  While alcohol does contain a lot of calories that could potentially fuel an eight-minute ab session, it can also inhibit protein synthesis, reduce testosterone levels and blunt fat-burning.  In other words, alcohol isn’t conducive to a favorable situation.

But in a strikingly bold, total-bro answer to this problem, Devotion Vodka is now offering protein-infused vodka.  Because if there’s a problem in the gym, the best answer is always to throw more protein at the issue!  Devotion contains casein protein, which is slowly absorbed by your body and can theoretically provide a sustained stream of amino acids to your muscles.

But The Situation is more likely excited about the $400,000 signing bonus he got for endorsing Devotion Vodka rather than the potential for mass building (because a good cycle is more effective than a few shots, right Ronnie?).

While Bloginity isn’t one to crash a party, we’d suggest trying an actual protein powder (alcohol-free) to compliment your fat loss or muscle gain plans.  You may want to check out our reviews of AllMax Nutrition AllWhey here or Cytosport Muscle Milk right here.

If you’re not ready to dive into Devotion Vodka but still want a piece of the Jersey Shore action, pick up a GTL shirt or DVD here.

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Supplement Spotlight: Fenugreek – Weight Loss and Cholesterol ControlAugust 24, 2010 11:41 pm

Thanks to the dramatic rise of obesity in certain areas of the world, especially modernized countries such as the United States, the health industry has responded with a large number of supplements intended to promote
the demise of love handles and pot bellies. These weight-loss solutions range from “revolutionary” exercise equipment hawked on late night television advertisements and intense, carefully-designed exercise programs to meticulously measured and restrictive diet plans and miracle pills and gels. While there is obviously no shortage of these dietary aids, there is a shortage of one thing – effective, long-term answers to obesity and its associated issues, such as cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.

The problem is that most of these products, workout programs and diet plans are designed – either intentionally or coincidentally – in a way that makes them effective for only a short period. A crash diet or a workout program that one can only struggle through for a few weeks may produce great results at first, but as these activities cannot be sustained over a number of years or even months in some cases, the eager dieter may eventually end up back at square one. Yo-yo dieting is all too common, and many people find that pounds lost through painstaking effort are quite simple to gain back. Often, this either discourages the dieter and the individual abandons all further attempts, or simply concludes that whatever method was used is an ineffective scam before moving on to another equally ineffective method.

The other issue is that many popular weight loss supplements – whether they work well or not – contain an enormous number of ingredients that may not be very good for the body in the long term. A lot of weight or fat loss supplement formulations rely on obscene amounts of caffeine to provide increases in resting metabolic rate, energy expenditure and a hunger-blunting effect. One problem with this is that after time, one will develop a tolerance to the caffeine and it will not be as effective. In addition, using strong stimulants for a long period can lead to adrenal fatigue. And even worse, research has shown that caffeine can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity, which can increase the risk of obesity (1).

So is there any weight loss supplement that actually works and doesn’t contain a large list of confusing, potentially deleterious ingredients? Sure – try a natural alternative, fenugreek extract. In the past, fenugreek seeds have been found to improve blood glucose levels and insulin responses, which provide long-term benefits in the fight against obesity (2). Additionally, fenugreek seeds have also been shown to improve HDL (good) cholesterol levels and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels (3).

But that’s not all – brand new research, published by the journal Phytotherapy Research, has found other advantages in long-term weight management offered by fenugreek. This new study found that insulin response was not only improved with fenugreek supplementation, but that powder from fenugreek led to higher feelings of satiety, with participants feeling fuller for longer periods of time (4). This tends toward reduced food intake later on, and can also train one to recognize appropriate portion size, which will aid future weight-loss efforts.

Based on this research, fenugreek seems to be a viable alternative to potentially harmful weight-loss supplements or crash diets that offer limited, if any, results. You can find the lowest price on Fenugreek supplements right here; other weight loss supplements are here.

SOURCES:

1. Keijzers GB, De Galan, Tack CJ, Smits P: Caffeine can decrease insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes Care, 2002; 25:364-369

2. Sharma, R.D. Effect of fenugreek seeds and leaves on blood glucose and serum insulin responses in human subjects. Nutrition Research, 1986; 6(12): 1353-1364

3. Al-Habori, Molham and Raman, Amala. Antidiabetic and hypocholesterolaemic effects of fenugreek. Phytotherapy Research, 1998; 12(4): 233-242

4. Mathern, J.R., Raatz, S.K., Thomas, W., Slavin, J.L. Effect of Fenugreek Fiber on Satiety, Blood Glucose and Insulin Response and Energy Intake in Obese Subjects. Phytotherapy Research, 2009; 10.1002

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Photos from Scenes in and around London’s SohoAugust 22, 2010 7:04 am

Signage on a bookshop is seen in the Soho area of the City of Westminster on August 19, 2010 in London, England. Soho is approximately one square mile in area and has been long established as an entertainment district of London. It has a high density of bars, cafés, nightclubs, restaurants, theatres as well as fashion outlets and media offices. It is the centre of London?s gay district and is also synonymous with the sex industry, containing several adult shops and strip clubs. Former residents of Soho include: Karl Marx, Casanova, Canaletto, William Blake, Isaac Newton, John Logie Baird and Mozart.

[via Zimbio]

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T-Mobile G2 Revealed: Smartphone with 4G SpeedsAugust 18, 2010 3:32 pm

T-Mobile is apparently trying to climb out of cell phone irrelevancy with a new phone – the T-Mobile G2.  The company unveiled the G2 via a promotional website, but then took most of the information down and replaced it with a page on which you can enter contact information to “stay in the loop.”

According to the website, the T-Mobile G2 will “continue the revolution” that the T-Mobile G1 started, as it was the first Android-based phone.  The T-Mobile G2 smartphone will have 4G speeds, according to the company, through the use of T-Mobile’s new HSPA+ network.

The network is big news in itself, as a PC World test found that the HSPA+ network delivered speeds of up to 3.5 mbps in New York City.  However, PC World claims that the network can support transfers of up to 21 mbps, in theory.  By the way, I have a doctorate, in theory, as well.

The HSPA+ network should help T-Mobile compete with Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, who are planning on implementing widespread 4G networks by 2011.  Sprint has already launched its high speed service in some areas.

If you can’t wait for the T-Mobile G2 to be released, you can check out other T-Mobile phones here.  The top smartphones are here.

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