CULVER CITY, Calif., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — to celebrate the nationwide release of the action adventure comedy Men in Black™ 3, Wednesday, May 23 will be MIB Hearts NYC Day in New York City, with a special series of events culminating in the premiere of the film in the evening. Men in Black 3 will be released in theaters on Friday, May 25, 2012. Men in Black 3 was filmed on location in the New York area – the only film in the series to have the majority of the production based in New York.

The day will kick off live on “Good Morning America” from the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum with the cast of Men in Black 3 celebrating the film and the start of Fleet Week. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to attend and to proclaim Wednesday, May 23 to be MIB Hearts NYC Day in the city. MIB Hearts NYC Day will then continue as Men in Black 3 rings The NASDAQ Stock Market Opening Bell from the NASDAQ MarketSite in Times Square.

Throughout the day, MIB Agents will descend upon key NYC locations, including Grand Central Terminal, Times Square, and the Chrysler Building. when people spot the agents, they can take a photo with the Instagram app and hashtag it #MIBHEARTSNYC and post that photo to Twitter. Some participants may be invited to the premiere that night in NYC.

There will be MIB Hearts NYC events at the Museum of the Moving Image, where the exhibit “Aliens, Gadgets, and Guns: Designing the World of Men in Black 3,” featuring over 25 alien masks and props from the film, is now on display and where the first MIB film will be screened; at various children’s museums, which will feature MIB craft activities and screenings of the first film; and at Sony wonder Technology Lab, which will be offering a variety of fun activities, including an alien slime making workshop, a “special agent” photo opportunity, and the chance to check out real one-of-a-kind props from the film.

In addition, on Location Tours will offer fans the chance to follow in the footsteps of Agents J and K, passing by MIB headquarters and other locations from all three Men in Black films on the signature New York TV & Movie Sites tour. Moviegoers who need a snack can stop by Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts to try one of several Men in Black 3 inspired menu items, served up by employees wearing MIB Hearts NYC pins. throughout the month of May, Baskin-Robbins is celebrating Men in Black 3 with Lunar Cheesecake ice cream, plus Lunar Lander and Agent 31 sundaes, while Dunkin’ Donuts is serving up out of this world Black Cocoa Creme Iced Coffee and new Undercover Black Cocoa and Chocolate Lunarmax Donuts.

The day concludes with the premiere of the film at the Ziegfeld Theatre, where the film will screen for 1150 invited guests. Simultaneously, at the AMC 42nd Street theaters, the film will screen for another 1500 people, including 500 first responders and active military. following the screenings, 2500 guests will attend the after-party at the Intrepid Air, Sea & Space Museum. for the festivities, Fireworks by Grucci has been generously donated in honor of our nation’s military by the Generoso Pope Foundation, and following the display, Pitbull, whose single “Back in Time” is featured in Men in Black 3, will perform from the flight deck. in addition, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Trey Smith will be spinning throughout the night.

“New York City is home to 130,000 Film and Television jobs and there are few that compare in size and scope to Men in Black 3,” said NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Katherine Oliver. “MIB3 turned 2012 Cobble Hill, Carrol Gardens and so many other parts of the City back in time and employed hundreds and hundreds of people. The Mayor and I are so proud that it was made in NY.”

In Men in Black™ 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind. Barry Sonnenfeld directs the film. The film’s screenplay is written by Etan Cohen, based on the Malibu Comic by Lowell Cunningham. Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald produce, and Steven Spielberg and G. Mac Brown are the executive producers.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 159 countries. for additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/

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MIB Hearts NYC on Wednesday May 23 With a Series of… — CULVER CITY, Calif., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

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KILLEEN, Texas (AP) – A 6-foot-long inactive training missile accidentally fell from a military helicopter into field near a Texas military post, causing the brief evacuation of nearby homes but not harming anyone, officials said.

About 100 homes in a neighborhood near Fort Hood were evacuated Tuesday night after a witness reported seeing something fall from the sky around 8 p.m., Killeen police spokeswoman Carroll Smith said. Residents were allowed back into their homes within an hour of the incident.

Ordnance technicians from the Army post examined the missile and determined it didn't have a warhead or propulsion system, Fort Hood officials said. the training missile, which had implanted itself into the ground, was removed before midnight and left a hole in the ground several feet deep.

“Safety is always our no. 1 concern, and we regret the inconvenience to the families affected in the area,” Col. Howard Arey, a Fort Hood aviation officer, said in a statement Wednesday. “We want to reassure the public that our military aircraft never fly off the installation with live munitions.”

Arey said the post is investigating and reviewing its safety procedures, but “we believe at this time that it is not a systemic issue.”

Copyright 2012 the associated Press. All rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

KTVN Channel 2 – Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video – Inactive missile drops from Army chopper in Texas

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A great way to throw an event that people will always remember is to give it a unique edge that is simply unforgettable. if you’re searching the city for different activities that would allow people to casually have fun while celebrating look no further. Luckily new York is jam packed with just this sort of fun. it is in effect a laser tag-bowlers- video arcade-burlesque haven. there is no doubt that you will find something in this city that surpasses your average night of drinks or dinner at the same old watering hole.

A great option to spice up a party without taking things too far is to go the Burlesque route. the Slipper Room on the lower East side is a well known bar that offers burlesque shows for just a $5 cover. it is a very reasonable option if you would like an alternative to just having drinks. Because the dancers and themes are different nightly you may want to visit the web schedule to make sure you get a great show on the night that you are planning.

If a little friendly competition is more what you’re looking for Bowlmor lanes is an excellent option. This him village bowling alley is not your average lane. It’s blue mood lighting and stylish dcor with a full bar makes it the perfect place to take the age-old game to a whole new level.

Another great activity for a party is laser tag. although Manhattan seems to have a recent shortage in this department- there are a plethora of options in other boroughs. NYC Paintball and Laser Tag are very close to the city and offer great prices for unlimited games. the LIRR actually has a train that they recommend so it’s not an impossible commute and is just minutes from 59th street.

If gaming isn’t the best option for your crowd there is always murder mystery theatre. This group of performers at Muder Mystery inc. will come to your private event and perform one of their many murder mystery themes. They are best known for their act, Murdered by the Mob, but have a few different storylines to choose from.

If you want the party to keep on rolling a party bus may be a great option to consider. these mobile bashes will pick up your friends at each destination and take you on a ride that you will never forget. these buses can hold parties up to 50 and some of them even feature karaoke, plasma TVs and disco lights. the Original new York Party Bus Packages come with Ice Chilled Champagne, a beverage bar stocked with FREE soft drinks and mixers, a TV/DVD and stereo control and free videos and a gift.

If you’re looking for a typical dinner with a twist, the Upper East Side’s Il Vagabando offers not only fantastic Italian food but also it’s very own bocce court. This adorable restaurant has a variety of private rooms for rent as well as the court itself. They even feature a great party menu

Your next unique new York even just takes the right amount of thought and preparation to give your guests an experience to remember.

Unique Event Venues For Your Next Party

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Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 12:37 a.m. Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Posted: 11:04 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, 2012

MIAMI — the Pacers had pushed back and now, after pulling this off, they were pushing each other, while barking toward the rafters. "Let’s go!" David West yelled, urging his teammates to get out of this foreign, surly place, with their perspective preserved. "Let’s go! It’s just one game!"

It’s just one, sure. that was why the revelry amused Dwyane Wade, who had correctly heard that Frank Vogel had been inspiring his star-deprived team by identifying with the balanced, unselfish 2011 champions. "they say they want to be like Dallas," Wade said. "they celebrated like Dallas, I guess."

Wade didn’t spare the snark.

"I don’t know if they didn’t expect to win," Wade said. "Every night we go out on the court, we expect to win."

The Heat didn’t win, though. so, now, here we go. Here we go to Indianapolis, after the Heat did something it didn’t through the first three rounds of the 2011 post-season – losing at AmericanAirlines Arena. Here we go, at 1-1 after Indiana’s 78-75 victory, into what’s now looking like a lengthy struggle.

"Welcome to the playoffs for us," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Welcome to a wall of worries, not just because Miami fell, but because of the way it did, and some problems that will prove challenging to fix. Chris Bosh is likely out at least through the end of the series, and Miami predictably missed his presence more than it did when springing some smaller lineups on Indiana in the aftermath of his Game 1 abdominal injury. the Heat scored 53 points without Bosh in that second half, but just 52 through the first three quarters of Game 2, that struggle putting a premium on the dominance of its defense. and it got no more than five points the entire night from anyone other than LeBron James (28) or Wade (24).

For a while, the Heat’s rotations were so swift and sticky that it appeared the night could be saved. it appeared that Spoelstra’s mixing and matching would make up for a variety of ills. it appeared that way, until the number "3" appeared under "quarter" on the scoreboard. That’s when, as Spoelstra acknowledged, the offensive inefficiency bled into defensive lethargy. That’s when the Pacers’ swingmen, Paul George and Danny Granger, started slipping through cracks and then chasms.

"they were able to break through," Spoelstra said of the 28-14 deficit in the first 12 minutes. "probably the best offensive quarter for either team in two games."

The Pacers lead was 61-52 entering the fourth, which left Spoelstra unwilling to allow James to exit, even for a minute. not with so many others offering so little. so in James stayed, and back the Heat came. it was up to James and Wade to attack, and both did – with Wade even taking that a bit too far, committing an open-court flagrant foul on a Darren Collison out of frustration.

And, soon, for Miami, there was a lead.

It was mostly thanks to Wade and, with his jumper repeatedly falling short, his inside work – a putback, a floater, a bank, a layup, a post-up. But there would be no putaway, not with Wade missing a free throw and a reverse layup and then another of those long elbow jumpers, and not with James getting blocked by George.

Not with Bosh out of sight. not even after George Hill missed a three, and Paul George missed two threes. not with James at the line. Miami trailed, 76-75, with 54.3 seconds left.

James’ first attempt was in, then out.

The second struck the back iron.

Hill missed a layup, and West missed a tip, but the bouncing ball eventually landed in the hands of the tallest man in the building, Roy Hibbert. Hibbert made 1-of-2 free throws.

After a timeout, James passed twice, first to Shane Battier, then to Wade.

"I was kind of falling a little bit, with a little contact," Wade said.

He had intended to go up with his left. He switched to his right. "I just got a little too far under the rim," Wade said. "I came up a little bit short."

"Nine out of 10 times, Dwyane makes that layup," James said.

George rebounded. Hill made the first of two three throws. the ball skipped behind him, down the floor and out of bounds. Miami had 8.3 seconds and, after a timeout, a chance . After all, it had missed 20 of its first 21 three-point attempts so far in the series. Wade had the ball up top. Mario Chalmers, off a curl, had a look.

"there were a couple of different options," Spoelstra said. "He was one of the first or second options."

The shot was long. now the same may be true of this series.

Miami Heat offense goes missing in action as Indiana Pacers knot series after 78-75 win

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Since its launch in 2001, the iPod as you knew it then has far improved. there have been different generations since then and there have been many different types of iPods too. It’s like there’s a different iPod for every type of person and for every size of budget.

The Current iPod Lineup

Let’s start with a bang then. Let’s start with iPod Touch. unlike the other iPods, it uses the touch feature just like iPhones. you don’t have to use the click wheel. Navigating iPod Touch only takes taps here and there and sliding a finger over the screen. If that’s not cool enough, what is?

And the iPod Touch still gives you the bang when it comes to features. like the usual iPod, you have music and video on it. but it does have more to offer. it is Wi-Fi enabled so you can have internet too. With internet capability, you get to watch videos on YouTube. you can also buy music from iTunes store and have songs downloaded straight to your iPod Touch.

You also currently have the iPod Classic. The iPod Classic of today can store up to 400,000 songs. Wow those are a lot of songs. I bet you won’t even be able to listen to all of them in a week and not even in a month. Alternately, you can also carry with you up to 200 hours of video. That would be a of lot videos than you have time for. but it’s cool to have so many choices, right?

Now if you want things in small packages, your choice would be the iPod Nano. It’s small but you can still listen to music and watch videos, podcasts and TV shows on it.

And of course, there’s the iPod Shuffle. well, it doesn’t have a screen so it’s not video capable. but if music and maximum portability is what you’re after, this is it for you. you can have quality music in such a very, very small thing. you merely have to clip it anywhere, in your belt or anywhere in your clothing, and you’ll have music with almost no additional weight.

A Little History on iPod

The first iPod classic was released in October 2001. it only had 5GB memory and it had a mechanical scroll wheel. What followed was the 2nd generation iPod with 10 GB memory and a touch sensitive wheel. The third generation was where a major redesigning was made. Everything was navigated through the touch interface and the casing became slimmer.

The 4th generation came with a click wheel and then it became colored. it became possible to store and view pictures in it. then the fifth generation iPod came. it was video enabled. it had larger screens than the previous one. but it was not until the 6th generation iPod when the word Classic was added to its name. The interface became better and became what it is now.

There used to be iPod minis too but they were replaced by what we now know as iPod Nano. Aside from that you have the iPod Shuffle which are for music only. and last year came iPod Touch, which was probably the most modern. Finding out about the succession of the different types of iPods really makes you appreciate iPod more.

Different Types of iPods – So Many To Choose From

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Not much, if Alex MacLean is buzzing around overhead in a Robinson R22 helicopter. If there is anything interesting about your roof — gazebos, greenhouses, graffiti, topiary, trees, swimming pools, sculpture, lawn chairs, chaises longues, picnic tables, paving stones, cocktail bars, solar panels or a Sopwith Camel — Mr. MacLean seems likely to catch it, to judge from the newly published “Up on the Roof: new York’s Hidden Skyline Spaces” (Princeton Architectural Press). there are 184 plates in the book, many of them 11 by 17 inches, making it possible to pore over the smallest details. it is fairly easy to pinpoint locations on two large maps that are coded to each plate.

But the photographs offer more than simply an aerial Advent calendar on new York’s cliff-dwelling peoples, though they are compelling and revealing enough as that. Mr. MacLean was described almost 20 years ago in the new York Times Magazine as “an artist and a sociologist.” Cumulatively, his pictures of new York illustrate a city that has intuitively understood for a long time the value of a “green roof,” and seems poised to exploit the potential.

“Rooftops will be the lungs of the denser city of the future,” the architecture critic Robert Campbell wrote in his introduction to the book. “as the world urbanizes, the rooftops will connect us with nature, with wind and sun and rain and snow, with the natural processes of growth and decay.” And we’ll be able to wave to Mr. MacLean as he zips by.

“up on the Roof” by Alex MacLean (Princeton Architectural Press) Rockefeller Center, 620 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan.

Hovering Above the Skyline, Armed With a Camera

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The Hit List has a particularly exciting, enjoyably fascinating fantasy at its heart, tugging at the desirable idea of eliminating your enemies in real life (be careful what you wish for). As with all good thrillers, the fantasy eventually shifts into terror, as the humorous notion fades into a nightmare involving cold-blooded, violent death. The idea is brilliant, and much of the plot progression is masterful, but the overall execution is flawed. It’s almost as if the writers grasped a story that was too great for their own good, unable to tackle it the way more experienced filmmakers might have. perhaps a few more minds needed to be involved in the various editing phases.

In Seattle, Washington, professional killer Jonas Arbor (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is suddenly struck by traumatic flashbacks, worsened by the fact that he’s recently discovered his health is waning. Instead of proceeding with the assassination he’s been assigned, he turns to vigilantism and strikes a different target, a controversial talk show host. Before any of the details are revealed, the opening scene merely shows Arbor crawling out of bed in his underwear, and a following shot with an agent claiming the hitman has gone missing. No action, no explosions, no killing – just a man in black announcing Arbor’s status. Then it cuts to the title sequence, complete with James Bond graphics and a theme song, also reminiscent of 007 – 47 Ways to Die, by Lillian Axe. It’s incredibly anticlimactic, and one of the worst openings to any action movie.

Immediately, the introductory dialogue is generic; but when the thrills start to pick up, the conversations follow suit. Allan Campbell (Cole Hauser) is a corporate man in Washington D.C., struggling to get ahead, but always behind in money and outlook. His boss has lost faith in him; a younger coworker steals his promotion; and his wife Sydney (Ginny Weirick) is cheating on him with his best friend. he also has a brand new black eye from a loan shark he’s been unable to pay. When he stumbles into a bar to drink his sorrows away with Jack Daniels, he spies Arbor sitting nearby. Reluctant at first, Jonas decides to engage in friendly conversation, and in short time, the two are chatting like old buddies. Arbor reveals that he’s a professional killer, but Campbell laughs it off – although not before scribbling a hit list of five names on a napkin. Intended as a joke, Allan is mortified to discover that Arbor has elaborately planned to take out the five targets, as a favor to his new friend.

A major theme involves Allan standing up for himself and fighting against those who push him around. Arbor is clearly psychotic and Campbell has just created another relationship he can’t stand up to. yet he needs the rogue agent’s help to handle at least one of the targets. Hilariously enough, one of the names on his list he’d actually like to see dead, but when the body count starts to rise, he realizes the truly horrific nature of his actions. He’s questionably an accomplice to every murder. The first target is his boss, Fred Gates (Rich Cowan); the second is his competition, the needling newcomer Brian Felzner (Sean Cook); the third is the lowlife thug he borrowed money from, Dom Estacado (Brandon O’Neill); the fourth, his best friend Mike Dodd (Drew Waters); and the final, most important hit is his wife – the one person he will sacrifice anything to protect. As the people on his list are quickly dispatched, the government agency employing Arbor is hot on his trail, along with local authorities.

The premise is intense and creative, along with a few of the action shots. The Hit List is really an exercise in creating a strong villain, however, and Cuba Gooding Jr. indeed rises to the occasion (he’s even got his own catchphrase). He’s not the greatest antagonist ever devised, but his Terminator-like characteristics and merciless assassinations are more than adequate. By the end, an Assault on Precinct 13 scenario is established, and Gooding remains a feasible psycho. The actual conclusion could have used some polishing, along with much of the dialogue, supporting characters and cinematography, but Gooding doesn’t disappoint. The Hit List had more potential than it knew how to handle, resulting in a film that could use a solid remaking by more seasoned filmmakers.

Movie Review: The Hit List (2011)

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The Sony PlayStation 3 is not only a console for gamers, but also a tool that anyone in a family or individual can use. The PlayStation 3 is a remarkable piece of technology; it pretty much does everything. Want to watch a movie? Simply plug in a DVD or a blue ray disc and enjoy the film. Aside from playing games, you can find more PlayStation games online, or surf the Internet without reaching your computer or laptop, because this device comes with WIFI connectivity.

The PlayStation 3 console keeps up to date, and can be updated via internet connection. it has a great graphical user interface, the XrossMediaBar(XMB), which turns the PS3 into more than a console, but as mentioned before, multimedia, gaming, and networking. Users can watch movies online, watch television episodes, and also play online with other users. The Blue Ray disc drive greatly enhances the quality of video the users watch. There are also seven Bluetooth ports available on the PlayStation 3, and several Ethernet ports. Users can also manage their photos, music media player, and online communication with friends and family. The PlayStation 3 comes pre-installed with Mubi, Netflix and VUDU with a vast library of media files.

Sony provides a PlayStation bundle package, meaning that when you purchase this amazing console, it also comes with wireless control systems, to have an easier time being mobile while using this device, a camera peripheral, and motion move controller. PS3 reviews show that Xbox and WII will have to do a lot to compete with that.

The camera feature will provide gamers more precision and accuracy during games. Also PlayStation 3 reviews have shown that the gamer has experienced their games more directly.

The controller, formally called the Dualshock 3 Wireless Control puts the action into your hands With this control you will pretty much experience all the battles and scenes directly. it is a pressure sensitive control with a button system that knows the amount of pressure the user applies to each button while using it. For example, if you want to take a stroll during a game, the gamer lightly holds down the X button, and to run across, the gamer just simply has to put the aggression they feel towards the X button, and they will be dashing. The controller rumbles and shakes parallel to the position you are in the game

This console has nothing to fear against its rivals, Nintendo and Xbox. it is perfect for new gamers, pro-gamers, and people who have no gaming experience at all because it is a multi-useful console

Everything About PlayStation 3

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There is a new contender in the highly lucrative smartphone market: Samsung's Galaxy S3, launched on Thursday in London with great fanfare. but can it stand up to its rivals? We are taking a look at a few of the top phones.

In the world of smartphones, BIG seems to be the new black. not that today's smartphones are gaining weight. They are slim and light creatures.

Their screens, though, are growing larger and larger. Phone makers clearly want to wow buyers with big images on high-definition screens. the drawback: those with tiny hands will find it difficult to clasp the latest crop of high-end phones.

Tight jeans pockets will also have to make accommodations, although wearers of jackets will be fine.

Alongside the form factor, there is also the battle of the operating systems. Apple and its iOS 5 is facing a vast raft of challengers running Google's Android software – from Samsung to Panasonic and many more.

Nokia, meanwhile, is the standard bearer for Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system.

And lumbering up for what it hopes will be a fresh start is the once-mighty Research in Motion with its new Blackberry 10 software.

So how do some of these rivals square up?

Sony's Xperia S promises to be an entertainment centre

Sony is one of several mobile phone makers trying to revive their fortunes. the company recently ended its joint venture with Ericsson; the Sony Xperia S is its first phone since.

It is a chunky looking phone but feels light (144g), and has both enough processing power and inbuilt memory (32GB) to be an entertainment hub. Its stand-out feature is the 4.3" HD screen, which displays movies and pictures in startling quality. an HDMI cable can connect the phone to HD flatscreen television sets, bringing the phone's HD quality video to the big screen. once connected, any TV remote control can be used to navigate around the phone's content and applications, from email to music to Twitter – although it's unlikely that many owners will make use of that.

The Xperia S is an Android phone, and Sony is showing restraint in customising the experience. Many manufacturers subject their Android phones to an interface makeover; few succeed in improving the experience.

As with most Sony (and Sony Ericsson) phones, the inbuilt 12 Megapixel camera is a treat, and Sony has copied the Windows Phone experience – adding a shutter button on the side of the phone that quickly launches the camera.

Sony ships the phone with NFC radio tags – put the tags in your car, your place of work, your living room, and when your phone gets near the tag it changes its behaviour; in your car, for example, it may launch the blue-tooth connection for hands-free talking and get the car navigation ready. Cute, but in all likelihood a rarely used gimmick.

the slim but curvy Eluga marks Panasonic's return to global handset markets

Outside Japan, Panasonic has been absent from the mobile phone market for many years. the Eluga is its Android-based attempt to recapture a share of this lucrative market.

Panasonic executives ooze pride in the company's engineering heritage, and an early pre-production model that I tried is testament to that.

The phone is curvy but very slim (7.8mm), and feels improbably light for its size, a mere 103g despite its 4.3" screen – the same size as the Sony.

That raises the question whether the battery will meet the demands of smartphone power users. Panasonic promises the battery will last the day, not least thanks to some clever energy management software. the 8GB of internal memory may also not be enough for people who want to carry their whole music library with them.

Talking of engineering, as I was shown the phone, the Panasonic exec suddenly grabbed it off me and dunked it in his glass of water. he swirled it around a bit, took it out, dried it and gave it back. still works, he said. It's also dustproof (but waterproof only to a depth of one metre).

It's a good looking phone, no doubt, but Panasonic's success will depend on persuading network operators to stock it, getting the price right, and convincing buyers that the credentials of its consumer electronics brand once again stretch to the world of smartphones.

the HTC One X is the largest in the company's new smartphone line-up

Not that long ago HTC was considered the most innovative of all mobile phone makers. Recently the company has faltered, with sales and profits sharply down.

However, the Taiwanese phone maker is attempting a comeback and its new range of HTC One phones has been very well reviewed.

The star of the line-up, the HTC One X, is a whopper of a phone. to reach the on-off button easily may require a thumb extension. the huge 4.7" screen makes it larger than the Sony Xperia S, but it is also very slim (8.9mm) and weighs just 130g.

Unlike the Sony and the Panasonic, it went on sale featuring the latest version of the Android operating system (4.0 Icecream Sandwich – although Sony and Panasonic are both in the process of rolling out an upgrade).

The phone features a fast quad-core processor (except for the LTE version in the United States) and a massive 32GB of memory.

For several years now HTC has been the designer of the best user experience on Android, and the One series continues that tradition. nearly every action on the phone – from changing settings to using integrated applications – feels a tad easier or more obvious than on other phones.

Despite its slimness, the phone's unibody feels solid and secure, and very pleasing to the touch.

Both on size and on spec, the HTC One X is the closest challenger to Samsung's S3.

Nokia is betting on Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 software

And now for something completely different. If you are bored with Android phones and don't want to join the iPhone herd, you are quickly going to run out of smartphone alternatives – unless you opt for Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system.

There was a raft of new Windows phones when Phone 7 was launched nearly two years ago, but it's been rather quiet since. the big exception, of course, is Finnish phone giant Nokia, which has bet its smartphone house on the Microsoft software.

This year, Nokia is going both premium with its large Lumia 900 phone, and budget with a promise of a range of cheaper and simpler phones (now that the "Tango" update of Windows Phone is becoming available).

Of all the phones I've seen, the Lumia 900 is the one that feels the most solid and hardwearing (having a gorilla glass screen always helps).

But its 4.3" display is not HD quality, the 16GB internal storage is good but not overwhelming, it's not quite slim (11.5mm) and it weighs a rather hefty 160g. the word "chunky" springs to mind.

Still, it is very speedy, has great battery life, all buttons are placed just right and of all the phones I've played with it's arguably the one that feels nicest to the touch.

The deciding factor when buying this phone (or the smaller Lumia 800) may well be how happy you are with Windows Phone 7. As operating systems go, it's probably the nicest around, with a well-thought-through user interface. Its Achilles heel, however, is the still mediocre quality of available apps. the system software holds a lot of promise, but even now most app developers are still lacking the inspiration to take its user interface principles and make their apps fly.

Samsung hopes the S3 will be at least as successful as the S2

And then there is the Samsung Galaxy S3. the Korean phone maker is building on the success of its best-selling S2, and clearly is trying to push well beyond its biggest rival (and key customer) Apple.

A new quad-core processor promises both double the speed and 20% less energy consumption compared to dual-core processors of old.

The phone is in the same "whopper" category as the HTC One X, with its 4.8" HD screen, but just like its rival it is very slim (8.6mm) and weighs just 133g. the 8MP camera is standard, but again software helps to improve the user experience.

With smartphones looking more and more the same, Samsung tries to stand out with functionality and clever software. For example, the phone can be set so that it does not go to sleep as long as the user looks at it.

Voice command programme S Voice promises an Apple Siri-like experience (although this has yet to be put to the test). after taking a picture, the phone will try to recognise the faces of your friends and family, and offer to email the image to them with just one click.

Again, touch is important, with Samsung delivering a similar surface feel as HTC and Nokia.

So if your hands are not too tiny, and you happily live in Google's Android universe, then there is probably not much to choose from between the HTC One X and the Galaxy S3.

Is Research in Motion (RIM) the next Palm or the next comeback kid? the marketshare of its Blackberry smartphones (especially at the lucrative premium end) has been plummeting, and its most recent phones have been poorly reviewed.

The company recently gave a preview of its new – dramatically different – operating system, Blackberry 10.

The software certainly looks promising, but by now RIM is notorious for delayed product launches. Coming to market this autumn, RIM may suffer problems similar to Microsoft: it's really difficult to gain traction in such a competitive and fast-moving market, no matter the quality of your product.

Gadget websites have been buzzing with Galaxy S3 reviews and head-to-head comparisons with other smartphones ever since last week's launch event. overall, the S3 was deemed to match or trounce all rivals, including Apple's top offering, the iPhone 4S.

Apple may dub its screen a "retina display", but it's relatively small (3.5") and not quite HD, and the glass screen is not particularly shatter proof. Short battery life is the constant moan of iPhone owners, and the user interface may look dated compared to Android's active widgets and Microsoft's live tiles.

However, Apple's iPhone 4S is not the benchmark to beat. Rumours abound that the launch of the iPhone 5 is imminent. If true, and provided Apple can raise (or make consumers believe it raised) its game once more, then Samsung Galaxy S3 and its gaggle of rivals will find it hard to prise consumers from the confines of the iTunes universe.

Don't forget: it's not just about technical spec. once you have invested heavily in apps that work only on iPhones, you'll find it awfully difficult to leave the world that Steve Jobs built.

The smartphone battle: Meet the top contestants

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Do you have a movie list in a notebook, in your filing cabinet, or on your computer? many people do. Whether you simply like to keep lists and inventories, or it’s necessary to keep track of a vast collection, keeping a movie list can be as simple as a list of titles, or it can be an elaborate database with tons of information about each movie. But the most fun way to keep track of your collection is with special software that does the hard work for you, and lets you simply enjoy browsing through your movie list.

If you’re keeping a movie list written down somewhere, now’s the time to transfer your list to the computer. Paper lists are easily lost, and though updating them is as simple as writing down something new, to re-organize the list you have to rewrite the entire thing. If you like any semblance of order to your list, a paper inventory doesn’t have much to offer.

At the very least, you can type the list into your computer in either a text editor or a word processor. Then even though it looks just like a paper list, only typed, it’s much easier to insert a movie where you want it and make changes without re-doing the whole thing. a better solution would be for you to create a database on your computer for your movies. most office software packages offer database-making capabilities, so it’s not difficult (as long as you know your way around your software) to create a movie list database. You’ll just create headers for the title of the movies, the genre, the year of release, and any other headers you want.

If you create a movie list database on your computer, set aside a good chunk of time to type in all your movies and their relevant information. Depending on how large your collection is, how fast you type and how familiar you are with making and updating a database, this could be quite a project. But once it’s done, then you can manipulate your list, sort it, and organize it any way you want, on the fly. Alternately, you can download some sort of list-making software that’s generic in its approach-you can list anything. Then you won’t have to make a database, but you still have to take the time to type everything in.

Or you could make a movie list the fun way, with software designed just for movies. The best movie list software does all the hard work for you-not just set-up, but filling in the movie information, too. You’ll just use the software to search for a film. When it finds the right one, you’re only a few clicks away from adding it to your collection complete with an image of the cover, and detailed information about each film. Forget those written or typed movie lists Keep track of your movies the fun and easy way, with movie list software.

A Movie List, The Fun Way

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