Apple released the first bug fixes for iOS 9

Just a week after releasing iOS 9, Apple is today issuing the OS's first bug fix update. iOS 9.0.1 fixes a handful of problems for the new platform, including one issue that broke alarms and timers and another in Safari and Photos that caused paused videos to appear distorted. Download it now if you haven't already.

Apple is clearly doing everything it can to ensure upgrades to iOS 9 go as smoothly as possible, especially especially compared to iOS 8's rocky release last year. All told, though, new OS has enjoyed a relatively smooth debut, seeing iOS' fastest adoption rateto date. That consumer enthusiasm was not at all deterred by people having issues downloading the OS on the first day.

The Apple Watch is an extraordinarily small and personal device. It is designed to participate in nearly every moment of your day, but almost never directly interact with anyone else. It knows when you’re wearing it. You can talk to it. You can poke it — and it can poke back.

Every so often, the Apple Watch thinks about your heartbeat.

But the Apple Watch is also an enormous device. It’s the first entirely new Apple product in five years, and the first Apple product developed after the death of Steve Jobs. It’s full of new hardware, new software, and entirely new ideas about how the worlds of fashion and technology should intersect.

It’s also the first smartwatch that might legitimately become a mainstream product, even as competitors flood the market. Apple has the marketing prowess, the retail store network, and the sheer determination to actually make this thing happen.

It just has to answer one question: would you actually use the Apple Watch instead of your phone?

Twelve changes from All Blacks

New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen has made twelve changes to his team to face Namibia in the Pool C clash at the Olympic Park on Thursday.

Only Sam Whitelock, Julian Savea and Nehe Milner-Skudder retain their position in the starting line-up that faced Argentina at Wembley last week.

TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett are the half-back pairing while Sonny Bill Williams and Malakai Fekitoa start at centre, with Colin Slade at full-back.

Elsewhere there are starts for Victor Vito, Sam Cane, Liam Messam, Luke Romano, Charlie Faumuina, Codie Taylor and Ben Franks. Cane is captain.

If Richie McCaw comes on as a replacement, it will be his eighteenth RWC outing, breaking the record of seventeen he now shares with Sean Fitzpatrick.

There are 660 caps' worth of experience on the All Blacks' bench (average 83) and also three test centurions (Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu and McCaw).

Three of the All Blacks' replacement players have 100-plus Test caps, which is a record for a Rugby World Cup bench. Before this match, no team had ever named more than one centurion on their bench in a Rugby World Cup fixture.

New Zealand: 15 Colin Slade, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Sam Cane (c), 6 Liam Messam, 5 Samuel Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ben Franks.
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Tony Woodcock, 19 Kieran Read, 20 Richie McCaw, 21 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22 Ma'a Nonu, 23 Ben Smith.

8 Great Online Business Ideas

In fact, some of the most successful businesses can be run entirely online. Keeping your business digital can save you thousands of dollars in rent and expenses, and it can help you reach a wider base of clients because you're not limited to one local area.

Ready to start a business this year? Here are 15 online business ideas to inspire you.

1. SEO consultant – Do you know the ins and outs of search engines and have skills in platforms like Google Analytics? A lot of smaller companies don't realize how much of an impact search engine optimization (SEO) can have on their business. You can start an online business to help other companies make their websites more SEO friendly by teaching business owners how to read and use their analytics data the right way, and how to properly use keywords and structure content to get more traffic.

2. Business coaching –If you have a lot of business knowledge and experience, why not start a business that helps other aspiring entrepreneurs find success? You can use your skills to help new business owners get off to a good start and help experienced entrepreneurs keep up with demand. You can also write articles about business on platforms like LinkedIn, to show off your knowledge and skills and bring in clients.

3. Specialized retailer – An online store lets you reach customers all over that world and that means you can afford to specialize. Whether it's dollhouse furniture or organic dog food, there's an audience for everything. Using a web hosting service with an integrated shopping cart or e-commerce sofware, your business will be operational in no time. Many vendors will even ship products to customers on your behalf, which means you don't need to own a lot of inventory.

4. Social media consultant – Larger firms can hire an agency or full-time staff member to run their Facebook and Twitter accounts, but small businesses often have to handle their own social media marketing. With so many other responsibilities, business owners are often too busy or overwhelmed to spend time developing and implementing a great social media strategy. As a consultant, you can help them determine the best tactics, posting schedules and content for their target audience. As their follower count grows, so will your business.

5. Web design – Have you ever been turned off by a business’s generic-looking website layout? If you know some HTML and have a good eye for design, you can launch a service to create attractive, easy-to-use websites for small businesses. You can put your skills to good use for business owners who want to take their online presence to the next level. Build up a portfolio of work with smaller freelance jobs, then create your own website to show it off and bring in a steady stream of clients.

6. Resume/cover letter writing – It's a tough truth to swallow, but a standout resume and cover letter can make all the difference when applying jobs. While listing career accomplishments might seem like an easy task, the fine art of “humble bragging” eludes some of us. Get hired to help others get hired by writing stellar resumes. Capitalize on the increasingly important social media branding bandwagon and offer to fix LinkedIn profiles as well.

7. Professional freelancer – You might not think of freelancing as a business, but with more and more companies turning to part-time contract workers to fill their skill gaps, it's not hard to imagine making a living providing businesses with a variety of freelance services. Depending on your skill sets, you could work for multiple companies in a variety of fields, offering flexibility and a refreshing change of pace. According to the freelance job listing website Freelancer.com, tech services, content creation and web design are popular fields for contract work.

8. Affiliate marketing – If you're a person that loves leaving customer reviews on sites like Amazon, stop doing it for free. Word-of-mouth advertising is still a huge lead generator for many companies, and a lot of businesses are willing to share a portion of their profits with persuasive individuals who will promote their products to the public. If you have a personal website with a large following, this might be easier to accomplish (PR reps are always seeking out brand advocates they can send free samples to). Smart Passive Income breaks down three types of affiliate marketing and explains which one is most profitable.

Easy to Win

Craps is the fastest - and certainly the loudest - game in the casino. With the big, colorful table, chips flying everywhere and players yelling, it's exiting to watch and exciting to play.

Craps also has the one of the lowest house edges against you of any casino game, but only if you make the right bets. In fact, with one type of bet (which you will soon learn) you play even with the house, meaning that the house has a zero edge. This is the only casino game where this is true.

THE TABLE LAYOUT

The craps table is slightly larger than a standard pool table, with a wood railing that goes around the outside edge. This railing acts as a backboard for the dice to be thrown against and is sponge-lined on the inside with random patterns so that the dice bounce randomly. Most table rails also have grooves on top where you can place your chips.

The table surface is a tight fitting green felt with designs to indicate all the various bets that can be made in craps. It's very confusing for a beginner, but all you really need to concern yourself with right now is the "Pass Line" area and the "Don't Pass" area. These are the only bets you will make in our basic strategy (and for the most part the only bets worth making, period).

BASIC GAME PLAY

Don't let the confusing layout of the craps table intimidate you. The basic game itself is very simple. A new game with a new player (the person shooting the dice) begins when the current player "sevens out", which means he rolls a seven. That ends his turn and a new player is given the dice.

The new player makes either a pass line bet or a don't pass bet (explained below) and then throws the dice, which is called the "comeout roll".

If that first roll is a 7 or 11, this is called "making a pass" and the "pass line" betters win and "don't pass" betters lose. If a 2, 3 or 12 are rolled, this is called "craps" and pass line betters lose, while don't pass line betters win. However, don't pass line betters do not win if the "craps" number is a 12 in Las Vegas or a 2 in Reno and Tahoe. In this case, the bet is push - neither the player nor the house wins. All pass line and don't pass line bets are paid even money.

Barring one of the three "craps" numbers from winning for don't pass line bets is what gives the house it's low edge of 1.4 percent on all line bets. The don't pass bettor has a stand-off with the house when one of these barred numbers is rolled. Otherwise, the don't pass bettor would have a small advantage over the house - something that no casino permits!

If a number other than 7, 11, 2, 3, or 12 is rolled on the comeout (in other words, a 4,5,6,8,9,10), that number is called a "place" number, or simply a number or a "point". In this case, the shooter continues to roll until that place number is rolled again, which is called "making the point", at which time pass line betters win and don't pass bettors lose, or a 7 is rolled, which is called "sevening out". In this case, pass line bettors lose and don't pass bettors win. When a player sevens out, his turn is over and the whole process begins again with a new player.

Once a shooter rolls a place number (a 4.5.6.8.9.10), many different types of bets can be made on each subsequent roll of the dice, until he sevens out and his turn is over. However, they all have odds in favor of the house, many of them heavily in favor of the house, with the exception of two: odds on a line bet, and "come" bets. Of these two, we will only consider the odds on a line bet, as the "come" bet is a bit more confusing.

You should ignore all other bets, as they carry odds that are too high against you. Yes, this means that all those other players that are throwing chips all over the table with each roll of the dice and making "field bets" and "hard way" bets are really making sucker bets. They may know all the many bets and special lingo, but you will be the smarter gambler by simply making line bets and taking the odds.

Now let's talk about line bets, taking the odds, and how to do it.

LINE BETS

To make a line bet, simply place your money on the area of the table that says "Pass Line", or where it says "Don't Pass". These bets pay even money when they win, although it's not true even odds because of the 1.4 percent house edge discussed earlier.

When you bet the pass line, it means you are betting that the shooter either makes a 7 or 11 on the comeout roll, or that he will roll one of the place numbers and then roll that number again ("make the point") before sevening out (rolling a 7).

When you bet on the don't pass line, you are betting that the shooter will roll either a 2 or a 3 on the comeout roll (or a 3 or 12 if in Reno and Tahoe), or will roll one of the place numbers and then seven out before rolling the place number again.

Odds on a Line Bet (or, simply called "odds bets")

When a point has been established (a place number is rolled) on the comeout, you are permitted to take true odds against a 7 appearing before the point number is rolled again. This means you can bet an additional amount up to the amount of your line bet. This called an "odds" bet.

Your odds bet can be any amount up to the amount of your line bet, although many casinos will now allow you to make odds bets of two, three or even more times the amount of your line bet. This odds bet is paid at a rate equal to the odds of that point number being made before a 7 is rolled.

You make an odds bet by placing your bet directly behind your pass line bet. You notice that there is nothing on the table to indicate that you can place an odds bet, while there are indications loudly printed all over that table for the other "sucker" bets. This is because the casino does not want to encourage odds bets. You have to know that you can make one.

Here's how these odds are computed. Since there are 6 ways that a number 7 can be rolled and 5 ways that a 6 or 8 can be rolled, the odds of a 6 or 8 being rolled before a 7 is rolled again are 6 to 5 against you. This means that if the point number is a 6 or 8, your odds bet will be paid off at the rate of 6 to 5. For every $10 you bet, you will win $12 (bets smaller or larger than $10 are of course paid at the same 6 to 5 ratio). The odds of a 5 or 9 being rolled before a 7 is rolled are 3 to 2, so you get paid $15 for every $10 bet. The odds of 4 or 10 being rolled first are 2 to 1, so you get paid $20 for every $10 you bet.

Note that these are true odds - you are paid exactly proportional to your chance of winning. This is the only true odds bet you will find in a casino, so be sure to make it whenever you play craps.

AN EASY TO LEARN BASIC CRAPS STRATEGY

Here's an example of the three types of outcomes that result when a new shooter plays and how you should bet.

Assume new shooter is getting ready to make the comeout roll and you make a $10 bet (or whatever amount you want) on the pass line. The shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the comeout. You win $10, the amount of your bet.

You bet $10 again on the pass line and the shooter makes a comeout roll again. This time a 3 is rolled (the player "craps out"). You lose your $10 pass line bet.

You bet another $10 and the shooter makes his third comeout roll (remember, each shooter continues to roll until he sevens out after making a point). This time a 4 is rolled - one of the place numbers or "points". You now want to take an odds bet, so you place $10 directly behind your pass line bet to indicate you are taking the odds. The shooter continues to roll the dice until a 4 is rolled (the point is made), at which time you win $10 on your pass line bet, and $20 on your odds bet (remember, a 4 is paid at 2 to 1 odds), for a total win of $30. Take your chips off the table and get ready to bet again.

However, if a 7 is rolled before the point number (in this case, before the 4), you lose both your $10 pass line bet and your $10 odds bet.

And that's all there is to it! You simply make you pass line bet, take odds if a point is rolled on the comeout, and then wait for either the point or a 7 to be rolled. Ignore all the other confusion and sucker bets. Your have the best bet in the casino and are playing wisely.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT ODDS BETS

Odds bets can be made any time after a comeout point is rolled. You don't have to make them right away . However, you'd be foolish not to make an odds bet as soon as possible considering it's the best bet on the table. However, you are permitted to make, withdraw, or reinstate an odds bet anytime after the comeout and before a 7 is rolled.

When you win an odds bet, be sure to take your chips off the table. Otherwise, they are considered to be automatically "off" on the next comeout and will not count as another odds bet unless you specifically tell the dealer that you want them to be "working". But in a fast moving and loud game, your request may not be heard, so it's better to simply take your winnings off the table and bet again with the next comeout.

BEST PLACES TO PLAY CRAPS IN LAS VEGAS

Any of the downtown casinos. Minimum bets will be low (you can usually find $3) and, more importantly, they frequently allow up to 10X odds bets.

Good Luck!

5 Best Smartphone Dating Apps

1.Tinder
2.CoffeeMeetsBagel
3.Hinge
4.Loveflutter
5.Hitch

More than 100 Killed by Boko Haram Bombings in Nigeria

More than 100 have died so far,” Abba Mohammed Bashir Shuwa, an aide to Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno, said in a telephone interview on Monday evening.

Over the weekend, an audio message said to have been recorded by Mr. Shekau sought to rebut the assertions. “They are actually the ones whom we have driven away,” the voice said. “They are all liars.”

Skype doesnt work! Skype down!

Updated 15:00 UTC 

We have identified the network issue which prevented users from logging in and using Skype today. We're in the process of reconnecting our users, and focused on restoring full service. The issue did not affect Skype for Business users.@ say's official site

TAXI DRIVER FOUND SHOT TO DEATH IN HIS CAB IN THE BRONX

A man was fatally shot in his green outer borough taxi cab in the Bronx early Monday, New York City's eighth homicide since Saturday night.

The 39 year old man was found fatally shot in a Lincoln Town Car at East 189th Street and Beaumont Avenue just before 1:30 a.m.

He was shot in the head in the driver's seat and pronounced dead at the scene.

Police were looking for at least one suspect who fled scene. The cab crashed into several other cars after the shooting.

The victim, identified as Mamadou Barry, had been driving for 12 years, and talked about the dangers of driving on the job, his family says.

He made a phone call moments before his death, saying the man he had picked up had a gun.

He leaves behind three children and a pregnant wife. Police have no motive for the shooting and continue to investigate.

No arrests have been made in any of the homicides.

There were 17 gunshot incidents over the week ending Sunday, with 20 victims, compared with 15 shooting incidents during the same period last year.

For the year to date, the city experienced slightly fewer shooting incidents compared with 2014, police stats show. There were 852 at this time last year, compared with 848 so far this year - a 0.5% difference.

But during the same time frame, murders went up 5.3% - 239 this year from 227 in 2014

'Game of Thrones' wins outstanding drama series, notches record Emmy haul

LUCY NICHOLSON/REUTERS

‘Game of Thrones’ show-runners D.B. Weiss (L) and David Benioff, with cast and crew, accept the award for outstanding drama series.

Sunday night was most definitely not full of terrors for the cast and crew of “Game of Thrones.”

HBO’s hit fantasy series upset a crowded field of esteemed dramas to win the top Emmy Award of the night — outstanding drama series.

It was enough to drive Don Draper to drink: among the contenders it bested was two-time winner, “Mad Men,” which many prognosticators had predicted would be honored with a third outstanding drama series Emmy for its final season.

“Downton Abbey,” “Better Call Saul,” “Homeland,” “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black” rounded out a category jam-packed with more contenders than Westeros has would-be kings.

The Emmy proved a vindication of sorts for show-runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who were hit with backlash over a rape storyline during this past season.

But “Game of Thrones” dominated television’s biggest night all around, notching three other statuettes on Sunday night — for writing (Benioff and Weiss), directing (David Nutter) and supporting actor (Peter Dinklage). It was Dinklage’s second Emmy for his role as fan-favorite manipulator, Tyrion Lannister.

Combined with the treasure horde of eight awards previously bestowed during the Creative Arts Emmys, the series broke the show's previous record of nine won by "The West Wing" in 2000.

Coincidentally, the magical evening also marked “Game of Thrones” creator George R.R. Martin’s birthday, and its hard to imagine the bearded wizard getting more out of a wish after blowing out the 67 candles on his cake.

“Thank you to George for telling me that Jon Snow is still alive during the commercial,” joked Emmy host Andy Samberg after wishing Martin a happy birthday on air.

‘Pacman’ Jones predicts more dirty play after $35K fine

Adam Jones says the $35,000 fine the NFL issued him for slamming Amari Cooper’s head into his helmet was “way too much.” But he doesn’t plan to avoid such behavior in the future.

“I can’t promise it won’t happen again,” he said, according to ESPN. “I’m an emotional player.”

The Bengals defensive back known as Pacman — once infamous for “making it rain” and other, more serious strip club incidents — informed reporters Wednesday of the fine, which he felt was exorbitant.

“It’s way too much,” he said. “$35,000 is a lot of money for a guy out playing football. But it is what it is. I’ll appeal and if it gets appealed, hey, [good]. If it doesn’t, I guess I donated to somebody’s college fund this year.”

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Adam “Pacman” Jones scuffles with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.

Jones was on top of Cooper, the Raiders’ first-round pick from Alabama, and slapped his helmet so hard it came off during Sunday’s opener, won by the Bengals, 33-13. At that point, Jones slammed Cooper’s head into the wideout’s helmet, igniting a melee. Jones may have been responding to Cooper jabbing Jones in the neck while blocking on the previous play. Jones received only a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty.

“Like I’ve said, I’m going to [let] whatever happened on the field stay on the field,” said Jones, who had a game- and career-high 10 tackles in the game. “Everybody knows how I play this game. That’s not going to stop. I don’t want to do nothing to hurt my team. I’ve got to keep my cool and play within the lines.

“I play with a passion. There’s no way I’d still be playing if I didn’t play that way.”

Olympic coach in child sex abuse probe found dead in jail cell

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis gymnastics coach who trained two members of the 2008 US women’s Olympics team was found dead of an apparent suicide in his jail cell, where he was being held on charges of child pornography and molestation, authorities said Sunday.

Marvin Sharp, 49, was found unresponsive at 8:17 p.m. Saturday in his cell at the Marion County Jail, sheriff’s spokeswoman Katie Carlson said in a statement. She said foul play isn’t suspected, but that she couldn’t provide further information.

A follow-up investigation is being conducted by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Marion County Coroner’s Office,” Carlson said.

Sharp, who was the USA Gymnastics 2010 Coach of the Year, was arrested Aug. 24 on four local counts of child molestation and three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.

Federal prosecutors, in a superseding indictment filed Sept. 14, also charged Sharp with nine counts of producing child pornography since 2002 involving six female students as young as 6 or 7 years old.

“These minor girls have been identified as former gymnasts that trained at Sharp’s gym and participated in photo shoots with Marvin Sharp,” Detective Darin Odler said in an affidavit. Odler is an Indianapolis police officer assigned to an FBI task force on violent crimes against children.

Sharp earlier had been charged with knowingly receiving child pornography and knowingly possessing child pornography.

According to the charging documents, investigators found thousands of sexually explicit images of minors in locked safes in his Indianapolis home and at his business, Sharp’s Gymnastics Academy. The academy also had a photography studio.

Messages seeking comment were left Sunday at the academy and with Sharp’s attorney, Jim Voyles.

A probable cause affidavit filed with the local charges last month stated Sharp repeatedly fondled or touched a girl he had coached and that the abuse began when she was 12 and continued for about two years.

Sharp repeatedly photographed the girl in a room at his gymnasium and allegedly fondled her while adjusting her clothing, the affidavit alleged. She told investigators Sharp “would constantly ‘fix her underwear'” and touch her during the photo sessions. In one session, she said Sharp made her wear a straitjacket, and on other occasions asked her to pose “provocatively” in clothing he had provided her, the document said.

The girl told authorities she feared Sharp would “kick her out of the gym or hurt her” if she didn’t do as asked. She later told her mother about the events during the photo shoots, court documents said.

The Indianapolis Star has reported that Sharp coached central Indiana natives Bridget Sloan and Samantha Peszek before they were members of the US team that won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Obama might join forces with Cuba to fight US trade embargo

New Yor Post: 

The Obama administration might take the unprecedented step of joining Raul Castro's (left) Cuba in a fight against the United State's own laws.

WASHINGTON — For the first time, the United States may be willing to accept a United Nations condemnation of the US trade embargo against Cuba without a fight, The Associated Press has learned.

U.S. officials tell the AP that the Obama administration is weighing abstaining from the annual UN General Assembly vote on a Cuban-backed resolution demanding that the embargo be lifted. The vote could come next month.

No decision has yet been made, said four administration officials who weren’t authorized to speak publicly on sensitive internal deliberations and demanded anonymity. But merely considering an abstention is unprecedented. Following through on the idea would send shock waves through both the United Nations and Congress.

It is unheard of for a UN member state not to oppose resolutions critical of its own laws.

And by not actively opposing the resolution, the administration would be effectively siding with the world body against Congress, which has refused to repeal the embargo despite calls from President Barack Obama to do so.

Obama has been urging Congress to scrap the 54-year-old embargo since December, when he announced that Washington and Havana would normalize diplomatic relations. The two countries re-opened embassies last month, and Obama has chipped away at US restrictions on trade and travel to Cuba, using executive authorities. But the embargo stands.

The latest US easing of sanctions occurred Friday and was followed by a rare phone call between Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro. Pope Francis, who played a key role in the rapprochement between Havana and Washington, arrived in Havana a day later. He travels to the US this week.

The White House said Obama and Castro discussed “steps that the United States and Cuba can take, together and individually, to advance bilateral cooperation.” The Cuban government said Castro “emphasized the need to expand their scope and abrogate, once and for all, the blockade policy for the benefit of both peoples.”

Neither statement mentioned the UN vote. Yet, as it has for the last 23 years, Cuba will introduce a resolution at the upcoming General Assembly criticizing the embargo and demanding its end.

The United States has lost each vote by increasingly overwhelming and embarrassing margins. Last year’s tally was 188-2 in favor of Cuba with only Israel siding with the US. This year’s vote will be the first since the US shift in policy toward Cuba.

General Assembly resolutions are unenforceable. But the annual exercise has given Cuba a stage to demonstrate America’s isolation on the embargo, and it has underscored the sense internationally that the US restrictions are illegitimate.

The administration has not yet decided how to vote, according to the US officials. They said that at the moment the US is still more likely to vote against the resolution than abstain.

However, the officials said the US will consider abstaining if the wording of the resolution is significantly different than in previous years. The administration is open to discussing revisions with the Cubans and others, they added, something American diplomats have never done before.

“Our vote will ultimately depend on what’s in the resolution,” one of the officials said. “This resolution is no different than others in the sense that we won’t prejudge it before it’s final.”

An abstention would have political ramifications in the United States, not least among several Republican presidential candidates who want the embargo maintained.

And in Congress, where top GOP lawmakers have refused to entertain legislation that would end the embargo, any administration action perceived as endorsing UN criticism of the United States could provoke anger — even among supporters of the administration’s position.

As White House spokesman Josh Earnest noted last week, the embargo remains the law of the land.

“We still want Congress to take action to remove the embargo,” he said.

The US officials, however, said the administration believes an abstention could send a powerful signal to Congress and the world of Obama’s commitment to ending the embargo. Obama says the policy failed over more than five decades to spur democratic change and left the US isolated among its Latin American neighbors.

It’s unclear what changes would be necessary to prompt a US abstention.

Last year’s resolution cited the “necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo” and took aim at the Helms-Burton Act. That 1996 law made foreign firms subject to the same restrictions US companies face for investing in Cuba, and authorizes penalties for non-US companies operating and dealing with property once owned by US citizens but confiscated after Fidel Castro’s revolution.

A report issued by Cuba last week in support of this year’s resolution doesn’t suggest Havana is toning down its approach.

It calls American efforts to ease the embargo “a step in the right direction but are limited and insufficient in the face of the magnitude and scope of the blockade laws for Cuba and the rest of the world.”

But the 37-page document also claims the embargo has cost the Cuban people $833.7 billion — a number the US would never accept. Washington says the communist government has used the embargo as an excuse for its own litany of economic failures

Obama Seeking to Bypass Tough Cuban Sanctions Law

The Obama administration announced wide-ranging new rules on Friday to ease trade, travel and investment restrictions with Cuba, the latest effort to chip away at the long-standing U.S. economic embargo amid a diplomatic thaw between the two former Cold War foes.

The regulatory changes will allow certain U.S. companies to establish offices on Cuba for the first time in decades, expand banking activities and eliminate limits on the amount of money that can be taken to the Communist-ruled island, U.S. officials said.

Washington touted the moves as a way to boost business and to support more economic and political freedom in Cuba. The changes, while significant, stop short of allowing across-the-board investment or general U.S. tourism, activities banned under the embargo.

The action comes as Washington and Havana move toward normal relations after more than half a century of hostility. The two countries restored diplomatic ties and reopened embassies earlier this summer.

Set to take effect on Monday, the new regulations, which President Barack Obama is implementing with his executive powers, build on others he announced in January to begin lowering economic barriers with Cuba.

But only Congress has the power to fully lift the 53-year-old economic embargo against Cuba, the main stumbling block to full normalization of ties with Havana. And Republicans who control Congress are considered unlikely to do so despite Obama's appeals. The president also faces resistance some fellow Democrats, although most support rapprochement.

Critics of Obama's detente with the island slammed the move as another reward to Cuba given with no concessions from Havana, especially on the human rights front.

The announcement came just as Pope Francis, who played an instrumental role in the diplomatic opening late last year, prepares to visit Cuba this weekend before heading to the United State next week. The Vatican has long condemned the embargo against Cuba.

U.S officials said the changes aim to expand business and also boost "people-to-people" contact between the two countries.

Editor's Note: Who Won the CNN GOP Debate? Vote Here Now.

Previously, people had been able to send only $2,000 per quarter to Cuban nationals or carry $10,000 there, according to the Treasury Department. Cuban nationals were limited to carrying $3,000.

In addition to building on commercial enterprises, the changes "have the potential to stimulate long overdue economic reform across the country," Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said.

The rules address traveler safety by allowing the export of civil aviation equipment to Cuba to ensure aircraft safety, officials said.

The regulations increase educational opportunities by allowing Internet-based courses and further expand humanitarian efforts by allowing disaster relief.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/obama-bypass-cuba-sanctions/2015/09/18/id/692243/#ixzz3m71S5D5j
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Los Angeles among five finalists to host 2024 Summer Olympics

ONDON –  The race is on for the 2024 Olympics, a five-city contest pitting four European bids against a two-time host from the United States.

The IOC announced the official field of candidates Wednesday, and there were no surprises as the previously declared bidders were all on the list — Budapest, Hungary; Hamburg, Germany; Los Angeles; Paris; and Rome.

"We are welcoming five outstanding and highly qualified candidate cities," International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said.

The deadline for submission of entries expired at midnight on Tuesday in Switzerland. Two other potential candidates — Toronto and Baku, Azerbaijan — decided not to bid.

The IOC also released the host city contract and other documents setting out the two-year bid process, which has been changed to eliminate the cut-down phase and ensure that all candidates go to the final vote in Lima, Peru, in September 2017.

Google Changed Glass's Name to a Migraine Symptom

Remember Google Glass? Back in 2013 and early 2014 the face wearable was seemingly everywhere, as early adopters ('explorers' in Google lingo, and 'glassholes' to most others) routinely made headlines for various Glass-related hijinks.

After a stubbornly chilly reception from consumers, in February Google announced that it was rolling back the program. Google Glass went quiet.

But it didn't die. There were some rumblings (most notably a low-key update of the device's enterprise version), and now there's a major new sign of life.According to The Wall Street Journal, Google Glass just got a new name. Say goodbye to Google Glass, and say hello to Project Aura.

Apple’s giant iPad Pro will make run at Microsoft Windows hybrids

The iPad Pro – Apple’s just-announced jumbo tablet – combined with the newest iOS software upgrade, could be a formidable competitor to Microsoft’s Surface tablet and other Windows hybrid devices.

Let’s start with the virtual keyboard. The iPad Pro’s laptop-sized 12.9-inch screen allows, for the first time, a “full-sized software keyboard,” as pointed about by Apple’s Phil Schiller when he introduced the tablet at the company’s September 9 event.  That, combined with changes incorporated into Apple’s new iOS 9 operating system – released to the public this week – mean the software keyboard can function more like a real keyboard and trackpad.

Taking on Windows hybrids

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 tablet and Dell’s Venue series of hybrids will see stiffer competition from Apple’s iPad Pro.  The Surface Pro 3, for example, is also a big (12 inches), powerful tablet that comes with the Surface Pen (a stylus) and the option for a Microsoft keyboard. Ditto on Dell’s Venue 11 Pro: it comes with the option for a keyboard and stylus.

Boston authorities reportedly identify 'Baby Doe' as pair questioned in death

DEVELOPING: Authorities have identified "Baby Doe," a 4-year-old girl whose body was found in June on a rocky beach outside the city and police were reportedly questioning the girl's mother and her boyfriend.

A warrant was executed Thursday in Mattapan in connection with the mystery child, whose death prompted a nationwide billboard campaign to identify the girl and her killers, a law enforcement source told Fox affiliate WFXT. Police said they have enough evidence to identify the child, the source told the station.

The girl's mother and her boyfriend, neither of whom were identified, were being questioned in connection with the girl's death, and police have spoken to other family members, according to television station WCVB.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office did not confirm the report Friday, saying, "That investigation remains very active but, beyond that, we have no updates to share."

"Should the situation change, we will update you immediately," said Jake Wark, a district attorney spokesman.

The girl's body was discovered June 25 in a trash bag on Deer Island in Massachusetts by a woman walking her dog. Authorities said they believe the child -- found wrapped in a blanket -- was placed there. Authorities at the time said the girl was around 3 or 4 years old and that a cause of death could not be determined. An analysis of pollen on the girl's clothing indicated that she was likely from the Boston area.

Apple Could Learn Something From Amazon's New Tablet For Tots

If Amazon has its way, lots of kids will be playing with a new Fire tablet this Christmas.

After Apple chased business customers with its new, bigger iPad Pro, Amazon on Thursday introduced a line of inexpensive new tablets, including a new version of its Fire Kids Edition backed by a two-year warranty and a raft of parental controls.

The combination of low price, subscription to a huge library of content, durability and configurability will give parents a compelling alternative to many lower-cost tablets, as well as the much pricier iPad line, as the holiday season grows near.

This full-featured, "kid-proof" tablet is recommend for ages 3 and up and is priced at $100. Amazon says it will work right out of the box, and at least one early review says it offers decent performance. It remains to be seen just how tough or resilient the Kids Edition actually is to dropping, whacking, plunking in water or other toddler-inflicted mayhem, but Amazon says it'll replace the device if it breaks, no questions asked.

The tablet will be available for purchase Sept. 30 from Amazon

While the retail giant's new $49 Fire tablets, announced alongside the Kids Edition, are "designed for entertainment," Amazon is marketing its tablet-for-youngsters differently, specifically calling out its ability to set daily limits for recreational uses or to configure the device for age-appropriate content. Using the device's highly customizable FreeTime user system, parents can block access to cartoons until kids have used educational apps, for instance, or turn off the cameras after a certain time of day. 

This degree of granularity goes beyond what Apple currently offers in its parental controls for its iOS. If this leads Apple to up its offerings, it'll be a win for millions of parents who currently must use paid apps, such as Intego's Family Protectors, to make up for their iPhone or iPad's lack of built-in parental controls.

The FreeTime system's robust features suggest to me that the company has invested in talking with parents about what they want and need in a tablet to feel comfortable allowing their children to use a Fire without constant supervision.

By giving parents the ability to restrict different kinds of uses, like videos or games, Amazon is also creating a welcome dynamic around tablet use that should be familiar to every one born in the last 40 years: finish your homework before turning on the TV to play video games or watch cartoons.  

That's wise, considering that Amazon's Fire for kids includes a yearlong subscription to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, with access to over 10,000 kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows, educational apps and games. That's a never-ending river of content, quite a bit of which is purely entertainment.

Gunman Kills Professor At Delta State University

Officials identified the victim as history professor Ethan Schmidt, who was killed inside his office in Jobe Hall

A shooter at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, has killed a professor and triggered a campuswide lockdown, officials said Monday. A manhunt is underway for the suspect who is also linked to an earlier death of a middle-aged woman.

9 Giant Banks Make a Deal on Blockchain: What It Means

When Goldman Sachs talks, people all over the world listen. Today Goldman is talking about the blockchain. What the heck is the"blockchain"? Only the next biggest thing since the Internet, according to such tech visionaries such as noted venture capitalist Marc Andreessen.

For most of those outside of Silicon Valley and other tech centers, the blockchain is some mysterious computer thing that works with Bitcoin. What they may fail to realize is that the blockchain could completely change the world by allowing us to finally establish true trust and accountability online.

We got a glimpse of the blockchain future when nine of the world's largest banks, including Goldman Sachs and Barclays, announced that they would create a Blockchain system to use for establishing trust and managing transactions in global financial markets.

A blockchain is public ledger of transactions that is distributed among all participants in a market or system. Each transaction that happens within a market or system must be verified by a strong majority of participants. It's very difficult to falsify transactions in a blockchain because each transaction generates a strong cryptographic signature. Once a transaction is entered in the public ledger, it cannot be erased. Because every transaction is public record and known to everyone in the blockchain, it's nearly impossible to hide untoward activities.

What this means is that complete strangers can transact business without ever meeting each other or really trusting each other. The other part of blockchain, which is equally intriguing, is that it allows for very rapid settling of transactions. With stock trades, for example, today it takes nearly a week for most trades to officially "clear." With a blockchain infrastructure, a trade could clear as fast as the bits cross the wires.

There's more. Financial applications are only one of the possible use cases. Blockchain is much bigger than finance. Medical records and voting records could be secured and verified by blockchain. Small businesses could use blockchain to create trusted trading platforms among themselves. There are a number of high-profile startups, such as Ethereum, trying to make toolkits that would allow anyone to build their own blockchain-based applications and markets without having to build the complicated and technologically taxing guts of the blockchain.

According to venture capitalist and blockchain expert William Mougayar who has built a database of blockchain startups, there are nearly 500 blockchain-based startups across more than four dozen sub-categories including media, health, education and, of course, many flavors of finance. (Below is a list of those startups, grouped by sub-category)