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Showing posts from June, 2017

LA Clippers Trade Chris Paul to Houston Rockets

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The Los Angeles Clippers have traded Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets before free agency, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Clippers will receive Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, and a top-three protected first-round pick in 2018. Chris Paul opted in to the final year of his contract in LA, so the trade will be a one year experiment. Wojnarowski said James Harden and CP3 were determined to play with each other. Source: sbnation.com

New York Knicks Reportedly Fire Team President Phil Jackson

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The New York Knicks have reportedly ended ties with team president, Phil Jackson, ending his time in the big apple. According to ESPN writer Ramona Shelburne, the Knicks on Wednesday decided to cut ties with their President of basketball operations amid his plans to ship stars Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony out of New York to build a roster centered around his triangle offense. According to ESPN, Knicks owner James Dolan has been weary of Jackson after he confirmed fielding trade offers for their young star Porzingis last week before the 2017 NBA draft. Jackson also has been pushing to move superstar forward Carmelo Anthony who has a no-trade clause in his contract. Jackson, the 11 time NBA champion head coach, was hired to oversee the front office of the Knicks organization in 2014. The first time front office executive had a turbulent tenure. In April he criticized Carmelo Anthony, saying the team can't win with him on the court. Last year he called business associates...

Samsung will reportedly release Note 7 ‘fandom’ edition soon

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Samsung continues to deal with the fallout from its exploding Note 7 devices. The company has been sued for the problem, and has issued short-term fixes, apologies and a hurried recall to try and contain the damage to its brand. Apparently it's working, as the Galaxy S8 has gotten a record number of pre-orders despite the issues of its predecessor. Now Samsung is looking to sweeten Note 7 lovers up with the Galaxy Note 7 "Fandom Edition." According to the Wall Street Journal, this FE model will be a refurbished Note 7 with upgraded components. Refurbished Note 7s have been in the works for a while, but this is the first word of an actual program. A limited run of the FE devices will be available to consumers in South Korea at first. According to the Wall Street Journal's sources, Samsung is expected to release up to 400,000 FE devices across the three major telecom providers in the country. The sources also say that a small inventory will be released outside of South...

London is the second city to get free gigabit WiFi kiosks

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London's countless telephone boxes become more redundant with every new mobile contract signed and throwaway tourist SIM purchased. Having a mind to update these payphones for the modern age, BT -- which owns the majority of them -- announced last year it had teamed up with the same crew behind New York's LinkNYC free gigabit WiFi kiosks to make that happen. The first of these, installed along London's Camden High Street, have been switched on today, offering the fastest public WiFi around, free phone calls, USB charging, maps, directions and other local info like weather forecasts, Tube service updates and community messages. While the London kiosks have a slightly different name (InLinks as opposed to just Links), they are identical in what they offer, and are also funded entirely by advertising revenue generated from the large screens on either side of the monoliths. Intersection -- the affiliate of Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs that leads the Link projects -- decided no...

Meek Mill Allegedly Warned Safaree Not to Show Up to the BET Awards

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Previously, a video surfaced of Safaree Samuels being jumped by alleged members of Meek Mill's crew. Safaree did not stay too close to fight, as he ran off away from the angry crew members. According to TMZ, Meek Mill's crew made it clear to Safaree that he should stay away from the BET Awards or else there would be problems for him. Despite getting word of the message, Safaree decided to show up anyways. Sources close to Safaree said the rapper and TV personality was not going to back down and hide. Both of Nicki Minaj's ex-boyfriends were heading to DJ Khaled's pre-BET party in West Hollywood when the issues began. However, the issues between the two started way before, as both Meek and Safaree have been sending shots at each other for over a year. Since the incident went down, Meek Mill denied any type of involvement in the altercation. However, because of the incident, Safaree went on to challenge the Philly rapper to a one-on-one fist fight. Source: tmz.com

La La Says She Isn't Divorcing Carmelo: "Marriages Are Tough"

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La La Anthony's 38th birthday coincided with the BET Awards and she was in the house to take in the night with her 10-year-old son Kiyan by her side. Having her world-famous NBA superstar husband's son with her on what would for her be the most poppin' weekend of the year wouldn't exactly the strongest sign that the "Power" actress is on the rebound, regardless how estranged she is from Melo. That night the Knicks baller raised eyebrows when he unleashed a tweet reaffirming his love for her, and on Tuesday, June 27, she confirmed on The Wendy Williams Show that a divorce is not in their immediate plans. "Not right now ... You know marriages are tough, and you know that. We all know that. It's filled with ups and downs. We are just going through a time right now," La La told Wendy, adding, "Him and I are the best of friends and our No. 1 commitment is to our son Kiyan, and we have to set an example for Kiyan and that's what's most im...

Gucci Mane Shows Off His New Iced Out G.O.A.T. Chain

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Rappers like Lil Uzi Vert and Quavo have been taking jewelry to the next level with their iced-out chains. Recently, Uzi revealed a diamond-studded version of Marilyn Manson's likeness, while Quavo went completely left and revealed a pendant based on the Aku Aku flying mask from the PlayStation classic Crash Bandicoot. Now, Gucci Mane has taken to social media to reveal his latest chain, an iced out goat. On the back of his chain, it says "Greatest of All Time" with his name directly under it. Take a look above. Source: instagram.com

The first Bluetooth fidget spinner is coming soon and we are already addicted

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OK, brace yourselves, everyone, because we are entering a whole new era of fidget spinning and procrastinating. Yes, it’s a fancy-looking, Bluetooth-enabled, sensor-equipped, ‘smart’ fidget spinner that pairs with a mobile device. Yes, it comes with an app that monitors your spins and locates the spinner when you lose it. Please, meet BlueSpin. BlueSpin kicks up a massive cloud of dust in the face of all those fidget spinner apps we have seen in the last few months, and renders them pretty much useless. BlueSpin sports both a physical spinner and an integrated app, so that you can experience the sweet physical thrill of the spin, and have your spins counted, recorded, analyzed, etc. But it goes way, way beyond that. After pairing the spinner with your iOS or Android device and downloading the free app, one would be able to get into a whole fidget spinner community arena. Users would be allowed to share their scores with other users or directly on social media, chall...

LaVar Ball Takes His Shirt Off in WWE Debut

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LaVar Ball made some major moves for Lonzo and the Big Baller Brand movement on Monday, June 26, with a WWE appearance that involved LaMelo joining before a raucous L.A. crowd to introduce his big brother as the new face of the Lakers. The Ball brothers' appearance took place courtesy of The Miz and his Miz TV talk show on WWE Raw. The cameo would eventually go awry, with the wrestler kicking over one of the numerous Big Baller Brand mannequins on hand, but the chaos wouldn't ensue before the BBB brand got a little boost thanks to Dean Ambrose coming out in its apparel. That wouldn't stop LaVar from removing his own BBB shirt and taking on The Miz in a stare down though. Lonzo appeared to take it all in stride, sitting easy in a chair propped in the center of the ring with a smile on his face as his father carried on with his famous antics. : instagram.com

Russell Westbrook Named MVP at the NBA Awards

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Oklahoma Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook may not have made it to the NBA Finals this season, but he was named MVP at the first-ever NBA Awards on Monday (June 26) night.

The mini SNES Classic launches in September for $80

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Nintendo has revealed details for the SNES Classic. The standalone mini console will feature 21 games, including Super Mario World, Earthbound, Super Mario Kart, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. But the most surprising inclusion is Star Fox 2, the unreleased sequel to the original Star Fox for SNES. The Super NES Classic Edition will launch on September 29th for $79.99. Like its predecessor the NES Classic, it will allow players to easily play retro games on high-definition televisions, thanks to an HDMI connection. The full list of games included on the SNES Classic follows: Contra III: The Alien Wars Donkey Kong Country EarthBound Final Fantasy III F-ZERO Kirby Super Star Kirby’s Dream Course The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Mega Man X Secret of Mana Star Fox Star Fox 2 Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting Super Castlevania IV Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts Super Mario Kart Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Super Mario World Supe...

Samsung just announced a flashy pink Galaxy S8+ variant, and you can't have it

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Given the current overcrowded smartphone market, it's a bit of a mystery why most manufacturers choose dull, lifeless colors for their flagship phones: surely chasing the best-in-line specs doesn't imply not caring about looks, no? Still, a couple of the big names on the market have been making baby steps toward a more colorful future: HTC and Huawei are the first that come to mind, but it might be time to add Samsung to this list, as well. This is, you see, because its latest flagship, the Galaxy S8, has had its fair share of unorthodox variants: apart from the usual boring black and silver, we've also seen a gold, light blue, and greyish purple (officially called "Orchid Grey" but whatever). However, the latest S8 color variant may be the most eye-catching of them all. Just look at it. It's called "Rose Pink," and is pretty much what you'd expect from such a name: there's no muted color cop-outs here; just your regular, bright pink. And i...

John Singleton's Early 2Pac Movie Script has 2Pac Prison Rape Scene

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All Eyez On Me was placed under the handling and revision of several producers, writers and directors since plans to bring a Tupac biopic came to life in 2011. One such party was John Singleton, who followed Antoine Fuqua as director and was later followed up by Carl Franklin before Benny Boom was tapped to direct the film. Singleton cited creative differences for his departure and many wondered what those could have been until a rumor began to whirl that he had plans for the film that just didn't sit right with producer L.T. Hutton, including a scene in which Pac gets raped in prison. On Sunday, June 25, TMZ revealed that it has obtained a draft of the screenplay that Singleton wrote, and it confirms the validity of those rumors. Hutton and Singleton's beef over the film has escalated to become as relevant a rivalry as there is in hip-hop and cinema today, and it has only intensified since the film's release. Earlier this year Hutton put Singleton on blast about how far h...

Family of Philando Castile Reaches $3 Million Settlement For Wrongful Death

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In 2016, a black motorist named Philando Castile was killed by a cop named Jeronimo Yanez after he made it clear that he was armed and had a permit for the weapon. Castile's girlfriend was in the car with their four-year-old daughter as well. The incident became national news after his girlfriend livestreamed the traffic stop and shooting via Facebook Live. The former officer Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter along with other charges, but a wrongful death suit was filed by Valerie Castile, the mother of Philando Castile. Now, reports have surfaced saying the family of Philando Castile reached almost three million dollars in a settlement for his death. According to NBC News, the amount awarded is to avoid having to deal with a wrongful death lawsuit and will be paid by the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance. The payout will take up to several weeks. Valerie Castile's lawyer issued a statement in reference to the settlement, saying the intention behind pushing for a settleme...

For $19.99, you can add wireless charging to your Apple iPhone 6 and up (charging pad required)

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If the rumors are right, wireless charging is a feature that will finally be offered to iPhone users later this year. Wireless charging should be available on the 10th anniversary edition of the iPhone, and possibly the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus models. That is why glass is being used on the back cover of all three phones. The technology won't work through a metal rear cover. And while that is all fine and dandy for those planning on purchasing a new iPhone once they become available, what about those who have an older iPhone unit? If you own an Apple iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, you still can get the thrill of watching your handset charge sans wires. You will, however, have to dress it up in the Antye Qi Wireless Charger Case. Available for the aforementioned iPhone models, the case will support Qi charging pads (sold separately). And yeah, while you still will have to shell out some cash for the pad, the case itself is just $1...

Christian KINDERGARTEN TEACHER Gets FIRED After They Find Out That She Makes Very ‘EXTREME’ Adult Videos!!!

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We learned that a 21 year old Christian kindergarten school teacher was fired – after it was discovered that she was secretly an ADULT FILM STAR ON THE SIDE. When she was CAUGHT thotting on the side, the 21 year old didn’t apologize – in fact she told the school authorities that she’s ‘NOT LEAVING HER JOB’. Here’s how the UK’s Daily Mail is reporting it: Nina Skye, 21, declared ‘I love teaching, I love sex’ before a showdown with shocked bosses who confronted her over appearances in films with titles including Amateur Allure and Swallow Salon. The auburn-haired beauty, who romps with men and women in the videos, said she was a ‘really good teacher’ and did not see why her hobby should bar her from the classroom. But senior teachers at the unidentified pre-school thought differently, and said her profession went against the religious values they espoused. Having sex was her dream job, Ms Skye said, and she was ...

Video of Safaree Getting Jumped by Meek Mill's Crew

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After Safaree posted a video describing his attack by Meek Mill's crew, the actual video of the attack has surfaced. Meek Mill later made an Instagram post allegedly denying his involvement. See the video here

Android Pay adds support for 60 more banks in U.S.

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While Google continues to expand Android Pay's availability to additional countries, the mobile payments service is gaining support for more and more banks and merchants in the United States. The latest update coming from Google confirms Android Pay is now available for 60 more banks in U.S. This could easily be one of the largest updates to the payments service since its launch. The list of supported banks contains names like Alabama Credit Union, Bank of Sullivan, Bulls Eye Credit Union, Byline Bank, Cabrillo Credit Union, Charter Oak FCU, Columbia Bank, Commerce Bank, Commercial Savings Bank, Corydon State Bank, Decorah Bank & Trust, Dieterich Bank, Discovery Federal Credit Union and many more. Although the companies added to the list of banks that support Android Pay are not as big as those announced in the previous updates, it's great that Google manages to cover such a broad range of U.S. financial institutions. You can check the full list of newly added banks at ...

Deal: Take $50.99 off the Sony Xperia XA1 at Amazon

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How would you like to save $50.99 on the unlocked 32GB Sony Xperia XA1? We thought you'd say that. Here's the deal. A third party seller is offering the handset through Amazon at a price of  $249. That is a 17% discount. Now, with only a handful of units left, there is the possibility that the phone will be all sold soon. But the good news is that if you are too late and this deal is closed out, Amazon will sell you the device for $259.42. At that price, you are still saving $40.57 or 13.5%. The Sony Xperia XA1 features a 5-inch LCD display carrying a 720 x 1280 HD resolution. Under the hood is the MediaTek Helio P20 MT6757 chipset featuring an octa-core 2.3GHz CPU, and the Mali-T880 MP2 GPU. 3GB of RAM is inside along with 32GB of native storage. The amount available to the user works out to 24GB of native storage. A 256GB capacity microSD slot is available to those seeking more storage. The rear camera features a 23MP sensor with an aperture of f/2.0, and there is an 8MP fro...

Lakers Draft Lonzo Ball, LaVar Says He Will Take them to Playoffs His First Year

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Lonzo Ball was drafted to the L.A. Lakers with the number two overall pick, which his father LaVar predicted would happen. LaVar was interviewed after the decision, and he said that Lonzo will take the Lakers to the playoffs in his first year. Vladtv

Digital Underground's Shock G Arrested for Drug Paraphernalia in Wisconsin

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It has been learned that Digital Underground leader Shock G was arrested for suspicion of drug paraphernalia possession in Wisconsin last week. Shock G (birth name Gregory Jacobs) had been in the Badger State for a performance alongside Naughty by Nature at Aquafest when he had a run-in with the law on June 13. The 53-year-old rapper had reportedly been cruising through Rice Lake when the vehicle he was riding was pulled over at around 2 a.m. According to the police report officers ran the car's plates and found it was listed to an unlicensed driver. While the car's owner was in the passenger seat at the time of the stop, a brief search turned up some kind of paraphernalia. Shock G would pay his own bail ($100) and be released after more than two hours in custody. Shock's arrest came days before the release of former D.U. member 2Pac's biopic All Eyez On Me, which landed on what would have been his 46th birthday. Source: xxlmag.com

Derek Carr Becomes Highest Paid Player in NFL with $125 Million 5 Year Contract

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It has become increasingly clear over the past few years that the Oakland Raiders have found their franchise quarterback in Derek Carr, with his performance on the field revealing immediate talent and a gradual maturation that has many listing him as one of the NFL's top players. And on Thursday, June 22, the Raiders rewarded their fourth-year man with a contract extension that ought to make him the highest-paid player in league history. Oakland had long been known as a QB wasteland, starting 17 men at the position between 2002 and 2013. In 2014 Carr became the first Raiders QB to stick for the entirety of the season since '02, earning the start in all 16-games. And in 2015 he showed that he was the real deal with a trip to the Pro Bowl in a season during which he eclipsed everyone but Dan Marino for the most touchdowns for a quarterback through his first two seasons in the league. But it was his 2016 campaign that really legitimized how elite Carr is, when he passed for 3.937...

SEGA Forever will bring all your favorite SEGA games on mobile for free, starting tomorrow

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About a week ago, SEGA sent out some weird packages to some journalists, including a casette tape (remember those?) with soundtracks from old SEGA games on them. We know this because some of the 512 game journalists that received the tapes, actually still had a device that could play them, or managed to find one. There were also notes, that were supposed to be cryptic, but not so much that they wouldn't be decoded. Obviously, this meant that SEGA is planning to bring some of its retro games to mobile, and it has now been officially confirmed. SEGA is bringing some of its classics to Android and iOS, under the collective name SEGA Forever. The collection is expected to grow quite a lot, as SEGA promises to release new games every two weeks. These will not be reimaginations of the classic hits, but “official emulations and portet games that pan all SEGA console eras, each adapted specifically for mobile devices while remaining faithful to the original games.” Said adaptatio...

Virgin Mobile to sell the iPhone only; first year of $50 Inner Circle unlimited plan is $1

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Pre-paid carrier Virgin Mobile, owned by Sprint, is making it easier for its subscribers to decide which phone to buy. Starting on June 27th, Virgin Mobile will sell the Apple iPhone only. Prices range from $279 for the 32GB Apple iPhone SE, to $969 for the 256GB Apple iPhone 7 Plus. Virgin will also sell the 32GB Apple iPhone 6 for $319. Orders placed today will ship on June 27th. In addition, new Virgin Mobile subscribers who buy an iPhone, and existing customers who pay to upgrade, can receive the first year of unlimited service for just $1. That plan, called the Inner Circle, is normally priced at $50 a month. Offering unlimited talk, text and data, the plan requires the subscriber to sign up for Auto Pay.  With the Inner Circle unlimited data offering, Virgin customers receive streaming video at a resolution up to 480p (DVD quality), while music streams as high as 500kbps. Streaming cloud gaming will run at 2mbps. And during periods of heavy cell tower traffic, subscribers w...

Dwyane Wade Takes $23 Million Option With Chicago for His 15th Season

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Dwyane Wade is entering the final year of his contract with the Chicago Bulls, and now the 35-year-old is being rewarded handsomely for it. Wade has a player option with the Bulls that will pay out $23.8 million for the 2017-2018 season. According to ESPN, personnel from the team have been saying for the last several months that Wade would accept the option because it would be unlikely that he'd receive that much money as a free agent. Wade was asked about the thought process behind his decision, to which he responded: "24 million reasons." The next issue to resolve for the Bulls lies with Jimmy Butler, who many teams are looking to go after. The Cleveland Cavaliers already made it clear they wanted Butler, but the player said he is hoping to stay in Chicago and that is hesitant to commit to a future in Ohio. Source: twitter.com via vladtv

Petition Is Started to Remove Dennis Rodman from the Hall of Fame

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Dennis Rodman took part in national festivities and met with Kim Jong Un and his statesmen on what was his fifth trip to North Korea this past week, and it may end up costing him if one particular U.S. human rights group gets its way. A Change.org petition circulated by The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation seeks to have Rodman expelled from the NBA's Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame over his relationship with the reclusive regime. “Rodman has long been known for his eccentricities, but this has gone too far,” the petition reads. “As a professional athlete and an NBA Hall of Fame member, Rodman is called to be a role model and set an example for the next generation. Individuals that praise murderers have no place being idolized by America’s youth or in any Hall of Fame in the United States.” VOCMF's call for Rodman's name to be removed from where it stands among the game's greats comes days after Ohio native Otto Warmbier was returned to t...

Michael Vick's Dad Charged in Heroin Sting, Remains at Large

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A dozen people were charged with heroin distribution and money laundering drawn from a federal indictment that was unsealed in Norfolk, VA on Wednesday, June 21. Seven of those named in the documents have already appeared before a judge and five remain at large, including retired NFL quarterback Michael Vick's father, Michael Dwayne Boddie. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security division had reportedly been tracking Boddie's involvement in the large scale ring since 2014. Not many details about the alleged conspiracy have been made public, but it has been reported that Boddie's involvement had to do with more than 1 kilo of the drug. News of the charge comes one year after Vick's brother Marcus, who is Boddie's other son, was busted for ecstasy possession in Newport News. The current status of Boddie's relationship with his boys is unclear. Back in 2007 it was learned through an interview Vick did with the Washington Post that he and his ...

Hawks Trading Dwight Howard to Hornets for Belinelli, Plumlee

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After only a year it seems the Dwight Howard experience in Atlanta has come to an end. The Hawks have traded the eight-time all-star and the 27th pick in the upcoming NBA draft to the Hornets for Miles Plumlee, Marco Belinelli, and the 41st pick. According to Marc Spears of ESPN, the Hawks will move on from Howard who they signed to a three-year deal worth $70.5 million last offseason. Howard averaged 13.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks during his brief stint with his hometown Hawks. The 31-year-old will be joining his fifth team in the last seven seasons. The 2004 No. 1 overall pick spent his first eight seasons with the Orlando Magic, earning three Defensive Player of the Year awards. After a hostile year with the Los Angeles Lakers, he spent the next three seasons with the Houston Rockets. Howard joins a Hornets team who finished 11th in the Eastern Conference. However, pairing with big man Cody Zeller could boost their chances to make the playoffs next season. Source: cbs...

Lakers trade D'Angelo Russell to Nets as part of cap-clearing move

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With Los Angeles preparing to draft second overall in Thursday’s NBA draft, the Lakers agreed to a cap-clearing trade that will send point guard D’Angelo Russell and center Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets, league sources told The Vertical. The Lakers will get center Brook Lopez and the No. 27 pick in the draft, league sources told The Vertical. The deal clears the way for the Lakers to draft UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick and gives them the Nos. 27 and 28 selections in the draft. The trade also allows the Lakers to shed the three years and $54 million left on Mozgov’s contract, and they gain Lopez’s expiring $22.6 million deal. With Lopez’s contract coming off the books in 2018, the Lakers are expected to have $30 million in cap room that summer. The Nets had been targeting Russell and see him as a cornerstone guard to anchor the franchise’s rebuild along with 2016 first-round pick Caris LeVert. Russell was drafted No....

Ask Alexa to play your favorite SiriusXM station

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Alexa just got another new skill. Starting today, SiriusXM subscribers will be able to play any of the radio's available channels through their Alexa devices, depending on the package they're subscribed to. Howard Stern announced the news this morning on SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show. Other recent Alexa upgrades have included extending the AI assistant's voice control to all video streaming services, adding the ability to set reminders as well as iCloud calendar support. Google's Home has also been getting new features to boost its utility, though SiriusXM is not yet one of them. Amazon's and Google's focus on making their smart speakers helpful with a number of services is different from their recently announced competitor, Apple's HomePod. Apple is going another route, focusing on its speaker quality over its AI assistant. Using the new SiriusXM feature is simple. For example, all of you Parrotheads out there, to listen to your favorite channel, ...

Samsung ready to relaunch the Galaxy Note line in August

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Samsung isn't letting the Galaxy Note 7's battery failure hinder the release schedule for its next pen-toting smartphone. A Reuters source understands that Samsung is planning a New York City launch event for the Galaxy Note 8 in August, or roughly around the same time as it introduced the Note 7 last year. The tipster hasn't revealed many details of the phone itself, but does appear to corroborate earlier rumors. It'll have a curved screen slightly larger than the 6.2-inch display on the Galaxy S8 Plus, the source says, and there should be an iPhone 7 Plus-like dual camera setup on the back. There's no indication that Samsung is being overly hasty in launching the Note 8 on a familiar schedule. The safety processes that emerged from the Note 7 debacle were already in place for the S8, which isn't known to have run into any battery fires so far. In other words, there's no reason why it can't get back to business as usual. All the same, it's apparen...

PayPal 'instantly' transfers money to your bank account

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PayPal can be frustrating if you want to put funds in your bank account. It can take a day or more for transfers to go through, and that's a problem when rival services like Zelle can promise speedier access to your money without needing a separate app. To that end, PayPal is rolling out an instant transfer option in the US. So long as you're willing to accept a 25-cent transaction fee, your funds will hit your bank account within a few minutes, and no more than 30 minutes in the worst cases. If you withdraw money from PayPal before a shopping trip, it should be ready to use by the time you get to the store. The service is initially available only to a handful of PayPal users as part of a beta, but it should eventually be available to all Americans with "eligible" MasterCard or Visa debit cards in the months ahead. And if you're not in a rush, regular bank transfers will remain free. The addition could help if you've been drifting toward alternatives like Ze...

Uber belatedly offers tipping as part of its renewed focus

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After weeks of faulty course-correction punctuated with multiple board member resignations, Uber is fighting to win back public approval, starting with its drivers. The company sent an email to all its contractors today promising many overdue features to improve their quality of life, with more to follow in the next 180 days. First and foremost, riders can finally tip their drivers -- at least in Minneapolis, Seattle and Houston starting today, which Uber promises to roll out nationwide by the end of July. Cancellation fees now trigger after two minutes, down from five, and drivers will now get paid to wait for passengers after two minutes of waiting. Drivers also get a $2 bump to the base fare for teen riders, assumedly to make up for having to drive teen riders anywhere. Uber's also set up optional injury protection insurance and bumped up the per-mile rate to ostensibly make up for the cost. Drivers are encouraged to restart their Uber apps to see if their area has been rolled...

Kevin Durant to Opt Out of Warriors Contract But Expected to Re-Sign

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Kevin Durant is headed for free agency. It has been reported by ESPN that he will forego the player option that would boost his salary in 2017-18. But the 2017 Finals MVP is expected to re-sign with the team in order to allow the Warriors salary space to bring Andre Iguodala back. Meaning, KD will be hitting the market to take less money for the upcoming season. It is speculated that Durant is willing to take a $4 million cut if it means keeping the championship core that dominated the post season together. Word around the league is that Iguodala will be in high demand from the competition and can command up to $20 million per year. Golden State also faces the task of working their budget to pay out a Designated Player Veteran Contract for Steph Curry that should run them upwards of $200 million for five years. Sources believe Durant will look to ink another one-plus-one year deal that attaches a player-option at the end of it. Source: espn.com via vladtv

Prodigy Dead at 42

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Prodigy of Mobb Deep has died at age 42. A publicist for the group confirmed to XXL that he was found unconscious this morning and has passed away. Mobb’s publicist sent XXL the following statement: “It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep. Prodigy was hospitalized a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth. The exact causes of death have yet to be determined. We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family’s privacy at this time.” For his entire career, Prodigy was a master wordsmith, handling the lyrical heft for Mobb Deep while Havoc paved the way as one of New York’s premier producers. Now we will forever mourn the loss of one of the greatest rappers of all time. Last we...

Google Play’s new feature for Samsung phones isn't so exclusive

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Google Play Music and Samsung have a history of exclusives, and now they may have debuted their best one yet. Android Authority reports that Google Play Music's playlist New Release Radio, which is a personalized playlist of new release music with daily updates, has been made available exclusively to Samsung device owners over the last day or two. Spotify's personalized Discover playlists are incredibly popular; as of last year, over 40 million users had listened to almost 5 billion Discover Weekly songs. While this is a great new feature, it's a little puzzling why Google wouldn't want to make this playlist available to all subscribers, using it as a lure to bring in more listeners who currently use other services. It seems like a bad idea to make such a potentially popular feature exclusive only to a small percentage of Google Play listeners. Or is it? There are reports on Reddit that users have been able to add the New Release Radio station to their libraries when ...

New Jay-Z Album, '4:44' Will Be Produced Entirely by No I.D.

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New Jay-Z Album, '4:44' Will Be Produced Entirely by No I.D.Image: New Jay-Z Album, '4:44' Will Be Produced Entirely by No I.D. Image #2Image: New Jay-Z Album, '4:44' Will Be Produced Entirely by No I.D. Image #32/3 According to director, writer, and producer Chris Black, the upcoming Jay-Z project "4:44" will feature production exclusively from No I.D. The Chicago native has collaborated with Jay-Z in the past, most notably on the track "D.O.A." (Death of Autotune). For many, the prospects of an exclusively produced No I.D. project has heightened the anticipation surrounding "4:44" set to drop June 30th. Does this news make you want to hear this project even more? Vladtv

All Eyez On Me Exceeds Expectations and Earns $31M in Opening Weekend

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It is projected that the numbers roll in the All Eyez On Me 2Pac biopic will have exceeded opening weekend expectations with a $31.2 million box office draw. Initial projections figured that the Lionsgate/Codeblack Films production would make something in the range of $15-$22 million, but that all changed when it registered $12.9 million on its opening day. Several factors are believed to have accounted for the spike in moviegoers, including the film's release coinciding with Pac's birthday. The Benny Boom directorial feature opened up in 2,471 theaters nationwide on Friday, June 16. Despite its success, All Eyez On Me faces an uphill battle to maintain the pace it is going at. On Saturday it only pulled in $7.7 million, which is a 40% dip from what it opened doing. Thus far the movie has been the recipient of mixed reviews, with a rating that stands at 40 of 100 on Metacritic and 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. Source: complex.com

Boston Trades #1 Draft Pick Markelle Fultz‏ to 76ers

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It is no secret that the Philadelphia 76ers have had their eyes set on one and done Washington Huskies star Markelle Fultz since learning that they would have one of the top three picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. The chances of them getting to land the All-American point guard became absolute on Sunday, June 18, when it was announced that they had traded up for the opportunity to control their own destiny by grabbing the #1 overall pick from the Boston Celtics. In exchange for the swap, Boston, who now holds the #3 pick that belonged to Philly prior to the weekend, will get another first round pick in this year's draft. In addition, the Sixers will be giving the Celtics the 2018 first round pick they got from the Lakers via trade with Phoenix in 2015, under the condition that that pick lands in a top five spot come next years lottery. Should that first round selection be slated for a pick south of the fifth spot, then Philadelphia will instead ship it's 2019 first round pick t...

Two Children Shot and Wounded at a Chicago Playground

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A year-end function held by a grade school on Chicago's South Side ended in tragic on Friday, June 16, with the bloodshed of two children leading to the arrest of two teenagers. Shots went off at around 1:40 p.m. after a group of former Joseph Warren Elementary School students were denied entry into a picnic being held in the school's playground. They were said to have walked away from security guards at the park's entrance 10 minutes earlier, only to return to the 9200 block of S. Jeffery Ave. playground in a black vehicle from which three suspects exited and began firing. A 7-year-old named Jayla Wright and 13-year-old DaKayla Hart were hit by stray bullets and brought to Comer Children’s Hospital where they were declared to be in stable condition. Police later apprehended 18-year-old Raekwon Hudson, a 17-year-old male and a 16-year-old male they believe were responsible for the shooting. Each suspect has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, felony aggravate...

Verizon's first LTE-only handset is an LG flip phone

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When Verizon finished rolling out its LTE network for calls, it became apparent that it also plans to drop its CDMA phone service altogether. Now, the carrier has begun offering its first LTE-only handset to subscribers, and it's obviously an attempt to lure people who prefer basic feature phones over smartphones away from the legacy network. The LG Exalt LTE is a flip feature phone, and even though it looks much nicer and sturdier than its plasticky counterparts, it's still far removed from the advanced devices we're used to today. Its specs underline that it's definitely not something for those expecting everything an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy S8 can offer. The Exalt has an unnamed 1.1 GHz Snapdragon processor, a 3-inch WQVGA screen, a 5-megapixel camera, text-to-speech function, up to six hours of battery life, 8GB of storage and support for microSD cards up to 32GB. For people who just want a phone that makes clear voice calls, though, it could be more than enough...

Your Amazon login can sign you into HBO Now and Showtime apps

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Amazon has begun changing the way its Channels pay-TV service works, giving users more freedom to choose where to stream their next show. The tech titan began allowing Prime subscribers to tack streaming services to their accounts through Channels back in 2015. While it's certainly one way to cut the cord, users only have access the add-ons they pay for, including HBO's and Cinemax's offerings, through Channels itself -- they can't exactly log into the services' applications. According to TechCrunch, though, Amazon has recently launched a new feature that gives HBO's and Showtime's Channels subscribers the power to log into those networks' standalone apps. TC says folks paying for HBO through Amazon have been able to log into the HBO Now app since Wednesday. All they need to do is use the log-in credentials for their Amazon account with the Now apps for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Kindle and Fire TV devices, PlayStation 3, PS 4 and Samsun...

Paul George Informs the Pacers of Plans to Leave in Free Agency, Favors Lakers

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NBA superstar Paul George has created ripples throughout the basketball world after it has been revealed that the perennial all-star will not be in Indiana following the 2018 season. George, who suffered a devastating injury a few years back, has returned to form and is once again dominating. He has chosen a different path than LeBron and Kevin Durant, who gave no notice to their respective teams that they were leaving. This gives the Pacers an opportunity to potentially gain value from George via trade, as opposed to losing him for nothing.

Al Sharpton Gets Roasted After Posting Awkward Selfie

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Sharpton got the internet goin nuts after posting an odd looking selfie of himself in his athletic gear.

Beyonce Gives Birth to Twins

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Beyonce (35) and her husband Jay Z (45) have reportedly welcomed twins to their family. Their daughter, Blue Ivy, is currently 5 years old. So far, the sex of the twins hasn't revealed, nor have any photos surfaced

This upcoming Tuesday, T-Mobile willl allow you to see Transformers 5 for just $4

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T-Mobile is helping you get in to see Transformers 5 for only $4 starting this Tuesday, June 20th, running through the opening weekend that ends on Sunday, June 25th. Other freebies being given away to T-Mobile subscribers this coming Tuesday include a $20 credit to Amazon Music Unlimited. You can use the credit to purchase two months of ad-free streaming music for free. Note that unless you cancel after the two months expires, your credit card will be charged and the service will continue after the free period is over.  Next Tuesday, buy a sundae from Baskin-Robbins and get a second one for just 99 cents. And sometime between June 6th and June 27th, you will receive a free Baskin-Robbins promo card good for a $4 credit at participating U.S. stores. This upcoming week's contest will have One Grand Prize winner who will receive $120 of Amazon Music Unlimited promo credit, a free Amazon Echo smart speaker, a $500 Amazon gift card, and a check in the amount of $342 that can be used ...

Echo and Echo Dot smart speakers get discounted by Amazon once again

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Keep missing out on Amazon Echo details? Fret not, there's another one for you! The retailer has discounted its Echo and Echo Dot smart speakers to sweeten up the purchase. Amazon is taking $40 off the regular Echo speaker, selling it for $140 in both black and white versions. Meanwhile, the Echo Dot is discounted by $10, coming down to $40. You ought to know the difference between the two speakers, of course, seeing that the one costs $100 more than the other. The Echo is a big, tube-like speaker that's able to play your favorite Spotify tunes (also Pandora, Prime Music, and other streaming services) and uses Amazon's Alexa voice AI assistant to let you search for things online and control connected appliances. The Echo Dot does all the same things, but it's absolutely tiny – a truly portable variant of the Echo Dot that anyone interested can afford. To grab your Echo or Echo Dot speaker on a discount, head over to Amazon - Echo or Echo Dot. Recently, the retailer u...

Waitress puts hot dog in her vagina before serving it

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A waitress is California is coming under CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, for being caught DISRESPECTING THE HELL out out a customer’s hot dog. Really, you have to see the video to believe it!! See it here

Amber Rose Defends Karen Civil Against Slut Shaming

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Social media maven Karen Civil may not have broken the internet relative to what Amber Rose did when she dropped her bottomless photo last week, but she certainly did attract the eyes of admirers on Instagram when she followed up on Rose's epic flick with a racy photo of her own. "Karen UnCivil: Stepped out the box for this one," the caption of an NSFW pic Civil posted of herself, read. Although an overwhelming majority of those who responded to the photo did so positively and encouraged her for celebrating her body, there were, of course, those who chastised Civil for her choice of dress. "You sold yourself short," one follower wrote, while another tried to bring her low by stating, "Now you just look like the rest of these IG thots." Civil would soon capture the attention of Muva herself, who crept into her comments to warn her against taking her detractors seriously. "Unfortunately with this picture she had the f**ked up opportunity to see w...

50 Cent Calls 2Pac Biopic "Bull****" and "Trash"

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The biographical film about the life of Tupac Shakur hit theaters Friday after much hype and anticipation from fans and hip hop figures alike. So far the reception for All Eyez on Me has been pretty mixed; critics have generally had unfavorable opinions of the film while viewers have for the most part enjoyed it. As of this writing, the movie has an average rating of 4.3/10 from critics and 4.1/5 from the audience. Jada Pinkett Smith is one figure who was not left with a favorable impression. The former friend of Tupac expressed her dismay via Twitter over what she saw as glaring inaccuracies when it came to portraying her relationship with the late rapper. Another person who was not impressed is 50 Cent. Fif shared his opinion of the film via Instagram in a much less tactful way than Smith. "Man I watched the 2 PAC film, that was some bulls**t," wrote the rapper. Catch that s**t on a fire stick trust me. LOL SMH TRASH." "John singleton said it was wack, I had ...