McDonald’s customer service is “broken,” an executive said in a webcast to franchises last month.

The company had been plagued by bad reviews from customers, with complaints related to workers’ attitudes up 20 percent. The top complaint about McDonald’s customer service was about “rude or unprofessional employees” while complaints about long food waits increased significantly in the last six months, a Wall Street Journal report found.

Outside analysis confirmed the problems. Research firm Technomic found that of the 10 largest fast-food chains, McDonald’s ranked last in the “friendly, pleasant service” category. Another poll from YouGov brought more mixed results to McDonald’s, but still showed customer service problems.

The company’s CEO Don Thompson told investors at the company’s quarterly conference call in January that it was working to improve customer service at all levels.

McDonald’s has already gotten started on the customer service overhaul. The company recently announced it was adding new positions to help with things like getting sauce packets and Happy Meal toys.

The new position, called a “runner,” will hand out cups and other tasks that help improve customer service, Jargon writes. This will also clear up cashiers to take the time to thank customers after a transaction rather than fetching food themselves.

This measure is also meant to help improve loyalty among the mostly low-paid employees.

“Let’s say I’m in front at the register and the grill’s not pushing out food quickly enough. So you have to wait on food, and the customer is getting aggravated at you because you’re not giving them the food quick enough, and the grill gets aggravated with the cashier because we’re asking where the food is,” a McDonald’s employee told Jargon.

McDonald’s said it is committed to addressing these customer service complaints but told NBCNews.com that it is not addressing the leaked information.

Company analysts say McDonald’s commitment to customer service seems to be serious, though there can be challenges implementing change within the franchise system.

McDonald’s Customer Service Is ‘Broken,’ Company Executive Says is a post from: The Inquisitr

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has called the Boston Marathon explosions a “cruel act of terror.” His bold rhetoric comes at a time when President Barack Obama has chosen to be more cautious with his word choice.

President Barack Obama was quick to speak out about the incident in Boston yesterday, appearing on television mere hours after the Boston Marathon explosions took place. Yet, at the same time, the President was very cautious about what he said. He avoided the use of the “terrorism” label even as he vowed to bring whomever was responsible to justice.

“We still do not know who did this or why,” Obama said. “And people shouldn’t jump to conclusions before we have all the facts. But make no mistake, we will get to the bottom of this. And we will find out who did this. We’ll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice.”

Details surrounding the event are still forthcoming, and the president is hesitant to make speculative statements at a time when the truth is not yet known.

But Politico reports that immediately following the statement, a top white house official, who asked not to be named, referred to the Boston Marathon explosions as an act of terrorism.

“Any event with multiple explosive devices — as this appears to be — is clearly an act of terror, and will be approached as an act of terror,” said the official. “However, we don’t yet know who carried out this attack, and a thorough investigation will have to determine whether it was planned and carried out by a terrorist group, foreign or domestic.”

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is one of the most high-profile faces of the Obama administration, and his prominence may only grow if the perpetrators of yesterday’s attack happen to be part of a terrorist group operating abroad.

Following former criticism surrounding the Obama administration’s response to acts of terrorism, the administration may not allow its message to vary too wildly.

Regardless of whether the incident gets labeled an act of terrorism, terror clearly took place on the streets of Boston yesterday as two explosions sent panicked spectators fleeing from the scene. Three people have been confirmed dead and close to 200 people were wounded. Few people close to the Boston Marathon explosions would find reason to criticize Chuck Hagel’s terming the days event the act of terror that they were.

Chuck Hagel Calls Boston Marathon Explosions A ‘Cruel Act Of Terror’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

LaGuardia Airport was evacuated this morning after officials received reports of a suspicious package.

Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, told the Business Insider that the central terminal building was evacuated this morning as the New York City Police Department’s bomb squad investigated a suspicious package.

The evacuation was later canceled.

According to WABC-TV, the package was reportedly found near a phone booth at a shopping center in the central terminal. According to a source, the bag contained a substance that looked like marijuana. It also appeared to have electrical wires coming out of it.

According to NBC, the evacuation at LaGuardia only lasted about 15 minutes. Still, the internet flooded with photos from the airport showing passengers standing on the curbs as officials investigated the suspicious package.

Major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago have been on high alert since two bombs exploded yesterday at the Boston Marathon. The Celtics and the Bruins also both cancelled their games last night and city officials have been adding security to high traffic areas.

Officials at LaGuardia may be a little on edge at the moment, and the evacuation may have been premature. Let’s just be thankful that they were being safe now instead of being sorry later.

Not to start a panic but my terminal at laguardia just got evacuated twitter.com/RhinoB/status/…

— Laura Knetzger (@RhinoB) April 16, 2013

People being moved further away from the terminal. #LGA twitter.com/davehjoo/statu…

— David Joo (@davehjoo) April 16, 2013

Passengers at Laguardia airport after central terminal evacuated for reported suspicious package (pic: @curtisorion) twitter.com/BuzzFeedNews/s…

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) April 16, 2013

Picture from friend at #LaGuardia Central Terminal evacuation twitter.com/WahWhoWah/stat…

— Miles (@WahWhoWah) April 16, 2013

LaGuardia Airport Evacuated Due To Suspicious Package is a post from: The Inquisitr

Yesterday was only the second day I have ever been truly afraid in my city.

The first was a day much like yesterday: an idyllic September day, summer’s last hurrah before the leaves began to turn and bathe the city in shades of red and orange. I was in my first year at Boston Latin School, the oldest public high school in the country. I was sitting in Mr. Simmons’ music class learning about Gregorian chants. I was thinking what a nice day it was outside and how I couldn’t wait to get out of school to go to Roberto Clemente field with my friends.

Then the somber voice of our headmaster, Cornelia Kelly, came over the intercom, announcing that two planes had crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City. There was confusion and fear as my classmates tried to process the news, with many thinking of family they had in the city. Mr. Simmons let our murmurs continue for a few seconds before telling us to get back to work. Who knows what — or who — he was thinking about. At the time, it seemed cruel to just go back to business as usual, but, in retrospect, I realize he was trying to protect us. There was too much we didn’t know about the situation, and he didn’t want our 12-year-old minds thinking the worst.

Parents called the school wanting to pick up their kids early, not knowing if what happened in New York would happen here. Our teachers and guidance counselors did their best to help us understand what happened. Grief counselors were made available to the students. Everything we knew about the world changed in the blink of eye.

That was nearly 12 years ago, and I remember that day, that scene of my classmates and me sitting in that classroom more vividly than any other day in my 24 years on this planet.

I was working from home yesterday when my mother told me to turn on channel 5. Two explosions had gone off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. My first thoughts were of my fiancé, who lives around the corner from where the two bombs went off. My next was of the victims and their families. After that, my journalistic instincts kicked in, and I wanted to get down there as soon as possible. But I knew I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near the scene, with the area being cordoned off and public transportation being rerouted or shut down. All I could do was watch from the safety of my home in Hyde Park, 8 miles away from the horror.

Back Bay has always been one of my favorite parts of the city. The Boston Public Library has always been my little slice of heaven. The Copley and Prudential Malls were where I spent the early days of my relationship with the man who will be my husband three months from now. I have never had anything but fond memories of the area. But now I know will never be able to walk those streets with my rose-colored glasses on again.

I watched the news for nearly five hours, writing as much as possible about the bombing and worrying, getting calls and texts and Facebook messages from concerned friends and family. We were all OK, I was happy to report. But some weren’t as fortunate. And that knowledge is absolutely heartbreaking.

One of the victims was an 8-year-old boy named Martin Richard who was waiting to meet his dad at the finish line. As he went back on the sidewalk, one of the bombs went off and he was killed. His sister lost a leg, his mother also wounded. I can’t imagine the pain and fear and anguish their parents felt. Again, my thoughts turned to my fiancé, who was about to pick up his daughter, my soon-to-be stepdaughter. She’s 10, just two years older than Martin. I feared for both of them knowing there was a possibility the danger wasn’t completely over. I said a silent prayer and kept texting him to make sure they were OK.

The thing you have to understand about Boston and its people is that, despite what any surveys or studies say about us being rude or arrogant, we are intensely loyal and caring. Before I left to attend college in New York five years ago, I made connections with other Bostonians and MassHoles — a badge I wear proudly — and when we all met on campus, there was an instant connection. We all had Boston running through our veins.

For 24 years, I have lived, loved, and learned in this city. I was born and raised here, I am getting married here, and I plan to raise my kids here. I have been to other cities, other countries even, but Boston is home. And whoever did this has severely underestimated the strength and will of Bostonians. You cannot stage an attack on our city on Patriot’s Day, a day that commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War, and get away with it. It will not stand.

This great city that I love, the city of champions, the Hub of the Universe, was bruised, but not broken, Monday. And while we are all looking for answers, wanting to know who wanted to hurt us and why, let us not forget our history. We are a city of fighters, a fact President Obama acknowledged in his press conference yesterday evening. And we can and will get through these troubling days and weeks, and maybe even months, ahead together.

Boston, You’re My Home: A First Person Reaction To The Boston Marathon Bombing is a post from: The Inquisitr

Drake has debuted a new track titled “Girls Love Beyonce.”

Joined by the Cocaine 80′s and Justin Timberlake’ s production team member (The Y’s) James Fauntleroy on the hook, the Toronto rapper uses the Destiny’s Child chorus “Say My Name” as the track’s centerpiece but instead sings “Day my name.”

In many ways, Drake’s new single echoes the feel of the Grammy award winning album Take Care. Previously, he said his next album would be a very different style to that 2011 effort, so it will be interesting to hear what comes next.

Produced by Drake’s longtime producer Noah ’0′ Shebib, “Girls Love Beyonce” finds the rapper in reflective mood. Covering three main themes — his struggle to find a girlfriend and musings on materialism and sexism —it’s rap to think to rather than move to.

At one point in the song Drake wonders if he’ll can find someone ”who will help me think of someone besides myself” and “someone I leave the front door with cause we don’t want to hide no more.”

With this new release, the rapper follows recent musical outings “Started From The Bottom” and “5AM In Toronto,” and his just debuted guest appearance on DJ Khaled’s “No New Friends” along with Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.

Even though the song isn’t an ode to Beyonce, who just opened her Mrs. Carter Show world tour last night in Serbia, it’s an interesting angle for a song. There is no word yet on how Jay-Z or Beyonce feel about Drake’s new shout-out. Will it be slightly awkward when Drake next meets the power couple?

Maybe not.

It seems Drake has been fond of “Say My Name” for a while. He even sang it at the OVO Festival in 2011. You can watch it below.

Let us know what do you think of “Girls Love Beyonce”: hit in the making or not so much?

Drake Unwraps New Track ‘Girls Love Beyonce,’ Anything To Add Jay-Z? is a post from: The Inquisitr

The bat-killing white-nose syndrome is spreading beyond the northeast states where the disease has already killed millions of bats. First discovered in 2006 in a New York cave, the disease caused by a fungus called Geomyces destructans threatens the once-common little brown bat with extinction.

Having wiped out 5.5 million bats by August 2012, the disease continues to spread outward from the original source. In March, the bat-killing white-nose syndrome was confirmed in Georgia and in South Carolina for the first time.

Earlier this month, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) found the disease in Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama — an important cave system that provides a winter hibernation gathering place for several species of bats including the endangered gray bat. There is as yet no evidence that the disease kills gray bats, so the wildlife service isn’t sure what impact white-nose will have on their population. However, they know from DNA tests that there are living gray bats in the cave that do carry the fungus.

The disease has virtually wiped out bat populations in Pennsylvania. Greg Turner, a biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, recently checked one abandoned mine that used to hold 8,000 hibernating bats each winter. This spring, there were only 18.

It isn’t particularly clear why the cold-loving fungus that attacks hibernating bats would kill them. One theory is that it’s so irritating that it wakes them too often, causing them to break out of hibernation too early. Emerging from a cave or mine into the winter cold at a time when there is no food, the infected bat then dies of starvation.

Despite the spread of white-nose syndrome into the south, there’s some hope that the disease won’t be as deadly there because of the warmer winters.

The National Wildlife Service said that northeastern bat species populations have already declined by 80 percent, so time is running out to find a cure. They estimated that the value of bats in controlling insects that eat farm crops runs between four to 50 billion dollars a year, so they’re highly motivated to find a way to fight the spread of the bat-killing white-nose syndrome.

[little brown bat infected with white-nose syndrome photo by Marvin Moriarty courtesy US Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region via Flickr]

Bat-Killing White-Nose Syndrome Moves Into Three Southern States is a post from: The Inquisitr

Following the Boston Marathon bombing yesterday, the possibility of domestic terror at play was immediately speculated upon — and in a press conference from the White House this morning, President Barack Obama confirmed that investigators have yet to determine whether foreign or homegrown agents were responsible for the blasts.

While no conclusive evidence has been confirmed on either count, speculation regarding both domestic terrorism and possible links to known foreign terror groups have been bandied about.

Since the blasts, authorities have urged Americans not to jump to conclusions about who may have been responsible, and several experts on terrorism have even suggested a “lone wolf” or an individual acting alone (as seen with Timothy McVeigh in the Oklahoma City bombing) as a potential culprit.

Domestic terrorism is certainly a possibility in the Boston Marathon attack — but little solid information from authorities has emerged in the wake of the bombing. The Boston Globe quotes columnist and lecturer at ­Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Juliette N. Kayyem, who believes the attack is likely the work of an American extremist — equally likely to be from left or right-wing factions:

“It is probably home-grown, someone with a political cause from the right or the lef … someone who knows how appealing the Boston ­Marathon is to citizens here … Even though it’s an international event, it is still a local event.”

President Obama ceded the possibility of domestic terror, explaining that it is not yet known whether the bombings were foreign, domestic or a  ”malevolent individual,” adding any statements indicating more than that are speculative.

Many speculators who believe the attacks were domestic in nature cite the location, Boston, where the Boston Tea Party occurred. Others suggest that the attacks were carried out on Tax Day, suggesting a link to groups or individuals who oppose taxation.

No groups, either foreign or domestically, have stepped forward credibly to claim a link to the Boston Marathon attack.

Domestic Terror Quietly Mulled After Boston Bombing is a post from: The Inquisitr

Company of Heroes 2 has been in the works for quite a while now, but the game has finally entered a closed beta that is actually open to a select few. Those select few need to “like” the game on Facebook.

If you want to get in on the closed beta of the game, that is literally all you have to do. Find their Facebook page, and give them a like. Once you click on the like, you will be taken to a place where you can access a key generator.

Click on “FREE Beta Download,” which will pop up after you like the game. From here, there will be a screen that will tell you to reveal the code. You will need to give access to the game to your page, and, once you do that, a code will be revealed.

Company of Heroes 2 closed beta is only playable through Steam at the moment. You will need to download the Steam application and then click on games > activate. Put your code in there, and you will get your free copy of the title.

This particular version of the beta will allow you to check out the multiplayer and skirmish gameplay as well as six different maps that are going to be included in the game.

You will be able to team up with people in order to complete missions or go up against people from all over the world. There is one other factor that comes into play if you want to play this closed beta you will need to have a Windows PC.

This game isn’t being offered up on Mac just yet. The final build is going to be released by Sega on June 25.

Are you going to check out the Company of Heroes 2 closed beta through Facebook?

‘Company Of Heroes 2′ Beta Open To Those Who ‘Like’ It is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Boston Red Sox finished their game against the Tampa Bay Rays just before the Boston Marathon bombing on Monday afternoon and have since showed their support for the city. Many players, both current and former, took to Twitter and other networks to send their prayers to the families and victims of the tragedy.

The Red Sox held off the Rays for a 3-2 win early Monday and fans celebrated outside of Fenway Park. The celebration didn’t last long as tragedy struck an hour later only a mile away from the stadium.

Two explosions went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon just over four hours into the race that killed three people and left over 130 people injured. Confusion set-in quickly throughout Boston’s streets as people scrambled to help in anyway that they could.

Hundreds of Boston’s finest took to the streets to help in rescue efforts as everyone pitched in to make a difference and share their support for the community.

The Red Sox were still in the clubhouse when the explosions went off, and it didn’t take long for the disaster to set in with players.

After talking with reporters, the team took their flight to Cleveland for their next series and showed their support with heart-felt remarks.

Third baseman Will Middlebrooks was the most vocal as twitter became a medium for players to send their prayers.

I love Boston… It’s my new home… I’m still in shock and can’t wrap my head around all of this. Wish there was something I could do.

— Will Middlebrooks (@middlebrooks) April 16, 2013

Outfielder Shane Victorino quickly sent out his best regards along with his thoughts on Boston’s toughness in handling the tragedy.  

Boston is a tough, resilient town and will prevail over this saddening tragedy! #PrayForBoston — Shane Victorino (@ShaneVictorino) April 15, 2013

Former Red Sox’s greats, Wade Boggs and Curt Schilling, also shared their blessings for the city. Schilling added that he is “proud to be an American” after watching the rescue effort.

Boston was practically shut down after the explosions went off and rightfully so. The Boston Bruins game was immediately cancelled and the Celtics match-up with the Indiana Pacers was called as well.

Neither game has been rescheduled as of now though both will need to be made up due to playoff implications. For now, the focus remains on the victims of the Boston Marathon and their families.

The Red Sox are in Cleveland for the start of a three-game set against the Indians, and the players are excited to compete for their city a day after it was struck with tragedy. Middlebrooks took to Twitter again Tuesday morning and shared his pride for wearing the Red Sox’s uniform.

I can’t wait to put on my jersey today… I get to play for the strongest city out there. #BostonStrong

— Will Middlebrooks (@middlebrooks) April 16, 2013

Sports have always been a way to give affected communities a little bit of light through the shadows of tragedy, and the Red Sox will look to do just that. Nothing can fully take away from the pain of those who lost their loved ones, but relief has always found a way to show itself in many different forms.

Baseball has been that relief in the past, as the New York Yankees run to the World Series in 2001 was a glimmer of hope for New Yorker’s after 9/11. The Yankees gave New York a reason to believe again, not only in themselves but each other.

The Red Sox will now do their best to bring hope back into the lives of the people who have supported them throughout their history.

Red Sox Show Support For Boston Marathon Tragedy is a post from: The Inquisitr

Cameron Douglas, son of actor Michael Douglas, lost an appeal to have his nearly 10-year prison sentence reduced Monday.

In April 2010, because he cooperated with authorities, Douglas was originally sentenced to a lenient five years in prison for heroin possession and conspiracy to distribute narcotics. Monday, a three-judge panel of the 2nd US Circuit Court ruled that nearly doubling his sentence to 9.5 years was reasonable, and now the 34-year-old is due to be released in early 2018. Judge Gerald Lynch wrote that Douglas’ case was an example of a defendant who “has shown himself to be a poor candidate for treatment or leniency.”

In a concurring opinion, Judge Guido Calabresi wrote, “The multiple costs of our imprisonment approach — including the expense of filling our prisons with drug addicts, to mention just a base economic cost — impel me to express the hope that Congress may someday seek out a different way of dealing with this problem.”

When appealing the judgement last December, Douglas’ attorney Paul Shechtman called the new sentence “shockingly long” and “maybe the harshest sentence ever imposed on a federal prisoner for a drug possession offense.”

Douglas escaped having his sentence doubled in 2011 after being caught with drugs in prison. He had also lied about how he ended up with the narcotics. He had convinced the 33-year-old lawyer with whom he was romantically involved to smuggle anti-anxiety medication into the prison in her bra on multiple occasions. He pulled a similar stunt in 2009, when he convinced a girlfriend to smuggle heroin hidden in an electric toothbrush to him while he was under house arrest.

In December 2012, Douglas was attacked in jail for agreeing to testify against other drug dealers. He suffered a broken femur, which required him to have a rod inserted, as well as a broken finger.

Do you think Cameron Douglas should have received a longer sentence?

Cameron Douglas Loses Appeal, Will Spend Five More Years In Prison is a post from: The Inquisitr

A man was severely beaten in the theater while watching GI-Joe: Retaliation. Three people were arrested for attacking the man in a Kentucky Rave Cinemas movie theater, causing him serious injury.

The man, identified only as “Richard,” and his wife, were at the theater watching GI-Joe: Retaliation late Saturday night. As they attempted to exit the theater, Richard was allegedly assaulted by three young adults.

Aaron A. Billups, age 23, Amanda A. Stanley, age 24, and Vanessia J. Stanley, age 28, were later arrested for the attack.

As reported by WDRB, the incident started when Amanda spilled her drink on Richard as he and his wife tried to leave. Shortly thereafter, Aaron reportedly pushed Richard to the ground.

Richard was allegedly kicked and hit multiple times by his attackers. He explains that he “kept trying to get up and get away … was screaming for help trying to get away — screaming for police or anyone to stop this.”

He and his wife state that they begged them to stop for at least 10 minutes before security arrived to assist them. Another moviegoer eventually assisted Richard, moving the attackers away from him.

Authorities arrested the two women and one man for second degree assault and public intoxication. Police report that one of the women, Amanda Stanley, was combative and resisted arrest, stating that she “was trained by the military” to fight and shoot.

Richard was taken to Norton Audubon Hospital for treatment. He was diagnosed with a fracture to his orbital bone and multiple cuts and bruises from the severe beating.

The suspects have stated that they were acting in self-defense. It is unknown whether a verbal exchange preceded the physical attack.

As reported by WHAS 11, Jeremy Nelson, Richard’s attorney, has stated that his client is considering legal action. He contends that lack of security caused him to be severely beaten in the theater while watching GI-Joe: Retaliation.

He argues that theaters need to have reliable security, especially considering the mass shooting in an Aurora, Colorado theater that left 12 people dead last year.

Man Severely Beaten In Theater During GI-Joe: Retaliation is a post from: The Inquisitr

The bombs used in twin deadly blasts during yesterday’s Boston Marathon attacks were made of pressure cookers filled with ball bearings, authorities have confirmed.

Initial reports of injuries sustained during the Boston bombings indicated that surgeons and trauma physicians were observing shrapnel and ball bearings in victim wounds, and the practice of using similar materials in homemade explosives to maximize casualties is not uncommon.

Massachusetts General Hospital trauma chief Dr. George Velmahos has commented on the shrapnel being recovered from bombing victims, saying it seems clear that the fragments originated from the bomb itself and not something else in the vicinity — he explains that many of those treated were “almost automatic amputees,” and adds:

“My opinion is that most of [the fragments such as ball bearings] were in the bomb … I think it’s unlikely they would be so consistent if they were pulled out from the environment.”

Dr. Velmahos admits that in many instances, doctors were only able to “finish what the bomb started.”

Dr. Ron Walls of Brigham and Woman’s Hospital indicated that inside the pressure cooker bombs were items that “clearly were designed to be projectiles that were built into the device.”

The Associated Press corroborated doctors’ observations by quoting an unnamed source linked to the investigation:

BREAKING: Person briefed on probe: Boston explosives made of pressure cookers with metal, ball bearings -MM

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 16, 2013

MORE: Explosives at Boston Marathon were in pressure cookers inside duffel bags, a person briefed on probe says. apne.ws/15io9WY

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 16, 2013

According to several unconfirmed reports, the pressure cookers used to build the homemade improvised explosive devices used in the Boston Marathon bombing were 6-qt units.

Pressure Cookers, Ball Bearings Used In Boston Attacks is a post from: The Inquisitr

Is Apple about to launch a chip development facility in Orlando, Florida? That appears to be the company’s motives following several recent job postings. The jobs mosta surround the developments and testing of processors.

In one job ad Apple seeks a “GPU Csim/Reference Model Engineer” who would specialize in “modeling GPU hardware.”

The job listing also notes that iOS wound run on “pre-silicon platforms.”

In the Orlando job listing Apple also seeks two individuals who would be involved in design verification. According to the posting employees would ”develop verification plans, create verification test bench components, generate tests, run simulations, and debug design issues.”

It is not clear at this time if Apple will handle research & development in Orlando, Florida but move production elsewhere or keep the entire process from conceptualization to production in-state.

Analysts believe Apple may use the new facility in Orlando to create it’s next generation A-series processor for iPhone and iPad enabled devices. Apple has taken the production of A-series processors away from Samsung and recently handed the contract to TMSC.

Apple has been posting and removing job listings at break-neck speed lately, hiring everyone from fingerprint recognition specialists to display experts and now CPU engineers.

Apple, Inc. has always held tight controls over its product lines and in 2013 it appears that Apple is planning to put more of that production back into its own hands.

While much of the industry’s R&D is completed in Silicon Valley, California, there are other CPU manufacturers in the Orlando area, namely AMD which houses some of its research and development teams in the city.

Do you think Apple will be able to successfully control its own A-series line without the production help of Samsung and other more experienced CPU teams?

Apple Building Chipsets In Orlando? Company’s Job Posting Points To Florida is a post from: The Inquisitr

Injustice: Gods Among Us was released today for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U. Here’s what the critics had to say about the Xbox 360 version.

Break out the bat signal, DC Comics’ first fighting game since the abominable Mortal Kombat crossover is here. All of the updates you’ve read right here on The Inquisitr have led to this moment, when NetherRealm released what is probably the best fighting game this year.

Injustice: Gods Among Us was designed with the input of novices and veterans, and people who generally hate Mortal Kombat, to give us something we fighting gamers actually wanted. All of that input paid off, and you can finally prove once and for all who would win in a fight between Superman and Batman. Heck, even Aquaman is here and kicking some ass.

The control scheme from the Mortal Kombat reboot is still there, which isn’t a bad thing. Considering the general praise that game received, it was a good idea not to fix what isn’t broken. Even the Stance button is back, though for now it seems to only give us the opportunity to see both sides of the character, and possibly do a Bruce Lee style taunting dance.

The single player story mode starts out with Joker having done the unthinkable. He nuked Metropolis, killing everyone Superman ever knew and loved. That’s gotta be a mind job on the man of steel, as he’s supposed to be an example to all of humanity, and now he’s been given all the incentive in the world for flat-out revenge.

Cutscenes not only give us a fantastic introduction to the arena we’ll be fighting in, but also give an explanation to how the less powerful heroes and villains can take on Superman and Green Lantern.

Speaking of arenas, everything in Injustice: Gods Among Us is as interactable as you want it to be. Things like gun turrets add a dimension of environmental hazard to a fighting game that’s already full of superheroes who want to beat the tar out of you. You can even shove your opponent into another part of the stage if the opportunity strikes. It gives the action an incredibly brutal, explosive feel.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is every bit the DC Comics fighter you wanted it to be.

What do you think of Injustice: Gods Among Us?

‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’ Review Roundup is a post from: The Inquisitr

Martin Richard had just returned from getting ice cream when the Boston Marathon explosions went off near where he was standing with his family, killing the 8-year-old boy.

Richard was one of three people killed in the bombing on Monday afternoon. His mother, Denise, and 6-year-old sister, Jane, were both badly injured in the attack as well. His mother’s injuries were described as grievou, and she reportedly had surgery for a brain injury. His sister lost her leg in the attack.

Martin’s father was a runner, but both he and another brother watching the race were reportedly unhurt in the Boston Marathon explosions.

“They were looking in the crowd as the runners were coming to see if they could identify some of their friends when the bomb hit,” said US Rep. Stephen Lynch, a family friend.

The family of Martin Richard had a candle burning on the stoop of their single-family home in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, and someone had written the word “peace” in chalk on their front walkway.

“What a gift. To know him was to love him,” said longtime friend Judy Tuttle. “He had that million-dollar smile and you never knew what was going to come out of him. Denise is the most spectacular mother that you’ve ever met and Bill is a pillar of the community. It doesn’t get any better than these people.”

The third-grade student was remembered as a typical boy, who liked to play baseball and ride his bike in the neighborhood. The day after the Boston Marathon explosions, a single bicycle helmet sat overturned in the family’s front yard.

“They are beloved by this community. They contribute in many ways. That’s why you see this outpouring,” City Councilor at Large Ayanna Pressley told The Boston Globe. “It’s surreal, it’s tragic, it’s incomprehensible. Everyone here tonight is trying to comfort one another and be prayerful.”

Martin Richard was one of three people confirmed killed in the Boston Marathon explosions, but doctors noted that many of the 140 still injured are in very critical condition.

Martin Richard Dead: 8-Year-Old Killed In Boston Marathon Explosions is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sometimes, there are just things all Americans can agree on.

The Obama Petition Site is a post from: The Inquisitr

Real Housewives of New York star Aviva Drescher has reached out to the victims of Monday’s bombing at the Boston Marathon.

The 43-year-old, who had her left leg amputated after a farming accident when she was 6 years old, said she wanted to help those who lost their limbs in the explosions.

“To anyone who has suffered limb loss, I am here for information and guidance,” Drescher told Celebrity Magnet‘s Tom Murro. “I would love to talk with anyone, listen to their story and give any advice or support they need. This is a vile tragedy, but a time to unite with compassion.”

Drescher also spoke with Radar Online and said, “For those who have lost limbs or family members they can directly contact me at info@avivadrescher.com.”

Several celebrities have sent their thoughts and prayers to the city of Boston, including Conan O’Brien, who grew up in Boston and still has family in the city.

“First, I did wanna start by mentioning what an upsetting and sad day it has been … Boston is my home town, it’s where I grew up, and it’s where my family lives,” O’Brien said. “So I just wanted to take a moment to say that, like everyone here, my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Boston and everybody who’s been affected by this absolutely senseless act.”

Similarly, Boston Red Sox players — who had just finished their game against the Tampa Bay Rays shortly before the bombing — have shown their support on social media networks, as well as Bruins and Celtics players. Both teams had their Monday night games canceled in the wake of the tragedy.

Three people –including an 8-year-old boy — were killed in the bombing, and over 100 more people were injured, some critically. At this time, there are no suspects.

[Photo credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]

‘RHONY’ Star Aviva Drescher Reaches Out To Boston Marathon Bombing Victims is a post from: The Inquisitr

My phone can get a pizza to my house in ten minutes, but I still can’t access CNN.

Every Remote Control Does This is a post from: The Inquisitr

Hydrocephalus is the abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the cavities surrounding the brain. The condition, also known as water on the brain, causes an increase in intracranial pressure within the skull and results in the dysmorphic expansion of the head.

One to two of every 1,000 babies are born with hydrocephalus, making it as common as Down’s syndrome and more common than spina bifida or brain tumors.

In a person without hydrocephalus, CSF continuously circulates through the brain, the ventricles, and the spinal cord and is regularly drained into the circulatory system.

Hydrocephalics suffer with the fluid not draining properly either from a blockage in the ventricles or subarachnoid space. Additionally they can have an overproduction of the CSF, a congenital malformation inhibiting normal drainage or circulation, or develop the condition from complications related to head injuries or infections.

Based on the underlying cause, hydrocephalus can be classified into communicating and non-communicating (obstructive). Both forms can be either congenital or acquired.

Infants with hydrocephalus, CSF builds up in the central nervous system, causing the fontanelle (soft spot) to bulge and the head enlarge.

Along with the obvious swelling, other symptoms include seizures, vomiting, excessive fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, uncontrolled eye movements, and irritability. Prolonged, sustained pressure from the cranial distention can result in brain damage and blindness.

Hydrocephalus is treated surgically. Various types of cerebral shunts are implanted and used to circumvent the flow of the CSF. A ventricular catheter is placed into the cerebral ventricles to bypass the obstruction or malfunction and drains the excess fluid into other body cavities where it can be reabsorbed.

An alternative treatment for obstructive hydrocephalus is the endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), whereby a surgically created opening in the floor of the third ventricle allows the CSF to flow directly to the basal cisterns, short-cutting the obstruction.

Recently worldwide attention was focused on little Runa Begum (named in other reports as Roona), of India, an 18-month-old who was born with an extreme case of hydrocephalus.

Similar to the 2012 reported case of three-year-old Dilla Anargia Adilla of Bogor, Indonesia, doctors in the Tripura region, where Runa’s family lives in India, have been unable to provide relief for the painful condition.

A 30 minute surgical procedure, costing between $300 and $1,200 per shunt could be performed but Abdul Rehman, the child’s father, doesn’t earn enough as a brick factory laborer to pay for medical intervention. He earns less than $3 a day.

The New York Daily News reports, Fortis Healthcare Limited, who operates hospitals across India and the pan-Asian Pacific region, has offered to pay for Runa’s life-saving treatment.

[Image via Wikicommons Hydrocephalic Cranium of 25 year old Man, Otis Historical Archives of “National Museum of Health & Medicine”]

Hydrocephalic Toddler Will Receive Necessary Medical Care is a post from: The Inquisitr

Richard LaParmentier, the actor who was force-choked by Darth Vader in the original Star Wars franchise has passed away at 66-years-old.

While LaParmentier appeared in more than 50 films and TV shows during his long Hollywood career, it was his turn as Admiral Motti, commander of the Death Star, that brought him the most attention.

Motti was one of the few dark side minions to question Vader, mocking his “sorcerer ways” and “sad devotion to that ancient Jedi religion.”

Questioning his allegiance to the dark side Vader crushes Motti’s windpipe to display his true power over his followers.

When not acting in such hits as Who Framed Roger Rabbit LaParmentier could be found screenwriting for British TV where he worked as a steady scribe.

Before his untimely death LaParmentier was hard at work on a new comedy-drama series for the BBC. He was also working on a script for a new feature film.

Among some of his other credits over the years are: Superman II, Capital City, and The Berline Conspiracy. It was on the set of Superman II that LaParmentier met and eventually married British actress Sarah Douglas. Sarah played Ursa in the Superman movie.

At this time the circumstances surrounding Richard LeParementier’s death have not been revealed.

Our thoughts go out to Richard’s family in their time of loss.

Darth Vader ‘Choke Victim’ Richard LeParmentier Dies is a post from: The Inquisitr