A baby’s body was found in hospital linens in Minnesota, leading to an apology from a hospital for a tragic mix-up at the morgue.

Police said the body was found in hospital linens that had been delivered to a laundry company. An employee at Crothall Laundry was washing linens for a Twin Cities hospital when a body tumbled out of the sheets.

The employee called the hospital that send the linens and someone from the hospital came over for the body.

The dirty laundry had been delivered to the company within 48 hours of the body being found, police said. A police representative noted that they are investigating the incident.

Police initially said they didn’t know the exact age, gender, or identity of the body found in the hospital linens. They also declined to name the hospital that send the dirty linens. But, later on Wednesday, a Minnesota hospital admitted mishandling the remains of a stillborn child.

Regions Hospital in St. Paul said it was a “terrible mistake” that allowed the infant’s body to be mixed in with linens and delivered to a laundry company. They said the accident took place in the morgue where the body was mistakenly wrapped in linens.

Chris Boese, chief nursing officer at Regions Hospital, said hospital officials are investigating the incident to learn why it happened.

“This was a terrible mistake, and we are deeply sorry,” Boese said in a statement. “We have processes in place that should have prevented this but did not. We are working to identify the gap in our system, and to make sure this does not happen again.”

The baby had been delivered stillborn on April 4 at 22 weeks development.

Police said they don’t know yet if the body found in hospital linens will lead to any charges or disciplinary action against Regions Hospital.

Infant’s Body Found In Hospital Linens In Minnesota is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Virginia family has been awarded $90 million in a wrongful death suit, four years after their teenage daughter was killed in a pedestrian car accident.

The jury award stems from a tragic incident in September of 2009, during which 13-year-old Ashley Davis was struck and killed by a Lincoln Continental while her classmates watched in horror.

After the vehicle hit Davis, it careened into another vehicle as well as a 17-year-old boy, who survived the accident. Ashley initially survived as well, but two weeks after the incident, she succumbed to her injuries and died at a local hospital.

Davis’ family was awarded the $90M this year, a bittersweet legal victory on what would be the year she graduated. Ashley was a freshman at Crossland High School in Prince George’s County when she died, and was slated to be a senior this year.

Local news sources report that after the accident for which the family was awarded $90M, the Davis family sued the Prince George’s County School Board for negligence leading to the girl’s death. John Costello, the Davis family lawyer, explained why:

“The school board was negligent … They had adopted a policy to provide for safe transportation. The policy was they were going to pick up Ashley on her own side of the street. They never did. They forced her to cross the street. She got killed crossing the street.”

Nycole Davis, Ashley’s mom, said of the accident that claimed her daughter’s life:

“She was on her way … She was doing the right thing. She was going to school. She was a good girl. She didn’t deserve this … If she didn’t have to cross the street … she’d be graduating this year. She’d be going to prom this year.”

While the family was awarded $90M, Davis explains that the suit was, for Ashley’s family members, not about money:

“I didn’t ask anyone to give me any money or anything like that. I just want someone held responsible for what happened to my daughter.”

After Teen’s Death, Family Awarded $90M In Wrongful Death Suit is a post from: The Inquisitr

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 2 was announced at today’s Nintendo Direct event. The game will be available on the Nintendo 3DS and should be out on the market by the end of this year.

The announcement of a new Zelda game was considered a bit of a surprise and came at the end of the event, adding to the fun and intrigue of the much billed press event.

This particular title will be the sequel to the uber popular SNES game from back in the 1990′s. While this is officially a sequel, there will be quite a few improvements to the game to go along with carrying on the original story.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 2 will “reinvigorate the flat 2D world of A Link to the Past” according to Reggie Fils-Aime.

One of the biggest features of this particular game, other than a new adventure and quite a few new dungeons will be that Link will actually be able to shift between 2D and 3D.

When the hero of this entire series moves into a 2D form he looks quite a bit like the drawing of him that we all remember from the earliest games in this series.

Link can then move along walls and other flat surfaces that much easier, while also changing the camera angle of the game.

Nintendo believes that by using the 3D display that the 3DS brings, gamers will be able to see Hyrule in a whole new way than they’ve ever seen it before in this particular title.

Fans of the series are likely to flock to the game, even if many of those who might be playing this weren’t even alive when the original was released in 1992.

The company could draw some old time gamers to their handheld by bringing a game like this back to the market.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 2 doesn’t have an official release date yet but most expect it to be out just in time for the Holiday shopping season.

‘Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past 2′ Announced For 3DS is a post from: The Inquisitr

Is Amanda Bynes insane? We can’t say, because she says she’ll sue anyone who publishes anything suggesting she’s doing anything “wrong.” But she didn’t say anything about posting her new video below and letting you decide for yourself!

Bynes has been using her Twitter account to post countless “selfies” and mundane everyday observations. The former actress upped her social media game yesterday with a minute-long video titled “I’m Sucking On A Sour Patch Kid Listening To Music Getting Ready For Tonight .”

In the video, Bynes does just that. Surprise!

Complex originally posted the video, which resulted in a stern warning from the actress on Twitter.

They tweeted a simple link to the clip with the note: ”Amanda Bynes is either trolling us all, or she needs serious help.”

Bynes’ response on Twitter: ”Stop acting like I’m doing something wrong.”

“I’m obsessed with myself on twitter,” she continued. “And  Also, my video last night was perfection.”

Her response to Complex was a lot longer, but we can’t really re-print it. You can check it out here.

We’d love to say more about Amanda Bynes, but we’re on a gag order. Last week, she posted an ultimatum to the media which read, in part:

“I’m suing every blog, every magazine, every news source that’s saying I’m doing anything wrong ‘erratic behavior’ is not me!” the 27-year-old former actress wrote. ”I’m suing In Touch, Us Weekly, Perez Hilton for hiring paparazzi who follow me then take the worst photos with the worst angles.”

“They say I have erratic behavior when I do NOTHING wrong,” she said.

We honestly hope that’s the truth, and if you want the truth, Bynes asks that you follow her on Twitter for any news on her behavior.

Don’t worry about thoughts, it doesn’t matter how it feels, all that matters is how it looks..

— Amanda Bynes (@AmandaBynes) April 14, 2013

I don’t know. Here’s Amanda Bynes’ video making rounds on the web today:

Amanda Bynes Video Is … Well, It Just Is [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Staten Island bookkeeper has admitted stealing nearly $1 million from the United Hebrew Cemetery. Ilana Friedman, age 51, reportedly worked together with her husband Arthur S. to steal over $850,000 in cash and charge over $150,000 on the cemetery’s credit card.

Mrs. Friedman plead guilty to second degree grand larceny in the Stapleton Criminal Court on Tuesday. The attorney general offered the plea deal, which includes returning $1.1 million in restitution.

As reported by Staten Island Live, the couple ran the cemetery for nearly 15 years. Authorities discovered that within a five year period, between 2006 and 2011, Mrs. Friedman stole nearly $1 million from the cemetery‘s funds. Mr. Friedman reportedly knew about the theft, but did nothing to stop his wife.

Court documents revealed that the couple used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, which included numerous vacations to Las Vegas and Florida, purchase of electronics, gourmet meals, jewelry, and trips to the theater.

The couple avoided suspicion for five years, as Mrs. Friedman was in charge of the bookkeeping. An eventual audit by the New York Division of Cemeteries revealed several inconsistencies. The books were turned over to the Attorney General for closer inspection. Investigators discovered that the bookkeeper stole nearly $1 million from the United Hebrew Cemetery.

As reported by NY Daily News, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has stated that the couple “abused their posts at this Staten Island cemetery to enrich themselves.”

Mrs. Friedman was charged in the theft as she initiated the transactions. Her husband was not charged criminally as he simply enabled his wife’s behavior.

In addition to the restitution, $100,000 must be paid to Schniederman’s office for costs associated with the investigation and audit. Mrs and Mr. Friedman have also been banned from any employment involving cemeteries and funeral services.

Owners of the United Hebrew Cemetery have fully cooperated with the investigation and are expected to appoint new board members by the end of the year. They have been ordered to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Mrs. Friedman will remain in probation for five years. If she abides by the guidelines in the plea agreement, the bookeeper will avoid jail time for stealing nearly $1 million from the cemetery.

Bookkeeper Admits Stealing Nearly $1 Million From Cemetery is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Japanese startup is developing an alternative to Google Glass call Telepathy One.

Like Google Glass, Telepathy One is a wearable computing device with a small display that delivers information to a single eye and a camera that takes photos and video.

There are some significant differences in the design though. Telepathy One takes more design cues from headphones than from glasses. It wraps around the back of a person’s head from the right eye to the left ear. It’s held in place with in-ear earbuds.

A micro projector shows an image on a virtual five-inch display. The camera is so small it’s almost invisible.

Just like with Google Glass, a user controls the device with voice commands, touch, and hand gestures.

Telepathy One was created by Takahito Iguchi, a smartphone app developer. In an interview with Nikkei, Iguchi sees the device as something that will make the smartphone user experience better.

“Using a smartphone itself is cumbersome. You pull out the device and start an app. It involves 13 different steps just to share photos with your friends,” he said. “I want to eliminate these steps as much as possible. Sharing your thoughts instantly is what social networking is all about.”

Remarkably, Iguchi created a working prototype in just two months and took it to SXSW in Austin, Texas last month to demonstrate how it works.

“The core components already exist at Japanese manufacturers. We’ll also team up with major electronics makers for mass production. Our role is to bring together excellent Japanese technologies in a way that appeals to customers,” Iguchi said.

Iguchi distinguishes Telepathy One from Google Glass by focusing sharing life experience with friends and family in real time.

“Its functions are quite simple, so people can photograph, record and share what they see with their friends.” Iguchi said.

Telepathy One will go on sale in the US later this year. Iguchi hasn’t set a price, but expects it to be less than Google Glass.

Judging by this video from SXSW, it seems to delight people who got to try it out.

Telepathy One Is First Google Glass Alternative is a post from: The Inquisitr

Shakira is asking a New York judge to throw out a $250 million lawsuit filed by her ex-boyfriend, Antonio de la Rua.

The Voice judge dated the Argentine lawyer for over a decade and, in 2011, Shakira announced on her website that she and de la Rua were separating after making ”a mutual decision to take time apart from our romantic relationship.” She also wrote that the two viewed “this period of separation as temporary and as a time of individual growth as we continue to be partners in our business and professional lives,” and that de la Rua would continue to oversee her “business and career interests as he has always done.”

However, in September 2012, it was reported that de la Rua, who is the son of former Argentine president Fernando de la Rua, was planning to sue the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer for $250 million, which he claimed was monetary compensation for his work as her business manager. That amount also included ownership of properties that were jointly held by the couple while they were together.

Two months later, it was reported that de la Rua filed a lawsuit in California asking for $100 million he believed Shakira owed him after she terminated their business partnership in 2011.

De la Rua has said that that he shaped the “Shakira brand,” but the new mom, who gave birth to her first child with boyfriend Geard Piqué in January, contends that she is a self-made woman. The 36-year-old said in an affidavit that when she met her ex at a concert in Argentina in 2000, “I was already a well-known and recognized artist, and my international career was established and solid.”

Shakira also said that de la Rua was just one of our numerous advisors, and that, despite the fact that he “lacked experience or knowledge of the music industry,” she decided to involve him in some of her business matters because he was unemployed.

De la Rua, however, says he advised her throughout the relationship, talking her into recording “Hips Don’t Lie,” and orchestrating her $300 million deal with Live Nation in 2008. He also said he suspects that she terminated their partnership because it was causing problems with Piqué, a center back for FC Barcelona and the Spanish National team.

Shakira filed her own lawsuit against de la Rua in the Bahamas in 2012, alleging that he “misappropriated” $3 million of her money. Her lawyers have said that de la Rua has no case against her because none of their business or partnership agreements are in writing. They also said the case should be heard in the Bahamas, where they lived together, or in Shakira’s native Colombia.

Do you think the $250 million lawsuit against Shakira should be thrown out?

[Photo credit: Avis De Miranda / Shutterstock.com]

Shakira Wants $250M Lawsuit Thrown Out is a post from: The Inquisitr

Eating a typical “Western-style” diet apparently makes it unlikely you will live long and prosper, according to a new study.

Researchers developed their findings from studying the mortality rates and disease incidence of about 5,000 middle-aged British government employees from 1985 to 2009 who also filled out food questionnaires.

According to the research, those individuals who ate a Western-type diet had a greater likelihood of dying prematurely. That kind of diet includes lots of fried food, processed and red meat,  deserts and sweets, and high-fat dairy products.

In the alternative, a more healthy, nutritionally sound diet suggested an old age characterized by good mental and physical health.

Lead investigator Tasnime Akbaraly, PhD, summarized the findings as follows: “We showed that following specific dietary recommendations such as the one provided by the AHEI may be useful in reducing the risk of unhealthy aging, while avoidance of the ‘Western-type foods’ might actually improve the possibility of achieving older ages free of chronic diseases and remaining highly functional.”

AHEI refers to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, which consists of a high intake of veggies, fruit, and fish. In general, those study subjects who abide by the AHEI diet were less at risk for heart disease and other chronic illnesses as they got older.  “The researchers said participants who hadn’t really stuck to the AHEI increased their risk of death, either from heart disease or another cause.”

The study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, claimed that there is an inverse relationship between Western eating and healthy lifestyles: “While our results indicate that low adherence to healthy recommendations of the AHEI guidelines is associated with increased premature death, the ‘Western-type’ diet significantly reduced the likelihood of achieving ideal health at older ages, which incorporates cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal, respiratory, mental, and cognitive components.”

The study noted that the components of ideal aging assessed at age 60 included being alive in the first place (obviously), no chronic diseases or mental health issues, and good cognitive functioning among other factors.

The study authors conceded, however, the government office workers may not be representative of the overall UK population and that the food questionnaires may be less precise than maintaining a food diary.

Does a study of this kind — and the prospect of dying young — make you consider adjusting your eating habits, if necessary, toward more healthy diet options?

[Image via Shutterstock]

Western Diet Could Be A Death Sentence [Study] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Citi Biki will launch its long-awaited bike share program in New York City next month, and eager New Yorkers have already showered the company with a wave of support. Membership registration opened up two days ago, and the first 5,000 “founding member” offers have already sold out. More than 4,000 members signed up in the first 24 hours alone.

Perks of being a “founding member” included a special founding member key, a 24 hour pass to share with a friend, invitations to classes on riding safely, discounts on bike tours, and more.

Annual membership costs around $100, a lower price than that of a monthly MetroCard providing access to the subway. The membership allows riders to use any bike for up to 45 minutes with no additional charge.

Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C. is currently the largest bike share program in the country. It launched with 49 stations, a shadow of the 330 stations Citi Bike will provide when it launches in May. 2,000 people signed up in the entire month before the program’s launch in August 2010. On average, 500 – 1000 people have signed up per month. The program now has over 22,000 registered annual members.

Transportation Nation reports that Capital Bikeshare’s busiest month came in April 2011, when a Living Social promotion brought in 5,500 new members. New York City has managed to match those numbers in just over a day.

New York City is a substantially larger city than Washington, D.C. New York City has a population of over 8 million, much of which consists of dense urban area best navigated via subways. Washington, D.C. has a population of just over 600,000. The Washington Metro is generally used to travel into and out of the city, not to get from one point of the city to another. Getting around both cities is a fundamentally different beast.

Not everyone in New York City is excited about the Citi Bike share program. Crain’s New York reports that residents in Williamsburg and Brooklyn rallied against some of the bike lanes being laid in their neighborhoods.

By next year, New York City will be the home to over 600 Citi Bike share stations providing access to 10,000 bikes.

Citi Bike Share Program Meets Heavy Demand In New York Before May Launch is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kerry LowLow, a cheese spread company, has created a new ad that pokes fun at the cliched women we often see prancing around in diet commercials. The ad is titled “Adland Gal,” and it was uploaded to YouTube on April 3.

Since being released, the Adland Gal video has went viral with more than 461,000 pageviews.

Talking about the new ad, the company says it is attempting to set straight the stereotypes found on TV:

“What is it with food ads aimed at women? Why do they bombard us with cliches? Why do they presume that all women have a negative relationship with food?”

In the video, the company showcases three different women who are often found in diet and food commercials. The company claims, and accurately so, that low-fat food commercials often include the smug gal, the ditzy gal, and the muffin gal. We could probably add dozens of more stereotypes into the mix if we really thought about it.

According to Kerry, LowLow its main goal is to “support and encourage women everywhere to have a great relationship with food.”

The video is not just racking up views; the comments section for the video is receiving many positive comments from women who are also fed up with the cliches they witness in diet commercials.

Do you think women’s dieting cliches have gotten out of control? Should company’s no longer be afraid to sell a chocolate bar to female viewers?

Kerry LowLow is asking viewing to join them in an extended conversation on Twitter. On its Facebook page, Kerry LowLow writes:

“Thanks for your feedback everyone! We are delighted you love the video! Join in the conversation on Twitter too! #adland gal”

New Cheese Spread Ad Pokes Fun At Women’s Diet Ads is a post from: The Inquisitr

Endangered tigers and their remaining forest are under seige from illegal loggers in the Russian Far East, according to a report released yesterday by the World Wildlife Fund-Russia. Nikolay Shmatkov, a forest policy director, said that the organized crime rings that log the forests are destroying the last hope of survival for the remaining Amur tigers as well as the livelihoods of thousands of local Russian and indigenous villagers.

The newly released WWF investigation showed that, in 2010, over half of the Mongolian oaks shipped out of Russia and into neighboring China were cut down illegally. In some years, such as 2007 and 2008, four times as many Mongolian oaks were cut and harvested as the law allows.

Yet there is almost no prosecution for the bold crimes. In fact, in 2011, in one Russian province, only 16 percent of illegal logging cases were ever brought to trial, the lowest number in a decade.

As The Inquisitr previously reported, illegal logging is a lucrative business. A World Bank report in 2012 said that it was worth $15 billion to organized crime syndicates that have looted forests as far apart as Madagascar, Africa, and Indonesia to satisfy the demands of United States, European, and now Chinese consumers who seek expensive hardwoods for flooring and furniture.

A BBC report said that more than a third of all Russian logs are stolen and smuggled into China by organized crime rings. The Russian Far East forest, which they called the largest forest on the planet, is predicted to be completely logged within 30 years.

After a series of devastating floods in 1998, China banned logging of its own forests and started a program of reforestation. However, despite spending at least $31 billion on the project, the reality is that the most valuable hardwood trees simply don’t grow that fast. Fifteen years later, China can meet less than 40 percent of its demand by logging its own forests.

As a result, the organized crime rings can step in to import the illegally logged wood, confident that Chinese officials will look the other way.

There are between 350 to 450 Amur tigers remaining in the wild — 95 percent of them in the Russian Far East forests described in the new report. The illegal logging there guarantees that the endangered tigers remain at high risk for extinction.

[Amur tiger photo by Dave Pape via Wikipedia Commons and Wikipedia Picture of the Day]

Endangered Tigers, Forests Threatened By Illegal Logging In Russia is a post from: The Inquisitr

From the folks who brought us Ghost In the Machine, we present to you Ghost In The Radar. 

Ghost In The Radar is a post from: The Inquisitr

CNN is in the midst of a much-needed makeover, and as the network makes attempts toward reforming its image and improving ratings, there are bound to be a few flops. But new president Jeff Zucker is taking recent criticism in stride, playfully suggesting that anyone ragging on CNN is just jealous.

Most recently, CNN took a gamble by hitting the Carnival Cruise story hard, and from every conceivable angle. They were universally criticized by others in the media industry for their relentless coverage of the story, primarily over the idea that the Carnival story wasn’t “hard news” and that there were other stories the network could have gone all-in on.

At a lunch/presser at the Atlanta Press Club, Zucker addressed CNN‘s latest critics from MSNBC to Jon Stewart.

He said that the Carnival Cruise story was important for its elements of human drama, and reasoned that negative reception of the network’s coverage was only coming from jealous competitors.

Via PBS MediaShift:

“Just because Jon Stewart makes fun of it doesn’t mean he’s right,” he said. And yes, he added, he considers “The Daily Show” a competitor.

Zucker then compared CNN to “that spare tire in the trunk” because people remember it when they need it. Zucker also touched on social media, calling Twitter his “frenemy,” and digital advertising. The talk mostly focused on CNN‘s future, which has been a topic of much speculation over the past several months, if not the entirety of last year.

On CNN‘s place in the media:

“Just because you’re in the middle, does not give you the right to be boring,” he said. “Too often, we haven’t been vibrant enough.” He said to expect a new morning show, more documentaries, less prime-time celebrity news, and a broader selection of non-fiction programming to compete with Discovery, A&E, History, Food Network and other channels.

You can read the full report here.

Do you watch CNN? What do you think the network should focus on? What kinds of changes should they make?

[Image via: Robert Scoble, Wikimedia Commons]

Jeff Zucker Says CNN’s Critics Are Just Jealous Of Their Awesome Coverage is a post from: The Inquisitr

Bethesda Softworks has released yet another video that is supposed to serve as a teaser for its upcoming game.

Much like the first video, this one gives very little detail or information about what the game is supposed to be. The company seems to be enjoying driving its fans crazy with teaser videos that are more puzzles than actual reveals.

If the company can be believed, then we know that this isn’t another Skyrim game. Bethesda made it clear that it was done working on Skyrim and that its employees were going to move onto a new “adventure.”

Yesterday’s video, which included music that had been used in Fallout 3 got some people thinking this was the much talked about, but as of yet unannounced Fallout 4.

The company’s head of marketing, Peter Hines took to Twitter to dissuade that notion by saying “guess again” when asked directly if that was what the teaser was hinting at.

Other guesses have included a brand new Wolfenstein but this particular video doesn’t seem to come any closer to confirming or disproving that.

The video that was released today simply shows a couple of sunflowers that suddenly catch fire and burn. There is also an unidentified man with his shirt open standing behind the flowers.

vine.co/v/bFldAQgTIr6

— Bethesda Softworks (@Bethblog) April 17, 2013

After this video went live, Hines took to Twitter again to say that “the plot thickens.” But he, just like the rest of his company is seemingly enjoying getting tongues wagging without giving out any real information.

One other theory that has been floated out there is that this might be the teaser to a new horror survival game that the studio is rumored to be working on title Zwei.

Both videos certainly have a very creepy backdrop to them and it certainly seems likely that the man in the open shirt could be someone we wouldn’t want to spend much time around.

What do you think Bethesda’s newest teaser video is hinting at?

Bethesda Releases New, Even More Incomprehensible Teaser Video is a post from: The Inquisitr

A message in a bottle from 1985 has finally washed ashore.

According to CNews, the message was found at the mouth of the Neretva river in Croatia. The message was written by a Canadian man named Jonathon to a woman named Mary.

Jonathan writes that he made Mary a promise that he would write her. It’s unclear if the Canadian man knew about the existence of mail in 1985, but he apparently thought that the best way to reach Mary was by throwing a bottle into the sea. Either that or Jonathan thought that the best way to deliver his message was to put it into the hands of fate.

The message reads: “Mary, you really are a great person. I hope we can keep in correspondence. I said I would write. Your friend always, Jonathon, Nova Scotia, 1985.”

The back story between Jonathan and Mary isn’t known, but the story about the bottle is pretty incredible. If Jonathon really did throw his bottle into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nova Scotia, it made an incredible 28 year journey to reach the shores of Croatia.

The bottle traveled across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Strait of Gibraltar, across the Alboran Sea, around the boot of Italy and then made its way through the Mediterranean Sea, the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea before it was swept away into the Neretva river, and finally landed on the coast of Croatia.

The bottle was found by a group of surfers who were cleaning a local beach.

1985 Message In A Bottle Washes Ashore In Croatia is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google will use its ownership of Motorola Mobility to create smartphones that feature the stock version of Google Android, stronger build factors, and smaller device sizes. d

In an interview with PC Mag, company design chief Jim Wicks says the company is following the doctrine of “better is better” and not “bigger is better.”

Wick goes on to further his company’s stance on smartphone size:

“Certain people like a large screen, but there is a sweet spot for consumers that we’re currently exceeding in the market … There are some people that like a big display, but there’s also a lot of people that want something that’s just about right.”

The company plans to focus on simplicity in design alongside narrow bezels, scratch and drop resistance, and other straightforward design offerings.

Wicks calls the mobile OS that will be used an “unadulterated version of Android.” Wicks adds, ”From a software and UI perspective, our strategy is to embrace Android and to make it the best expression of Android and Google in the market.”

The new Google based Motorola smartphones will offer only a small line of devices available across a wide range of carriers. Originally, rumors pointed to Motorola creating various devices that would be offered exclusively to specific wireless carriers.

Speaking of the company’s approach Wicks proclaims:

“We are going to try and drive a more singular expression of our brand across multiple carriers … It’s a fundamental change in model.”

So what exactly is the “perfect screen size?” A leaked shot of the alleged Motorola X Phone showcases a 4.8-inch display with Gorilla Glass 3 and Google Android Jelly Bean.

News of Motorola’s focus on build quality arrives at the same time that Samsung is rumored to be examining steel body designs in place of its current plastic build found on the new Samsung Galaxy S4 and prior smartphone devices.

Motorola Smartphones To Feature Smaller Sizes, Stronger Builds, And Stock Android OS is a post from: The Inquisitr

PETA has been accused of killing thousands of cats. Outspoken People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals critic Nathan Winograd shared images of trash bags full of dead cats with the Daily Mail. The cats were allegedly put down at a North Carolina PETA shelter.

The dozens of trash bags full of cats were found in a grocery store dumpster. The first set of dead animals were reportedly found in 2007. The photo of the dead cats were taken as two PETA staffers were charged with animal cruelty.Veterinarians who testified in the case stated that the dead cats found inside the trash bags were healthy before being euthanized.

PETA has allegedly euthanized 1,045 cats and 602 dogs last year, according to statistics quoted in the Daily Mail article. Nathan Winograd, also claims that PETA killed 96 percent of the animals housed at its Virginia headquarters in 2011.

The animal rights activist also maintains that PETA routinely kills 90 percent of shelter animals during the first 24 hours. Winograd reportedly feels that PETA is “little more than a slaughterhouse.” He also claims that the organization has euthanized nearly 30,000 over the past 11 years.

In an email statement about the accusations PETA representative Ben Williamson said, “Anyone who is shocked to learn how many animals have to be euthanized annually in the US should ask themselves if they’re spaying and neutering their own companion animals.”

Williams went on to state that folks should look at all of the photos of animals PETA has served in low-income areas near the Virginia headquarters.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals spokesman also feels the euthanasia statistics are “distorted.”

PETA recently released a video depicting the alleged “dangers” associated with no-kill shelters.

Do you support animal euthanasia or no-kill shelters?

[Image Via: Shutterstock.com]

PETA Accused Of Killing Thousands Of Cats is a post from: The Inquisitr

Those of us who drive manuals should really get an exemption here.

I Totally Paused! is a post from: The Inquisitr

Uncomfortably funny explanation of strange mating rituals.

Conan O’Brien On Dating is a post from: The Inquisitr

We reported earlier that a suspicious letter had been sent to President Barack Obama that may have been linked to a “very similar” letter sent to Republican Senator Roger Wicker that tested positive for the poison ricin. Now we can report that the suspicious letter addressed to Obama also tested positive for the poison, and that it was sent from the same individual as the Wicker letter.

Officials confirmed that the Obama letter tested positive for ricin with NBC News on Wednesday.

The letter to Obama was pulled on suspicion at an off-site White House mail facility for testing. Federal officials now believe that they know who sent the letters to both President Obama and Senator Wicker, but are waiting for further test results before making an arrest.

Despite the timing, authorities did not initially consider the Ricin letters to be connected to the Boston Marathon bombing on Monday.

“The investigation into these letters remains ongoing, and more letters may still be received,” said the FBI in a statement this morning. “There is no indication of a connection to the attack in Boston.”

Ricin is a poison made from castor beans that is capable of killing within 36 hours. People can become exposed to the poison by touching a ricin-laced letter or by inhaling the particles that enter the air when the envelope is opened. Touching it causes a rash, but it not fatal. Inhaling it is a different story. There is no antidote.

Some threatening letters pass the preliminary ricin test when they merely contain ground castor beans instead of the concentrated poison. Because of this, authorities are waiting on full laboratory test results (expected in the next 24 to 48 hours) before acting on their suspicions.

[Image via: Scott Rothstein, Shutterstock.com]

Suspicious Obama Letter Tests Positive For Ricin is a post from: The Inquisitr