Robert Griffin III is set to marry Rebecca Liddicoat on July 6th and he’s been receiving wedding gifts through his registry from Redskins’ fans ever since it was leaked. Now, “RGIII” has sent a thank you note to two fans who purchased a gift for the couple.

Keith and Emily Elgin were the lucky fans who received the letter from Griffin that was hand-written and also included a signature. Keith Elgin posted a photo of the note on Twitter, and he also spoke to ThePostGame about the his special note from last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.

“[He's] just an all around solid guy,” he wrote to ThePostGame. “We just wanted to buy them a gift to send some encouragement their way, and it turned into a really fun story!”

The Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog originally reported the story on Saturday, and they also noted that Keith and Emily Elgin bought Griffin and his future wife Rebecca a welcome mat.

A hand-signed note from the Redskins’ quarterback himself isn’t too shabby for the small price of a welcome mat. The simple gesture will go a long way, as athletes get fan mail all the time and rarely respond, much less send a thank you note out that wasn’t asked of them.

RGIII did just that, and it’s unknown whether he sent out anymore. Maybe he just really liked the welcome mat so much that he felt the need to thank the Elgin’s personally.

In the note, Griffin and his fiancé say, “Thank you for your kind gift. Even as nothing was expected from you, out of the love in your hearts you sent us one anyways, and made our wedding experience even more special. Thank you!”

Here’s a photo of the note that Keith Elgin posted on Twitter.

@michaelsmith twitter.com/keithelgin/sta…

— Keith Elgin (@keithelgin) May 26, 2013

Has RGIII’s thank you note to his fans taken class to another level after they sent him a wedding gift?

[Image via Keith Allison]

RGIII Sends Thank You Note To Fans Over Wedding Gift is a post from: The Inquisitr

Donald Trump may run for president in 2016, and followers, fans, and hilarity-loving comedians seem to be egging him on. The Donald is a very frequent tweeter, but in the wake of the new 2016 rumors, his Twitter activity has exploded, with advice for everyone from President Obama to John McCain.

A New York Post report said that Donald Trump special counsel Michael Cohen revealed that they’d already paid $1 million to figure out what Trump would need to do to win in 2016. According to Cohen: “We did not spend $1 million on this research for it just to sit on my bookshelf.”

Let’s get one thing straight. At the time of writing, Donald Trump hasn’t said whether or not he’s really running. The whole thing could be yet another high-profile publicity stunt for his casinos, his hotels, and — of course — his reality TV show.

Nathan Francis for The Inquisitr has an in-depth analysis of why a Trump 2016 run could have a lot of trouble gaining traction.

And we all know that Donald Trump cried wolf once before. In 2012, he made a lot of noise about incumbent President Barack Obama’s birth certificate, but he ultimately didn’t run.

However, going by Donald Trump’s Twitter posts, he’s definitely toying with the idea.

So, if you want to ask yourself, WWTDD (What Would The Donald Do), why not take a quick stroll through his Twitter timeline?

As for me, my big question is this: Can a man really tweet this much and still look presidential? How do you vote for a man who tweets more than Amanda Bynes?

For a billionaire, Trump’s businesses go bankrupt pretty frequently, and apparently he’s got a gripe with big government as a result:

“@infinitys_edge: @realdonaldtrump I’m in the Billion Dollar coalfields and thanks to Obama I can’t even leave the house I’m so broke.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2013

One fan’s take:

“@eliiizabethhhhh: @realdonaldtrump run for president in 2016 so I can vote for you! You would have this country fixed in a month!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2013

She might have a point. The man who showed us how to go bankrupt by owning a casino shouldn’t have much problem wiping out the national debt. Isn’t that what Chapter 11 is for?

Like everybody else, Donald Trump is against the war in Iraq:

“@gangsterdannyg1: @realdonaldtrump What was Bush and Obama’s biggest mistake.”The lives and $1.5 trillion spent on Iraq-which is failing.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2013

He wasn’t happy about reports that Senator McCain just met with rebels in Syria:

Why is Senator John McCain in Syria visiting with the rebels- MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2013

I like John McCain but we have to start rebuilding the United States instead of countries who hate us and want us to fail – be smart!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2013

And the Memorial Weekend rant continued for several more tweets. Here’s the best one:

“@iamgrizzly1974: @realdonaldtrump Furthermore, as we continue to send our assets to foreigners we will become a 3rd world country.Must stop

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2013

To a certain extent, I understand Trump’s bitterness on the issue of foreign aid. New York and New Jersey, and the entire casino industry in Atlantic City, suffered terribly in the wake of Hurricane Sandy:

We spend billions of dollars helping nations all over the World but with hurricane Sandy and Oklahoma tornado not one nation helped us!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2013

However, I wonder how that statement from the Atlantic City casino billionaire can possibly be true. I do know that aid poured in from nations around the world to my region in the wake of the horrifying 2005 Hurricane Katrina strike on New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

You can always get a retweet out of The Donald by appealing to his ego with flattery:

“@aliyuaminuahmed: @realdonaldtrump @bobbysoo80 Donal J. Trump is a good Presidential candidate – he has answers. Thanks, very nice!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2013

But does Donald Trump really have answers?

Is a 2016 Trump presidential race really in the works?

[Donald Trump photo by lev radin / Shutterstock.com]

Donald Trump For President: His Over-The-Top Tweets Reveal His Policies is a post from: The Inquisitr

Courtney Love has looked to help Amanda Bynes through his recent streak of trouble by telling the former child star to “pull it together.”

Kurt Cobain’s widow posted a message via her Twitter page at 12:26 AM that read, “@AmandaBynes pull it together dude.” However, Love’s message, which was clearly intended to help out the actress, unfortunately wasn’t taken in the right spirit by Bynes’ own loyal flock of fans.

One user, @curtisjsama, wrote, “LMAAAO your s**** f***** up when Courtney Love think you’re a mess.” Whilst another follower, @jrabbitmusic, stated, “you know you’re in a downward spiral when @Courtney is telling you to get ur s*** together lolz @AmandaBynes.”

Love herself has had a rather tumultuous past of her own. She has battled various drug and alcohol addictions and , according to Mstarz.com, “reportedly even abused substances while pregnant.”

However, the singer has since learned from his previous misdemeanours and has been clean and sober for several years. This hasn’t stopped her from unleashing a torrent of horrid tweets though since signing up to the social network.

In 2011 she was sued by a fashion designer for a series of derogatory tweets, and her own daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, has even stated that her mother shouldn’t be allowed near Twitter. However, much like her mother, Frances Bean isn’t one to shy away from an online confrontation, having partaken in her own battle with Kendal Jenner last week.

It’s been a rather bizarre week for Bynes. She was arrested last week on charges of reckless endangerment  and criminal possession of marijuana, before embarking on a one way twitter battle with pop star, Rihanna.

She has since posted this long and rambling message to offer her point of view of the ordeal: ”For once and for all, this is the last thing I’ll say about the mistaken arrest. I’m suing NYPD for illegally entering my apartment, lying about drugs on me and lying about me tampering with non existent drug paraphernalia, then I’m suing for being put into a mental hospital against my will, then locked up overnight for coming home after a facial and working out with my trainer like the good girl that I am.

The post continues, “I’m allergic to alcohol and drugs and don’t partake in any of the above. I’m so offended by all of this but so proud to not be a drug or alcohol user. I don’t need to talk about this anymore. My lawyer and I are taking this offense so seriously!

“Everything they did was against the law and The judge saw that there was no drugs on me or proof of any type of bong or mental illness (I was so offended to even be taken to a mental hospital and they would not let me call my lawyer until the next day after being in jail all night, then I went to court and was immediately released because the judge saw that I was wrongly arrested. The cops found no proof of any type of drug use or evidence of drug paraphernalia such as a bong in or around my apartment)”

Before concluding, “I’m also suing my apartment complex for lying about me smoking in my building. I’m free forever! You can’t lock up an innocent person! Thanks for caring! Look forward to seeing me in music videos! I’m getting in shape and getting a nose job! I’m looking forward to a long and wonderful career as a singer/rapper!”

What do you think of Amanda Bynes?

[Image via s_bukley/Shutterstock]

Courtney Love Tells Amanda Bynes To ‘Pull It Together’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

The mother of Baby 59 has been identified. The 22-year-old Chinese woman claims that her son fell into the sewer pipe accidentally. The new mother reported the incident immediately. However, she did not reveal her identity as the child’s mother, until she was confronted by authorities.

The mother, who has not been named, reportedly lived in the building where the newborn was recovered from a sewer pipe. She was young, pregnant, and unmarried. As reported by ABC News, she hid the pregnancy from her parents out of shame.

The mother of Baby 59 explained that she was using the restroom when the child unexpectedly slipped out and fell down the toilet. She states that she tried to retrieve him, but he fell out of reach.

She informed the building’s landlord that she suspected a baby was in the sewer pipe. However, she failed to identify herself as the mother.

Emergency crews were called to the building. Chinese firefighters eventually recovered the newborn from an L-joint section of the sewer pipe, which was only three inches in diameter.

As reported by USA Today, the section of pipe was removed at the apartment building. The firefighters took the section, with the baby inside, to the hospital. Upon arrival, the newborn was extracted from the pipe using saws and pliers.

Baby 59 is reportedly recovering and doing well. He is currently being kept in incubator number 59, which led to his nickname.

The mother of Baby 59 suffered complications from the birth and is currently hospitalized in serious condition. Authorities searched her apartment and recovered baby toys and towels covered in blood.

When questioned, the mother admitted that the baby was hers. She explained that she initially wanted to have an abortion but could not afford one. The mother contends that the incident was accidental and she is sorry her child ended up in the pipe.

Local authorities are reportedly handling the incident as an accident. The mother of Baby 59 has not mentioned whether she wishes to retain custody of her son.

[Image via Flickr]

Mother Of Baby 59: Son Fell In Sewer Pipe Accidentally is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Vine wedding proposal has went viral after Los Angeles resident Curt Buthman proposed to girlfriend Marsha Collier.

In his Tweet Curt wrote:

“I love you! #WillYouMarryMe <3 #custserv”

While proposing in 140 characters or less is nothing new, the message was accompanied by a Vine video.

The entire proposal went down on May 28, 2013 and as you might expect Marsha said yes!

So why would Buthman use the hashtag #custserv? It turns out his girlfriend created that hashtag in 2009 and it has since become a popular Twitter chat.

After viewing the message Collier tells HuffPost:

“I was trying to run the #custserv chat and then my mind totally froze.”

Her mind only froze for a few moments before she quickly tweeted the following message:

Um, uh, YES @curtbuthman – I will MARRY YOU! #custserv

— Marsha Collier (@MarshaCollier) May 29, 2013

We know you want to see the final product so here’s Curt Buthman’s Vine wedding proposal:

@marshacollier I love you! #WillYouMarryMe<3 #custserv shrd.by/opFrXY

— Curt Buthman (@curtbuthman) May 29, 2013

So is this the new medium for wedding proposals? I mean we meet people online to date, we chat online with our significant others, why not outsource our proposals as well. Okay maybe that’s taking it a bit too far on a mass scale. On the other hand the happy couple did receive a great reception to the proposal.

Here are a few responses that popped up after Marsha Collier said yes:

SHE SAID YES!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY! 4 #LOVE RT @marshacollier Um, uh, YES @curtbuthman – I will MARRY YOU! #custserv

— LoriMoreno (@LoriMoreno) May 29, 2013

#Twitter History! RT @curtbuthman @marshacollier I love you! #WillYouMarryMe <3 #custserv shrd.by/opFrXY cc @roncorning it was live

— Social✽Fly (@ABHuret) May 29, 2013

And one more:

Congrats!!! The Vine is awesome!! “@marshacollier: Sorry for the delay – @curtbuthman just brought the ring into my office #custserv”

— Caty Kobe (@catykobe) May 29, 2013

So what do you think about the Vine wedding proposal?

Vine Wedding Proposal Goes Viral is a post from: The Inquisitr

Canada fell to Costa Rica 1-0 in an international soccer friendly at Commonwealth Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The Canadians lacked significant cutting edge in the final third of the pitch and were shut out in front of a sparse crowd of less than 10,00o in Edmonton.

Jairo Arrieta scored on a penalty shot 15 minutes into the contest and that goal held up as the game winner for the Costa Ricans.

Canadian interim coach Colin Miller was nevertheless satisfied with his team’s display but admitted that the circumstances leading up to the match were less than perfect.

“It’s not been ideal preparations, but the performance here tonight shows that we are moving forward,” he said. I thought this was a very positive performance in possession.

“Some guys put in terrific performances. I’m hoping that with some of our senior guys, some of the MLS and European guys who were not available tonight, that we have the nucleus of something positive moving forward.”

Canada lined up with a plethora of youngsters in the squad and had to make due with only one practice together before the game and their unfamiliarity with each other was evident in the early going.

Samuel Piette missed the ball completely and hauled down Arrieta in the penalty area. The Costa Rican forward composed himself before beating Milan Borjan from the spot to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Canada created some good opportunities following the goal but Issey Nakajima-Farran and Randy Edwini-Bonsu could not convert.

It was more of the same in the second half as Canada could not hit the target. Tempers started to flare late in the game and both teams were reduced to ten men after Christopher Meneses and Nik Ledgerwood clashed near the corner flag.

Canada was not able create any decent chances in the final 10 minutes as they fell 1-0 to Costa Rica in what was hopefully a learning experience for the young squad.

Canada Loses To Costa Rica In International Friendly is a post from: The Inquisitr

Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson reportedly chased Justin Bieber back to his home after he allegedly saw the singer racing a white Ferrari around the gated Calabasas, Los Angeles community where they both live.

However, vastly conflicting accounts have emerged over who was driving the vehicle. An unnamed source told Radar Online that the rapper-producer Tyler, The Creator — full name, Tyler Gregory Okonma — was driving the Ferrari and not Bieber.

TMZ maintain that Johnson “clearly saw” Bieber behind the wheel. The website also claims law enforcement officials have said “multiple witnesses” report the same.

Johnson’s agent, Jerome Stanley, reportedly told TMZ his client was: ”Very, very livid,” and that, “Keyshawn is taking the situation very seriously.”

The agent added: “He wants Justin to slow down and be a responsible neighbor.

When asked if Johnson would continue to help police with their investigation, Stanley replied:

“Keyshawn is a law-abiding citizen and he’ll do whatever it takes to help the authorities.”

Bieber is alleged to have driven at freeway speeds in a 25 mph zone, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore.

Whitmore said police received two separate calls from two witnesses claiming the Canadian singer was driving at high speeds. The incident is alleged to have occurred at around 8 pm on Monday, May 27.

Johnson says he was outside with his three-year-old daughter when Bieber is alleged to have sped past. The 40-year-old reportedly immediately got into his Prius and tailed the teen star to his property to confront him.

On arriving at Bieber’s home, Johnson told police he put his arm out to stop the garage door from closing while telling the 19-year-old he wanted to talk to him.

The singer reportedly quickly went inside his house without speaking to the ex-NFL star. Deputies who attended at the star’s home were similarly turned away at the door.

Whitmore said: “His security detail said he [Bieber] declined to talk to us based on the advice of counsel.”

Police officers at the scene spoke to two witnesses, including Johnson, before filing a report with investigating detectives. Of the witnesses, Whitmore said:

“Their eyewitness testimony to our deputies was definitive — not only the speed, not only the vehicle, but Bieber was sitting and driving in the driver’s side seat.”

Another former NFL legend Eric Dickerson, who also lives in Calabasas, offered his opinion, tweeting:

Hey @justinbieber I use to have a white Ferrari too, but I knew the speed limit in neighborhoods where kids played. twitter.com/EricDickerson/…

— Eric Dickerson (@EricDickerson) May 28, 2013

Sheriff’s deputies intend to present a reckless driving report to the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office to consider filing misdemeanor charges within the next two weeks.

Prosecutors are also mulling whether to charge Bieber for battery in a separate incident after another Calabasas neighbor claimed the teen heartthrob spat and threatened him.

“We take this very seriously and if this actually did occur, which it appears that it did, it is unacceptable behavior from anybody, anywhere, anytime,” Whitmore said.

TMZ is reporting that sources close to Bieber’s team have told the D.A.’s office that they have a witness prepared to swear on oath that the singer did not spit on the neighbor.

Meanwhile Bieber, who is currently on a break before the North American leg of his Believe tour resumes from June 22, attended an ice hockey game with a few friends at L.A’s Staples Center on Tuesday.

great night. #hockey. love u @thatrygood #family twitter.com/justinbieber/s…

— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) May 29, 2013

Justin Bieber Chased By ‘Livid’ Keyshawn Johnson, Or Was It Tyler The Creator? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tuesday’s Disneyland explosion in Toontown thankfully caused no injuries — and police are investigating the cause of the “loud bang” that frightened parkgoers before the evacuation following the blast.

The Disneyland explosion was traced back to a trash can that contained dry ice in a bottle, and was called in to Anaheim police at about 5:30 PM Tuesday. All Disney guests in the area remained safe from the explosion, and no damage to Toontown resulted.

On Twitter, an official Disney account tweeted that indeed “a small bang” had been reported, and that “in an abundance of caution, the area was evacuated.”

Guest Vanessa Vasquez was visiting Toontown with her family when the “startling” Disneyland explosion occurred, and she describes what happened next:

“Just a big boom and the trash can exploding … the lid coming up, people were at a standstill … It was kind of a little scary when I saw the whole area [was like] ghost town.”

Fellow guest Allen Wolf was over by Toontown’s City Hall when the Disneyland explosion happened, and he described the noise as “louder than a gunshot.”

Wolf added:

“I looked up. Everyone stopped and looked up … Security surrounded the trash cans then told everyone they were evacuating.”

The official word from the Mouse on the Disneyland explosion last night was posted to Twitter, where the park tweeted:

“This afternoon, a small bang was heard in a trash can at Mickey’s Toontown. In an abundance of caution, the area was evacuated. There were no injuries and no reported damage. We are working with local authorities who are now on-site and reviewing.”

Two hours after the Disneyland explosion, Toontown was reopened to guests. Local cops admitted that such explosives are “very common” in the area, but it was not immediately clear whether the small blast was accidental or intentional.

Disneyland Explosion Caused By Dry Ice is a post from: The Inquisitr

The blood of an extinct Siberian woolly mammoth has been found, with the photographic evidence provided to Wednesday’s The Siberian Times. The Ice Age era mammal, related to our modern elephants, vanished about 4,000 years ago, but preserved specimens are rather frequently discovered in the retreating glaciers of once-frozen Russian Siberia.

Entire animals, including specimens that still have preserved flowers and other items in their stomachs, have been found flash-frozen in Siberia before. On rare occasions, the meat has been found preserved so well that it’s safe enough to eat — although in this case the fresh meat is going to be studied by scientists, not consumed by hungry Siberians.

What really makes the new find striking is that the 10,000-year old female’s blood had flowed into frozen ice cavities, where it was still fresh enough to flow again when the team broke into the pockets of ice.

At the time of the discovery on Novosibirsk Islands, the temperature was less than 10 degrees Celcius — about 14 degrees Fahrenheit and comfortably below freezing. That makes it doubly odd that the blood could still flow.

Semyon Grigoriev, head of the Museum of Mammoths, said, “It can be assumed that the blood of mammoths had some cryo-protective properties.”

According to The Siberian Times, the Yakutsk, Russia team has already partnered with South Korean scientists who plan to study the blood, learn the DNA sequencing, and eventually clone living specimens of the long-extinct beasts.

It might seem like a prequel to Jurassic Park, but foreign experts will be allowed to examine the specimen in July and verify the find for skeptics in the rest of the world.

The Russian and South Korean team had previously tried to clone the mammoth in September 2012, but the specimen they used then didn’t have enough living cells. The effort failed.

The new find may put fresh blood into the Siberian woolly mammoth cloning effort.

[Woolly mammoths in Europe as they might have looked in life painting by Mauricio Antón and the 2008 Public Library of Science via Creative Commons]

[blood in test tube photo by luchschen via Shutterstock]

Mammoth Blood Found, Cloning Extinct Species May Soon Be Possible is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kate Upton has appeared in magazines like Sports Illustrated and Vogue but you won’t see any photos of her in Victoria’s Secret. Well, at least not any new ones. Upton is  furious with the catalog for publishing photos of her that were taken in 2011.

Upton and Victoria’s Secret have a bit of a feud going. According to Yahoo News, the feud started when the company’s casting director said that Victoria’s Secret would never use Upton because she’s “too obvious” and looks like a “footballer’s wife.”

Sophia Neophitou said: “We would never use Kate . . . She’s like a footballer’s wife, with the too-blond hair and that kind of face that anyone with enough money can go out and buy.”

When photos surfaced yesterday of Kate Upton on the back cover of the Victoria’s Secret catalog it looked like Upton and Victoria’s Secret had buried the hatchet. Rumors even started circulating that Upton could become the next Victoria’s Secret Angel.

Well, that probably isn’t going to happen. The NY Post reports that the the photos didn’t come from a recent photoshoot. They came from 2011 before Upton was badmouthed by the company. On top of that, VS never contacted Upton about using the photos.

A source said: “Kate’s not currently contracted to work with Victoria’s Secret, and they didn’t contact her before they used these images.”

Now Upton is furious with Victoria’s Secret.

Back in 2011, Kate Upton was still doing the Dougie and trying to capitalize on her viral fame. Since then, she’s become one of the most sought after models on the planet. Are you surprised that Victoria’s Secret used Upton’s photo for their new catalog?

Kate Upton Furious With Victoria’s Secret is a post from: The Inquisitr

Hugh Jackman has said he wants the X-Men and the Avengers to work together.

Of all the actors in the X-Men films, the one who appears in all of them is Hugh Jackman. Let’s face it, his character the Wolverine is one of the most iconic in the X-Men universe. One of his dreams is a little improbable, though. He wants to see a live-action movie where the X-Men and the Avengers team up.

This is a problem because the two teams are owned by rival film studios. Marvel Studios owns The Avengers and its accompanying films. 20th Century Fox owns the X-Men franchise.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the character Quicksilver is being cast in the upcoming films for both studios, and it’s raising a lot of controversy and potential legal issues. X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer had gone on Twitter to state that before Quicksilver was an Avenger, he was just a really fast kid.  Combine this with the fact that Quicksilver had a nameless cameo in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as a kid in a cage, and it was enough to probably get The Avengers director Joss Whedon upset. Joss Whedon wants Quicksilver as well, saying that the character was an Avenger in the comics when he was a kid.

Recent Marvel Comics properties have reverted to Marvel Studios ownership due to a lack of interest in the films already made, such as Daredevil and Ghostrider, so Hugh Jackman’s wish could come true if X-Men films just stop bringing sales. The chances of that happening are slim, though.

Hugh Jackman said:

“One of the great things about this movie is that a lot of people from Marvel are here and it seems a lot more inclusive than it has been in the past. One of the great things about this movie is that a lot of people from Marvel are here and it seems a lot more inclusive than it has been in the past. I don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes, but I think it’s fantastic. I actually just asked the other day, I said, ‘I don’t know what the legal situation is, but why don’t these companies come together? Why isn’t it possible?’ Because personally, I would love to mix it up with Robert Downey Jr and Iron Man and kick his ass. It’d be great.”

What do you think of Hugh Jackman’s hopes for the X-Men and Avengers? Can 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios ever work together and make it happen?

‘X-Men’ Star Hugh Jackman Wants Teams To Do Crossover is a post from: The Inquisitr

Apple CEO Tim Cook took to the stage at AllThingD’s D Conference on Tuesday night and he spoke about everything Apple.

During his talk part of the discussion turned towards Apple’s lack of  an iPhone model with a bigger display size.

Cook was quick to point out that Apple is not adverse to a larger display size, the company simply doesn’t believe technology is available that matches an Apple customers needs.

According to Cook, ”a large screen today comes with a lot of tradeoffs.”

Among the tradeoffs of a bigger screen is more battery power, colors displaying incorrectly, and a darker overall output.

Cook says Apple will continue to watch technology changes and weigh all display size variables as technology meets the company’s stringent quality guidelines. Cook says ultimately Apple engineers will “come out with a decision” when the time is right.

Apple has long maintained that it does not implement certain technologies because the tech doesn’t meet the company’s focus on perfection and mass appeal. For example, NFC technology, a new payment and data transfer platform has yet to make its way onto Apple based devices.

Tim Cook also notes that the company is currently very interested in wearable technology, although he believes Google Glass is ultimately a niche product that likely won’t receive mass appeal.

During his talk Tim Cook also touched upon Apple TV and its 6 million sales year-over-year. Apple TV has now moved 13 million Apple TV units.

Apple shareholders have not been happy with the company’s performance lately, a fact that could lead the company to adopting new technologies at a faster rate.

Are you among the Apple iPhone users who want a bigger display size along the lines of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC smartphones?

You can watch Tim Cook’s full AllThingsD talk here:

Apple iPhone Displays Won’t Get Bigger Until Technology Is Better, Tim Cook Says is a post from: The Inquisitr

NASA has awarded Systems and Material Research Corporation (SMRC) in Austin Texas a $125,000 grant to develop 3D printed food. The product will ultimately be sent into space in order to more efficiently feed NASA astronauts.

NASA has long battled with the restrictions of dehydrated foods. For example, there is limited space aboard spacecraft and there are no refrigeration facilities.

At this time NASA only places enough food on its spacecraft to meet time requirements plus a little extra in case of emergencies. Shuttles that will remain in orbit for long periods of time can lead to high food costs since rockets must be dispatched to deliver more goods.

The goal at SMRC is to create a prototype that can “synthesize” healthy and tasty food.

The team plans to use 3d printing to provide macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein and fat. SMRC would then use inkjet printing to provide flavor, smell and micronutrients which include vitamins and minerals.

SMRC is currently working on its 3D food printer with food scientists at North Carolina State University.

If the 3D food printer becomes a reality there will no longer be a need for fully pre-packaged meals. Instead NASA would send generic and basic ingredients into space, at which point they will be printed into a fully edible meal.

Astronauts have long complained about the MRE’s they take into space, that means the real challenge for SMRC might not be creating 3D printed food but also creating meals that don’t make astronauts yearn for a trip back to Earth for a home cooked meal.

SMRC isn’t the only company working on 3D food printers but it is the only company at the moment that may soon be feeding NASA astronauts with the new technology.

Do you think SMRC will be successful in creating 3D printed food?

NASA Awards Grant To Create 3D Food Printer is a post from: The Inquisitr

A beaver killed an elderly fisherman in Europe earlier this year and now the Forestry Ministry believes that they know the reason: Beavers are aggressive.

According to MSNBC, the 60-year-old fisherman, whose name has not been released, was driving to Shestakovskoye Lake in Belarus when he spotted a beaver at the side of the road. The man stopped to take a photograph of the animal and ended up with fatal bite wounds on his leg.

The beaver bit the fisherman and hit a major artery in his leg. The man’s friends tried to stop the bleeding as they drove him to a nearby clinic but the man died before arriving at the hospital.

Village doctor Leonty Sulim said: “The character of the wound was totally shocking for us medical professionals … We had never run into anything like this before.”

The beaver population has more than tripled in the last decade and encounters with humans have grown increasingly common. The Forestry Ministry said that it has seen a rash of beaver attacks this year as the animals have moved into more populated areas.

The Ministry believes that young beavers are sent away from lakes and rivers in order to establish a territory. When humans encroach on their territory, beavers can become aggressive and may attack.

The Ministry also said that Beavers are largely nocturnal and can be disoriented in the daytime. Viktor Kozlovsky, a wildlife expert, said that beavers may attack out of fear when they are approached in the daytime.

The Forest Ministry has been encouraging beaver hunting in Belarus to curb the population growth but hunters have shown little interest in hunting the animal. Spokesman Alexander Kozores said that “beaver hunting holds little sporting interest” since they are such easy targets.

Here’s a video of another beaver attack that occurred earlier this year in Russia.

Beaver Kills Fisherman In Europe is a post from: The Inquisitr

The FBI raided a child porn operation in November, but instead of shutting it down the agency continued to operate the image sharing operation to nab thousands of pedophiles.

Nebraska-based agents raided the large child pornography service in November in the hopes of catching users who were swapping thousands of images of children being raped and abused. For the next two weeks the FBI ran the child porn operation while collecting information on the more than 5,000 customers.

The approach signals a departure for the FBI in trying to stamp out child porn distribution. Agents have previously posed as child porn dealers, but it doesn’t appear the agency has ever allowed for child porn to be distributed under its watch.

There was not much information available on the Nebraska investigation, including what charges may come out of it.

“This remains an ongoing investigation, and local court rules and Department of Justice policy prohibit me from providing more information at this time,” said Sandy Breault, spokeswoman for the FBI Omaha Division. “As in any given matter, if charges are filed, they will eventually become a matter of public record.”

The news of the FBI child porn sting comes a few weeks after a successful manhunt for a child porn suspect. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency released photos shared by Danish authorities of a man believed to be raping a young girl on tape.

Close to 24 hours after releasing images of the balding, portly suspect, authorities received a tip that led to his arrest.

The child porn operation seized by the FBI was described as an online bulletin board that primarily advertised sharing of child pornography. When it was shut down, the site known as “Website A” had more than 5,600 users and 24,000 posts, almost all of them relating to child pornography. At least 10,000 photos of children being sexually abused were shared, authorities said.

Posts on the site also shared information about raping children, including threads like “How to lure a child in my car,” “Meeting other pedos in real life,” and “Do kids LIKE anal sex?”Other posts on the child porn site seized by the FBI offered information on how to avoid detection from police.

FBI Seizes, Runs Child Porn Operation To Nab 5,000 Pedophiles is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wal-Mart has plead guilty and admitted to dumping hazardous waste in numerous locations throughout the US. The settlement included an agreement to pay $81 million in damages.

The criminal lawsuits, filed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Kansas City, Missouri, claim that Wal-Mart employees disposed of toxic waste illegally. The dumping reportedly included “every single Wal-Mart in the country.”

As employees never received proper training, they reportedly disposed of the hazardous materials improperly. Waste was either placed into trash bins, poured into public sewers, or transported elsewhere, without proper containment or documentation.

As reported by USA Today, Wal-Mart retail stores continued to improperly dispose of toxic waste until 2006. Between 2006 and 2008 Wal-Mart admitted improper transport of hazardous materials to a recycling center in Missouri.

Assistant attorney general Ignacia Moreno, with The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, explains why this is unacceptable:

“By improperly handling hazardous waste, pesticides and other materials in violation of federal laws, Wal-Mart put the public and the environment at risk and gained an unfair economic advantage over other companies.”

Wal-Mart plead guilty to the criminal charges, including violation of the Clean Water Act. As reported by KTVU News, the charges specified 16 counties in California alone, where Wal-Mart improperly disposed of toxic waste.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan explains that Wal-Mart has taken steps to assure the mistakes will not continue. All previous and newly hired employees are trained in the proper handling and disposal of hazardous waste.

Buchanan points out that Wal-Mart hired a team, specifically dedicated to environmental compliance. The team of around 50 employees will oversee future training and monitor compliance.

The investigation into the allegations began nearly 10 years ago when an employee was observed pouring bleach down the drain in a retail store.

Wal-Mart has plead guilty, bringing an end to the extensive investigation and prosecution. The fines are hefty, but Wal-Mart spokeswoman Buchanan states that they are happy it is over and ready to move forward.

[Image via Wikimedia]

Wal-Mart Pleads Guilty: Admits Dumping Hazardous Waste is a post from: The Inquisitr

Neymar is relishing his move to Barcelona after putting pen to paper on a five-year deal with the Spanish Liga champions.

The Brazilian striker completed a protracted transfer saga when he chose Barcelona over Real Madrid on the weekend and the 21 year old can’t wait to get started for his new club.

“I have butterflies in my stomach, this is a dream come true,” he said. “I still feel it but I’ll be fulfilling my dream of playing with great players like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Dani Alves and others.”

Neymar bid an emotional farewell to his boyhood club Santos on Monday in the 0-0 draw with Flamengo, shedding some tears during the national anthem moments before kick off.

Neymar admitted that leaving the club he has called home for nine years will be difficult but revealed that he is ready for his new European adventure.

“It was a tough decision but I decided together with my family,” he revealed. “They helped me out amazingly. It’s a dream come true, I’m very happy.

“At the same time it’s sad because I am leaving a team that I also love. I’m ready to seize the moment.”

It is not yet known when Neymar will leave for Barcelona but it’s likely he’ll wait until the end of the Confederations Cup, which is to be held in Brazil from June 15-30.

Neymar is expected to play a starring role for Brazil as the national team looks to win the tournament for a third consecutive time.

The youngster is excited to start his career overseas but stated that he is focused on helping Brazil defend the title in two weeks.

“I’m very eager to get there but now I have to concentrate on the Confederations Cup and lead Brazil to the top.”

Neymar will be keen to showcase his talents during the competition and prove to the world why Barcelona fought so hard to secure his services.

Neymar Ready To ‘Seize The Moment’ At Barcelona is a post from: The Inquisitr

As a doctor stops insurance coverage, Obamacare might be making many medical offices pondering whether they should consider a similar move.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Dr. Michael Ciampi is the doctor who stopped insurance coverage and then went on to tell the world why he did it.

Ciampi is now charging $50 for a doctor’s visit and $150 for a full physical. Ciampi explains that doctors stopping insurance coverage allows them to eliminate the insurance paperwork and improve both patient care and the bottom line:

“I’m freed up to do what I think is right for the patients. If I’m providing them a service that they value, they can pay me, and we cut the insurance out as the middleman and cut out a lot of the expense. I’ve been able to cut my prices in half because my overhead will be so much less … If more doctors were able to do this, that would be real health care reform. That’s when we’d see the cost of medicine truly go down.”

As this doctor stops insurance coverage, insurers all over the country are forecasting huge premium increases due to Obamacare when the full law goes into effect in 2014 and all of America’s workers are forced to purchase private health insurance coverage. Doctors are not liking this medical forecast because insurance companies do not negotiate with physicians. It’s all take-it-or-leave-it contracts.

A doctor’s income is what the office takes in payments minus expenses or overhead. Physician overhead cover many things but the most  expensive cost is the staff necessary to handle insurance coverage. About 20 to 30 years ago this cost used to be around 15 to 30 percent of revenue. Now for many doctors this insurance overhead has grown to an outstanding 60 percent or more, with more staff being hired to handle the quickly enlarging piles of paperwork required by Obamacare.

To top it off, Medicare is beginning to cap payments while the overhead costs remain the same, or worsen. So doctors may stop insurance coverage from Medicare just because they’d see a huge drop in their annual income.

As a personal example, I’ll tell you a tale of two doctors who I know personally. One chiropractor takes insurance, charges around $60 per visit with a $10 co-pay, and has four staff members. The other chiropractor stopped insurance coverage, charges $49 a month for four visits, and only has one staff member.

As a doctor stops insurance coverage, do you think changes need to be done to Obamacare and America’s medical system?

Doctor Stops Insurance Coverage, Obamacare May Force More To Follow is a post from: The Inquisitr

Steven Seagal was part of a congressional trip to Chechnya that was canceled at the last minute.

Officially known as CODEL, the trip was part of the House committee’s investigation into the Boston bombings. The brothers who plotted and executed the attack grew up in the Kalmykia region of Russia. The Under Siege star was reportedly very interested in tagging along.

According to the Daily Beast, Steven Seagal “facilitated” the trip to Chechnya through his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, lawmakers decided to cancel the trip since they didn’t feel comfortable traveling with Putin through this region of the country.

“The CODEL’s visit to Chechnya was facilitated by Steven Seagal. He has an established friendship with Putin and others in the Russian government and assisted in accommodating the CODEL’s request to visit the region,” Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s spokeswoman explained.

Politico reports that the delegation wasn’t exactly comfortable with the trip to Chechnya planned by Steven Seagal. Since Putin doesn’t have the cleanest human rights record on the books, many felt the journey could be potentially dangerous.

According to ANI, the delegation headed to Russia includes Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Bill Keating (D-Mass), Steve King (R-Iowa), Paul Cook (R-Calif.), and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.).

Steven Seagal and Vladimir Putin have developed a pretty tight friendship over the years. The prolific action movie star made the journey to Russia earlier this year to help Putin open a martial arts center designed to help get kids active and in shape.

“Putin and Seagal have long been friends, and they regularly meet each other,” a spokesperson for the Russian President explained. They also reportedly had lunch together before attending a local judo competition.

Members of the delegation who were headed to Russia have declined to comment on the situation. The actor’s representatives also had nothing to say regarding the CODEL trip.

What do you think about Steven Seagal planning a trip to Chechnya?

[Image via cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com]

Steven Seagal Planned Trip To Chechnya is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sony’s president took to Twitter to troll everyone about DRM.

After Sony started following Microsoft’s example with the Xbox One, planning for DRM with the PlayStation 4 to control the use of pre-owned games, Twitter campaigned against it using the hashtag #PS4noDRM. The ability to freely play used games is a big deal for gamers who can’t afford to buy the games at the brand new price, and Microsoft received a ton of outrage over it. One game store chain known for accepting used game trade-ins, GameStop, is circling the drain after investors dropped about 20 percent of their stocks in the company within a day of the announcement of their involvement.

Gamers don’t want DRM (digital rights management) clouding the enjoyment of their brand spanking new console. We want to pay just once for used games. Used games are supposed to be a discount, not an extra cost, as the general consensus has shown.

At first, Sony took to Twitter to let PlayStation 4 fans know they were listening. Now Sony president Shahid Kamal Ahmad has taken to trolling the fans.

Yesterday it was announced that a current generation update of Death Ray Manta would be coming to PlayStation Vita, and its initials just happen to be DRM. Death Ray Manta is a game that’s been on Android and iOS for some time and seen success as a simple arcade-style shooter. It involves a sea-going creature that shoots lasers with gameplay similar to Smash TV and Robotron.

Sony’s president saw the similarity right away as Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida retweeted the announcement of an Inquisitr article by yours truly. As a joke, he replied, “@yosp That’s right Shuhei, we are going to have “DRM” on PlayStation Vita. “

@yosp That’s right Shuhei, we are going to have “DRM” on PlayStation Vita.

— Shahid Kamal Ahmad (@shahidkamal) May 29, 2013

The good news is that if Sony is joking about it, it proves they’re listening and might not use DRM (digital rights management, that is) on PlayStation 4 after all.

What do you think of Sony trolling Twitter about DRM?

Sony President Trolls Twitter Over DRM is a post from: The Inquisitr