‘Dancing With The Stars’: Derek Hough Explains Why He Decided to Return for Season 20

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‘Dancing With The Stars’: Derek Hough Explains Why He Decided to Return for Season 20
Derek Hough Instagram/ derekhough

Derek Hough and Nastia Liukin

Christian Post Report – “Dancing with the Stars” season 20 premiered with a bang last Monday as the celebrity contestants and their pro partners took to the glitter-strewn dance floor to vie for the golden Mirror Ball Trophy. Though many were disappointed that DWTS vets Karina Smirnoff and Cheryl Burke have left to pursue other endeavors, fans of Derek Hough were happy to see the 29-year-old back on the dance floor and dancing with Olympic gold gymnast Nastia Liukin.

Many were not expecting to see Hough this season as the dancer previously announced that he wouldn’t be in the show due to his commitment with Radio City Music Hall’s “New York Spring Spectacular.” In a blog post for TV Guide, Hough explained why he decided to come back for the 20th season and 10th anniversary of DWTS.

“When I initially decided to sit out this season, I meant it,” Hough wrote. “I had this great opportunity with ‘New York Spring Spectacular’ and I felt like it was time for a break from the show. But as time went on, I realized that I wanted to be part of the 20th season anniversary.”

The dancer revealed that at a certain point, he felt disappointed about not being part of the show. Upon checking his schedule, he realized that he had Mondays and Tuesdays off and told DWTS producers, “Maybe I can work this in, fly in for the Monday shows, fly back to New York Tuesday and rehearse there for the week.”

Hough said that the producers agreed to work with his schedule if they could “find the right person” to partner him. The dancer also revealed that Liukin was not originally his partner and that he was supposed to dance with someone else, though he did not reveal the name of that celebrity.

“Originally, I was supposed to be dancing with someone else and at the last minute, she pulled out. I’m not sure what happened,” he continued. “Then like two days later, they called and said, ‘We found somebody based in New York who is willing to do the travel.’ Nastia is at NYU right now, so she has to be here in New York as well, not just because of me. We met and we hit it off. It was serendipitous and meant to be.”

Hough and Liukin’s foxtrot last Monday placed them third on the leaderboard, behind top scorers Rumer Willis and Valentin Chmerkovskiy and second placers Ryker Lynch and Allison Holker. Hough and Liukin are among the favorites to win the Mirror Ball Trophy this season.

“Dancing with the Stars” airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Source : Christian Post

Kentucky Wildcats vs Hampton Pirates Live Stream: Watch NCAA March Madness Online Free

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Kentucky Wildcats vs Hampton Pirates Live Stream: Watch NCAA March Madness Online Free
Wildcats Mark Zerof, USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky Wildcats celebrate in a game.

Christian Post Report – Kentucky look to continue their domination in the NCAA as they play Hampton in the second round of the Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament. The game is on March 19, 2015 and tip-off is at 9:40 p.m. ET.

With a seat on the third round up for grabs, 16th-seeded Hampton will try to do what no one has done so far and beat the Wildcats.

Prior to setting their date against Kentucky, Hampton had to face Manhattan in the first round. The Pirates showed that they can make a splash in the competition with the victory, anchored by three of their starting players scoring in double digits.

Most impressive was Quinton Chievous, who scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the victory. He also shot 7-of-12 from the field while helping the team force the Jaspers to 17 total turnovers.

In the 74-64 win, Manhattan shot an impressive 49 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, Kentucky secured their top seed after beating 21st-seeded Arkansas 78-63. The Wildcats won the Southeastern Conference title after going a perfect 34-0.

In their last game, Willie Cauley-Stein and Andrew Harrison led the team in scoring with 15 points each.

Forward Karl-Anthony Towns may have only scored eight points, but he grabbed four rebounds, dished out two assists and blocked a pair of shots in only 19 minutes of play.

The freshman is heavily considered as one of the players to watch in the tournament as Kentucky try to go for glory.

With their 34-0 record, many claim that Kentucky can go all the way and win the championship. If they do, they will be the first team to go unbeaten since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers.

And their trademark defense stifles opponents as they are ranked third best in scoring defense – only allowing 54 points per game.

For live stats and updates, visit ESPN.com. To watch this second round match, click here.

Source : Christian Post

Kate Middleton Reveals Due Date

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Kate Middleton Reveals Due Date
Kate Middleton Instagram/ kensingtonroyal

The Duchess shares a giggle with families supported by Home Start in Greenwich, an organisation which places volunteers with families to provide practical and emotional support.

Christian Post Report – Prince George may have a new sibling in less than a month as Kate Middleton has recently revealed the due date of her second child, rumored to be a girl.

The Duchess of Cambridge broke the good news to volunteers at Brookhill Children’s Centre in Woolwich, where she attended a coffee breakfast before watching a training session and visiting an on-site nursery.

“I told her she is beautiful and that she’s got a tiny little bump,” volunteer Christine Osborne, 49, said to reporters following the royal’s visit. “I asked when the baby is due and she said mid-to-end of April.”

“I couldn’t resist asking, it’s very exciting—and was wonderful to have her here,” Osborne added.

While the Duchess revealed the due date, she did not reveal the gender of her second child.

Wearing a polka dot ASOS maternity dress with black pumps, the 33-year old chatted with parents and children supported by Home Start. The charity recruits and trains volunteers to support parents with at least one child under the age of 5. The charity, which was founded in 1973, helps more than 29,000 families each year who are dealing with a variety of child-related issues.

 “The Duchess had a chat with my little one and she asked about the color of the flowers,” said Marvellous Nyahi, 35. “She asked me why I’m here and I told her I was a supported family at first because I was in a really bad place at the time, but now I have trained to be a Home Start volunteer.”

The Duchess was presented with a card made by the children and a bouquet of flowers. She also received a gift bag for her son, which was embroidered with his name. The bag included an Elmer the Elephant book, a potty-training book, and a color-sorting clock.

Source : Christian Post

Sony’s ‘Pixels’ Trailer Features Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Adam Sandler and Peter Dinklage

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Sony’s ‘Pixels’ Trailer Features Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Adam Sandler and Peter Dinklage
Pixels Pixels/Facebook

Pixels. Facebook image. Dec. 17, 2014.

Christian Post Report – Sony has just released a trailer for its latest sci-fi comedy flick, “Pixels,” starring Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage, Michele Monaghan, Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.

Comedian Adam Sandler will be starring in an 8-bit science fiction and comedy film, “Pixels” which tells a story about earth being overrun by alien versions of Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Sony Pictures has recently released its first trailer for its upcoming Summer 2015 movie showing Sandler and his co-stars defending earth from an invasion of classic 1980s arcade characters.

Sandler plays a former eighties video game champion who teams up with his old gaming nemesis, “Game of Thrones'” Peter Dinklage, “Mission Impossible” actress Michelle Monaghan as a military weapons developer specialist, and the voice of “Frozen” snowman Olaf, Josh Gad as a conspiracy theory-obsessed genius to save the world from giant pixilated 1980s video game characters sent by aliens to destroy earth.

The film shows how NASA launched a time capsule into space containing images and footage of life and culture on Earth, hoping to establish peaceful contact with any extraterrestrial life. Unfortunately, the aliens the capsule reaches misinterpret the message and attack earth using game models it copied from the capsule, including giant pixilated versions of Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.

Sandler and his team are tasked with defeating the video game characters using technology originally used in the games.

“Pixels” also stars Kevin James as the US President, Brian Cox as an admiral, Sean Bean as a general, and Ashley Benson as a character from the 1980s game Dojo Quest.

Chris Columbus directed the film for Columbia Pictures and Sandler’s Happy Madison Production, and it is scheduled for release in theaters in July 24.

Source : Christian Post

’90 Minutes in Heaven’ Author Talks Film Adaptation: I’m Trying to Help People Get Into Heaven

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  • 90 minutes in heaven

Don Piper, who survived what should have been a fatal car accident in 1989, recently opened up about the film being made based on his book, 90 Minutes in Heaven.

Christian Post Report – The film of the same name, which stars Kate Bosworth and Hayden Christensen, follows Piper’s true story of the car accident and his experience in heaven. Although he was initially reluctant to share his story in 90 Minutes in Heaven, Piper told The Christian Post that both the book and the upcoming film is his way of trying to share the experience with others, and more importantly, get them to heaven, too.

“The anticipation of heaven is instant for me,” Piper said while on the set of “90 Minutes in Heaven,” which just wrapped in early March.

“I can’t wait to go back, I didn’t want to come back,” the author continued. “If you have seen it there, you don’t want to be here. I am trying to help people get into heaven and have a better life along the way. I live for that, that makes it a little easier to get up in the morning especially when this body doesn’t want to.”

Almost three decades ago, the ordained minister was crushed by the roof of his car, impaled by the steering wheel, and had both legs crushed by the dashboard. After paramedics found no signs of life, Piper was covered with a tarp while a fellow pastor prayed over his body. All the while, Piper said he was instantly taken to heaven where he experienced a reunion with loved ones and saw the Gates of Heaven. However, the Baptist minister returned to earth, and despite an incredibly difficult recovery, he lived to tell the tale.

“It was a two-year process – therapy, rehabilitation,” Piper explained of his recuperation. “One leg is shorter than the other, I’m shorter on one side than the other, I say [I’m the] the leaning tower of Don. It’s all willpower – this arm won’t straighten out or turn over. When I’m fully clothed, it’s deceptive. Anybody who has read the book, when I walk onstage people are like, ‘Wow.'”

Consequently, Piper acknowledged the “miraculous” healing, giving all credit to God.

“It’s a miraculous thing, I lost four inches of this leg, I had brain damage, I was impaled on steering wheel,” he told CP. “I believe God is still in the miracle business. I know it’s a miracle, everybody who knows the story expects me to be in terrible condition.”

Meanwhile, “90 Minutes in Heaven” is expected in theaters this fall. Stay tuned to The Christian Post for more from Piper on the highly-anticipated film.

Source : Christian Post

HTC One M9 Plus Release Date Delayed? Heavyweight Android Phablet Expected to Launch in April

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HTC One M9 Plus Release Date Delayed? Heavyweight Android Phablet Expected to Launch in April
HTC One M9 Facebook/ HTC One M9

HTC One M9

Christian Post Report – Most HTC and Android fans were left disappointed yesterday when the Taiwanese manufacturer failed to launch its new One M9 Plus phablet.

In fact, there were even no additional details about the device or when it would launch.

Thankfully, a report from GSM Arena stated that the upcoming Android handset would probably be announced in the next couple of months.

The rumor came from leaker @OnLeaks, which has been flooding its Twitter account lately with updates and rumors surrounding upcoming smartphones.

In the report, the leaker revealed a couple of images that allegedly belongs to the unannounced handset.

Based on previous rumors, the One M9 Plus will allegedly boast a 5.2-inch display with QHD or 2K (2560 x 1440) resolution, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal memory.

There are also rumors of a microSD card slot, which the One M9 already has.

In a statement by HTC Americas president Jason Mackenzie, the Taiwanese manufacturer is not moving forward similar to other phone makers.

While the HTC exec did not deliberately mentioned Samsung, his statement was definitely spot on when he mentioned that the company wants to continue offering the microSD card slot.

In addition, Mackenzie also pointed out that HTC aims to provide bigger and better batteries to its upcoming devices.

Regarding the overheating issue which surfaced a couple of days ago, Mackenzie emphasized that HTC would not release or launch any phones if these problems have not been dealt with already.

While HTC and Android fans wait for the One M9 Plus announcement, the One M9 will hit the US on April 10.

Source : Christian Post

Upcoming Sony Phones 2015: Budget Smartphone Xperia E4 Dual Hits Indian Stores

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Upcoming Sony Phones 2015: Budget Smartphone Xperia E4 Dual Hits Indian Stores
Sony Xperia E4 Youtube/ScreenGrab

Sony did not release any new high-end devices during the past few months, and some reports are claiming that the Japanese manufacturer will soon withdraw from the Android competition.

Christian Post Report – However, the phone maker continues to launch its entry-level devices, most of which are bound for the mass market.

According to a report by GSM Arena, Sony is releasing its newest budget phone, the Xperia E4 Dual to India.

In the report, the Xperia E4 Dual will cost around INR 12,490 or about $199, which is pretty affordable for an Android-powered device coming from a trusted manufacturer.

As stated by the model name itself, the device will be able to hold two SIM cards simultaneously on standby. Dual-SIM phones are very popular in developing markets such as China, India and the rest of Southeast Asia.

Unfortunately, the device that will be available will only support 3G connections, and not 4G LTE. That’s another Sony device.

Based on the phone’s announcement in February, the Xperia E4 Dual boasts some pretty decent features such as a 5-inch display with qHD (960 x 540) resolution, a MediaTek MT6582 chipset, quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU clocked at 1.3GHz, and 1GB of RAM.

The device also has Mali-400MP2 GPU to handle the graphics-intensive apps and features.

Other specs include a 5MP rear shooter, a 2MP front-facing camera to handle selfies and video calls, and 8GB of built-in storage that can be expanded through the microSD card slot.

The Xperia E4 Dual runs on a fairly huge 2,300mAh battery, and comes with Android 4.4.4 Kit Kat out of the box.

Source : Christian Post

Windows 10 News: Free Upgrades, No Passwords and Easier Installation

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Windows 10 News: Free Upgrades, No Passwords and Easier Installation
Windows 10 Windows 10/Facebook

Windows 10. Facebook. May 9, 2014.

Christian Post Report – Microsoft has announced that it will be providing free upgrades of its latest upcoming OS, Windows 10, do away with the use of passwords, provide for a faster installation process.

Windows 10, Microsoft’s newest iteration in its family of operating systems, will be free for all users for all users during the first year of its launch, around June 2015, even if the existing OS it upgrades is a pirated version.

According to Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s OS head, the move to offer free upgrades even for running pirated copies is to “re-engage” users who have been running pirated software from China, and solving the dilemma of the currently 75 percent of PCs in the US that rely on pirated Windows software.

Microsoft also announced it will be abandoning the use of passwords using the usual string of letters, numbers and characters. Instead, it will be introducing Windows Hello, a biometric authentication system which works on eye, face, and fingerprint recognition. This means unlocking a device on Windows 10 will be as simple as gazing at it or touching it.

While Hello hasn’t yet been made available in Windows 10 beta, it is expected to be in place in all Windows 10 operating systems by the June launch.

Another major change Windows 10 will be rolling out is a faster and easier installation process, saving users more disk space compared to its predecessors. This will free users from the “refresh” and “reset” route while updates are downloaded to bring a device up to date.

The Windows 10 can install even in a compressed state, and in the case of re-installation, the OS recovers through runtime system files that builds up the whole operating system from previous system files. This means users will also be able to create their own recovery disk without having to reinstall a long list of OS updates.

Source : Christian Post

Exclusive Trailer from Kendrick Brothers Film ‘War Room’ Spotlights the Power of Prayer

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Exclusive Trailer from Kendrick Brothers Film ‘War Room’ Spotlights the Power of Prayer
War Room (Photo: Courtesy of Iconmedia)

“War Room” opens in theaters nationwide on Aug. 28, 2015.

The Kendrick brothers debuted a teaser trailer for their brand-new film “War Room” on Wednesday, revealing authentic characters and a vivid reminder that prayer is a powerful weapon in the battles worth fighting.

“War Room,” which hits theaters on Aug. 28, is the fifth film from the “Fireproof” and “Courageous” creators, Alex and Stephen Kendrick. The new faith-based drama showcases the power of fighting your toughest battles through prayer while also exploring the effectiveness prayer has in marriages, parenting, careers, friendships and every other area of life.

“We made this film to inspire, challenge and motivate viewers to fight the right kind of battles and to fight them the best way possible,” Alex Kendrick said in a statement.

The highly-anticipated film explores the transformational role that prayer plays in the lives of the Jordan family. When Tony and Elizabeth Jordan encounter marital roadblocks despite their dream home and a beautiful daughter, their marriage becomes a “war zone,” and the family is on the brink of destruction. Fortunately, a wise next-door neighbor, Miss Clara, helps Elizabeth discover the power of prayer, and her newly energized faith inspires her to start fighting for her family instead of against it.

In a sneak peek of “War Room,” a father struggles between being a “good” father and a “good enough” father. In another scene, a wise, faith-filled woman offers a powerful prayer to God asking for guidance as well as the knowledge to fight for their faith.

“War Room” boasts a stellar cast including New York Times best-selling author and Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer in her film debut. The cast also includes T.C. Stalling, Beth Moore, comedian Michael Jr. and Karen Abercrombie who offers a spectacular performance as Miss Clara. “War Room” is directed by Alex Kendrick while Stephen Kendrick served as producer alongside Gary Wheeler.

“War Room” opens nationwide in theaters on Aug. 28. Watch the trailer here.

Source : Christian Post

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL vs Lenovo A7000: Comparison of Supersized, Budget Smartphones

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Microsoft Lumia 640 XL vs Lenovo A7000: Comparison of Supersized, Budget Smartphones
Microsoft Lumia 640 XL Youtube Screenshot/ file

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL

Christian Post Report – Samsung and HTC both made a big splash at the Barcelona Mobile World Congress early this month when both companies unveiled their new flagship phones, but Lenovo and Microsoft also had something new to offer as they both launched supersized devices at affordable prices.

Microsoft introduced its Lumia 640 XL, which is a bigger version of the 5-inch Microsoft Lumia 640 with an upgraded camera and slightly larger battery. Meanwhile, Lenovo announced its latest device, the A7000, a 5.5-inch phone that will cost you less than $200.

Here, we compare the two devices:

Design:
The Lumia 640 XL has a polycarbonate material, and the phone has rounded corners. The handset measures 6.22 x 3.21 x 0.35 inches and weighs a hefty 6.03 ounces. The phone comes in a variety of colors, such as matte black, white, blue, and glossy orange.

The A7000 has the same shape as the Microsoft phone as it has the same gently curved corners. The handset measures 6.01 x 3.00 x 0.31 inches and is a lot lighter than the Lumia 640 XL at only 4.94 ounces. Color variety is limited to black and white.

Features:
The Lenovo phone has a 5.5-inch screen, while the Microsoft handset has a 5.7-inch display. The phones have the same resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, but the Lumia 640 XL is the only one that’s scratch resistant as it has a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to protect it.

The Microsoft device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor and runs on Windows Phone 8.1, while the Lenovo phone has a MediaTek octa-core chip set and runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with Vibe UI.

Both devices come with 8GB internal memory, but the Lumia 640 XL’s internal storage can be expanded up to 128GB, while the Lenovo A7000’s memory can only be expanded up to 32GB.

Both phones have a 5GB front-facing camera, but the Microsoft device edges out the competition with its 13GB rear-facing shooter. The Lenovo phone has an 8MP rear camera.

Price:
Off contract, the Lenovo A7000 will cost $169 when it goes on sale this month, while the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL is expected to cost $240 when it goes on sale in April.

Source : Christian Post

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