Apple Watch Set to Be Unveiled on March 9

Apple Watch www.twitter.com/engadget

Apple introduced its new Apple Watch at it’s Keynote Event in Cupertino, Calif.

Christian Post Report – Apple is about to have its first major event on Monday in San Francisco, and there are speculations that the Cupertino company may reveal more information about the hotly anticipated Apple Watch at the “Spring Forward” event from the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on May 9 at 1 p.m. ET.

The device is set to ship in April, however Apple hasn’t released an exact release date. Since Tim Cook gave everyone a glimpse of the watch last September, Apple has been dropping hints about its first wearable. The watch even got a magazine cover prior to its release as it graced the wrist of a model on the cover of November’s issue of Vogue China.

There will be three different construction styles, two different sizes, and six different watchbands, so users can mix and match. The first variant, called the Apple Watch, will come in a stainless steel case, sapphire crystal face, and a ceramic back. The Apple Watch Sport will have an aluminum body, Ion-X glass screen and composite back. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Edition will have a ceramic back, a sapphire crystal face, and as an added touch of luxury, the watch’s body will have 18-karat gold.

The watch’s sizes are 42mm and 38mm, and the band will come in a variety of designs and makes such as a metal mesh with magnets, a plasticized sport band in different colors, a leather band, and a segmented metal band.

The watch comes with Apple Pay and a wide variety of apps that can help keep the wearer informed throughout the day. It’s compatible with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S.

The Apple Watch is expected to start at $349 for the Apple Sport Watch. The Apple Watch is expected to cost significantly more, while the Apple Watch Edition is rumored to start at $12,000.

Source : Christian Post

‘Fantastic Four’ Reboot News: Director Going ‘Darker’ Than First 2 Films

Fantastic Four FACEBOOK/ Fantastic Four

“Fantastic Four”

Christian Post Report – With movie reboots becoming a fashion these days, another superhero movie is heading that way. The “Fantastic Four,” the first superhero team that Marvel Comics introduced in 1961 and had two previous film adaptation and a sequel, will undergo a makeover and will be released in theaters on August 7, 2015.

The reboot will be helmed by “Chronicle” director John Trank, with new actors cast for superheroes. A younger actor, Miles Teller, was cast for the role of the team leader, Reed Richards or Mr. Fantastic. Kate Mara plays Sue Storm or the Invisible Woman. Probably one of the more controversial castings ever done in movies, according to some reports, is that of Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm or The Human Torch, who is also Sue Storm’s brother. The character in the comics is portrayed as Caucasian, but Trank opted to cast Jordan, who is an African-American. Actor-dancer Jamie Bell, best remembered as litte Billy Elliot, was surprisingly cast as Ben Grimm or The Thing.

Trank said he wants to avoid the “cartoonish” tone of the first two films in the Fantastic 4 universe.

“The original two films to me are very similar to a lot of recent movies that have come out, in terms of that kind of cartoonish. It’s just not something that me and Simon are interested in as storytellers,” he told Inquisitr. “There’s the opportunity to make something that is challenging and tragic and dramatic. The opportunity is right there in the material.”

“We’d rather steer it in that direction as opposed to just embracing a tone that comes right off the page,” he explained, adding that he intends the reboot to be “darker.”

When asked about his controversial casting of Jordan, he said that it was not unusual to have multi-racial families these days, but what weighed more was that for him, Jordan was the right person for the role. Trank had previously worked with Jordan in “Chronicle.”

Given Trank’s pronouncement, it is not known how much he will deviate from the comic’s storyline, but reports have come out saying that he may change the origins story a bit. Miles Teller, who will play Mr. Fantastic, also said that his character did not have full control of his powers, according to the Inquisitr. Other reports are saying that this film will be based on the “Ultimate Fantastic Four,” the “modernized re-imagining” of the original comic series.

The first film adaptation was in 1994, but was never released to the public. In 2005, a second adaptation was done, followed by a sequel “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” in 2007.

Source : Christian Post

The Priority of Relationship

Revelation 2:1-7

Christian Post Report – Ephesus was home to a tremendous ministry. Despite opposition and harsh persecution, the church planted by Paul spread the gospel and was quick to challenge false prophets. But 30 years after the apostle left, John’s revelation included a stern warning for those believers.

  • Dr. Charles F. Stanley
    (Photo: In Touch Ministries)
    Dr. Charles F. Stanley (File).

Imagine how these words must have struck the Ephesians. After complimenting their service for the gospel, Christ said, “But I have this against you . . .” (Rev. 2:4). That phrase was, without a doubt, extremely disconcerting. The Lord warned them that they had left their first love. In other words, all of their work was being done with wrong motives.

Christ called the Ephesians to remember their love for Him and their delight in His salvation. Service is no substitute for an intimate relationship, but modern believers continue to fall into this subtle trap. The commendable things that we do count for nothing unless they stem from a vibrant personal connection with God. Our work cannot be effective or fruitful unless He is in it.

In fact, God is more interested in you and your personal relationship with Him than in a thousand lifetimes of good works. He desires to be the satisfaction and delight of His children so that their service is a result of loving devotion.

There are plenty of wrong reasons to labor for the kingdom. God wants all believers with selfish intentions to return to their first love. In that way, hearts and minds can be renewed, and service to the Lord will be more effective.

Used with permission from In Touch Ministries, Inc. © 2015
All Rights Reserved.

Source : Christian Post

‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ News, Update: Director Joss Whedon Talks Ultron

Avengers 2: Age of Ultron Facebook/ Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Christian Post Report – Marvel’s upcoming blockbuster, “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” is one of the reasons to look forward to this summer. Set to reprise MCU’s all-time favorite characters like Thor (Chris Helmsworth), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), and many others, talks about the upcoming film are currently focused on its primary antagonist, Ultron.

Director Joss Whedon shed some details about the villain saying that the character, along with its powers, will have a different origin as opposed to the comic book canon.

“They reinvented him in Ultimates and stuff. At one point he was a beautiful woman … I’m not doing that one!” he told SFX magazine. “I loved him when I read the comics as a kid, because of the scope and the sci-fi and what the team was going through, but I never looked to Ultron himself in the comics for why I love Ultron.”

The character Ultron, voice-acted by “The Blacklist” star James Spader, is also being compared with the first Avenger’s enemy Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

“The thing that worked about Loki was that he was able to get inside everybody’s head a little bit, and Ultron, he’s got the same thing. He knows pretty much everything there is to know about these guys. The only way you can attack Earth’s mightiest heroes is from within,” Whedon explained.

Speaking about Spader, Whedon commended how the actor hit all the notes for the role.

“Everything I’ve ever given to Spader he’s just knocked out of the park,” the 50-year-old director said.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” premieres May 1, 2015.

Source : Christian Post

T-Mobile HTC One M7 Lollipop News, Update: OS Rolls Out This Week, ‘Huge Announcement’ Coming in March

 
 Google/Twitter/Image

Another Android 5.0 Lollipop update news indicate that owners of HTC One (M7) smartphones from mobile carrier T-Mobile will be getting the new OS early this week.

Christian Post Report – A report from Phone Arena cited HTC VP for product management, Mo Versi, going to his social media to announce that T-Mobile is now ready to roll out the new Google OS version to their One (M7) handlers this Tuesday, March 10.

“HTC One (M7) T-Mobile Owners! We’ve received technical approval on the L OS and OTA will start on Tuesday. #htcadvantge” Versi’s tweet reads.

As stated, the update would bring the popular Material Design look of Lollipop for the (M7). There’s also the Lock Screen notifications feature, a longer battery life via Project Volta, the “Recent Apps” menu, as well as the 64-bit ART compiler, just to name a few.

The site noted that for those grabbing the update should make sure their units are connected to a steady Wi-Fi network and have power left at least 50 percent.

In a related HTC news, HTC America’s chief executive Jason MacKenzie dished out some info saying that the tech company will be making in the later part of March.

“When I look at the flagship [the M9], I see we’re building the most premium device. But I can’t stop there. We have a huge announcement in middle to late March around extreme differentiation between Samsung and the iPhone. It solves key pain points,” McKenzie told Business Insider.

Although not stated, McKenzie seems to imply that the firm is finding a new way to differentiate HTC from other giants like Apple and Samsung, the site wrote.

Source : Christian Post

Sony Xperia Z4 Release Date, Specs Rumors Round Up

Sony Xperia Z4 Youtube Screenshot/ file

Sony Xperia Z4

Christian Post Report – It has not been long since Sony unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z3, in September 2014. Soon afterwards, news began started circulating about its next flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z4. This is fuelled by an earlier claim that Sony intends to change its production cycle from its shorter six month cycle to a longer annual cycle.

The first rumored release date of the Xperia Z4 was during the recently concluded Mobile World Congress, but since that has passed, one rumored release date is summer or July 2015. Sony has already introduced the Xperia Z4 tablet which is supposed to be released in June or July so it makes more sense to have a smartphone that goes with it, according to Trusted Reviews. Another speculation, according to Android Pit, is that Sony may launch the full-sized Xperia Z4 in May and the Xperia Z4 compact in November 2015.

Design-wise, some reports are basing their guesses on alleged design leaks which show that the Xperia Z4 may not deviate much from the design of the Xperia Z3 which is based on what it calls the OmniBalance design. TechRadar says that the new phone will “have thinner top and bottom bezels as well as more rounded corners.”

There is also a rumor that Sony may come up with a Walkman version of the Xperia Z4 which will have better speakers, longer battery life and support for music playing, of course.

The phone’s display will also receive an upgrade, if the rumors are true. One report says that it will have a 5.5 inch screen with QHD (2560 x 1440). The Xperia Z3 only had a full HD display. Another report, however, says that Sony just might have a QHD version and a full HD version.

In terms of processing power, the new phone is said to have a 64-bit quad-core Snapdragon 810, a significant improvement from the Xperia Z3’s Snapdragon 801. It will also have a 4 GB RAM and at least 32 GB of internal storage.

The phone’s camera will be the same as the Xperia Z3, with a 20.7MP resolution, but supposedly equipped with a new sensor allowing the user to take better photos in lower light settings. It’s front-facing camera is said to be 4.8MP.

The battery will have a 3420mAh capacity. It’s also likely that the new flagship will have Android Lollipop pre-installed.

Source : Christian Post

Apple iWatch 2015 Release Date Event Live Stream, Start Time Details: How to Watch March 9 Event Online, What to Expect

Gold Apple Watch Reuters/Photo

On March 9, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook will take the stage once again to unveil what is expected to be the next big thing in wearable technology – the Apple Watch. The good news is, like their iPhone 6 and 6 plus unveiling in September 2014, the event can be watched through livestream.

Those who want to watch the live event online can go to the Apple website at www.apple.com/live. The event will be on March 9, at 10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). Apart from having internet access, there are other important requirements that users need to take note before watching.

Users need to use specific hardware and software, such as Mac computers running on Safari 5.1.10 or later, with browsers on Mac OS X 10.6.8 onward. Unfortunately, users cannot use Windows PC, Android phones and other platforms. Only Apple-made hardware will do.

If the watcher is mobile, one can only watch using iPads or iPhones or iPod Touch running on OS 6.0 or later.

If the set-up is using Apple TV in a conference or viewing room, only second generation or third-generation devices can be used for the live stream. And these devices have to be running on firmware 6.2. When the event is live, there will be an Apple events channel that will appear where you can access the event.

According to WIRED, there are other available options for those who do not have the necessary hardware and software. WIRED will run a live blog as they attend the event, which can be accessed through their website. They will also provide links to in-depth coverage through their Twitter feed. Other media organizations may offer the same option too.

Apple is expected to reveal details about what the new Apple Watch can do, how much it will cost and when it will be available in the market. Reports are also saying that Tim Cook may likely announce new products as well, such as the much-awaited Retina display MacBook Air or even an improved Apple TV.

The media event will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, with invited media organizations present.

Source : Christian Post

ISIS Being Weakened by Infighting, Says Mideast Expert; Loses Key Stronghold in Iraq

islamic state (Photo: Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani)

Iraqi police men and Shi’ite fighters hold an Islamist State flag, which they pulled down on the outskirts of al-Alam March 8, 2015. Iraqi security forces and Shi?ite militia fighting the Islamic State took control of the center of a town on the southern outskirts of Saddam Hussein’s home city Tikrit on Sunday, security officials said.

Christian Post Report – Even as reports suggest that the Islamic State is facing rising tensions between its foreign and local fighters amid growing attacks by local militias, Iraqi forces and pro-government militias in Iraq have re-gained control from the terror group in two key areas near the city of Tikrit.

“The key challenge facing ISIS right now is more internal than external,” The Washington Post quotes Lina Khatib, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, as saying. “We’re seeing basically a failure of the central tenet of ISIS ideology, which is to unify people of different origins under the caliphate. This is not working on the ground. It is making them less effective in governing and less effective in military operations.”

For example, local recruits of ISIS, a Sunni terror group also known as ISIL, are expressing anger over preferential treatment that the expatriates receive in Syria, according to the Post. The salaries and living conditions of the two cannot be compared although it’s the local recruits who risk their lives in rural areas.

The two groups have fired at each other in the town of Abu Kamal on Syria’s border with Iraq on several occasions.

ISIS is an offshoot of al-Qaeda and wants to establish a caliphate in the Levant region and beyond. It has gained control over large swathes of territories in Syria and Iraq.

However, the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has recorded about 120 public executions by ISIS of its own members.

While ISIS has not been able to deal with growing infighting, offensives on areas under its control are increasingly being launched by Kurds in northern Syria and northern Iraq as well as by Shiite militias in Iraq.

On Sunday, pro-government Shiite militias in Iraq managed to enter the village of Abu Ajeel, east of Tikrit, and the Dawr area, south of the city – which had been ISIS stronghold for several months.

About 30,000 Iraqi troops and militia fighters were part of the Tikrit offensive.

Meanwhile, 26 ISIS terrorists, including two commanders, were killed in airstrikes in Syria’s Hama province during the weekend.

Elsewhere, ISIS has been targeting Christian villages near Tal Tamr to get the corridor to the eastern border to Iraq.

ISIS has attacked numerous villages of Assyrian Christians in recent weeks, and captured hundreds of villagers.

Since last June, when ISIS declared its “caliphate,” the terror group has killed roughly 2,000 people, about two-thirds of them civilians, according to the Observatory.

Source : Christian Post

‘Beauty and the Beast’ Live Action Movie, Cast News: Dan Stevens, Luke Evans Joins Emma Watson

Dan Stevens Dan Stevens/Facebook

Dan Stevens. Facebook image. Sept. 8, 2014.

Christian Post Report – The main cast of the live action adaptation of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” will be mainly English. Emma Watson, famous for her role as Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” movies, was cast early this year to play Belle in the movie. Just recently, Dan Stevens of TV’s Downton Abbey, was cast to be the Beast, which Watson herself confirmed on Twitter. Luke Evans, who played Bard the Bowman in “The Hobbit,” will play the villainous Gaston.

The decision to make a live action movie of one of Disney’s well-loved animated movies was said to have come after “Maleficent” fared well in the box office in 2014. According to Screen Rant, Disney started discussions about this project and chose “Beauty and the Beast” because it is “one of the most well-regarded in the history of American animation, holding the distinction of being one of the only animated works to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.”

It was Disney who also chose director Bill Condon to direct the film. Condon is known for his direction of “Twilight: Breaking Dawn,” but this director also has considerable experience in directing musicals such as the Oscar-winning “Dreamgirls,” which bodes well if Disney wants to include musical segments in the movie. Condon also made a name for himself directing “Gods & Monsters,” the James Whale biopic in 1998.

Disney has not released anything about changes if any in the plot, but some reports are already asking how the movie will deal with the non-human characters in the cast – if they will be real actors or CGI animation.

Pop Sugar asks some pertinent questions such as how musical the movie will be, given that the last two live action adaptations “Cinderella” and “Maleficent” were not musicals. The report hinted that Condon’s musical background may just help bring some music into the film.

Disney has not set a release date, but Variety reported that production will start in the latter part of the year.

Source : Christian Post

ISIS Erases Iraq’s History

ISIS Erases Iraq's History

 Terror group ISIS has been bulldozing and destroying the ancient biblical city of Nimrud, Iraqi officials have said. The U.N. and the international community at large have condemned the “war crime,” which Iraq has said is aimed at erasing the country’s history.

Christian Post Report – BBC News reported that on Thursday ISIS began the destruction of the ancient Assyrian site, founded in the 13th Century BC.

“In a new crime in their series of reckless offenses they assaulted the ancient city of Nimrud and bulldozed it with heavy machinery, appropriating archaeological attractions dating back 13 centuries BC,” the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO said.

UNESCO head Irina Bokova added: “This is yet another attack against the Iraqi people, reminding us that nothing is safe from the cultural cleansing under way in the country: it targets human lives, minorities, and is marked by the systematic destruction of humanity’s ancient heritage,” she said.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/isis-bulldozing-destroying-ancient-biblical-city-of-nimrud-in-iraq-video-135240/

Source : Christian Post