Apple is aiming to get an electric car rolling on the streets in five years, according to the latest report.
Although it hasn’t officially announced its intentions to build and market an electric vehicle, the iPhone maker is pushing its development team to have the car ready for production as early as 2020, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing unidentified sources described as having knowledge of the matter. The team, which is said to have about 200 employees, has been growing in recent months and now includes experts in technologies such as batteries and robotics. Apple did not respond to a request for comment. The report is the latest bit of mounting evidence suggesting Apple intends to produce an electric car, perhaps one that will be self-driving, to take on Tesla and others. Rumors started swirling last week that the company is creating a team charged with designing the vehicle. Reported recent hires include Johann Jungwirth, who was CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America until this past September. Further evidence emerged earlier this month in the form of a lawsuit filed by a maker of batteries for electric cars. Massachusetts-based A123 Systems, which says it specializes in “advanced energy storage for electric-drive vehicles,” accused Apple of poaching a handful of top engineers to work for a new battery division and said in its complaint that “Apple is currently developing a large-scale battery division to compete in the very same field as A123.” Hints of Apple’s alleged automotive ambitions have emerged before. Last year, reports surfaced suggesting that Apple had held talks to acquire Tesla. The company’s CEO and founder, Elon Musk, has acknowledged holding meetings with Apple, but he stopped short of saying that their discussions involved a possible acquisition. He has also noted that Tesla isn’t for sale. And while Tesla claims to have hired more Apple employees than workers from any other company, Apple has succeeded in getting “very few” of Tesla’s, Musk told Bloomberg earlier this month. Apple has been interested in the automotive industry for years, though CEO Tim Cook only recently said the company’s iOS-based, in-car platform CarPlay is a “key to our future.” CarPlay, which lets users do everything from access iTunes tracks to answer messages, is part of a growing tech industry focus on all things automotive, including assisted driving. Last year Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas predicted autonomous vehicles will be used everywhere and anywhere by 2026 as the industry works through issues related to liability, infrastructure and consumer acceptance. "Autonomous cars are no longer just the realm of science fiction," Jonas wrote in a research note to clients. “They are real and will be on roads sooner than you think.”

As messaging apps proliferate, one service aims to power them all

Layer launches to the public and releases an open source design library, Atlas

We live in a world where messaging apps command $20 billion valuations, but amidst that embarrassment of riches is a major pain for users: each massively successful new service is another siloed channel you need to manage. You like WhatsApp, but your best friend prefers Facebook Messenger; your little brother is on Snapchat, and your mom sticks to iMessage. A simple conversation can get tangled up in a slew of different apps.

TRYING TO CRAFT A COMMON STANDARD

A year and a half ago, a new startup called Layer launched with the goal of creating a common standard: a new messaging protocol that would let any app to communicate with another. It was a continuation of a dream they had pushed during the instant messaging era with the creation of XMPP, better known as Jabber. In mobile messaging, that unified world is still largely a fantasy, but Layer has signed up 1,500 customers during its private beta, with a waiting list of 8,500 more. Today it’s launching to the public and debuting Atlas, an open source design library to help integrate its messaging capabilities into company’s mobile offerings.

The sales pitch for Layer was that any app could add messaging with just 10 lines of code. For startups who haven’t launched, Layer is free. But Layer charges its larger clients — leading apps in the dating, games, and sports categories who clock in at more than a million monthly users. "We make it easy for the smaller teams to get started using Layer, allowing them to focus on creating a great experience for their users, and hopefully to become a massive success down the road," says Ron Palmeri, the company’s founder and CEO.

HELPING SMALL STARTUPS IN THE HOPES THEY WILL BECOME BIG CUSTOMERS

The offering has won big praise for accelerating the time to get from idea to app. "The craziest thing about that experience was how fast it went," says Ryan Freitas, a designer who used Layer while working on mobile products for About.me. "We went from loose mockups to a fully functional product in less than two weeks. Given that we don’t have anyone here who is a messaging expert, that normally would have taken us five to six months."

The biggest complaint from companies trying to use Layer, on the other hand, was that they didn’t know how to create the design or interaction around the messages. It was great to add messaging to an app, but it was hell when that functionality introduced bugs or errors. Atlas is an attempt to solve that. "It gives you a toolkit to easily craft a great messaging interface," says Palmeri. "And importantly, to make sure that what you have looks distinct from other folks who are using us."

CONNECTING CONSTELLATIONS OF APPS WITH A SINGLE OWNER

Layer is hoping that it can become a lynchpin of the booming app ecosystem. "Like Stripe or Mapbox, we want to be the back end that delivers a core function of mobile software," says Palmeri. They haven’t yet created a federated universe of apps from different companies that talk with one another, but Layer says it is seeing crosstalk between disparate apps with a single owner.

As tech investor Fred Wilson wrote last year, titans like Google, Yahoo, and most recently Microsoft are acquiring top mobile services at a rapid pace, leading to interesting constellations of apps. These clusters create an opportunity for Layer, which can open up channels of communication. "We have lots of requests from companies that want to make this network of apps capable of talking to one another, and to enable a single sign-on, so you can sync or share contacts and messaging history," says Palmeri. "It’s a little bit of our vision starting to unfold."

Toyota rejects CarPlay and Android Auto… for now

Apple and Google are racing to provide the software that powers your dashboard infotainment system, but not all car-makers are interested in giving up control. Toyota recently told The New York Times that it plans to keep its own infotainment system, at least for now, rather than adopt CarPlayor Android Auto.

“We may all eventually wind up there, but right now we prefer to use our in-house proprietary platforms for those kinds of functions,” Toyota exec John Hanson told The New York Times. He added that, while the company met regularly with both Google and Apple, it’s not ready to adopt either operating system. Meanwhile, other car-makers seem more eager to make the jump.

Ford plans to offer Android Auto and CarPlay in some of its cars by the end of the year. By 2016, every vehicle the company sells in the U.S. will support the new software. Meanwhile, Chrysler is also set to support both Apple and Google’s dashboard operating systems.

Overall, the new software should be a big upgrade over the in-house systems we’re used to seeing. Most car companies are still pretty lacking when it comes to user interface design, giving Apple and Google an opportunity to expand their reach into another new market. Hopefully it won’t be long before Toyota comes around to the new platforms as well.

Here's what you'd get if Michael Bay made a gritty Power Rangers movie

Remember how Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers starred a cast of plucky "teenagers with attitude" pulled into a zany war with a space witch and an evil emperor with no skin? What if you took that core concept and transformed those same teens into costumed child soldiers dragged into a bloody intergalactic war they had no real part in?

That's what producer Adi Shankar has done with his latest over-the-top short Power/Rangers, and, despite looking like a Michael Bay movie, it somehow manages to set a high bar for the upcoming Power Rangers film.

Power/Rangers stars Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff as former Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart and Dawson's Creek's James Van Der Beek as former Red Ranger you completely forgot Rocky DeSantos. Set in a dark future after the Machine Empire took over the planet, Rocky has since betrayed his former teammates to join forces with the machines. The 14-minute short shows what became of all the rangers in the years since the takeover, and their future is an extremely violent and tragic one, as even their incredible powers and Zords can't save them. Sure, it's a little cheesy, but it's the kind of nostalgia trip fans might love.

WHO CAN DEFEAT THE MACHINE EMPIRE?

Filmed by "Blank Space" director Joseph Kahn, the movie falls into Shankar's ever-growing Bootleg universe, which by now includes Venom: Truth in Journalismand The Punisher: Dirty Laundry. The producer also released Judge Dredd: Superfiendlast fall, an unofficial sequel series taking place after 2012's Dredd. Shankar insists the movie isn't a pitch, but given how well it does at subverting the source material, Lionsgate might want to take a few notes for its own adaptation.

Images claim to reveal official Galaxy S6 design

Welp. Some brave soul over at All About Samsung has snagged what is allegedly an early Galaxy S6 unit, giving us a look at what the upcoming device looks like. The images are somewhat obscured by pink bubblewrap, but the mystery phone does look like it belongs in Samsung’s lineup, though, to be fair, the back logo is covered up, so we don’t know for sure. But, let’s be honest, this is probably what Samsung has in store for March 1, which is when we’re expecting the company to finally divulge its new wares.

Some U.S. carriers have already given us a pretty revealing look at the Galaxy S6 design, so seeing today’s pictures aren’t a real surprise. It’s difficult to extract the finer details since the unit is covered up. But it does indeed look like the edges are metal, while the volume rocket is pretty much identical to what you’d find on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The edges are less rounded than we initially thought—similar in style to the Galaxy Alpha.

The home button also looks a bit bigger and rounder than earlier Samsung phones, a design decision possibly meant to make way for an improved fingerprint scanner. Otherwise, there’s not much else to see in these photos. Units are clearly floating around the seedier back channels. We’ll get an official look at what the Galaxy S6 (and Galaxy S6 Edge) looks like in just a few days.

Don't judge this One by its cover

What you see pictured above is 99.99 percent certain to be the HTC One M9, a flagship Android smartphone that will steer the fortunes of its maker for the coming year. 
HTC would have preferred to keep it all a big enigmatic secret until this Sunday’s grand unveiling, but circumstances have once against conspired against its best-laid plans. The silver-and-gold cat is out of the bag and it looks an awful lot like its One M8 predecessor. Reactions have swiftly coalesced into two polarized camps: there are those who liked the incumbent design and see the new phone as just more of a good thing, and then there’s the more vocal group that’s already writing off HTC’s chances because of its apparent stagnation and lack of innovation. Both are entirely premature conclusions to draw.
It may seem like the whole world has now seen this device, but only very few have ever touched or used it. I will soon be among their number. Until I get the new One M9 in my hands, however, I will remain ignorant about exactly how innovative or otherwise this phone is. Sure, the BoomSound speakers look the same, but they’ve added Dolby surround sound this time around. The rear is also thoroughly familiar, but it now has a new 20-megapixel camera as its centerpiece. The UltraPixel camera that was uncompetitive on the back immediately becomes a leader among selfie cameras with its relocation to the front. And who can tell how much of a difference that side-mounted power button will make to the phone’s daily usability?

When I spoke with HTC design chief Drew Bamford at CES last month, he hinted that his company's 2015 flagship will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. I was dubious about that approach then, but it’s starting to make more sense with the passage of time. Did HTC really have that many things to fix with the One M8? To my judgment, that phone had three issues: the mediocre camera, the somewhat slippery back that made it easy to drop, and a few undesirable Sense software tweaks. What HTC didn’t need to mess with were the good looks of its hardware. The flagship One series — including the M7 that started the current lineage of unibody aluminum gorgeousness — has been a repeating design award winner because it got most things right. Apple hasn’t messed with the MacBook Air’s shape since 2010 and nobody’s complaining about a shortage of smarts in Cupertino. HTC deserves the same courtesy: it’ll be perfectly fine for the company to keep the good things if it manages to rectify the bad.

HTC ALREADY HAD GREAT DESIGN, WHAT IT NEEDS NOW IS A CAMERA TO MATCH

The thing that will make or break the HTC One M9 is its camera. I recently wrote about how fundamental the camera is to the iPhone’s popularity, and any other company wishing to have a successful smartphone must start with a strong imaging foundation. There are too many people using Snapchat and Instagram, too many video-calling services, and too many picture messages flying across WhatsApp, Line, and WeChat for a great phone to lack a great camera. If the One’s new camera lives up to its inflated megapixel number, HTC’s decision to keep the phone’s design unchanged will be hailed as the bold continuation of a proven pedigree. If the camera is only so-so, the phone’s exterior appearance will be derided as symbolic of the company’s failure to keep pace.

Spec sheets and aesthetics are only means to an end. Beautiful phones attract people to try them, but it’s ergonomic and well thought-out devices tied to a rich ecosystem thatkeep us using them over the long term. Unless you’re building a paperweight or a statue, the look is meaningless without the feel. The same is true of specs: HTC has gone for the best possible components it can procure, but if they don’t come together into a fast and responsive user experience, their value would be wasted.

The HTC One M9 has leaked. The stuff that matters has not, because it can not. Just think about how awesome a One M8 with a great camera and a better grip would be. There’s still a high ceiling for optimism here, even if the initial impression is an overwhelmingly familiar one. I don’t ask that you forgive the One M9’s failures if and when they become apparent. But give this device a chance to impress you with what lies beneath its cold aluminum skin. I know I will.

America's Next Top Model Contestant Killed in Triple Homicide

Mirjana Puhar, who competed on the most recent season ofAmerican's Next Top Model, was killed Tuesday in a triple homicide at her boyfriend's home in Charlotte, North Carolina, E! News reports.

Emmanual Jesus Rangel, 19, was arrested and charged on Wednesday with the murders of Puhar, 19, her boyfriend Jonathan Cosme Alvarado, 23, and Alvarado's roommate Jusmar Isiah Gonzaga-Garcia, 21. Rangel was also charged in connection with another murder that occurred on Sunday in Matthews, North Carolina.

According to TMZ, the initial investigation has lead police to believe the murders were drug-related.

See other celebrities we've lost this year

Puhar was a contestant on ANTM's 21st cycle, which aired in 2014, and she was eliminated in the 10th episode. During her time on the show, Puhar had a relationship with winner Keith Carlos. "I Love You @mirjanapuhar #RIP," Carlos tweeted.

The cycle's runner-up Will Jardell shared his condolences in an emotional Facebook post: "@mirjanapuhar you are an amazing human being and you will be extremely missed. All I can do is think about the hilarious memories we've had together and smile. You are one of the kindest most passionate people I know and I am at a loss knowing that you are gone. Reality TV may have painted you one way but make no mistake you are an incredible and loving person that the world will truly miss. You are a part of my family and always will be. I pray for your family and friends during this time and I pray that you can rest in peace knowing that your #antm family LOVES you forever and always. I love you"

Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 appear side-by-side in latest leak

We got a good look at what appears to be Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S6 smartphone this morning. Now new images have leaked to show its sibling, the Galaxy S6 Edge, featuring a curved display similar to the one seen on Samsung's Galaxy Note Edge. Pictures shared on xda-developers forum claim to show an S6 and the S6 Edge side-by-side, corroborating the expectation that Samsung would be releasing two versions of its latest flagship phone.

The purported S6 Edge is said to feature a dual curved-edge display, but the angle from which the photo was taken doesn't make it explicit. From the rear, the phones look markedly similar, but where the Note Edge's curved section was large enough to act like a second screen, the sides of the S6 Edge's display appear to curve more subtly, and offer little room for menu icons — the home screen in the photo simply stretches over the curved area. It's not quite the "3-sided screen" reported by Bloomberg earlier this month.The only other manufacturer showing off a true "three-sided" display at the moment is LG, whose Active Bending OLED screen was seen on a 6-inch smartphone at CES earlier this year. We'll know whether these images truly are of Samsung's next big things very soon, when The Verge hits the show floor at Mobile World Congress from March 1st.

No Bra, No Problem: Beyonce Wears a Completely Unbuttoned Shirt to Lunch

Is this a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen?

Beyonce stepped out for lunch with Jay Z at Gracias Madre -- a vegan Mexican restaurant in West Hollywood, Calif. -- on Tuesday, where her denim-on-denim outfit definitely turned plenty of heads. The 33-year-old "Single Ladies" singer knotted her button-up to show off her toned stomach, but most strikingly, left the sexy shirt completely unbuttoned.

PHOTOS: Hollywood's Worst Wardrobe Malfunctions

Check out her bra-less look below.

Seriously, how is that top staying in place?!

On another note, it's good to see Beyonce and Jay Z sticking to their healthier eating habits, especially since the singing superstar and her trainer Marco Borges announced their partnership to launch the 22 Days Nutrition plant-based home delivery meal service earlier this month.

red dress... blonde hair girls

There's Someone For Everyone

#1 When In Love

A great example that "love can truly be blind". . . literally.

#2 Big Man. . . Big Party

#3 Realistic Love Matches

Look in the mirror, chances are you'll end up with someone that matches your level of attractiveness. . . BUT there are exceptions to this rule AND being rich sure doesn't hurt.

#4 Yu Zhenhuan & Ex Girlfriend

China's hairiest man recently broke up with his gorgeous his girlfriend after two years. The news is the aspiring rock star personality is look for a wife!

#5 Mismatched Couple

Well, she's showing us what she really thinks. Sorry, don't think we can take this relationship seriously..

#6 Be An Intellectual..

The marriage of brilliant writer Salman Rushdie and his now ex-wife model and TV personality, Padma Lakshmi had many people scratching their heads. BUT even more so when after Rushdie dated: Olivia Wilde and Scarlett Johansson! The message? If you're not rich, be a genius!

#7 Shaq's Love Match?

Omg. . . Okay, how do they. . ? Poor Nicole?

Facts About Girls

Would it be better if she spoke in an extra low, low voice when she was attracted to you? Point well taken?.

#1 Her Voice

#2 She's A Rare Beauty

Actually she'd like you to think she is a NATURAL beauty. Don't you know, she was born that way?

#3 Her Boobs On Social Media

She has "boob intelligence", BUT she'd like to test yours.

#4 Pretty. . . Ugly

This is due to her thinking of herself as pretty (as she should), and it's a huge shock when people don't.

#5 It's Disney's Fault?

Disney has gotten criticized for this in the last decade, hence the creation of Frozen's queen Elsa, AND the resurgence of Maleficent. No more excuses girls..

#6 She's Picture Shy..

She gets all dressed up to HIDE. No pictures allowed!

#7 Fixing The Plumbing

At least she's trying, right? . . Actually she's passive aggressively wanting you to pay for a real plumber next time. It's a blonde's joke, and it's on you.

4 Times Kris Jenner Thought She Was 25

She is not a regular mom even though she is over 50

# She hangs out with Drake

# She does poses like these

That awkward moment your mom is bestie with your bestie

# She lets it all hang lose during halloween

Kris Jenner’s Drinking Out of Control Since Bruce Jenner Separation: Sister Karen Houghton Claims

Kris Jenner’s sister, Karen Houghton, has always been outspoken when it comes to her now-famous sibling, usually oversharing about Kris’ personal life and it doesn’t seem like she’ll be stopping any time soon. Radar spoke with Houghton as she tattled that Kris’ drinking has gotten even more out of hand since her separation from Bruce Jenner. They also shared some comments from Houghton’s Facebook page where she ranted, “Pray for Kris Jenner she needs it…crazy. Shes [sic] as [sic] nutcase.” She goes on, “She doesn’t need prayers she needs sky vodka hahaha hahaha hahaha.”

While Karen comes off undeniably kooky, she does make a good point. Only about a week ago we saw Kendall Jenner, 18, tweet “What do you want me to do IM DRUNK!” – my mother” to fans. Kris doesn’t even attempt to hide her drinking and has actually developed a reputation as a drunk by not one, but all of her daughters.During the interview Houghton recalls how Kris used to complain to her that she drank too much. Now, obviously, the tables have turned. She explains, “She’s a huge celebrity and now she has changed. I’m not saying good or bad, but I’ve seen what it can do to Kris…ever since she moved to L.A.”

Karen shared that their father’s alcohol abuse led to him being abusive with the family. She added, “I think my sister needs inner peace,” before describing Kris’ cold personality and addiction to work and money. Houghton shares that Kris has failed to call her back and has been distancing herself more and more from the family. We’re no fan of Kris, but it does seem understandable why she may not wish to talk to her talkative sis. She has given countless interviews sharing personal, sordid details about Kris. Though, for Kris, any publicity is good publicity. Perhaps that is why Karen questions whether or not Kris and Bruce’s separation is real.

So far, Kris has remained quiet, but we’re not sure how much she’ll allow Karen to share before siccing her attorneys on her. Tell us what you think about Chatty Karen in the comments below!

Winter Depression Sexual Request Cuts!

The winter survival of your soul ...

"Sexual desire I declined, I have difficulty too, although I sleep at night, asleep, I'm also barely woke up the day groggy and tired in the morning, unhappy, sometimes crying coming from inside ..."
that often season of the complaint form of winter sounds remarkable Psikod President Dr. Cem Felt; "Due to the absence of the sunlight laughing face by installing the positive energy that warms the soul and the human, people even began to appear seasonal depressiveness. The shortening of the days in winter, reduction of sunlight and remain in people's necessarily indoors leaving a negative impact on human psychology. Especially in women under the influence of the field can not relax as a result of winter depression, can not get to sleep, self pessimistic women feel sexual desire may decrease over time. "he said.

Depression and sexual aversion is triggering each other ...

Combined with winter depression, decreased sexual desire, arousal and orgasm problems brought PSİKOD Pointing out that the Vice President Dr. Gabriel Short; "Women dating with sexual intercourse alive even able to complain to enjoy not getting. In this case the woman is entering a more depressed with the idea that there is a problem caused by the failure. Thus, depression, sexual problems on the road açabilirk that, in which the female sexual problems can exacerbate depressive state. Because of pessimism given winter months unhappy woman who, because of the emergence of non-existent before sexual problems depression thinking that ended the sexual life can be spent in much more severe. such cases fear of failing because of sexual desire in so live performance anxiety in women, although untreated depression can continue to experience sexual dysfunction. "he said.

Winter depression is contagious!

As a result of this research, especially in families and the possibility of contagious depression in couples living together has been found to be much more telling Psikod Psychologist Secretary General Kemal Ozcan; "Spouse of the need of developing one winter depression in terms of communication as well as the sex life can affect the entire family because of growing disturbances. In this case the partner's patience, understanding, and is supposed to be a router. Man who helped my wife recover from a situation that could create serious consequences for the partner boldly gave him." he said.

Big mistake: "drug use"

Referring to make life unbearable winter depression Psikod Member of the Board of Psychologist Sarah Gungor; "Winter's people who suffer from depression, especially the female partner, emotional family and falls are a major task to men in order to prevent the move away from sex. Men dating to how relevant, winter depression, disease, if relevant and insightful act ends so easy. You should go to the sun as possible Besides, people face and back should give the heat and sun, to relax, to do massage the body with natural oils, you should take plenty of fresh air, sports should be done, with friends or to do pep activities with partner, light music with the rest, for plenty of roses, should be protein and omega-3-containing foods.

Drugs which are taken in order to cope with winter depression, emotional and sexual life interaction is the enemy number one. Therefore depression medications should not be used without the advice of a physician. In addition, sexual desire and sexual function today as many of the side effects of drugs used to treat depression leads to disorder. Foremost among the causes of depression medications erectile dysfunction in men decrease in sexual desire in men and women, in the fall and cause emotional conflicts orgasm intensity. Coping with depression except what we offer you the fastest and easiest way is to get help from a therapist. "He said.

Valentine's Day, By Age

Posted in:
February 3, 2015 7 PM by Noelle Devoe

When you're a kid, Valentine's Day is supes fun because it's all about candy and paper hearts, but then you grow up and getting a Valentine from your mom or dad just
doesn't cut it anymore. And when did those dumb messages on candy hearts suddenly start to mean so much? From decorating paper hearts to analyzing the real meaning of that candy heart your crush just gave you, here's how V-day changes from preschool to college.

Preschool

At school, your teacher lets you do arts and crafts ALL DAY and make cards in the shape of hearts and bears for all your best, best friends. You make cards for your mom and dad, too, because they're your Valentines, obvs.

Elementary School

The fact that your teacher is forcing you to give everyone in your class a Valentine's Day card is seriously not okay. You don't want Billie (who you do NOT like) to think you have a crush on him. Because EWWWW. Cooties.



Middle School

So, you and Billie still hate each other's guts and everything, but you still freak out when he asks you to go to the Valentine's Day dance with him (because he actually is really funny and maybe a little cute... Not that you like him, or anything). But what does this mean? Does he maybe like you? Do you have to kiss him at the end of the night or something? Oh god... you've never kissed anyone before. And you definitely don't want to kiss Billie... at least you don't think you do. FALSE ALARM. When you get to the dance, you both just go hang out with your friends,  and you and Billie barely say a word to each other all night. Crisis averted.

Freshman Year of High School

So all your friends got together and decided that it was time to get boyfriends before Valentine's Day without telling you, and now you feel like a total loser. All of them are being next-level annoying with all their Valentine's decorations and plans. And as if it could get any worse, they all got secret carnations from their BFs in homeroom, and you got one from your BFF... because she felt bad. Totally not cool.



Sophomore Year of High School

You were determined to find a date to the Valentine's Day dance this year, even if meant going with your friend's boyfriend's annoying friend. Anything to not be forever alone on Valentine's day again. But now you wish you had just stayed home and watched The Notebook for the billionth time, because your date is being SUPES awkward and you have no clue what to talk about.



Junior Year of High School

FINALLY. You've been dating Todd for, like, three weeks, which means you have a boyfriend on Valentine's Day! You deck out your locker with super cute Valentine's Day wrapping paper and draw hearts on everything, because you have a date on Valentine's day and everything is right in the world! Todd gives you the cutest teddy bear at school and he's taking you out to this really nice restaurant tonight, and you seriously can't concentrate on anything your teacher is saying because you're way too excited.



Senior Year of High School

So you're still dating Todd, but you're kind of over him and have been meaning to call things off for a while, which makes the fact that you have to spend Valentine's Day with him totes awkward. But you can't dump him right before Valentine's Day—that's like the meanest thing ever, right? Ugh. But you really want to. All your besties are single this year, and they're all going to this college party that Amy's older brother's friends are throwing, and you're stuck watching a movie in Todd's basement because he wanted to keep things low key this year. And the worst part? Todd gives you a teddy bear holding a heart. Again.



Freshman Year Of College

OMG college is so much fun! Every holiday, no matter how small, is an excuse to get dressed up and go out with your friends. You don't even care that you're single on Valentine's Day. There are all these fun V-day parties and all your friends are single too, so you'r

Sexualization and cyber-violence

Girls use social media to be creative, communicate with friends, and to learn. Although social media can be quite useful, it

can also have a negative impact on users, especially girls.
Sexualization and cyber-violence can occur through social media, instant messaging and email. Learning about these
technologies and their risks can help young girls use social media in a safe way.
Keeping Girls Cybersafe
What Everyone
Needs to Know
1
 Statistics Canada. (2010). Child and youth victims of police-reported violent crime, 2008. Ottawa, ON: Minister of Industry.
2
 Royal Newfoundland Constabulary/Royal Canadian Mounted Police. (2011). Victim age/Gender analysis. UCR data for period 2006-2010. 3 Canadian Centre for Child Protection. (n.d.) Techniques used for luring children: Activity sheet. In Kids in the know. Retrieved from http://www.kidsintheknow.ca/PDFS/gr4_luring.pdf 4
 Media Awareness Network. (2012) Young Canadians in a wired world – Phase 2–Key fi ndings. Retrieved from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/research/YCWW/phaseII/key_fi ndings.cfm 5
 Media Awareness Network. (2012). Cyberbullying. In Web aware. Retrieved from http://www.bewebaware.com/english/cyberbullying.html#who 6 Weeks, C. (2012, August 1). The bullying gender gap: girls more likely to be targets. In The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fi tness/health/the-
bullying-gender-gap-girls-more-likely-to-be-targets/article4456321/)/
7 Canadian Centre for Child Protection. (n.d.). Social networking websites. In The door that’s not locked. Retrieved from http://thedoorthatsnotlocked.ca/app/en/teacher/13-15/social_network-
ing_what_is_it
8 V’inkin Lee, M. (2012, August 31). One in 10 children falling prey to cyberbullying, survey reveals. In the Vancouver Sun. Retrieved from http://www.vancouversun.com/health/children+falling+p
rey+cyberbullying+survey+reveals/7176052/story.html#ixzz2786wwzrM
9 Durham, M.G. (2008). The Lolita Eff ect: Sexy girls in the media. NOJ/HO Ж:Nabokov online journal, 2. Retrieved from http://etc.dal.ca/noj/articles/volume2/14_Durham1.pdf 10Girls Action Foundation. (2011, March 8). Girls in Canada today: National opinion poll & report on the status of girls. In YWCA Canada. Retrieved from http://ywcacanada.ca/data/research_
docs/00000175.pdf
In 2008, girls aged 12 to 17 years-old, made up 86 per
cent of the victims of the “other sexual crime” category,
which includes luring a child via a computer, invitation to
sexual touching and sexual exploitation.1
According to RCMP violent crime statistics for 2009, in
80 per cent of cases of luring minors over the internet
for sexual purposes, the victim was female.2
Predators use child luring techniques, such as asking
for help; bribery; affection and attention; authority;
threats and weapons; trying to gain trust; compliments;
employment; and using a false emergency.3
Sexual predators often use social networking sites,
such as online blogs, where girls look to talk to new
people.
Over half of the young people who report being
sexually harassed over the internet said that they
actually knew the person.4
More than half of the teenage victims of cyber-violence
never report it.5
Online or cyber-violence is much more common among
girls than boys, with 28 per cent of girls reporting being
targeted by cyber-violence compared to just 15 per cent of
boys. 6
You must be at least 13-years-old to use Facebook;
however, there are other websites open to all ages.7
More than 80 per cent of 10 to 17-year-olds have a
Facebook page and nearly all have access to email.8
On an average day, young people are bombarded by
many forms of media, including more than 30 million
websites.9
By puberty, girls are three times more likely than
boys to suffer from depression due to low self-
esteem, negative body image, and feelings of helplessness,
hopelessness and stress.10 This vulnerability may be
increa

A 7-Minute Workout to Build Definition and Strength

I know what you’re thinking: Seven minutes is all it takes to have a strong and toned body? The short answer is no, far from it. But if you don’t have the time or resources to get to a gym, this routine will give you the best bang for your buck using the best strength-training machine out there: your body. There is significant scientific evidence to support the fact that even a few minutes of interval-style exercises can increase endurance, improve your metabolic and cardio health, and even suppress your appetite more than a longer workout at a moderate pace would.

This 8-move routine is simply one of countless high-intensity interval workouts you can perform. The key is to stay consistent with your workout and eating routine and keep switching up your workouts. The moment your body gets comfortable is the moment it stops changing.

Add this 7-minute, total-body workout to your regular workout regimen to get your heart rate up and start feeling the burn. If you follow the recommended number of repetitions and keep your transition times to 5 seconds or less, you should finish in about 7 minutes.

Pilates hundreds

This exercise is a great way to start any workout, because it works your whole body and core, while simultaneously elevating your heart rate and setting up your breath for the rest of the session.

How to do it: Lying on your back, start with your legs straight up, toes pointed toward the ceiling and arms reaching forward. Lift your head to a crunch position and lower your legs as far as you can to the ground (without touching it), while still engaging your abdominals. Once there, start to pump your arms vigorously up and down, counting 5 breaths in and 5 breaths out. Do this 10 times for a total of a ‘hundred’ reps.

Tip: If you feel any pain or pressure in your lower back, bring your legs higher up.

RELATED: 24 Fat-Burning Ab Exercises (No Crunches!)

Wall sit

This is unlike a traditional squat in that you’re holding a static position for a certain amount of time instead of working through an entire range of motion. This is an exercise you can do pretty much anywhere and is great for building strength and endurance in the lower half of the body as well as your core.

How to do it: Stand about two feet in front of a wall and lean against it. Slide down until your knees are at a 90-degree angle and hold the position. If you have a set of dumbbells, you can hold them out in front of your body for an added challenge. Hold the position for 30 seconds without coming up.

Tip: Keep drawing your navel in toward your spine so your back stays flat up against the wall.

RELATED: 18 Moves to Tone Your Butt, Thighs, and Legs

Spiderman push-up

Amp up your regular push-up with this challenging variation that also works your abs, obliques, butt, and hips, too.

How to do it: Start in a regular push-up position. Once you have lowered, bring your right knee in close to your right elbow and then return to the starting position. Do 8 reps, then switch sides. Do 2 sets total.

 

RELATED: 10 Exercise Cheats That Blow Your Calorie Burn

Side plank with dip

Another exercise that works your entire body and challenges your balance is the side plank. For a deep emphasis on the obliques, we’re adding a dip.

How to do it: Lie on your side with legs stretched out and place your left elbow on the ground directly underneath your shoulder. Stack your feet on top of each other and lift your body up into a straight line. Once your body is balanced, dip your hips down toward the floor and lift them up higher than your starting position. Do 15 reps and then switch sides. For an added challenge, hold a 5-pound weight above your head with the opposite arm while performing the dips.

RELATED: 20 Ways to Do a Plank

Kneeling side leg kick

Kneeling side leg kicks challenge your core to keep you from falling forward in addition to working the upper body, glutes, and legs.

How to do it: Start kneeling. Carefully fall onto your left hand and extend your right leg out to the side so there is one long line in the body. Inhale and kick your right leg forward with a flexed foot, and exhale extending your leg behind you with a pointed foot. The challenge is trying to keep the torso from rocking back and forth. Do 15 reps on each side.

RELATED: TK

Plank with arm lift

Another way to switch up your standard plank is by adding some arm lifts. You might be surprised how a small lift of your arm can make a big difference in the intensity of the move.

How to do it: This one is pretty much like it sounds. Start in a high plank position resting on your palms with your arms straight. Once you’ve established your balance, reach your right arm forward like you’re going to shake someone’s hand. Try to hold it for 30 seconds without letting your hips shift. Then switch arms for another 30 seconds.

RELATED: 11 Best Exercises to Get Strong, Toned Arms

Triceps dip

A basic body-weight exercise, the triceps dip don’t require much equipment. If you don’t have a bench or chair, you can always do them on the ground.

How to do it: Position your hands shoulder-width apart on a secure bench or table. Slide your butt off the bench with your legs out in front of you, feet flat on the ground. Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Then straighten your arms returning to the starting position. Do 15 reps and then hold it halfway down and finish with 10 quick pulses to really feel the burn.

RELATED: 7 Moves for Toned, Sexy Arms

Side lunge

Side lunges offer a new take on the traditional movement. They allow you to work your glutes and thighs from a different angle while still targeting all of the major muscles of the lower body.

How to do it: Start with your feet and knees together and arms overhead. Take a large step to the side with your left foot and sit your hips back as you lower toward the ground. Make sure to keep your knee directly above your heel, not extending too far forward over the toes. Push off your left foot and return to the starting position. Do 2 sets of 15 reps on each side. For an added challenge, do it holding a set of weights at your sides.