App Store Fifth Anniversary: How Jordan Joined The Press - 148Apps

Video game journalism is serious business, for me at least.

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When talking about the impact Apple?s App Store has had on people during the last five years it?s easy to just rattle off the numbers. But its influence goes beyond the hundreds of thousands of apps and the billions of downloads. Technology can simultaneously change the lives of entire populations and lowly individuals, individuals like me. The App Store has opened up opportunities for me to do the things I?ve always wanted to do, all while making me better at it.

For as long as I can remember, I?ve had a passion for writing and a passion for video games. Naturally, video game journalism seemed like the best career to pursue because it allowed me to easily combine the two. In 2007, just as I was settling into high school, I started practicing my craft on tiny fan sites about big games most players had already made up their minds about.

In 2009, though, as App Store games and the sites that covered them were coming into their own, I saw the chance to really get serious about this strange path I was on. With so many games to choose from, players were actually in need of advice. App Store coverage was a growing segment of games journalism that could really help people, so it seemed as good a place as any to launch my career. From 2009 to 2010 I wrote for SlidetoPlay.com and in 2011 I made the jump here to 148Apps. Writing about the App Store these past four years has undoubtedly driven me to strengthen my writing and provide quality analysis, although there are definitely improvements still to be made. I?m incredibly grateful for the editors who have had faith in me and my work.

Reviewing over 150 games for 148Apps alone has also given me a greater understanding of video games as a whole. At least, I?d like to think so. Playing all of the different kinds of games on the platform, no matter how good, bad or crazy experimental, while trying to articulate how and why they do or don?t work has been an immensely beneficial intellectual endeavor. Video game criticism has the potential to be more than just simple purchasing advice. Like games themselves, the writing can become a true art form. As the App Store evolves, its role in gaming is increasing. By highlighting these smaller App Store games I?m hoping to make whatever tiny contribution I can to the larger field. These games can be reviewed on their own terms, without worrying about having to conform to some AAA gaming consensus or fandom pressure and that?s what makes them so special.

Of course, what also make the App Store so special are the people behind it. To get a better understanding of the industry, I?ve recently been trying to talk with more developers and other members of the press. Before leaving Chicago and coming back home for the summer, I had dinner with Tom Eastman of Trinket Studios, creators of Color Sheep, and drinks with 148Apps? own Carter Dotson in the same week. Both experiences were great. The App Store itself may just be a cold, technological service set up by a massive corporation, but the communities of developers and writers that have come together because of it more than proves its value.

At just five years old, though, the App Store still has a bright future ahead of it. As I prepare to enter my last year of journalism school, I can?t wait to see what that future is and start covering it as a true professional. Writing about games is important to me and that?s not changing any time soon. So thank you App Store, 148Apps, and the wonderful people behind them both for helping me make my insanely frivolous dream an insanely meaningful reality.

Posted in: Blog

Tagged with: app store, App Store 5th, App Store Anniversary, Color Sheep, personal story

Review disclosure: note that the product reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note that if the developer provides the product or not, this does not impact the review or score.

Source: http://www.148apps.com/news/app-store-anniversary-jordan-joined-press/

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US 'very disappointed' with China on Snowden

The United States told China it was upset it did not hand over US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden after he fled to Hong Kong, saying that the decision had undermined relations.

President Barack Obama, meeting senior Chinese officials who were in Washington for annual wide-ranging talks, "expressed his disappointment and concern" over the Snowden case, the White House said in a statement Thursday.

Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, one of the main US officials in the talks, said Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed at their summit last month at the California resort of Sunnylands to cooperate over problems.

"That is why we were very disappointed with how the authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong handled the Snowden case, which undermined our effort to build the trust needed to manage difficult issues," Burns said.

"We have made clear that China's handling of this case was not consistent with the spirit of Sunnylands or with the type of relationship -- the new model -- that we both seek to build," Burns said at a joint press event.

Snowden, a former government contractor, fled the United States for Hong Kong after revealing details of pervasive US intelligence surveillance on the Internet. The United States sought his extradition to face charges.

But Snowden was allowed to leave Hong Kong, a territory of China that enjoys a large amount of autonomy, for Russia.

Since arriving in Russia on June 23, Snowden has been stuck in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport as he seeks a way to get to a country that will offer him asylum.

State Councilor Yang Jiechi, speaking next to Burns, defended decisions on Snowden, whose allegations of US snooping in Chinese Internet networks caused a stir in Beijing.

"The central government of China has always respected the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's handling of cases in accordance with the law," he said.

Hong Kong "handled the Snowden case in accordance with the law and its approach is beyond reproach", said Yang, a central figure in Chinese foreign policy.

Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying reiterated Yang's comments at a regular briefing Friday and told reporters: "The SAR government's handling of the Snowden case according to law is beyond reproach and all parties should respect that." SAR refers to Hong Kong.

"The Americans are just trying to save face," said Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo, dismissing the rebuke from Washington as "diplomatic talk".

"The Chinese didn't exactly invite Snowden to come to Hong Kong," Mo told AFP.

Hong Kong executive council member Bernard Chan was also critical of Washington, saying "Hong Kong and China were not the ones at fault".

"It was the US, not Hong Kong, that decided to operate a global electronic spying operation, which even some Americans now believe is out of control," Chan wrote in the South China Morning Post.

"It was the US, not Hong Kong, that decided directly or via outsourcing to use the services of a young man who turned out to be disloyal."

Earlier Thursday, Russia's Interfax news agency said the US had stopped pressing Russia to extradite Snowden, quoting a source close to the situation.

"There has not been any request either through official or unofficial channels for several days now," the source told the agency.

Snowden has applied for asylum in 27 countries.

Although many of them have already turned down his request, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered "humanitarian asylum" to Snowden last week.

But the country's foreign Minister Elias Jaua told AFP on Thursday that Snowden had yet to accept his country's offer.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Mercosur trade bloc summit in Montevideo, he said his government had had no contact with Snowden.

Earlier, Jaua said that Mercosur leaders, when they meet on Friday, would release a resolution denouncing the diversion of the jet carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales home from Moscow last week.

Morales, who accused four European nations -- France, Italy, Portugal and Spain -- of denying their airspace because they believed Snowden was hiding on his plane, has been invited to the Mercosur summit.

Source: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_very_disappointed_with_China_on_Snowden_999.html

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MTS India names Brandmovers India as its social media agency

The brand's digital mandate was being handled by the digital arm of Rediffusion-Y&R, which was also handling the brand's overall creative duties.

Brandmovers India, a full-service digital creative agency, has bagged the social media account of MTS India. The appointment is the result of a multi-stage pitch process that saw participation from 19 leading social media agencies of the country.

According to sources, Webchutney, Hungama Digital, MRM Worldwide and specialist social agencies like Drizzlin, Social Wavelength and 2020 Social were in the fray for the account.

As part of the mandate, Brandmovers will power MTS' social media strategy that will include social media management, social media advertising, and content creation for all platforms over digital. The social media pitch was the first step of the comprehensive digital revamp being undertaken at MTS as part of the new digital strategy being rolled out by the company.

Till now, the brand's digital mandate was being handled by the digital arm of Rediffusion-Y&R, which was also handling the brand's overall creative duties. In fact, MTS moved its creative mandate from Rediffusion to Creativeland Asia, last week.

Commenting on the association, Leonid Musatov, chief marketing and sales officer, MTS India, says, "We wanted a fresh focus and renewed energy from our social media team to be able to mutually create content that engages our audience. We were looking for an interactive agency with an innate understanding of the social space and its underlying principles that could help us build the right platforms, programmes and digital content. In Brandmovers, we see a shared passion for the digital space, emphasis on innovation, and desire to create clutter breaking content."

Suvajyoti Ghosh, co-founder and managing director of Brandmovers India, states, "Creating innovative digital work requires a strong alignment between client ambitions and the agency's core values. We believe that both MTS and Brandmovers' visions are aligned to create some of the best digital content and campaigns in the Indian telecom sector. MTS is looking at digital as an important channel for communicating with its audience, which makes our role highly strategic. We cannot wait to start!"

Brandmovers is headquartered in Atlanta with offices in the Americas, London, Mumbai, Delhi and Mexico. In India, the agency recently won businesses such as Lipton Ice Tea and Lenskart.

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Source: http://www.afaqs.com/news/story.html?sid=38070_MTS+India+names+Brandmovers+India+as+its+social+media+agency&lt=rss

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Pentagon to revise danger pay country roster

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Pentagon security review shows conditions improving in 18 countries once considered so dangerous that U.S. military who served there found something extra in their paychecks each month.

Now the Defense Department wants to take those countries and five waterways off the danger pay roster, saving about $120 million each year while taking a bite out of an estimated 56,000 troops' salaries, The Associated Press has learned.

Senior defense and military leaders are expected to meet later this week to review the matter and are poised to approve a new plan. Pentagon press secretary George Little declined to discuss details but said no final decisions have been made.

Senior military leaders came up with the proposed list of locations in their regions, including several countries in the heart of the tumultuous Middle East, such as Jordan, where hundreds of troops have recently deployed because of the bloody Syrian civil war on its border, and Bahrain.

Officials have argued that if service members are allowed to bring their families with them for assignments then it is difficult to argue that they should receive danger pay.

Defense officials said the proposal would strip the stipend ? which can be up to $225 per month ? from tens of thousands, including thousands stationed in Kuwait, which was a key hub during the Iraq war. It also would affect thousands of sailors who routinely travel through the Persian Gulf region on ships or airmen who fly over the Gulf.

The $225 monthly cut in pay would come regardless of the service member's base salary, which can range from a low of roughly $18,000 a year for a brand new recruit to a high of nearly $235,000 a year for a four-star general with more than 40 years in the military. Troops also can receive a variety of other allowances for housing, clothing or job specialties.

Defense officials described the proposal on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it.

Under the plans being discussed, troops would still receive the extra money if they serve in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The U.S. does not have any military members now serving in Iran.

Some of the countries that could likely be dropped from the list include Bahrain, where the Navy's 5th Fleet is located, as well as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Liberia, Haiti and several former Soviet republics.

The list has routinely evolved over many years, with countries added as they became more dangerous hotspots. And military leaders do periodic reviews of the list.

While the changes are based solely on the security review, the cuts also come as the Pentagon is under growing pressure to slash its budget, and as more than 650,000 civilians began taking the first of their 11 required days off without pay through the end of this fiscal year on Sept. 30.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said earlier this week that the fiscal pressures and congressional gridlock have led to far more abrupt and steeper cuts than expected. He noted that if Congress does not find a way to avoid the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration, the department will have to find $52 billion in additional savings next year.

So far, the danger pay decision does not affect the tax-free status of service members' pay when serving in those countries or on ships in the Gulf region.

Under existing Defense Department rules, military troops serving in as many as two dozen different nations as well as the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden have been able to receive the imminent danger pay. Until early 2012, they received the full monthly amount ? $225 at the time ? for any complete or partial month they served in any of the qualifying areas.

Beginning Feb. 1, 2012, troops received pro-rated payments of $7.50 for each day they were on official duty in one of the areas.

The total cost has been about $500 million per year.

Officials also said the proposed changes do not affect hostile fire pay. Service members who are exposed to a hostile fire or hostile mine explosion event are eligible to receive a full monthly payment of $225. But they can't receive both danger pay and hostile fire pay for the same month.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-revise-danger-pay-country-141627960.html

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Sting to perform 10 concerts to benefit NY's Public Theater

NEW YORK (Reuters) - British pop star Sting will perform songs from his new album, "The Last Ship" at ten concerts later this year that will benefit New York's Public Theater art organization.

The singer, who shot to fame in the band the Police, said the concerts will run from September 25 through October 9 at the 260-seat Anspacher Theater at the arts organization in Manhattan.

In a statement he described the small venue as "a natural fit" to perform the material from the album.

"The Last Ship," which will be released on September 23, draws inspiration from Sting's childhood in northern England. It is his first album with original material since "Sacred Love" in 2003.

"For the first and only time, Sting will perform songs from his new album," the Public Theater said on its website.

A musical of the same name as the album, based on his experiences living near the Swan Hunter Shipyard in Wallsend, Newcastle, will also debut on Broadway next year.

Sting, 61, has released 10 albums since going solo around 1984. He has also acted in films such as "Quadrophenia," "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," and appeared as himself in TV shows including "The Simpsons."

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sting-perform-10-concerts-benefit-nys-public-theater-152254857.html

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Kevin and Danielle Jonas Expecting First Child

"It's true - Danielle is pregnant! Can't even imagine how excited we are," the musician and reality star, 25, Tweeted Tuesday.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/oE2PZsy17vM/

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Japan star Matsuyama ready for British Golf Open

AFP - Japan's rookie superstar Hideki Matsuyama said Wednesday he is ready to impress in his debut at the British Open as he steps up his quest for a US Tour card.

"I will aim to make the cut, first of all. And, if I do, I will then target a spot in the top 10 or higher," he told reporters at Tokyo's Narita airport before leaving for next week's major event at Muirfield in Scotland.

The 21-year-old, the Asian amateur champion in 2011 and 2012, made his professional debut only in April when he started his fourth year at a Japanese university.

But he has since won twice and finished runner-up twice in eight domestic tournaments to lead the Japan Tour's money list at 99 million yen ($980,000), more than double the total of the second-placed player.

Matsuyama also finished tied 10th in his first US Open last month. He is currently ranked 46th in the world and has qualified for the year's final major, the August 5-11 PGA Championships in Rochester, New York.

"I believe Muirfield is a tough course and I will prepare myself well on the spot," he said, adding that he studied a DVD of the course. "It didn't help clear up my head much."

After the British Open, he will play in a few US Tour events, starting with the Canadian Open. If he remains in the world's top 50, he will be eligible to compete in the Bridgestone Invitational from August 1-4 in Akron, Ohio.

After the PGA Championships he hopes to compete in the year's final PGA event, the Wyndham Championship from August 15-18 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

"It is going to be a long expedition," Matsuyama said. "But I want to work hard and produce results in order to get a US Tour card."

He will earn a card for next year if he finishes in the top 125 on the US money list, where he will join fellow 21-year-old Japanese Ryo Ishikawa, who has struggled to make the cut in his first full year on the US Tour.

Matsuyama currently stands around 190th place with winnings from the US Open.

He has played in the Masters twice.

In 2011, he won his first Asian amateur championship to gain entry to the Masters. He finished tied 27th, winning the Silver Cup as the lowest scoring amateur.

He successfully defended his Asian amateur title in 2012 and finished 54th at the Masters.

Source: http://www.france24.com/en/20130710-japan-star-matsuyama-ready-british-golf-open

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