Google has offered other services that pertain to the Drive for several years. Gmail, for example, has offered online storage since the advent of Google docs. Google has never really bragged or advertised the service, but it did become more noticeable with Android products.

In a direct comparison with iCloud, Apple’s cloud product, Google can compete feature for feature on everything. Both services offer 5GB of storage for any online document, video, picture file, or anything else you would need to store online. Both the Drive and the iCloud are able to sync video, pictures and music, all at the low, low price of free for the user. However, music and photo syncs are easier with Drive than iCloud, due to the fact that with iCloud, users have to sync through iTunes, and Drive users can sync through directly from their hard drives, or the Drive service online.

Another advantage Google Drive seems to have over the iCloud service is its ability to easily share public files for editing and collaboration between users. This is for real time use, or these files can be edited and left for other users to collaborate on at a different time. Also, with Google’s Drive, users have the benefit of being able to save much larger files than with the Apple’s iCloud. With Google’s Drive, users have access to up to 10 GB, for free. With the iCloud, users have up to 25 MB for free storage, and up to 250 MB for paying users.

The final comparison between the two services comes down to available mobile platforms for them. While Apple’s iCloud does not currently have one app that can be used on Android, Google offers several apps that can be used with iOS platforms. Google has even promised that Google Drive is coming shortly for iPad and iPhone users.

The Google Drive is currently compatible with a PC or Mac, and of course, Android products. It is explained as online storage, with a place for multi-person collaborations on online presentations, documents and spreadsheets. These collaborations can be handled from any location in the world, at the same time. Google Drive also enhances your search results for files, down to being able to recognize images in scanned documents.

Google Drive users can get started for free. If they need more storage than the 5 GB that are offered, initially, they can pay the paltry sum of around $2.50 a month for up to 25 GB.

In comparison, it seems that Google Drive may be more user-friendly than iCloud services.

Now, the rumor is circulating again. This time, it goes into a little more detail, actually giving June of 2012 as a release date for this new, non-glass device.

According to a Korean news site, which sited industry sources as its source, this new device will not only contain the Liquidmetal, but it will be unveiled at the annual worldwide conference for developers, held by Apple.

The conference, traditionally held in June, is usually the spot for the unveiling of any new iPhones the company has to offer. This is another tradition that Apple has held, dating back to the unveiling of the first iPhone. It stands to reason that if the company has a new device to unveil, with Liquidmetal, that it would do so at its annual convention, but no announcements have been made, as of yet.

The making of such a device is definitely possible for Apple, since they obtained the only commercial license awarded to anyone by the makers of  Liquidmetal. The license was awarded in the latter half of 2010.

Liquidmetal was first discovered at the California Institute of Technology. Apple has used this technology in production of its SIM ejector tool, used for various iPad and iPhone devices. The substance that Liquidmetal produces is catalogued as a metallic glass.

According to reports released by Liquidmetal, if used in an iPhone, Apple is using a material that would be more durable than glass. Seeking to substitute Liquidmetal for glass in its device, Apple would be letting go of a fragile compound for something that Liquidmetal claims is more durable and flexible than aluminum, titanium and stainless steel. In fact, according to the company’s website, Liquidmetal offers more strength and durability, with the added promise of a high corrosion threshold, high wear-resistance and a higher strength/weight ratio. It’s even listed as having acoustical properties.

When applied to an iPhone, this means that users would get a lighter, thinner and more durable device. This leads to better portability and long-term use, with less concern from the consumer for his or her newest investment.

Perhaps, if the rumors are true, Apple is waiting to unveil its newest iPhone on the open market as a tactical maneuver. If the company is waiting, it may do so to correlate with the unveiling of Samsung’s new Galaxy S3 smartphone, which is supposed to have ceramic in place of glass. If this is the case, the wait was a smart move. Just the rumor of such a phone has already garnered more curiosity and clamoring from Apple users (and other interested parties) than a simple announcement would have.

Either way, the world awaits more news of a more durable, flexible and better built iPhone from Apple.

Are you ready for sleep control through your iPhone? You could be part of what has been called the world’s largest sleep experiment, if you are. Professor Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire in Britain is inviting volunteers to use a iPhone app to try to control their dreams. Wiseman is teaming up with the YUZA software company to help create DREAM:ON, an app that plays nature sounds and soundscapes while the user is asleep. This music is designed to help the sleeper avoid bad dreams.

Wiseman conducted a survey in the UK in which it was found that as much as 15% of those polled said they have bad dreams. The app works by incorporating the phone’s microphone as a listening device. As the user goes to sleep, the phone “listens” for reduced movement, signaling REM, which then triggers the nature and soundscape music. This is intended to help form the dreams the user is having, helping him or her avoid bad dreams.

When the user awakes, he or she is prompted to report on how his or her dreams went the night before. The information will be gathered and studied to review user reports. Users of iPhones can download a free app from the App Store. There will be an Android app available later this year.

This app is the second of its kind. Japan already has one, called the Yumemiru app. There is no word, yet, on how it is doing.

On the smartphone front, smartphone users will be able to continue to process more information, more quickly. Dual-Core processors have now become the norm for smartphones.

While most smartphones already have dual-core processors, users and interested consumers should see this as a normal addition to any mobile device, now. Not only can you count on dual-core action, but dual-core power efficiency, since they are being designed to help these devices be more energy (battery) efficient. The ARM executive, James Bruce, said dual-core handsets have been able to revert back to lower levels of power consumption.

Finally, wireless carriers are taking note to the lack of minutes being used on mobile plans. Why waste minutes when you can email, text or message someone on Facebook? As a result, minutes plans are getting cheaper, and usage plans are being increased. However, with these newer, “cheaper” plans, some carriers will remove you from the plan, if they find that you are using too many minutes.

With the movie fairing so well at the box office, one would think everybody would be happy, but it looks like there are rumblings of losing Director Gary Ross. The talk is about Ross and Lionsgate who seem to be fighting a game of their own, but if you are a “Hunger Games” follower, you already know that there can only be one winner. Whatever has them battling it out, they are still at it.

Usually money is the root of disagreements in this case and that was what everybody thought was the issue between the two, as it was believed that Ross was holding out for more cash. Since his first installment to do part one was a mere three million on a film that has already rung in at 150 times that worldwide plus another 5 percent of the gross, it is not surprising that he would want his rightful piece of the pie. Surprisingly, the pot has proceeded to stink and Ross is asking for money, but the beef is not only about money this time. It seems that there are politics involved as well.

When asked his opinion, Ken Basin, an attorney at Greenberg Glusker, who is experienced in entertainment issues reveals it is most likely about power and scheduling. The studio is pushing for a tight schedule, compressed into a four month time-frame for the script to be ready, yet Ross is not willing to commit to a project that has to be rushed and may have a weak script. Rumors suggest that this is the holdout.

What is known is that Lionsgate wants Ross to return in August to shoot in order to be wrapped up so Jennifer Lawrence will be able to shoot a sequel to “X-Men: First Class” scheduled for January. When directors are experienced, they are not likely to want to be rushed per experts in the industry.  Ross does have some freedom to negotiate with since he is not tied to a contractual agreement to get back for “Catching Fire.”

Even if Ross decides to go, it won’t really have a negative effect on the film since they can bring in another director for less money. Basin thinks they’ll likely get someone with less experience that will be more agreeable when is comes to making concessions. What does that mean for the film? Simply put, they will get someone to work at the scheduling speed they need so they can get the sequel completed before the end of the year. While the movie might lose a little creativity, it needs to get on with it while the film is hot. Fans need to see the next movie quickly, not in a few years.

But now, technology is far more advanced. New TV Technology has made it possible to view infinite channels, round the clock, in high definition. Now, 3D view is in and most families choose satellite connections. Cable TV is going strong with satellite TV establishing a strong foothold. That’s not all! Now, not just television sets, there are different types of television sets. Ranging from LCD to plasma, it is also possible to watch TV from one’s computer or laptop. Now, online TV is the latest trend with increasingly more people buying software that lets them watch different channels online.

The current craze is with 3D TVs sans glasses and online TV. Unlike earlier where it wasn’t possible to view videos clearly, it is now possible to see life-size videos in high definition, leave alone 3D. From the bulky and heavy sets, new TV technology has made it possible to get sleek and smart TVs. Also, the sound quality is immensely good, with TVs coming packed with features including woofer for Theater effect. Yes, television sets come with 2500+ watts, woofer and excellent surround sound. Also, with home theater set connected to a TV, the effects can be mind blowing.

Those owning smartphones can now watch TV on their phone! Earlier, an external HDMI cable and a box were needed, to make it possible to watch TV using a PC. But now, all that’s not needed, with online TV and software that aid with watching TV being launched. Irrespective of the device deployed like LCD, LED, Plasma or conventional TV sets, to computers, laptops, notebooks or smartphones, anyone can watch TV from virtually anywhere! Phone companies offer this feature, or one can use software that makes this possible, when viewing from a smartphone. For systems, TV software or online should do the trick. No need to rush home for that favorite match, or movie or premiere! Catch all the action from wherever you are and on the go!

Meanwhile Kandi is all “Happiness and Joy”!  Her toys and products are finally ready for sale.  The line includes toys that vibrate to music and work underwater.  What she has waited five months for is finally a reality.  So in order to launch her line she plans a party.

Cynthia also completes a major accomplishment, her modeling agency.  The day of the grand opening she has a large turnout and finds a handful of models that she sees fit to train and attempt to send to New York and other markets.

It is present time!  Kim and Kroy go out to dinner for Kroy’s birthday but Kim can hardly sit through the entire meal because she is too excited about Kroy’s present.  The two walk outside and a shiny black porcsh wrapped with a gigantic red ribbon is there to meet them.  Kroy is speechless but Kim characteristically is not, it is a very happy birthday indeed.

However, Kim is not the only one who comes bearing gifts.  Nene meets her business partner for a lunch that turns out to yield a lot more than business.  John, her partner, professes his love for Nene and gives her a gift of a $30,000 Rolex watch that he says is timeless just like his feelings for her.  She does not return his sentiments…or the watch.  John is left broken hearted and $30,000 poorer.

Kandi continues the process of planning her party with Sheree and Phaedra’s help.  They bring in attractive men to cast as masseuses for the party and end up getting foot massages by a group of extremely muscular men whom they hire.

Kandi’s party goes off without a glitch with plenty of twitter people, friends and family, notably Kandi’s mother, in full support.  Many guests receive sensual massages including Kandi who enjoys a four man massage.

Nene, Cynthia and Marlo arrive and have nothing good to say.  They observe the twitter people, half naked men and vulgarity as characteristically Kandi.  The three spend most of the evening off to themselves acting like they are only there for the obligation but with no real interest.

Kim and Sheree arrive late and Kim remarks that “dildos and half naked men everywhere is definitely a Kandi party”.

Nene gets especially sour once Kim arrives and can no longer conceal her aggravation with the entire event.  She resolves to leave even though Cynthia and Marlo rode with her and want to stay longer.  In the end Nene gets her way and the three leave the party and leave a sour taste in Kandi, Kim and Sheree’s mouths.

However, the glee of the party overshadows everything else and the show ends on a positive note.

While driving through the woods looking for Mary Margaret, Emma almost hits a strange man named Jefferson.  Emma apologizes and lies about being out their looking for a lost dog. In Fairy Tale Land, Jefferson is playing a game of Hide and Seek with his little girl, Grace. They see the Queen’s carriage in front of their house, but Jefferson denies knowing her and sends Grace into the woods to hide. Upon entering the house Jefferson asks Regina what she wants and it is obvious they know each other. Regina tells him she needs him to do a job for her, but he refuses because that is how Grace lost her mother. The Queen tries to bribe Jefferson, promising him riches if he will only do this one last task for her but he continues to resist.

Back in Fairy Tale Land, Jefferson doesn’t have the money to buy Grace a stuffed rabbit and the Old Hag won’t take what he has for it.  Grace talks him into leaving from embarrassment and when the Old Hag turns to the mirror, she morphs into the Queen.  Meanwhile, Emma wakes up in Jefferson’s mansion and is bound and gagged.

Jefferson’s thoughts keep returning to Fairy Tale Land with the Queen’s reminder resonating in his thoughts that he can’t give Grace what she needs without working for her. Jefferson could no longer resist so she sends Grace to go the neighbor’s for the day so he can work.  Grace begs to go with him but Jefferson says no.  Grace makes him  promise to be back for her tea party and he promises he will. As Jefferson returns to Fairy Tale Land he shows the Queen what the box can do as he takes out a hat and spins a hole in the floor that they slip through.

Back at Storybrooke, Emma spots Mary Margaret and hurries to break her free. She tells Emma a man grabbed her going through the woods. As they try to escape Jefferson catches them and ties Mary Margaret back up, yet takes Emma by gunpoint. He explains he saved Mary Margaret’s life as they have been trapped in the house for 28 years due to a curse, except for Emma. Emma thinks he is crazy as he tells her she is the only one that can fix it.

In Fairy Tale Land, the Queen reveals these two have a shared past, but he is there for his daughter. They stick together as they enter the mirror. Back at the Jefferson mansion Emma is confused as he wants her to make a hat yet the room is full of them. Jefferson tells her she can work magic and make it work.

In Wonderland the Queen wants to enter the Queen of Hearts Maze against Jefferson’s will. He tells her that you can not touch the sides or you’ll get devoured and demonstrates with a stick. When four red armored soldiers arrive and the Queen’s father appears as she tosses a piece of the mushroom into the box.  The queen grabs dad and leaves Jefferson behind as she uses her magic to close the hedge and trap his feet to the ground. Jefferson is distraught as the soldiers come to take him away. When taken before the Queen of Hearts, he is sentenced to death for helping steal from her. Surprisingly, he is still alive when they cut off his head and he tells the Queen he got there with his hat.  She orders him to make another.

In Storybrooke, Jefferson tells Emma she has to make the hat. She catches his back turned and knocks him out with a telescope.  She frees Mary Margaret and he charges them again, only to end up being kicked out the window. Outside, Emma sees no sign of Jefferson except his hat and she tosses the keys to her bug to Mary Margaret to leave.  Mary Margaret won’t leave without Emma and gives her back the keys.

Meanwhile, Mary Margaret is in the cell at the Sherriff Station when Regina arrives. Mr Gold informs her that his client is not having visitors as well as letting her know that Emma is more resourceful than they realized. Regina is not happy.

As Emma notices Grace walking by the school, she realizes Jefferson was telling her the truth. She is starting to believe. This back and forth drama is mesmerizing as it switches between reality and fairy tale. The next episode can be seen Sunday 8PM Eastern.

The things you don’t know about your local movie theater can cost you in the long run. Its not only cheaper to stay home and watch that movie through On Demand, but its safer and healthier, as well.

The most apparent money-saver is the price of admission. While movie theaters do not get the luxury of setting prices for admission (movie studios get every penny for the first two months), it’s apparent that its cheaper to get an On Demand movie for one price, than to pay for multiple people at the theater.  With current pricing, a couple can pay as much as $35.00 or more, to get their tickets and a modest snack at concessions.

At home, with remote in hand, the entire family can watch the same movie for $6.00 or less (depending on the provider). Even if it’s just a couple’s night, that’s a savings of 50 percent or more over current theater prices. Don’t forget the money that is spent in gas to get there and back, as well.

On Demand also wins out on viewing options. Whereas you can spend the money to get a single viewing at a single time, On Demand offers varying days of access with remote control functionality like fast forward, rewind and pause. Pay one price, one time and get 24-72 hours to watch your movie multiple times with complete control.

Health and safety enter the picture when you consider the ingredients for the popcorn, one of the biggest sellers on any movie-goer’s snack list. This popcorn can cost you, not only at the counter, but in possible doctor’s bills later.

Almost everyone is aware that movie theater popcorn has a lot of grease in it, as well as salt and artificial coloring. The salt and saturated fat content for this snack is off the chart, but it gets worse with the current report on it’s chemical makeup. It is rumored that there is a chemical used by certain manufacturers that enhances the smell of the popcorn.

Essentially, this leaves consumers eating aromatherapy. It also contains diacetyl, a chemical that enhances flavoring. This chemical has been linked with lung cancer. Not only are you consuming chemicals that produce artificial smells and tastes, but you are eating something that can leave you seriously ill.

When you consider the exorbitant pricing that is charged for this treat, it can add up to way to much in the long run.

Popcorn bought in the grocery store, or an organic food store, is healthier in that it does not have the same chemicals. Its also cheaper and can be made to suit specific tastes within the home.

When weighing the short-term and long-term cost of a trip to the movies, staying home with On Demand is a better, safer and more cost-effective alternative.

It doesn’t even much matter what kind of sports or at what level, as long as there’s some type of competition involved, there will be some type of television coverage available. Of course, professional events and the Olympics have great TV coverage. All one has to do is turn on the TV on a Sunday afternoon and flip a few channels and some type of sporting event will be on. In the spring, you’ve got baseball, in the fall, the NFL rides high. And over the winter, you’ve got basketball and hockey to look forward to. And even if you prefer some type of auto racing, NASCAR runs from February through November and with the popularity of racing, Friday night, Saturday and Sunday will almost always have some kind of NASCAR related race running.

And there are channels specifically devoted to virtually every popular sport. The NFL channel exists to give football fans all the info they could ever want, including the ability to re-watch old games without having to own a copy of a tape or DVD of it. And when NFL season is in full swing, not only can you find games on two or three channels at the same time, but if you subscribe to the NFL package available from some providers, you can actually have access to every game that is being played.

These PPV packages exist for baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer as well. Because of the popularity of those sports, no longer do you have to wait to hear the scores on the radio, catch the scores on the evening news or even extend the wait until they come out in the newspaper, but you can watch the game as it is being played.

Broadcasters knew even as far back as the early 1980’s that sports were a big deal and responded to the nascent market with ESPN. As those markets developed, this expanded to ESPN2 and even more ESPN channels that are available as needed to support multiple events.

As things stand today, if one subscribes to as much as they can from a cable or satellite company, there are literally dozens and dozens of sports channels out there. Between SportSouth and FOX, ESPN and all the Pay Per View packages, at the peak of the sports season, over 100 channels of nothing but sports are available for viewing. These markets continue to develop, and sponsors for the events know it. Even a sport that has such a limited following as curling can get some major sponsorship dollars because of the TV coverage it receives.

Sports are easily the largest market for entertainment available. Regardless of what others may think, with all of the channels devoted solely to sports, and with all the money thrown at it by advertisers, is it any wonder the top players in their respective sports can command as much as they do for salaries?

Video on demand is actually a broad range of technologies that can be used to deliver specifically requested video content to a viewer virtually instantly. Generally, this is done through a list of videos that are available in an archive. Once the viewer has selected a particular video, that video is transmitted to the viewer’s viewing device, which can be either a computer or a TV set.

There are three general kinds of video on demand: streaming Internet video, the kind of video on demand that’s available through cable TV providers, and the kind that’s available through satellite TV companies.  Streaming Internet video is by far the most widely available because in many cases it is free to anyone who has a fairly modern computer and high speed access to the Internet.  With the wide range of wireless hot spots available these days, one needn’t have a broadband Internet connection at home to enjoy this technology!  Basically there are free sites on the Internet that will provide streaming access to TV shows both modern and classic, in return for forcing you to watch some advertising.  In most cases the advertising isn’t as intrusive as it is on normal TV and you can initialize the stream whenever you want and pause it if you need to attend to something else momentarily.  Of course, there are also websites where you can pay for exclusive online streaming video as well.

The kind of video on demand that you can get from your cable TV company is similar to what you can get through the Internet, but all of it is available through the cable provider’s interface and some of it will be available only on a pay per view basis.  Generally, video on demand from the cable TV company should be more reliable than streaming video from the Internet because there is much more bandwidth available through the cable TV connection.

The video on demand service of satellite TV companies is a bit different because satellite technology typically isn’t set up to provide dedicated streams of programming to specific viewers.  Satellite TV gets around this by storing video on demand content on viewers DVR’s and allowing them to access that content on a pay per view basis.  Because of the limitations on the storage capacity of the DVRs, satellite services have much less total video content available through their video on demand services than you can get from a cable TV company or over the Internet.

As you can see, video on demand in all of its forms definitely opens up more options for watching TV on your own terms.