Paul Thompson

Stacy Haiduk is best known for playing the lifelong friend and love interest Lana Lang -- opposite Gerard Christopher as Clark Kent -- in the early '90s television series "Superboy." Guess what she looks like now!

Jason Derulo checked into Rehab this weekend -- the legendary Las Vegas pool party at the Hard Rock -- where the singer had to follow a 12-step program of his own: Step 1 -- Admit you are powerless over ass. Step 2 -- Embrace and…

There’s a plentitude of sites (including our own) recommending and rating just about everything made by mankind. But as important as “what to buy” is knowing what’s possible using the products you’ve purchased. Inner Vision is a weekly digest connecting the dots between great everyday objects and the culture and techniques behind living well with them.

Put the “Super” In “Supermoon”
On August 10th the moon will be 221,765 miles from Earth. Just in case you didn’t realize it, that’s a bit closer than usual, warranting the designation of a “supermoon” (aka s perigee-syzygy). Lexy Savvides of CNET shares tips for optimizing your photo gear for the lunar event for results deserving a “super” extolment.

Size Matters…When Picking a Grill
The ‘king of chefs and chef of kings,’ Auguste Escoffier once opined, “A grill is the remote starting-point, the very genesis of our art…” Start off with the right grill for summer picnic season.

It’s the Non-Productive Activities That Matter
Without a plan or thought combating mental fatigue is like applying a bandage over a large, oozing wound of compounding exhaustion. Writer Jonathan Milligan breaks up his day into 90 minute “focus sessions”,  practicing “real” breaks of non-productivity. The results: a richer life with a boost in overall output.

Self Control Can Come Naturally
A bag of cookies eaten in a sitting. Going on an online spending spree. Blurting out an inappropriate remark in the heat of the moment. They’re all loss of self control. The cure: apparently looking at natural environments – even virtual images of nature – reduces impulsive decision-making significantly.

Hope vs. Hype: Are Supplements Useful or Useless?
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” That annual $32 billion supplements industry figure reveals many of us are instead seeking help in a pill form when it comes to health, fitness, and for men….[shhhhh]….virility. You’d really be better off investing in a blender or juicer, begin exercising regularly, and keeping weight off the midsection for testosterone-boosting effects.

Before You Convince Yourself You Need the New iPhone
This isn’t about guilt, but real people. The Human Cost of Electronics, a short documentary spotlighting the lives of those making our electronic devices in China, reminds we’re all too willing to convince ourselves what we”want” is what we really “need”, especially at the cost of faceless workers overseas.

Coming Clean About Washing Machines
9,188. 5,803. 2,902. You can probably guess which one is the standard vs. Energy Saver vs. TopTen rated washing machine for water efficiency. With drought squeezing availability all over the country down to the very last drop, when considering a new washing machine, be sure to factor in efficiency as advised by the NRDC.

French Baking+Vietnamese Fermentation=Crazy Delicious 
The bánh mì is a beautiful amalgamation of pungent Vietnamese flavors hiding in wait inside the baked remnants of colonial era French occupation: the crisp+pillowy embrace of baguette giving way to an acidic crunch of julienned daikon and carrots curtaining slivers of garlicky pork, slabs of head cheese, spreadable pork liver pâté, or even the saline-metallic of canned sardines. Throw in some cucumber slices, a horse kick of jalapeños, sprigs of cilantro, a paintbrush stroke of mayo, and you’ve got the best sandwich this side of a po’ boy…except funkier and a lot healthier.

Your Smartphone Photos Suck
Frankly speaking, most photos posted online haven’t markedly improved compared to snapshots shot on disposable cameras decades ago. Dan Rubin, the editor-at-large of Photographic Journal, is just the man to show and share a selection of photo apps and tips to improve your snapshots in two swipes and a tap.

The Darker, Deadly Side of Landscaping
Few know the otherwise affable Los Angeles suburb of Larchmont Village is ground zero of various potential deadly dangers growing openly in yards all over. Obscura Society LA joins forces with horticulturalist Kelley Remington for a most curious tour of 25-30 common trees and shrubs revealing their varying toxicity.

Got an interesting story, link, resource, or how-to you think we should check out for consideration for our next issue of Inner Vision? Drop us a line with the subject “Inner Vision” and we’ll take a look!

8:20 PM PT -- Cops tells TMZ ... Young knocked out the man he was fighting by punching him in the face.  We're told the man -- who Young knows -- was transported to the hospital and later released.Former NFL wide receiver Titus…

Apple announced OS X Yosemite last month during its worldwide developers conference and released the first beta version of the operating system to developers at the same time. According to web analytics firm Chitika, developer interest in Yosemite is high with an early adoption rate that is significantly greater than its predecessor OS X Mavericks and still growing.

Overall, the data point to a promising future for OS X Yosemite. In the short term, we expect the operating system’s usage share to grow in the wake of the release of the third Developer Preview edition on July 7, 2014. Additionally, with the increased level of developer activity thus far, along with the success of the similarly no cost OS X Mavericks, it’s very probable that OS X Yosemite adoption will outpace that of any other previous Mac desktop OS when it is released publicly later this year.

Chitika measured Mac OS X ad impressions from users in the U.S. and Canada between June 2 and July 2, 2014. Adoption of OS X Yosemite rose quickly after release, climbing to 0.15% of total U.S. and Canadian Mac OS X Web traffic in just a few days. In comparison, OS X Mavericks last year took about 30 days to reach only 0.05% of measured web traffic.


Chitika attributes this higher adoption to curiosity about new features of OS X, especially those collaborative options that tie into iOS. Along with OS X Yosemite, Apple introduced iOS 8 with new continuity features that improve the cross-platform integration of iOS 8 with OS X Yosemite. Most notable is Handoff, which allows users to start a task on one iCloud-enabled device and easily transfer that task to another nearby device without losing changes.

Prince Fielder KNEW people were gonna have a strong opinion when he stripped down butt-naked and posed for the ESPN "Body" issue ... and now, Cuba Gooding Jr. has delivered. Cuba -- who just revealed he's got a role in Ben Stiller's new show…

Donald Sterling's attorney says the Clippers owner is NOT ducking his trial -- and did NOT leave town -- telling TMZ Sports he's right down the street and ready to come to court if needed. Earlier today, Shelly Sterling's lawyer Bert Fields…

The Gaslight Anthem have released the first single from their upcoming album. The record is titled Get Hurt and is due out August 19, 2014 via Island Records

It's all fun and games until someone gets shot in the face ... just ask New Orleans Saints running back Khiry Robinson who took a pellet to the grill during a paintball outing last week ... and TMZ Sports has the dramatic (hilarious) video.It all…

One of the major iOS 8 announcements at last week's Worldwide Developers Conference was support for systemwide third-party keyboards, and a number of prominent keyboard developers have announced their intention to support iOS. Fleksy was the first to share a photo of its keyboard running on iOS 8, and today TouchPal has posted a video of its keyboard in action.


TouchPal's video shows its keyboard supporting gesture/sliding input similar to Swype, as demoed in the stock Messages app on iOS 8. TouchPal also supports autocorrect and predictive word suggestions, although these are not shown in the demo.

While iOS 8's public release is still several months away, it's clear that keyboard developers, many of whom including Swype, Adaptxt and SwiftKey have honed their offerings on Android, are moving quickly to support iOS.

Several major keyboard developers have already been working with iOS, as seen with the SwiftKey Note app with Evernote integration and Fleksy's developer tools that allow developers to add support for the firm's predictive keyboard on an app-by-app basis. As a result, we expect quite a few third-party options ready for the iOS 8 launch.

Amebix has announced a new live release. The video was shot during the band's 2009 reunion. The video is being edited by Andy Lefton and was recorded by Amebix drummer Roy Mayorga. The release will be out via NGNM productions. There is no release date as of yet.

A downtown tavern had to fight Tuesday to continue having music outside after some residents of the neighboring Grand River Station complained about the noise.

A judge this morning delayed Mitrel Anderson’s nine-day homicide trial slated to begin Monday until winter.

After a total of 36 hours of testing nearly every kit released over the past two years, we’ve determined that the best powerline networking adapter set for most people is the TP-Link AV2000 2-Port Gigabit Passthrough Powerline Starter Kit. A powerline networking adapter transmits an internet signal over your home’s electrical wiring, so it’s a good way to get internet access to a distant part of your house without running additional cables or using a Wi-Fi extender. The broadly compatible TP-Link kit is twice as fast as last year’s fastest powerline options, so it’s the best way to start or expand your home powerline network.

Razer has unveiled its Junglecat iOS gaming controller for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5, bringing a number of hardware features that attempt to make games easier and more natural to play on a mobile device.


The accessory features a slide-out unibody design that contains a Lightning connected upper enclosure for the iPhone, and boasts console-style controls such as a D-Pad, ABXY face buttons, and shoulder bumpers. The Junglecat includes open access to the iPhone's hardware features including the sleep/wake button, volume buttons, home button, headphone jack, and front/rear cameras.

Razer is also shipping a companion app with the Junglecat, allowing users to remap face buttons and adjust sensitivity on the controller. The app will also include a list of games optimized for controller play, as the app's interface displays both purchased apps and featured games.


It is unknown if Razer's Junglecat is a more final version of the company's "Kazuyo" controller that was leaked earlier this year, however the latter featured a slim hard-shell case design and was rumored to come with full-sized analog sticks. A previous report also indicated that Razer would be shipping a companion app for the Kazuyo as well, perhaps indicating that the company chose a different design for its first iOS controller.

The Razer Junglecat joins a growing market of iOS game controllers, which includes the SteelSeries Stratus, Logitech PowerShell, MOGA Ace Power and Mad Catz’s C.T.R.L.i controller. While all current controllers have attempted to impress consumers with unique designs and buttons, it has been reported that Apple's strict guidelines have hampered product quality.


Currently, an increasing number of games are offering iOS 7 controller support, including titles like 2K Drive, Dead Trigger 2, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The number of iOS games supporting controllers is expected to grow as more accessories become available to consumers.

Razer's Junglecat controller will be available in white and black for $99 when it ships this summer.

The Backstreet Boys haven't had a huge hit in years ... but they're still earning 1990s-sized paychecks.BSB just collected $750K to star in a Swedish commercial ... singing a version of "Larger Than Life" ... for a Swedish warehouse store.Brian…

ON TODAY'S SHOW A 'Shield' Star Shockingly Shoots & Kills His Wife... and Then Calls the Cops on Himself! Are Justin Bieber & Paris Hilton Knockin' Boots? Rob Kardashian Lashes Out about His Weight Issues Is Master P's Family Drama All a…

Samsung has released a software update for the international version of its Galaxy S5 flagship smartphone. The new software is promising speedier camera and gallery app startup, plus more responsive fingerprint recognition. Apart from the faster camera startup, the update also brings improved general performance and better RAM management. Learn more

Boston post-hardcore act The Saddest Landscape are hitting the road this month for a few quick dates that will take them out to this year's Bled Fest (Hey! We're a sponsor!) in Michigan. These are the first shows the band has played since an accident forced them to cancel their US tour earlier this year and the first Canadian show in their history. The dates can be seen below.

NPR is streaming Braid's first song off their upcoming album, No Coast. The track is called "Bang" and the album is due out July 8, 2014 through Topshelf Records. It's their first studio album since 1998's Frame & Canvas and follows their 2011 reunion EP Closer to Closed.

You can hear the song here on NPR's All Songs Considered.

In less than a day before the biggest night of the NFL,  join host Davey Miller and fellow Lombardiave staff writers  tonight (at 10 p.m.) right here at lombardiave.com as they discuss the wide receiver and defensive backs of the Green Bay Packers and who they may draft in light of the the upcoming 2014 NFL Draft […]

The Sports Panel: Talking Packers Draft - Lombardi Ave - Lombardi Ave - A Green Bay Packers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

For many years, Apple has used different suppliers for the solid-state drives (SSDs) in its MacBook Air models, with drive performance varying among manufacturer brands. A recent study by Macworld demonstrated rather dramatic differences in SSD read and write speeds between tested 2013 and 2014 models, but at the time it was unclear whether the poorer performance for the 2014 models was still simply due to drive brand variances or if there was something specific to the 2014 machines causing an overall degradation in performance.

Other World Computing (OWC) has now performed some apples-to-apples testing between 2013 and 2014 models with SanDisk SSDs, and has found that performance is nearly identical.

In OWC's testing using Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, the new MacBook Air model with a 128 GB SanDisk SSD reported read/write speeds of 705/315 MBps, while the 2013 version also with a 128 GB SanDisk drive scored similarly with read/write speeds of 711/316 MBps.


Macworld's testing of four machines (various combinations of 2013/2014 models at 11 and 13 inches) had included drives of two different capacities from three different manufacturers, making it difficult to determine the exact cause of the performance differences.

This variability in brand performance was noticed years ago, when Apple started using both Toshiba and Samsung SSDs in its MacBook Air models. Apple continues to use drives from different manufacturers in its 2014 models, including units from Samsung, Toshiba and SanDisk. How various batches of drives from the different manufacturers are assigned to various machines is unknown, and consumers are unable determine which brand of SSD is in their MacBook Air without opening the box and either booting the machine to examine system profile information or physically opening the machine.

Apple's new MacBook Airs are available from Apple's website beginning at $899, while the 2013 models are being sold at significant discounts through a number of retailers.

Grandad Bluff will serve as more than a scenic overlook Friday and Saturday.

To commemorate its launch in 1989, CNBC today ranked the most influential business and financial leaders from the past 25 years. Topping the list in the number one spot is Apple's own "iVisionary" Steve Jobs.


Steve Jobs was recognized by CNBC not only for his work at Apple, but also for his influence on the wider culture both in business and in people's personal lives.

His creative genius revolutionized not just his industry and its products, but also everything from music and movies to smartphones. He provided a platform for others to create and distribute apps, bringing innovation and change to an even wider sphere. Apple's co-founder tops our anniversary list of the 25 most transformative leaders, icons and rebels of the past-quarter century. More than any other member of our group of extraordinary entrepreneurs and executives—all outstanding leaders—his vision spurred changes far beyond his industry and put an indelible stamp on the wider culture.

When assembling the list, the editorial board at CNBC focused on business, eliminating politicians and government leaders from its top 25. They considered only those business men and women who were transformative both in their own field and beyond. Though most are well-known billionaires, the list was not based on personal financial success or popularity.

We made the decision early on to eliminate heads of government and state from our deliberations. This is a list, after all, about business people, not politicians. It's about the men and women who, for better or worse, have had the most transformative effect on commerce, finance, markets, human behavior and global culture over the past 25 years. So out went Bill Clinton, Angela Merkel, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, Lee Kuan Yew and Vladimir Putin. In came Oprah.

Also included on the list are other notable technology leaders including Microsoft's Bill Gates at number two, Amazon's Jeff Bezos at number five, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg at number eight and Google's trio of Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, who collectively share the number four spot.

French Montana and Khloe Kardashian either sunk to a new low -- or were totally brilliant -- in their use of a panhandler to shield them from cameras this weekend.You gotta watch this video of them leaving Crustacean -- as Khloe darts for her…

Hollywood producer Jeff Dowd -- who inspired "The Dude" character in "The Big Lebowski" -- is suing UCLA's hospital for $10 million ... saying his mom died because of poor communication between doctors, TMZ has learned.According to the lawsuit ...…

  Green Bay Packers fans have been wondering just when they can expect to see Tom Brady and the New England Patriots come to Lambeau Field; or when the Bears, Lions and Vikings will be in town; or when the Packers will make the trip west to the home of the world champion Seattle Seahawks. […]

NFL Schedule Release 2014: TV Info, Start Time, Live Stream and More - Lombardi Ave - Lombardi Ave - A Green Bay Packers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

What's stopping malicious code from running rampant and turning every last corner of the internet into a kill zone? It's not what but who. Specifically, it's malware hunters like Jerome Segura, a security analyst who's tasked himself with taking on some of the internet's sleaziest scammers to make the world a better place.

Popular messaging service Viber today updated its iOS app to version 4.2, bringing a redesigned user interface for iOS 7 in addition to various new features. The app now includes multiple media sharing that allows users to send multiple photos and videos at once, in addition to the ability to block users and send longer video messages. A cross platform typing indicator has also been added.

- Completely redesigned for iOS 7! The new look and feel is consistent with the aesthetic of iOS 7 that iPhone users have grown accustomed to.
- Multiple media sharing in one flow. No more back and forth media sharing! Now you can send and edit up to 10 photos and videos at a time!
- Block list. Users can now block contacts they do not know and those that they do not wish to be contacted by. To learn more about managing your block list, click here.
- Send longer video messages. You can now send videos of up to three (3) minutes long.
- Typing indicator. Know when your contacts are typing a message to you on Android tablet, Linux, Mac, PC or Windows 8.
- Bug fixes.

According to the most recent statistics, Viber has over 105 million monthly active users and receives 550,000 sign ups daily. The service was acquired by Japanese Internet company Rakuten in February for $900 million, and launched a new desktop application for Mac and PC last February.

Viber is a free download for iOS devices and can be downloaded through App Store. [Direct Link]

Logitech today announced a new version of its Logitech Ultrathin keyboard cover for the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad mini with Retina display, offering a new design that includes a flexible multi-angle slot that allows the iPad to be adjusted to different viewing angles.

The Logitech Ultrathin improves the flexibility and design of its predecessor with an even thinner and lighter keyboard cover and new flexible multi-angle slot that allows you to magnetically clip your iPad into the perfect viewing angle.

Like previous versions of the keyboard, the new Logitech Ultrathin is just a fraction of the weight of the iPad, measuring in at 6.4mm thick. It is designed from aluminum to match Apple’s iPads and the keyboard includes iOS shortcuts and keys spaced for optimal typing.

Alongside the updated version of the Ultrathin keyboard, Logitech has also announced several new protective cases for Apple’s iPads, including the Hinge, the Big Bang, and the Turnaround.

Logitech Big Bang, Turnaround, and Hinge
The Logitech Hinge is an ultra flexible case designed to offer a wide array of viewing angles, while the Big Bang is an ultra-protective, rugged case designed to protect the iPad from drops, spills, and scratches. The Turnaround, like the Hinge, is a multi-angle stand that also allows the iPad to be rotated from portrait to landscape mode and folds up into a stylish clutch.

All of Logitech's new products can be preordered from the Logitech website, at the following price points:

- Ultrathin for iPad Air - $99.99
- Ultrathin for iPad mini/Retina mini - $89.99

- Big Bang for iPad Air - $99.99
- Big Bang for iPad mini/Retina mini - $79.99

- Hinge for iPad Air - $59.99
- Hinge for iPad mini/Retina mini - $49.99

- Turnaround for iPad Air - $59.99
- Turnaround for iPad mini/Retina mini - $49.99