* Manila studying US offer to deploy spy planes

MANILA: The Philippines announced plans on Friday to allow a greater US military presence on its territory, in a move analysts said was directly aimed at trying to contain a rising China.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines was looking for more joint military exercises with its former colonial ruler, as well as having a greater number of US troops rotating through the Southeast Asian country.

?It is to our definite advantage to be exploring how to maximise our treaty alliance with the United States in ways that would be mutually acceptable and beneficial,? del Rosario said in a statement.

Del Rosario did not specifically name China as driving the Philippines? push for a greater US military presence, but highlighted ?territorial disputes?.

The most pressing territorial dispute for the Philippines is with China over rival claims to parts of the South China Sea, home to some of the world?s most important shipping lanes and believed to hold vast deposits of fossil fuels.The Philippines and Vietnam, which also claims parts of the South China Sea, complained repeatedly last year of what they said were increasingly aggressive acts by China in the decades-long rift.

The alleged acts, which included a Chinese naval ship reportedly firing warning shots at Filipino fishermen, fuelled fears among some nations in the region about China as its military and political strength grows.

In his statement, del Rosario said a greater US military presence in the Philippines would help bolster regional security. ?Such cooperative efforts would as well result in achieving a balance of influence to ensure peace, stability, and economic development in the region,? he said.

Nevertheless, del Rosario and other officials emphasised there were no plans to allow a return of the large-scale US military bases that existed in the Philippines until 1992, when Filipino senators voted to close them down.

Del Rosario said the increased US military presence could include ?planning more joint exercises to promote interoperability and a rotating and more frequent presence by them?.

Aside from regular military exercises, the most notable US presence in the Philippines in recent times has been a rotating force of about 600 troops that has been stationed in the southern Philippines for the past decade. The US special forces train local troops in how to combat militants, but are not allowed to have a fighting role.

Del Rosario?s statement expanded on comments by US State Department officials in Washington on Thursday, who said the two countries were involved in talks this week on increasing military cooperation.

Philippine officials said more talks would be held in March to determine specifics of the plans.

Political analysts in Manila said the Philippines? decision to allow a bigger US military presence was a direct reaction to China?s perceived increased aggressiveness, particularly regarding the South China Sea. ?The Philippines is now playing the US card to get more leverage against China,? said Rommel Banlaoi, head of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research. agencies

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Waiting for that next class to start, waiting for friends to meet up with in the Union or just waiting for the boring 8 am lecture to end are just some of the instances where a solution is needed to kill time on campus.

Usually, the primary way is to awkwardly shuffle through apps and things, send a text, or check Facebook and Twitter.

But, when the five minute wait seems to take way too long, many can resort to their phone’s game applications to kill time. This is usually the most sure fire way to distract yourself completely from everything, and forget about how slow time must be going.

Here are some of the best time-killing games to make time fly by:

Reckless Getaway- $.99 (iOS)/$1.99 (Android)

This chaotic, automotive survival game can definitely get your frustration of waiting out in a virtual violent arena.

With the primary purpose of smashing and thrashing through traffic after escaping a bank robbery, this app is the perfect way to just mindlessly run cops over and knock slow cars out of the way, without actually doing it in real life.

Bejeweled- $.99/ Bejeweled Blitz- free (iOS) 

These two apps, which go hand and hand with each other, bring the classic switch-and-match game to the palm of your hand in your most desperate time of need.

With the Bejeweled app, there are four different modes to choose from, Classic, Diamond Mine, Zen and a link to the other mode which is an app in itself, Blitz.

Playing in classic mode is in itself, a classic way to play. But the Diamond Mine (where matched gems cause the area below to crumble), Zen (a never ending mode with the intention of calming the user), and Blitz (trying to score the most points in one minute of play) modes have definitely revamped the idea of the well-known game and can easily pass time in class.

Line Birds $0.99 (iOS)/Free (Android)

Requiring a little more concentration and skill, Line Birds is an app with a simple premise, but an addicting and frustrating one at that.

The object of the app is to navigate a bird through a series of lines. Seems easy, but gets more complex and faster as the game progresses.

However, progression and patience yields new birds, each with their own special abilities, to maybe try and curb the challenge and get an even higher score.

iRunner – Free (Android)

A basic, but very fun game, iRunner takes the running game genre to a new level. Taking on a character known as Mr. I, the object is to avoid obstacles while collecting as many batteries as you can.

Simple, but distracting and addicting, iRunner could suffice as a Temple Run placebo for some Android users.

Paper Toss 2 – Free (iOS)

The ironic part about this game is just how relatable the main character is. He’s a bored guy sitting at work, just like you.

The point of the game is to toss a ball of paper into a trash bin in the character’s office. To the right, a coffee mug taunts you with the fact that it is near impossible to make. To the left sits a funner alternative: a coworker resembling Dwight from the office gives you the evil eye whenever he gets hit.

The point is to make as many consecutive shots into the bin as possible. Throwing alternative objects keeps the game interesting; think grenades, staplers and bananas.

Jetpack Joyride -Free (iOS) / Free (Android)

The first thing I noticed about this game when I began playing was that it reminded me of the underwater Mario levels I loved on GameBoy as a child.

The gameplay revolves around a man with a (surprise!) jetpack as he runs through corridors filled with dangerous obstacles trying to complete random missions.

You must float around electric charges and dodge rockets that come flying from some nameless source.

The real fun of the game comes from the power ups, which include a jumping metal suit, a mechanical bird to be steered and others.

There is also an endless amount of opportunities to customize your player. If you feel you can fight the good fight more effectively with a zombie body and a tophat, that’s how you shall fight.

Crystal Defenders- $7.99 (iOS)

By the makers of the Final Fantasy series, Crystal Defenders is turn-based strategy at its best.

Contrary to some of the other games on this list, Crystal Defenders will likely have you playing for hours at a time.

What makes Crystal Defenders stand out from other turn-based strategy games is its replay-ability.

With six levels each with advance couter parts, there are almost infinite ways to play the game. And achieving certain objectives with the game’s diverse character variety are very rewarding.

The success of the cell phone game led to the release of Crystal Defenders on Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare and Playstation Store.

• By staff reports rssports@redding.com 530-225-8300

• Record Searchlight
• Posted February 10, 2012 at 11:56 pm

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In other news GREE, the worlds largest publicly traded social games company, has expanded their footing in the US by opening up a new office in San Francisco. This comes in the wake of news that the company has cleared over one billion dollar in profit this year.

Along with the new office space in San Francisco, GREE will be starting up a new game development studio that for the creation of US mobile games for Android and iOS. If the name GREE seems somewhat familiar, it should. They are the company that bought OpenFeint last year for a reported $104 million dollars.

The GREE global platform for their social games will also be launching this year as well bridging the gap between their Asian members and current US ones as well. On one final note, GREE has a bunch of job opening now with the new office arriving so if you are interested, just hit up the link below and head over to the careers section. For those of you who enjoy the business end of things when it comes to Android gaming, you can check out the full press release below with all the details.

Developer Website: GREE

By Joe McKendrick | February 11, 2012, 8:57pm PST

Summary: Its no longer enough for EAs to put a shared infrastructure in place and stand back and declare the business to be enabled.

Air’s new album, Le Voyage Dans La Lune, comes out Feb. 7.

Wendy Bevan/Courtesy of the artist

Air’s new album, Le Voyage Dans La Lune, comes out Feb. 7.

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February 2, 2012

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Air has recorded its share of soundtracks — some of the French duo’s best work has accompanied the films of director Sofia Coppola — but Le Voyage Dans La Lune is different. Commissioned in conjunction with the priceless and painstaking restoration of the groundbreaking 1902 science-fiction film of the same name, Le Voyage Dans La Lune (translation: A Trip To The Moon) provides a springily modern supplement to a work of massive historical import. Listening to the soundtrack, and especially watching the restored film, it’s as if Air wants to serve notice that Georges Méliès’ work was exactly 110 years ahead of its time.

A perfect companion piece to Martin Scorsese’s handsomely decorated Oscar nominee Hugo, which deifies Méliès and the 14-minute Le Voyage Dans La Lune in particular, the restoration appears as a supplemental DVD with Air’s CD soundtrack. It’s an absolute marvel of visual theater — not to mention the first science-fiction film ever made — buoyed by that playful, bouncy and charming score. No mere museum piece, it’s fun to watch and gorgeous to boot.

Naturally, given the brief run time of Méliès’ film, the soundtrack itself isn’t terribly generous in length — at 31 minutes, it roughly doubles the movie’s duration, thanks in part to a few pieces which get reworked with guest vocals by Au Revoir Simone and Beach House’s Victoria Legrand. The additional album material, in and of itself, isn’t essential, but the whole package (out Feb. 7) adds up to a delightful exercise in making great things greater. Revel in the music, sure, but for heaven’s sake don’t miss the film. Air’s charming soundtrack is the bonus, not the main attraction.

Yet again Air have shown they don’t do things by the book. Choosing to re-ignite the flame of 1902 sci-fi film Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon) with a soundtrack in homage to it, the omnipresent French electro-gods have defied expectations.

The album is about as chart-friendly as you would expect from a soundtrack to a 110 year-old science-fiction movie, yet still manages to hold an innate charm. Soft ambles ‘Moon Fever’ and ‘Seven Stars’ are juxtaposed with space-age stomps, such as the 5-minute ‘Sonic Armada’, which borrows more than a little of the Moon Safari charm. Nevertheless, this is not a collection likely to attract those not already fervent Air aficionados.

Although it could be seen as not a great deal more than glorified lift music, Air have once more maintained their inherent ability to do the most unexpected. Following the success of Le Voyage Dans La Lune at last year’s Cannes film festival, Air must be seen to have succeeded in their mission in bringing the one-time cinematic pioneer marching in to the 21^st century. Although many won’t be too interested in the new path of the grandfathers of electronica, it could well be an avenue of great promise. I like it.

Air Parade

Now that the Consumer Electronics Show is behind us and all the prominent companies in the industry have shown off their upcoming products for the year, It?s time to prognosticate on what devices, software and other solutions will be launching with much fanfare in 2012. As with previous years, Apple?s line of products, including the iPhone and iPad, are definitely going to catch the attention of people around the globe. But it looks like they will be joined by a host of other products from Microsoft, Google and even Amazon. In other words, 2012 is shaping up to be a huge year for major new introductions and some of the most anticipated products yet to hit store shelves. But which of those product launches will make their mark in 2012? More importantly, can certain products that gained a lot of advance interest and market buzz deliver on the hopes consumers and enterprise users have for them? We?ll see. But this eWEEK slide show will examine which new products are likely to stir interest in the tech market in 2012:

SEATTLE, Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Holland America Line’s 2012 Mediterranean season features an extensive selection of itineraries ranging from seven to 42 days, as well as an exciting 62-day Grand Mediterranean and Black Sea Voyage aboard the intimate ms Prinsendam.

Six of the line’s other ships — ms Eurodam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Noordam, ms Rotterdam, ms Maasdam and ms Ryndam — also will sail the region on 32 different itineraries that span the eastern and western Mediterranean. Celebrated guest chefs will enhance select cruises as part of the Culinary Arts Center program, performing cooking demonstrations for guests in the ship’s state-of-the-art show kitchen, conducting tastings and participating in question-and-answer sessions.

“The Mediterranean has it all — from top-rated beaches and incredible architecture to historical landmarks and a long history,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs for Holland America Line. “Whether it’s a shorter cruise or a Grand Voyage, by offering one of the most extensive itinerary selections of any cruise line, we enable guests to take their dream cruise.”

Grand Mediterranean and Black Sea Voyage

A highlight of the Med season comes this spring when ms Prinsendam, the line’s smallest and most intimate ship — just 835 guests, departs Fort Lauderdale, Fla., March 12, 2012, on its roundtrip 62-day Grand Mediterranean and Black Sea Voyage. Visiting 32 ports in 14 countries, the itinerary includes maiden calls at Durres, Albania’s second-largest city and one of Europe’s oldest cities; Saint Raphael in the Cote d’Azur region of France, and Castellon de la Plana in the Costa del Azahar region of Spain.

Overnight stays in Seville, Spain; Kusadasi (Ephesus) and Istanbul, Turkey; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Venice, Italy; Barcelona, Spain, and Lisbon, Portugal, provide guests with more time for exploring of some of the world’s most interesting destinations.

The Grand Voyage also offers grand experiences on board. Guests can relax and unwind during leisurely days at sea, taking advantage of the extra time to read a book, indulge in a massage at the Greenhouse Spa or watch a movie in the theater. Sommelier and Wine Educator Charlie Arturaola will be on board from March 21 – April 3 as part of the Culinary Arts Center program. Brian Archibald, executive sous chef of Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz., also will sail from April 18 – 30.

Evening activities shine on board as well with local cultural entertainment and special guest headliners, while festive gala balls and formal nights create memorable moments. Dining is elevated to a new level on each Grand Voyage, featuring local ingredients and regional cuisine from all corners of Europe.

For those with less time, 11 segments are available ranging from 16 to 41 days and start at $1,999 per person. Special reduced air offers are also available starting at $449 from 25+ gateways. No matter which segment a guest selects, guests can use Holland America Line’s Fly Cruise Program, which offers assistance with air travel interruptions.

2012 Mediterranean Voyages

Highlights of the season include three 12-day sailings on ms Nieuw Amsterdam that explore Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Montenegro and Croatia. Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the two itineraries to create a 24-day Collectors’ Voyage.

A series of two 10-day itineraries on ms Noordam can be combined to form a 20-day Collectors’ Voyage, with calls at ports in Italy, Monaco, Spain, Tunisia, Croatia, Greece and Turkey.

The new 17-day Spanish Rhapsody sailing roundtrip Rotterdam onboard ms Rotterdam offers guests the opportunity to explore the best of what Spain has to offer in addition to ports in both Portugal and Italy.

Fares for a seven-day Mediterranean voyage start at just $699 per person, double occupancy.

Select Mediterranean cruises also feature a guest chef on board:

Ken Oringer, executive chef/co-owner of Kenneth Oringer and Clio restaurants in Boston, Mass., sails on ms Nieuw Amsterdam’s 12-day Mediterranean Empires cruise June 5.

Kevin Sbraga, executive chef and owner of Sbraga restaurant in Philadelphia, Pa., and Bravo’s “Top Chef” season seven winner, sails on ms Noordam July 17 in the Mediterranean.

Giuliano Hazan, author of “Cooking Italian With Giuliano” and International Association of Culinary Professionals Cooking Teacher of the Year, sailson ms Rotterdam’s 17-day Moorish Empires cruise Sept. 29.

Timon Balloo, executive chef of Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill in Miami, Fla., sails on ms Noordam’s 7-day Riviera Romance cruise Oct. 15.

For a cruise brochure or for more information about Holland America Line, consult a professional travel agent, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit
www.hollandamerica.com .

Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog. Access all social media outlets via the Online Communities quick link at
www.hollandamerica.com .

About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc ]

Holland America Line’s fleet of 15 ships offers more than 500 cruises to 350 ports in more than 100 countries, territories or dependencies. Two- to 110-day itineraries visit all seven continents and highlights include Antarctica, South America, Australia/New Zealand and Asia voyages; a Grand World Voyage; and popular sailings to ports in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexico, Canada/New England, Europe and Panama Canal.

Fleetwide, the company features Signature of Excellence enhancements, a commitment totaling more than $525 million, that showcase the Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine — a state-of-the-art onboard show kitchen where more than 60 celebrated guest chefs and culinary experts provide cooking demonstrations and classes — Explorations Cafe powered by The New York Times, Digital Workshop powered by Windows, teens-only activity areas and all new stateroom amenities highlighted by flat-panel TVs and plush Euro-top Mariner’s Dream Beds.

Worlds Leading Cruise Lines

Holland America Line is a proud member of World’s Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises and Seabourn. Sharing a passion to please each guest and a commitment to quality and value, World’s Leading Cruise Lines inspires people to discover their best vacation experience. Together, we offer a variety of exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world’s most desirable destinations. Visit us at
www.worldsleadingcruiselines.com .

SOURCE Holland America Line

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