The iPhone 6 and other Smartphone will bend but probably not from normal use

Over the last week we have been hearing a few reports of iPhone 6 plus bending from normal daily use. There is even a video by Lewis Hilsenteger of unbox, that went viral, showing him bending an iPhone 6 plus by just using his hands. Since that first video Mr. Hilsenteger has released subsequent videos with various smartphones to show how that stack up to the same test. None of the other smartphones showed bending to the degree the iPhone 6 plus did but most of them did bend.

Yesterday, Consumer Reports released their own video on this bending issue to give a more scientific approach. In their video where they conducted a compress test on 6 of the top smartphones. The results showed that indeed the iPhone 6 plus could be bent with enough force. In their testing it took 90 pounds of force applied to the center of the iPhone 6 plus will indeed make the phone. Surprisingly, both the smaller iPhone 6 & the HTC One M8 bent before the iPhone 6 plus showing that the larger form factor of the iPhone 6 plus was probably not the problem that Mr. Hilsenteger talk about in his video.

Just what do the Consumer Report and Lewis Hilsenteger videos prove? Just that this thinly built mobile devices can bend if enough pressure is applied. Both of these also show that most of these devices will still function with slight bends in them. Showing that all of these devices are built rugged enough to with stand abuse.

Neither of the videos shows the iPhone 6 or 6 plus bending by being carried in the manner mentioned in the complaints. According to the users that complained it was the simple act of sitting down with the phone in their back pockets. After watching all of the videos made by both Mr. Hilsenteger and Consumer Reports all that can be concluded is that it is possible that iPhone 6 and other smartphones could bend give the right circumstances.

Other articles on this topic:

• http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2014/09/27/bendgate-unbent-apple-and-viral-iphone-6-plus-bender-are-both-right/
• http://venturebeat.com/2014/09/28/iphone-6-bending-common-sense-for-an-uncommon-problem/
• http://www.redmondpie.com/iphone-6-plus-bendgate-issue-debunked-by-consumer-reports-video/

Amazon hits it big with Transparent

For a few years the video streaming service Netflix has been bring in plenty of accolades for original series House of Cards and Orange is the new Black. Last November Amazon jump into the original content game when the released Alpha House. That series and some of the others that Amazon has since released have created some noise. It was today's release of Transparent that finally gained the praises of critics.

“We’re thrilled to bring this poignant, funny and beautifully-crafted series to Amazon Prime customers and to the world,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios, in a press release. “It’s been an honor to partner with such a passionate storyteller as Jill Soloway to bring her vision for Transparent to life and we can’t wait for everyone to meet the Pfeffermans.”

The series stars Jeffrey Tambor, best know for Arrested Development, as Mort Pfefferman and multi-award winning actress Judith Light as his ex-wife Shelly. In the pilot episode Mort (Tambor) invites his three grown children over to announce that, at the age of 70, he has decided to come out-of-the-closet and is going to a support group to help him transition into his new persona of Maura. His children, that all have there own skeletons, assume their father is dying of cancer and an argument about the type of cancer ensues. He ends up chickening out of his original announcement and instead tells them he is getting rid of his house. This naturally causes plenty of infighting in an already dysfunctional family.

Transparent is the brainchild of Jill Soloway, best known for her writing on the hit HBO (home box office) series Six Feet Under. Ms. Soloway is also the main writer and producer of the series. Along with the pilot, that is free for everyone to view, there are 9 more for a total of 10 episodes that subscribers to Amazon's Prime Network can watch on any of their compatible devices. 

Review-Killer Ambition

Killer Ambition by Marcia Clark is the third exciting installment of her legal thriller series feature special trails prosecutor Rachel Knight. The book starts quick as we are engaged as Ms. Knight and her partner detective Bailey Keller take us with them as they investigate the kidnapping of the daughter of a big Hollywood producer. With each page we get deeper involved in the working of the investigative process. All of the twist and turns of the investigation keeps us glue to this gripping page turner that takes us on a cross-country journey every lead to track down the suspects. Once the investigation is over we are taken on another journey as we are once more engaged in an face-paced trail.

Anyone that is a fan of any of the Law & Order television series will will feel familiar with the way this book is structured. That is where the similarities end those as both police & lawyers work together in a special trails unit that carries them from the beginning of the investigation to the end of the trial. The melding of the two agencies give the Rachel Knight series a unique feel that will satisfy a wide variety of readers.

Ms. Clark' book is full of richly developed characters . There are our two main characters of assistant district attorney Rachel Knight and detective Bailey Keller that make one of the best crime fighting teams in literature. Characters like Dorian Struck the sassy criminalist that is the best in her field and plays a predominate roll in the investigation. Then there are characters that play a smaller roles like Ms. Knight's co-worker and best friend Toni LaCollier that always there with helpful advise.

I would recommend this books for anyone that loves crime thrillers, mysteries or legal thrillers.

India's MOM enters Mars space

3 days after NASA's MAVEN spacecraft went into orbit around Mars it had some company as India's MOM (Mars orbiter mission) satellite also took orbit around the red planet. Being the first attempt at sending a spacecraft to Mars the news of the satellite taking orbit was the cause of much fanfare across the the nation. This marked the first time that any country, including the United States, has been successful on their first attempt such a mission.

“The odds were stacked against us. About 51 Mars missions were launched globally. Only 21 have succeeded. But we have prevailed,” India Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the center. “The success of our space program is a shining symbol of what we are capable of as a nation. Modern India must continue to be a world guru.”

The Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) launched the MOM spacecraft on November 5, 2013, 2 weeks before NASA's MAVEN launch, from the Satish Dhawna Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. From there the craft went on its 10 and a half month journey to the red planet. With that journey complete it will now begin its 300 day mission to take photos, gather information and transmit it back to the ISRO. To carry out its mission the MOM spacecraft is equipped with the Lyman-Alpha Photometer, Thermal Infared ImagingSpectrometer, Tri-color cameramethane sensors and Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser.

"NASA looks forward to the successful launch of this exciting mission and the data that it is intended to provide on the Martian atmosphere," said Michael Braukas, a NASA spokesman. "It's probably going to complement our research."

Compared to today's high price tag for any space mission India's MOM spacecraft was relatively inexpensive a only $72 million dollars. This is almost one tenth the price of NASA's MAVEN spacecraft that cost $670 million. Part of the difference is price tag though is due to the more complexity to the MAVEN project including over double, 9 compared to 5, the amount of analyzing tools.

Other articles on this topic:

• http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/why-indias-mars-orbiter-mission-cost-less-gravity-movie-n210681
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/national-pride-soars-as-indian-spacecraft-reaches-mars-orbit-before-china/2014/09/24/14542c2f-4cfa-4e9a-a121-c80144646255_story.html
• http://www.computerworld.com/article/2687402/nasa-s-mars-machines-gets-company-from-india.html
• http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/shining-symbol-indias-mars-orbiter-mission-goes-orbit-n209756

MAVEN spacecraft to enter Martian space on Sunday

On Sunday NASA (national aeronautics and space administration) will take the next step in finding out if Mars one had an atmosphere much like our own. That is when the spacecraft MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) orbiter will enter the upper atmosphere and orbit the red planet. Over those 2 years MAVEN will test the atmospheric conditions of the planet to find out discover just what happened to the once vibrant atmosphere Mars supported.

"The evidence shows that the Mars atmosphere today is a cold, dry environment, one where liquid water really can't exist in a stable state," said Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN principal investigator, during a mission preview briefing Wednesday at NASA headquarters in Washington. "But it also tells us when we look at older surfaces, that the ancient surfaces had liquid water flowing over it."

MAVEN journey to Mars began on November 19, 2013 when it blasted off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base riding on top of an Atlas V rocket. From there the spacecraft went on a 422 million mile trek speeding through space at a blazing 81,000 kilometers-per-hour (50,331 miles-per-hour) to reach its destination. That 10-month-long journey was just to get to the place were the craft will begin its mission.

The Martian atmosphere won't be the only focus of MAVEN. About 4 weeks after MAVEN starts its orbit the comet Sliding Spring will come into a close (81,000 miles) pass of the planet. The spacecraft will take the opportunity to look into the mystery of what comets.

"I'm told that the odds of having an approach that close to Mars are about one-in-a-million years," he said, adding that dust from the comet carries only a "relatively minimal" risk to the spacecraft.

For generations fiction writers have conjured up images of Mars having an Earth-like atmosphere and supporting life. One of the most famous of these stories was the Martian chronicles written by Ray Bradbury in the 1950's. Growing up on these stories was probably a big influence on why NASA has always had this big interest in the 4^th planet in the solar system.

Other articles on this topic you might enjoy:

• http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/17/tech/mars-maven-spacecraft-orbit/index.html
• http://mashable.com/2014/09/18/nasa-maven-mars/
• http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-mars-maven-enter-orbit-comet-siding-spring-20140917-story.html

Amazon introduces 5 new members to the Kindle family

Without the usual build up Seattle-based Amazon released 5 new members of the Kindle family. The new line up consist of 3 tablets, including Amazon's first kids edition, and 2 e-readers. The five Kindles are now available for pre-order and will ship next month in plenty of time for the start of holiday shopping.

The flagship of the new Kindle's is the Fire HDX 8.9 will run the Fire os4 based on on Android's latest operating system KitKat. The new OS will feature the new firefly technology that Amazon introduced, in June, on their Fire smartphone, the new family library that allows family member to link their Kindle accounts together, profile so that each person can have their own customized profile on the tablet and several more features that will make experience enjoyable.

Some of the other specifications of the HDX 8.9 are a 2500 x 1600 resolution with 339ppi (pixels per inch), a blazing fast 2.5 GHz quad-core processor, an HD front-facing and 8 megapixel rear-facing cameras and dual-antennas for faster wi-fi conductivity. The HDX 8.9 comes in 5 versions 16, 32 and 64GB each with or without special offers and start at $379.

“The team has packed an incredible amount of technology and innovation into the new Fire HDX—an exclusive HDX display, a powerful quad-core processor, a 70% faster graphics engine, exceptional audio with Dolby Atmos, and the fastest Wi-Fi—and it’s still startlingly light,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO, in a press release. “Fire HDX combines best-in-class hardware with exclusive features and services from Fire OS 4 including Firefly, the Mayday button, Family Library, ASAP, and more.

The new kids edition of the Kindle Fire tablet comes in both a 6 and 7-inch versions in either green, blue or pink. Both of these tablets come with a 2 year warranty that your child breaks it Amazon will replace it at no cost. The tablets come with freetime unlimited and parental controls to make sure that your children will only be viewing age appropriate apps, movies and books. Just because the tablets carry the label kids edition they still come fully featured with a quad-core processor, front and rear-facing cameras and the same Dolby audio system as the rest of the Kindle family. The 6-inch version sells for $149 and the 7-inch is $189.

The third of the new tablets is the Kindle Fire HD 6-inch that starts at $99. With the low price tag you might think that it doesn't have all the features. That is not the case as it still boost a 1280 x 800 resolution with a 252 pixel density, a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and a VGA front-facing and 2 megapixel rear-facing cameras. 

Fernando Rodney faulters in the 10th

Felix Hernandez takes to the mound as the Seattle Mariners take on the Oakland Athletics in the second game of the series. His first opponent is Coco Crisp as he starts the 1^st inning with a single. Sam Fuld is the next man to the plate and he pops up into foul territory and it is caught by Chris Taylor. That brings Josh Donaldson to the plate and he lines out Austin Jackson. AdamDunn will try to keep the inning going as he flies out to Austin Jackson to end the top of the inning. Sonny Gray steps onto the mound for the Athletics. His first opponent is Austin Jackson who starts the home half of the inning with a strike out. Endy Chavez is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he grounds out to the pitcher. Kendrys Morales will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the 1^st inning.

Brandon Moss will start the 2^nd inning with a fly ball to Endy Chavez for an out. Jed Lowrie is the next man to the plate and he pops out to Kyle Seager. That brings Josh Reddick to the plate and he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Kyle Seager will start the home half of the inning with a fly ball to Sam Fuld for an out. Logan Morrison is the next man to the plate and he walks. That brings Mike Zunino to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Eric Sogard who start a double play to end the 2^nd inning.

Derek Norris will start the 3^rd inning with a fly ball to Austin Jackson for an out. Eric Sogard is the next man to the plate and he has an infield single. Back to the top of the order for Coco Crisp who flies out to James Jones. Sam Fuld will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to Chris Taylor to end the top of the inning. James Jones will start the home half of the inning with a triple. Chris Taylor is the next man to the plate and he singles as James Jones scores. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who hits a ground ball to Eric Sogard who starts a double play. Endy Chavez will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to Jed Lowrie to end the 3^rd inning. 1-0 Mariners.

Josh Donaldson will start the 4^th inning with a ground ball to Chris Taylor for an out. Adam Dunn is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Brandon Moss to the plate and he singles. Jed Lowrie will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to the pitcher to end the top of the inning. Robinson Cano will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Eric Sogard for an out. Kendrys Morales is the next man to the plate and he walks. That brings Kyle Seager to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Brandon Moss who starts a double play to end the 4^th inning.

Josh Reddick will start the 5^th inning with a ground ball to Logan Morrison for an out. Derek Norris is the next man to the plate and he strike out. That brings Eric Sogard to the plate and he has an infield single. Back to the top of the order for Coco Crisp who flies out to Endy Chavez to end the top of the inning. Logan Morrison will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Mike Zunino is the next man to the plate and he pops out to Jed Lowrie. That brings James Jones to the plate and he flies out to Sam Fuld to end the 5^th inning.

Sam Fuld will start the 6^th inning with a strike out. Josh Donaldson is the next man to the plate and he hits a homerun. That brings Adam Dunn to the plate and he grounds out to Robinson Cano. Brandon Moss will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Chris Taylor will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who strikes out. That brings Endy Chavez to the plate and he flies out to Sam Fuld to end the 6^th inning. Game tied at 1. Jed Lowrie will start the 7^th inning with a strike out. Josh Reddick is the next man to the plate and he double. That brings Derek Norris to the plate,Reddick to third on a wild pitch, and he strikes out. Eric Sogard will try to keep the inning going as he singles and Reddick scores. Back to the top of the order for Coco Crisp, Sogard steals second and he takes third on a wild pitch, who strikes out to end the top of the inning. Robinson Cano will start the home half of the inning with a homerun. Kendrys Morales is the next man to the plate and he grounds out to Eric Sogard. That brings Kyle Seager to the plate and he ground out to Brandon Moss. Logan Morrison will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to Jed Lowrie to end the 7^th inning. Game tied at 2.

Joe Beimel will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Sam Fuld will start the 8^th inning with a ground ball to Chris Taylor for an out. Tom Wilhelmsen will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Josh Donaldson is the next man to the plate and he walks. Charlie Furbush will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. That brings Jonny Gomes, pinch hitting for Adam Dunn, to the plate and he strikes out. Brandon Moss will try to keep the inning going as he walks. Danny Farquhar will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. With two on and two out Jed Lowrie comes to the plate and he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Mike Zunino will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Josh Donaldson for an out. James Jones is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Chris Taylor to the plate and he strikes out. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson, Jones to second on a overthrow on a pickoff attempt, who strikes out to end the 8^th inning.

Josh Reddick will start the 9^th inning with a ground ball to Logan Morrison for an out. Derek Norris is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Eric Sogard to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Robinson Cano who throws out Norris for a fielder's choice. Back to the top of the order for Coco Crisp, Sogard caught stealing to end the top of the inning. Luke Gregerson takes over the pitching duties for the Athletics. Endy Chavez will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to the pitcher for an out. Robinson Cano is the next man to the plate and he grounds out to Eric Sogard. That brings Kendrys Morales to the plate and he strikes out to end the 9^th inning.

Fernando Rodney takes over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Coco Crisp will start the 10^th inning with a walk. Sam Fuld is the next man to the plate and he lays down a sacrifice bunt. That brings Josh Donaldson to the plate and he is intentionally walked. With two on and one out Alberto Callaspo, pinch hitting for Jonny Gomes, steps up to the plate and he walks the bases load. With the sacks juiced and one out Brandon Moss comes to the plate and he strikes out. Jed Lowrie will try to keep the inning going as he walks as Coco Crisp scores. With one in and the bases loaded Josh Reddick come up and he lines out to Chris Taylor to end the top of the inning. Sean Dolittle takes over the pitching duties for the Athletics. Kyle Seager will start the home half of the inning with a fly ball to Sam Fuld for an out. Corey Hart, pinch hitting for Logan Morrison, is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Mike Zunino to the plate and he flies out to Sam Fuld to end the game. 3-2 Athletics.

The Mariners double up on the Athletics

Tonight the Seattle Mariners get read to start a 3-game series with the Oakland Athletics. A series that could vault the Mariners into the first wild card spot in the American league. To get the Mariners off to a good start with a win is James Paxton as he takes the mound. Jason Hammel will take the mound for the Athletics.

Coco Crisp will start the 1^st inning with a fly ball into foul territory where it is caught by Michael Saunders for an out. Jonny Gome is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Austin Jackson. That brings Josh Donaldson to the plate and he strikes out but gets to first on a wild pitch. Derek Norris will try to keep the inning going as he flies out to Austin Jackson, as he makes a great over-the-shoulder catch, to end the top of the inning. Austin Jackson will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Dustin Ackley is the next man to the plate and he grounds out to Nate Frieman. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he hits a homerun. Kendrys Morales will try to keep the inning going as he flies out to Jonny Gomes to end the 1^st inning. 1-0 Mariners.

Jed Lowrie will start the 2^nd inning with a strike out. Nate Frieman is the next man to the plate and he lines out to Austin Jackson. That brings Geovany Soto to the plate and he flies out to Austin Jackson to end the top of the inning. Kyle Seager will start the home half of the inning with a walk. Michael Saunders is the next man to the plate, Seager steals second and takes third on an error, and he strikes out. That brings Mike Zunino to the plate and he doubles as Seager scores.With one on, one in and one out Logan Morrison comes to the plate and he flies out to Jonny Gomes. Brad Miller will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the 2^nd inning. 2-0 Mariners.

Nick Punto will start the 3^rd inning with a ground ball to Brad Miller for an out. Sam Fuld is the next man to the plate and he walks. Back to the top of the order for Coco Crisp, Fuld steals second, who walks. With two on and one out Jonny Gomes steps up to the plate and he strikes out. Josh Donaldson will try to keep the inning going as he singles and Fuld scores and Crisp to third. With runners at the corners Derek Norris comes to the plate and he walks to load the bases. With the sacks juiced Jed Lowrie comes to the plate and he strikes out to end the top of the inning. The Athletics lose the DH as Derek Norris takes over the catching duties from Geovany Soto. Austin Jackson will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Josh Donaldson for an out. Dustin Ackley is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he grounds out to Jed Lowrie to end the 3^rd inning. 2-1 Mariners.

Nate Frieman will start the 4^th inning with a single. Jason Hammel is the next man to the plate and he bunts and it is fielded by Seager tries to throw out Frieman but the ball goes into center field and the runners are both safe on the error. That brings Nick Punto to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Seager and he throws out Jason Hammel for a fielder's choice. With two on and one out Same Fuld steps up to the plate and he hits a sacrifice bunt as Frieman scores. Back to the top of the order for Coco Crisp who grounds out to Kyle Seager to end the top of the inning. Kendrys Morales will start the home half of the inning with a fly ball to Jonny Gomes for an out. Kyle Seager is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Jonny Gomes. That brings Michael Saunders to the plate and he strikes out to end the 4^th inning. Game tied at 2.

Jonny Gomes will start the 5^th inning with a ground ball to Brad Miller who throws wide for an error as Gomes goes to second. Josh Donaldson is the next man to the plate and he pops up to Robinson Cano. That brings Derek Norris to the plate and he strikes out. Jed Lowrie will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Mike Zunino will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Logan Morrison is the next man to the plate and he hits a homerun. That brings Brad Miller to the plate and he singles. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who hits a ground ball to Nate Frieman who starts a double play to end the 5^th inning. 3-2 Mariners.

Nate Frieman will start the 6^th inning with a strike out. Billy Burns, pinch hitting for Jason Hammel, is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Nick Punto to the plate, Burns steals second, and he grounds out to Kyle Seager. Sam Fuld will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Erik O'Flarety will take over the pitching duties for the Athletics. Dustin Ackley will start the home half of the inning with a pup up to Nick Punto for an out. Robinson Cano is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Kendrys Morales to the plate, Cano is caught stealing, and he hits a homerun. Kyle Seager will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the 6^th inning. 4-2 Mariners.

Carson Smith will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Coco Crisp will start the 7^th inning with a strike out. Josh Reddick, pinch hitting for Jonny Gomes, is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Josh Donaldson to the plate and he grounds out to Robinson Cano to end the top of the inning. Dan Otero will take over the pitching duties for the Athletics. Michael Saunders will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Jed Lowrie for an out. Mike Zunino is the next man to the plate and he pops up to Nick Punto. That brings Logan Morrison to the plate and he doubles. Stephen Romero will pinch run for Logan Morrison. Brad Miller will try to keep the inning going and he grounds out to the pitcher to end the 7^th inning.

Justin Smoak takes over at first. James Jones takes over in left field replacing Dustin Ackley. Derek Norris will start the 8^th inning with a ground ball to Brad Miller for an out. Jed Lowrie is the next man to the plate and he grounds out to Robinson Cano. That Alberto Callaspo, pinch hitting for Nate Frieman, to the plate and he walks. Charlie Furbush will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Adam Dunn, pinch hitting for Dan Otero, will try to keep the inning going as he flies out to James Jones to end the top of the inning. Evan Scribner will take over the pitching duties for the Athletics. Austin Jackson will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Fernando Abad takes over the pitching duties for the Athletics. Chris Denorfia, pinch hitting for James Jones, is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Coco Crisp. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he grounds out to Alberto Callaspo to end the 8^th inning.

Fernando Rodney takes over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Brandon Moss, pinch hitting for Fernando Abad, will start the 9^th inning with a single. Sam Fuld is the next man to the plate and he singles. Back to the top of the order for Coco Crisp who pops up into foul territory where it is caught by Kyle Seager. With two on and one out Josh Reddick comes to the plate and he strikes out. Josh Donaldson will try to keep the game going as he strikes out to end the game. Mariners win 4-2 as Fernando Rodney gets save 45 and James Paxton gets win 6.  

Houston proves to be a problem for the Mariners

Looking to regain the lead in wild card race the Seattle Mariners are sending Hisashi Iwakuma to the mound. His first opponent is Robbie Grossman as he starts the 1^st inning with a strike out. Jose Altuve is the next man to the plate and he lines out to Robinson Cano. That brings Dexter Fowler to the plate and he strikes out to end the top of the inning. As the bottom of the inning gets ready to start the Houston Astros send Nick Tropeano to the mound. His first opponent is Austin Jackson as he starts the home half of the inning with a strike out. Michael Saunders is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he flies out to Dexter Fowler. Kendrys Morales will try to keep the inning going as he pops up to Jonathan Villar to end the 1^st inning.

Chris Carter will start the 2^nd inning with a fly ball to Austin Jackson for an out. Jon Singleton is the next man to the plate and he walks. That brings Matt Dominguez to the plate and he pops up to Robinson Cano. Alex Presley will try to keep the inning going as he single. With two on and two out Max Stassi comes to the plate and he doubles as both Singleton and Presley score. With two in and one on Jonathan Villar comes to the plate and he doubles as Stassi scores. With three in, one on and two outs back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman who grounds out to Kyle Seager to end the top of the inning. Kyle Seager will start the home half of the inning with a walk. Logan Morrison is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Robbie Grossman. That brings Brad Miller to the plate and he single and takes second on and error by Jonathan Villar as Seager goes to third. With two on and one out Mike Zunino comes to the plate and he doubles as both Seager and Miller score. With two in, one on and one out James Jones will come to the plate and he lined out to Robbie Grossman. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who strikes out to end the 2^nd innig. 3-2 Astros.

Jose Altuve will start the 3^rd inning with a ground ball to Brad Miller for an out. Dexter Fowler is the next man to the plate and he doubles. That brings Chris Carter to the plate and he strikes out. Jon Singleton will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Michael saunders will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Jose Altuve for an out. Robinson Cano is the next man to the plate and he has an infield single. That brings Kendrys Morales to the plate and hits a ground ball to Jon Singleton who starts a double play to end the 3^rd inning.

Matt Dominguez will start the 4^th inning with a strike out. Alex Presley is the next man to the plate and he grounds out to Iwakuma. That brings Max Stassi to the plate and he grounds out to Kyle Seager to end the top of the inning. Kyle Seager will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Jon Singleton for an out. Logan Morrison is the next man to the plate and he grounds out to Matt Dominguez. That brings Brad Miller to the plate and he strikes out to end the 4^th inning.

Jonathan Villar will start the 5^th inning with a strike out. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman who singles. That brings Jose Altuve to the plate and he doubles as Grossman scores. With one in, one on and one out Dexter Fowler comes to the plate and he walks. Dominic Leone will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. With two on and one out Chris Carter steps up to the plate and he strikes out. Jon Singleton will try to keep the inning going, Altuve steals third, as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Mike Zunino will start the home half of the inning with a fly ball to Robbie Grossman for an out. James Jones is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who strikes out to end the 5^th inning. 4-2 Astros.

Matt Dominguez will start the 6^th inning with a ground ball to Robinson Cano for an out. Alex Presley is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Austin Jackson. That brings Max Stassi to the plate and he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Michael Saunders will start the home half of the inning with a walk. Darin Downs will take over the pitching duties for the Astros. Robinson Cano is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Kendrys Morales to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Matt Dominguez who starts a double play to end the 6^th inning.

Danny Farquhar will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Jonathan Villar will start the 7^th inning with a ground ball to Robinson Cano for an out. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman who strikes out. That brings Jose Altuve to the plate and he singles. Dexter Fowler will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Kyle Seager will start the home half of the inning with a walk. Logan Morrison is the next man to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Jonathan Villar who starts a double play. That brings Brad Miller to the plate and he strikes out to end the 7^th inning.

Tom Wilhelmsen will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Chris Carter will start the 8^th inning with a single. Jon Singleton is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Matt Dominguez to the plate and he flies out to Austin Jackson. Alex Presley will try to keep the inning going, Carter steals second, as he single as Carter scores and Presley goes to third on an error. With one in, one on and two outs Max Stassi comes to the plate and he flies out to Michael Saunders to end the top of the inning. Jose Veras will take over the pitching for the Astros. Mike Zunino will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. James Jones is the next man to the plate and he pops up to Jonathan Villar. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who strikes out to end the 8^th inning. 5-2 Astros.

Yoervis Medina will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Jason Castro takes over for Max Stassi. Jonathan Villar will start the 9^th with a ground ball to Brad Miller for an out. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman who has an infield single. That brings Jose Altuve to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Brad Miller who throws outGrossman for a fielder's choice. Dexter Fowler will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to Robinson Cano to end the top of the inning. Tony Sipp will take over the pitching duties for the Astros. Michael Saunders will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Robinson Cano is the next man to the plate and he has an infield single. That brings Kendrys Morales to the plate and he flies out to Robbie Grossman. Kyle Seager will try to keep the game going as he flies out to Alex Presley to end the game. 5-2 Astros.  

Home Depot hacked

On Monday retailer Home Depot acknowledged that they were victims of a hacking attack that stretched all the way back to April. The attack affected the payment system of the over 2,000 stores in the United States & Canada. The breach left the credit, debit and other customer information vulnerable over a 4 month period.

The security breach was first brought to Home Depot's attention when banks and law enforcement agencies alerted the retailer, on September 2, of suspicious activity. The retailer quickly joined forces with security experts and the secret service to launched an investigation into the situation. That investigation has not discovered how the breach happened or just how many customers have had their credit or debit information compromised. The one thing that have concluded at this point is that the breach did not seem to affect an customer that shopped online.

“While the company continues to determine the full scope, scale and impact of the breach, there is no

evidence that debit PIN numbers were compromised,” The company said in a statement. They went on to add, “We apologize for the frustration and anxiety this causes our customers, and I want to thank them for their patience and support as we work through this issue,” said Frank Blake, chairman and CEO. “We owe it to our customers to alert them that we now have enough evidence to confirm that a breach has indeed occurred. It’s important to emphasize that no customers will be responsible for fraudulent charges to their accounts.”

The home improvement retailer is offering identity, credit & debit card monitoring to any customer that used their payment system during the 4 month period. They are also advising that anyone that has shopped in the store between the beginning of April and September 2 should pay close attention to their credit card & bank statements.

When Target stores faced a similar breach over the holiday season last year it was discovered and fixed after 3 weeks. That breach affected the information of over40 million customer. With Home Depot having more locations and the breach lasting 4 months has the potential of this problem be much bigger.

Other articles on this topic with reading:

• http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/09/home-depot-dataprotection-breach-probe-idUSL1N0RA1DL20140909
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/home-depot-hit-by-cyber-breach/2014/09/08/7b614982-3799-11e4-9c9f-ebb47272e40e_story.html
• http://www.thestar.com/business/tech_news/2014/09/09/canadian_cards_from_home_depot_attack_appear_to_be_for_sale_online.html

Houston evens the series

Last night Felix Hernandez didn't have his best stuff but it was good enough for him to pitch 6 shut out innings before handing the reigns over to the bullpen. In the bottom of the 6^th Brad Miller was able to give the Mariners a one run lead to put Felix in line for a win. The Astros quickly tied up the game to take any possibility of a win away from Felix. The game remained tied until the 8^th when Brad Miller had a 2-run triple. The Mariners ended up wining by a score of 4-1.

As the game gets ready to start Roenis Elias takes to the mound for the Seattle Mariners. His first opponent is Robbie Grossman as he steps in to start the 1^st inning with a strike out. Jose Altuve is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Austin Jackson. That brings Dexter Fowler to the plate and he grounds out to Robinson Cano to end the top of the inning. In the bottom of the inning the Astros will send Colin McHugh to the mound. His first opponent will be Austin Jackson as he starts the home half of the inning with a fly ball to Marisnick for an out. Endy Chavez is the next man to the plate and he pops up to Jason Castro. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he strikes out to end the 1^st inning.

Chris Carter will start the 2^nd inning with a fly ball to Austin Jackson for an out. Jason Castro is the next man to the plate and he walks. That brings Jake Marisnick to the plate and he flies out to Austin Jackson. Jon Singleton will try to keep the inning going as he single. With two on and two out Matt Dominguez comes to the plate and he flies out to Michael Saunders to end the top of the inning. Kyle Seager will start the home half of the inning with a fly ball to Robbie Grossman for an out. Kendrys Morales is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Jake Marisnick. That brings Logan Morrison to the plate and he grounds out to Jose Altuve to end the 2^nd inning.

Jonathan Villar will start the 3^rd inning with a double. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman who grounds out to Kyle Seager. That brings Jose Altuve to the plate and he grounds out to Robinson Cano as Villar takes third. Dexterr Fowler will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Mike Zunino will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Jose Altuve for an out. Michael Saunders is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Dexter Fowler. That brings Brad Miller to the plate and he grounds out to the pitcher to end the 3^rd.

Chris Carter will start the 4^th inning with a single. Jason Castro is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Jake Marisnick to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Brad Miller and he throws out Carter for a fielder's choice. Jon Singleton will try to keep the inning going as he double as Castro scores and Single takes third on the throw to the plate. With one in, one on and two outs Matt Dominguez comes to the plate and he pops up to Robinson Cano to end the top of the inning. Austin Jackson will start the home half of the inning with an infield single. Endy Chavez is the next man to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Jonathan Villar who starts a double play. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he flies out to Robbie Grossman to end the 4^th inning. 1-0 Astros.

Jonathan Villar will start the 5^th inning with a strike out. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman and he singles. That brings Jose Altuve to the plate and he flies out to Austin Jackson on a great play. With Dexter Fowler coming to bat Robbie Grossman is picked off to end the top of the inning. Kyle Seager will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball that is fielded by the pitcher for an out. Kendrys Morales is the next man to the plate and he is safe on an error by Jose Altuve. That brings Logan Morrison to the plate and he grounds out to Jose Altuve. Mike Zunino will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the 5^th inning.

Dexter Fowler will start the 6^th inning with a ground ball to Robinson Cano for an out. Chris Carter is the next man to the plate and he walks. That brings Jason Castro to the plate and he single. With two on and one out Jake Marisnick will come to the plate and he flies out to Austin Jackson. Jon Singleton will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to Logan Morrison to end the top of the inning. Michael Saunders will start the home half of the inning with a fly ball to Jake Marisnick for an out on a play that takes Marisnick to the wall. Brad Miller is the next man to the plate and he flies out Dexter Fowler. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who grounds out to Jonathan Villar to end the 6^th inning.

Carson Smith will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Matt Dominguez will start the 7^th inning with a fly ball to Austin Jackson for an out. Jonathan Villar is the next man to the plate and he grounds out to the pitcher. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman who strikes out to end the top of the inning. Endy Chavez will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Robinson Cano is the next man to the plate and he grounds out to Jon Singleton. That brings Kyle Seager to the plate and he strikes out to end the 7^th inning.

Jose Altuve will start the 8^th inning with a ground ball to Kyle Seager for an out. Dexter Fowler is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Chris Carter to the plate and he strikes to end the top of the inning. Kendrys Morales will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Jon Singleton for an out. Logan Morrison is the next man to the plate and he hits a homerun. That brings Mike Zunino to the plate and he flies out to Robbie Grossman. Michael Saunders will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to Jonathan Villar to end the 8^th inning. Game tied at 1.

Joe Beimel will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Jason Castro will start the 9^th inning with a ground ball to Brad Miller for an out. Yoervis Medina will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Jake Marisnick is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Jon Singleton to the plate and he walks. Matt Dominguez will try to keep the inning going, Singleton to second on a wild pitch, as he has an infield single. With two on and two out Jonathan Villar comes to the plate and he single as Singleton scores. Charlie Furbush will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman who strikes out to end the top of the inning. Josh Field will take over the pitching duties for the Astros. Alex Presley replaces Robbie Grossman. Brad Miller will start the home half of the inning with a fly ball to Dexter Fowler for an out. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who strikes out. That brings Endy Chavez to the plate and he grounds out to Jonathan Villar to end the game. 2-1 Astros.  

Facebook we have a problem

Videos that audio play have been becoming common on several websites. Many of us just consider them a nuisance that we are willing to put up with when we go to our favorite social, sports, news or other sites. With the growing number of mobile users auto-play videos have causing excessive data usage has become a big problem. Facebook has been the biggest with all of the ice bucket challenge videos that have been flooding news feeds over the last month.

“We’ve seen many complaints from people who have been stung with data bills after exceeding their monthly allowance and who believe it to be because of Facebook autoplaying videos,” reported MoneySavingExpert.com.

When a spokesperson from Facebook finally addressed this growing issue he did admit that auto-play is a default setting. He goes on to mention that they strive to keep data consumption low so it should not be that much of a problem.

"Only if people stop to watch the video do they consume more data," says a Facebook spokesperson in a statement mailed to CBS. "We want to make sure that videos consume as little data as possible and that people can control what they play automatically."

When they log on and scroll down over the videos it starts playing and continues as long as any part of the video is still showing on the screen. The user might be reading a post below the video but racking up chew your monthly data allowance while the video plays on. Unless you have an unlimited data plan this can quickly put you over your monthly allowance and rack up a huge bill.

"I went over my data limit for the first time in May," says user Caroline Greenhaigh Baxter. "I turned off Facebook videos and haven't been anywhere near my limit since."

The good news is that there is an easy fix to the problem so that you can still log in to Facebook to keep up on your friend's status. You can simply go to settings and switch the auto-play to either wi-fi only or off altogether. To make these changes on an android device go to settings → app settings → general setting → auto-play or if you have an Apple device you go to settings app → Facebook → settings → auto-play.

Other articles on this topic that are worth reading:

• http://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2014/09/06/facebooks-auto-playing-videos-are-blamed-for-high-data-usage/
• http://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-users-beware-of-autoplay-data-charges/
• http://www.techtimes.com/articles/15088/20140908/mobile-data-bills-surging-blame-it-on-facebook-auto-play-videos.htm

The Seattle Mariners come up big in the 8th

As the ball game gets ready to start Felix Hernandez takes to the mound for the Seattle Mariners. His first opponent is Robbie Grossman as he steps in to start the 1^st inning with a ground ball to Kyle Seager for an out. Jose Altuve is the next man to the plate and he grounds out to Brad Miller. That brings Dexter Fowler to the plate and he singles. Chris Carter will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. As the bottom of the inning gets underway Brad Peacock takes the mound of the Huston Astros. His first opponent will be Austin Jackson as he starts the home half of the inning with a strike out. Endy Chavez is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Alex Presley. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he doubles. Kendrys Morales will try to keep the inning going as he flies out to Dexter Fowler to end the 1^st inning.

Jason Castro will start the 2^nd inning with a strike out. Marwin Gonzalez is the next man to the plate and he ground out to Brad Miller. That brings Jon Singleton to the plate and he walks. Matt Dominguez will try to keep the inning going as he flies out to Austin Jackson to end the top of the inning. Kyle Seager will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Jose Altuve who throws him out. Logan Morrison is the next man to the plate and he ground-rule double. That brings Mike Zunino to the plate and he is hit-by-a-pitch. With two on and one out Michael Saunders comes to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Jon Singleton who throws out Mike Zunino for a fielder's choice. Brad Miller will try to keep the inning going as he flies out to Dexter Fowler to end the 2^nd inning.

Alex Presley will start the 3^rd inning with a walk. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman, Presley is caught stealing, who singles. That brings Jose Altuve to the plate, Grossman steals second and he strikes out. Dexter Fowler will try to keep the inning going, Grossman to third on a wild pitch, as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Austin Jackson will start the home half of the inning with a walk. Endy Chavez is the next man to the plate, Jackson steals second, and he pop up into foul territory and it is caught by Matt Dominguez. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he is intentionally walked. With two on and one out Kendrys Morales comes to the plate and he flies out to Robbie Grossman. Kyle Seager will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the 3^rd inning.

Chris Carter will start the 4^th inning with a ground ball to Brad Miller for an out. Jason Castro is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Endy Chavez. That brings Marwin Gonzalez to the plate and he doubles. Jon Singleton will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Logan Morrison will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Mike Zunino is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Marwin Gonzalez. That brings Michael Saunders to the plate and he singles. Brad Miller will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the 4^th inning.

Matt Dominguez will start the 5^th inning with an infield single. Alex Presley is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman who flies out to Austin Jackson. Jose Altuve will try to keep the inning going as he walks. With two on and two out Dexter Fowler comes to the plate and he flies out to Endy Chavez to end the top of the inning. Austin Jackson will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Endy Chavez is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he strike out. Kendrys Morales will try to keep the inning going as he flies out to Dexter Fowler to end the 5^th inning.

Chris Carter will start the 6^th inning with a single. Jason Castro is the next man to the plate, Carter to second on a wild pitch, and he strikes out. That brings Marwin Gonzalez to the plate and he strikes out. Jon Singleton will try to keep the inning going as he walks. With two on and two out Matt Dominguez will come to the plate and he grounds out to Kyle Seager to end the top of the inning. Darin Downs will take over the pitching duties for the Astros. Kyle Seager will start the home half of the inning with a line drive right back to the pitcher for an out. Logan Morrison is the next man to the plate and he walks. Jorge De Leon will take over the pitching duties for the Astros. That brings Mike Zunino to the plate and he strikes out. Michael Saunders will try to keep the inning going as he walks. With two on and two out Brad Miller steps up to the plate and he singles as Morrison scores and Saunders to third. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who grounds out to Jose Altuve to end the 6^th inning. 1-0 Mariners.

Brandon Maurer will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Alex Presley will start the 7^th inning with a strike out. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman who triples. That brings Jose Altuve to the plate and he flies out to Michael Saunders as Grossman scores. Dexter Fowler will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to Brad Miller to end the top of the inning. Kevin Chapman will take over the pitching duties for the Astros. Chris Denorfia, pinch hitting for Endy Chavez, will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Matt Dominguez for an out. Robinson Cano is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Kendrys Morales to the plate and he strikes out. Kyle Seager will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the 7^th inning. Game tied at 1.

Danny Farquhar will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Chris Carter will start the 8^th inning with a walk. Jason Castro is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Marwin Gonzalez to the plate, Carter steals second, and he flies out to Austin Jackson. Jon Singleton will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to Robinson Cano to end the top of the inning. Jake Marisnick replaces Alex Presley. Logan Morrison will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Marwin Gonzalez. Michael Follynewicz will take over the pitching duties for the Astreos. Mike Zunino is the next man to the plate and he walk. James Jones goes in to pinch run for Mike Zunino. Tony Sipp will take over the pitching duties for the Astros. That brings Michael Saunders to the plate, James Jones steals second, and he walks. With two on and one out Brad Miller comes to the plate, James Jones steals third, and he triples as Jones and Saunders score. Jake Buchanan will take over the pitching duties for the Astros. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who singles as Brad Miller scores. With three in, one on and one out Chris Denorfia comes to the plate and he flies out to Jake Marisnick. Robinson Cano will try to keep the inning going as he flies out to Dexter Fowler to end the 8^th inning. 4-1 Mariners.

Fernando Rodney will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Jesus Sucre goes in to catch. Matt Dominguez will start the 9^th inning with a walk. Jake Marisnick is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Michael Saunders. Back to the top of the order for Robbie Grossman who singles. With two on and one out Jose Altuve comes to the plate and he lines out to Kyle Seager. Dexter Fowler will try to keep the game going as he grounds out to Brad Miller to end the game. 4-1 Mariners win. Fernando Rodney gets save 44.  

Will Dish buy T-Mobile?

For several years T-mobile's parent company Germany-based Deutsche Telecom has been trying to find someone to buy Bellevue-based T-Mobile. Twice they have been in talks with Sprint, they talked with AT&T and Dish. All of the talks ended up the falling through for various reasons. Now, almost 3 years later Dish is back for a second go around as Charlie Ergen, CEO of Dish Network, contacted the Germany-based company.

So far there has been no details given on any offer that Dish Network has placed on the table. According to a report by Bloomberg Mr. Ergen is waiting until after the AWS-3 (advanced wireless services) spctrum auction in November before he releases any details of the negotiations.

“The incentive auction offers opportunities for competitive providers and new entrants to bid on and win much-needed low-band spectrum, which will facilitate the deployment of mobile broadband services,” Dish SVP Jeffrey Blum wrote in a filing.

The Colorado-based satellite TV service may not be the only one in negotiations with Deutsche Telecom. According to Reuters news service the France-based Iliad Telecommunication is getting set to improve on the bid that Deutsche Telecom rejected last month. Where Iliad is looking to other companies to help them put together a bid for T-Mobile it would seem that Dish has the upper hand in any bidding war.

Over the last year T-Mobile's value has seen an increase of 24% and is expect to keep raising. Meaning that waiting a couple of months for a commitment from either of these two groups could work in Deutsche Telecom's favor. The increase has been mostly due the T-Mobile's CEO John Legere's no contract plans that has seen the customer base grow at a rate that could see the Bellevue-based company overtake Sprint to become the number 3 mobile service provider.

Other articles on this topic worth looking at:

• http://www.mobileworldlive.com/dish-ceo-approaches-dt-t-mobile-us-acquisition-report
• http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=487435
• http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-dish05-20140905-story.html

The Mariners come up short

After winning the first 3 games the Seattle Mariners go for a 4 game sweep of the Texas Rangers. The Mariners will send James Paxton to the mound to help them accomplish this feat. To try and stop the Mariners the Rangers will send Derek Holland to the mound.

Austin Jackson will start the 1^st inning with a single. Chris Denorfia is the next man to the plate, Jackson caught stealing, and he grounds out to Rosales. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and he flies out to Leonys Martin to end the top of the inning. Leonys Martin will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Robinson Cano for an out. Daniel Robertson is the next man to the plate and he grounds out to Robinson Cano. That brings Adam Rosales to the plate and he strikes out to end the 1^st inning.

Kendrys Morales will start the 2^nd inning with a double. Kyle Seager is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings orey Hart to the plate and he grounds out to Adam Rosales as Morales takes third. Stephen Romero will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to Luis Sardias to end the top of the inning. Adrian Beltre will start the home half of the inning with a fly ball to Austin Jackson for an out. J.P Arencbia is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Michael Choice to the plate and he singles. Rougned Odor will try to keep the inning going as he hits a ground ball to Robinson Cano who throws Choice out for a fielder's choice to end the 2^nd inning.

Chris Taylor will start the 3^rd inning with a fly ball to Leonys Martin for an out. Jesus Sucre is the next man to the plate and he flies out to Daniel Robertson. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who flies out to Daniel Robertson to end the top of the inning. Ryan Rua will start the home half of the inning with a single. Luis Sardinas is the next man to the plate, Rua steals second, and he hits a ground ball to Chris Taylor who starts a wild double play involving two run downs. That brings Leonys Martin to the plate and he bunts for a single. With Daniel Roberts at the plate Jesus Sucre throws out Martin trying to steal second to end the 3^rd inning.

Chris Denorfia will start the 4^th inning with a strike out. Robinson Cano is the next man to the plate and he single and is thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double. That brings Kendrys Morales to the plate and he flies out to Leonys Martin to end the top of the inning. Daniel Robertson will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Kendrys Morales for an out. Adam Rosales is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Adrian Beltre to the plate and he walks. With two on and one out J.P Arencbia comes to the plate and he flies out to Chris Denorfia. Michael Choice will try to keep the inning going as he pops up to Robinson Cano to end the 4^th inning.

Kyle Seager will start the 5^th inning with a line drive to Rougned Odor for an out. Corey Hart is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Stephen Romero to the plate and he flies out to Daniel Robertson to end the top of the inning. Rougned Odor will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Robinson Cano for an out. Ryan Rua is the next man to the plate and he is safe on an error by Robinson Cano. That brings Luis Sardinas to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Kyle Seager who starts a double play to end the 5^th inning.

Chris Taylor will start the 6^th inning with a ground ball to Luis Sardinas for an out. Jesus Sucre is the next man to the plate and he doubles. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who flies out to Michael Choice. Chris Denorfia will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the top of the inning. Leonys Martin will start the home half of the inning with a single. Daniel Robertson is the next man to the plate, Martin steals second, and he grounds out to Robinson Cano as Martin takes third. That brings Adam Rosales to the plate and he walks. With runners at the corners and one out Adrian Beltre will come to the plate and he flies out to Austin Jackson as Leonys Martin scores. J.P Arencbia will try to keep the inning going, Adam Rosales steals second and takes third on an error, as he strikes out to end the 6^th inning. 1-0 Rangers.

Robinson Cano will start the 7^th inning with an infield single. Kendrys Morales is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Kyle Seager to the plate and he flies out to Michael Choice. Corey Hart will try to keep the inning going, Cano to second on a passed ball, as he has an infield single as Cano takes third. James Jones to pinch run for Corey Hart. With runners at the corners and two outs Stephen Romero comes to the plate and he grounds out to Adam Rosales to end the top of the inning. Dominic Leone will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Michael Choice will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Lucas Luetge will take over the pitching dutis for the Mariners. Rougned Odor is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. Taijuan Walker will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. That brings Ryan Rua to the plate and he flies out to Stephen Romero to end the 7^th inning.

Shawn Tolleson will take over the pitching duties for the Rangers. Brad Miller, pinch hitting forChris Taylor, will start the 8^th inning with a fly ball to Michael Choice for an out. Endy Chavez, pinch hitting for Jesus Sucre, is the next man to the plate and he ground out to Ryan Rua. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who singles. Logan Morrison, pinch hitting for Chris Denorfia, will try to keep the inning going, Jackson to second on a wild pitch, as he pops up to Adam Rosales to end the top of the inning. Mike Zunino takes over as catcher for the Mariners. Luis Sardinas will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Robinson Cano for an out. Back to the top of the order for Leonys Martin who triple. That brings Daniel Robertson to the plate and he grounds out to Kyle Seager. Adam Rosales will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the 8^th inning.

Neftali Feliz will take over the pitching duties for the Rangers. Robinson Cano will start the 9^th inning with a ground ball to Rougned Odor for an out. Kendrys Morales is the next man to the plate and he walks. Danny Farquhar will pinch run for Kendrys Morales. That brings Kyle Seager to the plate and he singles as Danny Farquhar goes to third. With runners at the corners and one out James Jones comes to the plate and he pops up to Luis Sardinas, Justin Smoak, pinch hitting for Stephen Romero, will try to keep the game going as he flies out to Daniel Robertson to end the game. 1-0 Rangers win.  

The Mariners win after a long rain delay

The first 2 games against the Texas Rangers have seen the Seattle Mariners win both games with scores of 10-2 and 7-5 respectfully. The wins have propelled Seattle to a half game lead in the race for the second wild card game. The Seattle Mariners also find themselves closing in on the Oakland Athletics for the first wild card.

As the third game of the 4-game series gets ready to start the Texas Rangers send Nick Martinez to the mound. His first opponent will be Austin Jackson as he steps into the batter's box and he strikes out. Dustin Ackley is the next player to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Robinson Cano to the plate and grounds out to Sardinas to end the top of the inning. As the bottom of the inning gets underway Chris Young takes the mound for the Mariners. His first opponent is Leonys Martin as he enters the batter's box and he bunts for a single. Elvis Andrus is the next man to the plate, Martin steals second, and he strikes out. That brings Rougned Odor to the plate and he hits a ball into foul territory where it is caught by Mike Zunino. Adrian Beltre will try to keep the inning going and he strikes out to end the 1^st inning.

Kyle Seager will start the 2^nd inning with a single. Kendrys Morales is the net man to the plate and he singles. That bring Logan Morrison to the plate and he hits into a fielder's choice. With two on and one out Mike Zunino comes to the plate and hits into a double play to end the top of the inning. Adam Rosales will start the home half of the inning with a walk. Tomas Telis is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Ryan Rua to the plate and he strikes out. With two on and one out Lius Sardinas comes to the plate and he flies out to Dustin Ackley. Michael Choice will try to keep the inning going as he flies out to Endy Chavez to end the 2^nd inning.

Endy Chavez will start the 3^rd inning with a line drive to center for an out. Brad Miller is the next man to the and he has an infield single. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who strikes out. Dustin Ackley will try to keep the inning going as he pops out to second to end the top of the inning. Leonys Martin will start the home half of the inning with a single. Elvis Andrus is the next man to the plate, Martin steals second, and he strikes out. That brings Rougned Odor to the plate and he flies out to Austin Jackson. Adrian Beltre will try to keep the inning going as he is intentionally walked. With two on and two out Adam Rosales comes to the plate and he grounds out to Bra Miller to end the 3^rd inning. Robinson Cano will start the 4^th inning with a ground ball to first for an out. Kyle Seager is the next man to the plate and he flies out to center. That brings Kendrys Morales to the plate and he flies out to left to end the top of the inning. Tomas Telis will start the home half of the inning and is safe on an error by Brad Miller. Ryan Rua is the next man to the plate and he doubles as Telis scores. That brings Lius Sardinas to the plate and he Sacrifices back to the pitcher as Rua takes third. With one in, one on and one out Michael Choice comes to the plate and he hits a sacrifice fly that scores Rua. Back to the top of the order for Leonys Martin who flies out to Dustin Ackley to end the 4^th inning. 2-0 Rangers.

Logan Morrison will start the 5^th inning with a fly ball to right for an out. Mike Zunino is the next man to the plate and he flies out to center. That brings Endy Chavez to the plate and he walks. Brad Miller will try to keep the inning going as he singles. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who lines out to center to end the top of the inning. Elvis Andrus will start the home half of the inning with a fly ball to Dustin Ackley for an out. Rougned Odor is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Adrian Beltre to the plate and he walks. Adam Rosales will try to keep the inning going as he strikes out to end the 5^th inning.

Dustin Ackley will start the 6^th inning with a fly ball to right. Robinson Cano is the next man to the plate and he singles. That brings Kyle Seager to the plate and he hits a 2-run homer. With two in and one out Kendrys Morales comes to the plate and he strikes out. Logan Morrison will try to keep the inning going as he pops out to short to end the top of the inning. Carson Smith will take over the pitching uties for the Mariners. Tomas Telis will start the home half of the inning with a ground ball to Brad Miller for an out. Ryan Rua is the next man to the plate and he hits an infield single. That brings Luis Sardina to the plate and he hits a ground ball to Brad Miller who throws Rua out for a fielder's choice. Michael Choice will try to keep the inning going as he singles. Charlie Furbush will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Back to the top of the order for Leonys Martin who grounds out to Robinson Cano to end the 6^th inning. Game tied at 2.

Phil Klein will take over the pitching duties for the Rangers. Mike Zunino will start the 7^th inning with a strike out. Endy Chavez is the next man to the plate and he strikes out. That brings Brad Miller to the plate and he singles. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who lines out to center to end the top of the inning. Danny Farquhar will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Elvis Andrus will start the home half of the inning with a line drive to Brad Miller for an out. Rougned Odor is the next man to the plate and he walks. That brings Adrian Beltre to the plate, Odor is picked off at first, and he flies out to Endy Chavez to end the 7^th inning.

Neal Cotts will take over the pitching duties for the Rangers. Chris Denorfia, pinch hitting for Dustin Ackley, will start the 8^th inning with a walk. Robinson Cano is the next man to the plate and he flies out to left. That brings Kyle Seager to the plate and he singles. With two on and one out Kendrys Morales comes to the plate and he singles as Denorfia scores. With one in and two on Logan Morrison steps up to the plate and he singles as Seager scores. With two in, two on and one out Mike Zunino walks up to the plate and he flies out to center. Corey Hart, pinch hitting for Endy Chavez, will try to keep the inning going as he pops out to second to end the top of the inning. Adam Rosales will start the home half of the inning with a strike out. Tomas Telis is the next man to the plate and he lines out to Austin Jackson. That brings Ryan Rua to the plate and he singles. Luis Sardinas will try to keep the inning going as he grounds out to Brad Miller to end the 8^th inning. 4-2 Mariners.

Spencer Patton will take over the pitching duties for the Rangers. Brad Miller will start the 9^th inning with a ground-rule double. Back to the top of the order for Austin Jackson who is safe on an error. That brings Chris denorfia to the plate and he pops out to second. With two on and one out Robinson Cano comes to the plate and he walks. M Kirkman will take over the pitching duties for the Rangers. With the bases loaded Kyle Seager steps up to the plate and grounds into a double play to end the top of the inning. Fernando Rodney will take over the pitching duties for the Mariners. Michael Choice will start the home half of the inning with a line drive to Austin Jackson for an out. Back to the top of the order for Leonys Martin who pops out to Logan Morrison. That brings Elvis Andrus to the plate and he grounds out to Brad Miller to end the game. 4-2 Mariners win.  

John Vechey leaves PopCap

Today Seattle-based Popcap will see the end of an era as the last of its co-founding member and current CEO John Vechey announced that he will be leaving the company. Mr. Vechey was made the CEO earlier this year when CEO Dave Roberts retired after holding the position for 8 years.

“When I founded PopCap my biggest goals were to have a good time and to make great games. PopCap's vision has always been to make people happy through games, and I believe we are achieving that every day. Today, I am proud of this company we have built together. Proud of the games we make and proud to have worked with all of you. I will miss you greatly.” Mr. Vechey said in his letter of resignation.

Since co-founding, along with Jason Kapalka and Brian Fiete, the Seattle-based casual gaming company has seen tremendous growth with games, such as, Bejeweled and Plants vs Zombies. In 2011 that growth attracted the attention of gaming giant Electronic Arts when they purchased the company for $1.3 billion dollars. After the sale of his company Mr. Vechey stayed on to oversee Popcap.

“John leaves PopCap in deeply capable hands. The PopCap mobile studio will continue to be led by Steve Mauri, Cara Ely and Jon David, and the teams are already pushing forward into exciting directions.  We have games in the pipeline including an all-new Peggle, new concepts coming through rapid development at PopLabs, and global opportunities for PopCap brands like PvZ.  PopCap continues to be a core studio in EA’s mobile efforts, and I know our players will be thrilled with what’s to come from this talented group,” said EA president Frank Gibeau.

It has not been announced if there will be one general manager picked to take over the day-to-day operation or the triumvirate.

Other articles on this topic you might enjoy:

• http://www.geekwire.com/2014/popcap-gm-john-vechey-leaves-company-less-year-top-spot/
• http://www.polygon.com/2014/9/5/6111605/popcap-co-founder-john-vechey-leaves
• http://recode.net/2014/09/05/popcap-co-founder-john-vechey-exits-for-grist-org-and-social-work/

Microsoft sees a small gain in the smartphone market

Redmond-based Microsoft received some good news when the latest report by the digital analytic site comScore was released today. According to that report the Redmond-based giant saw a slight gain in the smartphone marketplace in the second quarter of 2014. Despite the gain, from 3.3% to 3.6%, Microsoft is still distant third behind Android and Apple, respectfully, who still control almost 95% of the U.S market. With this small the uptick is it gives a positive outlook that the Redmond-based giant is on the right track with its acquisition of Nokia's mobile division and the recently announced update to Windows mobile.

Microsoft's gain came mostly from the beleaguered BlackBerry who saw their market-share fall from 2.5% to 2.3%. The drop in market-share is just the latest for the company that has been in freefall since 2008 when they controlled roughly16% of the marketplace. The downward spiral has prompted plenty of speculation that BlackBerry might be purchased by Microsoft last year.

In 2012 the market research company IDC (international data corporation) predicted would surge to over 19% to either share or over the number 2 slot held by Apple. Could this minute be the start of a rise that will see a big boost in the next 2 years? It is hard to say but given that there hasn't been too much movement in the marketplace in the last year that lofty goal probably won't happen.

Even though the android (51.5%) operating system still remains number 1 they did lose a 1% share to rival Apple (42.4%) to close the gap from 11% to 9%.  

The return of the king

Last week Felix Hernandez had the worst game of his career when he gave up 4 homerun. Yesterday's game started out look as though it might be just as bad when he gave up an early homerun to Adam Dunn. He managed to settle down after that and went on to have a game more like the ones we are accustom to seeing from the man we call the king. He ended up pitching 8 innings and only giving up 3-hits including that one homerun.

In the top of the 7^th inning Kyle Seager and Corey Hart repaid Felix's hard work by hitting back-to-back homeruns to give the Seattle Mariners a 2-1 lead. The 2 runs were all that Seattle needed when Fernaando Rodney came in to relieve Felix in the 9^th inning and quickly mowed down the Athletics to pick up his 41^st save of the season.

"It means a lot," Hernandez said. "We came here to win the series, and that's what we did. Going against Lester, I knew it was going to be tough. I just had to make good pitches."