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Friends, this is why we cant have nice things. A McLaren F1 was flipped down an embankment in Italy yesterday, and this video of the crashs aftermath is about as sad as when Old Yeller was shot.

According to Italys La Nazione, this one-off, red-on-white F1 was crashed during a four-F1 tour between the towns of Saline di Volterra and Pomarance in the province of Pisa. Its unclear what caused the driver to lose control and invert our British hero on a grassy hill, although as this is a McLaren F1, we wouldnt be remotely surprised if speed ended up being a factor.

YouTuber Marchettino, an Autoblog reader and well-known source of videos from Ferraris Fiorano test track, was on the scene to capture the video available below. The footage shows the McLaren accelerating away, only to cut away to the aftermath of the wreck. Emergency personnel were tasked with righting the stricken hypercar, a process that was accompanied by the cringe-worthy cracking of its Peter Stevens-designed bodywork. At least they had the decency to cover the crumpled Brit with its fitted black cover as they loaded it onto a flatbed, a fitting yet somehow disturbing visual.

According to reports, the driver and passenger were airlifted from the scene with non-lethal injuries, and both are recovering in a hospital. Given the rising worth and rarity of F1s, despite the extensive damage in evidence, we reckon that this wont be the last the world sees of this special car. Take a look below to view the video.

Well, its official. We will have a courtroom battle between fallen starlet Lindsay Lohan and Rockstar Games, maker of the infamous Grand Theft Auto series. We last reported on the Lohan/Rockstar case back in December, when rumors were swirling that the then-27-year-old would sue the video game publisher.

In the suit, LiLo alleges that Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive used her likeness for one of the games non-playable characters, Lacey Jonas, without permission. Lohan also cited an image on the games cover in her suit.

"The portraits of the Plaintiff (Lohan) incorporated her image, likeness, clothing, outfits, Plaintiffs clothing line products, ensemble in the form of hats, hair style, sunglasses, jean shorts worn by the Plaintiff that were for sale to the public at least two years" the suit, obtained by Forbes, reads.

Its unclear just how much money Lohan will be seeking in her suit. Forbes reached out to the Digital Media Law Project, which indicates that the Mean Girls star doesnt really have a leg to stand on.

"As a general matter, you will not be held liable for using someones name or likeness in a creative, entertaining, or artistic work that is transformative, meaning that you add some substantial creative element over and above the mere depiction of the person. In other words, the First Amendment ordinarily protects you if you use someones name or likeness to create something new that is recognizably your own, rather than something that just evokes and exploits the persons identity." the DMLP said.

Unless Lohan can prove that Rockstar blatantly ripped off her image for GTA, a series thats notorious for its parodies, it doesnt seem like this case will have much traction. In any case, feel free to scroll down below for a video from TMZ discussing the issue from a few months back.

I was just reminiscing about the many great games Ive thoroughly enjoyed playing on iOS, which collectively have turned Apples platform into one that somehow (and surprisingly) managed to surpass the venerable Commodore 64, much-missed Dreamcast and rather wonderful Nintendo DS in my affections.


Of late, youd be forgiven for thinking that iOS has no good games at all. On reading opinion pieces online, youre probably now imagining iOS as some kind of post-apocalyptic gaming wasteland, where the slowly rotting form of Sonic the Hedgehog begs passers-by for money, before being crushed to death by the dual horrors of EAs in-app-purchase juggernaut and a tsunami of mediocrity.

This time round, Dungeon Keeper and Flappy Bird are at the forefront of everyones minds. The former is apparently EA seeing just how far it can push the concept of freemium gaming before angry gamers snap and march on EA HQ, in order to batter the companys accountants to death with obsolete (but now suddenly rather usefully heavy) original iPads.

The line of thinking was apparently this: take a much-loved classic game, add as many timers and hateful roadblocks as possible, then send out lots of press releases saying how AMAZING and FREE and AMAZING it is, carefully avoiding highlighting the broken gameplay and hateful in-app purchase system.

Flappy Bird?

And then theres Flappy Bird, a one-thumb survival game that appears to have time-travelled from the early days of the App Store when most games were rubbish. If youve not yet played Flappy Bird, the aim is to... Actually, forget about it; just dont play the game, because its awful.

And given its maker is even threatening to pull Flappy Bird from stores, you wont actually be able to play the game soon even if you wanted to.

Flappy Bird stormed the App Store as the equivalent of a novelty summer pop-chart single. Its Mr. Blobby in app form.

So what went wrong? This: Mutant Mudds. Death Ray Manta. Contre Jour. Monsters Ate My Condo. Forget Me Not. Pivvot. QatQi. Slingshot Racing. Dark Nebula 2. Super Hexagon. Beat Sneak Bandit. Mos Speedrun. Device 6. World Of Goo. Zen Bound 2. Blackbar. Stickets. Beyond Ynth. Edge. HungryMaster. Monsters Valley…

All great games, but youve probably barely heard of any of them. Thats because most - SHOCK! - require up-front payment (albeit only an amount akin to buying an 8-bit game. On cassette. In 1985), rather than pretending to be free and then throwing up roadblocks that you can skip by buying a Stupidful of Gems.

Also, many of these titles are by indies, who lack the resources of an EA, and so their amazing efforts often go unnoticed. And then Apple merrily bleats about the latest freemium tat, giving it an Editors Choice, while the cream of iOS gaming goes largely unnoticed.

Fundamentally, though, this is all YOUR fault. Yes, YOU. The iOS app ecosystem has gotten to the point where too many people want something for nothing. They expected games to be cheap, and now they expect them to be free and updated forever, because developers can apparently survive on a diet of air.
Furthermore, people are suckers when hooked, meaning theyll abruptly forget about their miserly nature and happily shovel money into a game putting up roadblocks, like a crazed gambler laughing like a maniac at a casino slot machine.

So, how to fix things. First, Apples probably not going to do anything. The company has never had a clue about gaming, and its not about to find one down the back of the sofa.

Secondly, hideous exploitative freemium titles arent going anywhere, especially when companies are making money hand over fist, bank accounts swelling as countless gamers try to eke some enjoyment from the trudgefest theyve invested so heavily in.

The only solution is to start shouting louder about genuinely great games, and recognising that paying a few quid upfront for a title beats paying nothing initially and then getting mugged shortly afterwards.

Alongside, punish the bad games by ignoring them; if a game erects arbitrary barriers because a publisher decided the best way to make money was to literally stop people playing it, then play something else. Invest in developers who care about you having a great user experience and an entertaining time, not those who merely see you as a wallet on legs.

Naturally, that all sounds a bit grass-roots, and it could amount to a drop in the ocean; but that might just be enough to stop iOS gaming sliding into a cesspit that it cannot escape from. And if you want a starting point, check out the dozens of games already mentioned on this page.

Apple’s annual iPad updates look set to be pretty lean this year, with latest reports suggesting that while an iPad Air refresh is on the cards, no iPad Pro or iPad mini 3 will be released.


Although multiple rumours of a larger, iPad Pro have circulated in recent weeks, industry analysts have now suggested that Apple’s 2014 iPad collection will consist solely of an update to the 9.7-inch iPad Air.

Speaking in a note to investors, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that claims of an iPad Pro launch will not be fulfilled this year, with Apple unlikely to launch a 12.9-inch tablet to rival the CES introduced Samsung Galaxy Note Pro.

Claiming Apple will focus its development efforts elsewhere, Kuo offered a bit of wiggle room, stating: “Even if it (a larger iPad) does make an appearance this year, shipments will be low.”

Despite the success of the iPad mini, and subsequent iPad mini 2 which launched last November with a new Retina display in tow, it has been claimed that Apple will not launch a third-generation 7.9-inch tablet this year.

While consumers will have to make do with the iPad mini 2 for a further 12 months at least, serial Apple tipster Kuo has claimed the iPad Air will receive a specs bump this autumn.

Targeting two easy areas of improvement, the analyst has claimed that the iPad Air will be upgraded to a new A8 processor and introduce the TouchID fingerprint sensor incorporating home button found on the iPhone 5S.

According to Kuo’s insiders, Apple’s reduced tablet efforts are being forced by the company’s push to finalise Apple iWatch hardware and software for launch later in the year.

He added that “unless more aggressive promotions are launched,” a lack of new models will see annual iPad sales drop for the first time.

So it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S5 may make an appearance at MWC 2014 after all - but why? Samsung, do you have something to hide?


If Samsung was looking to get the maximum publicity for its marketing buck it would stick to the standalone launch event which served it so well for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4.

These events managed to generate almost Apple levels of hysteria and excitement - a buzz many manufacturers can only dream of, and one which should be carefully preserved, not thrown into a melee of announcements at MWC.

Im not saying people will ignore the Galaxy S5 if it does arrive in Barcelona, everyone (myself included) will still cover it with the same vigor as previous Galaxy S launches as its going to be one of the big phones of the year, no matter what turns up - but Ill be doing it in the middle of covering announcements from a multitude of other manufacturers.

All part of the plan

Samsung is going to lose out on coverage compared to previous years - theres no two ways about it.
But perhaps thats exactly what its trying to do. Maybe Samsung has finally run out of ideas on how to reinvent the wheel on an annual basis and is fearing a backlash as it unveils a handset which boasts only minor improvements over the Galaxy S4.
 
People were not overly excited by the Galaxy S4, which brought a slightly updated design and new eye, face and hand tracking tech - branded a gimmick by some.

Taking a look at the Galaxy S5 rumors there doesnt seem to be a great deal to get properly excited about.

A higher resolution display is hardly going to blow us away, a 16MP camera still pales in comparison to the 20.7MP Xperia Z1 and 41MP Lumia 1020 and Samsung will be late to the fingerprint scanning tech with the iPhone 5S and HTC One Max beating it to the punch.

With less of a focus put on the Galaxy S5, there will be less analysis of its flaws as media outlets attempt to churn through all the new products at MWC - leading to coverage of the sentient points, which realistically, is all the consumer needs anyway.

While this earlier-than-expected launch would see Samsung get its handset out the door before HTC - the Taiwanese firm may have the upper hand with its own event in March, allowing the HTC One Two to garner a lot more interest, especially if it can get the phone on shop shelves within a fortnight of announcement.

And what about the design? Is Samsung finally admitting it might not be that desirable? Its still thought that the South Korean brand will stick with the tried and tested plastic chassis for the Galaxy S5, but consumers now have a taste for the finer things in life.

The metal clad HTC One and One Mini join the iPhone 5S and Xperia Z1 in terms of premium look and feel - something that Samsungs handsets have always lacked, and its falling further behind.

And the winner is...

This is great news for MWC. After a drab CES 2014 the relevance of trade shows was called into question, so having the Galaxy S5 showing up in Barcelona would be a massive coup for MWC - which may boast two major phone launches with the Sony Xperia Z2 also tipped for an appearance.

Weve also got some decent tier two phones in the shape of the Nokia X Android phone and the LG G2 Pro - they might not be big hitters, but will certainly garner some decent coverage.

That potentially spells more trouble for Samsung as the Galaxy S5 will be going head to head with one of its biggest rivals almost immediately.

Get the Galaxy S5 wrong and it could be over before its even hit stores, if critical acclaim is showered on Sony with Samsungs offering failing to impress - OK, thats a bit of a stretch as marketing also plays a huge part, but its not a fight anyone should want to pick.

Sure, the Galaxy S5 will be powerful and brimming with the latest tech - but I fear it will also be underwhelming, and Samsung knows it.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is at MWC 2014 making the case for connecting everyone in the world to the internet, and he also dropped a revealing line about his companys pricey new purchase.


Jaws dropped when news broke last week that Facebook spent $19 billion on mobile messaging service WhatsApp, but Zuckerberg may have under paid.

"I think by itself, its is worth more than $19 billion," he said of WhatsApp. "In reality, there are very few services that reach one billion people. It could be the one service that reaches one billion and doesnt become valuable. If we can do a good job at helping WhatsApp to grow, then I think its quite a good bet."

By Facebooks count, WhatsApp is on its way to connect one billion people. Its not there yet, but Zuckerberg seems 19-billion-dollars confident that Co-Founder Jan Koum and Co. can deliver.

The Internet.org equation

Zuckerberg spent most of his time on the keynote stage talking about Internet.org, an initiative spearheaded by Facebook to make the internet affordable and accessible to those in developing nations.

WhatsApp seems destined to play a role in that.

"Im excited [about WhatsApp] because of the Internet.org vision," Zuckerberg said. "By being a part of Facebook, WhatsApp can focus purely on connecting more people. If independent, they would have to focus on building out their own company. What Jan is excited about is for them to connect one, two, three billion more people."

Earlier Zuckerberg noted that in order to connect everyone to the web, Facebook needs to form partnerships "because we cant do it by ourselves." With connectivity, people have access to things like basic financial services, health information and resources like Wikipedia.

Facebooks goal for Internet.org is to "create a sort of on-ramp to the internet," one that can bring non-bandwidth sucking text-based services like Messenger to all corners of the world. Zuckerberg said the venture will probably not be profitable in the short term, but then again the company doesnt seem to concerned about near-term losses for long-term gains.

And the Snapchat question

There was one white elephant in the room someone just had to ask Zuckerberg, and that was whether Facebook will make another run at Snapchat.

"After buying a company for $16 billion, youre probably done for awhile," Zuck quipped.

For more than two decades, ever since DOS and Windows 3.1x, dual-booting has been restricted to hardcore enthusiasts who found being able to boot from one or more operating systems convenient and useful.


If the presentation by Microsofts Joe Belfiore last week in Barcelona is an indication of how the mobile market will evolve, were about to see a comeback of dual booting with Android and Windows Phone sitting on the same phone.

The push is likely to come from Microsoft for whom this might be one of the biggest punts of its long history, similar to putting Internet Explorer into Windows 95.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend

The gist of the later part of Belfiores presentation is that Microsoft is working closely with hardware partners to make sure that there is little or no change needed to get a smartphone (or indeed any ARM-based devices) to run Windows Phone or Android.

X86 devices like PCs, laptops and servers run Windows or Linux (or indeed MacOS X) indiscriminately and theres no reason why that shouldnt be the case for smartphones in general.

This is a logical step that is likely to be more helpful to Microsoft than Android - and this tacit agreement will end up being most detrimental to Apple.

How bold is too bold?

It seems likely that Microsoft may encourage partners to offer dual-boot as standard on all Android smartphones by offering Windows Phone for free or for a huge discount.

The cynical among us might suggest that as well as offering Windows Phone for free (or at a low cost), Microsoft will slash the fees associated with cross licensing agreements signed with scores of manufacturers of Android devices to persuade them to put Windows Phone prominently on the Android phone (perhaps on the boot screen).

Either solution will cost money but would enable Microsoft to get Windows into the hands of potentially tens of millions of Android users.

It will hope that they will try Windows Phone and be so enamoured of it that they eventually switch to a solely Windows Phone device or continue to use the two platforms altogether.

This would help Microsoft expand the number of smartphones running Windows Phone exponentially and we might even see Microsoft-backed versions of Android without Googles services (similar to what Nokia is doing), something which would be something of an ironic move.

As always though, the more competition in a market, the more likely innovation will thrive.

The business allure of dual-booting

So whats the point of dual-booting for consumers? Most end-users and consumers are unlikely to gain much from the exercise, depending on how dual-booting devices are pitched to the mainstream.

But there is a category of users for whom this will be a godsend and that is the business/enterprise audience.
Having Windows 8 Embedded or Windows Phone 8 plus Android on a sleek smartphone that can be used both for work and leisure will be an attractive proposal to some.

Microsofts mobile platform offers easy access to Office 365, Active Directory and the entire Windows ecosystem (including Xbox) and is an incredibly attractive alternative to BlackBerry.

Thats the theory many think Redmond will follow because the other option is to see Windows Phone stuck as the third choice after Android and iOS, and seeing numbers of shipped (but not sold) units increase over time.

Piggy-backing on Googles Android is definitely not an ego-boosting move for Microsoft but it is by far the most pragmatic.

It is also one that can yield great results reasonably quickly, which is what Satya Nadella needs at the moment to stamp his authority on the company.