I. THEATLANTIC - Google TV: Stop Surfing, Start Searching
Google started with smarter searches. Then, with Android, it turned its attention to smart phones. Now, with Google TV, it's looking to smarten up the third and ultimate category of electronic rectangular screens. What does Google TV mean for the idiot box? It's no surprise that Google thinks the Web is special because the Web is searchable. Indeed, the company spends enormous resources refining its algorithm to make the Internet more searchable every day. So Google would like to bring that searchability to television. And hey, while they're at it, Google would like to put the Internet on TV, too. The result is Google TV, a box, QWERTY keyboard and mouse that turns your 30-inch screen into an entertainment hub for television channels, websites via Google Chrome and apps via Google Android. Tubes on the tube? Cool idea. The ultimate utility here probably lies beyond YouTube and BuzzFeed time sucks. Designers and artists and professionals for whom a large screen improves their productivity by orders of magnitude will benefit from a box that lets them work on Web-based projects on a 30-inch, rather than 12-inch, screen. Google TV could make it easier to work at home, but it could also make it easier to, you know, not work. Scrolling through cable listings is, it turns out, a pretty rotten way to find what you want to watch on the telly. That's why they call it channel surfing. It's aimless, rudderless. Why not make channel searching as easy as Web searching? That's what Google TV wants to do. Type a word into the search box, and it returns TV shows, Internet pages, apps, music. That kind of innovation is simple enough for older folks to intuit and useful enough for younger kids to spend a few extra bucks. We won't know how well the hardware/software will run until some critic takes it for a test drive. But I'm rooting for this idea to work.
GENEVA — The UN human rights chief on Friday slammed the "blatantly discriminatory" jailing of a gay couple in Malawi, saying that it sets an alarming precedent for the treatment of homosexuals in the region. "I am shocked and dismayed by the sentence and reports of the treatment of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga while in detention," said Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "The law which enabled the conviction dates back to the colonial era and has lain dormant for a number of years -- rightly so, because it is discriminatory and has the effect of criminalising and stigmatising people based on perceptions of their identity," she added. Pillay said the conviction should be repealed and penal codes that criminalise homosexuality reformed. "Laws that criminalise people on the basis of their sexual orientation are by their nature discriminatory, and as such are in apparent violation of a number of key international treaties and instruments," said Pillay. "It is a question of fundamental rights, not one of geography, history or disparate cultures," Pillay added. "The protection of individuals against discrimination is pervasive in international human rights law. Why should it be suspended for this one group of human beings?"
III. JPOST - Israel: IDF kills 2 terrorist infiltrators
Two Palestinian terrorists attempted to cross the border into Israel from the Gaza strip Friday afternoon and were killed by IDF forces, Israel Radio reported. The IDF sustained no casualties in the incident, which occurred near Kibbutz Nirim on the border with Gaza. An IDF scouting unit identified the infiltration and a firefight erupted with IDF units called to the area. Several neighboring communities were placed under security alert due to the risk of additional infiltrations, and IDF helicopters arrived to assist the search. As the firefight continued unabated, the IDF began a mortar bombardment of the target area. The Palestinians answered back with mortar fire of their own and the altercation was still going on as of 4 p.m. Friday. The incident follows the Thursday Israeli Air Force strike on three border tunnels in Gaza in response to a Kassam missile launched at Israel that day.
IV. CHANNELNEWSASIA - US military presence crucial to balance of power in Asia
US military presence remains crucial to the balance of power in Asia, says Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. East Asian security still needs the presence of American forces, so the region can continue its economic growth and balance the emergence of China, a country that is also important for this balance as there is no one country that should dominate Asia. This was the message from Mr Lee at the 16th annual Nikkei Future of Asia Symposium in Tokyo. Mr Lee also stressed the need to keep the US bases in Japan. Japan is in the midst of deciding where to relocate the US forces now based in Okinawa, and Mr Lee emphasized that US bases in Japan are necessary to maintain the balance of power in Asia. Mr Lee said: "We believe that their presence brings about stability and peace. They need a base in the northeast, and if there is no base in Japan, they can't deploy their weaponry and project their power. If Japan closes them off from Okinawa, I think it will be a setback for the deployment of the American forces, which is not to the benefit of Asia." Minister Mentor Lee also emphasized that Japan might take the Singaporean model to face the problem of an aging population, by opening up immigration and allowing immigrants' integration into the society without compromising local values.
Russian legislators are preparing to view the ratification of the nuclear arms cuts deal, which was agreed by Moscow and Washington last month. The treaty, heralded as a milestone in the countries' relations, has already been sent to the US Senate. The sides are planning to synchronize the ratification of the historic deal. Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at Federation Council – the upper house of the Russian Parliament – said that the Council and experts from the Defense and Foreign Ministries have held a long an in-depth discussion on the details of the deal. The Russian Government will submit the document to the State Duma by the end of May, estimated Margelov, but he doubted the possibility of approving the deal simultaneously in Russia and the US due to procedural reasons. “There will be a lot of tough questions asked during the hearings prior to ratification both in the US Senate and the Russian Parliament,” Margelov said. “The discussion [in Moscow] will be very similar to what we have already seen on the Capitol Hill,” he asserted. Mikhail Margelov believes that the Republicans would not hinder the approval of the nuclear deal because many of them have been involved in the discussion over the nuclear arms control before. “Let us keep in mind that all the breakthroughs in the sphere of arms control between the US and the Soviet Union were made when the Republicans were in the office in Washington,” reminded Margelov.
VI. B92 - Tadić, Christofias: Excellent relations
Serbian President Boris Tadić and Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias met in Nicosia on Thursday, on the first day of Tadić's two-day visit. At a joint press conference after meeting Tadić, Christofias said that Cyprus supports Serbia and all Western Balkan countries on their path towards integration in the European Union. The integration of these countries in the EU would contribute to the stabilization of the situation and relations in the region, he said. Tadić said that the good bilateral relations are traditional, [and H]e expressed gratitude to Cyprus for its support to Serbia in the process of EU integration and to its defense of its territorial integrity in Kosovo. Cyprus is one of the five member states of the European Union which have not recognized the unilateral declaration. Tadić was also scheduled to meet later with Archbishop of Nea Justiniana and All Cyprus Chrysostomos II.
VII. PRAVMIR - Change your Focus
God is fitting us for the battles of life. Sorrow, frustration, and pain are often the tools He uses to shape and mold our lives so that we become reflections of God's mercy and grace to others. While He is not the author of heartache and tragedy, He certainly knows exactly how to use them for our benefit and His glory. One of the hardest lessons we will ever learn is how to take a negative situation and turn it into a ositive experience. In Psalm 23, King David reminds us that all of life is a matter of faith and perspective. He writes, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me" David's words are stepping-stones to a great faith. If we practice the principles that he lived by, God will develop a conquering faith within our lives. David lived with adversity and, from time to time, we will too. No one escapes difficulty; it is inescapable in a fallen world. The key is in what we do with our feelings of defeat, discouragement, and criticism. You may be thinking, "But you don't know my circumstances. There is no way for you to understand the pressure I feel or the discouragement that plagues my heart."While we can't truly know or understand the hurt another person may be experiencing, we do know that there is one person who understands perfectly, and that is Jesus Christ. He was rejected, betrayed, criticized, and crucified. If you are looking for someone to identify with the pain that you are feeling, do what David did — look up and realize that there is someone who is walking through the valley with you. No matter how dark life becomes, Christ will lead you to victory. Paul was another person who faced constant opposition. He was criticized for his work and ministry. Sadly, the criticism did not come from the Roman government or from enemy forces; it came from men and women who were from the same heritage as the apostle. It also came from within the Church. Each time he entered a city, Paul immediately went up to the synagogue to preach God's message of saving grace to the Jews. Then he would turn his attention to the Gentiles. Many times, there was no welcome mat for the visiting apostle. At Iconium, Paul was met with great criticism. Because of the threats made against him, he fled to Lystra where, after hearing him preach the gospel, many came to know Christ as their Savior (see Acts 14). However, Paul was stoned by the Jews, thrown out of the city, and left for dead. Even this could not break Paul's spirit, desire, or his will to tell others about God's eternal love and forgiveness. In Acts 14, we read that "after the disciples had gathered around him, [Paul] got up and went back into the city" (v.20). Paul did not lose heart. His faith never wavered, his love for the Lord never flagged, and he never turned away from what God had called him to do. Are you facing a difficult situation? Is your ability to cope fading? God will provide the strength, wisdom, and courage that you need to continue. Every heartache, every frustration, every disappointment, and every failure is used by God to draw us closer to Himself. We may not understand why we have to face opposition at home, at our jobs, or even in our service to Christ, but God knows and understands, and this is all that counts. Here's how to turn an oppressive situation into an opportunity for God: Realize that God is with you at all times. God never leaves you alone to face the frustrations of this world. If it seems that you cannot hear His voice, be patient, be still, and be committed to trusting Him before you make a single move. Faithfulness, obedience, and willingness to wait on the Lord's timing speak volumes to God. Recognize the hand of God in your circumstances. Andrew Murray wrote that the storms of life are the advent of God's coming — "the evidence of His presence" surrounding us. We are His beloved children and when we hurt, He hurts with us. When we face heartache, He comes to our aid. When we are mistreated, He is grieved and goes to work on our behalf. React with selfless love. If anyone had an impressive resume, it was the Apostle Paul. He was educated at the best schools, held some of the highest social positions, and achieved tremendous knowledge and status, but none of this was important to him. Paul was not angry with his persecutors and he did not waste time seeking vengeance or retribution. Instead, he blessed those who sought to hurt him. In Philippians he writes, "Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things" (Philippians 3:7-8). When we feel like the worst of life is upon us, we need to remember that Christ has gone before us (see Deuteronomy 31:8), He is with us, and He works for the good of those who love Him (see Romans 8:28).