10 Ways to Score an iPhone 4 on Launch Day

With the iPhone 4 launching on June 24, 
consumers and even some enterprise customers are undoubtedly excited to finally get their hands on Apple's new smartphone. Such excitement is understandable. The device is arguably the best iPhone, at least on paper, that Apple has ever released. Not only does it run the company's new iOS 4, which boasts multitasking, it includes a new feature called Face Time, which allows users to place video calls over WiFi. And thanks to a new and improved display, the fidelity of the iPhone 4's touch screen should be second to none.


But most folks already know that. Now, they want to know how they can get their hands on an iPhone 4 on June 24. For some, preordering was the way to go. Those that were lucky enough to get through the trials of preordering an iPhone 4 on June 15 should have their smartphones in-hand that day. But those that weren't lucky enough to get through or simply don't want to wait until July to get the iPhone 4, need to find a way to buy one in-store on June 24. Admittedly, it will be a difficult task. Apple has said that it and its retail partners will have a small number of available iPhones for those that drop into the store. But they will be there. And they will go to the people that have the best strategy for getting one.


Let's take a look at 10 strategies that customers should follow if they want to get an iPhone 4 on launch day.

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1. Get in line early

The first thing that anyone who wants to get an iPhone 4 on launch day should do is get in line at a store as early as possible. As previous releases of the iPhone have shown, those that get to stores early have a much better chance of getting their hands on a smartphone. Apple plans to have a small number of available iPhones in its retail outlets on launch day. That means that users in the top 20 are probably guaranteed to get their hands on an iPhone 4. But being in that top 20 will be extremely difficult. It requires getting in line extremely early. In fact, most customers might want to consider lining up the night before the iPhone 4 launches.


2. Get ready to pay up

It might not be ideal, but if customers want an iPhone 4 badly enough, they can always show up a few minutes before the doors at the Apple Store open and hand over some cash to folks toward the front of line. It seems that every year, some people are content to stand in line and wait for someone else to come up to them, pay them to take their spot, and walk away. Admittedly, those spots fetch some serious cash. And only the most ardent Apple fans will buy a spot in that line. But there is always that option. It just depends on whether a spot in an iPhone 4 line is really worth $500 to someone.


3. Go for a long drive

Although the big Apple Store could be right down the road, those that get their hands on the iPhone 4 on launch day will be going to places where there isn't so much foot traffic. That's a key component in the success or failure of folks getting their iPhones on launch day. Everyone will be going to stores in major areas, meaning there will be long lines. But in out-of-the-way areas where stores aren't so popular, there is a greater chance of getting an iPhone 4. Simply put, getting an iPhone 4 is a numbers game.


4. Check eBay, Craigslist listings

As soon as customers buy an iPhone 4 on launch day, they do one of two things: open it up and start using it, or put it on eBay or Craigslist to turn a quick profit. Although customers will end up paying more for the device, buying an iPhone 4 on eBay doesn't seem like such a bad idea. After all, it eliminates the need to stand in line and allows users to get it sooner, rather than later. Expect to pay a premium when buying an iPhone 4 online, but those that want it badly enough can certainly use it as an option.


5. Go to Best Buy or Walmart

Best Buy and Walmart are two of the many retail partners that Apple has inked deals with. And although Radio Shack might seem like a good place to go to pick up an iPhone 4, Best Buy or Walmart could be ideal. Both companies will have iPhones available in their stores on a first-come, first-serve basis. And considering most folks have been conditioned over the past few years to go to either Apple or AT&T retail outlets to get an iPhone 4 on launch day, the crowd might not be as big at either of the big-box retail outlets. That doesn't mean that iPhone buyers can walk into a Best Buy store when it opens, but it could make for a slightly easier time of getting an iPhone 4.


6. Don't waste time at Apple stores

The last thing consumers should do on June 24 is try their luck at an Apple Store. Yes, there is a chance that they will be able to get in line and buy a device before it's released, but the vast majority of customers will be going to an Apple Store to pick up an iPhone 4. Realizing that, it's best to keep away from those locations. Those that don't follow the tech industry so closely will only know of one place where they might be able to buy an iPhone 4 on launch day: Apple stores. Stay away from those stores. It's a smart move.


7. Wait for folks on the way out

As mentioned, there are two types of iPhone customers on launch day: those that want to use the device, and those that want to sell it. Realizing that, waiting for customers that are willing to sell their iPhone 4 could be a solid strategy for most customers. Simply wait outside for someone to come out and ask them if they want to sell their iPhone 4. The vast majority of folks might not, but there are always some who wait outside stores just to do so. But beware: in previous years, some iPhone sellers have been asking nearly double the price of the iPhone 4's MSRP. 


8. Remember the past

When deciding what to do on iPhone 4 launch day, it's always a good idea to take a step back and evaluate how things went years ago. Each year, the iPhone's demand has steadily risen. On launch day back in 2007, consumers were able to walk into stores and pick up a new iPhone the very day it was released. In future years, only those that were quick enough to get to an Apple store or AT&T outlet in the morning were able to get their hands on Apple's smartphone. This year, a similar scenario will likely play out. Potential iPhone 4 owners should go back and look to see when customers were lining up last year. Based on that information, they should line up a few hours sooner. Demand really is that high.


9. Be prepared to go to multiple places

Those expecting to stay in one spot for an iPhone 4 could be in for a rude awakening. In the vast majority of cases, stores offering first-come, first-serve iPhones will have a very small number of available units. Realizing that, potential iPhone buyers should expect to go to multiple locations before they finally find a single place where the iPhone 4 is available. Yes, it might be a headache, but that's the reality of trying to get an iPhone 4 on launch day.


10. Work in teams

iPhone 4 customers should work in teams. By having more than one person out searching for an iPhone 4 at different locations, potential buyers can down on the chances of missing a device at another retail outlet. One person can go to the Apple Store, the other person can go to a Best Buy location, and maybe another person can try an out-of-the-way spot. If it's just one or two iPhones they're looking for, the chances of getting one of Apple's smartphones on June 24 are that much higher.

'The guys were pumped-up to perform' - Dhoni

The same two sides had contested the final of the Asia Cup two years ago, and the totals and margin of victory are similar to the title clash at Dambulla on Thursday. The two matches couldn't be more different though.

Sri Lanka's win had come on the back of two freakish performances - Sanath Jayasuriya's counterattacking 125 to revive them from 66 for 4, and Ajantha Mendis' star-making haul of 6 for 13 that derailed a rampant India - while MS Dhoni's side won through an array of mostly routine but important contributions from nearly everyone in the side.


Ashish Nehra may grab the headlines but his quick-bowling partners had done their bit earlier on. Praveen Kumar showed off yet again how dangerous he can be in conditions that suit him, and removed the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan in the first over, while Zaheer Khan tormented Upul Tharanga with sideways movement before getting him to shoulder arms to an indipper that took the offstump.


As for the batting, Dinesh Karthik was the surprise Man of the Match but five other batsmen made 25 or more to steadily drive India's total towards the zone labelled 'competitive'. For a side that has often ridden on individual brilliance and its batting arsenal, a bowler-led team-based victory in a tournament final is especially significant.

Dhoni was a pleased man after witnessing his side lift their game every time it mattered in the tournament, with the only defeat coming in the inconsequential league match against Sri Lanka. "This was a very satisfying win for us since we won three out of four games," Dhoni said. "It was an important tournament, four of the best sides were playing, and each side was quite balanced, overall happy with the performance."


With the final being played on a fresh pitch, getting to bat first proved a big advantage at a venue where the team batting second usually finds it harder to score. "The guys were pumped-up to perform. It was a good toss to win, conditions were ideal for batting," Dhoni said. "It got a bit slower as the game progressed and it started doing a bit under the lights, the fast bowlers made the most out of it."

There were some aspects of Thursday's showing that he felt needed improvement, such as the number of batsmen who didn't go on to score half-centuries after getting their eye in. "Most of us got the starts that was needed, we should have converted those starts," he said. "But if you win a game nobody questions that but it is very important to learn even if you are winning games, I still think we could have scored more runs and given the bowlers the extra cushion of 15-20 runs."


India's next limited-overs assignment is the tri-series in Dambulla, also involving New Zealand, following the Tests against Sri Lanka next month. With none of the batting youngsters having made compelling cases in the Asia Cup and the Zimbabwe series, it will be interesting to see what the pecking order is when the squad is chosen for that triangular.

Another facet that Dhoni wanted the team to improve in was fielding, which had played a key role in Sri Lanka's win in Tuesday's league game. Kumar Sangakkara's team was flat in the field during the finals, with several dropped chances and plenty of fumbles in the outfield.

Kris Srikkanth, the Indian chairman of selectors, had said the players' fitness and fielding levels had been looked into while picking the squad for the tournament, and the team has also shown a renewed focus on fielding during their practice sessions. "We need to improve our fielding, but one good thing, we had a few youngsters who did really well, so we don't really have to hide too many in this side," Dhoni said. "All our fielders are not brilliant but it was good in this series, if we gradually improve our fielding till the World Cup, we will be a safe fielding side, and fielding really contributes in one-dayers."

(Thanks: cric-info)

Featured Football Joke!!!

Q: What's the difference between the Buffalo Bills and a dollar bill?
A: You can still get four quarters out of a dollar.


Q: Why is the Oakland football team like a possum?
A: Because they play dead at home and get killed on the road.


Q: What do Billy Graham and the Buffalo football team have in common?
A: They can both make a stadium of 50,000 people say "Oh, Jesus."


A football coach was asked his secret of evaluating his new recruits. "Well," he said, "I take 'em out in the woods and make 'em run. The ones that run round the trees, I make into running backs. The ones that run straight into the trees, I turn into linemen."


Q: What's the difference between the Green bay Packers and Cheerios?
A: Cheerios belongs in a bowl.


Q: What has eight arms and an I.Q. of 60?
A: Four blokes watching a football game.
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Buzzkill: Vuvuzelas ruining World Cup experience

They are plastic, noisy and cost no more than a few bucks. And they are, sadly, sabotaging the World Cup.

The constant droning of the vuvuzela – the traditional South African horn that has been a permanent backdrop to this tournament – is becoming such an annoyance to fans, players and television viewers that soccer’s governing body is considering drastic action.


According to a source who has regular contact with top World Cup officials, FIFA president Sepp Blatter, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke and World Cup organizing committee chief Danny Jordaan will hold fresh talks over the next few days to discuss whether to reverse policy and implement a vuvuzela ban.


They should.


Remarkably, in a tournament involving the finest, richest and most controversial soccer stars on the planet and a misbehaving soccer ball, the most-discussed issue has revolved around a brightly colored plastic instrument so simple that a child could blow it.


It takes a lot to distract the world from the event it has waited four years and focus on something so apparently trivial, yet tortured eardrums and pounding headaches have done just that only four days into the month-long World Cup.


Supporters everywhere have reacted angrily to the continuous use of the horns, which have been heard on television broadcasts every second of the games so far. But the problem for soccer’s loyal fans is not so much the ever-present buzz – enterprising locals have made a small fortune by selling earplugs to help drown out the sound for those in attendance. It is more about what is missing, namely the typical color and atmosphere that is normally seen at top-level matches.


Because the vuvuzelas create a wall of sound, there has been little of the usual chanting, singing and roaring that are a staple of soccer games everywhere else in the world. Even the fans of the England national team, normally among the loudest in international soccer, could not bring themselves to muster their usual diet of boisterous chants and songs during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with the United States, effectively admitting defeat to the almighty horn.

Furthermore, players admit they have struggled to concentrate amid the noise and there have been regular communication problems among teammates. Slovenia’s Samir Handanovic and Marko Suler screamed furiously at each other in their team’s victory over Algeria following a mixup that almost led to a goal for their opponent.


“It is impossible to communicate,” said Argentina’s Lionel Messi, the world’s best player. “It is like being deaf.”


Some fans might already be thinking that deafness is not such a bad option compared to the incessant aural assault they are currently suffering through. The vuvuzela, which is made to replicate the call of an elephant, comes across as a drone on television. In real life, though, the noise reaches 144 decibels, equivalent to the sound made by a passenger jet.

Also, vuvuzelas come with only one sound, one pitch. Fans blow them as hard as they can during dead periods of action as they do after a thrilling moment, so there is none of the inspirational roar from fans that urges an attack from their team. None of the imaginative and patriotic chants are sung to light up games. None of the childish yet always amusing crescendo aimed at increasing a goalkeeper’s nerves as he steps up to take a goal kick is heard.


Portugal plays its first match Tuesday. The team – which played in the Confederation Cup in South Africa last summer – knows what awaits them. And it’s not happy about it.

“There is something missing,” star Cristiano Ronaldo said. “I like the atmosphere of football; it is beautiful. This is not beautiful.”

There is an argument that this is South Africa’s event and the rest of the world should adapt. But this is more than a South African event. The World Cup is a truly global spectacle – and the world is making itself heard that it doesn’t want its ears bashed any longer.

-yoo

How to Buy a GPS ???

It's a great time to buy a GPS. The category has matured and competition from nav-equipped smartphones has helped drive prices way down. As a result

, you can get a capable stand-alone GPS that can do much more than just help you find your way for a lot less than you would have paid just last year. Still, there are several factors to consider when choosing the right GPS: Do I need a big display? Should I spring for a live traffic subscription? How about voice control? Should I even bother with a GPS, or can I just use my phone? H

ere's what you should consider when navigating the GPS market.

The Basics: Screen Size, On-Board Maps, and POIs

Screen size is an important factor in choosing the right GPS. The current sweet spot for displays is 4.3 inches, with the majority of models on the market hitting this mark. You can typically save a bundle if you're willing to settle for a smaller display: The excellent, Editors' Choice 3.5-inch Garmin nüvi 265T rings up for about $120 these days. On the flip side, if you have trouble reading small text, you may want to opt for a larger unit

like the Magellan Roadmate 1700, whose bright, brilliant 7-inch, 800-by-480-pixel WVGA display almost guarantees you'll never have to squint to read a street name. Remember though, the larger the screen, the more of your dashboard or windshield space the unit gobbles up. The 5-inch screen on the TomTom XXL 540-S is a nice compromise since it's thin and not terribly unwieldy, but is large enough to display easy-to-see type and graphics and ensure accurate on-screen button taps.

Virtually every GPS you buy today will come with preloaded maps for the United States—some also include a combination of Canada, Mexico, or Puerto Rico too. If you need additional maps, you can typically buy them from the device manufacturer and download them via PC or sideload them on an SD card.

Since construction is inevitable and roads are constantly changing, keeping your maps up-to-date is also important. Larger vendors such as TomTom and Garmin include free or one-time-pay map updates for many of their devices. But some companies charge for each map update—and they can be expensive. Be sure to check the map-update policy before you buy.

Along with maps, every GPS comes with an integrated points-of-interest (POI) database so you can find, say, for example, the closest Chinese restaurant, Home Depot, auto body shop, or tourist attraction. POI database sizes can vary wildly, and each device handles searches and delivers results differently. Some are far-reaching and are intuitively designed to serve up logical, accurate results, while others have slim databases and leave you scratching your head, driving in circles trying to find a gas station. Some devices even integrate cellular radios to perform POI searches on the Web, so you get real-time results. (More on connected GPS devices in a minute.) The best way to get a handle on a device's POI handling is to read hands-on reviews.

Voice Control and Other Extras

A handful of GPS models let you speak commands so you can keep your hands on the wheel rather than poking at buttons on the device's touch screen. The most-capable voice-controlled GPS we've seen is Garmin's nüvi 885T. This $275 (street) live-traffic-enabled unit includes a wireless switch that you attach to your steering wheel to activate a listening mode, where it accepts voice commands for most functions. In our tests, the 885T recognized our spoken commands very accurately.

Voice control on the Magellan Maestro 4700, on the other hand, is very limited, and we didn't have much luck getting the feature to work correctly in our tests.

If you want some entertainment with your navigation, many devices include media players that support common audio, photo, and/or video formats for playback from an SD card. A much more practical extra feature, however, is an integrated phone interface, so you can connect your Bluetooth-enabled phone and access your contact list to make hands-free calls through the GPS, rather than wearing a clunky headset. While you'll find this feature on many mid- to high-end GPS models, not all devices support all phones. If this feature is important to you, check the manufacturer's Web site to make sure your phone is compatible before you settle on a device.

FIFA World Cup 2010—3D, HDTV, Cell Phone & Web Viewer's Guide!

We've compiled the best ways for all you soccer (football) fanatics to watch, listen or track all of the FIFA World Cup 2010 action—whether you're watching online, on your TV, using your phone, or something else.

The world's most popular sport—some call it soccer while many around the world refer to it as football—is about to kick off its most important event. This coming Thursday, June 11th, marks the start of the FIFA World Cup 2010. If you're a fan, the good news is that your four-year wait is almost over. The bad news is that it's likely that many of the games played over the course of the month-long tourney will be on while you're at work. That's why we've set up this mini World Cup guide. We've got the best ways for you watch the games and stay connected to all the action wherever you are.


On Your HDTV


ESPN and ABC have exclusive TV rights to the FIFA World Cup 2010 games in the United States. They're the only way you're going to get the games in HD—for free and in English—this year. Luckily, the games are staggered, for the most part, so there won't be many instances of two games taking place at once.


Watching sports on a flat-panel HDTV can be a trying experience, especially in a fast-paced, constantly-moving contest. If your TV doesn't have a fast response rate, the picture can become blurred when there's a lot of action taking place. In a soccer game, for example, watching a goal kick sail in front of a moving crowd can be a little wonky. To avoid this kind of motion blur, we suggest getting an HDTV with a high response rate—the Sony Bravia KDL-52NX800, for example. It has a response rate of 240 HZ, which is one of the highest on the market right now.

Streaming to Your PC


ESPN will also be broadcasting the games online over its ESPN3 service. Most of the games will be available at ESPN3.com, as long as you subscribe to one of the participating broadband carriers. And there's the rub; several of the major broadband providers are not playing ball with ESPN and will not allow you to stream the games. However, AT&T, Yahoo, Verizon FiOS, Frontier, and Hotwire are playing nice. That said we couldn't find the opening U.S. game versus England on their broadcast schedules.


You can also stream the game from your television to your PC using a Slingbox. The Slingbox PRO-HD media player, for example, lets you watch and control the programming on your TV remotely.


Of course, there are several Web sites that offer unofficial streams of the games (though they're often just someone's webcam pointed at a TV). They're usually shut down quickly by Ustream.com or whoever is hosting them, but new ones usually pop up pretty fast. It's hard to recommend this semi-legal method for obvious reasons and because the picture quality is often terrible.

'Transformers' Fans to Receive a Shock!!!

The first step to fixing a mistake is admitting a wrong. For his part, Michael Bay has done that verbally.

Bay admitted the second "Transformers" movie deserved some of the negative feedback it received: "I'll take some of the criticism. It was very hard to put (the sequel) together that quickly after the writers' strike [of 2007-2008]."

OK, fair enough. Now he's trying to fix the abomination that was "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" through his actions, too.

Bay revealed in an interview with USA Today two tidbits about the third Transformers film that should make fans happy. First came a decision that should surprise absolutely nobody: The third film is being shot in 3D (even though Bay had hinted in the past that it wouldn't be). In a more surprising announcement, Bay confirmed that fan-favo

rite Shockwave will be a featured villain.

Shockwave has an interesting history as a toy and as a Transformer. Shockwave's mold was originally produced by a company called ToyCo. Hasbro purchased the rights to add him to the Transformers universe, but not before quite a few other companies did the exact same thing.

Shockwave, with a different paint job, appeared in toy stores around Christmastime, confusing many young Transformers fans (including this author) by being sold under names such as "Galactic Man."

As a Transformer, Shockwave -- who could transform into a powerful laser gun -- was left in charge of the Transformer home planet Cybertron as the Autobots (the good robots) and Decepticons (the bad robots) battled against each other on Earth. Shockwave made an admirable and powerful leader in waiting.

Transformers fans will be the first to heed this warning: Don't get too excited about this announcement. Remember when Michael Bay also announced that fan-favorite Soundwave would be featured in the second film? Remember how that turned out? Soundwave, who as a toy transformed into a cassette player, spent about three minutes onscreen (if that) as some sort of spy satellite in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."

-webmax

Mandela relative killed after World Cup concert

It should have been a moment of triumph—Nelson Mandela, basking in the cheers as Africa’s first World Cup opened.

Instead, South Africa’s beloved anti-apartheid icon stayed at home with his family Friday in northern Johannesburg during the opening ceremony and game, mourning his 13-year-old great-granddaughter Zenani, who died in a car crash on the way home from a tournament-eve concert in Soweto.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation said the tragedy “made it inappropriate” for the former president, who is 91, to attend the opening ceremony in Johannesburg.


“We are sure that South Africans and people all over the world will stand in solidarity with Mr. Mandela and his family in the aftermath of this tragedy,” the foundation said, adding that Mandela “will be there with you in spirit today.”

Johannesburg Metro police spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane said the driver of the car had been arrested and charged with drunk driving. Mamonyane said the driver, whom police didn’t identify, could also face homicide charges.

“The Metro police found that he was drunk,” Mamonyane said. “He lost control of the vehicle and it collided with a barricade.”

Police spokesman Govindsamy Mariemuthoo, who earlier said the driver would appear in court for a preliminary hearing Friday, said that had been postponed for further investigations, and that the driver was not being held. Mariemuthoo said that was not unusual.

“It’s a decision of the prosecutor,” he said.

The Mandela foundation denied reports that the former president’s ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was in the car, but said she was treated in a hospital for shock after being told of the fatal accident. She was discharged after a few hours.

She was on the VIP list for the opening ceremony, and a press box official confirmed she was at Soccer City, but the foundation said later that Madikizela-Mandela did not attend.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who was in South Africa to lead his country’s delegation to the opening ceremony, were among those who offered condolences.
South African President Jacob Zuma, calling Mandela by his clan name Madiba — a term of affection—referred to the death in the Mandela family in an address to the crowd before the Mexico-South Africa game started.

He said Mandela had wanted to be there, “but unfortunately there was a tragedy in the Mandela family.”


“But he said the game must start. You must enjoy the game,” Zuma added.

Mandela has achieved glory as a politician and human rights campaigner, but suffered many personal tragedies.

In 1969, three years after arriving on Robben Island to serve a life sentence for sabotage, Mandela received a telegram from his younger son, Makgatho, informing him that his eldest son, Madiba Thembekile, died in a car crash.

Prison authorities refused to allow Mandela to attend the funeral.

“I do not have words to express the sorrow, or the loss I felt,” Mandela wrote in his autobiography. “It left a hole in my heart that can never be filled.”

Thirty-six years later, Makgatho died. Mandela announced his last surviving son died of AIDS-related complications, saying the only way to fight the disease’s stigma was to speak openly.

Mandela’s family life suffered during years devoted to politics, as an underground anti-apartheid fighter and in prison. Two marriages fell apart, the second to Winnie. He began his 27-year imprisonment only four years after marrying her.

Mandela was freed in 1990. Four years later, his lifelong battle over apartheid won, he became South Africa’s first black president. He served just one term, then devoted himself to international causes, including fighting AIDS.

He has announced his retirement and desire to devote time to his family several times. Increasingly, those close to him and other South Africans have said the reward for all he has done for his country should now be freedom from the public’s demands.

On his 80th birthday July 18, 1998, he married Graca Machel, a veteran of the anti-colonial struggle in her native Mozambique, former education minister, noted international child rights advocate and widow of Mozambique’s first president, Samora Machel.

Graca Machel once told a television interviewer she helped Mandela reconnect with his family. Family photos released by his foundation Friday showed a relaxed and smiling Mandela with Zenani and other great-grandchildren.

Zenani was one of the anti-apartheid icon’s nine great-grandchildren.
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Video Chat: How to Get Started

Not too long ago, video phones were more sci-fi fantasy than reality—something you'd see, for instance, on the popular cartoon, The Jetsons. Then along came broadband Internet.

Suddenly, what was once a technological pipe dream became reality. Not surprisingly, the first few attempts were disappointing.

These days, however, video chats, or calls, are practically mainstream thanks to the proliferation of webcams, and fast Internet connections.

Video chatting is easy—if you know where to look, how to set it up, and how to get all of your friends, family, and co-workers on compatible systems. Here's all the information you need to get started.

Webcams

The cameras used today for most video chats are called webcams, a term that dates back to the days when they were mainly used to show a continuous streaming image of something on a Web page. Today, they're built into just about every laptop. And the free-standing Webcams can do a lot even though they're powered by nothing more than a USB connection.

In fact, most even come with an improved microphone and almost high-definition video capabilities. Don't expect to get that kind of quality with full-motion video on most calls; even a mediocre Internet connection will drop the quality.

Recommended Webcams:

Logitech Webcam C600

$79.99 list

The Logitech Webcam C600 offers 2-megapixel still image capture, clear, 720p HD video recording (even in lower light), crisp audio, and useful bundled software, all for a very reasonable price.

• Read our Logitech Webcam C600 review.

Microsoft LifeCam Cinema

$79.95 list

The Microsoft LifeCam Cinema offers sleek styling and solid video quality, but audio performance isn't this HD webcam's strong suit.

-pcmag

2010 FIFA World Cup

The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, the premier international football tournament. It is scheduled to take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010 in South Africa.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the culmination of a qualification process that began in August 2007 and involved 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams. As such, it matches the 2008 Summer Olympics as the sports event with the most competing nations.

This will be the first time that the tournament has been hosted by an African nation, after South Africa beat Morocco and Egypt in an all-African bidding process.

This decision left the Oceania Football Confederation as the only confederation yet to host the FIFA World Cup.

Italy are the defending champions. The draw for the finals took place on 4 December 2009 in Cape Town.