11 Alternative apps to Instagram. For those who jumped the Instagram ship but still want to share pictures

11 Alternative apps to Instagram. For those who jumped the Instagram ship but still want to share pictures

So, Instagram just got snapped up by Facebook huh? That was quite a surprise to be fair, and not everyone is particularly happy about it. It’s actually been a rollercoaster of a week for Instagram. It began with them launching their popular service onto the Android platform which was met with howls of joy. Then Android users realised it was, by all accounts, pretty poor, ourselves included. And then iPhone users got all offended and many opened up a vitrolic attack on Instagram for letting Android users into “their” network (which is a tad arrogant considering even the latest iPhone is far behind the curve of the top Android devices). And then along comes Facebook and thumps $ 1 billion dollars on the table (I’m sure it would have been a careful bank transfer of funds via automated accounts and stock options but hey, it’s much more fun to imagine it was real cash on a real table!).

To suggest this would be taken well by both the Android and Apple communities would be a gross misunderstanding. Searching Twitter for #instagram hashtags indicated more of a mass exodus from the service than welcoming the Facebook involvement. What will happen next? Will your pictures now include adverts down the side? Will there be colossal privacy concerns now that Zuckerberg can probably use your Instagram content for his own profit? Will you have to log into Instagram using your Facebook account in the future? All these worries have caused many people to jump ship, but where to? You’ve got all that creative juice inside you, how will you share your pictures now? Here are 11 popular alternative apps with download links all more than capable of filling that void of Instagram…

Lightbox Photos

Lightbox Photos is one of my favourite photo sharing apps and for good reason. It comes with a smorgasbord of filters and the UI is melt-in-your-mouth buttery. It lets you share your pictures with Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Tumblr. It will also save your edited creations to SD card so you can share to any other social network via your gallery. It’s lots of fun and feels amazing to use- the aesthetics alone will wow you enough to take your mind of Instagram.

Streamzoo

Streamzoo is another awesome alternative that even looks a little like Instagram, only with lots more features. You can add filters, borders and tilt-shift effects to your pictures and upload them to the busy site or share them to other social networks. There is a strong community feel to Streamzoo and popular photos can earn you points. Your points are tallied together and you might even get onto the weekly leaderboard! It’s also easy to use and navigate. We initially reviewed this one a while ago, but have given it an update to reflect the many improvements the app has had in recent months.

Picplz

picplz Freepicplz: Snap a pic. Apply an effect. Share with friends everywhere and 100% Free! picplz is a fun way to share your life through photos. Features: give your photos that retro camera look. Use picplz to style your photos with effects like vintage 70?s, black & white, toy camera, etc. Similar to Instagram, Hipstamatic, Vignette, plus more! Easy sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, Posterous & Foursquare. Instantly save your photos to your Dropbox account.Share Android App Review

picplz is another perennial favourite and one of the first photo sharing apps available on Android. There is a good community element to the app and it’s easy to use. The UI is also pretty cool and is very smooth to use. Not only can you share your pictures with friends and followers on the platform itself, the app also lets you share it on Facebook, Twitter, Posterous, FourSquare and Tumblr.

Hipster

Hipster is a cool picture postcard creator and sharing app. Simply take a snap or upload from your gallery. Add text, edit and add a cool filter and share! You can share across your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr and Foursquare. Simple to use and with some very cool effects, Hipster is a neat way to share postcards and picture messages on your Android device.

Minus

Minus is a very cool app indeed. Not only can you share your pictures within the sociable app itself, you can also edit it in a variety of ways using the Avairy plug-in. This is all within a slick and rich user interface which is a joy to use. It also serves other purposes too as you can share video, documents and music files. Check out our review here, and their cool video below.

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LiveShare

LiveShare is developed by Cooliris, and lets you share your pictures through their service via the use of streams. These can be public or private, meaning friends and strangers can contribute to a stream with a specific focus, like a concert or a holiday. There’s not much in the way of editing features or filters within LiveShare but if the sharing part of Instagram was your favourite element, this is definitely worth a look.

Watch on Mobile

Now, I would refer to the above as ‘sharing platforms’, they host your pictures and allow you to share them both on their own site, but also via other social networks. If you think you can live without that kind of ‘platform’ but still like photo editing, then why not check out this lot:

Pixlr-o-matic

Pixlr-o-matic is a powerful and very user friendly photo editing suite which has proved massively popular on the Android platform. You can add all kind of cool filters and effects in a carefully designed app that kind of looks like a photo processing darkroom. You can also do exactly the same thing via their web service and it’s just incredibly extensive and fun to use.

FX Photo Editor

FX Photo Editor is another app we reviewed quite recently. Whereas so many photo sharing and photo editing tools plump for a number of filters, some frames, a cropping tool. etc., FX Photo Editor offers this and a whole lot more. Intuitive, resourceful and packed full of features, it’s the perfect app if you like to tweak your snaps.

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Camera360 Ultimate

Another fine little photo editing suite is Camera360 Ultimate which we reviewed a few weeks ago. While it has been around for a while Camera360 Ultimate has recently received a comprehensive update that has improved UI, options and functionality across the entire application. If you like adding fiters, manipulating and sharing images- this is an awesome app to check out.

Paper Camera

Paper Camera is an awesome little application that adds extremely cool filters to your pictures and videos in real-time. This means you can really see how the images will look. Plus we have it on sale in our Android app store!

Watch on Mobile

Camera Zoom FX

Finally, Camera Zoom FX is a bona fide camera replacement app in its own right, one which I know many Android users employ instead of their own native cameras. However, it also lets you import your own gallery images and edit them in a wide number of ways. There is everything you’d expect and more in this feature-rich app which you can also download additional plugins for. The app has been around forever, so check out our review of it.

Watch on Mobile

So there you have it; a veritable feast of options to gorge on if you’ve given up the Instagram. From dedicated community platforms to intuitive and useful photo editing tools that allow you to tweak and enhance as much as you like. Definitely check a few out and see what you think! Also, if we’ve missed a belter- tell us about it in the comments below.

Tags: Camera ZOOM FX, Hipster, Instagram, Lightbox, LiveShare, Minus, Paper Camera, photo, Photo Sharing, photographs, picplz, Pixlr-o-matic, Streamzoo

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Angry Birds Space: 50 Million Downloads in 35 Days

Angry Birds Space: 50 Million Downloads in 35 Days

Jeez Louise. Can you believe how many people have downloaded Angry Birds Space? According to Rovio, the company has hit 50 MILLION downloads after just the past 35 days. That makes the game the "fastest growing" Angry Birds edition Rovio has ever released.

"We extend our deepest gratitude to all fans of Angry Birds everywhere. While numbers like this certainly say something about the popularity of Angry Birds, for us the main goal is to keep creating fun new experiences that everybody can enjoy," Rovio said in a blog post just minutes ago.

The company recently released 10 new levels and promises "plenty more surprises" in the near future. I've played Angry Space and I can attest to its greatness; it is indeed the best update Angry Birds has released yet. That said, these numbers are totally out-of-this-world.

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Documents give new details on al Qaeda's London bombings

Documents give new details on al Qaeda's London bombings

Emergency workers arrive at Edgware Road following an explosion in London's subway on July 7, 2005.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• On July 7, 2005, four suicide bombers killed 52 people in London
• Al Qaeda documents show details of the training the bombers had
• They also reveal what went on behind the scenes of the failed July 21 plot

Editor's note: This story is based on a 46-page internal al Qaeda document, details of which were obtained by CNN. A senior U.S. counterterrorism official told CNN that U.S. authorities have concluded it was written by British al Qaeda operative Rashid Rauf. It was discovered by German cryptologists, along with more than 100 other documents, embedded inside a pornographic movie on a memory disk belonging to a suspected al Qaeda operative arrested in Berlin last May. The German newspaper Die Zeit was the first to report on the documents.

(CNN) -- Rashid Rauf was one of al Qaeda's most capable planners, a British citizen who operated for years in Pakistan and planned some of the terror group's most ambitious attacks. And he wrote about them in great detail.

Rauf's detailed analysis -- meant for al Qaeda's senior leadership -- shows he was intimately involved in planning the devastating attack on the London transport system in 2005, and tells the inside story of the planning for that attack and another that failed just weeks later.

Rauf's notes were part of a treasure trove of al Qaeda documents discovered by German authorities that CNN recently obtained access to.

More: Future plots | Liquid bomb plot origins

On July 7, 2005, four suicide bombers led by Mohammed Siddique Khan, a British citizen of Pakistani descent, killed 52 people on three London subway trains and a bus.

Rauf's document describes how he recruited both Siddique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer, the two senior members of the conspiracy. He arranged explosives training for them in the tribal areas of Pakistan and communicated with them extensively in the months leading up to the attacks.

Rauf, a British citizen of Kashmiri descent, joined al Qaeda in Pakistan shortly after fleeing the UK in 2002, as police sought to question him after his uncle was murdered.

Rauf had plenty of contacts in militant circles in the UK, and was provided the phone numbers of Siddique Khan and Tanweer, who had decided to leave the UK to take up jihad.

They arrived in Pakistan in November 2004. Rauf waited a while before contacting them to make sure they were not being followed, and then met them in Faisalabad, an hour's drive from Tanweer's home town.

Rauf described his first conversation with them, in a car with the driver of Tanweer's uncle at the wheel. Siddique Khan apologized about the loud music, explaining Tanweer's family would disapprove if they found out about their conversation.

After spending some time with them, Rauf wrote, he became aware of their "sound knowledge," derived from their listening to the tapes of radical preachers Anwar al Awlaki, Abu Hamza al Masri and Abdullah al Faisal.

Siddique Khan had already traveled to Pakistan in 2003 and was associated with a group plotting terrorist attacks in the UK that was thwarted in February 2004 in what authorities called "Operation Crevice."

In the subsequent trial of five people convicted for the plot, one of the group told British authorities that Siddique Khan had attended a training camp with them in northwestern Pakistan in 2003.

Rauf wrote that at the time Siddique Khan and Tanweer were "ready for martyrdom operations" and expected to be arrested at any moment, as they assumed that police would have known about their role in the plot.

After the attack it emerged that Britain's domestic intelligence agency, MI5, had conducted surveillance of Siddique Khan and Tanweer but failed to keep tabs on them or link them to the conspiracy. A subsequent official enquiry exonerated the agency of failing to prevent the 7/7 bombings, saying it had only finite resources to dedicate to surveillance.

Rauf described how in order to throw the intelligence services off their scent, Siddique Khan and Tanweer pretended to be "un-Islamic" -- going to the cinema and joking loudly to each other.

Rauf wrote that after leaving Islamabad, where he had housed them for a while, he travelled with the duo to the tribal areas to meet with a senior al Qaeda operative he called "Haji." U.S. intelligence believes this was Abu Ubaidah al Masri, then a leading member of al Qaeda's external operations unit, who died in late 2007.

"He would guide us throughout," Rauf wrote. "His experience in Europe and technical knowledge of explosives was important to the operation."

According to Rauf, meeting with Haji had a "profound effect on the brothers." It took Haji just a few days to persuade the duo to conduct a suicide bombing in the UK.

Rauf wrote that Haji arranged for a trainer called Marwan Suri to provide bomb-making training using hexamine peroxide detonators and hydrogen peroxide. Siddique Khan and Tanweer test-detonated a 300-gram hydrogen peroxide mixture in the tribal areas. "Siddique was always saying to me I hope these mixtures are as good as you say they are. After he tested the mixtures he was very happy," Rauf wrote.

Rauf stated that he spent a lot of time with the 7/7 duo. He recalled how they would sit and talk for long periods. He stressed that getting to know them so well really helped when it came to communicating with Siddique Khan after they returned to the UK to prepare the attack.

Rauf wrote that he himself supervised the recording of the duo's martyrdom tape in a house in Islamabad they were renting after their training. Rauf recalled being annoyed because there was no natural light. The duo were reluctant to make the recordings because they were shy but had agreed because Haji had ordered them to.

Rauf said that the three potential targets given to them were the Bank of England, the upcoming G-8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, scheduled for July 6-8, 2005, or the London Underground.

Rauf agreed on a series of code words for future communication with Siddique Khan. The two bombers were instructed not to do anything for three weeks after returning to Britain, in case British intelligence was suspicious about their trip to Pakistan.

Rauf described how the duo then began purchasing bomb components, including hydrogen peroxide in gardening stores, hexamine in camping stove fuel and citric acid, which was easily available.

Rauf described communicating with Siddique Khan through e-mails, phone calls and, most usefully, Yahoo Messenger. He and Siddique Khan would change e-mail addresses frequently, informing each other of the new addresses in code to prevent detection. "We would also exchange mobile numbers in code," he wrote.

British authorities were subsequently able to establish that Siddique Khan received several calls in the lead-up to the attack from a phone booth in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. A senior U.S. counterterrorism official tells CNN that the individual making these calls was Rauf. The UK inquest heard that one call was made just five days before the bombings.

Siddique Khan ruled out attacking the G-8 summit because it would demand a large amount of explosives.

British authorities established after the attack that Siddique Khan, Tanweer and two suicide bombers they had recruited in the UK -- Germaine Lindsey and Hasib Hussain -- traveled to London in June 2005 to conduct surveillance of targets. Rauf wrote that after conducting the surveillance, it was decided to attack trains at four London Underground stations.

Rauf wrote that in the lead-up to the attack, he narrowly escaped arrest in Pakistan after a raid by the Pakistani army on a house he was staying at in the tribal areas. He hid in a loft to avoid capture.

Shortly before the attack, Siddique Khan began to boil down hydrogen peroxide to turn into explosives in an apartment in Leeds. But he told Rauf he was unsure he had reduced it to the correct strength. Rauf wrote that he provided Siddique Khan with technical guidance to ensure he got the bomb mixture right.

Siddique Khan's wife suffered a miscarriage just before the planned attack, but he decided to proceed with the plot.

When the bombers travelled to London on the morning of July 7, 2005, they were instructed to leave the tops off the containers containing their explosives to prevent their overheating. As a further precaution, they stored the bombs in breathable Gore-Tex bags. "With the blessings of Allah I think it rained on the day of the attacks which means the weather was cooler," wrote Rauf.

Just before 8:50 a.m., three of the suicide bombers detonated their devices on subway trains.

The fourth bomber -- Hasib Hussain -- was delayed and arrived at King's Cross subway station to find it closed. He then went to a McDonald's before detonating his device on a bus. Rauf wrote that from the media accounts, he concluded that in the McDonald's, Hussain was checking to see if the gas had been released or not from his device.

A second attempt: July 21, 2005

Rauf was far from finished with his campaign to terrorize London. He already had another team preparing to attack the transport system.

On July 21 four men led by Muktar Said Ibrahim, an Eritrean immigrant to the UK, attempted to detonate bombs on public transport -- and were unsuccessful only because the main charge of their explosive devices failed to detonate.

Of the four bomb plotters, only Ibrahim traveled to Pakistan. The others were recruited by Ibrahim into the plot in the UK.

"This is confirmation that al Qaeda was behind the 7/21 plot as well -- something I don't think was clear before," Yassin Musharbash, the Die Zeit journalist who first reported on the documents, told CNN.

Rauf's document for the first time provides compelling evidence that the plot was planned by al Qaeda "central" in Pakistan.

Rauf wrote he met the ringleader Ibrahim and two other members of his UK radical circle shortly after they arrived in Pakistan in early December 2004 with the intention of fighting U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Ibrahim had attended sermons by radical cleric Abu Hamza al Masri at Finsbury Park mosque in London and had attended mock training camps and paintballing sessions organized by another radical preacher in the UK. Rauf wrote MI5 agents had monitored them during these activities.

Rauf discovered that Ibrahim's travel group had been questioned by British authorities at Heathrow airport, making them miss their flight. Eventually they were able to travel.

Rauf wrote the trio explained away the large amount of cash they were carrying by pretending that one of their party was getting married in Pakistan, and showed the security services a wedding ring as part of the ruse.

According to Rauf, British intelligence had asked Pakistan's military intelligence service -- the ISI -- to keep tabs on the group, and at one stage ISI agents visited a house where they were staying.

Rauf instructed them in countersurveillance methods and told them to behave as if they were about to attend a wedding.

Like the 7/7 duo, Ibrahim's group was driven to tribal areas of Pakistan and introduced to Haji, the senior al Qaeda operative.

But whereas Siddique Khan's group successfully detonated a 300-gram hydrogen peroxide bomb when they were training in Pakistan, something went very wrong when Ibrahim's group attempted to blow up two test devices. As he stood back a distance, Ibrahim saw his two friends killed by the explosion.

His friends' "martyrdom" had a "profound effect" on Ibrahim, Rauf wrote. Haji, who had been supervising the test detonations, was able to persuade him to return to the UK to conduct "operational work."

Rauf said he then met Ibrahim back in Islamabad.

"During this time we had to arrange codes to communicate. We also had to record his Wasiya (martyrdom tape)," Rauf wrote.

According to Rauf, Ibrahim had to leave Pakistan before he felt confident in making explosives from hydrogen peroxide because his visa was going to expire in a few days. Rauf blamed his lack of preparation in part on the fact Ibrahim was trained by a less methodical bomb-making instructor than the 7/7 plotters.

Once Ibrahim got back to the UK in March, Rauf wrote, "he called us by cell phone to let us know he was safe." But after that, there was no further contact. Eventually an intermediary reported back to Rauf that Ibrahim would get back to him soon.

When the abortive attacks took place, Rauf wrote he only found out that Ibrahim was involved when his identity was revealed by the media.

Rauf wrote that he regretted he had not been able to communicate with Ibrahim and pass on the same technical fixes he had provided the 7/7 plotters as they prepared their attack.

"It was their lack of technical knowledge that caused the problem," Rauf wrote.

Rauf, as he did with the 7/7 plot, expressed surprise that the July 21 cell was able to construct bombs -- even though some of its members had been on the radar screen of British intelligence services.

Ultimately, Ibrahim's cell failed to kill a single Londoner without expert guidance from thousands of miles away. Rauf himself is thought to have been killed in a drone attack in Pakistan in November 2008.

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FIRST Team Builds an Oil-Skimming Robot

FIRST Team Builds an Oil-Skimming Robot

Kell Robotics came to the FIRST championship to put its basketball-playing robot to the test. But the team members brought along another of their clever creations: a model of their robot that could one day clean up streams.

In response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that began April 20, 2010, the team from Marietta, Ga., designed a remote-control, oil-skimming robot it calls ORCA, or Oil Recovery and Capture. The ORCA model on display at the FIRST championship in St. Louis, which is one-third the size of the real deal, looks a little like a tank with a long, wide conveyer belt projecting from the front, and a black-and-white design reminiscent of a killer whale.

Carlie Schulter, a Kell High School senior and the team’s executive director, says the robot skims oil from shallow water with a rotating polyurethane belt that repels water but attracts oil. It then deposits the oil into the empty receptacle that makes up the body of the robot. The robot’s water-friendly internal tread allows it to maneuver over obstacles such as driftwood, and movable flotation devices help it make depth adjustments. A solar panel on top recharges the robot at half the rate it expends energy.

Lemelson-MIT, a program that supports inventors, gave Kell Robotics an initial grant of $ 10,000 to work on the ORCA design. It named Kell Robotics one of its InvenTeamsâ€"research teams made up of high school students. In February, Schulter and teammate Matthew Tompkins were among about 100 students invited to the White House Science Fair to present their ideas.

The next step for the team is to build a training simulator for potential ORCA pilots, Schulter says. At the moment, ORCA pilots could potentially steer it from a half-mile away; the team would like to stretch that to 2 miles. ORCA won first place for student models and simulations at last year’s Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference in Orlando, Fla.

Although the government hasn’t implemented ORCA’s design, Schulter says Kell Robotics has stayed in contact with the EPA. For now, she says, "we plan on using it as a teaching tool." The team also created Corky, a robot that removes debris from standing water. Schulter says Kell Robotics has a standing invitation to use Corky at Lake Clara Meer in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.

This weekend’s national FIRST competition was fun and games for Kell, but their other projects show they’re serious about tackling some tough problems. Now that FIRST 2012 is over, Kell’s team hopes to focus on finishing assembling the ORCA and to start testing it i n an estuary by this summer.

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Official: Dodge Dart will hit 41 MPG with available Aero Package

Official: Dodge Dart will hit 41 MPG with available Aero Package


Dodge Hits the Bull's Eye with an All-new Compact Car â€" The Dodge Dart

The All-new 2013 Dodge Dart Blends Alfa Romeo DNA with Dodge's Passion for Performance and Style, Resulting in a Groundbreaking Compact Sedan

All-new 2013 Dodge Dart is the first Chrysler Group vehicle built on Fiat Group architecture
2013 Dodge Dart breaks new ground with a savvy, modern, unmistakable Dodge design that evokes emotion, efficiency and fluidity of movement and delivers world-class aerodynamics
Dodge Dart offers five well-equipped trim levels with class-leading safety features and breakthrough technology typically found in more expensive vehicle segments
Three state-of-the art, fuel-efficient powertrains with available MultiAir® technology power the fun-to-drive 2013 Dodge Dar
Dodge Dart "Aero" model to achieve at least 41 miles per gallon on the highway (available 3rd quarter 2012)

April 28, 2012 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The 2013 Dodge Dart redefines performance with Alfa Romeo DNA, fuel-efficient powertrains and Dodge's passion for performance. The all-new Dodge Dart is a thoroughly modern vehicle that's fuel-efficient, beautifully designed and crafted, agile and fun-to-drive.

Loaded with innovative technology, class-leading safety features and clever functionality, the 2013 Dodge Dart sets a new standard in the compact car segment by offering unmatched personalization, roominess, style, functionality and fun-to-drive dynamics.

"The all-new Dodge Dart is a groundbreaking car that will surprise and delight customers who want a no-compromise, fun-to-drive car that's a great value," said Reid Bigland, President and Chief Executive Officer - Dodge Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "With 12 exterior colors, 14 interior color and trim options, three powerful, fuel-efficient engines, three transmission choices, unsurpas sed safety features and world-class aerodynamics, the new Dodge Dart sets a new standard for the compact car class."

The 2013 Dodge Dart will be available in five trim levels: SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited and R/T (available 3rd quarter 2012) with a starting U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $ 15,995. It will be built in the United States at Chrysler Group's Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Ill. Production of the 2013 Dodge Dart will begin in the second quarter of 2012.

Performance-inspired design

Exterior
The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart boasts a timeless, stylish and distinctive exterior design. The car sports an athletic, sculpted, fluid and aesthetically agile appearance. The exterior design of the Dart conveys a level of visual drama and timeless surfaces that add excitement to the competitive compact sedan segment in the United States.

"The Dodge Dart was a dream to design," said Joe Dehner, Head of Dodge Design - C hrysler Group LLC. "The Alfa Romeo-based architecture allowed us to design an exterior with great proportions that say 'fun-to-drive' when you look at it. Add in the Charger-inspired 'racetrack' taillamps, a new, sleek crosshair grille and piano black accents, and it all adds up to a performance-inspired design with just the right amount of attitude."

The Fiat Group-based Compact U.S. Wide (CUS-wide) architecture's low, wide and long dimensions ensured a stable "body-in, wheels-out" stance and coupe-like silhouette. The CUS-wide platform allowed for accentuating the fender formations and pushing the wheels as far out to the corners as possible, creating a very stable look, which gave Dodge designers incredible opportunities for some very dramatic sculpturing. Designers visually stretched the skin of the car over the vehicle framework as if stretching nylon over a surface.

"When designing the all-new Dodge Dart, we were inspired by classic, beautifully designed ve hicles throughout time," Dehner added. "Each car was beautiful, based on its surface work and presence alone; they didn't need unnecessary cladding, jewelry or lines that confuse the eye."

Once the basic design was in place, with dynamic lines and curves from every angle, designers inserted a little Dodge attitude into the mix. The face of the Dart was styled with the unmistakable Dodge split crosshair grille, but with a modern, sleek look that "floats" in the front fascia, giving the Dart a full-width mask that marks it as a Dodge.

The rear view of the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart features an available Charger-inspired "racetrack" full-width taillamp with 152 indirect glow LEDs, and class-exclusive available dual exhausts mounted in the rear fascia.

The front of the 2013 Dodge Dart has been designed for smooth airflow around, above and below the car without compromising styling or engine cooling requirements. In addition, a lower radiator close-out panel is pos itioned below the front fascia. This not only contributes to the Dart's lower front-end appearance, but also reduces drag while still allowing for an 8-inch curb clearance.

Dodge designers made attention to detail and precision craftsmanship a priority, and it is noticeable from every angle. Standard laser-braised roof welds, high-quality metal Daylight Opening (DLO) moldings painted piano black and standard projector headlamps are just a few examples of well-crafted features typically found on much more expensive classes of vehicles.

Tasteful, detailed accents add to the design of the Dodge Dart. Style lines on the hood lead the eye to the floating crosshair grille, while chrome accent spears below the projector headlamps and inboard of available projector fog lamps highlight the attention to detail.

The result is a compact sedan that blends exceptional proportions, "aero-dramatic" surfacing, world-class craftsmanship, modern technology, an exceptionally q uiet cabin and an upscale feel in a package that is undeniably a Dodge.

Interior
Dodge designers focused on creating a modern blend of precision craftsmanship, state-of-the-art technology, exciting bursts of color and hand-sculpted shapes when designing the Dart's interior, which is crafted with materials and technology typically found in more expensive vehicle segments. Starting with modern Dodge DNA and through the use of innovative ambient interior lighting, high-quality soft-touch materials and high-tech features, the 2013 Dodge Dart is loaded with cool amenities and unexpected delights for both drivers and passengers.

The Dart's "driver-centric" layout is designed to put all controls within easy reach of the driver. Customizable displays and comfort-tuned seats are packaged in an exceptionally spacious, pleasing interior. Packaged in the footprint of a compact car, the 2013 Dodge Dart features the interior spaciousness of a mid-size seda n, and it boasts best-in-class hip and shoulder room.

"The all-new Dodge Dart is the showpiece for Dodge's next generation philosophy of interior design," said Klaus Busse, Head of Interior Design - Chrysler Group LLC. "The Dart interior takes the beautiful, precision-crafted interiors we rolled out last year and adds a little bit of fun with surprises of color, eye-catching ambient lighting and some really cool technology."

Customization was key in the all-new Dodge Dart's development, and with 12 exterior colors, 14 interior color and trim combinations, six wheel options, three engine options and three transmissions, each Dodge Dart can be personalized by every buyer to fit their individual style. And the combinations are multiplied exponentially, as Mopar® also will offer more than 150 customization options and themed packages specifically developed for the Dart.

The high-tech centerpiece of the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart is the class-exclusive floating is land bezel, which houses the segment-exclusive available 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) LED customizable gauge cluster display with light pipe surround that also houses the available class-exclusive Uconnect® Touch 8.4-inch touchscreen Media Center â€" the largest touchscreen in its class.

Thoughtful storage options throughout fit today's technology. The glove box easily conceals a stowed iPad; the center console features auxiliary jacks to plug in a wide variety of electronic devices, and thoughtful, inventive storage solutions, such as center console side pockets, are perfect for storing mobile phones, receipts, or pens and paper.

Lighting in all the right places provides drivers and passengers a warm, comfortable cockpit. Available "racetrack" lighting surrounds the floating island bezel. Ambient lighting for the door handles, map pockets, foot wells, glove box, storage bin and illuminated cup holders is both useful and provides a warm atmosphere inside th e vehicle.

Three sophisticated, fuel-efficient and powerful engines
The 2013 Dodge Dart will be powered by three fuel-efficient, powerful, state-of-the-art four-cylinder engines that add to Dart's fun-to-drive quotient.

Drivers can select from a new 160 horsepower Tigershark 16-valve 2.0-liter engine, a 160 horsepower 16-valve 1.4-liter MultiAir® Intercooled Turbo engine and a new 184 horsepower Tigershark 16-valve 2.4-liter MultiAir 2 four-cylinder engine (available 3rd quarter 2012). These three engines, combined with three transmission choices - six-speed manual, six-speed automatic or six-speed dual dry clutch (DDCT) transmission (available 3rd quarter 2012) - redefine performance by providing the most diverse powertrain lineup in its class.

The 2.0-liter Tigershark engine mated to the six-speed manual transmission has an EPA fuel economy rating of 25 miles per gallon (mpg) City/36 mpg Highway/29 mpg Combined. The 1.4-liter MulitAir Turbo engine ma ted to the six-speed manual transmission has an EPA fuel economy rating of 27 mpg City/39 mpg Highway/29 mpg Combined. Dodge will also introduce a Dodge Dart "Aero" model (available 3rd quarter 2012) that will achieve at least 41 mpg on the highway.

MultiAir technology delivers optimum combustion at any speed under all driving conditions by allowing direct and dynamic control of air intake and combustion. The result is up to a 15 percent increase in low engine rpm torque and a 7.5 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

Engineered with passion
The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart was developed and engineered to exceed expectations for satisfaction, quality and reliability. From the world-class aerodynamic performance, to the agile, responsive driving experience, to items seemingly mundane like segment-leading heating and cooling performance that gives drivers and passengers the right temperatures in the right locations, and a whisper-quiet interior, Dodge engineers ke pt the customer top of mind while developing every detail of the Dart.

"The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart has been engineered with a passion that demonstrates Dodge is back in the compact car segment in a big way," said Matt Liddane, Vehicle Line Executive - Chrysler Group LLC. "The Dart is well-crafted, agile, powered by world-class, fuel-efficient powertrains, loaded with high-tech features that are both clever and useful, and it's fun to drive."

Alfa Romeo DNA
The Dodge brand's re-entry into the U.S. compact sedan segment is based off of the award-winning Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The Giulietta is renowned for satisfying the most demanding customers in terms of road-holding agility and safety, with exceptional driving dynamics. The Giulietta platform was lengthened and widened, creating a spacious compact sedan that meets the wants and needs of North American consumers.

The proven modular architecture allows multiple models to be built using t he same basic underpinnings, resulting in improvements in quality and reliability, as well as reducing cost, development timing and tooling. The body structure of the Dart is comprised of 68 percent high-strength steel â€" hot stamped, high-strength and ultra-high-strength â€" resulting in an architecture that is lightweight, modern and solid.

The 2013 Dodge Dart features the proven, lightweight MacPherson strut front suspension, specifically tuned to minimize camber loss, resulting in more responsive steering and handling characteristics, improved ride quality and a reduction in road noise â€" all qualities drivers will appreciate.

A bi-link independent rear suspension enables European handling capability for those drivers who love to lean into corners and the smooth ride North American drivers covet.

World-class aerodynamics
The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan was designed and engineered for world-class aerodynamic performance. With more than 600 hours in the wind tunnel during the Dart's development and using technology typically found on more expensive vehicles, Dodge engineers and designers looked at every aspect from the ground up to optimize the aerodynamic performance of the Dart.

The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart is the first Dodge vehicle to use an active grille shutter system. The system automatically stops airflow through the lower intake at highway speeds when less engine cooling is required and aerodynamic drag is most significant. When closed, the shutter system enhances aerodynamic performance by redirecting airflow around the front of the vehicle and down the sides, rather than through it. The active grille shutter system will open or close automatically based upon engine coolant temperature and vehicle speed.

Underbody panels run stem to stern on the Dodge Dart, covering the majority of the lower vehicle from the front fascia to the rear fascia. Constructed of mold-in-color (M IC) black composite, the panels both enhance the aerodynamic performance and also block road noise.

Tire spats located forward of the front and rear tires were engineered to function as mini air dams and were optimized for shape and ground clearance, adding to the underbody efficiency in conjunction with the underbody panels.

In the design and engineering of the 2013 Dodge Dart, no aerodynamic detail was too small. Mirror design, the notch angle at the top of the header of the backlight to the trailing edge of the decklid and even the tail lamp applique shape and rear corners were all designed and engineered for optimal aero performance. An integrated decklid spoiler incorporates a trailing edge shape for cleaner airflow separation in the rear portion of the vehicle, which optimizes the air wake.

Class-leading Safety Features
The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart was engineered with more than 60 safety and security features to ensure driver's and passengers' peace of mind when traveling. The Dodge Dart starts with a strong foundation, a body that has a high-strength steel content of 68 percent, one of the highest in the industry, and then adds both active and passive safety features.

Driver and passenger safety features include 10 standard airbags, which is unsurpassed in the segment and include: dual-stage adaptive venting front driver and passenger air bags, front-seat-mounted driver and passenger pelvic and thorax air bags, two rear-seat-mounted pelvic air bags, front driver and passenger knee air bags and all-row side-curtain air bags.

The Dart also features a reactive head-restraint system; available Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection, three-point safety belts in all five seating positions; front driver and passenger dual seat belt pretensioners at the anchor and retractor positions and active load limiters. These features and more all work to protect passengers in the event of a cr ash. All three rear seat positions feature Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH).

Additional standard safety features on the 2013 Dodge Dart include:

Four-wheel, four-channel anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake force distribution and traction control system on all models
Brake Assist
Brake-lock differential
Ready Alert Braking
Rainy Brake Support
Hydraulic boost compensation
Electronic stability control (four-channel active handling system ESC)
Electronic Roll Mitigation
Hill-start Assist
Trailer-sway Control
ParkView® rear back-up camera
ParkSense® rear park assist

State-of-the-art, segment-exclusive technology
The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart sports segment-leading technology and not-seen-in-the-segment features, enchanting and delighting drivers and passengers alike. Examples include the segment-exclusive floating island bezel, 8.4-inch Uconnect Touch Media Ce nter, 7-inch TFT customizable instrument cluster display and upscale ambient lighting.

The 2013 Dodge Dart is loaded with technology that improves driver and passenger comfort, as well as the performance of the car.

Customizable for the driver's own style
The 2013 Dodge Dart will be available in five trim levels: SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited and R/T. Each trim level has a style and value that will appeal to the diverse customer base interested in a compact sedan.

The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart will feature 12 exterior colors: Redline Red Pearl Coat, Header Orange Pearl Coat, Blue Streak Pearl Coat, True Blue Pearl Coat, Winter Chill Pearl Coat, Laguna Blue Clear Coat, Maximum Steel Metallic Clear Coat, Tungsten Metallic Clear Coat, Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Citrus Peel Pearl Coat, Pitch Black Clear Coat and Bright White Clear Coat.

The Dart offers customers the choice of 14 interior color and trim combinations with seven interior color environme nts in cloth or leather fabric: Black denim, Black/Light Diesel Grey, Black/Light Frost Beige, Black/Ruby Red, Diesel Grey/Citrus Peel, Diesel Grey/Light Diesel Grey and Ceramic White/Light Diesel Grey.

In addition to the exterior color and interior trim options, the 2013 Dodge Dart offers six wheel options, three engine options and three six-speed transmissions, as well as a slew of available exceptional or segment-leading features, including:

World-class aerodynamics
Class-exclusive integrated dual exhaust
Class-exclusive "racetrack" LED taillamps
Class-exclusive choice of either Hyper Black or polished wheels
Class-exclusive 8.4-inch touchscreen Uconnect Touch Media Center with built-in radio, navigation, iPod control, climate controls, voice-activated Bluetooth®, SiriusXM Travel Link, weather updates and points of interest
Class-exclusive 7-inch reconfigurable gauge cluster display that is easily customizable to the driver's taste. Choice s include: digital and analog gauges, navigation turn-by-turn display, eco-meter, fuel economy, audio, phone, compass and temperature read outs
Class-exclusive floating island bezel
Class-exclusive heated steering wheel
Class-exclusive in-seat front passenger seat storage
Available 506-watt sound system
Keyless Enter 'n Go with push-button start
High-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps
Dual-zone automatic temperature control with humidity sensor
Unsurpassed 10 standard airbags
ParkView® rear back-up camera
Blind-spot Monitoring
Class-exclusive Rear Cross Path Detection
Best-in-class hip room and shoulder room
The most diverse lineup of gasoline powertrains in the segment â€" three new engines and three six-speed transmissions:
New Tigershark 16-valve 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that generates an estimated 160 horsepower with the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission
The technologically advanced Fiat 1.4-liter MultiAir Intercooled Turbo producing an estimated 160 horsepower and an impressive 184 lb.-ft. of torque mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed DDCT transmission
New powerful 2.4-liter Tigershark MultiAir 2 four-cylinder engine that produces an estimated 184 horsepower with the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission

Dodge also is giving drivers the opportunity to customize their vehicles, as Mopar will offer more than 150 customization options and themed packages specifically developed for the Dart.

2013 Dodge Dart
The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart will compete in the compact sedan segment, one of the largest segments in the automotive industry. The Dart is well crafted and built with the features, technology and style today's compact car customers desire, positioning the Dart as a groundbreaking new car.

Dodge expects the Dart to appeal to a wide-ranging group of new car buyers, from millenials to empty nesters. The millennial customer is a young professional most likely purchasing their first new car. They desire a car that is truly an expression of self, a car they can personalize and call their own. The millennial customer is connected with their friends, enjoys having a great time and is never without their phone. They grew up with technology and they indulge in the latest high-tech features.

The empty nester customer is in the process of redefining their lifestyle, and they have more time for themselves than in their recent past. This customer typically knows what they like and purchases things and participates in activities that make them happy. The empty nester appreciates what they have, leads an active lifestyle and is always up for a challenge. This customer is interested in not only the way things work, but why. The empty nester appreciates a good value, but doesn't want to sacrifice the level of quality and amenities they have wor ked hard to attain.

The all-new Dodge Dart has been engineered with great levels of refinement, craftsmanship and engaging driving dynamics. Consumers can get more information at www.Dodge.com/Dart.

Autoblog

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Secret Service, hire more women

Secret Service, hire more women

By Elaine Kamarck, Special to CNN

updated 9:51 AM EDT, Mon April 30, 2012

Members of the Secret Service await the arrival of President Barack Obama at the Detroit airport.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Elaine Kamarck: Allegations of debauchery in Secret Service have serious implications
• She says terrorists could easily know if that's the case and exploit agents' vulnerabilities
• She says changing culture by adding more women could help
• Kamarck: Presence of women in powerful jobs has pushed back at macho misbehavior

Editor's note: Elaine Kamarck is a lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She has worked in five Democratic presidential campaigns and in the Clinton/Gore White House and is the author of "Primary Politics: How Presidential Candidates have Shaped the Modern Nominating System".

(CNN) -- Is the Colombia prostitution scandal rocking the Secret Service an isolated incident? Or is it evidence of a debauched organizational culture that permeates the entire agency when its agents are out of the country and don't think anyone is watching?

This is the question that has been on everyone's mind as word leaked out last week about a similar incident involving the Secret Service and some military personnel in El Salvador before President Barack Obama's trip there in March.

On Thursday, an unnamed source told the Washington Post that such behavior was part of the Secret Service culture.

The implications are serious indeed. Paying prostitutes for sex is, of course, sordid, immoral and pretty embarrassing in and of itself. However, if in fact the men in the agency charged with protecting the president and other important government officials when they are abroad have a history of cavorting with prostitutes -- in a culture that says it's OK -- the problem goes way beyond embarrassment.

This whole business may be news to the American public, but if it is really part of the culture it isn't news to those who wish us harm. In the decade since the September 11 attacks, we have come to understand that the shady world of terror is inextricably bound up with the shady world of illegal activity. How many "prostitutes" are also foreign agents or terrorist operatives? How many others are simply willing to make money, first by selling themselves and then by selling whatever they find in the bedrooms of American government personnel to someone who is up to no good?

This is not a problem that can be solved by the passage of new laws or by moving the boxes around on an organization chart. Even the swift action taken to remove the offenders from their jobs, and to revoke the security clearances of others will not offer much of a deterrent once memories of the scandal fade and some new outrage surfaces to dominate the news.

Ordinarily, changing an organization's culture is pretty hard work. But when the culture in need of change is a macho culture where good old-fashioned debauchery and "boys being boys" is OK as long as no one gets caught -- the solution is pretty straightforward: Hire more women. Isn't it funny how having to work alongside a woman who, for instance, knows your wife -- seems to inhibit old fashioned male fun?

We've seen this before. Tales from the 1960 presidential campaign plane can be summarized by the motto: "Wheels up, rings off!" (As in wedding rings.) From the candidate on down, the inhabitants of the hard-drinking, virtually all-male world of politicians, and the reporters who wrote about them, covered for each other and kept things private for years.

Today's campaign plane has been cleaned up a lot -- from the candidates to the reporters -- and the most important reason is that there are now a fair number of women on the plane, as both advisers with real power and reporters with real power. Can you imagine the kind of debauchery that was standard operating procedure 50 years ago being tolerated by Beth Meyers, the influential, longtime aide to Mitt Romney who has the important job of heading his vice presidential search?

Years ago the only women around were young women with no power. They were often the victims of a bad culture. Today there are middle-aged women with real power. They are not victims of the all male culture -- they change it.

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I know this has happened in politics, I saw it myself coming into the business at the end of the old era. And I suspect it has happened in other professions, as well. Do advertising executives still woo clients with multiple martinis and high-class call girls, a la "Mad Men"? Maybe. But I suspect the presence of lot of powerful women in that business has reduced the overall level of debauchery.

If there does turn out to be a culture of debauchery in the Secret Service, it will not come as a surprise. After all, the "protection professions," if you will -- Secret Service, police, military -- are among the last professions to be overwhelmingly male. And yet, as we've seen in the military, when technology takes over from muscle, women start to do the same things as men. In the workplace they begin to go where only men used to go.
And outside of the workplace? Well, it's hard to imagine an organization where the women head out to a brothel together.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Elaine Kamarck.

CNN.com - U.S.

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Hip-Hop Rumors: Nas And Daughter Destiny On Good Terms

Hip-Hop Rumors: Nas And Daughter Destiny On Good Terms

Last week, Carmen Bryant, the mother of Nas’ 17-year-old daughter, Destiny, was very upset over Nas’ new single, “Daughters”, in which he reveals details about his relationship with his daughter. She chose to air out her grievances on Twitter, click here if you missed that story. Well, it looks like Carmen was the only one mad about it.

Nas’ daughter, Destiny, shared over Twitter that she was spending some quality time with her father. Check out her tweets below:

Glad to see things are going well for Nas and his daughter Destiny.

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