Sony Streams ‘The Interview’ on YouTube, Google Play and Xbox

LOS ANGELES — With the help of the technology giants Google and Microsoft, Sony Pictures began distributing “The Interview” online Wednesday after a terror threat led the major theater chains to cancel the film’s release.

Among the Internet services that offered the film were the Google Play store, Google’s YouTube and Microsoft’s Xbox Video. Sony began showing the film on a website of its own, with help from the technology companies Kernel and Stripe. The film was available to rent for $6 and buy for $15.

A day earlier, Sony revealed new plans to release “The Interview” on Thursday in about 200 theaters owned by small chains or independent operators. Sony said that number had grown to about 300. In Manhattan, Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater will begin playing it on Friday.

Google and Microsoft joined what had become more a campaign to defend free speech against foreign intimidation than a business initiative. The initial theatrical retreat followed a threat — traced by the F.B.I. to the North Korean government — of 9/11-style violence against theaters that showed the lowbrow comedy, which is about the assassination of North Korea’s ruler.

“It was essential for our studio to release this movie, especially given the assault upon our business and employees by those who wanted to stop free speech,” Michael Lynton, chairman of Sony Pictures, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Eric Schmidt, Google’s chairman, personally helped broker the “Interview” deal, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks were private. Senior Microsoft leaders were also quick to align. But both companies needed time to conduct an extensive assessment of their system capacities and security.

The F.B.I. and Sony’s own forensic experts briefed the technology companies on the nature of the digital intrusion on Sony so that Google and Microsoft could ensure they would not be exposed to the same problem, this person said.

The hacker group that attacked Sony had promised further hostile action if the studio cobbled together an alternate release for “The Interview.” As of Wednesday, it did not seem that the revised plan had prompted any new attack, though pirated versions of the film were already appearing online.

Google wrote in a blog post that Sony contacted it on Dec. 17, when it first became clear that the film’s planned theatrical release would be scrapped and before irate Hollywood stars and President Obama began criticizing the studio for caving. The Google post said that it was “eager to help — though given everything that’s happened, the security implications were very much at the front of our minds.”

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, wrote in a blog post on Wednesday that “a cyberattack on anyone’s rights is a cyberattack on everyone’s rights, and together we need to defend against it.”

He added, however, “We’re not endorsing this movie or any other.”

After suffering financially from the diminished theatrical release of “The Interview,” Sony will help its bottom line with the online distribution. Studios have been eager to increase on-demand viewing because they keep as much as 75 percent of that revenue. And although contracts vary, studios receive roughly 50 percent of ticket revenue from movie theaters, with the theater owners keeping the other half.

Sony’s hope is that the Google and Microsoft deals, which do not cover viewing abroad, will serve as an icebreaker for other partners. Last week, the movie studio contacted cable and satellite companies to rent “The Interview” but was rebuffed. Apple similarly refused.

Apple has had problems with the security of its iCloud storage system; celebrities’ individual accounts were hacked in late summer.

In its statement, Google said it “could not sit on the sidelines and allow a handful of people to determine the limits of free speech in another country (however silly the content might be).” Google also has business interests in play. YouTube is mostly known for free viewing but has offered a video rental service since 2011. “The Interview” and the surrounding attention could give that service a boost.

Common Mistakes In Running

Running is one fairly common and simple athletic activity that most people can pick up anytime. In truth, most of us are already familiar with running. We think that starting a running program is also just as simple.

We simply start to run the next day, with resolve that we will do it regularly from now on. The resolve and the intention are decent. It is in the headlong rush that makes it fairly incorrect. It may even be downright dangerous.

Look before you run

If you think you can start out running five miles a day starting today is a good idea, there is something wrong in your personal decision-making policies. First, you have to know that exposing the body to sudden strenuous amount of exercise is outright wrong.

Never try to do any running right away if you have not run at all in your life, or worse, have not done any form of exercise, either. Depending on your age and your present physical condition, it can be harmful and downright dangerous.

First, get a professional opinion on your present physical health condition before starting out any physical activity, including running. Your doctor may even be able to help you map out your personal running program.

Injuries

For a beginner, plunging outright into a running routine can earn you a host of problems. This can include muscle aches and joint pains, shin splints, and maybe stress fractures.

A better idea would be to start out low. You may first do a 1 or 2-mile run for three to four days a week. These runs can be interspersed with some brisk walking, if need be.

You can then build up your mileage in small increments every week, again so as not to subject your body to sudden strain it had not experienced before. The rule of thumb is not to increase your mileage by more than 10% every week.

Pacing

Be sure to also know how you should pace yourself in our new sport. Newcomers are too excited in their new-found sport that they often make the mistake of overdoing things.

The tendency of new runners is to start out running as fast as they can only to find out they cannot maintain their pace.

Focus on your own pace, the one most comfortable to you. In any case, you have plans to increase them in the future. This can also help you maintain a uniform heart rate and improve your endurance.

Get some running experts and ask for more pointers. They would be only too glad to share with you every advice they know, including food and diets and schedules.

Equipments

Every sport needs some proper gear and equipments, and running is no different. A proper running pair of shoes is very important.

Shoes that do not fit, or are not designed for running will cause discomfort. It can also cause injuries. Get yourself into an athletic equipment shop and get all the expert advice on running shoes. Ask, too, how to break them in gradually to avoid blisters.

If you can follow these simple guidelines, you will not commit any mistake than is necessary. You will begin to have fun in your running, too.

Breathing Techniques In Running

One of the more important aspects of running is the proper way of breathing. Running is not just about the legs and thighs and feet. It is also about the lungs and how to bring greater amounts of oxygen into the system efficiently.

Unnoticed by many, even by the athletes themselves sometimes, the nature of your breathing during your running affects your performance. Those runners who can correctly deliver oxygen into their system are stronger than their counterparts who struggle when they are running because they do not know the technique.

Swimmer’s breathing

One training technique is to breathe slightly slower than your body requires when you are not running. This starves your system for oxygen and forces the heart to beat faster.

After a time, the body learns to compensate for the lack of oxygen so that when this technique is not in use, your body is already more efficient in processing your breathed air. This is demonstrated in swimming.

Swimmers do alternate breathing which is breathing every third stroke. This enables them to breathe on alternate sides without taking a breath with every stroke.

At the start, their body demands more oxygen, but will learn to adjust to the decrease in oxygen. In time, the body becomes more efficient in processing the limited air. Runners who swim often have excellent breathing efficiency.

Breathing rhythms

Sometimes, in long races (or even those short races) a runner may lose focus and is thrown out of his breathing rhythm. It could be caused by the simple forgetting to concentrate on the breathing or its pattern.

One way to avoid this is for the runner to time his breathing in rhythm with his steps. This is like the style of the swimmers who breathe at every third stroke.

Runners who get to this state can keep running like a clock, with consistent pace and a great deal of efficiency. This concentration on breathing can also take his mind away from pain or soreness that may have developed at this stage and can cause him to quit the race.

Deep breathing

One other technique that can be used when running is deep breathing. It has several benefits when correctly done and practiced.

It helps the runner to stay relaxed, which in turn, helps to decrease fatigue. The ability to relax decreases the chances of performance decline.

Runners who forgot to relax find themselves making inadvertent changes in form until they feel the resulting pain. Examples include clinching of fists too tightly and running with the shoulders too high to be effective. This type of poor form often results in muscle fatigue and soreness.

Deep breathing helps promote relaxation while running. This is done by taking a larger-than-normal breath and exhaling all the way out.

During the exhale part, you should concentrate on releasing all the tension in your arms by shaking them, opening up your hands and moving your head in circles.

This combination of activities will give you an easy way to remain relaxed during the run and does not even need to break stride to do all of them. This is true to all the other breathing techniques in running – no requirement of great efforts but just as effective.

Losing Weight With Running

Running is one of the best ways of losing weight, as attested to by many experts and the hundreds of thousands of runners who had lost weight.

If your immediate goal right now is losing weight, running is one of the best alternatives. It is almost without cost. It might even be the cheapest weight loss program bar none.

The doctor

The very first person you have to see and talk about your plan of losing weight is your doctor. Only he would know for sure everything about you, your body, your health and the things that may be good or bad for you.

After you get your doctor’s permission, begin to implement your plan of losing weight through running – gradually at first. For some, walking for a short period of time is a good start.

Walking will first help you improve your cardiovascular health. After which, you may begin to do some slow jogging. Follow this up with running after a time.

Your body needs to be familiar with the new regular activity. Your trainer and your doctor could give you a timetable.

Slow and gradual

Once you are into regular running according to plan, you do not do sprints right away in the hope of losing weight faster. Also wrong would be to overdo the length or the time limit of your running, again in the hope of losing weight faster.

Starting out slow and gradual in your running program can give you the room to modify, change, or scrap some parts of your program until you are comfortable and satisfied with it.

Changes

Changing your workout routine is one very important consideration in your weight loss program. To those who do not understand this, there is a big tendency that runners might abandon their running routine at this time.

After some time when a runner had already been deep into his running program, the body stops losing weight.

The simple explanation is that the body readily adapts to any new situation and can become accustomed to a running program. By this time, the body becomes very efficient and only requires fewer calories to do the same amount of work.

The unfortunate side effect is that the body stops losing weight as well.

After weeks of running, and after losing some amount of weight, you may find that your weight loss slows down. Sometime later, you will notice that your weight stays as is, unable to lose a single pound.

One way to resolve this is to vary the distance, length or intensity of your running. You may increase the length to about 3 to 4 miles, or lengthening the time each day, or perhaps running at a faster pace.

Doing this can challenge the muscles anew. The body cannot become more efficient and has to burn some calories to complete the new additional requirement.

In addition, you can help challenge the body by doing some changes in your diet. A potent combination in losing weight is increased activity levels and dietary changes.

All in all, keep to your schedule and your program. After a while, your weight goal can be achieved and you will stile enjoy the activity of running.

Start A Home Business – Top Ways To Earn From Home

Home based business are on the rise. The internet makes it easy for people aspiring to transition from a traditional 9-5 or make some extra money from home. Here are some of the top ways to earn from home.

#1 Freelancing

Freelancing is simply selling a service without a long term contract. You can offer any number of services. Writing, graphic design, transcription, editing, audio creation, photography, and even voice over services can all be offered as a freelancer. Freelancing gives you the ability to pick and choose the projects you work on and whom you work with. It provides you with the freedom to set your rates and to choose when you work and when you don’t.

#2 Information Marketing

Information marketing is exactly what it sounds like, it’s making money by selling information. We’re an information hungry society and we often turn to the internet to help solve our problems. Whether you need to stop back pain, learn how to train your dog or learn how to be a parent to your teenager, we all have problems we want to solve.

Many times information marketers make their living writing books and reports. However, information marketers also create software products, or have them created for them. You can hold teleseminars or offer an online course. The key to being a successful information marketer is finding a topic you’re passionate about and researching supply and demand. There are tons of niches just waiting for a motivated entrepreneur.

#3 Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketers earn a commission on products or services they sell. Generally, affiliate marketers create a website around a niche topic. They use content to build an audience and drive traffic to their website. In their content they promote, review, and link to the sales pages of the products or services they represent.

For example, a person could create a website around pet health and be an affiliate for companies that provide products and services that support pet health. Affiliate marketing can be a very lucrative home based business. Like information marketing the key is to find a niche you’re passionate about and to research supply and demand. You’ll also want to research affiliate products and services.

Other ways to start a home business include direct sales, selling a product, coaching and membership sites. There are a number of ways to make a living from home. Find the business model that’s right for you and enjoy!

Need Traffic? Fast Solutions To Drive Traffic to Your Website

Website traffic is for many business models, the key to profits. The more traffic you have, the bigger your bottom line. Whether you’re launching a new product or just want a quick influx of cash, sometimes you need tons of traffic quickly. Here are 5 fast solutions to drive traffic to your website.

#1 Social media. Social media works quickly and if you have a large following on any of the social media sites, you can generate a ton of traffic to your website quickly. The key is to create attention grabbing posts that arouse curiosity, make people laugh or stir up a controversy. You want to generate click throughs to your website.

Make the most of your social networking tactics and use technology to get the job done. For example, one StumbleUpon post can be integrated with both Facebook and Twitter profiles so you’re making waves on all three social sites at once.

#2 Article marketing. Article marketing works well when you concentrate your
efforts on quality article marketing sites with large audiences. One well written and informative article, rewritten a few times, and submitted to a handful of directories can generate the traffic you’re looking for. Be sure to include a bio box that includes a call to action and a link to your website to motivate click throughs.

#3 Blogging. Post on your own blog or be a guest blogger on a blog with a large number of subscribers. Like social networking, if you offer an informative, controversial or entertaining post, you’ll have people clicking through to your website like mad. Of course, if you also promote this wonderful blog post(s) via social media, you can double your traffic results.

#4 Video content. It’s amazing how quickly a video can go viral. Like print content, videos that entertain, stir up a bit of controversy or offer tremendous value cause a buzz. They’re forwarded to friends and downloaded on laptops and mobile devices around the globe. A good video can generate all the traffic you need. Again, integrate a bit of social media to promote your video, blog about it too, and you can multiply your traffic results.

#5 Partnerships. Partnering with a relevant or compatible business can work quite well to generate traffic fast. The key is to come up with a mutually beneficial agreement. Find people in your industry that are willing to work with you and help each other drive traffic. A partnership may include guest blogging on each other’s sites, swapping advertisements or even promoting one another in your ezine.

It’s possible to drive a ton of traffic to your website fast. The trick is to have a plan in place, know your audience and your goals, and take action. To your success!

Website Hosting Checklist – How To Find The Right Provider

Choosing a website host is an important decision. You want a host that is affordable. However, you also want a website host that offers the features and functions you need. Here’s a quick checklist to make sure you’re finding the right provider.

Is their control panel user friendly? Many hosts offer free demonstrations or tours. Take advantage of these to make sure it’s a control panel that makes sense and is easy to use.

Building your own site or looking for a website builder too? Some website hosts offer site building tools. These can be wonderfully useful if you’re not interested in getting into the technological side of building a website. However, if you are building your own website using any number of software programs or languages, make sure the host has FTP transfer. This is the system you’ll use to upload your web pages to your host’s server.

Can you upload your files easily?  Some website hosts are only compatible with certain file types. Make sure your website builder of choice works with your host before you pay for their services.

Are they big enough for your needs?  Look for data space, bandwidth and file size limitations. You don’t need to go crazy however a host does need to accommodate your current needs and give you some room to grow.

Server reliablity. Occasional downtime is expdected however it should be rare and you should be forewarned when the servers are going to be down. Ideally, your host’s server should be up and running 99% of the time.

Security. If you’re doing business online then security is a must. Even if you’re not doing business online, you’ll want to do everything you can to protect your website from hackers. A secure host is essential.

Features and functions. What do you need your website to have?  Do you need a shopping cart, email or autoresponders? Do you need to be able to sell advertising? Do you want analytic and reporting functions to track traffic and website visitor behavior?  Make sure your website host has all the features and functions you need before you sign up and transfer your domain.

User reviews. This is the last thing to look at once you’ve narrowed down yoru choices and before you compare price. Make sure the company has a solid reputation in the industry. There are a lot of resellers out there, you also want to make sure you’re dealing with an acutal hosting company and not a reseller – you’ll get a better price and better customer support.

Finally, it’s time to compare price. If a website host meets all of the above criteria and fits your budget, you’ve found a good company. There are many wonderful website hosts out there. Spend a bit of time researching based on your needs and you can’t go wrong.