Google news, Picnic closing on January 19, 2012

Since acquisition by Google in 2010, we have been creating editing magic in Google products while continuing to keep Picnik awesome. Alas, it is time to focus. Picnik will be closing on January 19, 2012.

Your photos liberated
Amazing photos are created in Picnik, so we have launched a new feature, Picnik Takeout, that easily downloads your photos to your desktop in convenient zip files. You may also elect to copy your photos to Google+ where you can store and share your creations. You may request your photos at any time and use this handy tool as many times as you like until our closing date of January 19, 2012. Learn more.

Premium Refunds
To our primo Picnik Premium members, we'll begin processing a full refund of your current membership fee within a week of this announcement. By "in full" we mean the whole darn thing. Yep, this means even if you are on your very last day of an annual membership, we will refund you the entire $24.95. Just because we want to say thanks.

Now the Good News - Free Premium for ALL!
To express our gratitude for your support over the past 5 years, Picnik Premium is free for everyone! Use Picnik in all of its premium glory, for free, from now until our actual closing day. Touch-up, Textures, Advanced, and more are all free for you to use! We have been incredibly proud of building a product that is used and beloved by so many of you. We continue to be amazed and humbled by the photos you create and we are immensely grateful for all of your support, creativity, and passion.

We are excited by the photo-editing fun we have already brought to Google products, like Google+, where you can find many of your favorite Picnik effects. We encourage you to visit Google+ and give it a whirl. Please visit the Help Hub for more information on our wind down. Fan us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or check the Picnik blog for updated information on our January closure. Learn more at: www.picnik.com/go/takeout

SOPA and PIPA Blackout Today At American sites

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

More links:

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

http://americancensorship.org/infographic.html

Don 2 (2011) Movie Review

Film Critic: Goher Iqbal Punn

Star Cast – Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani, Om Puri, Kunal Kapoor

Director – Farhan Akhtar

Producer – Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani and Shahrukh Khan

Music Director – Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Lyrics – Javed Akhtar

Genre – Action Thriller

The Don franchise is back in all its stammering, self-praising and lopsided grinning glory. Living up to its prequel, this one is high on slick quotient and has many meticulously choreographed stunts. The only grouse: Don has become cockier than ever and loves rambling lines that narrate his characteristic traits in third person- 'Don ke dushmano ko…' Yawn. We begin with a voiceover by the man himself who is now the A-PAC head of drug retailing and wholesaling and wants to spread his distribution channels across Europe. In doing so, he has to help his old enemy, Vardhaan (Boman Irani) escape from a prison in Kuala Lumpur. So Don stages his own arrest by surrendering at the KL Interpol office to the delightfully dumb investigators Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and her boss Malik (Om Puri). Soon, Don and Vardhaan have forgotten the incidents that occurred in the prequel and are plotting a major heist in icy Berlin.

And before you think that Don has outdone one and all, the Interpol in Germany informs the Kuala Lumpur office that Don and Vardhaan have been spotted in Zurich. And though no visible spots are seen on either of the gangsters, Roma and Malik are in their woolies trotting about in Berlin in the next scene. No global gangster movie is complete without a car chase, a silly disguise (a Hrithik Roshan mask!) and a few explosions here and there; so that is exactly what follows.

There are many mysteries in 'Don 2' that could leave you stumped beyond reason. Like, why does a mastermind evil genius who is wanted across the globe personally pick up his drug consignments? Lack of trust in his aides or is he just a humble man of the soil? Also, when Don walks out of a hostage situation carrying a wounded Roma in his arms, Roma's boss casually enquires, "Kya hua Roma ko?" What does he expect for an answer? Upset stomach?

While SRK's looks offer prominent signs of ageing, his acting prowess seems to be doing a Benjamin Button. Unless of course, cackling about one's might and monstrosity is Bollywood's formula for a super villain. Boman Irani is known for his razor sharp expressions but this is a first where he seems to be a bit lost about when to let out which one. Priyanka Chopra is barely there and quite rightfully so as she doesn't really foil Don's plans or do anything that would make the audience excited or anxious. Lara Dutta is perfectly sassy in all her cereal goodness and manages her part with practiced ease and confidence.

For a movie that rocks in grandeur and style, Don 2 has the logical reasoning of a 'Golmaal 5'. There's a part in the movie where Don actually convinces the German intelligence and the Interpol that he's working for them and they buy it. The verdict: The Badshah of bragging and the king of hamming is the same person and he's out there in multiplexes waiting to con you off your money. The only way to outfox him: wait for a satellite release.

Summons to 21 websites for objectionable content

New Delhi: Days after a civil court asked various websites to remove objectionable content, a Delhi court Friday issued summons to 21 websites and social networking sites including Facebook, Google, Yahoo and YouTube for allegedly hosting obscene and derogatory content.

Taking cognizance of the case on a private criminal complaint filed by journalist Vinay Rai, Metropolitan Magistrate Sudesh Kumar observed that the material submitted by the complainant contained obscene picture and derogatory articles pertaining to various Hindu gods, Prophet Mohammad and Jesus Christ.

The magistrate directed the central government to take immediate appropriate step on the objectionable contents of the sites, and file its report by Jan 13.

"It appears from a bare perusal of the documents that prima facie the accused are selling, publicly exhibiting and have put into circulation obscene, lascivious content which also appears to the prurient interests and tends to deprave and corrupt the persons who are likely to read, see or hear the same," the court said.

"It is also evident that such contents are continuously openly and freely available to everyone who is using the said network irrespective of their age and even the persons under the age of 18 years have full and uncensored access to such obscene contents," it said.

The magistrate has summoned the accused companies to face trial for allegedly committing the offence punishable under section 292 (sale of obscene books etc), 293 (sale of obscene objects to young person etc) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

On Monday, a civil court of Delhi had ordered these sites to remove objectionable images. More information