The greatest innovations of 2013

Technology is, somehow, never as good as we want it to be. But there are legions of clever, dedicated and enormously ambitious people working non-stop to improve our lives with gadgets. Here are ten of this year's greatest innovations, from giants like Google to home-spun startups. One day, all this will be yours.

Paper Tab

iPads are just so...rigid - right? What the world needs is a tablet you can shove in a bag without worrying about it, read like a magazine and - potentially - wear as part of your clothing. The Papertab is made entirely from plastic, uses an e-ink display like a Kindle, and as you can see, is pretty flexible. This year the Cambridge company demonstrated the first full-colour prototypes, with resolutions approaching HD levels.

Dextrus

Fed up with the cost and time taken to make prosthetics, British robotics expert Joel Gibbard made his own low-cost, 3D-printed robotic hand, called Dextrus. It has a greater range of movement than a typical prosthetic, is made from simple plastic components than can be individually replaced, and has a soft rubber coating for a better grip.

SpaceX Grasshopper

The SpaceX Grasshopper rocket prototype is designed to be reusable instead of burning up in the atmosphere. It made a record-setting vertical takeoff and landing on October 7, proving that commercial spaceflight is coming of age, and doesn't need budgets the size of NASA's - although founder Elon Musk has put over $100million into the project. Eventually, it will be used to ferry materials into orbit.

Reviveaphone

 Some innovations have an eye on the future; others solve a current problem. Reviveaphone is firmly in the latter camp, and it does what it says on the tin: brings water-damaged phones back to life. Better than any DIY cures (rice in the airing cupboard) it actually uses a liquid solution to remove mineral deposits that have accumulated on the phone's circuit boards. It's easy to be sceptical, but with a 'results or your money back' policy, Reviveaphone may be able to save waterlogged iPhone owners a lot of money.

Samsung's 55-inch OLED TV

Not just another massive telly, this. Samsung's 55-inch OLED TV is, as the picture suggests, beautifully curved. They say this is so every portion of the image is equidistant from your eye - we say, it's because they can. It doesn't end there: the high-quality display can show two channels at once, interlaced with each other. Viewers have to wear glasses for this to work, however. It's on sale now for £6,999.99.

LED bulb with wireless connectivity

Lightbulbs are not often found on lists of great innovations. But the Philips Hue isn't an ordinary lightbulb - it's an LED bulb with wireless connectivity. This means you can set it to be any colour you want; to change colour according to the time of day, and turn it on and off remotely. The bulbs link up to your home wifi and come with an app to control them, which also lets you pick any colour from a photograph and set that as your living room theme. Great for bringing some sunshine to winter mornings or for livening up a party.

Motorola password pill

Since becoming part of Google, Motorola has been spitting out all kinds of interesting ideas. It's a commonly accepted idea that the days of written passwords are numbered; but Motorola's alternative is genuinely innovative, if totally creepy at the same time. The edible password pill contains a tiny chip that is powered by the acid in your stomach - it then emits a signal similar to an electrocardiogram (ECG) which can be uniquely identified by your phone, tablet or computer. It is approved as safe by the US FDA, but is unlikely to be released in the near future.

The Illumiroom

The Illumiroom is the next step for Microsoft in immersive gaming. It combines the Kinect module with a projector to expand whatever game you're playing to fill the room. Turn the lights down and watch as your living room is transformed into a racetrack, snowy blizzard or a warzone. The Kinect senses what's in the room, letting the projector cover the surfaces appropriately. Games really do feel as though they're coming out of the screen at you. Expect some version of this to appear on the Xbox One next year.

Oculus Rift 

If the Microsoft Illumiroom is about thinking big for gaming, the Oculus Rift is about thinking small. Kind of. It is the world's first fully-functional virtual reality headset, designed to plunge you totally into a 3D world that occupies your entire field of vision. Your movements are tracked, enabling you to look around the virtual world just as you would in real life. The premise is simple enough - two cameras that present each eye with a separate image to generate the illusion of a 3D world.

MYO

Thalmic Labs' MYO puts technology at your beck and call. It's a flexible armband that uses muscle sensors and a 9-axis motion sensor system to recognise a wide range of gestures. Connect it with bluetooth to your device of choice and you'll be able to run a presentation by waving, steer a helicopter drone, or simply control your TV or hi-fi with simple movements. Another gesture turns it on and off. It's at the developer stage, meaning products aren't yet on sale that work with it, but enthusiastic early adopters can order one now and start tinkering with anything that has a bluetooth connection.

Michael Schumacher rushed to Hospital for his very critical head injury in ice sketing

Doctors treating Michael Schumacher refused Monday to predict an outcome for the former Formula One driver, saying they were taking his very critical head injury "hour by hour" following a skiing accident.

Chief anaesthesiologist Jean-Francois Payen told reporters the seven-time racing champion is still in a medically induced coma. He said the medical team was focusing only on his current condition.

"We cannot predict the future for Michael Schumacher," Payen said.

"He is in a critical state in terms of cerebral resuscitation," he added. "We are working hour by hour."

Schumacher, the most successful driver in Formula One history, arrived at the Grenoble University Hospital Center a day earlier already in a coma and immediately underwent brain surgery.

The German driver was skiing with his son Sunday morning in the French Alpine resort of Meribel when he fell and hit the right side of his head on a rock. He was wearing a helmet, but the doctors said it was clearly not sufficient to prevent a serious brain injury.

"Someone who had suffered this accident without a helmet would not have made it this far," Payen said.

Gerard Saillant, a trauma surgeon who operated on Schumacher when he broke his leg in a race crash in 1999, was at the hospital. But he said he was there in his capacity as a friend, not a doctor. He did, however, tell reporters that Schumacher's age -- he turns 45 on Jan. 3 -- and his fitness should work in his favor.

But the Grenoble medical team was being very cautious about Schumacher's prognosis. They are working to relieve pressure on his brain and have lowered his body temperature to between 34 and 35 degrees Celsius (93.2 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit), as part of the medically induced coma.

Schumacher has been seriously hurt before. He broke his leg in a crash at the Silverstone race course in 1999. He also suffered serious neck and spine injuries after a motorcycling accident in February 2009 in Spain.

The area where Schumacher was skiing is part of a web of trails that slice down through a vast and, in parts, very steep snowfield. Although challenging, the snowfield is not extreme skiing: The runs are broad and neatly tended, and the ungroomed area in between, known as off-piste -- where the resort said Schumacher was found -- is free of trees.

The resort said Schumacher was conscious when first responders arrived on the scene, although agitated and in shock.

But on Monday, Payen said after the fall Schumacher was not in "normal state of consciousness." He was not responding to questions and his limbs appeared to be moving involuntarily.

He was airlifted to a local hospital and then later brought to Grenoble. Doctors said this stopover was typical and did not affect his condition.

His wife and other family members are by his bedside.

"The family is not doing very well obviously. They are shocked," said his manager Sabine Kehm, who added that the family still appreciated the outpouring of support for Schumacher.

As news of the accident spread, Formula One drivers and fans rushed to wish Schumacher a quick recovery.

"Like millions of Germans, the chancellor and members of the government were extremely dismayed when they heard about Michael Schumacher's serious skiing accident," German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in Berlin.

Sebatian Vettel, who was once referred to as "Baby Schumi," told German news agency DPA: "I am shocked and hope that he will get better as soon as possible."

During his career, Schumacher notched up seven drivers' championships and 91 race wins. After initial success with the Benetton team, Schumacher moved to Ferrari and helped turn the Italian team into the sport's dominant force. After initially retiring in 2006, he made a comeback in 2010 and raced for three years with Mercedes.

Nelson Mandela Dead at 95

Nelson Mandela, former South African president and anti-apartheid hero, has died, HLN has learned. He was 95.

"Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father," said South African President Jacob Zuma.

President Obama said Thursday that he couldn't imagine his own life without Mandela's example.

"We have lost one of the most influential, courageous, profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth," he said.

Mandela had been treated by doctors at his home in Houghton, a suburb of Johannesburg. On September 1, 2013, he was discharged from a Pretoria hospital where he had been receiving treatment since June for a lung infection.

In June 1964, Mandela was sentenced to life in prison for carrying out acts of sabotage. While in prison, Mandela fought to end apartheid, the country’s system of racial segregation.

In February 1990, then-South Africa President Frederik de Klerk ordered Mandela’s release. Mandela and de Klerk received the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in ending apartheid and laying the groundwork for a democratic South Africa.

A year later, Mandela became South Africa’s first black president. After his presidency, Mandela focused on several worldwide causes, including the battle against AIDS/HIV. His efforts reverberated around the world, and Mandela was bestowed with countless honors, including the 2002 Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Vettel wins season-ending Brazilian GP

Sebastian Vettel won Formula One’s season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, matching Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 victories in a year and equalling the nine consecutive wins of Alberto Ascari. 

Vettel’s Red Bull teammate Mark Webber was second in his final F1 race. Fernando Alonso of Ferrari was third. 

Vettel, who had already wrapped up a fourth straight F1 title, was overtaken by Nico Rosberg of Mercedes at the start but regained the lead on the second lap and cruised to his second victory in Brazil, and 39th of his career. He crossed the line 10.4 seconds in front of Webber. 

Jenson Button was fourth for McLaren’s best finish of the season. Rosberg was fifth. 

The win capped an impressive season by Vettel, who had already broken Schumacher’s 2004 mark of seven straight wins in the same season last week at the United States GP. Vettel matched the 13 wins by Schumacher that same year, and equaled Ascari’s record of straight victories from 1952-53. The 26-year-old Vettel clinched the title at the Indian GP, becoming the youngest driver to win four world championships. 

Webber, who had won two of the last four races in Brazil, will be joining Porsche in a sports car series in 2014. The 37-year-old Australian spent 12 seasons in F1, winning nine times and reaching the podium 33 times in 216 races. 

Vettel had a poor start and was overtaken by Rosberg at the first turn but was back in front with a move to the inside of his fellow German driver on Turn 1 on the following lap. Vettel had a slow pit stop near the end but remained in front thanks to a big lead over Webber before coming in. 

It was the first time this weekend that drivers raced on a dry track at Interlagos after the three practice sessions and qualifying were run in wet conditions. Light rain fell near the end of the race but it wasn’t enough to significantly affect the track conditions.

Vettel Won Indian GP and Comformed his Fourth Stright F1 Championship

There was no all-night party for Sebastian Vettel as he preferred to board a plane in the early hours of Monday to spend a few precious days with his girlfriend Hanna Prater at their Swiss home after winning a fourth Formula One world title.

“I’m way too young to understand what it means. I might be 60 one day, maybe then I will understand but nobody cares any more. I care, it’s difficult to realise something that nobody can take away from you, basically,” Vettel said.

Vettel emulated Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher with four straight world titles — and Alain Prost with four overall — on Sunday, doing it “in style” — according to his team principal Christian Horner — by winning the Indian Grand Prix.

And just as in past weeks, he didn’t simply win, he obliterated the field, with second-placed Nico Rosberg half a minute behind and his only title rival left at the time, Fernando Alonso, almost lapped in 11th place, 1 minute 18 seconds behind.

“His consistency and permanent high speed he is able to maintain over a race distance will be very difficult to top,” Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz told the Salzburger Nachrichten.

Some have suggested that Vettel simply has a superior car thanks to chief designer Adrian Newey and that basically anyone could win in world title in this Red Bull.

However, Sunday showed Vettel’s extraordinary driver skills again.

When he and Alonso pitted in the very early stages they found themselves in 19th and 20th place when back on the track. Twenty laps later Vettel was back up in second, Alonso stranded in 14th.

Add to that his complete dedication and the long hours he spends with team officials and mechanics to make the car better. After all the champagne on Sunday, he was in the Red Bull paddock helping his crew pack up for Abu Dhabi.

“He has fantastic a work ethic. He always questions himself and inspires the people around him,” Horner said of Vettel, who himself has praised the team on countless occasions. “Sebastian has grown this year. The way he drove, what he delivered, it was his best year.”

Raching Fangio’s five titles or even Schumacher’s seven is not out of the question for the youngest quadruple champ.

He already holds all but every age record, has most poles in a season with 15, can beat Schumacher’s record seven straight wins in a season with a current streak of six and equal Schumacher’s 13 overall wins in one season with three races left, having so far won 10. 

"Struggling BlackBerry goes up for sale"-- Guardian News

Once dubbed the ‘CrackBerry’, the smartphone company suffered a calamitous decline in the business it helped revolutionise BlackBerry, once the global leader in smartphone technology, has put itself up for sale after years of falling sales and failed revamps.

 © Guardian News & Media 2013

Once seen as so habit-forming its users dubbed it the “CrackBerry”, Blackberry has suffered a calamitous decline as rivals revolutionised the business it did so much to start. On Monday the company previously known as Research in Motion (RIM) announced it had decided to “explore strategic alternatives”. Buyers are being sought, though the company could also go private or be broken up. Few analysts expect a turnaround.

Unable to match Apple’s iPhone for cool or the sheer range of devices from Samsung and others using Google’s Android mobile system, its market share has collapsed from close to 50% in the US in 2009 to less than 3%, according to figures released last week by the analyst IDC. On the day the news broke, the Z10, BlackBerry’s latest, much-hyped device was being offered for $19.99 by US mobile retailer Wirefly. It was selling for $199 when it was launched earlier this year.

For BlackBerry watchers, the news is no surprise. The company lost $84m in the last quarter and announced 5,000 layoffs last year. “The beginning of the end started some time ago,” said Stuart Jeffrey, analyst at Nomura Securities. He said the company’s statement suggested it no longer had any confidence in its ability to get out its current predicament. BlackBerry, he predicts, is likely to re-emerge as a software company, perhaps with some contracts for super-secure government devices, but “without the handicap of all those uncompetitive handsets”.

How a company that once defined the smartphone messed up so badly is likely to become a classic case study for business schools around the world. The first BlackBerry device, an email pager, was released in 1999 and allowed busy execs to collect and reply to their messages on the go in a way that revolutionized business communications. The BlackBerry Curve, Pearl and Bold followed shortly after, adding cameras and features to broaden the company’s appeal to consumers.

But then in 2007 came the iPhone. At first BlackBerry relied on its ties to the business community and its perceived advantages in security to fend off Apple’s attack. It didn’t work. Apple’s Steve Jobs had spotted that mobile devices were becoming media devices — powered by the increasing prevalence of Wi—Fi and more high powered mobile networks — music and games were set to be as important as email in the smartphone future. Google was soon chasing Apple in the mobile market with its Android operating system, Blackberry fell further behind. The arrival of apps let people personalise their mobiles and further changed the ways they used their devices.

When Apple launched the iPad, BlackBerry responded with its own tablet the PlayBook, which proved a massive failure and underlined how far behind the company had fallen. Blackberry was left looking clunky and uncool in a sector that was becoming ever more fashion conscious and fast moving.

In 2012 Marissa Mayer, a hotshot former Google exec, was drafted in to revamp Yahoo, another tech giant with an image issue. One of her first moves was to scrap company BlackBerrys. “We literally are moving the company from BlackBerrys to smartphones. One of the really important things for Yahoo’s strategy moving forward is mobile,” she told Fortune magazine, suggesting BlackBerry was neither a smartphone nor important in mobile.

Even Barack Obama, for long BlackBerry’s most high-profile fan, seems to have cooled on the company. As a candidate in 2008, Obama criss-crossed America with his BlackBerry seemingly glued to hand. After his election there were fears he might have to end his CrackBerry addiction due to security fears. But he fought hard, and successfully, to keep the device. “Let the man have his BlackBerry,” John Podesta, co-chairman of Obama’s transition team, told security chiefs. Without it “he’d be like a caged lion padding restlessly around the West Wing, wondering what’s happening on the other side of the iron bars that surround the People’s House”.

The president is still a BlackBerry man and could be spotted bashing away at his device during his inauguration in January. But daughters Sasha and Malia stole the show snapping pictures of their kissing parents on their iPhones. And even Obama now reportedly prefers to use an iPad for security briefings.

BlackBerry launched its latest operating system, BlackBerry 10, and three new devices this year. They got positive reviews. But, says Carolina Milanesi, analyst at Gartner, it was too little and way too late. “They have suffered a fate a lot of big guys suffer from. They were the first to market, they created the smartphone as we know it. They just didn’t see what was coming next,” she said.

“People can choose what device they want for work these days, and they don’t want BlackBerry. Brand is important, cool factor is important, and BlackBerry lost out on that. But even that’s not enough these days,” she said. “You need the eco-system, you need to offer the same experience on different devices.” Smartphones these days are more about music, photos and video than they are about email. BlackBerry for too long relied on its business customers to keep it in the game, said Milanesi. “But these days you don’t want to be boring in business.

Nadel Won US Open Grand Slam

The Spaniard lifted his tenth title of the season with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Novak Djokovic to win a second US Open title on Monday.
Rafael Nadal mounted a serious threat for year-end world number one status after the Spaniard lifted his tenth title of the season with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Novak Djokovic to win a second US Open title on Monday.

The 2010 champion in New York, who only began his 2013 season in February after seven months of knee injury absence, claimed the 13th title of his career at a grand slam, moving to within four of all-time leader Roger Federer.

Spain’s emotional Nadal dropped to his knees and rolled on the cement of the Ashe stadium like it was his favourite clay after securing victory in just under three-and-a-half hours against his world number one Serbian rival.

“This is a very very emotional day for me,” said the teary-eyed winner. “My team knows how much this means for me today.

“Playing Novak always brings a very special feeling; no one brings my game to the limit like he does.

“He’s an amazing player and is having an amazing career. I’m sure he will finish as one of the best in the history of tennis.” Nadal has now won 10 titles this season, going unbeaten in 22 consecutive hard-court matches in 2013. The 26-year-old stands a solid 60-3 as the season of his life moved into the autumn phase.

Nadal won the opening set, dropped the second but came back to win the last two — the fourth lasted only 40 minutes against a fading Djokovic — to add the trophy to on her lifted at the event in 2010.

The Spaniard finished with 27 winners and just 20 unforced errors while Djokovic committed 53 mistakes, converting on just three of 11 break chances. Nadal broke seven times from his dozen opportunities, including twice in the fourth set.

Djokovic sent a forehand wide with most of the court available to him to yield two Nadal match points, with the Spaniard claiming the victory on his first from the Serb’s forehand into the net.

Djokovic, who won the January Australian Open, played finals in three of the four grand slams this season, He fell to 22—15 against Nadal, who has won six of their last seven matches dating to January, 2012.

“It’s disappointing to lose a match like this,” said Djokovic.

“But it’s a huge privilege to be fighting for this trophy, one of the most valuable in our sport.

“Congratulations to Rafa, he was too good and deserved to win this match and this trophy.” Nadal was playing a final for the 12th time in his last 13 tournaments in 2013. He came to the title match having been broken only been broken once and lifted the trophy with the loss of just two sets over the fortnight. He now owns 60 career titles.

Djokovic was the first player to reach four straight New York finals since Roger Federer advanced to six straight from 2004-09 (winning five). Djokovic was playing his 12th Grand Slam final and stands 6-6 in that category. The loss was his eighth of the season.

Serena Williams beats Victoria Azarenka for 5th US Open title

Top-seeded Serena Williams won her fifth U.S. Open championship and 17th Grand Slam title overall by beating No. 2 Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-1 in a windy final.

Sunday's match was the toughest test these two weeks for the No. 1-seeded Williams, who also beat Azarenka in three sets in last year's final.

Williams hadn't lost a set in her previous six matches but was bothered by the swirling air and Azarenka's strong play. Seemingly in control in the second set, Williams was broken while serving for the match at 5-4 and 6-5.

After Azarenka took the tiebreaker, Williams chucked her racket, and it bounced onto the court.

Sebastian Vettel wins Italian Grand Prix (Monza)

Vettel's sixth win of the year extended his lead over his Ferrari rival to 53 points, with 175 available in the remaining seven races.

Red Bull's Mark Webber beat Ferrari's Felipe Massa to the final podium place.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton fought up to ninth after dropping almost to the back when a puncture forced him to make an extra stop compared to his rivals

Alonso "extremely happy" with second

The Englishman enlivened the final few laps by passing Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen and both McLarens to haul himself up into the points.

But Hamilton is now 81 points behind Vettel in the championship, which has effectively devolved down to a straight fight between the German and Alonso.

"It was a fantastic race but you can hear the difference when you don't win here in a red suit," said Vettel on the podium, in response to booing from the Ferrari fans. "But it means you have done well and beaten the red men but it was a great team effort today.

"The race was terrific for both of us [Vettel and Webber]. We had problems with the gearboxes at the end, but I was OK because I had a good cushion."

Vettel now appears in total control of the season, just as he was of this race.

Starting from pole position, the world champion damaged his right-front tyre with a flat spot when fending off a challenge from Massa into the first corner but still managed to eke out an advantage in the opening laps.

Alonso, who started fifth, moved up at the start to fourth past Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, who had qualified an excellent third, and then brilliantly passed Webber for third around the outside of the second chicane on lap three.

The Spaniard then passed Massa into the first chicane on lap eight but initially could do nothing about Vettel, who extended his lead by about half a second over each of the next few laps.

Paes-Stepanek win US Open men’s doubles title

Leander Paes won his eighth men’s doubles Grand Slam title, and 14th overall, as he combined with Radek Stepanek to clinch US Open trophy with a dominating victory over Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares in the title clash, in New York on Sunday.

The fourth seeded Indo-Czech pair demolished the second seeded Austria-Brazilian pair 6-1 in 6-3 in one hour and 12 minutes at Arthur Ashe stadium.

It was a perfect climax for Paes and Stepanek, who came into the US Open with title in Winston Salem Open, as they won their second major title together, having won Australian Open last year.

It was third US Open title for 40-year-old Paes and the previous two had also come with Czech partners. In 2006, the Indian won with Martin Damm and in 2009 with Lukas Dlouhy.

Last year at the US Open, Paes had ended runner-up with Stepanek, losing to Bryan brothers.

Now Paes has 14 major titles in his cupboard, including six mixed doubles trophies. Stepanek has two Grand Slam titles, both with Paes.

It was one of the most lop-sided US Open title match as Peya and Soares failed to put up a fight. They had no clue whatsoever on how to counter the rampaging Indo-Czech combine.

Peya also required a medical timeout for a back problem in the second set while trailing 1-3. Peya was in pain but did not give up and even went on to hold his serve in that game.

Paes hit a forehand winner to earn the championship point and then hit a backhand volley to seal the trophy win.

Paes and Stepanek 23 winners to eight of their rivals.

They won 66 points while Peya and Soares 40.

Paes acknowledged Stepanek’s resilience as he came back well from a back surgery early this year.
“Find someone from Czech republic that’s my advise to anyone who is looking for a doubles partner. They are hard working guys. I have to thank him. He had lot of adversities this season, coming out of injury and surgery it’s amazing to stand here. I have to thank him,” Paes said.

“It is no shame to lose to these guys,” said Peya.

Peya and Soares struggled to hold serve and too many unforced errors only made the job tough for them.
In contrast, whatever Paes and Stepanek did, yielded them desired result. Yet again Stepanek’s serve and Paes’ net play was superb.

Peya and Soares had two break chances — in the first and fifth games in the opening set — but could convert none.

The back problem to Peya in the second set reduced the match to a formality as the second seeds could not have challenged their in-form rivals with an injury handicap.

At the start, Peya hit a crushing forehand winner to earn a breakpoint in the very first game but Stepanek served well to hold and what followed was complete annihilation of pair.

Paes and Stepanek raced to a 5-0 lead as they broke both Peya and Soares comfortably.

Soares held game number six to save themselves blushes as Paes served out the set in the next game.

Microsoft releases Office for Android smartphones

Microsoft has released a version of its office programme Office 365 designed to be used on smartphones with the Google operating system Android.

The app was initially available only for US users through the Google Play Store but is being gradually activated in more countries.

The app allows documents from Excel, Word and PowerPoint to be viewed on mobile devices, edited in limited fashion and shared in the cloud service SkyDrive. Those who subscribe to Office 365 can download the software for free.

The Office app has been available for Apple iPhones for more than a month.

Nadal won Roger Cup

Ruthless Rafael Nadal hammered out his third Canadian title in commanding style as he crushed Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday in the Montreal Masters final.

Nadal was totally untroubled against the big-serving Canadian. But there was no relief for the 22-year-old on court as he fell to the Spanish juggernaut, with Nadal winning his fourth Master 1000 title of the season and 25th of his career.

Nadal broke twice in the opening set and started the second with another break as Raonic double-faulted. The Spanish strongman surpassed his only crisis when he saved three break points in fourth game of the second set.

Raonic had hoped to become the first Canadian to win the home title since 1958.

Yelena Isinbayeva won World Championship gold in Pole vault

Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva sent a home crowd into raptures on Tuesday when she ended a five-year title rot with a third World Championship gold in what may be her last career event.

Isinbayeva, 31, lit up the Luzhniki stadium when she soared 4.89 metres on her first attempt and the American Olympic champion Jennifer Suhr and Cubas Yarisley Silva failed to follow.

Isinbayeva sprinted to her coach Yevgeny Trofimov even before Silva had landed after her final miss and hugged him - before missing three attempts at a world record 5.07m.

The Russian said after qualifying that she will not retire immediately but would like to have a family and a baby.

She said she aims to return for the Beijing 2015 Worlds and Rio 2016 Worlds, but only if all goes well.

The Volgograd resident is the face of athletics along with Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, and has ruled the pole vault with Olympic golds in 2004 and 2008 and world titles in 2005 and 2007, to go with a staggering 28 world records.

But she faded in recent years, taking 2010 off, returning to her long-time coach Trofimov, finishing only sixth at the 2011 Worlds and having to settle for bronze at the 2012 Olympics behind Suhr and Silva.

Djokovic, Serena retain top spots in rankings

 Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams remained atop the latest tennis rankings issued on Monday by the ATP and the WTA.

Djokovic topped the unchanged rankings with 12,310 points, followed by Wimbledon winner Andy Murray at 9,360. Williams, on the other hand, has collected 11,705 points, leading Maria Sharapova (9,235 points) and Victoria Azarenka (8,825).

Spain's David Ferrer is third (7,120) in the men’s top 10, ahead of compatriot Rafael Nadal (6,860) and former number one Roger Federer (5,875).

After jumping eight spots thanks to her Wimbledon victory, Marion Bartoli dropped one spot to eighth in the WTA rankings with 4,365 points, behind Petra Kvitova with 4,435 points.

ATP top 10 as of July 22 (previous ranking in parenthesis): 1. (1) Novak Djokovic, Serbia, 12,310 points 2. (2) Andy Murray, Britain, 9,360 3. (4) David Ferrer, Spain, 7,120 4. (5) Rafael Nadal, Spain, 6,860 5. (3) Roger Federer, Switzerland, 5,875 6. (6) Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic, 4,865 8. (8) Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina, 4,500 8. (7) Jo—Wilfried Tsonga, France, 3,480 9. (9) Richard Gasquet, France, 3,045 10. (10) Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland, 2,915

WTA top 10 as of July 22 (previous ranking in parenthesis): 1. (1) Serena Williams, United States, 11,705 points 2. (2) Maria Sharapova, Russia, 9,235 3. (3) Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 8,825 4. (4) Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland, 5,965 5. (5) Li Na, China, 5,555 6. (6) Sara Errani, Italy, 5,100 7. (8) Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic, 4,435 8. (7) Marion Bartoli, France, 4,365 9. (9) Angelique Kerber, Germany, 3,970 10. (10) Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark, 3,660 

Neptune’s 14th moon discovered

The new moon, Neptune’s tiniest at just 19.3 km across, is designated S/2004 N 1.

The U.S. space agency has announced the discovery of Neptune’s 14th moon. The Hubble Space Telescope captured the moon as a white dot in photos of the planet on the outskirts of our solar system.

The new moon, Neptune’s tiniest at just 19.3 km across, is designated S/2004 N 1.

The SETI Institute’s Mark Showalter made the discovery. He was studying the segments of rings around Neptune when the white dot popped out, 105,250 km from Neptune. He tracked its movement in more than 150 pictures taken from 2004 to 2009.

The considerably bigger gas giant Jupiter has four times as many moons, with 67.

“It is so small and dim that it is roughly 100 million times fainter than the faintest star that can be seen with the naked eye” said the space agency.

“It even escaped detection by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft, which flew past Neptune in 1989 and surveyed the planet’s system of moons and rings,” it added.

“The moons and arcs orbit very quickly, so we had to devise a way to follow their motion in order to bring out the details of the system,” Mr. Showalter said.

“It’s the same reason a sports photographer tracks a running athlete — the athlete stays in focus, but the background blurs,” he said.

The method involved tracking the movement of a white dot that appears over and over again in more than 150 archival Neptune photographs taken by Hubble from 2004 to 2009.

On a whim, Mr. Showalter looked far beyond the ring segments and noticed the white dot about 65,400 miles from Neptune, located between the orbits of the Neptunian moons Larissa and Proteus, NASA said.

Andy Murray won Wimbledon

Rewrites Wimbledon history by bringing the men’s crown back to Britain after 77 years

Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic to become the man to bring the Wimbledon singles crown back to Britain after a gap of 77 years.

Murray won in three sets 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 against a Djokovic who struggled to be on top of his game.

The first game of the match, in which Djokovic went down 0-40 before managing to reel off the next five points, were a presage of the difficulties that the Serb would have with his serve.

This is something no one could have predicted. The serve that stood solidly by him all fortnight was a major reason for his not having dropped a set before reaching the semifinals.

Moreover, this is an improved weapon, honed with small but significant changes in technique — for instance, a higher elbow on the toss and a greater knee bend — that have contributed to greater power and accuracy.

But on Sunday, Djokovic’s serve cracked, the first time to give Murray a 2-1 lead in the first set. An immediate break back by the Serb only found him dropping his serve once again to give Murray a 4-3 advantage.

It was a lead he hung on to, ending the game emphatically, with three great serves, one of them an ace.

The first set, which lasted an engrossing 59 minutes, seemed a closely fought one on the face of it. But the statistics showed that the Scotsman was ahead on almost every count, making more aces and winners.

It was the head-to-head comparison on serve that told the story — Djokovic was winning a mere 54 per cent of the points on his first serve against Murray’s 84 per cent. As for unforced errors, Djokovic had committed 17 against Murray’s six.

It was Djokovic who drew first blood in the second set by breaking Murray to go up 3-1 and then hold his serve. But the match changed course from there, with Murray working himself back into the game to level 4-4 and then breaking a seemingly edgy Djokovic to go up 6-5.

Losing his cool

Having exhausted his challenges, Djokovic lost his cool and screamed at the umpire after a ball that Murray hit was called in. It was the Serb — who thought it was out — who was wrong and Hawk-Eye showed the ball had clipped the baseline.

With the break in the bag, Murray sealed the set with an emphatic game, going up 40-0 and then serving it out with a deafening ace. The beginning of the third set suggested that Murray was almost home and dry when he went up 2-0.

But Djokovic, who was 0-30 down on his serve, suddenly seemed to gather himself. Holding his serve, he broke Murray to go up 4-2, playing as confidently as he has done for most of the last fortnight.

But another wild swing in momentum changed the course of the match with Murray breaking and surging ahead. The Briton, thanks to a mix of great serving, and Djokovic’s relapse into making uncharacteristic mistakes, was poised to serve for the match.

Up 40-0, the match seemed well but over, but in an exciting twist, Djokovic came back from the dead, saving three straight championship points. However, Murray hung in to finish the game even as it threatened to slip away from him.

Sebastian Vettel win his home race German GP

Webber’s wheel hits cameraman at German GP; Bianchi’s car catches fire

World champion Sebastian Vettel was pushed all the way but finally tasted Formula One victory on home soil on Sunday in a German Grand Prix that sent him 34 points clear of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. 

Championship rival Kimi Raikkonen was second for Lotus, only a second adrift, after a late tyre change left him hunting down the Red Bull in a thrilling final few laps while team mate Romain Grosjean was third. 

Alonso, who started eighth on an adventurous tyre strategy, finished fourth. The Spaniard now has 123 points to Vettel's 157 after nine of 19 races. Raikkonen has 116. 

There were none of the explosive tyre failures that raised safety fears at last weekend's race in Britain, with the subsequent threat of a driver boycott, but there were still moments of concern on a hot afternoon at the Nurburgring. 

A stray wheel from Mark Webber's Red Bull injured a cameraman in the pit-lane while, on track, Jules Bianchi's car momentarily caught fire and then rolled towards oncoming traffic after the Frenchman had scrambled out. That incident brought out the safety car but Vettel hung on for his 30th grand Prix win. 

The triple champion had never won in Germany or in July but, days after his 26th birthday and a week after mechanical failure forced an agonising retirement at Silverstone, ripped up the statistics to the delight of thousands of flag-waving fans. 

Fernando Alonso, who like Raikkonen had quicker tyres than Vettel in the closing stages after starting on mediums, chased Grosjean home. 

The main drama happened in the first 25 laps of the race. 

Both Red Bulls jumped pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes at the start, coming close at the first corner but avoiding contact, and Vettel took command from Australian Mark Webber. Ferrari's Felipe Massa also got past Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo into sixth place but spun at the same tricky turn one at the start of the third lap and, with the engine cutting out, had to retire. 

Force India's Paul Di Resta and Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso then almost collided in the pits with Force India releasing the Briton as the Frenchman was coming in. The incident was being probed by stewards. 

Hamilton came into the pits for his first tyre change on lap seven, earlier than the other contenders, and Vettel followed him after the next trip round. 

Vettel's team mate Webber then entered the pits on lap nine but the rear right wheel was not attached properly and came away as he accelerated, hitting the cameraman and knocking him over. 

An FIA statement said the man was conscious and had been taken to hospital by helicopter and was under observation. Webber's wheel was put back on and he returned well down the field. The Australianended up seventh on the track where he first won a grand prix in 2009. 

While fans at the rural west German track — famous for the old Nordschleife loop no longer used in Formula One — were coming to terms with the Webber incident, Bianchi's Marussia came to a halt and flames flared out of the back. 

The Frenchman quickly jumped out but before a tractor could remove the car, the Marussia rolled back onto the track into the path of drivers. 

Fellow French driver Grosjean, who started fifth, enjoyed a superb race and came out second behind Vettel after his first pit stop with his pace surprising almost everyone. 

Bryan won on Wimbledon Doubles

Bob and Mike Bryan became the first doubles team to hold all four Grand Slam titles in the Open era when they won Wimbledon for the third time on Saturday.

The top seeds beat Croatia’s Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo of Brazil 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

The brothers, taking part in their 25th Grand Slam final, had also won the Olympics in 2012.

They now have 15 men’s doubles titles at the Grand Slams, and extended their winning streak to 24 matches.

Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman are the only pair to have completed the calendar Grand Slam back in the pre-Open era of 1951.

Bouncing back

The top-seeded twins lost the first five games of the match but fought back strongly to outclass Dodig and Melo, and extend their Grand Slam record number of titles to 15.

The 35-year-old Bryans, who also won the Olympic gold medal last year, got the measure of their 12th-seeded opponents through the telepathic understanding which has brought them 91 career doubles titles.

They made the decisive break in the ninth game of the fourth set, and Bob Bryan served it out for victory which he sealed with an ace, prompting a trademark chest-pump by the brothers.

If they win the U.S. Open, they’ll join McGregor and Sedgman as the second men’s team to complete a calendar Grand Slam. The Aussie duo did it in 1951, 17 years before the Open era began.

Bartoli won her 1st Grand Slam champions in Wimbledon

A damp squib of a match flickered briefly to life, showed promise of growing into a roaring and incandescent fire, before being summarily, almost cruelly, doused out.

Sabine Lisicki, favourite with bookmakers and experts alike ahead of the final, was confronted with two opponents on Centre Court on a warm and sunny Saturday — Marion Bartoli and her own nerves.

It was difficult to say which the bigger threat was at times in what was a strange women’s final in what has been possibly the weirdest Wimbledon in a long time.

Nervy start

The first game, which saw Bartoli’s serve broken, thanks to a couple of wonderful shots by Lisicki, and a couple of double faults, revealed nothing about what was in store.

From then on, it was the French player all the way, as she reeled off the next six games to 6-1, as a despairing Lisicki struggled to cope with the pressure of the big occasion and by Bartoli’s searing returns, particularly off the backhand side.

Unable to find her rhythm and trying to hit her way back into the game, Lisicki ended up making more and more errors, frequently overcooking the forehand that she had used to lethal effect to defeat the likes of Serena Williams and Agneiszka Radwanska.

The second set began with Lisicki flattering to deceive, holding serve with imperious ease. In the next game, she earned four break points but missed out on converting any of them.

Then it was Bartoli’s turn to pile on the pressure as Lisicki found her serve, particularly the second, going to pieces.

The mis-hits and the unforced errors kept coming as the increasingly despairing German seemed to almost be pleading with herself to stop going down the path of self-destruction.

Serve fails

Lisicki’s serve, her most potent weapon, suffered the most from her lack of self-belief. At 103 mph, her average first serve speed — and she is one of the biggest servers in the women’s game — was not much more than Bartoli’s. Her second serve speed was astonishingly slow; no wonder Bartoli stepped in to cream winners off them.

Overall, Lisicki was able to win only 52 per cent of her first serve points against Bartoli’s 79 per cent. The German also made many more unforced errors — 25 to Bartoli’s 14.

At the other end, the ball was coming off Bartoli’s racquet with that tidy thwack that comes from being hit dead centre.

A 5-1, with Lisicki two break-points down, it seemed all over bar the prize-giving and curtseying. The saving of those two break-points only led to a third, but Lisicki dug herself out of the hole with a couple of fine serves, including an ace.

Brief show of defiance

The free-stroking German then showed us — but only ever so briefly — why she has the ability to beat the best in the game.

Breaking Bartoli, who may have had a small touch of nerves herself, she proceeded to play like the Lisicki the audience has known over the last fortnight by sealing her service game with a couple of brilliant shots — the first a backhand down the line, and then one of those searing forehands.

It was impossible not to wonder at this juncture if this could be the beginning of another astonishing comeback.

If this was the beginning of the comeback by a player who can be very, very good when she is good — and, frankly, pretty awful when she is bad — then she had left it much too late.

Bartoli had neither nerves nor sympathy when serving again for the championship, taking game, set and match with an ace.

In the end it was not Bartoli’s unwavering consistency that got the better of Lisicki’s whimsical genius.

Brazil beats Spain 3-0 to win Confederations Cup

Fred scored two goals and Neymar added another as host Brazil convincingly defeated world champion Spain 3-0 to win the Confederations Cup on Sunday as protesters clashed with riot police outside the Maracana Stadium. 

Fred put Brazil on the board less than two minutes into the match, Neymar added to the lead just before half-time and Fred netted his fifth goal in five matches early in the second half to give Brazil victory. The win for the host nation was surprisingly easy against the current world champion. 

Sergio Ramos missed a penalty kick for Spain in the 55th, sending his low shot wide. 

Spain defender Gerard Pique was sent off with a straight red card for fouling Neymar in the 68th. 

Brazil came in hoping a victory would help it regain its status as a global powerhouse after recent struggles. 

Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinals in the last two World Cups and hadn’t won a significant title since the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. 

“The champion is back,” chanted the crowd of more than 73,000 people at the renovated Maracana. 

It also didn’t take long before the fans in a sea of yellow jerseys started teasing the Spaniards, chanting “Wanna play, wanna play!? Brazil will teach you.” 

The title gives Brazilian fans hope that the five-time world champions have a chance to win the World Cup title next year, although no Confederations Cup champion has ever won football’s showcase event the following year. 

“We beat the world champions today, but we know that the tournament that we will be playing next year will be a lot more difficult,” Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. “Now we have more confidence, that’s what we needed.” 

The Brazilian players huddled after the final whistle and started singing and jumping, then went toward the crowd near the sidelines and began celebrating. David Luiz kneeled down and raised both of his hands into the air. 

The result ended Spain’s 26-match unbeaten streak. It hadn’t lost since a 1-0 result England in a friendly in London in 2011. Its last loss in an official competition had happened 29 matches ago, in the 2010 World Cup opener against Switzerland. 

Spain badly wanted a victory against the five-time world champion, which was one of the few top teams it hadn’t faced since it began dominating international football. Spain won the 2010 World Cup along with the 2008 and 2012 European Championships. 

For Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque, the defeat was comprehensive. “There’s not much to say, they were superior on every way. They scored early. This is not an excuse but they had pressure on us all the time.”

It was “a deserved defeat,” Del Bosque said. 

It was the first time the traditional football nations had met since a scoreless friendly in 1999. The last competitive match between the teams had been Brazil’s 1-0 win in the first round of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. 

Brazil scored early on Sunday and kept pressuring, but it didn’t take long for Spain to start taking control of the match. The Europeans were not able to create many dangerous opportunities, though, while Brazil kept threatening the most while relying on counterattacks. 

Fred opened the scoring after a cross into the area by Hulk in the second minute. The ball bounced off Neymar near the far post and Fred, who had fallen while trying to reach for the cross, fired it in with his right foot while still on the ground. 

Brazil added to the lead with Neymar’s fourth goal in five matches after an exchange of passes with Oscar in the 44th. The newly signed Barcelona striker, touted as the future of Brazilian football, fired a powerful left—footed shot into the top of the net. 

Neymar was voted the player of the tournament. 

Neymar and Daniel Alves took the time after the match to congratulate their Barcelona teammates, who looked desolate across the field. 

Fred closed the scoring in the 47th from just inside the area, sending a low shot to the far corner. Hulk started the move with a pass to Neymar, but the striker let it go as Fred came running behind him. 

Spain had the penalty kick after Marcelo fouled Jesus Navas inside the area, but Sergio Ramos sent his kick wide. 

Spain’s greatest chance before the penalty came with Pedro Rodriguez in the 41st, when he entered the area clear from defenders in a breakaway. His low shot beat Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar, but David Luiz came rushing in and slid in front of the goal line just in time to keep the ball from going in. 

Brazil won the its first Confederations Cup title in Saudi Arabia in 1997, then again in Germany in 2005 and in South Africa in 2009. Spain was trying to win the tournament for the first time. 

Brazil struggled after Scolari returned to the national team earlier this year, winning only one of its first six matches with him in command, but it has won six in a row now. 

The warm—up tournament, which gives the home country a chance to test its preparations for the World Cup, is played among continental champions plus the World Cup winner and the hosts. 

There were protests outside the stadium during the match, with police using rubber bullets and tear gas to keep demonstrators from getting too close. A wave of anti-government protests has swept across Brazil in recent weeks, and many affected the Confederations Cup host cities as demonstrators complained of the costs of hosting the World Cup. 

On the field, it was a heated match from the start, with players from both teams pushing and shoving each other a few times. Even the substitutes got into a shouting match.

Sebastian Vettel won the Canadian Grand Prix 2013

Sebastian Vettel won the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, leading almost the entire way to extend his lead in the Formula One points race.

Starting from the pole position, the Red Bull driver finished 14.4 seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton was third after holding the lead for three of the 70 laps after Vettel made an early pit stop.

After practice and qualifying were slowed by rain, the sun came out for a warm and dry race on the Ile Notre Dame. That gave Vettel, who skidded in the rain on the final straightaway to give up the lead here two years ago, a clear path to the chequered flag.

Vettel picked up 25 points in the standings to extend his championship lead over Lotus’ Kimo Raikkonen.

Vettel’s biggest difficulty on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve came when he brushed the wall in the 11th lap. But he extended his lead before pitting in Lap 16 and switching from super-soft to the medium tires that he continued with for the rest of the race.

By the end, the Red Bull car had lapped every other in the field except for the top five finishers.

Alonso, who is third in the standings, passed Hamilton, who is fourth, at the start-finish line in the 62nd lap to take third place. Vettel’s teammate, Mark Webber, was fourth and Nico Rosberg was fifth.

“We’ve had good races before, but it didn’t come together to win,” Vettel said on the victory podium. “It made up for that today. Great feeling. Great car by the team, and we were really able to pull away from the rest of the field.”

The Clay King Rafael Nada won French Open for 8th time

Coasts to a straight-set victory over compatriot David Ferrer in the French Open summit clash

Rafael Nadal made history as he beat Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday to win a record eighth French Open title, in a final marred by anti-gay marriage protests in the stands and by an intruder with a flare on the court.

The world number four — who will drop to fifth in the ATP rankings despite his title — becomes the first man in tennis history to win eight singles titles at the same grand slam in the Open era which started in 1967.

He fell to his back on the wet clay after sending over a baseline winner of first match point after two and quarter hours.

A shirtless man wearing a Phantom of the Opera-style white mask, believed to be part of the anti-gay marriage group, jumped out of the courtside seats with a lit flare and managed to rush onto the Nadal side of the court before being body-slammed by security and hauled off through the players’ entrance.

The incident briefly rattled Nadal, who double-faulted for a break point and dropped the game to lead 6-3, 5-2. But it was then Ferrer’s turn to blink, with the challenger producing back-to-back double faults to hand over three set points to Nadal.

One was enough as Ferrer returned wide to go down two sets to love, and then double-faulted to give Nadal a deciding 5-3 lead in the third.

Nadal came to the court against the compatriot whom he has now beaten in 20 of 24 matches as the only player at Roland Garros with seven trophies alongside Chris Evert.

The match played in heavy conditions with the treat of rain was not conducive to sun-loving Nadal, but the Spaniard got on with the job.

The contest was the first all-Spanish final in Paris since Albert Costa beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2002.

Nadal leads the ATP with 43 victories this season, winning a pacesetting 38 on his favoured clay. The Spaniard has won 59 of his 60 career matches at Roland Garros, with his only loss coming in the 2009 fourth round to Robin Soderling.

He now owns a dozen Grand Slam titles, five less than all-time leader Roger Federer.