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Considering that GameStop and GameFly both were significantly impacted by Microsoft’s original policies regarding used games on the Xbox One, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that both companies have come out to praise Microsoft for reversing those policies. In response to an inquiry from Polygon, a representative from leading video game retailer GameStop commented on the news, saying that the move is “great news for gamers,” and applauding the company for “understanding consumers and the importance of the pre-owned market.” GameStop’s shareholders will undoubtedly be pleased by the news as well; as of writing, GameStop’s stock has risen just under six percent in after-hours trading. GameStop isn’t the only company pleased by the news, of course. In a statement to Joystiq, Sean Spector, co-founder of game rental service GameFly and SVP of business development and content, also had a few nice words for Microsoft. “I always felt good about the future of GameFly, but I feel better today,” Spector told the site. “Today is a win/win for consumers, as well as GameFly. I think choice is always important and now consumers have more choice. And I give [Microsoft] credit for listening to their consumers.” Spector wasn’t willing to go into any details, but the company had been in talks with Microsoft for some sort of deal. “I think the original proposal would have been detrimental to lots of people’s [business] systems,” Spector said. “Not just GameFly. And, most importantly, gamers. Based on what I’ve read today, which is all I know today, it’s business as usual for Xbox. Their statement is really cut and dry.” Have any thoughts to share on Microsoft’s Xbox One policy reversal? Sound off in the comments section below. GameStop, GameFly Praise Microsoft For Xbox One Policy Changes is a post from: The Inquisitr

Discounts by retailers and lower interest rates boost spending for a ninth consecutive month, according to figures from the Commonwealth Bank.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says the Western Bulldogs are playing much better football than when the Tigers thrashed them in round three.

New Jersey school officials have threatened a 12-year-old hearing-impaired girl to stop using sign language to communicate on the school bus or face a 3-day suspension according to The Washington Times. Danica Lesko and her parents have told reporters that sign language is the only way for her to communicate after she lost her hearing in an accident. The Washington Times said that officials at Stonybrook School and district officials in Branchburg New Jersey have said that signing is a safety hazard. “In a statement released through the school district’s attorney, David Rubin, the Branchburg Board of Education insisted it did not violate anyone’s rights and is only trying to protect other students,” ABC News reported. “The Board is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to all students with disabilities, and is satisfied that there has been no violation of that policy in this case. “The Board is also committed to assuring the safety of all students who travel on District buses, and will continue to take appropriate steps to accomplish that goal,” the statement said. According to The Washington Times, Mary Ann Lesko, Danica’s mother said, “She has a hearing problem, and now she’s being punished for using sign language. It’s absurd.” Danica’s parents are considering suing over the school’s threat because they claim that the officials are violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Parents are very protective when it comes to their children and their rights and safety. Some recent news regarding children’s safety included the parents that included the Facebook kidnapping prevented by the child’s parents, and there was also the story of the mother who set up her own sting to nab an online predator. Parents are protective over their children, and in the case of Danica Lesko, her parents should be concerned. How accommodating can the school be if they are telling a hearing-impaired girl that she can’t use sign language to communicate? Image via Shutterstock/Pavzyuk Svitlana] Hearing-Impaired Girl Banned From Using Sign Language At School is a post from: The Inquisitr

Willow Beats have been busy cruising Australia wide on an headline tour in coordination with the launch of their 'Alchemy' EP . After recently wrapping up the tour, the duo stopped by Stoney Roads to offer their top 5 tracks they're digging at the moment. If you're interested in seeing a cameo appearance of the duo in Sydney, you will be able to catch them at Mum at World Bar on Friday 28th June. Last time they were in Sydney, their show sold out so this you Read MoreBlog: Stoney RoadsRelated: INTERVIEW: Willow BeatsWillow Beats Alchemy EPPlaylist: Rajan's Top Ten Tracks Of 2011Top 10 Tracks of the Week 02/25/12Dancing Astronauts Top 10 Tracks of February

Engine specifications of the all-new Suzuki SX4 S-Cross have been revealed ahead of the car’s late-2013 launch. Unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva motor show, the larger, second-generation Suzuki SX4 S-Cross will launch in Europe with the choice of two 1.6-litre four-cylinder engines. The entry-level naturally aspirated petrol motor produces 88kW of power at 6000rpm and 156Nm of torque at 4400rpm. The engine can be paired with a five-speed manual or an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT), laid out in either front- or four-wheel-drive. Average CO2 emissions range from 125-136 grams per kilometre, translating to combined cycle fuel consumption of 5.3-5.7 litres per 100km. The turbocharged diesel engine produces an identical 88kW at 4000rpm to the petrol but more than twice as much torque, peaking at 320Nm from 1750rpm. A six-speed manual is the only transmission offered with the diesel. Front- and four-wheel-drive options are also available, with emissions averaging 110-115g/km and fuel consumption measuring 4.1-4.3L/100km. The petrol engine is confirmed for our market, and Suzuki Australia communications manager Andrew Ellis told CarAdvice that the diesel unit is also being considered but has not been locked in at this stage. Both front- and four-wheel-drive options will continue to be offered in Australia. While the outgoing first-generation Suzuki SX4 was a chunky, tallboy hatch, the second-generation SX4 S-Cross takes on more conventional compact crossover proportions. At 4300mm long, 1765mm wide and 1575mm tall, the new Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is 150mm longer, 10mm wider and 30mm lower than the original. Its wheelbase has grown 101mm to 2601mm, contributing to a more spacious interior and a larger boot, up from 253 litres to 430L. Ellis is hopeful the Hungarian-built Suzuki SX4 S-Cross will arrive in Australia around November/December, but said factors outside the local division’s control may see it pushed out to early 2014. Despite being six years old and within months of being superseded, SX4 sales have increased eight per cent so far this year with 900 units delivered across the country from January to May. The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross will join Australia’s burgeoning sub-compact SUV segment, taking on the incoming Holden Trax, Peugeot 2008, Ford EcoSport, Opel Mokka and Renault Captur, among others. The post Suzuki SX4 S-Cross engine details revealed appeared first on CarAdvice.

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers appeared to be done with a proposed mega deal that would have sent coach Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett to L.A, but the teams re-opened talks on Wednesday and have quickly made progress. A source close to the process said the teams met Wednesday and ironed out several sticking points, namely the Clippers hesitancy to send two first-round picks to Boston. The likely structure of the deal would be two separate trades — the Clippers sending center DeAndre Jordan straight up for Garnett, and another trade sending two first-round picks to Boston as compensation for releasing Rivers. But there are still some difficulties. Boston would need to release Rivers out of his three-year, $21 million contract, and both teams would need to convince league officials that the deals were not contingent upon each other, as the league prohibits coaches from being traded. For the Clippers, the trade would open up several possibilities. The addition of Garnett would likely guarantee that point guard Chris Paul signs a long-term contract with the team rather than testing free agency. With Paul signed to a long-term deal, the Clippers could be free to shop backup point guard Eric Bledsoe.The Celtics had tried to included Bledsoe in the trade proposal, but the Clippers refused as he was deemed too valuable. Los Angeles first looked at Bledsoe as an insurance policy if Paul left the team, but also considered him an important piece for a potential future trade. With rumors that the Clippers were also trying to shop Blake Griffin, the team has shown a willingness to make big moves to follow-up its first ever Pacific Division title. The Clippers had a disappointing end to the season, losing in the first round to the No. 6 seed Memphis Grizzlies. The trade would show them committing to competing in the Western Conference with teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers and Celtics could now close out the deal on Thursday if talks go well enough, sources said. Celtics And Clippers Re-Start Trade Talks, Could Be Completed Thursday is a post from: The Inquisitr

RT @billboard: Justin Bieber's 'Believe' Tour Heading to Australia & NZ

MudCelebrated American indie director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter) gets back to the southern U.S. setting of his debut Shotgun Stories with another gritty tale.In Mud, the title character is portrayed by the current go-to indie-movie leading man Matthew McConaughey, who continues to show his impressive range. He shed pounds to play a stick-figure of a fugitive who is hiding out in a boat caught in the treetops of an island on the Mississippi River. Discovered by two boys, Ellis and Neckbone, they agree to help him, unwittingly putting themselves and their town at risk.The cast also features Nichols' regular Michael Shannon (who's also chewing up scenery as General Zod in Man of Steel), plus Reese Witherspoon, Ray McKinnon, Sam Shepard and Joe Don Baker.Mud premiered in competition at last year's Cannes Film Festival. Reception is overwhelmingly positive, with critics comparing it to such masterpieces of American literature as Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer. Rated 15+.Also openingParadoxocracy (???????????, Prachathipatai) – Director Pen-ek Ratanaruang is better known for his surreal, darkly comic fictional features like Headshot, Last Life in the Universe or Monrak Transistor. But from time to time, he likes to change things up by doing a documentary. On Paradoxocracy, he collaborates with Pasakorn Pramoolwong, editor of A Day magazine, to cover Thailand's contemporary political history. The film is a mix of archive footage, narration and talking-head interviews with various academics and activists, surveying the tumultuous times since the constitutional monarchy was instated in 1932. Paradoxocracy was submitted to censors and had a few cuts ordered. In a bold move, no footage was actually cut, but words deemed inappropriate by censors have been muted, mouths blurred over and subtitles crossed out so you'll at least see that there's censorship going on. The film was initially slated for a limited release back in February, but then the theater balked. So Pen-ek and Pasakorn have been trying for months to secure a release. Finally, Major Cineplex decided it would take the risk. Starting Monday, June 24, and running until July 10, Paradoxocracy will screen at 2 and 8pm at Paragon Cineplex and Esplanade Cineplex Ratchada. There's more about it in the Bangkok Post. Rated G.World War Z – Brad Pitt fights a swarm of CGI zombies in this apocalyptic epic. In development for years, World War Z has all the makings of a box-office disaster, with rewrites by a changing roster of screenwriters, scene reshoots, postponed release dates and rumors of an on-set feud between Pitt and director Marc Forster (Machine Gun Preacher, Quantum of Solace). Despite bad buzz surrounding the troubled production, critical reception is actually not too negative. Goodwill for the film has been further buoyed by Pitt's partner Angelina Jolie joining him at premieres in her first public appearances since announcing she'd undergone surgery to prevent breast cancer. It's in 2D as well as converted 3D. Rated 13+.The Sapphires – An Aboriginal singing group of four soul sisters are discovered in Australia by a drunken Irishman (Chris O'Dowd from Bridesmaids), who becomes their manager and launches them on a career in show business that has them going to Vietnam to entertain the troops. This fact-based feel-good tale is generally well-received. It's at Major Cineplex (including Paragon, Esplanade, etc.). Rated 13+.Raanjhanaa – Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman scores this Bollywood romance, the sweeping tale of Kundun (Dhanush), who's long harbored feelings for boyhood gal pal Zoya (Sonam Kapoor). So he's understandably broken-hearted when she comes to him and asks for his help in winning the affections of Akram (Abhay Deol), her friend from college. Opening on Friday, it's in Hindi with English and Thai subtitles at Major Cineplex Sukhumvit and Rama III.Also showingRefugee Film Festival – In observance of World Refugee Day today, the United Nations High Commissioner

Australia has updated its travel advisory for India following recent severe weather conditions in Uttarakhand.