title: Hotline Miami

text: By default, the player starts each assignment unarmed, just outside the target location. Most enemies carry a wide variety of melee and ranged weapons which can be collected both from their bodies and the environment. Far outnumbered, the player must rely on their increased awareness (being able to see inside every room within a large radius) and either stealth, overwhelming force or a combination of both to overcome challenges. However, because the player character is no more resilient than enemies, mistakes are often instantly fatal. Despite the game's high lethality, attacks such as punches, weapon throws and door slams merely knock enemies down, prompting the player to gruesomely execute them on the ground. In addition to the more common white suit-wearing mobsters, the player is later pitched against guard dogs, police officers and other opponents that require different strategies to defeat.


title: Hotline Miami

text: Enemy artificial intelligence varies slightly, causing them to occasionally move unpredictably and making it difficult to plan a perfect approach. To make up for this, "Hotline Miami" allows the player to restart each stage as soon as they die, allowing them to quickly fine-tune their approach over several attempts. At the end of each chapter, the game grades the player's performance based on factors such as speed, variation and recklessness, with high scores unlocking new weapons and additional masks.


title: Hotline Miami

text: "Hotline Miami" takes place in 1989 Miami, where the player takes the role of an unnamed man dubbed "Jacket" by fans for his distinctive letterman jacket. One day, he receives an answering machine message about a supposed delivery of "cookies" to his home. Jacket finds a package outside containing a rooster mask and instructions to perform a hit on the Russian mafia and steal a briefcase in their possession, threatening that he is being watched and that "failure is not an option." After Jacket completes this mission, he receives further messages on his answering machine, each asking him to take care of an innocuous "problem" at a specific address; these locations invariably contain a criminal operation, usually run by the Russian mob, that he must eliminate. Throughout the game, Jacket has visions where he is confronted over his actions by three masked figures: the cryptic rooster-masked Richard, the hostile owl-masked Rasmus, and the sympathetic horse-masked Don Juan.


title: Hotline Miami

text: The personality of the masked figures is seen by who wears them. The owl, Rasmus, is being worn by a member of the Russian mafia. The horse, Don Juan, is worn by a girl that Jacket saves later in the game. The rooster, Richard, is worn by the player, Jacket.


title: Hotline Miami

text: During a raid on the estate of a movie producer, Jacket rescues a woman and brings her home, nursing her back to health and later, building up a relationship with her. In another mission, Jacket is called to a phone company where he finds everyone dead except for a lone biker, whom he fights and subsequently kills. Jacket finds other animal-masked killers dead (or dying) during some of his assignments; after most of them, he visits a store or restaurant where the same bearded clerk greets him. "Beard", as he is dubbed by fans, gives Jacket encouragement and free merchandise such as pizza, movies, and alcohol.


title: Hotline Miami

text: Jacket's perception of reality becomes increasingly surreal, as he begins to see the talking corpses of his victims during his everyday life. "Beard" abruptly dies—his bloody corpse remaining at his places of work—and he is replaced by an abrasive bald man, Richter, who offers Jacket nothing. One day, Jacket arrives home to find his girlfriend murdered and a man in a rat mask on his couch, who shoots him in the chest. It is revealed that everything up to this point was a coma dream; Jacket was put into a coma after being shot and relived the game's events while comatose. He wakes up in a hospital and overhears that his attacker is in police custody, whereupon he escapes and storms Miami police headquarters, killing everyone residing inside.


title: Hotline Miami

text: Jacket discovers his attacker was Richter, who had also been following the orders of threatening messages. Jacket punches Richter and interrogates him. After receiving his information, Jacket steals the file on the police's investigation of the killings. The player can then choose either to kill him by strangulation or to spare him and walk away. Canonically, Jacket decides to spare him, as seen in the sequel. With this, he raids the mob-owned nightclub the calls were tracked to, finding the address of the headquarters of Miami's Russian mafia. Jacket then goes to this address and kills every living thing inside, including the syndicate's leaders.


title: Hotline Miami

text: The game's main story ends with Jacket killing off both of the Russian mafia's leaders. Afterwards, the player can play bonus levels as "Biker" from the telephone company before, during, and after the incident. This leaves the story up to interpretation, as "Biker" wins when you play the fight out as him. Another recipient of the mysterious messages, "Biker" has gotten fed up with carrying out their assignments and is trying to track the callers down. From raiding the phone company, he traces the calls to the mob-owned nightclub. At the nightclub, "Biker" finds a hidden basement, where two people dressed as janitors (they have been lurking throughout multiple levels) have been sending out the mysterious messages. If the player has found secret letters hidden in Jacket's missions, The Biker will crack their computer's password and learn the janitors work for 50 Blessings, an ostensibly peaceful patriotic organisation, and have been using its membership to carry out killings to derail the Russo-American Coalition (an alliance between the Soviet Union and the United States). The Janitors boast their "experiment" is only the "tip of the iceberg" of a larger conspiracy. Without the password, the janitors claim they were acting out of boredom and mock Biker's attempt to rationalise his actions.


title: Hotline Miami

text: "Hotline Miami" was a spiritual successor to an unreleased game called "Super Carnage". Jonatan Söderström started working on the game when he was 18, describing it as a top-down shoot-em-up in which the aim was to kill as many people as possible. The project was cancelled following difficulties programming the game's artificial intelligence's pathfinding. Söderström later met Dennis Wedin, singer and keyboard player in the synthpunk band Fucking Werewolf Asso. They collaborated on a promotional game for the band called "Keyboard Drumset Fucking Werewolf", and another game, "Life/Death/Island", which was cancelled. Söderström and Wedin decided that their next game would be a commercial release, due to financial difficulties. They saw "Super Carnage" and its potential as a game. They decided to expand upon this, and thus they started developing "Hotline Miami". Immediately after being shown the prototype of "Super Carnage", Dennis Wedin was excited to start working on the game. When asked in an interview about his initial thoughts on being shown Söderström's prototype, Wedin stated "I loved it right from the start! I played his prototype for quite a while (even though it was just one level) and that was the most exciting part, making a game that we loved to play ourselves. We never really thought about what anyone else would think, we just wanted to play it and to do that we had to make it".


title: Hotline Miami

text: The biggest influence on the game's story was David Lynch. Another notable influence on the story was the 2011 film "Drive", due to its minimalist plot, lack of dialogue, music and portrayal of violence. Gordon Freeman, the silent protagonist from the "Half-Life" series, was also of influence due to the protagonist's lack of voice. The documentary "Cocaine Cowboys" influenced the developer's decision to use 1980s Miami as a setting. On the use of masks, the designers said they were inspired by the movie "Kick-Ass" and tried to figure out a way where someone without a lot of money would be able to disguise themselves.


title: Hotline Miami

text: The cover art was created by Swedish painter Niklas Åkerblad. Leading up to the release of "Hotline Miami", Devolver Digital opened a phone line in Miami, Florida to enable people to call and leave voice messages of their own. Some time after the official release of the game in late October 2012, a trailer was created using these recordings. In early November 2012, an update for the game added support for gamepad control, multiple bug fixes, a few gameplay tweaks, graphical adjustments, and a new bonus map called 'Highball'. By mid-December 2012, the game's publisher, Devolver Digital, revealed that 130,000 copies of the game had been sold in the seven weeks since it launched. In an interview at Eurogamer, project manager Graeme Struthers was "chuffed to bits" for "Hotline Miami" creators Jonatan Söderström and Dennis Wedin, adding that "those are some talented boys."


title: Hotline Miami

text: In an interview with Pocket Gamer, Söderström was quoted as saying that his team had been talking to Sony about bringing the game to PlayStation devices – including the PlayStation Vita – although they would require a third party to port it for them. The creators were also considering porting the game to iOS and Android touchscreen devices. The OS X version was released on 19 March 2013. In mid-February 2013, Devolver Digital and developer Dennaton Games confirmed that the game would be coming to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in the summer of the same year. The title would be cross-buy, allowing those who have purchased the game on either Vita or PlayStation 3 to play it across both platforms, only having to buy it once. The port was handled by Abstraction Games, who shifted the engine from Game Maker 7 to PhyreEngine, also adding enhanced controls, an extra unlockable mask, and online leaderboards. These features were later added for existing PC owners as a patch. It was also revealed that, at this point, over 300,000 copies of the game had been sold.


title: Hotline Miami

text: On 28 May 2013, it was featured on the eighth Humble Indie Bundle as one of the games offered if paying above the average amount. The Linux version for "Hotline Miami" was released concurrently with the bundle as at that time. On the night of 24 June 2013, the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita version of "Hotline Miami" was released early, due to scheduled maintenance of the PlayStation Network. On 24 March 2014, Devolver Digital announced that the game would be headed to the PlayStation 4 with cross-buy support. The PlayStation 4 version of "Hotline Miami" was released on 19 August 2014.


title: Hotline Miami

text: On 11 September 2014, Overkill Software, the developers of "Payday 2", released an announcement that there would be a downloadable content pack based on "Hotline Miami", released on 30 September as a collaboration between Dennaton Games and Overkill Software. The content included an expansion named "Hotline Miami" inspired by "Hotline Miami" itself, and a playable character based on "Hotline Miami"'s Jacket which can be obtained by owning the digital special edition of "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number".


title: Hotline Miami

text: In Japan, Spike Chunsoft released the localized editions of "Hotline Miami" and "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number" for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita bundled together and released as "Hotline Miami: Collected Edition" on 25 June 2015.


title: Hotline Miami

text: On 19 August 2019, "Hotline Miami" and "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number" were released on Nintendo Switch as a bundle, called "Hotline Miami Collection".


title: Hotline Miami

text: "Hotline Miami Collection" was ported to Xbox One on 7 April 2020 and to Stadia on 22 September 2020.


title: Hotline Miami

text: The "Hotline Miami – Official Soundtrack" could first be found on Devolver Digital's SoundCloud account. It was later made available to purchase on Valve's digital distribution platform, Steam, as downloadable content for the main game. Although the soundtrack is available for purchase, all of the music files can be found within the game folder in Ogg vorbis format (albeit often in edited versions).


title: Hotline Miami

text: "Hotline Miami" received critical acclaim upon release, with praise given to its neon-soaked depiction of 1980s underground Miami, overflowing with raw brutality and ultraviolent close combat as the player is outgunned and must use wit and cunning to choreograph a way through impossible situations. The game's soundtrack was lauded for accentuating the already heightened tension and gritty violence. Review aggregator website Metacritic gave the PlayStation 3 version 87/100 based on 19 reviews, the PlayStation Vita version 85/100 based on 27 reviews, and the Microsoft Windows version 85/100 based on 51 reviews.


title: Hotline Miami

text: "Eurogamer" scored the game 10/10, with reviewer Tom Bramwell saying that the game was a blend of elements, all of which are integral to the overall experience.


title: Hotline Miami

text: "PopMatters" scored the PlayStation 3 version of the game 9/10, and the reviewer Eric Swain wrote ""Hotline Miami" is still an introspective surrealist dive into the mind of a maniac who lives within the neon gloss of the late '80s. You still go around killing groups of thugs at the behest of a voice on the other side of the phone calls, which is somehow sufficient to addle you into killing everyone you find at an address that that voice provides. You still choose an animal mask to wear before entering these kill zones, and you still have a variety of weapons at your disposal to stab, shoot, and bludgeon your way through crowds of Russian thugs and the police."


title: Hotline Miami

text: "IGN" gave the game a score of 8.8/10 emphasizing its "striking blend of fast ultraviolence, a dense, challenging story and brilliant presentation." In its final verdict for the game, the reviewer Charles Onyett stated ""Hotline Miami" momentum of mystery builds right up to its finale, where snarling cynicism is offered as a justification for why all this machinery of neon fuzz and thumping bass, bright blood and fractured identity was started up in the first place. Yet the justification is also disarmingly simple, the same reason why quarters were dropped into arcade machines built during the late '80s era Dennaton Games so clearly reveres. Why bother with "Hotline Miami"? Because it exists. Because it's fun. Because it deserves to be played."


title: Hotline Miami

text: The game received the "Best PC Sound" accolade by IGN from its "Best of 2012" awards. It was also nominated for "Best PC Action Game", "Best PC Story", "Best PC Game", in addition to "Best Overall Action Game", "Best Overall Music", and "Best Overall Game".


title: Hotline Miami

text: It was the recipient of both "Eurogamer" and "Rock, Paper, Shotgun" Game of the Show award at their inaugural EGX Rezzed expo. On 24 December 2012, "PC Gamer" awarded the game with "The Best Music of the Year 2012".


title: Hotline Miami

text: "Hotline Miami" also won "Best New IP", "Best Gameplay" and "Best Soundtrack" at the 2012 Vidya Gaem Awards, and received several nominations in other categories.


title: Hotline Miami

text: When questioned about piracy issues by "Eurogamer", Graeme Struthers of Devolver Digital said "[Söderström] just felt he didn't want people playing the buggy version of his game however they got it. He wanted them to get the patch. He basically said, 'I'm not going to criticise this, it's a fact of life. It would be nice if guys could find it within themselves to pay for it, but that's the world I'm in, so you know, you just have to take it for what it is.' It has been torrented to such a staggering level, and given the file size of it, I mean, you can't really be surprised, right? You could pass this thing around on the world's smallest memory stick. So it has been torrented to extraordinary levels."


title: Hotline Miami

text: In an interview with Jonatan Söderström and Dennis Wedin at "Eurogamer", the creators shed some light on possible new future game content. When prompted with the question of upcoming downloadable content, the creators revealed, "I think we're going to do quite a big project. It will probably be about as long as the full game, so probably we'll charge something for it. It will be like a sequel kind of, but building on the story. We don't want to reveal too much, but it will probably have more playable characters than the first game did. And a couple of different stories and angles. A lot of people have been asking about a map editor to build their own stages, so we're looking at if it's possible to do that. I think it would be really cool to let people do their own stages."


title: Hotline Miami

text: In terms of the new soundtrack, Söderström said "I'm not sure for the second game yet. Last time we had nine different musicians doing the soundtrack. Looks like a couple of them might do more tracks for the sequel, but we've been looking at some other bands as well. Want to keep it fresh."


title: Hotline Miami

text: Hinting that the sequel may be some way off, Söderström insisted that he was still committed to working on patching and fixing the original game. The official "Hotline Miami" Twitter released photographs of the sequel's title screen, revealing its full title: "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number". On 19 June 2013, the first teaser trailer for the sequel was released on the Devolver Digital YouTube channel. The game was initially announced for 2014, but was eventually released on 10 March 2015.


title: Hotline Miami

text: A "Hotline Miami Collection", containing both games, was released for the Nintendo Switch on 19 August 2019, and Xbox One on 7 April 2020.


title: Hotline Miami

text: An 8-part comic book series published by Behemoth Comics titled Hotline Miami: Wildlife, was physically distributed to comic book stores and traditional book stores by Simon & Schuster and Diamond Comic Distributors beginning monthly in September 2020. The comics were originally released digitally in 2016.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: The AGM-158C LRASM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) is a stealth anti-ship cruise missile developed for the United States Air Force and United States Navy by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The LRASM was intended to pioneer more sophisticated autonomous targeting capabilities than the U.S. Navy's current Harpoon anti-ship missile, which has been in service since 1977.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: The Navy was authorized by the Pentagon to put the LRASM into limited production as an operational weapon in February 2014 as an urgent capability stop-gap solution to address range and survivability problems with the Harpoon and to prioritize defeating enemy warships, which has been neglected since the end of the Cold War but taken on importance with the modernization of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: Competitors to Lockheed Martin protested the decision to award them a contract given the circumstances of selection and competition for the missile. The Navy responded by saying Lockheed's LRASM program was limited in scope, the decision to move ahead with them was made after an initial DARPA contract award, and that it was an urgent need to face future threats.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: In 2014, the Navy said it will hold a competition for the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW)/Increment 2 anti-ship missile as a follow-on to LRASM to enter service in 2024. The OASuW Increment 2 competition will be completely open and start by FY 2017. It is expected the LRASM will compete against the joint Kongsberg/Raytheon offering of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) for air-launch needs and an upgraded Raytheon Tomahawk cruise missile for surface-launch needs.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: Unlike current anti-ship missiles the LRASM is expected to be capable of conducting autonomous targeting, relying on on-board targeting systems to independently acquire the target without the presence of prior, precision intelligence, or supporting services like Global Positioning Satellite navigation and data-links. These capabilities will enable positive target identification, precision engagement of moving ships and establishment of initial target cueing in extremely hostile environments. The missile will be designed with counter-countermeasures to evade hostile active defense systems.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: The LRASM is based on the AGM-158B JASSM-ER, but incorporates a multi-mode passive RF, a new weapon data-link and altimeter, and an uprated power system. It can be directed to attack enemy ships by its launch platform, receive updates via its datalink, or use onboard sensors to find its target. LRASM will fly towards its target at medium altitude then drop to low altitude for a sea skimming approach to counter anti-missile defenses. DARPA states its range is "greater than ." Although the LRASM is based on the JASSM-ER, which has a range of , the addition of the sensor and other features will somewhat decrease that range. It is estimated that the LRASM has a range of .


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: To ensure survivability to and effectiveness against a target, the LRASM is equipped with a BAE Systems-designed seeker and guidance system, integrating jam-resistant GPS/INS, an imaging infrared (IIR infrared homing) seeker with automatic scene/target matching recognition, a data-link, and passive Electronic Support Measure (ESM) and radar warning receiver sensors. Artificial intelligence software combines these features to locate enemy ships and avoid neutral shipping in crowded areas. Automatic dissemination of emissions data is classified, located, and identified for path of attack; the data-link allows other assets to feed the missile a real-time electronic picture of the enemy battlespace. Multiple missiles can work together to share data to coordinate an attack in a swarm. Aside from short, low-power data-link transmissions, the LRASM does not emit signals, which combined with the low-RCS JASSM airframe and low IR signature reduces detectability. Unlike previous radar-only seeker-equipped missiles that went on to hit other vessels if diverted or decoyed, the multi-mode seeker ensures the correct target is hit in a specific area of the ship. An LRASM can find its own target autonomously by using its passive radar homing to locate ships in an area, then using passive measures once on terminal approach. Like the JASSM, the LRASM is capable of hitting land targets.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: LRASM is designed to be compatible with the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System used on many US Navy ships and to be fired from aircraft, including the B-1 bomber. For surface launches, LRASM will be fitted with a modified Mk 114 jettisonable rocket booster to give it enough power to reach altitude. Although priority development is on air and surface-launched variants, Lockheed is exploring the concept of a submarine-launched variant, and deployment from a topside canister launcher for smaller ships. As part of OASuW Increment 1, the LRASM will be used only as an air-launched missile to be deployed from the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and B-1B Lancer, which has the capacity to carry 24 LRASMs. In 2020, the U.S. Navy began the process of integrating the LRASM onto the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, to be completed by 2026.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: Some naval advisors have proposed increasing the LRASM's capabilities to serve dual functions as a ship-based land attack weapon in addition to anti-ship roles. By reducing the size of its warhead to increase range from some to , the missile would still be powerful enough destroy or disable warships while having the reach to hit inland targets. With the proper guidance system, a single missile would increase the Navy's flexibility rather than needing two missiles specialized for different roles.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: The program was initiated in 2009 and started along two different tracks. LRASM-A is a subsonic cruise missile based on Lockheed Martin's 500 nm-range AGM-158 JASSM-ER; Lockheed Martin was awarded initial development contracts. LRASM-B was planned to be a high-altitude supersonic missile along the lines of the Indo-Russian BrahMos, but it was cancelled in January 2012. Captive carry flight tests of LRASM sensors began in May 2012; a missile prototype was planned to fly in "early 2013" and the first canister launch was intended for "end 2014".


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: On October 1, 2012, Lockheed received a contract modification to perform risk reduction enhancements in advance of the upcoming flight test of the air-launched LRASM-A version. On March 5, 2013, Lockheed received a contract to begin conducting air and surface-launch tests of the LRASM. On June 3, 2013, Lockheed successfully conducted "push through" tests of a simulated LRASM on the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS). Four tests verified the LRASM can break the canister's forward cover without damaging the missile. On July 11, 2013, Lockheed reported successful completion of captive-carry testing of the LRASM on a B-1B.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: On August 27, 2013, Lockheed conducted the first flight test of the LRASM, launched from a B-1B. Halfway to its target, the missile switched from following a planned route to autonomous guidance. It autonomously detected its moving target, a 260 ft unmanned ship out of three in the target area, and hit it in the desired location with an inert warhead. The purpose of the test was to stress the sensor suite, which detected all the targets and only engaged the one it was told to. Two more flight tests were planned the year, involving different altitudes, ranges, and geometries in the target area. Two launches from vertical launch systems were planned for summer 2014. The missile had a sensor designed by BAE Systems. The sensor is designed to enable targeted attacks within a group of enemy ships protected by sophisticated air defense systems. It autonomously located and targeted the moving surface ship. The sensor uses advanced electronic technologies to detect targets within a complex signal environment, and then calculates precise target locations for the missile control unit.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: On September 17, 2013, Lockheed launched an LRASM Boosted Test Vehicle (BTV) from a Mk 41 VLS canister. The company-funded test showed the LRASM, fitted with the Mk-114 rocket motor from the RUM-139 VL-ASROC, could ignite and penetrate the canister cover and perform a guided flight profile. In January 2014, Lockheed demonstrated that the LRASM could be launched from a Mk 41 VLS with only modified software to existing shipboard equipment.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: On November 12, 2013, an LRASM scored a direct hit on a moving naval target on its second flight test. A B-1B bomber launched the missile, which navigated using planned waypoints that it received in-flight before transitioning to autonomous guidance. It used onboard sensors to select the target, descend in altitude, and successfully impact. On 4 February 2015, the LRASM conducted its third successful flight test, conducted to evaluate low-altitude performance and obstacle avoidance. Dropped from a B-1B, the missile navigated a series of planned waypoints, then detected, tracked, and avoided an object deliberately placed in the flight pattern in the final portion of the flight to demonstrate obstacle-avoidance algorithms.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: In August 2015, the Navy began load and fit checks of an LRASM mass simulator vehicle on an F/A-18 Super Hornet. Initial airworthiness flight testing of the LRASM simulator with the Super Hornet began on 3 November 2015, with the first flight occurring on 14 December, and load testing completed on 6 January 2016.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: In July 2016, Lockheed successfully conducted the third surface launch of the LRASM following two tests at the Navy’s Desert Ship, firing it from the Navy’s Self Defense Test Ship (formerly the ). Tied to a Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System (TTWCS) for guidance and boosted by the Mk-114 motor, it flew a planned, low-altitude profile to its pre-determined endpoint. While the missile is currently planned to be exclusively air-launched, future requirements for employment across several launch platforms led to investment in risk-reduction for the future competition.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: On 4 April 2017, Lockheed announced the first successful release of the LRASM from an F/A-18 Super Hornet. On 26 July 2017, Lockheed was awarded the first production award for the air-launched LRASM; low-rate initial production Lot 1 includes 23 missiles. On 27 July 2017, Lockheed announced they had successfully conducted the first launch of an LRASM from an angled topside canister using a Mk-114 booster, demonstrating the missile's ability to be used on platforms lacking vertical launch cells.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: On 17 August 2017, the LRASM conducted its first flight test in a production-representative, tactical configuration. The missile was dropped from a B-1B Lancer, navigated through all planned waypoints, transitioned to mid-course guidance and flew toward a moving maritime target using inputs from its onboard sensor, then descended to low altitude for final approach, positively identifying and impacting the target.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: The weapon was successfully fired against multiple targets on 13 December 2017, by a B-1B flying over the Point Mugu Sea Range.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: In December 2018, the LRASM was integrated on the USAF's B-1B bomber, reaching initial operational capability. The missile achieved early operational capability on Navy Super Hornets in November 2019.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: In 2015, Sweden publicly expressed interest in the LRASM in response to concerns of Russian actions in Eastern Europe. The United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada, Australia and Japan have also expressed interest in the missile.


title: AGM-158C LRASM

text: On 7 February 2020, the US State Department announced it had approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia of up to 200 LRASMs and related equipment for an estimated cost of US$990 million. In July 2020, Australia announced that it was acquiring the LRASM for their F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters.


title: Yule

text: Yule (also called Jul, jól or joulu) is a festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples. Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin, and the pagan Anglo-Saxon ("Mothers' Night"). Some present-day Christmas customs and traditions such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others may have connections to older pagan Yule traditions. Cognates to "Yule" are still used in English and the Scandinavian languages as well as in Finnish and Estonian to describe Christmas and other festivals occurring during the winter holiday season.


title: Yule

text: "Yule" is the modern version of Old Norse and one of the names for Odin. The Old English derivates or and or indicate the 12-day festival of "Yule" (later: "Christmastide"), the latter indicating the month of "Yule", whereby referred to the period before the Yule festival (December) and referred to the period after Yule (January). Both words are cognate with Gothic (); Old Norse, Icelandic, Faroese and Norwegian Nynorsk , , ; Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian Bokmål , and are thought to be derived from Proto-Germanic . The etymological pedigree of the word remains uncertain, though numerous speculative attempts have been made to find Indo-European cognates outside the Germanic group, too. The noun "Yuletide" is first attested from around 1475.


title: Yule

text: The word is conjectured in an explicitly pre-Christian context primarily in Old Norse. Among many others (see List of names of Odin), the long-bearded god Odin bears the name ('the Yule one'). In , written in the 12th century, Christmas, is interpreted as coming from one of Odin's names, . In poetic language, a plural form (Old Norse ) may also refer to the gods collectively. In Old Norse poetry, the word is found as a term for 'feast', e.g. (→ 'a raven's feast').


title: Yule

text: It has been thought that Old French (→ French ), which was borrowed into English in the 14th century as 'jolly', is itself borrowed from Old Norse (with the Old French suffix ; compare Old French "easy", Modern French = "feast" + ). But the "Oxford English Dictionary" sees this explanation for as unlikely. The French word is first attested in the Anglo-Norman , or "History of the English People", written by Geoffrey Gaimar between 1136 and 1140.


title: Yule

text: Yule is an indigenous winter festival celebrated by the Germanic peoples. The earliest references to it are in the form of month names, where the Yuletide period lasts somewhere around two months, falling along the end of the modern calendar year between what is now mid-November and early January.


title: Yule

text: Yule is attested early in the history of the Germanic peoples; in a Gothic language calendar of the 5–6th century it appears in the month name ', and, in the 8th century, the English historian Bede wrote that the Anglo-Saxon calendar included the months ' or "" corresponding to either modern December or December and January.


title: Yule

text: While the Old Norse month name ' is similarly attested, the Old Norse corpus also contains numerous references to an event by the Old Norse form of the name, '. In chapter 55 of the "Prose Edda" book ', different names for the gods are given; one is "Yule-beings". A work by the skald Eyvindr skáldaspillir that uses the term is then quoted: "again we have produced Yule-being's feast [mead of poetry], our rulers' eulogy, like a bridge of masonry". In addition, one of the numerous names of Odin is ', referring to the event.


title: Yule

text: The "Saga of the Good" credits King Haakon I of Norway who ruled from 934 to 961 with the Christianization of Norway as well as rescheduling Yule to coincide with Christian celebrations held at the time. The saga says that when Haakon arrived in Norway he was a confirmed Christian, but since the land was still altogether heathen and the people retained their pagan practices, Haakon hid his Christianity to receive the help of the "great chieftains". In time, Haakon had a law passed establishing that Yule celebrations were to take place at the same time as the Christians celebrated Christmas, "and at that time everyone was to have ale for the celebration with a measure of grain, or else pay fines, and had to keep the holiday while the ale lasted."


title: Yule

text: Yule had previously been celebrated for three nights from midwinter night, according to the saga. Haakon planned that when he had solidly established himself and held power over the whole country, he would then "have the gospel preached". According to the saga, the result was that his popularity caused many to allow themselves to be baptized, and some people stopped making sacrifices. Haakon spent most of this time in Trondheim. When Haakon believed that he wielded enough power, he requested a bishop and other priests from England, and they came to Norway. On their arrival, "Haakon made it known that he would have the gospel preached in the whole country." The saga continues, describing the different reactions of various regional things.


title: Yule

text: It was ancient custom that when sacrifice was to be made, all farmers were to come to the heathen temple and bring along with them the food they needed while the feast lasted. At this feast all were to take part of the drinking of ale. Also all kinds of livestock were killed in connection with it, horses also; and all the blood from them was called ' [sacrificial blood], and ', the vessel holding the blood; and ", the sacrificial twigs [aspergills]. These were fashioned like sprinklers, and with them were to be smeared all over with blood the pedestals of the idols and also the walls of the temple within and without; and likewise the men present were to be sprinkled with blood. But the meat of the animals was to be boiled and served as food at the banquet. Fires were to be lighted in the middle of the temple floor, and kettles hung over the fires. The sacrificial beaker was to be borne around the fire, and he who made the feast and was chieftain, was to bless the beaker as well as all the sacrificial meat.


title: Yule

text: The narrative continues that toasts were to be drunk. The first toast was to be drunk to Odin "for victory and power to the king", the second to the gods and "for good harvests and for peace", and third, a beaker was to be drunk to the king himself. In addition, toasts were drunk to the memory of departed kinsfolk. These were called ".


title: Yule

text: Scholars have connected the month event and Yule period to the Wild Hunt (a ghostly procession in the winter sky), the god Odin (who is attested in Germanic areas as leading the Wild Hunt and bears the name ""), and increased supernatural activity, such as the Wild Hunt and the increased activities of —undead beings who walk the earth.


title: Yule

text: , an event focused on collective female beings attested by Bede as having occurred among the pagan Anglo-Saxons on what is now Christmas Eve, has been seen as further evidence of a fertility event during the Yule period.


title: Yule

text: The events of Yule are generally held to have centered on midwinter (although specific dating is a matter of debate), with feasting, drinking, and sacrifice ('). Scholar Rudolf Simek says the pagan Yule feast "had a pronounced religious character" and that "it is uncertain whether the Germanic Yule feast still had a function in the cult of the dead and in the veneration of the ancestors, a function which the mid-winter sacrifice certainly held for the West European Stone and Bronze Ages." The traditions of the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar (', still reflected in the Christmas ham), Yule singing, and others possibly have connections to pre-Christian Yule customs, which Simek says "indicates the significance of the feast in pre-Christian times."


title: Yule

text: In modern Germanic language-speaking areas and some other Northern European countries, "yule" and its cognates denote the Christmas holiday season. In addition to ' and ' in English, examples include ' in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, ' in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, ' in Finland, ' in Friesland, ' in the Netherlands and ' in Estonia.


title: Yule

text: As contemporary pagan religions differ in both origin and practice, these representations of Yule can vary considerably despite the shared name. Some Heathens, for example, celebrate in a way as close as possible to how they believe ancient Germanic pagans observed the tradition, while others observe the holiday with rituals "assembled from different sources." Heathen celebrations of Yule can also include sharing a meal and gift giving.


title: Yule

text: In most forms of Wicca, this holiday is celebrated at the winter solstice as the rebirth of the Great horned hunter god, who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun. The method of gathering for this sabbat varies by practitioner. Some have private ceremonies at home, while others do so with their covens.


title: Yule

text: The Church of Satan and other LaVeyan Satanist groups celebrate Yule as an alternative to the Christian Christmas holiday. Yule in LaVeyan Satanism is not celebrated with the same rituals as in contemporary paganism or Heathenry.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Get Him to the Greek is a 2010 American comedy film written, produced and directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill. Released on June 4, 2010, the film is a spin-off sequel of Stoller's 2008 film "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", reuniting director Stoller with stars Hill and Brand and producer Judd Apatow. Brand reprises his role as character Aldous Snow from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", while Hill plays an entirely new character referred to as Aaron Green instead of Matthew Van Der Wyk. The film also stars Elisabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Sean "Diddy" Combs, and Colm Meaney.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: In 2009, British rock star Aldous Snow releases his new album and a titular single, "African Child", which is a commercial and critical failure. In an interview, his girlfriend, pop star Jackie Q, drunkenly declares they have a boring life. Aldous relapses, ending their relationship and losing custody of his son, Naples.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Aaron Green is a talent scout at Pinnacle Records, living with his girlfriend Daphne, who is completing a medical residency at a local hospital. Pinnacle is performing poorly, and the head of the company, Sergio Roma, asks for ideas. Aaron suggests Aldous play at the Greek Theatre on the tenth anniversary of a performance there in 1999.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Sergio sends Aaron to London to escort Aldous to Los Angeles. Daphne informs Aaron that she has received a residency job offer in Seattle and that they are moving there. They argue and seemingly break up. Aaron meets Aldous and learns that he had not been expecting him, thinking that the concert was not for two months. They bar-hop across the city as Aaron tries to get Aldous to catch a flight to New York City.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Aaron and Aldous go to New York City for Aldous's appearance on "Today". To keep him sober, Aaron imbibes all of Aldous's alcohol and drugs. While performing live, Aldous is unable to remember the lyrics to "African Child", and replaces it with an old hit, "The Clap", to cheers from the audience. Daphne calls Aaron to apologize, only to learn that he believes they broke up. While partying, Aaron's phone accidentally calls Daphne, informing her of his drunken activities.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: On their flight to Los Angeles, Aaron learns that Aldous has become depressed, as he misses his son and has been alienated from his own father, Jonathan, for years. Aaron suggests he visit him after the show; instead, Aldous insists they go to Las Vegas to see Jonathan. Sergio, having been keeping tabs on the two, arrives to take control of the situation. Meanwhile, Aldous and Jonathan argue over Jonathan's seeming disinterest in his son outside of his career and his mockery of Aldous's mother. Sergio hooks Aaron up with a sexually violent girl, Destiny, who takes him to a hotel room and rapes him. After Aaron tells Aldous that he has been raped, Aldous gives him a laced marijuana joint to calm him down. He has a bad trip, causing a fight that inadvertently sets the hotel lounge on fire.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Believing he is having a heart attack, Aldous attempts to help Aaron by giving him an adrenaline shot. They flee a drugged up Sergio to Los Angeles, where Aaron convinces Aldous to visit Jackie Q. She has been sleeping with Metallica's drummer, Lars Ulrich, and confesses that Naples is not actually Aldous's biological son. Meanwhile, Aaron goes to his home to apologize to Daphne. They are interrupted when Aldous arrives, proposing a threesome. Daphne agrees and Aaron hesitantly goes along.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Aaron angrily decides to kiss Aldous, ending the tryst. Daphne and Aaron both immediately regret it, and Aaron angrily tells Aldous to go, criticizing his mental state. Instead of preparing for his show, he goes to the rooftop of the Standard Hotel, and calls Aaron, threatening to jump. Aaron rushes to the hotel and attempts to talk him down.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Aaron arrives, in time to stop Aldous from jumping. Nevertheless, Aldous jumps into a pool several floors down, breaking his arm. Aldous tells him that he is lonely, sad, and embarrassed, but is reminded that thousands of fans love him and are waiting to see him. Aldous decides to perform at the Greek Theatre, although Aaron pleads for him to go to the hospital. Upon their arrival, Sergio offers Aaron drugs to give to Aldous so he will not cancel the concert. Aaron, tired of Sergio's abuse, quits on the spot, then walks stage-side with Aldous, trying to convince him to go to the hospital. However, seeing how happy Aldous is while performing, he heads home to reconcile with Daphne.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Months later, Aldous, sober again, has returned to fame with a single produced by Aaron based on events from their night in Las Vegas.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: A week after the release of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", Universal Studios announced a new film, "Get Him to the Greek", reuniting Jonah Hill and Russell Brand with writer/director Nicholas Stoller and producer Judd Apatow. "Variety" initially announced the project would focus on "fresh-out-of-college insurance adjuster (Hill) who is hired to accompany an out-of-control rock star (Brand) from London to a gig at L.A.'s Greek Theatre." In July 2008, Brand mentioned that he would be reprising his Aldous Snow role from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", in a new film from Apatow in which the character was back on drugs.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: In an interview with "CHUD.com", Apatow would later reveal that "Get Him to the Greek" was indeed a spin-off of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" with Brand again playing a no-longer-sober Aldous Snow while in a different interview Nicholas Stoller said that Jonah Hill will play a different character named Aaron Green, a young music executive.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: While Brand was backstage at the Paramount studio lot preparing to present the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, he approached Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Katy Perry about filming cameos for "Get Him to the Greek".


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Rehearsals began on April 27, 2009 and filming began on May 12 of that year. The film was shot in New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and London. News footage featured in the film was filmed after a Russell Brand stand up performance of "Scandalous" at the O2 Arena in London, which most of the audience stayed for. While filming in Trafalgar Square, Brand was pushed into a fountain by a passerby.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: "Get Him to the Greek" grossed $61 million in the United States and Canada and $30.7 million overseas bringing its worldwide total to $91.7 million, against a production budget of $40 million.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: "Get Him to the Greek" was released alongside "Killers" and "Marmaduke", and in its opening weekend debuted second at the box office behind "Shrek Forever After" with $17.6 million. The film fell to fourth the following week with a weekend gross of $10.1 million.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: In the UK, "Get Him to the Greek" opened at No. 1 grossing £1.6 million in its first week before dropping to No. 2 the following week with takings of £1 million.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, "Get Him to the Greek" has an approval rating of 73% based on 203 reviews, with an average rating of 6.30/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Thanks to a suitably raunchy script and a pair of winning performances from Jonah Hill and Russell Brand, "Get Him to the Greek" is one of the year's funniest comedies." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film three out of four stars, writing: "under the cover of slapstick, cheap laughs, raunchy humor, gross-out physical comedy and sheer exploitation, "Get Him to the Greek" also is fundamentally a sound movie."


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: A scene in which Jonah Hill is forcibly raped has been lambasted by critics as being "particularly egregious" and "horrific" and of furthering rape culture by "reinforc(ing) cultural myths surrounding the acceptance of rape."


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: A 2-disc and 1-disc unrated and theatrical version of the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on September 28, 2010.


title: Get Him to the Greek

text: Kim Garner, the senior vice president of marketing and artist development at Universal Republic Records, said that Brand and Universal Pictures "felt very strongly about doing something like this as opposed to a traditional soundtrack," and that they "wanted to release it like we would an actual rock band's album."


title: Steve McClaren

text: Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English former professional footballer and coach who currently serves as an assistant coach for Premier League club Manchester United, in his second spell at the club.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren began his coaching career with Oxford United, before joining Derby County in 1995. In 1999, McClaren was hired by Manchester United as Brian Kidd's replacement as Alex Ferguson's assistant manager. He held that position for two years, until he was hired as manager of Middlesbrough. During his tenure, Middlesbrough won their first (and thus far only) major trophy, the League Cup in 2004. They were also UEFA Cup runners-up in 2006. He was appointed manager of the England national team in August 2006, but was dismissed a year later after England failed to qualify for UEFA Euro 2008, and was the subject of strong media criticism.


title: Steve McClaren

text: In 2008, McClaren was appointed manager of Dutch club Twente, with whom he won the club's first ever Eredivisie championship in 2010. Soon afterwards he took over at VfL Wolfsburg in Germany, though he was dismissed mid-season due to poor results. After a short spell as manager of Nottingham Forest, he returned to Twente in 2012. His second stint with Twente was less successful then his first however, and McClaren resigned in early 2013. He returned to Derby later that year, leading the club to the play-offs in the 2013–14 season, but failed to win promotion and he was dismissed in 2015. He was soon appointed as head coach of Newcastle United, but was dismissed after less than year after winning only six of his 28 Premier League matches in charge. He had a second spell as Derby manager from October 2016 to March 2017 and in 2018, McClaren was appointed manager of Queens Park Rangers, before being dismissed in April 2019.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren was born on 3 May 1961 in Fulford, York, the son of Margaret (née Bogg) and Brian McClaren who had married the previous year. Described as "Yorkshire born and bred", McClaren's ancestors worked variously as miners, brewers, cotton mill workers, labourers, and farmworkers, and in domestic service.


title: Steve McClaren

text: As a child, McClaren attended Nunthorpe Grammar School after passing his eleven-plus, preferring it over a closer school because of the emphasis which was placed on sports. In order to attend he had to cycle a daily four-mile round trip across York. This is cited as an example of his determination to succeed in sport. At school he played rugby, tennis, squash and was captain of the school's football team. He also played for York Boys under-15 team and represented the county of Yorkshire. Playing as midfielder, McClaren is remembered as being a "tidy" player, "skilful on the ball" and "head and shoulders above the rest."


title: Steve McClaren

text: As a player, McClaren was a midfielder who spent most of his career in the lower leagues of English football. The bulk of his playing career was with Hull City, who he joined in 1979 at the age of 18 after leaving school, He went on to play 178 games scoring 16 goals before leaving in 1985. He then played for Derby County between 1985 and 1988, making 25 appearances.


title: Steve McClaren

text: During 1987, he joined Lincoln City (on loan) making only eight appearances. In 1988, he moved to Bristol City and played 61 times, scoring two goals. He joined his final club, Oxford United, in 1989. He played 33 times for Oxford before an injury forced him to retire in 1992.


title: Steve McClaren

text: After retiring from playing, McClaren began his coaching career as a youth and reserve team coach at Oxford United, where Denis Smith was manager. He moved back to Derby County in 1995, where he was assistant manager to Jim Smith. The pair won promotion to the Premier League in their first season in charge, establishing themselves in this division and later enjoyed further consolidation in the top flight.


title: Steve McClaren

text: In early 1999, McClaren moved to Manchester United as assistant to Alex Ferguson, replacing Brian Kidd. At the time, he was so little known that he was introduced by United chairman Martin Edwards as "Steve McClaridge", perhaps confusing him with the former Leicester City striker Steve Claridge. His first half-season was distinguished by United winning the treble, consisting of the Premier League title, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. He developed the reputation as one of the most tactically astute coaches in the country, using modern methods such as video analysis and sports psychologists. United later won the League titles in 2000 and 2001, thus ensuring they won every title contested while McClaren was at the club.


title: Steve McClaren

text: In October 2000, McClaren was made a coach in the England national team by caretaker-manager Peter Taylor. He retained the position under permanent manager Sven-Göran Eriksson until November 2002, combining the job with his roles at club level. However, he returned to assist Eriksson as assistant manager shortly before UEFA Euro 2004 as Brian Kidd had undergone surgery for prostate cancer. He remained in the role up to and including the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals.


title: Steve McClaren

text: At the end of the 2000–01 season, McClaren began looking for a managerial job, having decided his chances of succeeding Ferguson at Old Trafford were slim; at the time, Ferguson was planning to retire the following summer, but would ultimately remain in charge of United for a further 11 seasons. With a positive reputation and closely linked with three Premier League vacancies, Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson won the race to appoint him after McClaren turned down Southampton and West Ham United. His appointment came after the resignation of former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson, who had been in charge of the Teesside club for seven years and established them as a Premier League club. In his first season, Middlesbrough reached the FA Cup semi-final, knocking out his previous employers Manchester United in the fourth round, but lost 0–1 to Arsenal. They finished 12th in the league, a small improvement on the previous season's 14th-place finish. The following season brought another modest improvement, this time finishing 11th, although they had been in higher positions – and the race for a UEFA Cup place – for most of the season.


title: Steve McClaren

text: In the 2003–04 season, McClaren guided Boro to victory in the League Cup with a 2–1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the final. This was the club's first ever major honour and also guaranteed them qualification for a European competition for the first time in their 128-year history. In the following close season, McClaren was able to attract proven players Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Michael Reiziger and Mark Viduka to the Riverside Stadium. The signings paid dividends as the club reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup, having beaten more experienced sides such as Lazio, before being eliminated by Sporting CP. The club finished in seventh position in the Premier League – their best finish since 1975 – ensuring qualification for the UEFA Cup for a second successive season.


title: Steve McClaren

text: The 2005–06 season proved to be the most eventful of McClaren's tenure at Middlesbrough. The club endured mediocre league form, losing at home to local rivals Sunderland (who finished the season relegated with just three wins from 38 games) and suffering a 7–0 thrashing at Arsenal, putting the club in relegation form. During a 4–0 defeat at home to Aston Villa, a Middlesbrough fan ran onto the pitch and threw his season ticket at McClaren signifying his disgust at the club's performances. Boro eventually finished in a secure 14th place but enjoyed greater success in the cup competitions, reaching the latter stages of both the FA and UEFA Cups. They lost 0–1 to West Ham United in the FA Cup semi-finals. In the UEFA Cup, Middlesbrough were losing on aggregate in the second legs of both the quarter and semi-final ties against Basel and Steaua București respectively. After McClaren substituted defenders with attackers, Boro produced two spectacular four-goal comebacks in both ties to reach the final. In the final, however, Middlesbrough were outclassed by Sevilla and lost 4–0.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren's five-year tenure on Teesside saw him establish himself as Middlesbrough's most successful manager as he made the often difficult transition from coach to manager. He was the first manager to guide them to a major trophy and the first to guide them to qualification for a European competition. He was also the most successful English manager of the early 21st century; he was the first Englishman to win a major honour since 1996 and first to reach a European final with an English club since 1985. Many Boro fans, however, were indifferent about his departure, believing Steve Gibson, the club chairman, to be more important to their success.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren was accused by rival managers of having a "pot of gold" provided by Gibson to buy players, giving him an advantage over other teams (except perhaps the biggest few clubs in the league) when signing players. Despite this, towards the latter end of his tenure McClaren was criticised by some supporters for using negative tactics and earning Middlesbrough the tag of a "dull" side. Some observers attributed Middlesbrough's success to the senior, experienced players in the side rather than McClaren's managerial ability.


title: Steve McClaren

text: After Eriksson announced in January 2006 that he would leave as England manager after the 2006 World Cup finals, McClaren was placed on The FA's shortlist to succeed him, alongside Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley, Martin O'Neill and Luiz Felipe Scolari. The FA first offered the position to Scolari, but he rejected the offer, claiming that the role would mean excessive media intrusion in his life. McClaren, however, was subsequently announced as Eriksson's successor on 4 May 2006 after signing a four-year contract. The nature of his appointment earned him the nickname "Second Choice Steve". The appointment was praised by the likes of Alex Ferguson and Trevor Brooking. McClaren assumed control of the national team on 1 August 2006. McClaren chose popular former England coach Terry Venables as his assistant, a move seen by some as an attempt to counter the lack of enthusiasm for McClaren. He also hired public relations guru Max Clifford to manage his relationship with the media.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren's first decision was to choose the new England captain. He decided to give the arm band to John Terry, the Chelsea defender and captain who at the time had 24 England caps, saying, "I'm convinced he will prove to be one of the best captains England has ever had." In his first squad, McClaren dropped many of the national team's older players including Sol Campbell, David James and former captain David Beckham, saying he was planning for "a different direction". McClaren, however, stated that there was still a chance that Beckham could be recalled in the future.


title: Steve McClaren

text: After starting qualification for UEFA Euro 2008 well with two wins, England hit a poor run of form between October 2006 and March 2007 with only one goal scored in five matches, by which time they had fallen to fourth in their qualification group. During a match against Andorra in March 2007, McClaren and the England team received abuse from supporters during a poor performance in a 3–0 win. McClaren walked out of the post-match press conference after only two minutes of questions, saying, "Gentlemen, if you want to write whatever you want to write, you can write it because that is all I am going to say. Thank you."


title: Steve McClaren

text: In May 2007, McClaren made a U-turn by recalling David Beckham into the England squad. England subsequently had a run of four wins from six matches, which boosted the country's hopes of qualification for Euro 2008, before a defeat against Russia in October 2007 caused their qualification fate to fall out of their hands. The FA's chief executive, Brian Barwick, gave his backing to McClaren, despite the defeat. McClaren was also backed by players Phil Neville and Steven Gerrard, his predecessor Eriksson, and the chief executive of the League Managers Association, John Barnwell.


title: Steve McClaren

text: The results of other matches in England's qualification group meant that England would qualify as the second place team by avoiding a loss in their final group match against Croatia, who had already clinched first place in the group. The match was played at Wembley on 21 November 2007 and England lost 3–2; coupled with Russia's victory over Andorra, this meant that England failed to qualify for Euro 2008. It was the first time since 1993 that England had not qualified for a major tournament, and the first time they had missed the European Championships since UEFA Euro 1984.


title: Steve McClaren

text: The following day, The FA held an emergency meeting at which McClaren was removed from the post of England coach along with his assistant manager, Terry Venables. McClaren's tenure is the second shortest of any England manager, spanning just 18 games in 16 months, only superseded by Sam Allardyce's one game in 67 days. On 14 December 2007, it was announced McClaren's post had been taken up by Fabio Capello commencing from 7 January 2008.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren announced in February 2008 he would consider managing in either the Championship or abroad in his next job. In May, McClaren had a brief spell coaching then League Two side Darlington, assisting his former Derby County and Oxford United teammate Dave Penney. In April, the BBC announced McClaren would join them as a pundit for Euro 2008, working as analyst and co-commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live, alongside Alan Green, one of his harshest critics as England manager. McClaren's first commentary game was Austria–Croatia on 8 June 2008, Croatia having been the team chiefly responsible for England's non-qualification for the tournament, having beaten England twice in qualifying.


title: Steve McClaren

text: In May 2008, McClaren was linked with a return to football as manager of the Dutch Eredivisie side Twente. He was in the crowd for a match against Ajax on 18 May, seeing Twente qualify for the Champions League. In response to speculation, a Twente spokesman initially stated that the club had no intention of hiring McClaren. Later that month, however, it was reported McClaren had held talks with Twente chairman Joop Munsterman and had toured the club, despite question marks from some Twente fans to his possible appointment. When he was initially offered the Twente managerial job, McClaren turned it down due to private issues and on 7 June he expressed an interest in the vacant managerial role at Blackburn Rovers. On 20 June, however, he was confirmed as the new manager of Twente.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren made a good start to the 2008–09 season. The club went on to secure second place in the Eredivisie behind winners AZ, reached the final of the KNVB Cup (losing on penalties to Heerenveen) and on the European front, the club survived group stages in the UEFA Cup, having beaten amongst others Racing de Santander and Schalke 04, managed by McClaren's predecessor at Twente, Fred Rutten. It was the first time in 30 years that the club had remained in European competition beyond winter. Twente were eventually knocked out on penalties in the Round of 32 by Marseille.


title: Steve McClaren

text: At the start of the 2009–10 campaign, McClaren's second season at Twente, there were question-marks over how well newcomers Bryan Ruiz and Miroslav Stoch would be able to replace the departed Eljero Elia and Marko Arnautović, who had been at the core of Twente's second-place finish in the league the preceding year. McClaren, however, led the team to some impressive results, with Twente reaching the top of the Eredivisie in October and remaining top throughout the next few months. Twente, which had never won an Eredivisie title in its history, continued to top the league in the latter part of the season, holding off the likes of renowned competitors PSV and Ajax, and seriously emerged as title favourites. They also reached the first knockout round of the inaugural Europa League, where they were defeated by Werder Bremen. McClaren signed a one-year extension to his contract in October 2009.


title: Steve McClaren

text: On 2 May 2010, Twente were crowned champions for the first time in their history after a 2–0 win away to NAC Breda. On winning the Eredivisie, McClaren became the first Englishman to manage a team to a top-level domestic league title since Bobby Robson with Porto in 1996 (Robson also won the Dutch title with PSV in 1991 and 1992). Robson had in fact been a major influence in McClaren's decision to go to the Netherlands. According to McClaren, "The relationship I had with Bobby was very special. He was a good friend and was of big influence on my decision to join FC Twente. I'd like to think that he'll be watching from a cloud up above and wishes us the best as we play the last game in the league against NAC."


title: Steve McClaren

text: Twente won 16 of 17 home matches in the Eredivisie league that season and lost just two away. Twente withstood immense pressure from Martin Jol's Ajax (who won their last 14 games in a row and had a goal difference of +86, more than double Twente's +40) during the second half of the season and trumped the Amsterdam side by one point difference on the last day of the league to claim the title. Upon winning the championship, McClaren stated, "Winning the Carling Cup with Middlesbrough was special but this is pretty much right up at the top of anything I've ever done. To win a championship in a foreign country with foreign coaches, I think it's made me stronger."


title: Steve McClaren

text: At the end of the season, McClaren was awarded the Rinus Michels Award for Dutch manager of the season.


title: Steve McClaren

text: Despite winning the Dutch league with Twente, McClaren left the club on 11 May 2010 to take over as manager of Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, making him the first Englishman to manage a German top flight football club. Wolfsburg lost their first three league matches under McClaren – including a 2–1 injury time away loss to Bayern Munich on the opening day of the season, followed by a 4–3 home loss to Mainz 05 having led 3–0 after 30 minutes – but got off the mark with a 2–0 home win against Hannover 96. Wolfsburg then won their next two matches convincingly to rise to sixth in the table.


title: Steve McClaren

text: Despite struggling in the league, on 23 December 2010 the club publicly showed a vote of confidence in McClaren. Due to further poor results, however, on 7 February 2011, the board decided to dismiss McClaren with immediate effect.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren succeeded Billy Davies as manager of Nottingham Forest on 13 June 2011. McClaren made five signings by getting Andy Reid to return to his former club from Blackpool on a free transfer, Ishmael Miller from West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £1.2 million, Matt Derbyshire for an undisclosed fee from Olympiacos. George Boateng on a free transfer from Skoda Xanthi and Jonathan Greening from Fulham for a fee of £600,000. After Forest only won eight points from his first ten league games in charge, McClaren resigned as manager on 2 October 2011.


title: Steve McClaren

text: On 5 January 2012, Twente confirmed that McClaren has been appointed as the club's manager for the second time. In the press conference after being unveiled as manager, McClaren said his return to Twente was "an easy decision" to make and wanted to set his sights on winning the Eredivisie title.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren made his first match back as manager for the second time when Twente hammered RKC Waalwijk 5–0. His return was welcomed by the club's supporters, who wore "Welcome Back Steve" T-shirts during Saturday's game. In the January transfer window, McClaren caused controversy when he sold one of their best strikers, Marc Janko, to Porto for approximately £5 million. Despite this, McClaren invested money to sign Wesley Verhoek from ADO Den Haag for £1.5 million (a player McClaren had previously tried to sign while in charge at Nottingham Forest but the proposed deal fell through) and Glynor Plet from Heracles Almelo for £1.5 million. McClaren also signed Joshua John and Daniel Fernandes on a free transfer.


title: Steve McClaren

text: After a disappointing sixth place, Twente invested in new players including Dušan Tadić and Luc Castaignos. Twente made it through the group stages of the Europa League, while winning the first six league matches. McClaren became the second foreign trainer in the Eredivisie who has coached more than 100 matches. After growing criticism from supporters, McClaren resigned his position on 26 February 2013, stating, "We agree the Club is bigger than any one individual and Twente is too big in my heart to stand in the way of its progress."


title: Steve McClaren

text: On 2 July 2013, McClaren became part of Harry Redknapp's coaching staff at Queens Park Rangers in the Championship after agreeing a short-term, three-month deal. However, In September, McClaren returned to Derby County when he was appointed head coach to replace Nigel Clough, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract. He appointed former Derby winger Paul Simpson and former Manchester United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele to his backroom staff. Derby's first match following McClaren's appointment was at home to Ipswich Town, though academy manager Darren Wassall took charge of the team. With Derby trailing 4–1 at half time, McClaren entered the home dressing room to give a "rousing" speech to inspire a Derby fight back for a 4–4 draw. McClaren's first two games in charge brought successive victories, as he earned Derby their first league home win of the season with a tenth successive victory over Leeds United (3–1) and inflicted Watford's first home defeat of the season with a 3–2 away win. The Watford victory earned McClaren the LMA Performance of the Week award.


title: Steve McClaren

text: After Derby picked up 19 points from a possible 21 in December 2013, McClaren was awarded the Championship Manager of the Month award. Derby went on to finish third in the Championship in the 2013–14 season, amassing 85 points and qualifying for the Championship play-offs. After beating Brighton & Hove Albion over two legs in the semi-finals, Derby faced McClaren's former employers QPR in the final at Wembley Stadium, where they lost 1–0 to a last minute Bobby Zamora goal. This left Derby's quest for a return to the Premier League extending into its seventh season.


title: Steve McClaren

text: Derby enjoyed a strong opening two-thirds of the 2014–15 season, topping the table on three separate occasions and reaching the League Cup quarter-finals. However, after a 2–0 victory over Charlton Athletic on 24 February took Derby to the top of the division, their form nose-dived and they managed just two wins, against eventually relegated Wigan Athletic and Blackpool, in their remaining 13 fixtures. They missed out on the play-offs altogether after a 3–0 defeat at home to Reading on the last day of the season, when a point would have sufficed. The drastic loss in form was attributed by McClaren to injuries to key players, especially striker Chris Martin, although local press also believed that constant speculation linking McClaren to the Newcastle United job had been a contributing factor. On 25 May 2015, McClaren was dismissed by Derby.


title: Steve McClaren

text: On 10 June 2015, McClaren was appointed as the replacement for caretaker manager John Carver as head coach of Premier League side Newcastle United. He signed a three-year deal with the club, with an option to extend the contract to eight years. He was also appointed to the Newcastle United board of directors, along with chief scout Graham Carr and club ambassador Bobby Moncur. On 18 October, after eight matches without a win, McClaren won his first Premier League game as manager of Newcastle with a 6–2 home victory against Norwich City. This was McClaren's first win in the Premier League since his Middlesbrough side beat West Ham 2–0 on 17 April 2006.


title: Steve McClaren

text: Six days after a 3–1 home defeat to AFC Bournemouth, McClaren was dismissed by Newcastle on 11 March 2016.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren returned to Derby on 12 October 2016 for a second spell as manager after the departure of Nigel Pearson. His first game in charge during his second spell was a 1–0 home win against Leeds United. He was dismissed on 12 March 2017 after a 3–0 loss to Brighton.


title: Steve McClaren

text: In August 2017, McClaren joined Maccabi Tel Aviv as a coaching consultant. He vacated the post on 28 December.


title: Steve McClaren

text: On 18 May 2018, McClaren was appointed as the new manager of Championship club Queens Park Rangers on a two-year contract, replacing Ian Holloway, who was dismissed by the club a week previously after a poor run of results in their previous league campaign.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren was dismissed as QPR manager on 1 April 2019 following a 2–1 home defeat to Bolton Wanderers on 30 March 2019 and a run of one win in 15 games.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren returned to Derby County on 24 November 2020 when being appointed as technical director. He stepped down from this role on 28 September 2021 after Derby entered administration, but remained at the club as a part-time senior adviser.


title: Steve McClaren

text: On 23 May 2022, it was confirmed that McClaren would be returning to Manchester United to join first team manager Erik ten Hag as part of his backroom coaching staff.


title: Steve McClaren

text: McClaren is married to Kathryn, with whom he has three sons. As of 2006, McClaren lived in the town of Yarm in Stockton-on-Tees. On becoming manager of VfL Wolfsburg, McClaren moved with his wife and youngest son to Germany, taking residence on Herr Island.


title: IPod Classic

text: The iPod Classic (stylized and marketed as iPod classic and formerly iPod Video or just iPod) is a discontinued portable media player created and formerly marketed by Apple Inc.


title: IPod Classic

text: There were six generations of the iPod Classic, as well as a spin-off (the iPod Photo) that was later re-integrated into the main iPod line. All generations used a hard drive for storage. The "classic" suffix was formally introduced with the rollout of the sixth-generation iPod on September 5, 2007. Prior to this, all iPod Classic models were simply referred to as iPods; the first iPod released in 2001 was part of this line that would be called "Classic". It was available in silver or black from 2007 onwards, replacing the "signature iPod white".


title: IPod Classic

text: On September 9, 2014, Apple discontinued the iPod Classic. The sixth-generation 160 GB iPod Classic was the last Apple product to use the original 30-pin dock connector and the distinctive click wheel.


title: IPod Classic

text: iPods with color displays use anti-aliased graphics and text, with sliding animations. All iPods have five buttons and the later generations (4th and above) have the buttons integrated into the click wheel — a design which gives an uncluttered, minimalist interface, though the circuitry contains multiple momentary button switches. The buttons are:


title: IPod Classic

text: The iPod's operating system is stored on its dedicated storage medium. An additional NOR flash ROM chip (either 1 MB or 512 KB) contains a bootloader program that tells the device to load its OS from the storage medium. Each iPod also has 32 MB of RAM, although the 60 GB and 80 GB fifth generation, and the sixth-generation models have 64 MB. A portion of the RAM is used to hold the iPod OS loaded from firmware, but the majority of it serves to cache songs from the storage medium. For example, an iPod could spin its hard disk up once and copy approximately 30 MB of upcoming songs into RAM, thus saving power by not requiring the drive to spin up for each song. Custom firmware has also been developed such as Rockbox (up to 1G - 6G requires emCORE) and iPodLinux (up to 5G, 6G has an encrypted firmware.) which offer open-source alternatives to the standard firmware and operating system.


title: IPod Classic

text: In March 2002, Apple added limited PDA-like functionality: text files can be displayed, while contacts and schedules can be viewed and synchronized with the host computer.


title: IPod Classic

text: Some built-in games are available, including "Brick" (a clone of Breakout), Parachute, "Solitaire", and "iPod Quiz". A firmware update released in September 2006 brought some extra features to fifth-generation iPods including adjustable screen brightness, gapless playback, and downloadable games. However, as of September 30, 2011, these games are no longer available on the iTunes Store.


title: IPod Classic

text: Apple introduced the first-generation iPod (M8541) on October 23, 2001, with the slogan "1,000 songs in your pocket". They went on sale on November 10, 2001. The first iPod had a monochrome LCD (liquid-crystal display) screen and featured a 5 GB hard drive capable of storing 1,000 songs encoded using MP3 and was priced at . Among the iPod's innovations were its small size, achieved using a 1.8" hard drive, whereas other HDD-based competitors (like earlier DEC Personal Jukebox player) were using 2.5" hard drives at the time, and its easy-to-use navigation, which was controlled using a mechanical scroll wheel (unlike later iPods, which had touch-sensitive scroll wheels), a center select button, and four auxiliary buttons around the wheel. The iPod had a rated battery life of ten hours.


title: IPod Classic

text: On March 20, 2002, Apple introduced a 10 GB model of the first-generation iPod for . VCard compatibility was added, as well as allowing iPods to display business card information synced from a Mac.


title: IPod Classic

text: The second-generation of the iPod was introduced on July 17, 2002. Using a similar body style as the first generation, the top of the iPod was redesigned, switching from a single swooping cutout in the backplate to mount the FireWire port, hold switch and headphone assembly, to individual ports being cut into the backplate to allow these ports to be accessed. Furthermore, the hold switch was redesigned, a cover was added to the FireWire port, and the mechanical wheel was replaced with a touch-sensitive wheel. The second-generation class was available in 10GB for and 20 GB for . The first-generation 5GB iPod was carried over, but its price was reduced to .


title: IPod Classic

text: Notably, the second-generation iPods and the updated first-generation iPod were now Windows-compatible. These versions came with a 4-pin to 6-pin FireWire adapter and were bundled with Musicmatch Jukebox. At that time iTunes was Mac only and unavailable for Windows.


title: IPod Classic

text: In December 2002, Apple unveiled its first limited edition iPods, with either Madonna's, Tony Hawk's, or Beck's signature or No Doubt's band logo engraved on the back for an extra .


title: IPod Classic

text: On April 29, 2003, Apple announced a completely redesigned third-generation iPod. Thinner than the previous models, the third-generation models replaced the FireWire port with a new proprietary 30-pin Dock Connector and introduced the Touch Wheel, a completely non-mechanical interface with the four auxiliary buttons located in a row between the screen and the touch wheel. The front plate had rounded edges, and the rear casing was slightly rounded as well. A new wired remote connector was introduced. Whereas first and second-generation iPods had an auxiliary ring around the headphone port for the remote, the third-generation iPods had a 4-pin jack adjacent to the headphone port. A 10 GB model was sold for , a 15 GB model for , and a 30 GB model for . All iPods were now compatible with Mac and Windows out of the box, simply requiring Windows users to reformat the iPod before use on a PC and both iTunes and Musicmatch Jukebox were bundled with all iPods. The battery life was reduced to 8 hours, partially due to the use of a smaller lithium-ion battery as opposed to a lithium polymer battery.


title: IPod Classic

text: The 15 GB model was replaced by a 20 GB model and the 30 GB model was upgraded to 40 GB on September 8, 2003. The Windows-based Musicmatch Jukebox software was made obsolete and replaced by iTunes 4.1, the first version available for Microsoft Windows.


title: IPod Classic

text: Announced on July 19, 2004, the fourth-generation iPod replaced the touch wheel from the third-generation iPod with the Click Wheel from the iPod Mini, putting the four auxiliary buttons underneath a touch-sensitive scroll wheel. The casing was also slightly slimmer. Pricing was reduced and the lineup was simplified, as the 20 GB model was sold for and the 40 GB model for . Notably, Apple began reducing pack-in accessories starting with the fourth generation. While a dock, carrying case, and wired remote were previously included with higher-end iPods, the higher-level 40 GB iPod only came with a dock, earphones and an interchangeable proprietary cable capable of USB and FireWire interface. In addition to using the iPod Mini's Click Wheel, the fourth-generation iPod used the more energy-efficient components of the Mini, allowing the fourth-generation iPod to over 12 hours of battery life while using the same battery as its predecessor.


title: IPod Classic

text: A special U2 edition was announced on October 26, 2004, to cross-market U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" album. The plastic front piece of the U2 edition iPod was black and the scroll wheel was red, to coincide with the color scheme of the U2 album. With 20 GB and the signatures of all four members of U2, the special edition iPod was priced at and also included a coupon for a collection of U2's entire back catalog. U2 iPod customers also received 30 minutes of exclusive U2 video downloadable from the iTunes Music Store.


title: IPod Classic

text: A Special Harry Potter Edition was announced on September 7, 2005. It was released in conjunction with the Harry Potter audiobooks in iTunes. It had a Hogwarts logo engraved on the back, and all six Harry Potter audiobooks which were available at the time preloaded.


title: IPod Classic

text: On October 26, 2004, in addition to the U2 edition, Apple also unveiled the iPod Photo. Positioned as a premium version of the standard fourth-generation iPod, the iPod Photo featured a 220×176-pixel LCD capable of displaying up to 65,536 colors. The device can be attached to a television or other external display for slideshows, thanks to a bundled composite cable which fits in the headphone port ("iPod AV cable"); it is also forwards compatible with then-future dock connector based composite and S-video accessories.


title: IPod Classic

text: Photos are stored in a proprietary database, which iTunes can generate from JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and PNG file formats sourced from either a folder, from Apple's iPhoto on the Macintosh, Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 or Photoshop Elements 3.0 on Windows. Battery life was rated 15 hours for music playback and 5 hours for slideshows with music. The iPod Photo was available in a 40GB version for and a 60GB version for .


title: IPod Classic

text: On February 23, 2005, both 40 GB models (photo and regular) were replaced with a slimmer and lower-priced () 30GB photo model leaving only a 20 GB black-and-white iPod left. The price for the 60 GB model was dropped to with fewer bundled accessories, making the dock, FireWire cable, and television cable extra-cost options. On the same day, Apple announced the iPod Camera Connector which allowed instant transfer of images from a USB-compatible digital camera to the iPod Photo. The main difference between this and Belkin's Digital Camera Link was that Apple's unit supported instant image viewing on the iPod Photo after transfer without having to connect the iPod Photo to a computer first.


title: IPod Classic

text: On June 28, 2005, just nine months after its introduction, the iPod Photo was merged with the rest of the iPod line. The 30 GB model was dropped, and the 20 GB monochrome iPod received a color screen. The price for the 60 GB model was also dropped to .


title: IPod Classic

text: The fifth-generation iPod was introduced on October 12, 2005, shortly after the introduction of the iPod Nano. The fifth-generation iPod featured a 2.5" 320×240 QVGA screen and a smaller Click Wheel. It was the first iPod to be able to play videos.


title: IPod Classic

text: The fifth-generation iPod, sometimes colloquially known as the "iPod Video", is the first iPod to be available in an alternative color scheme in a non-special-edition form, as a black option was added alongside "Signature iPod White", and marked the second full redesign of the iPod's aesthetic with its re-arranged proportions, its return to a fully flat front plate, and its more rounded rear casing. The 4-pin remote port was removed as well, causing backwards compatibility issues with certain accessories. A 30 GB model was offered for and a 60 GB model was offered for . The fifth-generation iPod was also offered in the U2 special edition for with 30 GB. The fifth-generation iPod was the last model to have a plastic face.


title: IPod Classic

text: The fifth-generation iPod was updated on September 12, 2006; this model is officially known as "iPod (Late 2006)", and is unofficially referred to as "5th generation enhanced" and "5.5th generation". This update included a brighter screen, longer video playback time, improved video decoding hardware, newly designed earphones and a search feature. An iTunes installation CD was also no longer bundled, requiring users to download iTunes from Apple's website. The 60GB model was replaced with an 80 GB model, and prices were cut by for both the 30 GB () and the 80 GB () models. Gapless playback and support for iPod games was enabled on all fifth-generation iPods through a firmware update released at the same time.


title: IPod Classic

text: The fifth-generation iPod plays video in MPEG-4 (up to 480p 2.5 Mbit/s) and H.264 (up to 240p, 768 kbit/s, baseline profile level 1.3 only) formats.


title: IPod Classic

text: The enhanced fifth-generation iPod, as well as firmware 1.2 for its predecessor, upgrade H.264 support to 480p 1.5 Mbit/s.


title: IPod Classic

text: As is the case for music, video content such as TV shows, podcasts, music videos, and movies may be purchased from the iTunes Store (with DRM, with rental options launched later), or sourced externally and imported via iTunes.


title: IPod Classic

text: Videos or photo slideshows may be played from the fifth-generation iPod on a television set, projector or monitor with the use of the Apple Composite AV cable or via an older dock providing an S-Video output. It is also possible to obtain composite video from the headphone jack, using an iPod AV Cable or generic equivalent (appropriately wired TRRS minijack), a feature removed from the following generation.


title: IPod Classic

text: During a special iPod marketing event on September 5, 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the sixth-generation iPod and the suffix "Classic", which distinguished it from the new iPod Touch based on the design of the iPhone. Featuring slightly thinner bodies, the sixth-generation iPod also had dramatically improved battery life, claiming up to 36 hours of music playback and 6 hours of video playback. The iPod Classic has a 2.5" backlit display at a resolution of 320×240. The front plate was made of anodized aluminium instead of polycarbonate plastic, and "Signature iPod White" was replaced by silver. The sixth-generation iPod also introduced a completely overhauled user interface, incorporating more graphics and Cover Flow. The iPod Classic was offered in an 80 GB model for MSRP and a 160 GB model for MSRP ; this capacity distinguished it from the iPod Touch, which was limited to 32 GB.


title: IPod Classic

text: The 160 GB hard drive is not fully ATA compatible, not supporting 48-bit LBA in favor of a proprietary addressing method; neither is LBA48 supported by the Apple-supplied operating system, inconveniencing people interested in upgrading the internal storage.


title: IPod Classic

text: Video playback specifications also received an upgrade over the previous generation, with further improvements to H.264 decoding (advertised up to 640x480p, baseline profile level 3.0, 2.5 Mbps bitrate; actual capabilities up to 720x576 at 5 Mbps with caveats) as well as supporting the Apple Component AV Cable with progressive scan, but removes support for cables without an authentication chip and those connecting to the headphone port.


title: IPod Classic

text: During the 'Let's Rock' Apple Event on September 9, 2008, the 80 GB and the thicker 160 GB model were discontinued in favor of a thin 120 GB version retailing for , sometimes unofficially called the "6.5th generation". It introduced Genius and full support for TRRS headsets with remote and mic, which are also available in other iPod models released at similar times; no firmware update provides either feature to the 2007 iPods. Also, the black model's faceplate was replaced with a gray colored faceplate, while retaining the silver backing and the black Click Wheel.


title: IPod Classic

text: Prior to the 'It's Only Rock and Roll' event on September 9, 2009, the price of the 120 GB version was dropped to . During the event, Apple replaced the 120 GB version with a 160 GB model, featuring the same slim profile of the 80 GB and 120 GB models. It retailed at . This model is sometimes colloquially known as the "7th generation", especially amongst the iPod community (despite it only offering few new features such as Genius Mixes, as well as supporting 48-bit sector numbers).


title: IPod Classic

text: There are four different U2 Special Edition iPod models, each with widely differing capabilities. However, each of the U2 models—the iPod U2 (4th Gen), iPod U2 (Color), iPod U2 (5th Gen/Video), and iPod U2 (5th Gen Enhanced) are the same internally as the "standard" iPod model available at the time, and the U2 models vary only in case design and cost.


title: IPod Classic

text: The original U2 iPod—the iPod U2 (4th Gen) is internally the same as the 20 GB configuration of the iPod (4th Generation), but uses a case with a black front, a red Click Wheel, and laser-etched signatures of the U2 band members on the stainless steel back. It shipped with an "exclusive" U2 poster, a -off coupon for "The Complete U2" downloadable "box set", and the standard white iPod earbuds. It cost more than the standard iPod (4th Gen).


title: IPod Classic

text: The second U2 iPod—the iPod U2 (Color)—is internally identical to the 20 GB configuration of the iPod (with Color Display). It uses a slightly thicker (.06 inches) version of the original U2 iPod case, complete with black front, red Click Wheel, and laser-etched signatures from the band members on a stainless-steel back, but it most notably adds a color display. It also shipped with the same poster, coupon, and earbuds, but only cost more than the standard iPod (with Color Display).


title: IPod Classic

text: The third and fourth U2 Special Edition iPods—the iPod U2 (5th Gen/Video), and iPod U2 (5th Gen Enhanced)—are internally identical to the iPod Fifth Generation (with Video) and iPod Fifth Generation (Enhanced), respectively, but each cost more than the standard models. Externally, both have a red Click Wheel and a "gloss black metal" rear case (featuring laser-etched autographs of the U2 band members like the other U2 models).


title: IPod Classic

text: According to speculation by "Wired", the 6th generation was, as of 2014, expected to be the final form of the iPod Classic that helped Apple achieve its success in the 2000s. Ars Technica speculated in 2011 that the iPod Classic was nearing its end, and the site's readers generally agreed it would not still be produced in 2013. The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in 2013 revealed no new iPod Classic, and Apple was not expected to produce another one. Production of the iPod Classic continued in low volumes as a stop-gap measure to clear out and monetize inventory of unused stand-alone parts.


title: IPod Classic

text: On September 9, 2014, Apple officially discontinued the iPod Classic. The sixth-generation 160 GB iPod Classic was the last Apple product in the iPod line to use the original 30-pin iPod connector and the Click Wheel. According to Tim Cook speaking at WSJD Live, the iPod Classic was discontinued because the parts were unavailable and a redesign was unwarranted given the small amount of consumer interest in the product.


title: Silkie

text: The Silkie (also known as the Silky or Chinese silk chicken) is a breed of chicken named for its atypically fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk and satin. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens only have four. They are often exhibited in poultry shows, and also appear in various colors. In addition to their distinctive physical characteristics, Silkies are well known for their calm, friendly temperament. It is among the most docile of poultry. Hens are also exceptionally broody, and care for young well. Although they are fair layers themselves, laying only about three eggs a week, they are commonly used to hatch eggs from other breeds and bird species due to their broody nature.


title: Silkie

text: It is unknown exactly where or when these fowl with their singular combination of attributes first appeared, but the most well documented point of origin is ancient China. Other places in Southeast Asia have been named as possibilities, such as India and Java. The earliest surviving Western written account of Silkies comes from Marco Polo, who wrote of a "furry" chicken in the 13th century during his travels in Asia. In 1598, Ulisse Aldrovandi, a writer and naturalist at the University of Bologna, Italy, published a comprehensive treatise on chickens which is still read and admired today. In it, he mentions "wool-bearing chickens" and ones "clothed with hair like that of a black cat".


title: Silkie

text: Silkies most likely made their way to the West via the Silk Route and maritime trade. The breed was recognized officially in North America with acceptance into the Standard of Perfection in 1874. Once Silkies became more common in the West, many myths were perpetuated about them. Early Dutch breeders told buyers they were the offspring of chickens and rabbits, while sideshows promoted them as having actual mammalian fur.


title: Silkie

text: In the 21st century, Silkies are one of the most popular and ubiquitous ornamental breeds of chicken. They are often kept as ornamental fowl or pet chickens by backyard keepers, and are also commonly used to incubate and raise the offspring of other chickens and waterfowl like ducks, geese and game birds such as quail and pheasants.


title: Silkie

text: Silkies are considered a bantam breed in some countries, but this varies according to region and many breed standards class them officially as large fowl; the bantam Silkie is actually a separate variety most of the time. Almost all North American strains of the breed are bantam-sized, but in Europe the standard-sized is the original version. However, even standard Silkies are relatively small chickens, with the males weighing only , and females weighing . The American Standard of Perfection calls for males that are , and females that are .


title: Silkie

text: Silkie plumage was once unique among chicken breeds, however in recent years silkie feathering has been developed in several breeds, mostly notably the Chabo, where it is now standardised in Britain and the Netherlands. It has been compared to silk, and to fur. The overall result is a soft, fluffy appearance. Their feathers lack functioning barbicels, and are thus similar to down on other birds. This characteristic leaves Silkies unable to fly.


title: Silkie

text: Silkies appear in two distinct varieties: bearded and non-bearded. Bearded Silkies have an extra muff of feathers under the beak area that covers the earlobes. They also are separated according to color. Colors of Silkie recognized for competitive showing include black, blue, splash, lavender, buff, grey, partridge, and white. Alternative hues, such as cuckoo, mottled, chocolate, mauve, mille fleur, and red, are in various stages of development and/or awaiting official recognition. The standards of perfection call for all Silkies to have a small walnut-shaped comb, dark wattles, and turquoise-blue earlobes. In addition to these defining characteristics, Silkies have five toes on each foot. Other breeds which exhibit this rare trait include the Dorking, Faverolles, Houdan, and Sultan.


title: Silkie

text: All Silkies have black or bluish skin, bones and grayish-black meat; they are in the group of Chinese fowls known by the Chinese language name of "wu gu ji" (烏骨雞), meaning 'black-boned chicken'. More specifically, the Silkie breed itself is named "Taihe wu ji ("泰和乌鸡), 'black-boned chicken from Taihe'. Other "wu gu ji" may not share characteristics of the Taihe breed, such as the mulberry comb, white fur, blue ears, and polydactyly.


title: Silkie

text: Melanism which extends beyond the skin into an animal's connective tissue is a rare trait, and in chickens it is caused by fibromelanosis, which is a rare mutation believed to have begun in Asia. The Silkie and several other breeds descended from Asian stock possess the mutation. Disregarding color, the breed does not generally produce as much as the more common meat breeds of chicken.