Behold the power of the Netflix queue: Parents binge watching all those popular series seem to be finding lots of inspiration for baby names.

“House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black” character monikers are all seeing a boost in popularity in one of the hottest naming trends of the year, according to BabyCenter’s Top 100 Baby Names of 2014 list and survey.

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Still, they’re no match for the overall powerhouse choices — Sophia for girls, and Jackson for boys — which are continuing their dominance at the top of the rankings.

Bethany Powell Smith / Facebook

No wonder she's smiling. Baby Olivia, the daughter of TODAY Parents reader Bethany Powell Smith, has one of the most popular names of 2014.

“Jackson has staying power and is not a one-hit wonder, and Sophia is arguably the Jennifer of its generation,” said Linda Murray, BabyCenter’s global editor in chief. “It’s clearly entered the baby name hall of fame.”

BabyCenter’s most popular names for girls are:

1. Sophia
2. Emma
3. Olivia
4. Ava
5. Isabella
6. Mia
7. Zoe
8. Lily
9. Emily
10. Madelyn

Michelle Hopper-Garcia

Sophia Joy, daughter of reader Michelle Hopper-Garcia, may share her name with a lot of other babies... but with that adorable face and pink bow, she's got a style all her own.

BabyCenter’s most popular names for boys are:

1. Jackson
2. Aiden
3. Liam
4. Lucas
5. Noah
6. Mason
7. Ethan
8. Caden
9. Jacob
10. Logan

The top three boys’ names are the same as last year, but Caden and Logan are new to the top 10 list, bumping out Jayden and Jack, BabyCenter said. The top three girls’ names have not changed for three years in a row, but Madelyn is new to the top 10 list, bumping out Chloe.

Leann Brashear McCuddy

Look at those baby blues! Mason Michael, born last April, is on trend with his name. With that face, he could be a Gerber model (we're sure mom Leann Brashear McCuddy agrees).

The list is based on the names of more than 400,000 babies born this year to parents registered on the BabyCenter website. The official U.S. government name popularity list comes out in the spring.

Want to name your baby after a member of the TODAY family? Al is gaining steam, with an 18 percent increase in popularity, along with Willie (up 15 percent) and Matt (up 14 percent). Among girls' names, Natalie and Savannah both increased 5 percent in popularity. Meanwhile, the names Carson, Kathryn and Hoda declined in popularity. If you're looking for a true original, try Tamron — no parents in the BabyCenter database gave their child Tamron's name this year.

The “Netflix Effect” was particularly big in 2014, BabyCenter noted. 

"This is the year of the binge-watching baby name,” Murray said. 

Several “Orange Is the New Black” monikers skyrocketed in popularity since last year, including Galina, up 67 percent, Nicky, up 35 percent, and Piper, up 28 percent.

“House of Cards” character names were also hot, including Frank, up 19 percent, and Claire, up 14 percent.

Television in general influenced many baby name decisions, BabyCenter found in a survey of families. Almost 20 percent of moms said they were inspired by TV-show characters and 16 percent looked to actors and actresses for baby name ideas.

“Destination names” are also big this year: Everest was up 70 percent for boys and 21 percent for girls, Verona was up 58 percent, and Bronx rose 34 percent.

Marcie Down Shoham

Marcie Down Shoham is a style-setter with her children's names: In addition to daughter Holland, pictured here, she also has a Boston, Mason, Myles and William.

Meanwhile, Disney’s “Frozen” just keeps going, with the names Elsa, Duke and Hans still gaining steam.

‘Little Couple’ stars talk new season, parenting, changing attitudes

Over the past six seasons, fans of TLC’s “The Little Couple” have watched Bill Klein and Jen Arnold start a family, build their dream house, overcome adversity and celebrate milestones.

With season seven of the reality TV series premiering Tuesday, viewers should expect another spectrum of emotion: In addition to caring for their two children Will, 4, and Zoey, 3, Arnold recovers from a stage-3 cancer battle and Klein frets over the dangers of looming back surgery.

Brian Bowen Smith / TLC

Bill Klein, second from left, and Jen Arnold, far right, are the stars of "The Little Couple," whose seventh season premieres Dec. 2. Their children are Will, far left, and Zoey, second from right.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Arnold, 40, told TODAY.com. “I made a full recovery. I’m nine months cancer-free. I think I’m still feeling some fatigue, but I think that’s probably now more because I’m a mom of two toddlers.”

Letting cameras film her family during that cancer battle during the show’s sixth season was a “bit of a difficult decision,” but she had her reasons for giving it the green light.

“When I was diagnosed, it was completely unexpected, and it came at a very challenging time, because we were in the midst of bringing home our daughter from India, and her acclimation process wasn’t as easy or as straightforward as Will’s had been,” Arnold recalled. “So, it was definitely ahard decision to make, whether or not to share the cancer journey. I think once we had some time to digest the diagnosis, feel like we were on a path of treatment, and sort of had our heads wrapped around everything that was going on, it became clear to me that I did want to share it. … I hoped that it would help others who might be dealing with a similar situation.”

Klein, also 40, said that after he hurt his back at the gym in October 2012, he was mulling surgery, but held off when Arnold received her cancer diagnosis. Six weeks ago, months after Arnold finished her chemo treatments, Klein finally went under the knife.

“It turns out back surgery is a real pain in the butt to recover from,” he said, “but I’m walking. … I’m excited that we’re getting back to some semblance of normal in the Klein-Arnold household.”

Their shared optimism stems from their upbringing, according to Klein.

“Growing up, we were taught to look at the positive side of things,” he added. “’The glass is half-full’ became kind of the motto in our household.”

Arnold agreed. “Our parents were very much focused on the fact that, you know, life may be hard, and we have different obstacles than other folks, but we still have a lot to be thankful for,” she said. “And the alternative to not being optimistic is a lot less fun.”

TLC

The family goes on a pirate ship adventure in Washington, D.C.

Arnold and Klein said they’re pleased to have brought about awareness and acceptance for little people.

“The world has changed,” added Arnold, who raved about the support from fans of the show. “People know us as Bill and Jen, and hopefully are realizing that when they meet other little people on the street, that they are people just like them. And that’s the goal. Do I still think we have a ways to go? Yes. I still think little people are often times the target of joking and ridicule. Unfortunately, we are not a large population that has a large voice, but our show has been an opportunity to at least try and make some of that better.”

Klein said he’s hoping the future will be better for his children, both of whom are little people too.

“I started getting picked on in school, physically and verbally,” he recalled. “(I’m) a stubborn New Yorker who’s overprotective of my family. My folks didn’t want anybody picking on me when I was a kid, and I fear for anybody who picks on my son or daughter.”

These rites of passage are unfolding quickly as their children mature.

“Watching them grow before our eyes is fantastic,” Arnold said. “Every day they do something — it could be something really small, like Will carrying around a fake cookie tray and trying to serve cookies — it makes you want to eat them up. It’s fun to see their personalities blossom. It’s amazing to see their speech evolve and improve. … It’s so exciting in every way to see them grow.”

Klein said their lives have changed dramatically since they adopted children, but he wouldn’t change a thing. “The thing that’s surprisingly stronger is our relationship,” he added. “Most people would think cancer and kids and building a house would put a strain on and test our relationship, but for me and Jen, I’m impressed that everything went as well as it did.”

Like many parents, Arnold sometimes laments the speed at which her kids are sprouting.

“Soon, Will is going to be bigger than his mommy,” she said, laughing.

Charity de Meer / TLC

Arnold and Klein celebrate their children's baptisms.

The seventh season of “The Little Couple” premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. Follow TODAY.com writer Chris Serico

Creature from the deep: Horrific images surface of mystery ‘monster’ skeleton that washed up on Russian beach) but is all REALLY what it seems?)

With its long body, sharp teeth and fur these images show what looks like a monster out of a horror movie.

And at first people were left baffled by the skeleton of the unknown animal, which was found by soldiers washed up on a Russian beach.

The discovery prompted the Russian special forces to remove the carcass to carry out an in-depth study on the 'unknown' skeleton. 

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The creature, which was found washed up on a beach on Sakhalin island in the most eastern part of Russia by soldiers 

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The remains appeared to show the animal once had a large mouth and sharp teeth, similar to that of a crocodile or alligator 

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The soldiers who discovered the bones snapped pictures of the unknown creature before it was taken away by Russian special forces 

But despite the theories that it could have been the remains of a pre-historic creature, it turned out the bones were in fact from a large beluga whale.  

The remains were discovered on the shoreline in Sakhalin, an island in the most eastern part of Russia, which is near to Japan.  

The images of the skeleton, which first emerged in 2006, were snapped by the soldiers before it was removed from the beach by Russian special forces.

But initial tests on the bones and teeth showed that it was not a fish, while the skeleton showed that it wasn't a crocodile or alligator.

It was also said to have measured in at around 20 feet long and had skin, with hair and fur.

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But after being examined by marine experts, it transpired that the skeleton was that of a beluga whale  

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The large fossil measured in at around seven metres long and had skin, with hair and fur

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Theories on what the animal might be had ranged from a whale to a plesiosaur, a marine creature from the triassic period, before it was established it was a beluga whale

But after several marine experts took one look at the pictures of the skeleton's skull, they quickly established that it was a beluga whale. 

They also released the picture of a whale's skull to show the similarity of the two sets of bones. 

Before being shown to be beluga whale, theories on what the remains could be had ranged for a whale to a plesiosaur, a pre-historic marine creature from the triassic period.  

Last year the remains of a similar-looking creature with a four-metre long body and horns, washed up in Villaricos, Spain.

An unfortunate swimmer stumbled across the head before coming across the rest of the body.

It was unknown the exact origin of the creature and due to the extent of the deterioration it meant most of the remains had to be buried for safety reasons.

 

Google Says These Are 2014’s Best Android Apps

Check out Google's list of the best of the best

With more than 1 million apps available, parsing through the Google Play Store can be a challenge. Google has provided some help by offering a list of the best Android apps of 2014. Whether you’re looking to stream a movie, learn a new language or manage your business calendar, chances are there’s an app that will fit the bill.

Here’s a look at what Google has highlighted as the best of the best:

Productivity

• Wunderlist: To-Do List & Tasks
• SwiftKey Keyboard
• IFTTT (If This, Then That)
• Sunrise Calendar
• Todoist: To-Do List, Task List
• Mailbox
• Offtime – Life Unplugged
• Rundavoo
• Money Tracker by BillGuard
• SlideShare Presentations
• Strive

Education

• TED
• Lumosity
• Duolingo
• Craftsy Classes
• Monki Chinese Class
• Child Mode & Time Education
• Amazing World Atlas

Entertainment

• Hulu
• Comedy Central
• Disney Movies Anywhere
• DramaFever
• 5by
• Dailymotion

• Yahoo News Digest
• BuzzFeed
• The Economist
• CNN
• New York Times
• Watchup: Your Daily Newscast

Music & Audio

• Shazam
• Pandora
• iHeartRadio
• Afterlight
• Musixmatch Music Player Lyrics
• djay 2
• TuneIn Radio
• Soundhound
• edjing – DJ Music
• Equalizer + MP3 player volume
• Ultimate Guitar

Sports & Fitness

• Onefootball – Pure Soccer!
• Golfshot: Golf GPS
• Univision Deportes
• 7 Minute Workout
• Google Fit

Shopping

• Wish
• Groupon

Photography

• Over
• EyeEm: CAmera & Photo Filter
• Facetune
• Carousel – Dropbox Photos
• Video Collage Maker
• Camera Zoom

Personalization

• Locket Lock Screen
• Link Bubble Browser

Social

• Timehop
• OKCupid
• Secret
• LINK – with people nearby
• Frontback
• Obscure
• Lettrs
• Telegram
• Samba: Videos + Reactions
• Bitmoji
• Skype Qik: Group Video Chat
• Viadeo

Travel

• Expedia
• Maps.ME
• Anywayanyday
• Minube
• Windfinder
• Uber

1. 

'I tried everything once': Madonna speaks candidly about drug experimentation... as she poses topless at 56 for edgy photo shoot

She's never been one to shy away from a candid interview or photo shoot.

And Madonna has stayed true to form with her latest chat and revealing set of editorial images in Interview magazine.

The 56-year-old pop icon has yet again crossed boundaries in the issue, with one of the more risqué shots fully showing her bare breasts.

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Bold as ever: Madonna poses in a deconstructed bra top and corset with stockings and suspenders in Interview magazine, fully revealing her breasts

The striking images, taken for the publication by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, show the singer contorting her body into various positions in boudoir-style underwear, basques and other sexually suggestive garments by Alexander McQueen.

Speaking to interviewer David Blaine for the magazine's 'Art issue', the outspoken star discussed her views on drug use, admitting that it's often a spiritual thing for people.

'It's about how people take drugs to connect to God or to a higher level of consciousness,' she said. 

'I keep saying 'Plugging into the matrix.' If you get high, you can do that, which is why a lot of people drop acid or do drugs, because they want to get closer to God. 

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Queen of posers: The 56-year-old teamed a black corset with a full skirt and straps over her ample cleavage

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Edgy: Madonna covered up in a PVC high neck top, while keeping her blonde hair curled and coiffed in a retro 1940s style

'But there's going to be a short circuit, and that's the illusion of drugs, because they give you the illusion of getting closer to God, but ultimately they kill you.'

She added that she herself had dabbled over the years: 'I mean, I tried everything once, but as soon as I was high, I spent my time drinking tons of water to get it out of my system. 

'As soon as I was high, I was obsessed with flushing it out of me. I was like, Okay, I'm done now.'

Madonna also told her famous interviewer about her deep connections to the concept of mortality.

'I became very obsessed with death, and the idea that you never know when death will arrive, so one has to do as much as possible all the time to get the most out of life,' she admitted.

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High fashion: As well as the more provocative shots, the pop icon wears ready-to-wear items from Alexander McQueen

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No fear: The star even posed with a snake above her head, as she revealed her slender legs in lilac stockings

Her honest admissions coincide with the high-end photo shoot, which portray Madonna as a provocative woman, at one with her body and sexuality.

And it's not the first time she's proudly displayed her figure: the Like A Virgin hitmaker has allowed herself to be photographed topless - and even in the nude - before.

Madonna famously posed for several nude photos for Herman Kulkens back in 1977 at the age of 18, and the images later were at the centre of a legal battle in 1985 when both Penthouse and Playboy attempted to print them 

She also posed naked for three photographers between 1978 and 1980.

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Pushing the boundaries: For one of the Interview covers, Madonna covers her face with a metal gag and flower

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Ecstasy: She's known for her ability to pull any pose - and shock with it - as well as her chart-topping ways and philanthropic efforts

And of course there was her famous coffee table book entitled Sex, which saw her reveal herself fully in the tome which was released alongside her raunchily-titled album Erotica in 1992.

She's no stranger to revealing herself, and certainly looks youthful in the images, with her blonde locks coiffed into a retro 1940s housewife style, juxtaposing with the provocative nature of the styling.

Madonna recently hit the news for her visit to Malawi along with her adopted children Mercy James and David Banda during which she was appointed Malawi’s Goodwill Ambassador for Child Welfare.

But as well as her philanthropic ways, she's still at her core an artist, and discussed her feelings on being creative and also learning to fail. 

She told Blaine: 'I'm not saying I'm great at failing, but if you're an artist and you're in the learning process, you accept that you're going to suck at things.

'We're all good intrinsically, just covered sometimes in filth and darkness, and our job is to get rid of it, to peel back the layers and reveal our goodness.'

As a woman who has been heavily focused on her career for the past three decades plus, she was asked what the most important profession is, in the world.

'Prostitution, of course,' she revealed.

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Revealing: Madonna opens up about everything from drugs to prostitution in the December/January issue of Interview magazine

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2856334/I-tried-Madonna-speaks-candidly-drug-experimentation-poses-topless-edgy-photo-shoot.html#ixzz3KnvLXcun
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Steve Jobs to Testify in Apple Trial From Beyond the Grave

The former Apple CEO recorded video deposition before his death in 2011

Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs is expected to make a posthumous appearance in court this week, defending Apple in a video deposition that was recorded in 2011, just months before his death from pancreatic cancer.

The class action lawsuit, which begins in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, will include a never-before-seen video in which Jobs addresses complaints that its music service violated antitrust laws, CNN reports. Plaintiffs allege that early iPod models were deliberately designed to play music purchased from the iTunes store, while blocking music purchased from rival services.

Jobs testifies that the incompatibility was built into Apple’s contracts with music labels. “We had pretty much black and white contracts with the labels,” he says in the video, according to CNN. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs are suing for $350 million in damages.