virginity

If you thought $200,000 was a lot to pay for a Virgin Galactic flight to the edge of space, try $1.5 million. Do note, however, that the steep ticket price includes Leo DiCaprio as your travel buddy.

A bidder at a Cannes charity auction agreed to fork out that much for a seat in space beside the star who played flight-mad Howard Hughes in "The Aviator." The money will benefit amfARa Cinema Against AIDS, hosted by amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

The winning bid was made by 37-year-old Vasily Klyukin, a Russian living in Monaco, according to Reuters.

"I want to be a bit daring," Klyukin was quoted as saying. "I will have to give up smoking now for sure!" … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Though the Samsung Galaxy S4 has been out in the world for a few weeks, its immediate predecessor continues to make the carrier rounds.

Today at CTIA 2013, Sprint announced that it is bringing the Galaxy S3 to its prepaid Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile brands next month. The device will operate on 3G and LTE networks for both operators.

The design and features of the reborn GS3 will be unchanged from the original version. Expect the same slim profile and 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, while inside you'll find Android 4.1.2 Jelly … Read more

Don't get me wrong, I still love my smartphones as much as any modern 21st-century kid. But there's something about whipping out a flip phone and then snapping it closed that is very gratifying and nostalgic. And while many phone manufacturers pump out high-tech handsets every season, it's nice to see that once in a while, a simple flip phone still makes it through the pipeline.

Not only do these handsets have the best call quality (and really, isn't that what phones are made for?), but they also are extremely simple to use and can withstand a good knock or two. Below, we've gathered our recent favorites.… Read more

News Corp. veteran Tom Mockridge has been named the next CEO of Virgin Media.

Mockridge has served in various senior management roles at Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. for over two decades, including chief executive of European Television operations, chief executive of Sky Italia, and most recently CEO of News International. Mockridge will succeed Neil Berkett, who announced his intention to retire as CEO of the U.K. cable operator following Liberty Global's acquisition plans.

Mike Fries, president and CEO of Liberty Global, said in a statement Wednesday, "Tom will bring to Virgin Media a breadth of experience … Read more

If you've got $200,000 to spend on a ticket to suborbital space, your spaceship is nearly ready.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, billed as the world's first commercial space plane, notched an important milestone today by firing its rocket engine during flight for the first time.

The test at Mojave Air and Space Port in California saw the passenger space plane detach from its dual-hull mothership, WhiteKnightTwo, at an altitude of 47,000 feet while being piloted by Mark Stucky and Mike Alsbury of builder Scaled Composites.

The pair then ignited the rocket motor, which propelled the craft up to 55,000 feet. During the 16-second engine burn, SpaceShipTwo went supersonic, hitting Mach 1.2. … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Virgin America flights allow mile-high flirting.

- Nintendo: Don't expect a big event at E3 this year.

- Next Xbox: Microsoft sets big reveal for May 21.

- Wii outsells Wii U.… Read more

It is possible to meet the lover of your dreams on a plane.

Usually, this involves being fortunate enough to have them sit next to you. Idle chatter is exchanged and, before you know it, you're living together.

A serious amount of serendipity is needed for a happy ending in the air. So Virgin America has decided it should broaden your chances.

As ClickOrlando teases it, your in-flight entertainment system will now offer the potential of some off-flight entertainment too.

For, should you see a man, woman or stuffed toy that sparks your amorous aspirations, you will be able … Read more

T-Mobile's decision to abolish contracts and cell phone subsidies has piqued the interest of consumers.

That's according to T-Mobile's senior vice president of marketing, Andrew Sherrard, and its executive vice president for corporate services, David Carey, who spoke to CNET today. Carey said traffic was up in all of the stores he visited after the carrier made its switch late last month and announced the changes during a high-profile event in New York.

"I have every reason to believe this momentum will continue and carry forward," he said, but conceded that it was too early … Read more

Virgin Mobile wants consumers to know that it's a major player in the no-contract wireless game too, and isn't afraid to spend a little money to show it.

Virgin set its sights directly on T-Mobile, offering $100 to T-Mobile customers willing to switch their number over and buy a smartphone before May 31.

Carriers will often provide incentives to switch, but rarely do they target a specific company. T-Mobile has made a lot of noise about its move to abolish contracts and subsidies, and Virgin Mobile, a business built on prepaid service and a unit of Sprint Nextel, … Read more