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How Can Tweens Think Miley's Worse Than Kanye?

10/29/2009 12:13:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , 0 Comments

Why have the tweens suddenly turned on Miley Cyrus? There was just a survey calling her a bad influence.

Like I KNOW, RIGHT? Especially because every single one of the people who voted in that survey on AOL is probably listening to "Party in the USA" right now. (And yes, Madison, Hailey, Breanna, Chloe and Zoe—I am talking to you.)

Given the raging success of the Hannah Montana movie and other Miley Cyrus juggernauts, it may seem odd that the tweens of America have suddenly decided to eat their own. They voted her their worst celebrity influence, just ahead of Britney Spears and Kanye West.

To understand why, look closer...

According to Stephanie Cohen, editor of AOL blog JSYK.com, which ran the survey, the biggest names in tweendom (9- to 15-year-olds), other than Cyrus, are:

* Taylor Swift
* the Twilight kids
* Justin Bieber
* and maybe Vanessa Hudgens

Aside from Hudgens' sort-of controversy involving nekkid pictures taken by her mebbe BF, the controversy level for those folks collectively falls somewhere between Ziggy and a turkey sandwich.

Cyrus, meanwhile, has had a string of no-nos, including those photos in Vanity Fair, the controversial slanty-eye snapshot, a brief flirtation with a stripper pole during an awards show, and dating an older guy (in tweenie world, 20 is like, geriatric—like Olsen twins old!).

All that has added up to alienate some of Cyrus' key fans, Cohen tells me.

"Miley is in this transitional period where she's trying to shed the Hannah Montana image," Cohen explains. "Some of her fans just don't want her to grow up."

Confidential to the tween crowd: Enjoy those turkey sandwiches.

Windows 7: A Day 7 Scorecard

10/29/2009 12:12:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

It's been almost a week since Windows 7's official launch, and a ton of information anwindows 7d opinion is out there surrounding Microsoft's latest operating system. On the one hand, you have positive reports of Windows 7 helping extend battery life, installed on new PCs with less crapware, and offering a more intuitive interface. But users are also complaining about annoying issues like delayed driver support for peripheral hardware and upgrade bugs.

Here's what people are loving and hating about Windows 7:

Longer Battery Life

Microsoft -- and users -- are talking about claims of improved battery life when using Windows 7. Joakim Lialias, Intel's Microsoft alliance manager recently wrote a blog post discussing the chip company's deep involvement in optimizing Windows 7 performance on laptops. Lialias claims that Intel and Microsoft were able to extend the battery life of an unspecified laptop by 1.4 hours.

PC World's own Windows 7 performance tests, however, did not find such a dramatic increase in laptop battery life. Fifteen minutes was the best performance improvement we found. That may not be much of an improvement, but it might give you time to finish a movie before your laptop dies on you.

Crapware Begone!

One of the more annoying points about buying a new Windows PC is presence of annoying crippled programs called craplets or crapware, which are often preinstalled on a new computer. Crapware can include trial versions of software and special offers thrown onto your new system by computer manufacturers. While harmless, getting these applications off your new system becomes an annoying and unnecessary chore. Apple even made a "Get A Mac" commercial touting the Mac's lack of crapware.

Microsoft has finally decided to take matters into its own hands when it comes to these annoying programs. Microsoft's online and new retail stores sell a line of computers called "Signature PCs" that come crapware-free, according to Tech Flash. CNET is also reporting that Microsoft worked with manufacturers to get rid of any crapware apps that were slowing down the overall performance of Windows 7 computers. That doesn't mean crapware is gone for good, but Microsoft may be trying to bring this annoying habit under control.

The new crapware policy may also be improving startup times on a system that PC World found to be a little bit faster than Vista.

Tastes Like XP

XP users may have difficulty upgrading to Windows 7, but once everything is up and running many pewindows 7ople are saying the transition to the new user interface isn't that bad.

CNET's Ina Fried's personal experience illustrates this best when she took her 92-year-old Aunt Hilda to get a new computer. Aunt Hilda, according to Fried, has made the transition quite easily and the nonagenarian says the experience isn't that different from XP. That was not the common experience of users upgrading from XP to Vista.

Dang Drivers

Compatibility was a big complaint when it came to Windows Vista. Not wanting to repeat that experience, Microsoft has made the process more stringent for approving third-party drivers for peripheral hardware like printers and scanners. That's good news in the long run, but in the short term, some users are still waiting for Windows 7 drivers to run their existing equipment.

Endless Reboots

Starting last Friday, some Vista users trying to upgrade to Windows 7 found their computers stuck in an endless reboot cycle. Computerworld reports that as of Tuesday afternoon, Microsoft engineers still didn't have a fix for the problem. However, some users are suggesting you might escape the endless cycle by booting your computer off your old Windows Vista install disk, and following the instructions posted by forum user "su airodump-ng -c" towards the bottom of this forum thread.

Upgrade Issues, MIA E-mail, Gamers

Rounding out the complaints are other well-documented upgrade problems like the Windows 7 Student Edition issue that has been resolved. A new complaintwindows 7 that has popped up is the fact that Windows 7 does not come with Windows Live Mail preinstalled. Windows Live Mail was a replacement program rolled out in 2007 to replace Outlook Express in XP and Windows Mail in Vista. To get the program, you must download it directly from Microsoft's Website. It's admittedly a minor issue, but some people were unhappy enough to write about it.

Finally, there are the gamers who say they have been left out of the Windows 7 hoopla. PC World's Matt Peckham and Darren Gladstone have both noted that Microsoft needs to pay more attention to the world of PC gaming under Windows 7, as it did with Windows Vista.

So that's the first seven days in the life of Windows 7. How has your experience with the new OS been? Positive or negative?

Music search is Google's newest tune

10/29/2009 12:11:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

Already the far-and-away leader in search, Google wants to be a big player in music discovery, too.

The search giant teamed up with News Corp.'s MySpace and streaming service Lala for the Wednesday debut of the new Google music search feature at the historic Capitol Records building in Hollywood. With the new music search, which had been internally code-named "OneBox" when news of the project broke earlier this month, search queries pertaining to something like a song, artist, lyrics, or album will bring up links to streaming songs from iLike and MySpace, as well as links to artist information on Pandora, Imeem, and Rhapsody. The lyrics search is provided through a partnership with Gracenote.

"It is directly embedded and integrated into Google search. There's no special button to push," R.J. Pittman, director of product management for search properties, said in a phone interview with CNET News. Currently, due to licensing and availability issues, the music search is U.S.-only.

There also won't be direct download links in Google: those will be handled through Lala and MySpace. "We push all the music engagement and commerce down through the partners," Pittman said.

Additionally, if a relevant music video is available, the MySpace window that pops up when someone clicks on the "play" button in search results will display a link to that video through MySpace's new music video portal. That's interesting, considering music videos are some of the most popular content on Google's own YouTube--but YouTube video results will continue to show up independently of the new music results in Google searches.

Financial terms of the partnerships aren't yet clear. "Everyone's keeping their own revenues and we're not messing with anything," Lala founder and Chairman Bill Nguyen told CNET News. But MySpace Music President Courtney Holt was a bit more tight-lipped, saying "we're not discussing the financial details."

The MySpace deal is a little more complicated to begin with, though. Google had been in talks with music start-up iLike about integration into music search, but then iLike was acquired by MySpace in a deal that closed earlier this month. Indeed, a statement from Holt says that "this relationship was secured and implemented by the iLike team." But iLike founder Ali Partovi (who's currently on board MySpace's music team) explained that the partnership now has "MySpace branding, (and) MySpace content licensing." Through the integration of iLike's technology, it'll also have concert notifications if someone searches on Google for a band that's currently on tour.

"I think MySpace, along with (Apple's) iPod, is one of the most trusted brands in music, one of the most resonant to consumers," Partovi said. MySpace is also reported to be in talks with Microsoft to power a music feature on MSN.

Music search is something that Google could really dominate. According to traffic firm Experian Hitwise, 6 percent of Google's top 1,000 search-related terms deal with music, and already 30 percent of traffic to sites that Hitwise classifies under the "music" umbrella comes from Google.

Considering Google's reach, it's a big win for both MySpace, currently struggling to redefine itself as a pop culture powerhouse rather than a social network through its MySpace Music service, a joint venture with major and independent record labels, and Lala, which also has a new song-gifting deal with Facebook. "We think (Google's music search) going to have a thousand percent increase in our sales, an order of magnitude more," Lala's Nguyen told CNET News.

This also means that music-related search results are getting a sheen of legitimacy on Google. With official partnerships, Google's most prominent music search results will be from sites that have licensing deals in place with the major labels, rather than potentially pirated content. Google's history with the music industry is spotty at best: it's had to strike its own deals with the major record labels, and relations haven't always been positive. Music search puts it all into order, partners in the deal say.

"Instead of ending up with a pirate site and a page with a bunch of ads or random lyrics sites, you wind up with a play button," Nguyen said.

Updated 4:30 p.m. Just after Google and Lala made the announcement official (in what was probably not a conincidence) Yahoo released a blog post designed to point out that they've been offering this kind of music search for a while. "We've made it easier to find music videos, artist information, and play full length songs from within the search results page. This is just one of the many ways Yahoo! is enhancing the search experience for music lovers," said Larry Cornett, vice president of consumer products for Yahoo Search.

Are Rob and Kristen Over?

10/29/2009 12:11:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , 0 Comments

In the past month Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart got engaged, then moved in together, and then were planning the wedding of the year.

Naturally, the most logical place to go after OK! magazine's cover rampage is to announce a Robsten breakup, of course.

So what's the deal? Rob and Kristen sure have been keeping a low profile lately...

Like they always do. Everything is fine between them.

So why doesn't Kristen shout from the rooftops she's dating one of the hottest guys on the planet right now?

"She's especially closed-mouth and sensitive," dishes Deep Twi. "She was going through a breakup with Michael [Angarano], meanwhile all these reporters asking about every detail of her love life. She has no intention of ever doing that again."

Remember: K.Stew would slightly open up about M.A. when they were dating, and since their breakup, everyone wanted to know "What happened?" and "Who is she dating now?"

If Stewart doesn't actually ever confirm she and Rob are more than friends, she never has to explain what happens if they take a break or go their separate ways.

"Everyone on set knows what's going on with Rob and Kristen, and everyone just lets it happen without bothering them with labels or questions—why can't the public do that, too?" says our studio insider.

Justine Wachsberger, who plays Gianna in New Moon, also recently talked to E! News about whether Rob and Kristen will even arrive together to the premiere:

"I think that Rob and Kristen will go separate," she dished. "They are pretty private people. Everything they have done in the past, they have tried to keep it separate, so I would say that won't change now."

Verizon DROID by Motorola official: $200 from November 6th [Video]

10/29/2009 12:10:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Motorola and Verizon Wireless have officially announced the Verizon DROID by Motorola, the first Android smartphone for the carrier and what’s promising to be one of the most interesting. The Verizon DROID has a 3.7-inch 854 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard and EVDO Rev.A, and will arrive on shelves on November 6th priced at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement and following a $100 mail-in rebate.


The Verizon DROID will be the first smartphone to arrive with Android 2.0, the latest version of the open-source OS, with native Exchange support and Google Maps Navigation Beta. The latter is Google’s new turn-by-turn directions app, which offers free verbal directions controlled by voice shortcuts.

There’s also Bluetooth, WiFi and USB 2.0 connectivity, and Verizon are bundling a 16GB microSD card; that’ll be useful to hold OTA Amazon MP3 downloads. The usual bevy of Google apps – including Google Talk, YouTube, Gmail and the Android Market – are also preloaded, and there’s a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash. We’re catching up with Verizon later on today to grab some hands-on time with the DROID, so keep reading SlashGear for that!







Ekin Cheng contemplates split with Yoyo Mung over her gambling ways

10/29/2009 12:10:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Hong Kong singer-actor Ekin Cheng's recent return to the music industry after years of semi-retirement took many by surprise. But what is even more shocking is the reason behind his comeback - he is going broke.

According to a Hong Kong magazine, Cheng’s actress girlfriend Yoyo Mung's compulsive gambling and her penchant for high-risk investments had almost wiped out his savings during the recent economic downturn.

And this is also threatening to break up the couple of three years.

According to media reports, Mung who was recently in Macau to shoot a television drama series, could not keep away from the casino.

While waiting to shoot her scenes, she would go try her luck at the tables, starting with $10 bets then slowing raising her stakes as she lost.

The actress was so caught up in the action that she refused to leave when it was her turn to shoot her scenes. And when she eventually did, she dropped what she was doing and made her way back to the casino after hearing that fellow actress Fala Chan had made a windfall.

The 34-year-old actress is also a mahjong fan and would often indulge in long mahjong sessions with her friends, sometimes playing late into the night.

It proved to be the final straw for Cheng who in a huff, told Mung to move out of their new apartment.

To appease Cheng, Mung accompanied him on a vacation to Okinawa, Japan, and even promised to quit gambling.

However despite her apologies, Cheng was wary of her gambling habit and their frosty relationship did not improve after their trip.

According to Cheng's close friends, a break-up was on the cards long ago and they feel sorry for him, "Ekin has mentioned several times that he thought of breaking up with Yoyo. However, Yoyo was so persistent and even swore that she would quit gambling and mahjong. Ekin tends to be more hesitant and that is why they are still in the relationship."

Even though there hasn't been any clarification from either party, the couple have dropped subtle hints about their rocky relationship.

On his sudden comeback, Cheng said that the time was right, adding that he had never mentioned plans to retire. He also shot down marriage rumours, saying he has no intention of settling down just yet.

Mung also threw the marriage equation out of the window when asked about her future with Cheng.

"I'm not in a hurry at the moment. My career comes first. Furthermore, Ekin is afraid of all the trouble so we do not have plans to get married in the near future," she said.

Cyndi Wang opposes the sweetheart image, kissing wildly to pull popularity

10/29/2009 12:09:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

Cyndi Wang and Rainie Yang have been fighting over the throne for the queen of sweethearts, Cyndi after leaving from her original company, had been silent for the the last 2 years, only returning to the idol circuit now. Starring in Momo Love, this Sunday it will confront GTV drama "Hi My sweetheart", making every effort to change her luck, on one side she is passionately kissing Jiro Wang and on the other she is being passionately kissed by Calvin Chen. In the drama there is kissing non- stop, taking drastic measures hoping to combat TV ratings.

Confronting an old enemy calls for drastic action

Yesterday Cyndi and Calvin were in Su-Ao seaside shooting the kiss scene, but as there were a lot of of people watching they felt embarrassed. With lips on top of each other, the guy unconsciously rushing it, the girl also feeling embarrassed, when Calvin started to tilt his head down, Cyndi would burst out laughing making the scene fill with laughter.

Cyndi after leaving her old management company went silent for 2 years, this year she opened her own company becoming her own boss. Taking on the drama "Momo Love" with the pairing of Jiro and Calvin it was going to be her 1st project for her comeback, but the ratings for the last two weeks weren't going as expected. This Sunday it will compete with Rainie Yang's "Hi My Sweetheart", both of them in the recent years have been fighting to succeed the throne to be the queen of sweethearts. Cyndi once again comes face to face with her old enemy, the drama crew had no choice but to take drastic action, first having her kiss Jiro again and again, and now even Calvin doesn't escape.

Changing in the same room, Jiro denies not getting along with Wu Chun

Fahrenheit recently held concerts and at the same time the rumor had burst out that Wu Chun was flying solo and as a result this was said to of made Jiro angry at Wu Chun. Yesterday Jiro explained " Backstage of the concert, Wu Chun and I shared the same resting room, we would get changed and chat at the same time feeling very high, how is it even possible that am angry?" Calvin jumped out to resolve the situation, showing the SMS that was written in English with encouraging words that the 4 members of Fahrenheit sent to each other.

Chris Brown Still Trying to Be Michael Jackson

10/29/2009 12:09:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Chris Brown had his first comeback show last night at a Power 105.1 concert in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Required note: his first since assaulting Rihanna.)

To kick off his Fan Appreciation Tour, the R&B singer decided to dress up like his idol, Michael Jackson. Or maybe it's more like Chris dressing up as Kanye dressing up as M.J. Either way, it's perfect timing since he couldn't make it to a This Is It premiere, and we know how much C. Brown loves M.J. covers.

But you know, sometimes we just get so worked up, we lose perspective. Compared to what happened later in the show—ripping off his shirt and humping the stage—maybe we should just let him carry on with his cheap impression of Michael.

Adam Lambert: Leave My Album Cover Alone!

10/29/2009 12:09:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Call it the twinkle defense.


The glam, campy and overly dramatic Adam Lambert has confounded his critics by releasing an apparently indefensible album cover that's (wait for it) glam, campy and overly dramatic.

Who saw that one coming?

But the American Idol runner-up has heard his haters' battle cries and is rallying to his own defense, taking to Twitter to justify—but absolutely not apologize for—his artistic vision as rendered on his inexplicably controversial For Your Entertainment debut.

And for those who find it a bit too outlandish, well, that just so happens to be the look he was going for.

"Thank you to those who appreciate and understand that the album cover is deliberately campy," he wrote this morning. "It's an omage [sic] to the past. It IS ridiculous.

"For those that don't get it: oh well…Glad to have gotten your attention," he added. "Androgyny. Rock n Roll."

And, of course, controversy. Like any good rock 'n' roll star.

Yahoo, Microsoft Need More Time to Close Search Deal

10/29/2009 12:08:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Yahoo and Microsoft have missed a deadline for finalizing their search and advertising deal and have now extended the deadline for an unspecified period.

When the companies announced in July that Microsoft's Bing search engine would power Yahoo's search results, they said that they planned to finalize the deal by Oct. 27 or use an arbitration panel to hammer out their differences.

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, Yahoo said the companies have agreed to extend the period to negotiate and execute the deal.

"Given the complex nature of the transaction, there remain some details to be finalized," Yahoo said in the filing. "The parties are working diligently on finalizing the agreements, have made good progress to date, and have agreed to execute the agreements as expeditiously as possible."

The filing does not provide a new deadline for finalizing the agreement.

In a joint statement, Microsoft said it was committed to the agreement and that the companies had mutually agreed to extend the deadline.

"We plan to do this as expeditiously as possible. Both companies are optimistic that we will be able to close this deal by early 2010," Microsoft said.

Yahoo and Microsoft initially estimated it would take them two years to fully implement the deal, which also involves Yahoo providing premium search advertising services for both companies.

The deal is facing an antitrust review by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Where is the Secret Hidden, Such That Tohoshinki has Been Making Glorious Achievements in Asian Countries?

10/29/2009 12:08:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

Tohoshinki has received intense support from fans by the five members’ personalities, outstanding singing abilities, and physical beauty through “MIROTIC” (recorded in their fourth Korean album). KBS2TV has aired the truth in their program “Music Bank.” (A/N: This bit kinda confused me o.o)

Tohoshinki is popular not only in Korea, but is also becoming endlessly popular in Japan, too. They’re valued as “The Most Successful Foreign Artist in Japan,” and are receiving enthusiastic support from the Japanese fans, just the same as that from Korean fans.

In September, Jaejoong and Yoochun’s duo album, and the Tokyo Dome Concert DVD were placed number one on the Oricon chart, from the first day the products were released. This month, they received the “GOLD” title from the Recording Industry Association of Japan, selling more than 100,000 albums and DVDs.

A representative from the Oricon Chart says, “Tohoshinki is the most successful (foreign) artist in Japan,” and twenty years have passed since an artist from another country has topped the Total chart. He also stated that Tohoshinki is the third artist who has sold more than 100,000 albums, and the only foreigners who have succeeded before are The Beatles and Led Zeppelin.

Tohoshinki made their debut in Japan in 2005, and their success at the Tokyo Dome in four years’ time shows that they are smoothly running up the stairs of success.

It is a great significance that as a new singer, they have broken the Japanese barrier, and that they have performed at the Tokyo Dome (where every Japanese singer dreams to hold concerts), even though they are not Japanese.

In Korea, they are top stars achieving the grand slam, but their activities in Japan started by performing on the stairs of shopping centers. Their enthusiastic activities were connected to the concert tour, gathering a total of 300,000, including the Tokyo Dome.

It is very difficult to gather an audience of 300,000 even if you are a top star in Japan. The current Japanese top idol group Arashi achieved this number on their eighth year. Comparing the numbers, you can see that Tohoshinki has achieved such a great popularity that no one can ever imagine.

On their 2005 debut tour, Tohoshinki had gathered approximately 15,000 people. In just four years, the numbers jumped twenty times, and that speaks of their booming popularity.

In the biggest Japanese record shops, there are now always big Tohoshinki posters, and in a restaurant, there are even menus like “Jaejoong Seafood Tot Pot Ki” and “Yoochun Omelette.” Tohoshinki’s popularity seems to be beyond imagination.

Tohoshinki is saying, “When we first made a debut in Japan, we cannot speak Japanese fluently, and that all we can do was to introduce the songs in Japanese. But now, we can understand each other, and over that, we can express our true feelings directly by singing.” They also stated that “Coming to Japan, we have achieved the dream to perform on our own at the Tokyo Dome, and Tohoshinki has grown much bigger. This was achieved because all the fans supported us, giving us all their love.”

Tohoshinki will hold a nationwide mega fan meeting in order to respond to these fans’ support. Starting on the 19th to the 20th of January at the Kobe World Kinen Hall, the 27th of January at the Sendai Hot Super Arena, and on the 30th to the 31st of January at the Yokohama Arena, there will be a total of ten fan meetings, and Tohoshinki and the fans will have a joyful time together.

A person who is involved in the Japanese entertainment industry states that “Tohoshinki became highly recognized in Japan last year, and we can say that they are in no way inferior to other top Japanese idol groups this year.” He also states that “I am expecting Tohoshinki to play their roles, so that the friendly relations between Korea and Japan will become more solid, together with Bae Yongjoon.”

Britney Spears' '3' Video To Premiere Friday

10/29/2009 12:07:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Pop star promises to reveal sneak peeks of the clip over the next three days.

Britney Spears hit her Web site Wednesday (October 28) to announce that the video for her provocative single "3" would debut in "1...2...3" days. She also promised fans some revealing sneak peeks before the clip's Friday premiere.

"1...2...3 days until the premiere of my new video, but don't stress," she wrote on BritneySpears.com. "I will be sending out lots of pics and clips for the next 3 days."

The pop princess has already delivered two pictures from the video on her Twitter page: one of her holding her hair up on her head and an innocent-looking close-up.

Spears has been teasing fans with "3" video news for a while now, posting pictures and details from the clip's set on her Twitter and Web site. "I am so happy y'all love it because I do this all for you," she tweeted October 14. "I can't wait till you see the video!" The week before, she informed her followers, "2nd day shooting my 3 video in LA with Diane Martel. Lot's of new choreography from Tone & Rich. It's gonna be hot!"

Spears also took to Twitter to thank her fans for making her new track an instant hit. "I want to thank my fans for making '3' the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100," she tweeted. "I am truly blessed with the greatest fans in the world."

With "3," Spears is the first artist to break onto the singles chart at #1 since Taylor Hicks did it three years ago, and she's the first non-"American Idol" alum to pull off that feat since Lauryn Hill broke into the Hot 100 with "Doo Wop (That Thing)" in 1998.

Why Droid Isn't an iPhone Killer

10/29/2009 12:07:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

On paper, Verizon's Droid by Motorola seems like it should destroy the iPhone. Its 3.7-inch 480x854 display is dumbfounding compared to Apple's 3.5-inch 480x320 screen. It manages to include a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, yet at 0.54-inches it's scarcely thicker than the iPhone's 0.48-inches. It has a turn-by-turn GPS right out of the box, while the same feature on the iPhone will knock you back an extra $100. Yet, all this is not enough for the Droid to earn the status of "iPhone killer." For that, it will need to rob the iPhone of its customers, and it won't come even close.

Sure, the Droid's 5MP autofocus camera with a flash bests the iPhone's 3.2MP. Sure, it has an SD card slot, and a removable battery. The iPhone has never been a spec sheet standout. There have always been phones with better cameras, keyboards, and more checkboxes on their feature sheets. The iPhone's success has always defied its limitations, and that's due to its refined interface and intuitive and patented gestures.

While the Android 2.0 OS is closing the usability gap, the iPhone has reached critical mass. It's managed to garner a loyal following, and habit and familiarity are powerful things. Every year Apple refreshes the iPhone platform making it more capable and powerful. Apple knows when its competition is gaining an edge and heads them off at the next revision. Apple customers know this and would rather wait to get a better version of what they already know than hassle with a new platform.

People have grown comfortable with what David Coursey calls the iPhone's "ecosystem". People know how to use iTunes, the App store, and iPod controls. Apple has had years to refine the relationship between these apps, and because it controls all facets, it makes sure that users have a consistent experience.

Let's not forget about the apps themselves. While the Android market place has an impressive 10,000 applications, the App store blows that out of the water with a number approaching 100,000. Every iPhone user has a handful of apps they just can't do without.

Apple products have always been as much about what's on the outside as what is on the inside. While the Droid is attractive in its own right, it's still just another slider with lots of buttons. It fails to threaten the iPhone's designer look. The sad truth is that appearances matter more than people let on.

What the Droid does accomplish is strengthening the Android movement. Android as a platform is showing itself to be a major player in the smartphone arena, with dozens of current and future phones on all major networks. However, Android will edge out Blackberry, Palm and Windows Mobile before it makes a dent in the iPhone market. iPhone customers have proven to be too loyal and resilient to adandon their handset of choice.

Still, while the Droid likely won’t knock down Apple’s mobile empire, it’s rightfully generating a healthy buzz and is sure to leave gadget geeks feeling smug.

Wu Chun has no plans to leave Fahrenheit to go solo

10/29/2009 12:07:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit recently threw a party to commemorate wrapping up their successful concert tour. One of the group member, Wu Chun's family members had reportedly flew to Taiwan to attend two of his concerts. Once rumoured to be his offspring, the singer's niece and nephew were also present at the party.

The 30-year-old jokinged, "You can draw some blood for DNA tests and see if they are my [children]!"

Known as 'Uncle Chun' to his niece and nephew, Wu Chun chuckled as he shared, "[They asked me] 'Uncle Chun, is the second concert same as the first? Why do we have to watch two concerts?'"

With the same face shape and sharp noses, Wu Chun's seven-year-old niece looks like an exact replicate of the star and the pair is said to share a close relationship with each other. The Brunei-born singer-actor revealed that he insisted on helping his niece wear a Fahrenheit commemorative cap to support him in the concert

Wu Chun also refuted rumours on the allegations surrounding his plans to fly solo from the group, and shared that he will not be releasing any single albums. He said that he will focus on filming movies for the next two to three years and will be more than willing to take part in idol drama series.

Despite running a successful gym business in Brunei, Wu Chun divulged that he has no plans to return to his hometown. "Initially when I first entered the industry, I did not set aside a timeframe or aim for it. As time passes by, there are more emotions and feelings."

Angelina Jolie 'slept with her mother's lover at 16'

10/29/2009 12:06:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Angelina Jolie slept with her mother's live-in boyfriend when she was just 16, according to claims in an explosive unauthorised biography by Andrew Morton.

The 34-year-old actress allegedly confessed the illicit affair to Marcheline Bertrand, causing irreparable damage to their relationship.

'Marcheline had a live-in boyfriend whom she was very much in love with, but Angie slept with him when she was 16 and barely out of school,' a source told Now magazine.

'Her mother found out and ended her relationship with the man.'

Angelina was said to be devastated when her mother died of cancer, in 2007, at the age of 56.

The star is no stranger to scandal - she famously French-kissed her brother James Haven at the Oscars in 2000 and once sealed her love for former husband Billy Bob Thornton with a vial of blood.

She has since reinvented herself as a UN Goodwill Ambassador and a mother to three adopted children Maddox, 7, Pax, 5, Zahara, 4, and biological daughter, Shiloh, 3, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 15 months.

Morton, who has also written controversial unauthorised biographies on Tom Cruise and the late Princess Diana, is expected to release the book later this year.

He says: 'AJ is one of the most fascinating women on the planet. Hers has been an extraordinary journey and an extraordinary story. I'm looking forward to telling it.


Angelina, who last night dined at Hollywood Cicconi's restaurant with partner Brad Pitt, has not yet commented on the allegations.

A separate book, titled Brangelina Exposed, is also set to lift the lid on her relationship with Pitt.

It promises to explain how the famous couple 'have successfully manipulated the public into believing a glamorous fairytale that bears little resemblance to the reality of the pair's life together.'

Author Ian Halperin claims to reveal 'new details of her volatile relationship with and estrangement from her father Jon Voight, her struggles with suicidal impulses, her heroin use, her sexual exploits and her remarkable rise to become an Oscar-winning actress.'


Brangelina Exposed is due for release on December 1.

Samsung 14-inch AMOLED desktop/notebook hybrid [Video]

10/29/2009 12:06:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Samsung Mobile’s 2-inch transparent OLED didn’t exactly blow us away, but their other prototypes are far more impressive. The company has also been showing off a 14-inch AMOLED notebook prototype, with a whopping 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 300cd/m2 brightness. Despite that, the display is a mere 2.7mm thick.


The display runs at 1,366 x 768 resolution and the whole thing is described as a “hybrid desktop notebook”. We’re not sure whether that means you can’t carry it around with you, or that the desk pad it’s sitting on is, in fact, attached, but either way we want one.


Samsung also showed off a 7-inch AMOLED netbook packing the same contrast and brightness, only in a truly portable form-factor. Slightly less usable, perhaps, was a 3.5-inch WVGA curved AMOLED screen, again offering million-to-one contrast; we’re just having trouble envisaging what you could do with it. The clearest advertising-cup, perhaps?

2AM Jo Kwon down with swine flu

10/29/2009 12:05:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Male group 2AM member Jo Kwon (20) has been confirmed a swine flu case on 28th October.

It was revealed that Jo Kwon has developed high fever over last weekend and developed flu symptoms. He was then sent to the hospital where he was given body examination and also swine flu test. The swine flu test results shows positive, and Jo Kwon is now quarantined away from the rest of his group mates.

Also because of flu and high fever, he did not participate in 2AM’s schedule last weekend, and is currently resting.

He will be the next Kpop singer after SS501 Kim Hyun Joong and K Will to be down with swine flu.

Leona Lewis Denied to Kiss Chace Crawford

10/29/2009 12:05:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

'I said no way': Leona Lewis on why she turned down a kiss with heartthrob Chace Crawford

She's become one of the hottest properties on the planet thanks to her X Factor success, but that hasn't given Leona Lewis a huge diva-sized ego.

In fact, the 24-year-old singer is still just as grounded as she was before the talent show launched her to the top of the charts.

And Leona even turned down the chance to kiss handsome Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford for fear of making her boyfriend jealous.

Asked if partner Lou Al-Chamaa ever gets jealous of the boys in her videos the X Factor star told Sugar magazine: 'I think he would if I was kissing them, but I’d never do that.

'They wanted me and Chace [Crawford] to kiss in the I Will Be video. But I said no way.'


She added: 'I’d just have been too embarrassed, he’s my friend! He’s so beautiful, I mean, look at him - he could be a girl. He’d be a really pretty girl. But I just don’t think of him like that. And it wouldn’t be fair to Lou to kiss other guys.'

The stunning singer took part in a photoshoot with the magazine ahead of the release of her new single Happy, which is released next month, followed by her album Echo.

Wearing a tight-fitting silk dress, she shows off her gorgeous figure, while she sports a pair of ripped jeans and a white vest couple with a lacy cardigan and a funky pair of black heels in another shot.

Talking about her collaboration with R&B superstar Justin Timberlake, Leona revealed that she had a crush on the former 'N Sync singer, but soon lost it when she worked with him.


She said: 'I know! I had a big thing for Justin [Timberlake] before I worked with him, but I lose my crush when I meet people. Which is probably good news for Lou!'

The stars worked together on single Don't Let Me Down, which appears on her new album.

The track was leaked on the internet several months before the LP's release, prompting Simon Cowell to call in the police to track the hackers who obtained the track.

Leona was assaulted earlier this month during a book signing in London.

Her alleged attacker was arrested on the scene and charged.

Peter Kowalczyk, 29, was due to appear at a hearing at City of Westminster magistrates' court after he had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

He was being examined by psychiatrists in secure accommodation at Lambeth hospital in south London.

District judge Daphne Wickham adjourned the case until November 23, pending the results of the Kowalczyk's examination.

Nokia N97 mini goes on sale; N97 OS 2.0 released

10/29/2009 12:05:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

It’s all go in Nokia N97 land this week, with the double news that not only have the Finnish company released the much-anticipated 2.0 firmware update for the original N97, but that the Nokia N97 mini would be arriving on shelves. The N97 mini – officially announced at Nokia World back in September – has a smaller chassis than the N97, but uses the same touchscreen-friendly S60 5th Edition OS.


Among the changes for the N97 with firmware 2.0 are “flip scrolling”, similar to the kinetic scroll on the iPhone, the latest Ovi Maps 3.1 with 3D mapping, Nokia Messaging and Ovi Contacts. There’s also the newest version of the Ovi Store, Nokia’s download center, together with further personalization of the homescreen. The new firmware can be downloaded via a PC and updated with the Nokia Software Update tool, or directly OTA from the N97 itself.

As for the N97 mini, that has a 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, 3G and WiFi, and will be priced at around €450 ($666). Anybody tempted?

Paranormal Activity Is Real!

10/29/2009 12:04:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , 0 Comments

This time, Hollywood, we're on to you!

A decade ago, the movie industry head-faked some of us into believing The Blair Witch Project was culled from real footage shot.

And now, just in time for Halloween, it's up to its old tricks and treats, head-faking some of us into thinking Paranormal Activity is the new Blair Witch.

Well, fool us once, shame on you for making us feel more stupid than usual. Fool us twice, ain't gonna happen because now we get it.

Blair Witch was fiction pretending to be a documentary; Paranormal Activity is a documentary pretending to be fiction!

Oh, who's looking foolish now?
Here's how Hollywood—and Paranormal Activity—failed to pull the wool over our big, brainy heads:

• The "movie" was shot in 2006, otherwise known as the year the real-estate bubble burst. Think it's a stretch Paramount Pictures found camcorder footage of first-time Southern California homebuyers having trouble sleeping? Ha!

• Paranormal "characters" Micah and Katie express awe at a swinging door and get freaked by a spider. Everyone knows a real movie character doesn't break a sweat for anything less than the apocalypse. Or a Rocky sequel. Double ha!

• The "movie" is cool, then a teensy bit boring, then scary, then a teensy bit boring, then superscary, and so on and so forth—just like real life in a demonically possessed house! Triple ha! (Note: To the best of our knowledge, we have never lived in a demonically possessed house, but we imagine that, for variety's sake, there are some uncompelling goings-on in between the shrieks and screams.)

Well, we could go on, but the evidence is clearly overwhelming. The only thing we've failed to explain is the why: Namely, why would Hollywood want us to think Paranormal Activity is the work of a supertalented first-time writer-director, rather than the last gasps of a young couple coming to terms with their upside-down mortgage?

Because, outside of the Michael Moore brand, documentaries don't gross $60 million-plus. Most of the time, they don't gross $6 million.

Because reality shows about things that go bump in the night are a dime a Ghost Hunters dozen.

Because if you think we'll think Paranormal Activity is the new Blair Witch, then you think we'll go see it.

And while Hollywood may be right about that last one, we're putting the town on notice: We've seen Inglourious Basterds; we know things about World War II you'll never know.

And we know everything about Paranormal Activity that you'd never thought we'd figure out!

Then again…

We remain open the possibility that we are looking for boogeymen everywhere.

Truth is, we've been a little jumpy ever since we saw this really scary movie…

'Ong Bak' star hopes to ride film trilogy to US stardom

10/29/2009 12:04:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Thai action star Tony Jaa says his Hollywood debut is a "matter of time" after his latest movie, "Ong Bak 2," was released in the United States last week.

Thailand's answer to Jackie Chan and Jet Li has built up a solid boxoffice record in the U.S.

His last two movies, "Ong Bak" and "The Protector," earned $4.6 million and $12 million there.

"Ong Bak 2" marks the 33-year old's debut as director. The Thai-language movie, with English subtitles, opened Friday in 10 theaters and made nearly $26,600 in its first weekend, according to figures from the box office tracking Web site Box Office Mojo.

"I'm happy to know that there are people in the States who like my movies. Hollywood is the capital for the movie industry. It would be interesting to go there. It's a matter of time," Jaa said in response to written questions from The Associated Press.

Praising Jaa as "the most well-rounded of all action stars," Chan said in 2006 that he pitched for Jaa to take a role in "Rush Hour 3" but the Thai actor had a scheduling conflict.

"Ong Bak" was the story of a young villager who ventures to Bangkok to retrieve a stolen Buddha head — a no-frills production centered on a righteous character who hesitates to kill.

The sequel takes a different track. An orphaned son from a well-to-do family tries to avenge their deaths after receiving martial arts training from a group of guerrilla fighters. Set in centuries-ago Thailand, the movie features lavish sets and costumes. Jaa plays a more brutal character than in "Ong Bak," which features a variety of martial arts besides "muay Thai," or Thai-style kickboxing.

Jaa alarmed studio executives by taking a break from shooting "Ong Bak 2" last year. He said he needed time to rethink the movie.

"I took a break to do more training for the stunt scenes and also to clear my mind. It is important to take more time to make a movie than just rushing it and at the end the movie is not the way you want it to be," he said.

Jaa said he is already shooting "Ong Bak 3."

Motorola Droid vs. Apple iPhone 3GS vs. Palm Pre [spec shootout]

10/29/2009 12:04:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

Billshrink.com has compiled a table pitting the Apple iPhone 3GS against the new Motorola Droid against Palm’s Pre — the big three, as far as I’m concerned, in the smartphone race.

The complete showdown, after the jump:


Takeaways:
* Smartphones are getting even more expensive than the last showdown with the iPhone 3GS, Pre and T-Mobile G1, but the Pre remains the value king.
* Specs continue to get better, such as camera quality and battery life.
* Apps are growing exponentially, but Apple’s head start remains a hurdle.
* The feature gap is growing ever narrower between the iPhone and its competition. That means that soon, battles will be waged on the experience alone.
* Note that there’s no BlackBerry here, nor T-Mobile. Hmm.

2PM, Super Junior and SHINee amongst others for Hope Concert

10/29/2009 12:00:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

The top singers of Korea are going to stand on stage in Busan.

The Busan Association for the Disabled revealed on the 28th that “Super Junior Happy, 2PM, SHINee and others are going to open for the 1st annual Korea ‘Hope Concert’ held on November 14th in Busan Asiad Stadium.

At the concert, these 3 teams are each going to perform 6 songs, kind of like a semi concert style. This is bringing about a lot of attention from fans.

Stareast, in charge of the ticketing and promotion, has stated, “Because the sponsors want a safe and organized concert, we created a special fan club seating area,” they went on to add “The promotion for ticketing is going on in the Stareast entertainment homepage, and we are getting a lot of attention from fans at this time.”

LG Display and Samsung Mobile show transparent OLEDs

10/29/2009 11:59:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

The actual benefits of transparent displays are yet to be explained – beyond the sheer cool factor, of course – but that isn’t stopping manufacturers from announcing them. Both LG Display and Samsung Mobile Display have been flaunting their respective transparent OLEDs, the former having a full 15-inch OLED panel ideal for notebooks, while the latter has a 2-inch OLED panel intended for cellphones.


Each replaces what would usually be the black portion of the display with transparency instead. Where OLED displays usually emit light either from the positive or negative electrodes – e.g. viewable from a single side – these new panels emit light from both electrodes simultaneously, and are encapsulated in a transparent sheath.

Transmittance for both is 30-percent; it’s unclear what resolution the LG Display OLED is running at, but the Samsung Mobile Display OLED offers 176 x 220 with 144ppi. No word from either company as to when we might see commercial releases of the transparent OLEDs.

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