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Beyonce Wins Big, Jay-Z And U2 Shine At MTV Europe Music Awards

11/06/2009 12:32:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , , , 0 Comments

Katy Perry hosts Green Day, Shakira, Jonas Brothers and more at Berlin's O2 Arena.

Bowler caps, bow ties, corsets, crystals, "boobie thingies" — no, these are not the remnants of last weekend's Halloween rave but rather the accoutrements returning host Katy Perry flounced around in at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards. Together with the theme "Katy Kat Club," the Sally Bowles-inspired garb was only appropriate as the 16th annual EMAs returned to its inaugural location of Berlin, just days before the 20th anniversary of when the Berlin wall came tumbling down.

Jay-Z, Beyoncé, U2, Tokio Hotel, Leona Lewis, David Hasselhoff, Juliette Lewis, Shakira, the Jonas Brothers and Tokio Hotel were just some of the stars that turned up on the red carpet to commence the largest awards show in MTV Europe's history. A staggering 17,000 audience members congregated at Berlin's O2 Arena and Brandenburg Gate, while an estimated 2 billion people tuned in from home.

It was a night contrasted by both the old and new, bad jokes on the German language and crackling political overtones. Veteran act Green Day opened up the show with a blistering two-song performance that had lead singer Billie Joe pogoing his way through the crowd and ending in shooting flames and fireworks as "Minority" slowed to its last four-note chord. (Proving why the group was once synonymous with teenage angst, Joe later returned to the stage after winning for Best Rock with these wise words: "Great that we got the best co-- band — I mean, rock band. Pardon my German.")

A slithering and glittering Katy Perry then took the stage, bellowing out "Herzlich wilkommen meine damen und herren!" and performed a raw-vocal medley that included the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" and Lady Gaga's "Poker Face." Curiously, Perry then ribbed Lady Gaga later during the show when she emerged from a set design involving a giant ruby-red shoe. "They say that if a guy has big shoes, then he has ... the funny thing is, I think this belongs to Lady Gaga!"

The first award of the night went to U2 for Best Live Act. Taking the stage, Bono introduced the Edge, who in an emotional speech expressed how the recording of "One" in Berlin — inspired by Germany's then-recent reunification and symbol as the new Europe — "brought the band together." More East/West references abounded. Upon winning the award for Best Urban, Jay-Z, donning sunglasses and a black leather jacket, succinctly said, "The will come a day when the only walls that come down are just music," then said something about the Jonas Brothers.

Both Lady Gaga (Best New Act) and Eminem (Best Male) accepted their awards remotely through televised acceptance speeches.

And what is an awards show in Germany without the Hoff? Clad in a dazzling chrome silver dinner jacket, David Hasselhoff returned the country's seemingly undying love for him by flashing his select knowledge of the native language. "Yo! Twenty years! Alles klar! I am not responsible for the wall falling down," the former "Baywatch" actor announced with an apparent slur. "Wie gehts? Alles klar! Gut!"

But it was three-time winner Beyoncé (Best Song, "Halo"; Best Female; Best Video, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)") who had the best line of the night. Having performed earlier in a silken red set straight out of a Daphne du Maurier novel, the visibly weary singer simply said upon receiving her final award: "There is one person I want to thank, and that is Jay — for putting a ring on it!" then shot her fist into the air to loud cheers. "You go, B!" Katy Perry shouted from the sidelines.

Despite other spirited performances from Jay-Z, Shakira and overwhelmingly popular local androgynoids Tokio Hotel, the true stage spectacle of the night came from Leona Lewis. What started off as a rather standard rendition of "Happy," set against a starry background, experienced a jaw-dropping special effect as a green vortex whirred around the singer then dramatically vanished into glittering stardust.

In the much-publicized highlight of the evening, Dublin rockers U2 performed a free 20-minute set in front of the historic Brandenburg Gate for the rabid 10,000 fans who had secured a spot online. Shot several hours earlier and beamed into the arena, the concert moved the audience even remotely as the giant pillars were emblazoned with the words "One Love" and "Freedom." "Happy birthday, Berlin!" frontman Bono crowed during a performance of "One," his voice both soaring and sage.

U2 returned to the big screen to close out the show, this time with Jay-Z freestyling over a performance of "Sunday Bloody Sunday." Jay-Z rapped in the lyrics from Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up." The gates behind them lit up in the holiday colors of green and red, like an early present. Bono leaned in to hold to Jay-Z's hand as the duo raised them up triumphantly in the air.

Here are the MTV Europe Music Awards winners:

Best Song: Beyonce - Halo
Best Live Act: U2
Best Group: Tokio Hotel
Best New Act: Lady GaGa
Best Female: Beyonce
Best European Act: maNga
Best Push Artist: Pixie Lott
Best Male: Eminem
Best Urban: Jay-Z
Best Rock: Green Day
Best Alternative: Placebo
Best Video: Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Best World Stage Performance: Linkin Park

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Windows 7 sales exceed Vista sales by 234%

11/06/2009 12:30:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , 0 Comments

Microsoft sold over three times more copies of Windows 7 in the week surrounding the Oct. 22 launch than it did Vista during its opening days in 2007, a retail marketing research analyst said today.

For the week of Oct. 18-24, and including the large numbers of pre-orders that Microsoft and online retailers took starting last June, Windows 7 unit sales were 234% higher than Vista's in its first days in January 2007, said Stephen Baker, an analyst with the NPD Group.

"I would call it pretty good," Baker said, "but I wouldn't call it great."

Baker said that expectations for Windows 7 were even higher than its actual performance, but the tough economy and retailers' reluctance to give up on either Windows XP or Vista created what he called a "headwind" for Microsoft's new operating system.

"The fact of the matter is that prior to the launch, there were a lot of operating systems out there," Baker said. "When Vista launched, you didn't see a lot of Windows Millennium PCs," he said, referring to the edition that preceded Windows XP. "Windows 7 will be more of a long haul."

More retailers kept computers powered by Windows XP or Vista on their shelves in the days just before, and also after, Windows 7 launch, explained Baker. "We didn't see the precipitous decline in inventory that we saw before Vista. Then, retailers were 'cleaner,' they didn't have really anything available except for Vista. But now, netbook sales made it easier for retailers to carry inventory with XP up to Windows 7's launch."

While unit sales of Windows 7 were up dramatically over Vista's early numbers, the new operating system brought in a less-than-stellar 82% revenue increase over Vista.

Baker credited the smaller revenue boost to Microsoft's deep discounting of pre-orders last summer, when it sold Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for $49.99 for two weeks in the U.S. Microsoft. And its OEM partners have also offered a second deal that discounts a Windows 7 upgrade as much as 58% when consumers purchase a new PC equipped with the operating system.

Those bargains pushed down the average sales price, or ASP, of Windows 7 in NPD's initial tracking. The ASP of Home Premium Upgrade, for example, was just $76 by Baker's estimate, much lower than the $119.99 list price.

"Those lower ASPs kept revenue from growing as much as unit sales," Baker said, adding that while NPD could not break out the percentage of sales for each retail edition, it was clear from the Home Premium ASP that that version made up the bulk of the early sales.

Windows 7 Ultimate, he added, sold fewer copies than did Vista Ultimate in 2007, another factor that contributed to the smaller revenue gain by the new OS.

Microsoft, in fact, has gone to some lengths to downplay Windows 7 Ultimate, with executives saying that it would account for a very small percentage of sales, and the company's marketing materials stressing that Home Premium is the version most consumers should purchase.

Neither message about Ultimate will come as a surprise to many consumers who paid top dollar in 2007 for Vista Ultimate, then complained when Microsoft didn't deliver on promises for the "Ultimate Extras" feature. Microsoft subsequently discontinued development on Extras, which was to provide Ultimate-only free downloads, and then ditched the concept for Windows 7 Ultimate.

While retail copies did well, PC sales were less impressive. They were higher than any week during the high-volume third quarter, when back-to-school sales dominated, but they weren't as strong as the uptick during Vista's launch, Baker said.

PC sales during the week of Oct. 18-24 were up 49% year-over-year, and up 95% over the week prior to Windows 7's debut. During the corresponding periods for Vista, however, PC sales were up 68% and 170%, respectively. Because of the drop in PC prices since 2007, particularly in the new netbook category, Windows-powered PC sales revenues were actually down 6% compared to sales during Vista's launch week.

Baker expects Windows 7 hardware sales to improve. "There was a lot of speculation before Windows 7's launch about how many netbooks would be out there with XP," Baker said. "But it looks like the PC makers and Microsoft came to some kind of accommodation, because almost everything [in netbooks] is now running Windows 7 Starter. XP is going to be much smaller as we go into 2010 on netbooks."

Microsoft has characterized early Windows 7 sales as "positive," but has declined to reveal figures, saying that it's too soon to tell exactly how well it's doing. CEO Steve Ballmer, however, crowed that Windows 7 was doing great in Japan. "We've had a great response here in Japan," Ballmer said at a Tokyo news conference on Wednesday. "Certainly, we've seen initial sales be fantastic. The first 10 days were bigger than the first 10 days of XP or Vista or any other Windows launch that we have done."

Isn't it a bit cold for that Lady GaGa? Singer braves the London chill as she dines in her lace bodysuit

11/06/2009 12:29:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

It's at this time of year when Brits start wearing their gloves and hats as the autumn nights set in and the temperature plummets.

Despite coming from New York, which experiences colder winters than London, Lady GaGa appeared to be unperturbed by the chilly weather when choosing her latest outfit last night.

Enjoying a late night meal at the Soho branch of Balans, Lady GaGa braves the 4c temperature in a revealing lace Dolce & Gabbana bodysuit, which left her black bra and knickers and skin exposed to the cold.

The Pokerface singer, real name Stefani Germanotta, enjoyed a two hour dinner with members of her entourage at Balans this morning.

After feasting on the popular restaurant's international menu, GaGa finally left at 2am and got into a waiting car back to her hotel.

Clearly enjoying the paparazzi attention, GaGa declined to wear her studded jacket so her risque ensemble was in clear view as she walked the few feet from the Old Compton Street eaterie to her car.


After spending the weekend in New York celebrating Halloween, GaGa arrived in London yesterday, before she is expected to travel to Berlin today for the MTV Europe Awards.

Lady GaGa is nominated in five categories, including Best Song for Pokerface, Best Live Act, Best New Act, Best Female and Best World Stage Performance.

Earlier this week, the eccentric singer was honoured for her original fashion style at the Accessories Council Excellence (ACE) Awards in New York.

Wearing Marc Jacobs lingerie and a bizarre lace face mask at the ceremony, GaGa was given the Stylemaker Award for being 'well-appointed in accessories'.

Despite her well-publicised love of bizarre hats and sunglasses, GaGa insisted condoms were the number one accessory.

She said: 'I think we must all remember that the ultimate accessory is the condom.'

Despite rumours to the contrary, GaGa insisted she is currently single after splitting from an entrepreneur named Speedy.


She said: 'I don't have a boyfriend yet. I am just really happy being single and working on my music and travelling.

'I think there is a time for that stuff but that time is just not now for me.'

Browser makers question Microsoft-EU ballot plan

11/06/2009 12:27:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

Opera, Mozilla and Google request changes to ballot screen

Microsoft's rivals will ask European antitrust regulators to modify the ballot screen designed to give Windows users the chance to ditch Internet Explorer (IE) and choose another browser.

Opera Software, which sparked the investigation into Microsoft's bundling of IE, Mozilla and Google will each send separate letters to the European Commission suggesting changes to the proposal put forward by Microsoft last summer, according to Hakon Wium Lie, Opera's chief technology officer.

"In general, we're very happy with Microsoft's proposal because it gives consumers a choice of a better browser," said Lie today. "But we have some issues about the ballot."

Most important in Opera's eyes is that the ballot should be displayed outside of IE. Microsoft's plan would create an HTML-based ballot that would appear as a Web page within its own browser. "From the screenshots we've seen, we don't think it's right that the ballot appears within IE," said Lie. "If you're trying to provide a level playing field, you don't want it to be seen as subservient to IE. You wouldn't want a voting ballot that had a candidate's logo on the upper left corner, would you?"

In early October, the commission tentatively approved Microsoft's plan, which would offer European users of Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 a Web-based page showing five browsers, then let them select which they would install and run on their PCs. To get that preliminary approval, Microsoft made several changes to its original July proposal.

Opera wants the ballot displayed within a specially-designed application, or failing that, in IE's full-screen mode, which would eliminate the frame Microsoft's browser would put around the ballot.

Mozilla, which has also criticized Microsoft's ballot screen, has made a similar suggestion. In a blog entry published Monday, Jenny Boriss, a Firefox user experience designer, denigrated the ballot's layout and said that it gave IE more than three times the space than rivals' browsers because the ballot would be displayed within Internet Explorer. Boriss said that her recommendation was her own, not Mozilla's official company line.

Last month, Boriss blasted the ballot for giving preference to Apple's Safari based on the alphabetical ranking by browser maker. Initially, she did not spell out that her take was a personal one; the appearance of her blog on the Mozilla site led some, including Computerworld, to assume it was Mozilla's position as well.

"We support that, too," said Lie today when asked what Opera thought of Boriss' call to randomize the order of the browser choices. "Alphabetizing would just lead to opportunistic naming," he said. "We could call ourselves AAA Browser Maker and get the first spot."

Lie said that Google and Mozilla would also be expressing their concerns to the commission in letters that have to arrive by Monday, Nov. 9. Opera has not yet sent its letter, he added, but would shortly.

Google, which makes the Chrome browser, declined to confirm that it is sending a letter. "We don't know how the commission's proceeding will evolve," said William Echikson, a Google spokesman based in Brussels, said early Thursday in a telephone interview with Computerworld. "But we continue to believe that more competition in this space will mean greater innovation on the Web and a better user experience."

Mozilla also would not confirm that it has sent suggestions to the commission. "Our concerns were stated previously and we're confident that the EC is well aware of our position, including support for the resolution of the investigation," said a Mozilla spokesman today.

Like Opera, Mozilla has been vocal about its dissatisfaction with Microsoft's plan.

In August, for example, Mozilla executives cited several concerns about the ballot screen. At the time, Mitchell Baker, the chairwoman of the Mozilla Foundation and the former CEO of Mozilla Corp., which produces Firefox, said that if Microsoft's proposal were accepted, IE would "still have a unique and uniquely privileged position on Windows installations."

Opera also wants Microsoft to promise that it would bar Windows from displaying any security warning when people pick a browser to download and install. "The general security warning that you get prior to a binary download should not appear," Lie said.

Neelie Kroes, the current head of the EU's antitrust agency, seemed satisfied last month with the deal. "We believe this is an answer," said Kroes in a press conference on Oct. 7. "At the end of the day that's what we are looking for."

Sources have said it's likely that Kroes wants to resolve the dispute with Microsoft before the end of the year, when her term as the commission head expires. An early December date is most likely, those sources have said. That would mean Microsoft would push the ballot to users via Windows Update in February 2010.

Parties to the case, which include the three browser makers and the European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS), a trade group whose members include Opera and other long-time Microsoft rivals Oracle and IBM, have until Monday to file comments with the commission.

The ECIS has also said it will suggest changes to European regulators.

Rihanna talks about abuse from Chris Brown: "Embarrassed," "Strong" and Admitting "Love Is So Blind"

11/06/2009 12:25:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

"Ef love."

That's Rihanna's firm advice to women of any age facing domestic violence.

The first of the pop star's televised interviews with Diane Sawyer aired this morning on Good Morning America. The 21-year-old sat poised and beautiful as she explained how she went back to Chris Brown after he beat her last February, how she managed to break free from him and how she feels about it now.

Rihanna declares she's "strong" but is ashamed at how the whole relationship went down.

"I fell in love with that person—that's embarrassing," she says. "That's embarrassing that that's the type of person that I fell in love with, so far in love, so unconditional [that] I went back."

Sawyer noted that, on average, woman will take a beating seven times before leaving. The 21-year-old's response was chilling.

"Eight or nine actually," she corrected. "And I don't want that to happen...It's completely normal to go back. You start lying to yourself. The minute the physical wounds go away, you want this thing to go away. This is a memory you don't want to have ever again."

It took her teenage fans to get her to walk away from the abusive situation.

"When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result into some young girl getting killed, I could not be easy with that part," she explains. "Even if Chris never hit me again, who's to say that their boyfriend won't? Who's to say that they won't kill these girls? These are young girls. I just didn't realize how much of an impact I had on these girls' lives until that happened."

"It was a wake-up call for me big time," she adds. "I'll say that to any young girl who's going through domestic violence. Don't react off of love. Ef love. Come out of the situation and look at it [in the] third person and for what it really is and then make your decision. Because love is so blind."

According to Sawyer, tomorrow morning's segment will detail what happened in the car that fateful February night. The full interview will air on 20/20 on Friday evening, at nearly the same time Brown sits down for a chat with MTV on similar subjects.

Ironically, he seems somewhat less apologetic to the fans he let down.

"I'm confused right now as far as the public perception [of me]," he says in a preview of the special. "Like, I think with my fans, they still love me, they support me, definitely...I got the people that will come out and support and then the people that don't wanna see me do anything. They basically want me in jail."

2PM releases “I Was Crazy About You”

11/06/2009 12:25:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

2PM has caused a lot of buzz with their recent Tired of Waiting track, and they're gaining momentum with their comeback!


After releasing a teaser to us all yesterday, many readers have expressed great anticipation for the second track. Just moments ago, the popular group revealed I Was Crazy About You in full... are you crazy about this song?


With its weighty lyrics and moving melody, this song is bittersweet for many 2PM fans... as the famous poet Petrarch would say, this is the epitome of dolce affanno - what sweet agony!

Apple Woos Windows 7 Pirates on Google (Maybe)

11/06/2009 12:24:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , 0 Comments

Based on ads that Apple is buying on Google, it appears that Apple considers Windows 7 pirates as hot potential customers for switching to a Mac.

Has Apple decided that among its top potential customers for switching to a Mac are Windows 7 pirates? Based on ads that Apple is buying on Google that might be the case --- search for "download Windows 7" and you'll see an Apple ad urging PC users to switch to the Mac. But search for "buy Windows 7" and you'll see no such ad.

Do a search on "download Windows 7" or "Windows 7 download" and you'll see the Apple ad on the right-hand side of the page, under the "Sponsored Links" section. Some times when I do the search, the ad instead appears on top of the main search results.

The ad reads:
Upgrading to Windows 7?
There's never been a better time
to switch to a Mac. Find out why.

You can see the ad, below.


But do a search for "buy Windows 7" or "get Windows 7" or "purchase Windows 7" or "Windows 7" and no ads from Apple for Macs appear.

Is Apple doing this as a way to target Windows 7 pirates? After all, if someone is looking to find and pay for a copy of Windows 7, they're likely to type in the word "buy" or "purchase" rather than "download". If, on the other hand, they're looking to pirate a copy, they're more likely to want to download it, so will more likely type in the word "download."

Why would Apple target Windows piraters? Frankly, I don't have a clue. And I'm not completely convinced they're targeting pirates, either. So if you have an answer to the mystery, or a theory about it.

Angelina Jolie dares to display her figure for first time since birth of twins

11/06/2009 12:24:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Angelina Jolie proves she's still one of Hollywood's sexiest women in her latest film, Salt.

The actress peels off to just her lingerie in the upcoming action movie for the first time since she gave birth to twins Knox and Vivienne, now 16 months.

The revealing scenes show Jolie has managed to regain her flat stomach after the pregnancy.

Scroll down to watch the trailer...



Jolie filmed Salt just six months after giving birth to the twins so it's an impressive feat that she managed to get her figure back in time for the sexy scenes.

In the new trailer for the forthcoming film, which was released online this week, Jolie's character is briefly seen in her underwear.



With her head out of camera shot, the 34-year-old walks towards a bed wearing an open dressing gown which reveals her black bra and knickers.

Despite allegations she may have hired a body double, the lingerie-clad figure is recognisable as Jolie due to the tattoos on her waistline.

The new film stars Jolie as a CIA agent Evelyn Salt who is forced to go on the run after she is accused of being a Russian sleeper spy.


Angelina spent several months filming in New York and Washington D.C. earlier this spring, meaning she had to leave partner Brad Pitt in charge of their six children, including the then-six-month-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

The Oscar winner is always very careful not to be photographed in her bikini on holiday and was last seen flaunting her stomach in promotional pictures for Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life six years ago.

But after giving birth via caesarean sections to biological children Shiloh in 2006 and the twins last year, Angelina could be forgiven if her stomach wasn't quite as taut as it used to be.

When asked for her tips on losing her post-baby weight last year, Angelina admitted breastfeeding and running after her four eldest children had helped her shift the weight.

The new trailer for Salt shows Angelina's character Evelyn fleeing a CIA building after being told by a defector that she is a Russian spy who is plotting to assassinate the U.S. President.


She goes on the run while trying to prove herself as an American patriot and keep her husband safe from authorities.

She dyes her hair from blonde to brown and is seen risking her life to avoid capture during death-defying stunts.

The film was originally due to star Tom Cruise as agent Edwin A Salt, but was rewritten for a female lead when Jolie signed on.

Salt is due for release in the UK in August 2010.

Birthday boys Arron Yan and Calvin Chen were pranked

11/06/2009 12:23:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , , 0 Comments

Fahrenheit's Wu Chun, Jiro Wang, Calvin Chen and Arron Yan due to filming contracts have had to go separate ways, causing non-stop rumors of them not getting along with each other and disbanding, but the four members have continuously showed that their friendship has not ended. Yesterday all members were present to film the Coca-Cola advert, Wu Chun and Jiro had a secret plan to help celebrate Calvin and Arron's birthday which are in November, even making the director join in with the prank, causing them both to shout "we've been pranked".

The advert was shot on 4 consecutive days, on the last day the director suddenly changed the script placing it upon Calvin and Arron, no matter how they acted the director wasn't pleased, re- shooting the scene over and over again. Calvin extremely puzzled said " The last few days the director has been really nice, has he taken the wrong medicine today?". Arron was also shouted to complete bewilderment, the director then finally cursed "Can you two not act it out?" and then shouted for a 5 minutes break. With the tense atmosphere, suddenly the whole studio went dark, Wu Chun and Jiro took out the hidden cake and after seeing the candle light, they both realized what had happened.

Calvin argued that he vaguely guessed that they were playing a joke, Arron from start to finish was scolded until near crazy, he was completely fooled. Calvin made a wish that he can buy a house soon and also previously for raising money for the 8/8 flood victims he designed a T-shirt for online sales, recently he donated the $100 000 NT to the TVBS compassion fund doing charity to celebrate his birthday.

Dell Adamo XPS coming 'in time for the holidays' for $1799 (unboxing and hands-on video!)

11/06/2009 12:23:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments



Dell's finally run its finger along the edge and unhinged the last bit of details for its enigmatic, 0.4-inch-thin Adamo XPS. As it turns out those leaked specs weren't entirely off. We're looking at a LED-backlit 13.4-inch, 720p widescreen display, 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ultra-low voltage processor, GS45 integrated graphics, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128GB thin-micro SSD, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. In terms of connectivity, there's 802.11a/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, location awareness, DisplayPort, two USB 2.0 ports (one on each side). The 20WHr Li-Ion battery can last up to 2 hours and 36 minutes, or you can get the optional 40WHr version instead for 5 hours and 17 minutes of claimed, lab-tested use. Other packaged goods include dongles for ethernet and VGA / HDMI, and for an added fee you can nab a DVD+/-RW drive, a Blu-ray drive, or an external hard drive measured at 250GB or 500GB in capacity.

At $1,799, the price isn't as bad as originally thought, but it's still far from great if performance takes any precedence for you over style. Earlier this week, we got to spend some time with the ultra-thin chez Dell's PR firm -- not enough to really get a feel for how it performs, but enough to admire the hardware and enjoy unboxing what we're told is the final retail packaging. We saw an expected launch date listed for this month, but a rep was quick to note the current line is officially "in time for the holidays" -- just in case the company misses Black Friday, of course. Read on for some more impressions and video unboxing / hands-on!








Dell's finally run its finger along the edge and unhinged the last bit of details for its enigmatic, 0.4-inch-thin Adamo XPS. As it turns out those leaked specs weren't entirely off. We're looking at a LED-backlit 13.4-inch, 720p widescreen display, 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ultra-low voltage processor, GS45 integrated graphics, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128GB thin-micro SSD, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. In terms of connectivity, there's 802.11a/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, location awareness, DisplayPort, two USB 2.0 ports (one on each side). The 20WHr Li-Ion battery can last up to 2 hours and 36 minutes, or you can get the optional 40WHr version instead for 5 hours and 17 minutes of claimed, lab-tested use. Other packaged goods include dongles for ethernet and VGA / HDMI, and for an added fee you can nab a DVD+/-RW drive, a Blu-ray drive, or an external hard drive measured at 250GB or 500GB in capacity.

At $1,799, the price isn't as bad as originally thought, but it's still far from great if performance takes any precedence for you over style. Earlier this week, we got to spend some time with the ultra-thin chez Dell's PR firm -- not enough to really get a feel for how it performs, but enough to admire the hardware and enjoy unboxing what we're told is the final retail packaging. We saw an expected launch date listed for this month, but a rep was quick to note the current line is officially "in time for the holidays" -- just in case the company misses Black Friday, of course. Read on for some more impressions and video unboxing / hands-on!


We'll reserve final judgment for when we actually get some quality, at-home time, but we obviously can't say this enough: you won't be buying this for its specs, price tag, or anything other than its unique form factor. This is a quintessential aspirational product, and while Dell wouldn't give any indication of its sales projections, they certainly can't be high. That said, it's an exciting little number, one that the company hints is the first in a series to come, and we're looking forward to hopefully getting more time with it very soon.

Carrie Prejean Sex Tape: Yours for a Bargain-Bin Price?

11/06/2009 12:22:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Carrie Prejean may be hot, but she just isn't worth the hassle.

E! News has confirmed the existence of Ms. Christian Values' X-rated sex tape—which reportedly prompted her abrupt settlement with Miss California Organization officials—but while the contents may be controversial, the peddlers behind the salacious video have had trouble finding any takers.

The tape actually began making the rounds several months ago and was offered as an exclusive to various websites for the bargain-basement price of $10,000.

But even blogger Nik Richie of the porn-purveying TheDirty.com didn't want anything to do with it.

"It was very graphic," Richie tells E! News, "and our lawyers wouldn't let us put it on the site."

No other site picked up the raunchfest, apparently shot by an ex-boyfriend and which Richie describes as far more explicit than the topless photos of Prejean that surfaced earlier.

Which explains why the tape's reemergence this week reportedly took Prejean by surprise.

The fallen beauty queen had sued Miss Cali officials in August for libel, slander and religious discrimination two months after they fired her over missed appearances. Prejean was MIA from the pageant-sanctioned events as she traveled the country as a newly minted conservative activist espousing her views against gay marriage.

Pageant officials hit back with a countersuit, seeking reimbursement for her $5,200 breast implants and claiming the bombshell failed to live up to her contractual obligations.

Just as we were preparing for a long, bitter court fight, there was a joint announcement out of the blue on Tuesday declaring a settlement. The following day, TMZ reported that the sex tape was the pageant's trump card, and Prejean wound up with no money in the settlement (though the pageant was said to have paid $100,000 in fees to her lawyers and publicist).

Citing the settlement's confidentiality agreement, pageant spokesman Roger Neal declined to comment on whether officials used the sex tape as leverage, except to say "the lawsuits have been dropped, we wish Carrie the best, and Carrie wishes us the best."

Prejean's attorney, Charles LiMandri, echoed those sentiments.

"Since it was a confidential settlement, he will not be able to discuss it," his assistant said.

While LiMandri would not comment on the tape—or whether Prejean would sue to block its release—he told RadarOnline that if the Miss Cali camp did use the sex tape to procure a settlement, he was ready to nullify the deal.

"In my 26 years of practice I have never dealt with a situation like this," the legal eagle said. "It seems as if someone has acted in an unethical and unlawful manner by even raising this issue. We are weighing our options and if this is a breach of contract we are considering suing for punitive damages."

Note to Team Prejean: just don't punish us by releasing the tape. We've had enough.

f(x) releases Chu~? MV teaser

11/06/2009 12:22:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

The moment we've all been waiting for! f(x) has finally released the teaser for their highly anticipated comeback song Chu~? and I'm loving it!


The cinematography and colors are spot on. I always seem to like f(x)'s songs a lot more after watching their MV's and performances and this is no exception. The song is definitely growing on me.

Enjoy and make sure to join their international fan site affxtion!

Inside Google's Android and Apple's iPhone OS as core platforms

11/06/2009 12:21:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , , 0 Comments

A new batch of smartphones based upon Google's Android platform have started to arrive, finally fleshing out what users can really expect of the platform. This article is the first in a series examining how Android stacks up in comparison to the iPhone as a smartphone software platform.

Android doesn't really compete against the iPhone directly; Android is a flexible platform that can be put to use with a lot of implementation leeway by any company, not a specific product tightly managed by a single company in the way the iPhone is.

However, with the wholesale collapse of nearly every other viable smartphone platform --including the old PalmOS, Linux distros like OpenMoko and GreenPhone, Windows Mobile, and even the leading Symbian -- Android has assumed the position as the lead candidate for producing a potential rival to the iPhone, and lots of hardware vendors are hoping to use Android to do just that. New Android phones from HTC, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson are clearly taking aim at the iPhone, each in unique ways.

Comparing specific implementations of Android phones against the iPhone is problematic because Android is only one component of the package. Individual Android-based phones may be exclusively tied to a specific mobile network with different price plans, service coverage, carrier restrictions, or technology limitations that have nothing to do with Android itself. Similarly, different phone manufacturers may have their own design or quality issues, support problems, features or pricing that contribute to or distract from the overall ownership experience but which also don't involve Android itself.

For these reasons, this series will focus exclusively on Android's strengths and weaknesses in comparison to Apple's iPhone as a software platform, rather than being limited to any specific phone model. The issues presented here will broadly apply to all Android phones on the market, as well as those still in production. In addition to the factors presented here, there are lots of issues external to the software platform that users will want to consider when actually choosing a phone.

However, because the core phone platform so deeply impacts usability, expansion options, third party software capacity and feature support, examining the differences will provide a lot of illumination on what kind of experience Android users will have over their phone's lifetime compared to the iPhone. This comparison is analogous to comparing Windows to Mac OS X, rather than the features of a specific Windows PC against a specific Mac model.

Android vs. iPhone: under the surface

The Android or iPhone software platform is more than just a core operating system. And really, the differences in their core operating systems are one of the least important factors to users. Both use a Unix-derived kernel and operating system environment that few users will ever even see. Android phones happen to use a Linux kernel while the iPhone uses the same Mach/BSD Unix kernel as Apple's desktop Macs.

In the big picture, this doesn't really matter much because neither smartphone platform provides any real access to this layer (either to users or developers), and neither phone platform is designed to run desktop software developed for Linux PCs or Macs. Both systems are examples of well regarded technology that is fully capable of supporting the needs of the smartphone environment above the core OS.

The actual platform environment that matters to users on Android and the iPhone exists well above the core operating system kernel. This is where applications run, where security is enforced, and where the business model behind the smartphone impacts what users can and can't do.

Platform environment: Android

Rather than running desktop Linux PC software (which is built using the X11 "X Window System" paired with a window manager like KDE or GNOME) like Nokia's N900 running Maemo Linux, Android supplies a modified Java Virtual Machine similar in many respects to the BlackBerry OS and Symbian phones designed to run Java ME apps. Google has modified Android's Java bytecode interpreter (which it calls Dalvik) to avoid having to pay Sun licensing fees for the official JVM in Android. This enables Google to offer Android for free, and without any interference from Sun. It also effectively makes Android a Java platform, not a Linux platform.

Existing Java ME software is easy to port to Android, which is an advantage both because it makes delivering new third party Android apps easier for developers familiar with mobile Java programming, and because it forces developers to do some minimal porting rather than just make their old Java ME apps available as is. The majority of existing Java ME apps are simple and low quality and can't actually run across the wide range of phones that are supposed to run them. Java ME competes against Adobe's Flash Lite, which is also broadly licensed to phone makers but which, like Java ME, hasn't done much to result in broad availability of quality mobile software.

Sun's mobile Java platform is purported to be a "write once, run everywhere" platform, but in reality it only serves as a lowest common denominator for very minimal functionality. BlackBerry and Symbian users want to obtain software custom designed for their phone OS and model, not a basic generic applet that can potentially run on any phone but which does not take advantage of any special features on any model.

The "run everywhere" premise of Java ME is also complicated by the fact that different phones (even from the same vendor) implement the Java virtual machine differently. This results in user confusion as each app has to be tested and optimized for each new phone model, something that simply hasn't happened. That's why Sun's Java ME platform, despite being touted as "the most ubiquitous application platform for mobile devices across the globe," hasn't resulted in a popular, successful market for smartphone software.

Google has purposely broken compatibility with Java ME to introduce Android's Dalvik alternative as a new development platform that leverages all the developer experience and familiarity of Java, without allowing or intending Android software to run on BlackBerry or Symbian phones. The hope is that Android's single, standardized implementation of Java technology will do what Sun's broadly licensed Java ME failed to do: deliver a viable mobile software market across hardware vendors' offerings.


This all happened before

Android's goal is somewhat similar to the world of desktop computers in the late 70s, where various vendors adopted CP/M as a common way to write software that could work on more than just one computer model. Microsoft introduced its own modified copy of CP/M under the name MS-DOS, partnered with IBM to widely deploy it, and then became very successful in selling a standardized, proprietary version of what had been a loosely open standard (open in the sense of being widely used by multiple companies, not in the sense of open source or an open specification).

When other software vendors began copying MS-DOS, the new market for DOS PCs enabled hardware makers to bundle any DOS with their hardware, and customers could subsequently run any DOS software on their PCs. However, Microsoft subsequently worked to suppress and eventually killed off all MS-DOS software clone competitors with the introduction of Windows 95 in order to maintain monopolized control over the software platform sold on every PC globally.

In contrast, Google says it intends to allow manufacturers to use Android any way they like. Phone makers and even mobile operators can introduce their own modified versions of Android that all use the same Dalvik bytecode interpreter. This will result in the Android software market being much more like DOS PC world of the late 80s than the Windows world of the past fifteen years.

This is an important distinction because Google's Android is being frequently compared to Microsoft Windows by pundits, despite the fact that Google has little in common with Microsoft in terms of how it runs its new platform and how it plans to make money from it.

Platform environment: iPhone

Apple has taken an entirely different approach to delivering its mobile software platform. Rather than building a bytecode interpreter based upon a specific, customized implementation of Java ME, Apple introduced the iPhone running a scaled down version of its desktop Mac OS X Cocoa development environment. This leverages the installed brain trust of the company's Mac developers rather than the installed base of Java ME coders in the existing smartphone market.

It's still possible to port Java code to the iPhone, but it requires more translation work as Apple only supports Objective-C/C as an iPhone development language in its own tools. Rather than allowing iPhone developers to easily port over desktop Mac apps to the iPhone, the great overlap between iPhone and Mac development tools appears to have been more of strategy to draw developer attention to the Mac. Apple already sells about twice as many iPhones as it does Macs, and the iPhone certainly casts a larger mindshare net than the Mac platform does itself.

The differences between developing for Android and for the iPhone are not a clear win for either camp. Both offer somewhat similar tools in terms of capability, with Google's being more familiar to open source or Java developers and Apple's being nearly identical to its desktop Mac platform tools. Apple has a minor lead in having deployed its platform about a year and a half before Android reached the market, and because it has been actively working on its Mac OS X platform for over a decade; Google is new to the platform development business.

However, the team Google acquired to put Android together has been working within the company for about as long as Apple's own efforts on the iPhone; both got started on their current strategies around 2005. Outside of Google, the original Android project dates back to 2003, and was largely built upon on operating system technology that started at Danger in 2000, around the same time as Mac OS X's modern development. So in many respects, Android and iPhone are contemporary platforms, as opposed to Symbian, BlackBerry OS, and Windows Mobile which had their core foundations designed in the mid 90s to serve very different purposes as simple PDA or pager operating systems.

Android vs. iPhone: the business model

In addition to their internal technical differences, Android and the iPhone platform also differ in many other more significant respects that will more directly impact users. It's possible to use inferior technology to create a good product, and to use excellent technology to deliver a terrible product. More than technical specifics, users will be most impacted by platform factors such as:

• User restrictions and/or freedoms accorded by the platform's business model.
• The potential for rapid advancement of new features, increased sophistication and greater performance delivered in software updates.
• The usability of core bundled applications and the availability and affordability of useful and desirable third party software.

Upcoming segments will look at how Android and the iPhone compare in these respects.

[Via Appleinsider]

Mariah Carey Pops a Squat on the Beach

11/06/2009 12:21:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Mariah Carey was out on the beach yesterday in Los Angeles, shooting a music video in a too-small bathing suit cut down to her navel, along with some serious bling. You know, just normal Mariah beachwear...video shoot or no video shoot.


The photo agency's caption explains the situation like so: "the Precious pop star oozed glamour." We're not sure if that's exactly what she's oozing—maybe it's more like desperation—but for the sake of the magical creature that is Mariah, we'll stick with glamour.





Momo Love’s ratings at rock bottom; Cyndi and Jiro’s relationship turn sour?

11/06/2009 12:20:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

It has been a month since the debut of Momo Love, which is a drama produced by GTV, aired on CTV, and the drama is now last place in ratings, competing against the other idol dramas: Autumn’s Concerto and Hi, My Sweetheart. Momo Love, starring Cyndi Wang and Jiro Wang, is adapted from the Japanese manga, Momoka Typhoon. Although Momo Love contains a strong cast, which includes Ken Chu of F4, Ding Chun Cheng, Godfrey Gao, Lan Jun Tian, and Jing Wong, the ratings have not been up to expectations.


GTV is still trying to identify the reason to such low results. Netizens of the popular PTT forum, on the other hand, harshly criticize that the drama lacks content and an interesting plot. In addition, some stated, “Ken Chu’s face is too big. It doesn’t look good on screen,” and, “None of Jiro’s dramas have ever done well. He clearly can’t bring in the ratings.”

The audience has shown more interest in the comedic quartet (Ding Chun Cheng, Godfrey Gao, Lan Jun Tian, and Jing Wong) than the main couple of Cyndi and Jiro. Thus, rumors have risen that Cyndi and Jiro’s relationship have turned sour due to the criticisms and rating. Some staff members of the drama also reported that Cyndi and Jiro’s interactions were awkward during the filming. Cyndi’s manager, Zhang Jia Rong, declined such claims and stated that Cyndi’s relationship with a co-star wouldn’t turn sour just because of a bad series. Zhang further expressed confidence in Cyndi by stating that her acting and popularity have long been proven in “La robe de Mariee des cieux” and “Smiling Pasta.” However, Cyndi was in tears in front of the media recently due to the pressure that is put on her. Cyndi expressed that she has been having trouble sleeping because of this.

Understandably, if the drama is well received, the cast can choose to do less promotional activities or even none at all. However, since this is not the case, many showed dissatisfaction toward Ken Chu as he still has not attended any press conference for Momo Love since the very first when the crew announced the start of the filming.

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