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The Top Pop Albums of the Decade 2000s

12/01/2009 11:59:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , , , 0 Comments

As the decade nears its end, one thing that will be missed is the music. Remember those albums we left on repeat because they really were worth listening to? From the catchy dance tracks to the political rock records that defined the 2000s, we saw artists like Justin Timberlake and Amy Winehouse grow up and deliver pinnacle records we never saw coming. When it came to the Top 40 set, this was a great time to love music. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Pop albums of the '00s:

10. Amy Winehouse -- 'Back to Black'
No matter how many times she goes into rehab or messes up, nobody can dismiss the fact that Amy Winehouse's debut album showed how much promise and soul the troubled British songstress has. From the hyper-autobiographical 'Rehab' to 'You Know I'm No Good,' Winehouse's burnt vocals mixed with Mark Ronson's brilliant beats, Winehouse shines in a way that makes seeing her recent decline that much more painful.

9. Green Day -- 'American Idiot'
Yes, it's a great rock record of the decade, but its smash success (Grammys included) and the immediacy of the songs on this concept album also make it a universal pop smash too. No disc of the decade was more direct at speaking for a lost generation. From the thrilling title track to the nine-minute 'Jesus of Suburbia' suite to the radio-ready fury of 'Holiday' to the heart-shattering 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' make it an album that the punks could celebrate with their parents. And those are just the first four tracks we're mentioning.

8. Outkast -- 'Stankonia'
The Atlanta duo of Dre and Big Boi struck gold with 'Stankonia,' as the album went triple platinum in a few quick months. With catchy hits like 'Ms. Jackson' and 'So Fresh, So Clean,' who can deny this album a top spot? Oh, and not to mention 'B.O.B.,' which Pitchfork recently declared as the single best track of the 2000s.

7. Beyonce -- 'B-Day'
Mark this as the best dance album of the decade. Beyonce manages to 'Get Me Bodied' with that 'Freakum Dress' all while collaborating with Jay-Z. This album proves she knows how to throw a party and has mastered her presence as a solo artist. If this is how Beyonce celebrates a B-Day, who really needs cake, candles or drinks.

6. Gwen Stefani -- 'Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'
Ever since Gwen brought us 'Hollaback Girl,' we've been impressed with her solo power. The album's '70s pop throwbacks and hip-hop beats make it stand up against No Doubt's 'Rock Steady' return.

5. Scissor Sisters -- 'Scissor Sisters'
For many of you, it's the best party album of the decade that you've likely never heard. A contagious synthesis of glam, disco and alternative rock powered by vocals that stretch from Elton John kitsch to Justin Timberlake swagger. All of that, plus a club-thumpin cover of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb.'

4. Kelly Clarkson -- 'Breakaway'
'Since U Been Gone' cemented 'Breakaway' as Clarkson's best album yet, proving she's more than just another 'American Idol.' The rock'n'roll pop tracks dig deeper, proving the innocence from her debut 'Thankful' is long gone.

3. Gorillaz -- 'Demon Days'
A side project doesn't usually hit gold, but this Gorillaz's album actually hit platinum and turned into a surprise worldwide hit. Blending hip-hop and pop beats, this album is genius and we still can't get enough of the band's first single, 'Feel Good Inc.'

2. Kanye West -- 'The College Dropout'
Before his ego consumed him, Kanye West's debut was a musical masterpiece. When it comes down to it, this album may wash away all of Kanye's blunders, as it stands above the rest with 'Jesus Walks' and 'All Falls Down.'

1. Justin Timberlake -- 'FutureSex/LoveSounds'
'Justified' showed us that the former boy-bander could make it on his own. But it was 'FutureSex/LoveSounds' that put him on the map as one of the great talents of his generation with hits like 'SexyBack' and 'What Goes Around.'

Oscar Buzz Surrounds Leona Lewis

12/01/2009 11:59:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments



She’s already a talent show sensation, but songbird Leona Lewis is hoping she’ll soon be a double Oscar winner. The Grammy-nominated Brit has two soundtrack tunes in the running for the Best Original Song category.

Leona’s current single “Happy” is featured in the critically-acclaimed Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey-produced film Precious, the story of an overweight, illiterate teen who goes to an alternative school in search of a better life.

“I’m just so proud of it cos I wrote it, and to be associated with a film like Precious, which is about trying to overcome troubles and trials in your life,” Leona, 24, said of the song. “I’m glad that someone got that message.”



Leona’s “I See You” is also tapped for an Oscar nod. The song is featured in Titanic director James Cameron’s new sci-fi adventure Avatar.

“I only saw a half-hour clip of the film,” said Leona. “It’s not finished yet, and it’s insane, awesome. I heard the song – great lyrics, very, very epic. So I went in and I did it. And then they played it to James and he phoned me up and said: ‘Oh, my God. I love you!’ He’s so cool.”

“I had this perception that he was going to be totally untouchable and unreach-able. But he’s just like your nice uncle. He’s lovely.”

Leona could perform both songs at the 2010 Academy Awards bash in Tinseltown next March.

Office 2010 confirmed for June 2010 release

12/01/2009 11:58:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Late last week, a beta tester pointed out that Microsoft was planning to release its Office 2010 suite in June 2010, according to Fudzilla. Previously Redmond had only been quoted as saying "the first half of 2010" but more recently the company apparently posted the following message on one of the Office 2010 beta webpages: "The final version will be available to the public for purchase in June 2010." We browsed various Microsoft Office webpages, and even did a search, but we couldn't find the quote, so we contacted Microsoft directly.

"We expect Office 2010 and related products to be generally available in June 2010," a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed with Ars. The company wouldn't get more specific than that, but that's how it always is with Microsoft: give a release a year or a six month period, narrow it down to a month, and then unleash everything on a specific day, assuming no major delays.

The most ambitious goal Microsoft is striving for with Office 2010 is making it available via a familiar experience across the PC, phone, and browser. Office 2010 is the first release of the productivity suite that will come in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors and on one DVD no less. In addition to the five editions of Office 2010 announced in July 2009, and the ad-supported one announced in October 2009, Microsoft is also working on the Office Web Apps, first demonstrated in October 2008: Web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

In October 2009, Microsoft announced it would close down the Office 2010 Technical Preview Program to make room for the public beta. The Office Web Apps hit beta status last month along with the rest of Office 2010, Project 2010, Visio 2010, and SharePoint Server 2010 that were released to the public as well as to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. That beta is set to expire on October 31, 2010, giving users plenty of time to move to the final version. Also in October 2009, rumors swirled around Office Mobile 7, the piece of the Office puzzle we've heard the least about, being ready for Spring 2010.

We'll be keeping a close eye on the Office 2010 suite and related products. In the meantime, the portal that seems like the best starting point for learning more about the whole 2010 wave of Microsoft products is Microsoft.com/2010.

XP's usage share down, Win 7, Firefox & IE8 up

12/01/2009 11:58:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , 0 Comments

Data released by web metrics company Net Applications indicates that the release of Windows 7 to the general public has put a significant dent into Windows XP’s usage share.

For the November period, web usage of XP dropped by 1.45%, while Vista’s usage share only dropped by 0.2%. At the end of the month the state of play was as follows:

* XP: 69.03%
* Vista: 18.60%
* Win 7: 3.98%

Overall, a good month for Windows 7.

In other OS usage share news, Mac OS X usage share dropped slightly, down 0.16% to 5.11% (the third time this year that Mac has lost market share). The number in of itself isn’t all that significant, but the lost ground is. Also, Linux managed to claw back market share to end November with a 1% usage share, a spot it hasn’t held since July.

On the browser front, Firefox 3.5 the biggest winner in November, grabbing 1.26% usage share, up to 15.16%. Internet Explorer 8 is also seeing usage gains, up 1.19% to 19.31%. usage share for both IE6 and 7 slipped.

Browser state of play:

* IE: 63.61%
* Firefox: 24.74%
* Safari: 4.36%
* Chrome: 3.92%
* Opera: 2.31%

Net Applications measures operating system usage by tracking computers that visit the 40,000 sites monitored for clients, which represents a pool of about 160 million unique visitors each month. This data is then weighted based on the estimated size of each country’s Internet population.

Drew Barrymore Considering Legal Action Against Perez Hilton

12/01/2009 11:57:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Hollywood sweetheart Drew Barrymore is reportedly consulting her attorneys about possible legal action against online gossip Perez Hilton. In his new book, True Bloggywood Stories: The Glamorous Life of Beating, Cheating and Overdozing, Barrymore’s longtime foe claims the former child star’s sober image is a facade.


“She was f**ked-up. She’s always f**ked-up… She is not the sober kitten that the main public may think she is,” Hilton writes.

The Charlie’s Angels actress struggled with addiction for much of her earlier life, but kicked her addictions with a stint in rehab in the early 1990s. Earlier this year, Drew insisted she doesn’t claim to be sober, but she’s found a “balance” that works.

Big Bang TaeYang’s ‘Wedding Dress’ goes up to #3 spot on Dutch music chart, “shocking”

12/01/2009 11:57:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Much attention has been focused on Big Bang TaeYang for going up to the top rankings on one of the music charts in the Netherlands.


TaeYang’s latest hit ‘Wedding Dress’ is up on the top 10 rankings for 2 weeks on a radio broadcast company Fun X’s X Tip charts in the Netherlands. It was up at the #9 spot for last week (20th-26th November) and for this week it is at #3.

X Tip chart takes in account of play hits, netizens’ poll and video play hits by fans on its radio. And the song has received a rating of 5 stars by 970 netizens.

Netizens’ responses to this was, “He is also popular overseas. TaeYang gets 5 stars on his own!”, “I am very curious how TaeYang got so high up the charts”, “It seems people just recognise good music no matter if you are from the East or the West.”


Office Web Apps access comes to Windows Mobile, iPhone, Blackberry and more (with some caveats)

12/01/2009 11:56:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

For the past year, Microsoft officials have said repeatedly — without offering any specifics — that Office Web Apps will work on mobile phones. But now that the public beta of Office Web Apps is available (as of mid-November), the Redmondians are revealing, with a little prodding. a bit more about the company’s mobile Office Web Apps plans.

First, a quick review of what Microsoft has promised regarding Office 2010 on mobile phones. Company officials have been saying for months that Microsoft is planning to offer two different ways for phone users to get access to Office 2010: Via Office Web Apps (the Webified versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote) and via Office Mobile 2010, the phone-centric version of Office. Both Office Web Apps and Office Mobile 2010 are available as free, downloadable betas by anyone interested in trying them out. (It bears repeating that the Office Web Apps version that went to public beta in mid-November is not the free, consumer version of Office Web Apps; it’s the beta of the business version that will be available as a paid offering and requires SharePoint.)

The public beta of Office Web Apps does support mobile access, Microsoft officials said. But Which phones and which browsers? Here’s the list:

* IE on Windows Mobile 5/6/6.1/6.5
* Safari4 on iPhone 3G/S
* BlackBerry 4.x and newer versions
* Nokia S60
* NetFront 3.4, 3.5 and newer versions
* Opera Mobile 8.65 and newer versions
* Openwave 6.2, 7.0 and newer versions

“Support,” in the case of Office Web Apps, means viewing only of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote documents. You cannot create or edit these documents from your phone. That’s true now (as of the public beta) and will be true when the final versions of Office Web Apps are available by June 2010, Microsoft officials confirmed to me yesterday.

Office Mobile 2010 enables editing and viewing of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and SharePoint documents on phones running the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system.

Microsoft is planning to provide the ability to view Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote documents on phones to customers who opt for its free Office Web Apps suite, too. But so far, it is still working out the details as to how that will work, as customers of the free version access Office Web Apps via Windows Live SkyDrive and not SharePoint, a spokesperson told me. The free version of Office Web Apps is slated to launch ahead of the business versions — some time this spring, alongside the (beta or final — not sure which) of the Windows Live Wave 4 suite of services — Microsoft execs told me recently.

If you’re wondering why you need SharePoint to view Office documents from your phone, here’s what the spokesperson said:

“You don’t need the SharePoint Workspace on your mobile phone since you are accessing the docs through the browser, but you do need SharePoint on the back end. Technically speaking, the ‘doc library’ needs to detect what kind of browser it’s talking to, and then send the document to be rendered in ‘mobile Office Web App viewer mode’ of the Office Web App when the end user opens the doc. SharePoint Doc Library handles this detection and properly hands off of the doc to the Office Web App/ browser for rendering on mobile phones.”

Has anyone tried the document viewers on any phones other than Windows Mobile ones? I’m curious how well they work…

Three Ways The Droid Can Stay Hot In 2010

12/01/2009 11:56:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

One million Droid mobile phone sales are on the horizon and the challenge now for Motorola and Verizon is to ensure that the Droid's momentum continues into the new year.

The marketing's been great and the reviews have been solid, so what Droid needs now is to continue to create the type of consumer and developer presences that will keep it a serious competitor toApple's iPhone. As the initial buzz on Droid wears off, both presences will become dramatically more difficult.

Here are three big challenges for Droid in early 2010:

1. Sales momentum.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Sue pegged Droid sales through the Thanksgiving holiday at between 600,000 and 800,000, well on track for one million Droids sold by the end of the year. Sue's research note, quoted by GigaOM and other news sites, indicated Motorola could reach the 1 million mark thanks to Verizon's roughly $100 million marketing campaign.

One million sold since its early November launch isn't exactly Apple territory, seeing as Apple's iPhone 3GS moved one million units in its first weekend. But Droid's done a lot better than some of the year's other much-discussed iPhone competitors, including the Palm Pre, whose first-month sales most analysts projected at around 300,000. When the holiday season tapers off and the winter sales freeze sets in, will the Droid still have enough juice to stay top-of-mind for consumers?

2. Backlash and new competition.

A hot debut in any market -- let alone the hyper-competitive, hugely fickle smartphone marketplace -- means inevitable backlash. For the Droid, it's already started. Take blogger Dave Winer, whose burgeoning Droidie blog's nicest comment about the phone is that it "sucks less than the iPhone."

A hot debut also means that initial buzz is just that: initial. How long before another new Android-based phone -- maybe one developed and branded by Google itself -- comes along to swipe Droid's spotlight before it's even gotten comfortable?

3. App store presence.

Creating an app marketplace to conquer Apple's mighty App Store is more a challenge for Google than for Motorola or Verizon. But the faster Google gets its Android Market house in order, the better app growth will be for all of the fall's hot smartphones that run Android.

For starters, there are a number of versions of Google Android, including 2.0, which Droid runs. Many of the 12,000-or-so Google Android apps seen in the Android Market aren't compatible with all of them, or even more than one version. That may not be too much of a hindrance for consumers, but if Google is serious about attracting top talent in the app community, it'll need a clear and decisive platform that's an obvious home run.

In other words, the pros don't show up unless they expect an app development platform that's definitely worth their while. If the pros don't show up, Google Android app development never graduates to the big leagues. If Google Android app development never graduates, the top Android phones, like Droid, don't become app-lover paradises like iPhone.

“Is Lady Gaga A Man?” Among “Most Asked Questions Of 2009″

12/01/2009 11:55:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

“Is Lady Gaga A Man?” and “Is Michael Jackson dead?” were among the “Most Asked Questions Of 2009,” according to Internet search engine Ask.com. Ask has released a list of the most commonly asked questions it received in 2009 and the fan obsession with the pop sensation’s gender was the third most asked this year.


“Last year we looked at our top questions and found that the identity of tame racing driver The Stig from Top Gear was on everyone’s minds,” Nadia Kelly of Ask revealed Tuesday. “This year we have had a wide variety of unusual searches. It proves that more people than ever are turning to Internet search engines for answers to not only everyday things but weird and wacky subjects too,” Kelly added.

“The internet has become the virtual textbook of choice for millions, with its ability to give quick and accurate answers to even the most bizarre questions.”

The site has also been flooded with questions about the swine flu virus and popular social networking site Twitter.com.

Jay Chou and Wang Lee Hom unable to produce music in time; giving up competition chances in GMA

12/01/2009 11:55:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Jay Chou and Wang Lee Hom has been frequent winners of the Golden Melody Awards, but this year, the two Heavenly Kings are unable to release an album each by the end of the year due to movie filming. This would actually mean giving up the chance to compete in next year’s Golden Melody Awards, putting all other singers at an advantage. However, Jay has promised to turn up for next year’s Golden Melody Awards as the award recipient of Best Male Singer of the previous year. He will not be competing, and may be an award presenter.

Since his debut in 2000, Jay has maintained his habit of releasing an album each year. This year, however, he is unable to produce an album in time due to firstly his accepting a role in The Treasure Hunter, and secondly upon completing his 42 stops of World Tour Concert in August, he flew to Los Angeles immediately to film his first Hollywood movie, Green Hornet. Despite having 10 songs completed, he wasn’t free until last week to go invite record technician Gary to the US to start his recording.

It was reported that next year’s January would be the quickest he can release his album. JVR’s Zhang Lan Yun, in charge of propaganda planning, said yesterday, “The release date is currently unknown, but chances of it being at the year end is not high.”

Singing again next year’s June; First time in Taipei Arena

Another passionate fan on Taipei Arena’s website yesterday accidentally found out that JVR has booked the Taipei Arena from 7 to 15 June next year, unintentionally disclosing that Jay would be back on a new World Tour in less than a year and would be really busy. Zhang Lan Yun said, “We did reserved the timing, but have yet to sign the contract officially.” As opposed to Jay’s habit of singing in Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei County Banciao Stadium etc outdoor places, if the rumours are correct, it would be Jay’s first time singing in Taipei Arena.

Wang Lee Hom, another Heavenly King, had not released an album in the year 2006 due to his involvement in Lust, Caution. The year end, because his first self-written movie is set to start soon, his album release is rumoured to be postponed to April next year, and is certain to miss the Golden Melody Awards too. His managing company replied yesterday, “Lee Hom is demanding when it comes to his music, and has always put soft fire makes sweet malt into practical use. His movie is progressing as well.”

Michael Jackson, Twilight And WWE Top The 2009 Yahoo! Search Chart

12/01/2009 11:55:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, Twilight, the red hot Vampire saga, and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), the professional wrestling organization, were at the top ofYahoo (NSDQ: YHOO)!'s top 10 overall searched list for 2009.

Jackson's top search ranking came after the singer's untimely death in June.

Yahoo said Michael Jackson's death broke many records on Yahoo! including the single most streamed event in Yahoo!'s history, with five million total streams.

Jackson also topped the list of the "Top 10 Celebrity Farewell Searches For 2009" on Yahoo followed by Farrah Fawcett and Patrick Swayze and the "Top 10 Searched Music Artists For 2009" on Yahoo followed by Britney Spears and Beyonce.

Spears -- who has topped Yahoo!'s Top 10 Overall Searches for the past four years --dropped from the No. 1 position to No. 5 this year.

"We saw consumers escape to the Web hoping to pursue news and their guilty pleasures: vampires, political implosions, how to moonwalk -- you name it, people went online to find it," said Vera Chan, a Yahoo! Search trend analyst in a prepared statement. "And with economic uncertainty looming, people looked for ways to find stability by searching the Web for new jobs, unemployment benefits, and ways to save through old-fashioned coupon hunting."

Yahoo! said the popularity of the "Twilight" franchise surged with with every "Twilight" book, DVD, and soundtrack release. Yahoo! attributed a good deal of the Twilight searches to the insatiable appetite of Twilight fans, known as "Twilighters," for every bit of cast gossip.

The biggest surprise in the list of 2009 top searches may be WWE, the official website for professional wrestling. The WWE website includes news of the latest matches and WWE superstar profiles and videos.

Below is the official top ten Yahoo! list for overall searches:

1. Michael Jackson 2. Twilight 3. WWE 4. Megan Fox 5. Britney Spears 6. Naruto 7. American Idol 8. Kim Kardashian 9. NASCAR 10. Runescape

Another Google Wave Use: Manhunt

12/01/2009 11:54:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Apparently, like everyone else, the Seattle Times is very interested in trying to figure out what to actually use Google Wave for. But while most are trying to use it for either fun, realtime chats, movie reenactments, or inner-business workings, the Seattle Times have tasked Wave with a larger goal: Catching a killer.

This public Google Wave has been set up to involve the community by offering realtime information that anyone may know about the location of a man suspected of killing four Seattle police officers. A search of a Seattle-area home this morning turned up nothing, but various reports of sightings are coming in, and the Times is opening a Wave to help with the flow of information.

About 45 minutes ago, the Wave was opened with just a few people in it. Already, there are over 100 people in here now communicating quickly with updates. Included are Wave elements with links to police scanner audio, live video footage of the search, a suspect description, and information about local schools on lockdown. It’s actually quite amazing to watch this unfold and get updated before your very eyes.

That said, it will also be a bit overwhelming for many people to follow. In just the first Wave message in the thread, there are four people currently updating things, for example. As one users participating wrote, “distracting/annoying, mostly,” with regard to the live-typing element of Wave. Another simply wrote, “google wave is a mess… back to twitter.”

But others participating are amazed at the rapid flow of information coming in. And plenty are able to follow along. As someone else writes, “That last radio about the fresh blood was pretty chilling… hopefully they are close.”

The fact that this is a public Wave that anyone can join is also both a blessing and a curse. Right now, the comments are pretty much all on-point, but that’s only because many people on the web still don’t know about, or have access to Wave yet. If they did, undoubtedly forums like this would turn into a mess of spam. That’s something Google has to think very seriously about for Wave going forward.

Still, a use case like this is very interesting. A manhunt is all about gathering information. Could there be misinformation? Of course, but there could be on tip lines as well. If a police department had someone watching this Wave (I’m not sure if that’s the case right now), they could do their best to attempt to filter the good information from the bad. Something like this could also be potentially useful for a missing child.

Of course, for all of these types of cases, a solid mobile interface may be better than someone sitting at their computer using Wave. Presumably, the best tips will come from someone who is out and about and sees the suspect.

Adam Lambert Makes A Bid For 'Eclipse' Soundtrack

12/01/2009 11:54:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

'Suburban Decay' didn't make it onto his album, but Lambert thinks it would fit the 'Twilight' sequel.

Adam Lambert's "Time for Miracles" has already been featured on the soundtrack for "2012." But the "American Idol" runner-up is already thinking about having a song accompany another potential blockbuster: "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse."

Lambert thinks "Suburban Decay," a track produced by Rob Cavallo that didn't make it onto For Your Entertainment, should find a new home on the June 2010 movie's soundtrack.

"It's a great song and I hope to perform it someday, and I think it will find a home, on a soundtrack or something ... maybe 'Twilight,' " he told MTV News. "It just didn't quite fit [in my album]. It's very theatrical. ... It's very campy, and it was just a bit too campy for the album as a big picture."

Although the vibe was all wrong for his album, it might be perfect to score the intensifying love triangle between Bella, Jacob and Edward. "Hey, 'Eclipse' ... Want my song? It's kind of about vampires," he offered, noting a verse about "bloodlust."

"Voodoo" is another song that fans heard about earlier this year but didn't make the cut for Lambert's major-label debut. "Again because we only had so many tracks — that's one I do wish we got on the album," he said. "But I didn't want to get rid of any of the other ones. I believe in all the songs. It's real sexy, kind of vibey dark disco ... more industrial."

Ella's Game of Trust Fall Opened Jerry Yan's Heart

12/01/2009 11:53:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

In the past, Jerry was known to be very reserved. But since he started filming GTV's idol drama serial [Down With Love] with Ella, who has a very warm personality, he has become more cheerful. In between their breaks while filming, the two of them will enjoy playing the "Game of Trust" whereby one party will relax and fall towards the other, who would then steadily catch the falling party. But of course, there were times whereby Jerry would pretend to move away to scare Ella and both of them would end up playing and bickering like little children.


Ella shared that through their interactions, she learnt that Jerry is actually just like a big boy. And he is one who has high expectations on himself. "He would tend to blame himself if there were too many NG." Meanwhile Jerry shared about Ella, "She is very bubbly. Having interacted with her for some time, I discovered she is very concern about others and has a sentimental and sensitive side to her." Once while Ella was filming, Jerry spoke in "wa-wa-yin*" on purpose just so as to make Ella burst out in laughter. On another ocassion, he suddenly carried Ella and she exclaimed in return, "Put me down quickly. People are going to catch a glimpse of my panty already."


Ella explained that initially Jerry was surrounded by many personal assistants who were protecting him, hence, she was worried that she might not be welcomed even when she wish to make friends and get to know him better. However she told herself that she must definitely and eventually get along with Jerry as she would need to fall for the character he is playing based on the script. "There must be good mutual feelings in order for the story to be convincing." She also encouraged Jerry to just be himself and not mind how others would look at him. Gradually Jerry also opened his heart and both of them became good friends who can confide in each other.

YG Entertainment employees steals from the stars’ pay

12/01/2009 11:53:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

One of Korea’s big entertainment agency, YG Entertainment, well-known through popular idol artists such as Big Bang, Seven, and 2NE1, falls into another crisis.


Currently, 3 people are being kept in the police station for stealing the payments of the stars under YG Entertainment, including, Big Bang and 2NE1. The amount totals up to about 2,500,000 dollars.

These people who had been working in YG Entertainment as managers and secretary starting taking the money since 2004 and including last year, they were able to continually take money from the big business for 4 years eventually totaling up to 2,500,000 dollars. Other than that, they are also known to have used the money for personal investing fees in stocks and also for their daily lifestyle.

Zii TRINITY 3.5G ZMS-05 dev smartphone announced

12/01/2009 11:53:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

As promised last month, the ZiiLABS team have revealed their first smartphone development platform, the Zii TRINITY, based on the company’s StemCell ZMS-05 processor and throwing in quadband GSM and triband WCDMA/HSDPA. As before, 1080p Full HD is supported together with accelerated OpenGL ES 3D graphics, while up front the TRINITY has a 3.1-inch 800 x 480 OLED capacitive touchscreen. In the future, ZiiLABS say, there’ll be a 4G version supporting the even higher-speed mobile networks.

The Zii TRINITY also squeezes in WiFi b/g, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera (plus a front-facing VGA camera for video calls), along with a microSD card slot. Wired connectivity includes micro USB 2.0, mini HDMI and composite video output. The battery is a 1,130mAh pack, and the TRINITY will run both Creative’s own Plaszma OS or Google’s Android platform.

Frustratingly, the Zii TRINITY won’t be available to the general public – at least, not through a mobile phone store – but as a Zii Development Kit ‘3G Phone Edition’, including schematics, Gerbers, mechanical drawings, Board Support Package, middleware and OS. No word on pricing as yet.

HTC HD2 multitouch API offers true gesture support [Video]

12/01/2009 11:53:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

HTC’s injection of multitouch support into the HTC HD2 is one of the things that most impressed us about the smartphone, but so far the company have been reluctant to share the magic with third-party developers. One of the oft-missed benefits of Windows Mobile, however, is a huge developer community who’ll go in and dig out what they’re not being given, and xda-developers’ l3v5y has come up with an API for multitouch.



The API supports two-fingered multitouch, and offers support for gestures rather than simply pinch-zooming (as can reasonably easily be hacked into the HD2 across the board, extending HTC’s own pinch-zoom system). Instead it offers true two-point positioning information that software can use to recognize gestures, movement and the like.

The two videos below – from wmpoweruser – show the system in action, and l3v5y is apparently working on an art app for the HD2 that will allow you to paint with two fingers at once. If you’re familiar with C++/Win32 development then he says you should find integrating multitouch relatively straightforward.

Adam Lambert: Maybe AMAs Performance "Wasn't the Best First Impression"

12/01/2009 12:39:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

Adam Lambert has been having second thoughts.


After initially writing off his erotically charged appearance at the 2009 American Music Awards as envelope-pushing showmanship, the singer is now wondering whether his performance was more for his entertainment than for yours.

"It was maybe a little too far," the 27-year-old artist admitted during a sit-down with The Ellen DeGeneres Show that airs Tuesday.

"I think in hindsight I look back on it and I go, 'OK, maybe that wasn't the best first impression to make again, the first second impression.' I mean, I had fun up there, I had a good time, my dancers had fun and the band had fun.

"I respect people and feel like people walked away from that feeling disrespected. I would never intend to disrespect anybody. So that was not my intention."

But count DeGeneres among those who believes there's a double standard on TV when it comes to male vs. female sexuality.

"My whole thing is I feel like if you're offended by a show of sexuality on stage, then you should be offended by all shows of sexuality. It should be all forms," the incoming American Idol judge said.

"I think, too, people aren't used to seeing gay man portrayed that way on TV," Lambert agreed. "The gay male image in the media tends to be very clique and safe...I was putting on a character, putting on a persona being this kind of rock star, kind of dangerous kind of guy.

"After seeing one of my favorites, Lady Gaga, tear it apart on stage...She was incredible. I don't know, something came over me and got caught up in the moment and maybe went a little too far."

And perhaps the folks at home just weren't ready to see Adam Lambert's poker face.

Lambert's dad suggested that an apology might be in order, the singer said. But he ultimately disagreed with his pops.

"I was like, 'You know, Dad, I don't feel like I did anything wrong.' It just wasn't maybe the right judgement call. It's a taste thing more than an obscenity thing. I think it's just a taste level."

And he was, in fact, bummed about Good Morning America canceling his scheduled appearance three days after the AMAs.

"I think ABC was a little bit mad at me," Lambert said.

"I don't blame them. I got carried away...They gave me a great opportunity to close the AMAs and I would never want to smack that gift horse in the mouth. I think they were taking a leap of faith having me do that and it unfortunately it didn't work out as we all thought it would."

Hence the "new direction" he's going in, starting with his performance of "Whataya Want From Me" on Ellen.

"Ellen:airing 2m.Singing 'whatya want from me'!," the singer tweeted today. "AMA performance was a one time event. Goin in a new direction now. Focus back on the music...Don't worry friends: I'm still gonna be me. Always. W/o appologies. Just gonna experiment differently w how I present myself...I'm learning. :)"

OK, we think the poor guy has humbled himself enough. On with the show!

Lil Wayne Recruits Eminem For Rebirth Song 'Drop The World'

12/01/2009 12:39:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 1 Comment

Weezy's label wouldn't confirm a Rebirth track list posted by Amazon UK.

Way back in October 2007, Lil Wayne told Mixtape Monday he had the perfect track for him and Eminem to get down on. At the time, Slim Shady was on hiatus from music.

But now, with an album already released this year and in the midst of completing another one, Em and Wayne have finally gotten together for a song. Sure, they both had verses on this year's "Forever," but that was a Drake track, and Wayne has said that he wanted Em on his own album.

According to Wayne's management, the new Weezy/Em song is called "Drop the World" and will be included on Rebirth, which is now due December 21, the same day as We Are Young Money, the family album from Wayne's Young Money artists. Also on December 21, Em will re-release Relapse, subtitled The Refill, and Relapse 2 is due sometime next year.

Amazon UK posted a track list for Rebirth on Monday (November 30), but Wayne's label would not confirm the lineup. That track list also includes collabos with Nicki Minaj, Kevin Rudolf and Shanell.

Earlier this year, Em told radio personality Angela Yee he was definitely all for a collabo with Weezy F. Baby.

"There hasn't really necessarily been a time for me to go to collaborate and sh-- lately, because I been so locked down in the studio," Eminem said. "But I'm open for whatever. There's a lot of rappers in the game I respect, especially right now."

Can Google succeed outside of search?

12/01/2009 12:39:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Google is rich, with a market cap of $183 billion -- that's billion with a "b" -- already 71 percent the value of its much more established archrival Microsoft. With those resources, Google has created more and more software products in an attempt to build a sustainable business outside of the search-based ads that account for most of its revenue -- and in attempt to be the center of your computing universe.

For several years, Google seemed to be focused on Web-based collaboration tools, with its Blogger.com service and acqusition of JotSpot (now called Google Wave) as prime examples. But more recently, Google has moved into the cloud business, producing one product after another in a pattern that shows clearly a desire to replace the desktop paradigm -- which has Microsoft's Windows and Microsoft Office at its core. Google has designs to replace the desktop with the cloud, and Microsoft with itself.

The forthcoming Google Chrome OS is the baldest statement of that mission, redefining a laptop into a Net appliance that relies almost entirely on the cloud for the apps people would use routinely. But that's just the latest salvo. Google has already launched its Google Apps set of services, which are starting to be taken seriously even by large companies and government agencies to handle e-mail, word processing, and more. Microsoft has responded to this direct strike at its business with its cloud/desktop hybrid version of Office, the forthcoming Office 2010 Web Apps. But Google keeps pushing: Its still-in-beta Google Wave promises to attack one of Microsoft's most beloved products, its SharePoint collaboration software.

InfoWorld has put together a package of articles that explores Google's attempt to become the center of everyone's technology universe:

* Robert L. Scheier's "Can Google really hack it in business?" looks at Google Apps and evaluates how seriously businesses can take each of its components, such as Gmail and Google Docs. Scheier's reporting reveals where Google Apps is a serious option, where it is not, and where the jury is still out.
* Galen Gruman has put together a slideshow of Google's business applications, "A tour of Google's business apps," so you can see in one place all the options Google wants to tempt you with.
* Neil McAllister pits Google Docs against Microsoft's Office Web apps in an InfoWorld Test Center head-to-head comparison, "Office suites in the cloud."
* Galen Gruman examines whether Google's mobile OS, Android, has what it takes to provide a real challenge to Apple's widely admired iPhone in his analysis "Android 2.0: The iPhone killer at last?" and in his Test Center comparison, "Deathmatch: Motorola Droid versus iPhone."
* Several of InfoWorld's experts examine the Chrome OS's potential for creating a new type of computing device that might replace -- or at least rival -- the traditional laptop and netbook. Neil McAllister debunks the myths around the Chrome OS and explains exactly what Google has promised. Randall C. Kennedy argues that the Chrome OS is destined to fail, and shows how Microsoft could easily kill off the Chrome OS. Kennedy also provides a visual tour of the early beta Chrome OS so you can see what it actually is. Eric Knorr tells why he can't wait for a "Chromebook." And Bill Snyder explains why the Chrome OS is a welcome addition to our computing options, not a replacement for existing ones.

[Via InfoWorld]

4Minute members Kim HyunA and Jeon JiYoon are preparing for their solo debut.

12/01/2009 12:38:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

After ending the promotions of their 1st minialbum ‘For Muzik’, which was a success, 4Minute HyunA and JiYoon will be revealing their solo albums, without any before-hand preview or news released and much to the sweet surprise of fans.


The 2 members will be showing their individual charms and talents through their solo albums, something they did not get to show when they are promoting as part of the group.

Not only will the music style be unique to them, the concept will also be unique to the 2 members. The 2 are known for their dance and rap capabilities in the group.

Their agency said, “We have not decided which of the 2 will release their solo album first yet. The 2 members are currently practising for their performances to the pop dance songs prepared for them. We will decide about the exact promotions period after work for the album has ended.”

Taylor Lautner And Taylor Swift 'Had To Make Out' In 'Valentine's Day'

12/01/2009 12:38:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

'That's all I saw,' co-star Emma Roberts says of the pair's scenes in film.

These days, the eyes of Hollywood are upon the "New Moon" stars as they move out of their comfort zones and select non-"Saga" film projects. And few are more intriguing than Taylor Lautner's upcoming movie "Valentine's Day," which has the young heartthrob appearing opposite rumored girlfriend Taylor Swift in a subplot that revolves around them mostly, well, swapping spit.

"They just had to make out," grinned one of their co-stars, Emma Roberts, as she recently remembered a day watching the two young superstars filming the movie. "That's all I saw."

Hoping to be next year's "He's Just Not That Into You," the star-studded romantic flick features everyone from Anne Hathaway to Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner to Jamie Foxx, Topher Grace to Julia Roberts to "The Hangover" star Bradley Cooper — heck, it even has both Jessicas, Biel and Alba. But while the February 12 film's recently released trailer displays all those actors — and even gives a line to Hector Elizondo — there's no mention of anyone named Taylor.

"I'm a big 'Twilight' fan; I read all the books in a matter of two weeks ... Bella and Jacob are my faves," insisted "Hotel for Dogs" star Roberts, who attended the "New Moon" premiere. "I am Team Jacob, solidly."

So, when the 18-year-old actress had the chance to film "Valentine's Day," she made sure she was on set when Lautner filmed his scenes, even though she wasn't needed. "We didn't have scenes together, but I met him on set," she recalled. "He's a really good guy.

"He has scenes with Taylor Swift," she said of Lautner's subplot, which fueled huge tabloid interest earlier this year alongside rumors that Taylor/Taylor were more than just an on-camera item.

"When you say it like that, come on!" Roberts laughed, insisting that there was more to their story line than simply making out. "Yeah, it was fun. They were both really cool. I hung out with them a little bit.

"Everyone in the world is in it," she said of the movie. "Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel ... it involves all these mini-relationships."

Taeyeon is no longer SNSD’s kid leader?

12/01/2009 12:37:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Oh no! What could possibly be wrong?

A fan account of this week's recording of Strong Heart has been going around and it's got a lot of people buzzing.

On a segment of the show, SNSD / Girls' Generation leader Taeyeon allegedly revealed that she was going through a lot of struggles and hardships as SNSD's leader and has decided to step down from her position as leader and take on the role of a normal member of SNSD.

Of course being the leader does not bring any privileges or rights, but as we all know (see 2PM) a leader is necessary for every group both physically and emotionally. Will someone step up to take the role or will the 9 girls operate as one unit and stay leaderless?

Keep in mind that this is all just a rumor so far, but the news is getting quite a bit of attention.

'American Idol' Roundup: Will Kris Kiss A Guy And Like It?

12/01/2009 12:36:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

I so totally guess it's time to bring back the American Idol roundups, because last time I checked, the show is coming back in six weeks' time. Six weeks! It was just like yesterday when Kris Allen won the title, trumping fan favorite Adam Lambert... well, it seemed like yesterday because Adam's still in the papers and everybody else is moseying along, which leads us to this. On this roundup: Kris discusses Adam's controversial performance, Simon Cowell plans a possible X Factor attack, and something to get me giddy: Allison Iraheta's album, which comes out tomorrow. Yay.

Number one: Would Kris do the same thing? While Adam takes a really big share of the attention, Kris Allen--the actual winner last season, take note--is just taking things in stride, with his self-titled album now out for a couple of weeks or so, and him doing the rounds of television shows now. So here he was, talking to Bonnie Hunt earlier today, and he was asked about that performance at the American Music Awards, and he's just taking it in stride again.

"Maybe next year ... I'll do the same thing," he said, when asked about Adam's kiss with a male keyboardist. No, really, he said it.



Number two: Simon wants to take over Las Vegas. A few months back, the possibility of Simon Cowell bringing his successful singing competition over in the UK, The X Factor, to American shores was floated, especially since reports said he might be allowed to do that if he's to stay with Idol. Well, right now negotiations are still ongoing, but if the go-signal is given, he's got plans already: set everything in Las Vegas.

"Vegas is tailor-made for this show," said Cowell's business partner, Philip Green. "To sing in Vegas? I mean, hell, you get to the final 12 [and tell them] 'Your dream's come true. You're going to sing to Vegas!'"

Curiously, of course, America's Got Talent sends its winners to Las Vegas. And that's a Simon Cowell property, too. Proves that Simon does have a lot of fingers to dip into all those pies.

Number three: Yeah, I know, it sucks when people stare at you like that. Finally, Allison Iraheta talked to the Associated Press just in time for the release of her debut CD, Just Like You, which will hit shelves tomorrow. The full interview's right here, but I'm going to skip over the usual stuff--her talking about her favorite song off the album and working with the likes of Pink and fellow fourth-placer Chris Daughtry--and talk about that other thing that happened when she went on Idol: added recognition.

"My life is totally different," she said. "People know who I am now. Not only do people stare at me because of the redness in my hair, but they act like they know me, even if they don't remember my name. They'll say, 'hey, it's that redheaded girl from Idol.'"

Well, Allie, I don't think that line you floated means they know you that much.

Motorola DROID closes in on its one-million-sold target?

12/01/2009 12:36:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments



It comes as no surprise to us that the Motorola DROID has been seeing some really successful sales numbers since its release. As a matter of fact, it is getting mighty close to its target of finding one million hands by the end of the fourth quarter. Actual sales figures are reported to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 700,000 to 800,000 devices sold, which is nearing Verizon and Motorola’s goal and already well over analyst predictions. If Verizon sees a big holiday push, that number can easily crawl over the one million mark. It doesn’t hurt to have a $100 million ad campaign — it’s definitely paying off, but what we want to know is how many of you contributed to those sales numbers and if you’re happy with your decision so far.

G-Dragon’s first solo concert D-4

12/01/2009 12:36:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Can you guys believe it? There's only 4 more days until G-Dragon's first solo concert, Shine a Light! A lot of the fans are anticipating this concert as he teased with pictures through his me2DAY.

Well, G-Dragon uploaded yet another picture regarding his concert!

The picture reveals a screen seen from a camera, as it shows himself holding a mike and practicing while he is also wearing a hat that we have seen when he attended a special VIP screening of the movie, Actresses. What is he hiding under that hat?!

Along with the picture, he commented:

Hello, it's been a while. You're all doing well, right? I am now about to sleep. I have been busy preparing for my concert, but I will reveal some a bit later^^ Sleep well and have a great dream.



Fans who have seen this commented, "G-Dragon's graceful me2DAY," "You should be busy, thanks for staying in touch," and "Don't exhaust yourself! Your health is important."

G-Dragon has been working hard for his concert, as his representative stated in a phone call with Newsen:

G-Dragon has been busy lately, spending day and night to prepare for his concert. As much as it is his first concert, he has been working harder and harder as the day nears.

Stay tuned to his concert on December 5th & 6th, at the Seoul Olympic Stadium!

Britney Spears 'Very Happy' – But Not Engaged

12/01/2009 12:36:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Not all the bad news out of Australia about Britney Spears is true.

Although she was in fact embroiled in a lip-syncing controversy, reports that her agent-boyfriend Jason Trawick abruptly left the country after rejecting her wedding proposal are "100 percent absolutely false," says a source close to the couple. "There was no proposal and they were never engaged."

The couple of more than six months had spent time together across Australia with her two boys, Preston and Jayden, while Spears performed on stops of her Circus tour. When Trawick headed back to L.A. instead of spending the holidays it was simply a matter of logistics. "Jason spent more time in Australia than originally planned," says the source. "They are very happy."

Michael Arrington : The End Of The CrunchPad

12/01/2009 12:35:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

It was so close I could taste it. Two weeks ago we were ready to publicly launch the CrunchPad. The device was stable enough for a demo. It went hours without crashing. We could even let people play with the device themselves – the user interface was intuitive enough that people “got it” without any instructions. And the look of pure joy on the handful of outsiders who had used it made the nearly 1.5 year effort completely worth it.


Our plan was to debut the CrunchPad on stage at the Real-Time Crunchup event on November 20, a little over a week ago. We even hoped to have devices hacked together with Google Chrome OS and Windows 7 to show people that you could hack this thing to run just about anything you want. We’d put 1,000 of the devices on pre-sale and take orders immediately. Larger scale production would begin early in 2010.

And then the entire project self destructed over nothing more than greed, jealousy and miscommunication.

On November 17, our deadline date for greenlighting the debut three days later, the CEO of our partner on the project, Chandra Rathakrishnan, sent me an email with the subject “no good news.” Yuck, I thought. Another delay, probably with the screen that had been giving us so much trouble – capacitive touch at 12 inches isn’t trivial. And sure enough, the email started off with “no good news to update. updated hardware is still on its way , so that’s a timing issue. friday will be a challenge now.”

But the email went on. Bizarrely, we were being notified that we were no longer involved with the project. Our project. Chandra said that based on pressure from his shareholders he had decided to move forward and sell the device directly through Fusion Garage, without our involvement.

Err, what? This is the equivalent of Foxconn, who build the iPhone, notifying Apple a couple of days before launch that they’d be moving ahead and selling the iPhone directly without any involvement from Apple.

Chandra also forwarded an internal email from one of his shareholders. My favorite part of the email: “We still acknowledge that Arrington and TechCrunch bring some value to your business endeavor…If he agrees to our terms, we would have Arrington assume the role of visionary/evangelist/marketing head and Fusion Garage would acquire the rights to use the Crunchpad brand and name. Personally, I don’t think the name is all that important but you seem to be somewhat attached to the name.”

And with that, the entire project self destructed.

Neither we nor Fusion Garage own the intellectual property of the CrunchPad outright. Fusion Garage has a team of 13 or so employees, currently working here in Silicon Valley out of a home they rented and in our office. Their team has mixed with our CrunchPad team, which is led by Brian Kindle, the former Vice President Hardware Engineering and Manufacturing at Vudu and an early hardware engineer at TiVo. Development expenses have been shared, and our team has spent time in Singapore and Taiwan, and their team has spent time here. We chose to work with Fusion Garage on Prototype C and the launch prototype after we finished Prototype B internally.

We jointly own the CrunchPad product intellectual property, and we solely own the CrunchPad trademark.

So it’s legally impossible for them to simply build and sell the device without our agreement.

We’re still completely perplexed as to what happened. We think they were attempting to renegotiate the equity split on the company behind CrunchPad, which was to acquire Fusion Garage. Renegotiations are always fine. But holding a gun to our head two days before launching and insulting us isn’t the way to do that. We’ve spent the last week and a half trying unsuccessfully to communicate with them. Our calls and emails go unanswered, so we can’t even figure out exactly what’s happened.

Yesterday Chandra sent an email saying “Following our phone discussion, I had another round of discussions with my shareholders. The shareholders are not willing to move from their position as they believe their stand is justified. On the other hand, there isn’t an alternative offer on the table from Crunchpad.”

My response: “We have not come back to you with any counter offer to the email you forwarded because you and your shareholders have communicated to us that moving forward without us is something that you consider to be a legitimate and legal option. In other words, your “counter” offer is theft of intellectual property.”

Ultimately there are two sides to every story, and they’ll certainly have their side. We will almost certainly be filing multiple lawsuits against Fusion Garage, and possibly Chandra and his shareholders as individuals, shortly. The legal system will work it all out over time.

Mostly though I’m just sad. I never envisioned the CrunchPad as a huge business. I just wanted a tablet computer that I could use to consume the Internet while sitting on a couch. I’ve always pushed to open source all or parts of the project. So this isn’t really about money. It was about the thrill of building something with a team that had the same vision. Now that’s going to be impossible. And I’ve also lost a friend – Chandra spent months in our office this year and, until a week and a half ago, was the kind of young, determined entrepreneur that I admire. I thought we’d be friends for the rest of our lives.

And what’s really sad about all this is the incredible support we were getting from companies and people around the world to launch this device. A major multi-billion dollar retail partner has been patiently working with us for months, giving advice on manufacturing partners and offering to sell the CrunchPad at a zero margin to help us succeed in the early days. They were also willing to pay for the devices on order instead of 30 days after delivery, a crucial cash flow benefit that would allow us to ramp up volume without putting ourselves our of business. They were even willing to fly the devices from China on their own planes to eliminate our shipping costs. Intel, which would supply the Atom CPUs to power the device, has assisted us repeatedly with engineering and partner advice, and gave us pricing that was ridiculously generous given our projected first year sales volumes. Other partners were eager to promote and sell the device for little or no benefit on their end other than “supporting the project.” We even had sponsors lined up to help us sell the device near our $300ish cost.

And money wasn’t a problem, either. We had blue chip angel and venture capitalist investors in Silicon Valley waiting to invest in the company since late Spring. We were simply holding them off until we launched, to eliminate some of the risk.

It’s a sad day at TechCrunch HQ. Hitting the publish button on this post, which makes all of this so…final…is a very hard thing to do. I’m enraged, embarrassed, and just…sad. The CrunchPad is now in the DeadPool.

Netizens Choose their TV King and Queen

12/01/2009 12:35:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

TVB has yet to reveal the voting results for the TV King and Queen. Yesterday the voting had stopped. Many websites have voting polls for the event and it appears that netizens feel Wayne Lai, Sheren Tang are their favourites to be awarded.

Netizen Poll results

Best Male Actor award (Top 5)

1. Wayne Lai (Rosy Business) 71%
2. Dayo Wong (You're Hired) 16%
3. Gallen Lo (Born Rich) 3%
4. Wong Hei (Burning Flame III) 2%
5. Moses Chan (Beyond the Realm of Conscience) 1%

Best Female Actress (Top 5)

1. Sheren Tang (Rosy Business) 54%
2. Tavia Yeung (Beyond the Realm of Conscience) 26%
3. Charmaine Sheh (Beyond the Realm of Conscience) 13%
4. Teresa Mo (Off Pedder) 2%
5. Anita Yuen (Born Rich) 1%

JYP releases “No Love No More” MV!

12/01/2009 12:35:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

With the teaser out a few days ago, JYP's full song and MV for No Love No More from his new mini album is finally out!


The amount of talent that this man has is simply amazing. Being the producer of hit songs from 2PM, 2AM, Wonder Girls, and other JYP artists (who are also crazy over the song), this album is bound to be a success.

JYP will perform the songs on this album (along with his past hits) this Christmas, as he will be holding his usual Bad Party.

Six-member 2PM tops Korean music charts

12/01/2009 12:34:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Korean boy band 2PM topped Korea's music charts with their new single "HeartBeat" over the weekend.


The group took the No. 1 title on KBS music show "Music Bank", which aired on Friday, and won the Mutizen Song two days later on SBS's "Inkigayo Live", beating out other contenders such as 2NE1, Brown Eyed Girls, K. Will, Park Bom, SS501, Taeyang and U-Kiss.

"Jae-beom, thank you." the group said in their acceptance speech. "We would like thank our family at the agency and the fans."

This is their first win since the group's former leader Jae-beom's departure from the band in early September over controversial comments he made about Korea on his MySpace account before his debut.

"HeartBeat", the title song from their first album, was written by their producer Park Jin-young, also founder and CEO of their agency JYP Entertainment.

Sunday's "Inkigayo" also featured a special remix version of SHINee's hit single "Ring Ding Dong", which topped the charts for the past three weeks, and a comeback performance of girl band After School, who sang "Because of You" and "When I Fall".

Reese and Jake's Story Ups and Downs

12/01/2009 12:34:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

While the precise status of the Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal relationship remains unclear – over the weekend a source close to the actress told PEOPLE the couple had split, a claim denied by their reps – the two have certainly had their share of highs and lows during their two-year relationship.

Witherspoon, 33, told close friends around Thanksgiving that she and Gyllenhaal, 28, had broken up, says the source. She was seen driving alone in Los Angeles over the weekend, then on Sunday she was spotted at the Whiskey Kitchen in Nashville – without Gyllenhaal.

As a couple, the last time they were seen together was two weeks ago, when they spent time in Philadelphia (where Reese is shooting a yet-to-be-titled movie with Oscar-winning director James L. Brooks) and in Pittsburgh (where Jake is shooting his new movie, Love and Other Drugs).

Jake Wanted to Wed

"As much as everyone thinks they're right there, they're really not near the whole marriage thing," a source close to the couple told PEOPLE last spring. "Jake would marry her tomorrow, but Reese doesn't want to go there yet, even though he would like to."

The source adds: "There's a huge attraction between them, and they've becomes a team, partners, but Jake can be a little overbearing at times, and Reese is really happy with life right now. Why screw that up or change a good thing?"

Then there are her children – daughter Ava, 10, and son Deacon, 6 – with former husband Ryan Phillippe to consider. "The kids are her first priority," says the source. "They're not ready for that, at least as far as Jake."

Their History

The pair first met on the Morocco set of the movie Rendition in 2006. "Jake went and introduced himself to Reese," a source close to both told PEOPLE. From there, "things slowly progressed, but it was never something she thought would happen from the start. She just kind of developed this little crush over time."

But with Witherspoon's divorce from Phillippe still pending at the time, the actress took a step back during the summer of 2007.

"They broke up. It's totally and completely over," a source in Witherspoon's circle told PEOPLE at the time. "Reese was the one who had to do it. She just got out of a divorce and was so concerned with her family, she just didn't have the time for him and he really demanded that."

The divorce was finalized in June 2008, but moving on proved difficult for Witherspoon. "When people get in your face and say, 'This will pass,' you think: Are they crazy?" Witherspoon said in the April 2009 issue of Elle magazine, adding that the divorce was, "very humiliating and very isolating."

Still, Witherspoon came to realize, "If it's not painful, maybe it wasn't the right decision to marry to begin with. Those are the appropriate emotions."

Reese's Reluctance

Reuniting with Gyllenhaal in 2007, Witherspoon later said her beau was "really a fantastic guy."

"He's very supportive," was she told Vogue last year. "Suffice it to say, I'm very happy in life, and I'm very lucky to have a lot of really supportive people around me who care very much for me, and, you know, that's all you can hope for in life. I am very blessed in that way."

Still, Witherspoon was hesitant to discuss the possibility of marrying again. Despite repeated rumors that the duo had gotten engaged, reps for the pair denied a proposal – and Witherspoon made it clear that she wasn't ready.

"Family is all we have in life, but I don't know how I feel about marriage," she told Parade last year. "Obviously, I'm not far enough out of being married to think about doing it again. You sort of reconstitute your family. You find a family with people who come into your life for a reason."

'Iron Man 2' Poster Arrives With First Look At War Machine!

12/01/2009 12:33:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

It's been a big day for new images on the 'Net, but the biggest thus far just arrived online. Not only is the first official "Iron Man 2" poster now available online, but the image also gives us the first official look at War Machine!

The new poster debuted exclusively at Yahoo Movies, and features both the familiar (though slightly upgraded) Iron Man armor, as well as the War Machine armor destined to be worn by Don Cheadle's character, James "Rhodey" Rhodes. It also offers the simple tagline "2" instead of the film's full title.

For those who weren't able to attend this year's "Iron Man 2" panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego, this is the first official look at War Machine — and fans will be happy to note how similar it looks to its comic book counterpart (even down to the shoulder-mounted weaponry).

While we haven't seen much of the War Machine armor thus far, we have heard quite a bit about the role it will play in the film. Most recently, Sam Rockwell (who plays rival industrialist Justin Hammer) told us how his character teams up with Rhodes to create the War Machine armor.

While reluctant to share too many details about his time in the War Machine armor, Cheadle's also teased a few important plot points about his character's role in the film. Back in August, he told us that conflict between War Machine and Iron Man would be a central theme in the film, and described the armor's presence in the movie as "significant."

And now we finally get a look at the much-anticipated armor. May 2010 can't come soon enough!

Official Google Phone supposedly spotted again: launch “a certainty”

12/01/2009 12:33:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

After the last batch of “Official Google Phone” rumors, now comes Gizmodo with a source of their own to quote. That unnamed source claims to have seen the device themselves, describing it as “Google-branded hardware running a version of Android we haven’t yet seen”. As for that hitherto clandestine OS build, not only was it spotted running on a smartphone but on a laptop as well, and the source is convinced they weren’t looking at Google Chrome OS.

Details on the Google Phone itself remain scant, aside from it having a large LCD; however the source was apparently “offhandedly” told that existing examples of Android – such as handsets on the market right now – are not the “real” Android. No explanation – Gizmodo reckon it’s Android and Google Voice in perfect harmony – but prototypes are expected to gather at Google headquarters over the next few weeks ahead of any official launch.

DaS in"Rain of Swords", acts as a an assassin, contrasts and action scenes are the hardest

12/01/2009 12:33:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

It is reported that the ancient action movie John Woo is producing and supervising "Rain of Swords" is filming intensively in Shanghai, we got the chance to interview DaS who is acting in this movie as a naive and romantic assassin queen, she stated that for her the biggest challenge this role had brought her was to act out the role's contrast and also the fighting scenes.


Second cooperation with the direction, Tacit understanding is even better

"Rain of Swords" is DaS and Su Zhaobin second time working together after "Silk", DaS joked saying that "director Su knows I'm a "masochist" he thinks he hadn't been mean enough while filming "Silk", he found new tricks to bully me, he needs an assassin who can fight but is also naive and romantic !"

However, DaS is very admirative of Director Su's talent :

"He really is a genius director, he writes scripts, directs ; I felt all his works were full of fantasy but still convincing, what I like the most is that the movies he writes is creating another world but still can mix in with the real world and make the audience believe in it. When filming, he knows very clearly what he wants and gives adequate advices, this time, working together was very easy, , because the things he wants isn't puzzling at all"

DaS gave an example of her and director Su's tacit understanding, "Like the zoom in in the scene after I killed, I acted out the excitement after having killed, but director said "more sweet", I immediatly knew what he meant."

"Full of different elements, very strong director Su's style, many complex lines that'll give you a good ending." This is how DaS described this story, and about the assassin role she acts as, DaS explains, "Inside, I think killing is something natural and also my gift, and I don't have any inhibition or moral, be it killing or being unvirtuous, aren't wrong for me."DaS further reavealed that in the movie, she won't have many emotional scenes, " It will only be curiosity and interest about the male body."

Contrast and fight scenes hard to film

Acting as a cute assassin, naive and romantic killer, is as DaS said a very hard task, especially to show the contrast and film the fight scenes, "Making the audience feel why this person feels so excited while killing people, there's a contrast. I can use myself as an example, like my tatooes, while making them, it felt like just like putting lipstick on, it was really beautiful, but other people would think, why getting tattoed such things ? They wouldn't understand, I brought this principle to my character's personality, as in killing is something that other people can't forgive, but for her it's natural"

DaS added that filming the action scenes were also very difficult :

"When I filmed Wong Jing's "Forbidden city cop" , the marial arts expert taught me to think of it as a dance, you have to remember the moves and the rythm then it's ok, but I couldn't help but tell him, it's not the same since there'll be a fear there, fear to hit people or getting hit, and not enough power won't bring the effct we want. This is what makes me anxious of fight scenes, afraid of them, and even more to cooperate with experienced opponents, I'd be afraid of hurting them, because I'm inexperienced, and when I have to use a weapon, if there is a glitch then the other one will get hurt."

Talking about the scenes she has with Wang Xueqi, DaS revealed that in the second half there will be very some marvelous scenes, " In the beginning, I idolise him because of his strength and position, then we'll slowly have some ambiguous feelings and even body contacts, then a very big change that will be worth watching !"

Lee Byung-heon won’t star in IRIS sequel

12/01/2009 12:32:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

With ratings topping 30% and commanding a lot of attention thanks to its blockbuster budget and high-profile cast, KBS’s spy drama IRIS had announced a high possibility that a second season would be produced. On November 30, CEO Jung Tae-won of production house Taewon Entertainment confirmed the sequel, saying, “Casting will take place after the director has been decided, but we have decided to produce a Season 2 of IRIS.” However, because its cast is composed of top names with busy schedules, the likelihood of their returns is in question, and star Lee Byung-heon will not be the second season’s hero.


CEO Jung went on to explain, “It’s difficult to talk of concrete filming schedules, but from the start of IRIS’s planning, we were thinking to make a Season 2, similar to American dramas Prison Break or CSI. Since we haven’t yet given thought to broadcast stations, the title may even change. From the start, the most important consideration was deciding whether we would start fresh with a new cast and story, or whether we would continue with the plot of Season 1. However, because the first season is busily filming, it has been difficult to finalize a decision.”

Regarding the casting of the current season’s actors, Jung said, “We are in discussions regarding several different possible directions. However, Lee Byung-heon will be busy next year filming the sequel to the Hollywood film G.I.Joe, so he will probably not be able to film IRIS Season 2. Right now, we’re anticipating that he may make a special appearance in the first episode.”

The production team has secured a filming set location for the next two years, and they are discussing with the current writers the possible themes of the second season. They will film winter scenes next summer in New Zealand and Australia, and head to Italy for additional location shoots. Japan and China are also on the list of intended foreign locales.

Meanwhile, IRIS is currently holding strong on Wednesdays and Tuesdays and will wrap in three weeks. Yesterday (November 29), filming took place in the Seoul streets, blocking traffic and drawing crowds of spectators as explosions lit the sky and its lead actors raced around shooting guns.

"Beyond the Realm of Conscience" Rating's break even "Jewel in the Palace" ; Charmaine and Kevin seized opportunity to earn money as a couple.

12/01/2009 12:32:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

The rumoured couple Kevin Cheng and Charmaine Sheh by <Beyond>'s effect, both acted as ribbon cutting ceremony guests yesterday for a restaurant in Sha Tin. For the sake of making money they didn't avoid appearing as an on screen couple. During the event, Charmaine personally packaged Vietnamese-style sliced chicken vermicelli letting Kevin try tasting it, also smiling to Kevin saying, "Give me some face?!" Kevin smiles saying to avoid making Charmaine too proud, leaving room for her to improve, decided to give her 98 point. Kevin says he doesn't mind attending events with Charmaine, it's all for the money. So will appearing events as a couple receive higher compensations? He says smiling it's just symbolic.

<Beyond> broadcasted its final episode yesterday. The whole cast had very high expectations of the ending. Charmaine says if ratings are good, will treat dinner together with Kevin, Moses and Tavia. Together treat a super big meal. Kevin says,"The series' ratings had always been really good, I think there's a chance it may break through <Jewel>. I hope <Beyond> can receive "Best Drama" award."

New drama does not have Kevin, disappointed
Later they all received notice that the ending's average view count was 46 points. The end had a scene about Sam Ho re-encounters the amnesia Gao Hin Yeung, causing a jump in ratings to 50 points, tied with Korean drama <Jewel>'s record at time. But audience count is still higher for <Jewel>'s drama, had 3.29 million viewers. As for <Beyond>, it had 3.17 million viewers. Upon hearing the ratings outcome being ideal, Charmaine was very happy clapping and smiling says, "Yeah!" Kevin also thinks that this was a very good milestone, being a local produced series still having such good results. All four of them will have to treat everyone for dinner.

In addition, <Beyond>'s producer Mei Xiao Qing will begin shooting <公主駕到>, staring Charmaine and Moses, also pointing this will be <Beyond>'s sequel. TVB's Tsang Lai Chun claims to be considering using <Beyond>s original cast to shoot another story. Kevin points if <公主駕到> is the sequel, he is very disappointed as Tavia and him are not apart of the series. He too wants to work with everyone again, because a lot of chemistry had already been built up with everyone.

Female actresses had all recently been trying on jewelry for TVB Awards Ceremony and Susan Tse is not an exception either. She had been sponsored by "皇廷鑽飾" and had been trying on some jewelry yesterday. Susan says she had prepared two sets of clothing for TVB Celebration night, with Ruby and Emerald jewelry to go along. The two sets are almost $100 million. Susan says the Ruby set of jewelry is already almost $60 million, it's so precious that she says she didn't even dare to go to the bathroom.

Susan Tse with one billion worth of jewelry at TVB Awards Ceremony
In order to accomodate the set of Ruby jewelry, Susan has to switch to a silver evening dress. There's still several days left until the ceremony, she indicates that she is not feeling nervous. She admits she has already received an award, this is from all the support received from everyone. Speaking about the series <Beyond>'s ending with highest at 50 points, tying with <Jewel>, Susan says it was a surprise. However, <Beyond>'s view count was still less than <Jewel>, Susan explains that <Beyond> only has around 30 episodes, just the ratings is already very ideal, haven't wasted everyone's effort.

Tsang Lai Chun indicated that there's hope for a sequel. As to whether or not there had been requests for actors not to die so quickly, Susan smiles it's up to the media and viewer's requests as that is the most effective way. Susan thinks back to episode 14 where the Empress Dowager dies, the producer had sent her a sms saying she will miss the Empress Dowager. Upon receiving the message, Susan felt warm at heart and during the talk of the matter, she could not help but had watery eyes.

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