"Moon," "Blind" face off again at box office

Fanged phenomenon "New Moon" and the leggy Sandra Bullock drama "The Blind Side" -- which finished No. 1 and 2, respectively, at the box office this past weekend -- again will battle for the top spot in domestic rankings.


But the rousing box office rung up during the Thanksgiving period by Summit Entertainment's teen vampire romance and Warner Bros.' football-themed true story has produced a good news/bad news situation for film distributors.

Moviegoers clearly are in the mood to visit multiplexes, but theater owners are loath to surrender screens showing the two hits to pictures launching this weekend. None of this session's four wide openers will unspool in appreciably more than 2,000 locations, and none is likely to reach even the teen millions through Sunday.

"Exhibitors don't want to give up screens from the big films," a top film distribution executive groused.

Lionsgate's drama "Brothers," starring Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire, looks headed for the low-double-digit millions and could grab the bronze medal as the strongest of the market debutants. Set for 2,088 playdates, the R-rated "Brothers," directed by Jim Sheridan ("In America"), is a remake of a Danish film that focuses on a soldier and his brother caught in a love triangle.

Prerelease interest is soft for Sony Screen Gems' action thriller "Armored," toplined by Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne. So the movie about the heist of an armored truck is likely to get stuck in the middle-single-digit millions. Still, production costs were relatively modest, at about $20 million, and young males are showing sufficient interest to have studio executives sanguine about its opening prospects.

Miramax's dramatic comedy "Everybody's Fine," toplined by Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale and Drew Barrymore, appears headed for a bow in a similarly ho-hum range, while Full Circle's horror comedy "Transylmania" could fetch even less.

Among limited releases, Paramount unspools the George Clooney-starring "Up in the Air" in 15 theaters. The book-based drama will expand during the coming weeks.

On an industrywide basis, this weekend will be compared with a soft $82.4 million session in 2008, whose top opening was the limp $4.3 million bow by Lionsgate's action sequel "Punisher: War Zone." Year-to-date box office is up 5.5 percent, at $9.29 billion, according to Nielsen EDI.

More Pics - Lady Laga On Elle

Oh look, it’s Lady Gaga without anything weird on top of her head…….


The burgeoning icon says she may quit shocking the music world with outstanding compositions and outlandish costumes so she can raise a family.

The outrageous pop star hopes to trade in her wild style for a more traditional lifestyle in the future.





Bing Maps Beta: Microsoft Should Repent and Simplify

Microsoft has released a new beta of the map function inside its Bing "decision engine." After only a few minutes with the Bing Maps beta, just like Microsoft promises, I was able to make a decision: Enough already.


Maybe I am non-creative, not enough of a consumer, or not whoever it is that Bing has in mind, but I think this user interface is a disaster. All I want is a map.

I don't need a weather forecast. I don't need a Wikipedia link. I certainly don't need time-wasting panoramic photography or a bunch of seemingly random photos somehow related to the location. Nor do I need links to mapping applications on other sites.

I also don't need links to "Popular Categories" like "Apartments," "Banks," and "Taverns, Bars & Cocktail Lounges." I don't care "What's Nearby" and won't click on that, either.

The entire jumble I've just described can be found on a Bing Maps beta page. It's almost like the map is a second thought for Microsoft, after trying to get me to waste time and/or spend money before I even leave my office.

It's like the product team had a meeting, brainstormed every possible way to "add value" to their maps, and implemented all of them. Hint: Sometimes the less you do, the more value you create.

There are things on the page that I like, well, one thing: Current traffic. Click on that link and traffic conditions appear overlaid on the map. However, the traffic display isn't nearly as complete as what Google presents on its maps.

Bing has added so much stuff to their beta map service that it's like they forgot about the map. Sure, the map is there, looks pretty, and does take up most of the page. Still, there is so much extraneous stuff in the sidebar that it distracts from why I am there: Maps and directions.

When I use online mapping on a PC, it's not because I am a tourist. Generally, I have a specific destination in mind and want to see where I am going before I get in the car. Once in the vehicle, my new Garmin nuvi 1490T GPS takes over and I generally follow its directions.

Once at the location, I use Google Maps on the iPhone to help me get around, and other Google services to help me find things, if a need develops.

Compare and contrast the Bing Maps beta display with Google Maps. The latter is quite barren, just as I like it. When I go to GoogIe Maps it is because I want a map--and that's what Google gives me. It also gives me reasonably-reliable traffic conditions down to the level of major local streets.

Google Maps are simply a thing of beauty that does a job and gets out of the way. Bing Maps are a cluttered mess. I will not be revisiting Bing Maps and see little reason why a business map user would stay as long as I did to write this piece.

Put simply: Bing is trying too hard. Microsoft is also confusing what Google Earth does, in presenting photos and other information, with what business users need in online mapping.

Apple 'iPad' Tablet to Arrive in 2010 -- Analyst

Calling its prediction a "no-brainer," market research firm IDC is claiming that Apple will introduce its long-awaited tablet device by the end of next year. In the just-released "Top 10 Predictions" report for 2010, IDC chief analyst Frank Gens writes that the endless rumors are indeed true: Apple's "iPad"--or whatever you want to call it--will debut within a year:

"The 'iPad' will finally arrive. Last year, we predicted that we would not see the then-rumored Apple tablet in 2009. This year, however, we predict that Apple will finally introduce this new device family, which is more of an oversized (8-inch, 10-inch iPod Touch than a downsized Mac — and if you look at the developer energy around the iPhone/Touch platform, this should be no surprise at all. This prediction is a no-brainer: there's enormous appeal in sizing up the iPhone/Touch for a variety of applications and activities that people already use those devices for but would jump at the chance to have a larger screen — watching videos/movies, reading books/magazines/newspapers (it would take a big bite from the Kindle), surfing the Web, videophone, and online gaming. Look for Apple's "iPad" by year-end 2010. Oh, and don't be surprised to see Microsoft also announce its own device in this space."

The IDC report (pdf) doesn't suggest an iPad's retail price, which is rumored to be anywhere from a netbook-like $500 to an outrageously steep (and suicidal) $2000. It does, however, abide by the popular wisdom that the tablet will be more iPod touch than MacBook, a hybrid entertainment device that addresses a bold new consumer market.

But it remains to be seen whether consumers want a large-screen (and probably pricey) media player/Web browser/e-reader when a 13-inch laptop would suffice, sans the coolness. The answer, I suppose, depends on just how cool--and useful--the Apple tablet turns out to be.

The iPad prediction is just one of many in the 19-page IDC report, which focuses mostly on IT issues. Here are a few interesting calls on consumer tech:

· By the end of 2010, more than 1 billion mobile devices will be accessing the Internet, boosted by the growing popularity of smartphones and the Apple tablet.

· The mobile software market will explode: We'll see a tripling of iPhone apps to 300,000; Android apps will quintuple.

· The strain on public data networks will worsen. Blame the expansion of cloud computing, the boom in mobile devices and apps, and the growing popularity of online video.

· Netbooks aren't going away. In fact, they'll grow ever more popular. Shipments will rise to 40 million in 2010, up from 30 million this year.

· Google Android will emerge as a powerful competitor to the iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Symbian platforms. But you knew that already.

Lindsay Lohan Not Hooking Up With Kevin Connolly, but What About Cash Warren?

Lindsay Lohan is not joining Kevin Connolly's entourage.

Despite a report by In Touch that the two have been "hooking up" and are "taking the relationship to the next level," a source close to the actor says that's so not the case.

"There isn't even 1 percent of truth to that," says the source on the subject of romance rumors. "I don't know where that came from. He barely knows her."

Connolly's rep echoed the denial to E! News as well.

Both attended Leonardo DiCaprio's birthday party at Villa, as well as a private bash in his Hollywood Hills home, but separately.

But now, what's with this about Linds and Cash Warren?

Us Weekly claims LiLo was making out with Jessica Alba's hubby at Villa on Nov. 19. "Lip on tongue," the reported eyewitness told the mag. "It was raw. They were not shy!"

However, Lindsay herself denied the makeout sesh to the mag, saying, "He is married. I wouldn't dare kiss him."

Reps for Lindsay and Cash didn't immediately return requests for comment, but a source close to Warren refutes the Us Weekly report.

"This is not true. He's a husband and a father."

Biological daughter Tavia Yeung and Charmaine Sheh did not attend blessing ceremony and prepared to lose out

The hot favourite for Best Actress, Charmaine Sheh and Tavia Yeung did not attend the blessing ceremony for TVB Anniversary Awards yesterday. Due to this, everyone starts guessing whether they have prepared to lose out on awards presentation night but both of them denied this.

The fighting for the Best Actress award this year is intense. Charmaine Sheh and Tavia Yeung are picked as hot favourite for Best Actress award based on their roles, Lau Sam Ho and Yiu Kam Ling in Beyond The Realm Of Conscience. Another hot favourite is “Fourth Mistress” Sheren Tang. Yesterday, it was said that Wayne Lai and Sheren Tang will win Best Actor and Best Actress award this year.

Therefore, Charmaine Sheh and Tavia Yeung did not attend the blessing ceremony together. It is hard to avoid the guessing amongst peoples that they have already prepared to lose out. Tavia Yeung said, “Of course not! This is because I went for a commercial shooting and couldn’t attend the blessing ceremony.” When asked whether she will feel not worthy if she is unable to win Best Actress award although the ratings for the series was successful, she said, “We cannot use the ratings to measure the performance of the female lead!” Regarding Best Performance award which was added this year, Tavia Yeung did not know anything about it. She said, “Huh? Really? I don’t know there is such an award! (Is it consolation award?) I don’t think so. It will be much happier if more peoples have chance to gain awards.”

Still happy no matter win or lose
Tavia Yeung who portrayed villain role for the first time, is the most junior amongst the hot favourite for Best Actress. She expressed that she already felt being promoted due to the nomination. When asked whether she has confidence to win the award, she said, “Actually, Sheren Tang is my selected choice for Best Actress. This is because her acting skills are lively. It is natural and doesn’t seem like she is acting. I really admire her. I never thought of win or lose. If I win, of course I will be happy but even if I lose out, I will be happy for others.”

Charmaine Sheh explained that she needed to attend the press conference for [72 Tenants], shoot movie poster and MV and therefore couldn’t attend the blessing ceremony. “This was arranged by company.” She denied on preparing to lose out. When asked if supposing the one who wins is herself and not Sheren Tang, will she dare to receive the award? Charmaine said, “I will not answer supposing questions. (You became the hot favourite for opinion poll?) There is no need for guessing. The results will be released soon.” About Best Performance award which was regarded as consolation award, Charmaine said, “There is a significant meaning behind every award.”

Everyone is competitor
Charmaine Sheh expressed that she will use a usual mind to look upon awards and she does not want to give too much pressures to herself. When talked about the high popularity of Sheren Tang, Charmaine said, “Everyone is competitor. There are no main competitors. Everyone who was nominated performed very well. (Have any expectations?) I believe that nobody will place a disappointment mood to enter competition. I do not want to guess. It is just like giving birth. I will not scan it so that there will be surprise whether it is a boy or girl.”

Besides that, Moses Chan who was nominated as Best Actor has confidence on Wayne Lai. “The road that Chai Gao went through was plentiful. Moreover, Wayne always feels that he has no chance to become main lead. This time he really can prove to everyone that he has the ability.”

Bing Bombs

Wow. Bing is completely and utterly down right now and has been for several minutes. The tweets about it are flying in at a massive pace — as are the tips to us. [Update below, it's back after about 30 mins of downtime.]


It’s one thing when startups, like Twitter, go down, which happens all the time. It’s another when a major search portal does it. If this is part of the new strategy to beat Google, Microsoft didn’t mention it in the Fall Release event the other day.

Remember the shitstorm when Gmail went down several months ago? Just imagine if it were Google itself — the Internet would grind to a halt.

A Bing team member writes that they are “working on bringing @bing back up.”

And at least now they have an error page (below):



And they’re back. Total downtime around 30 minutes…

Celebrating 15 Years Of PlayStation!

It all began 15 years ago today. On December 3, 1994, Sony released the PlayStation in Japan. The rest, as they say, is history.


Yes, it's hard to remember now, but there once was a time, before WipeOut, before Tomb Raider, before PaRappa, that Sony entering the gaming business didn't sound like such a sure bet.

There was a failed attempt at a CD-based system in partnership with Nintendo. There was the fact Sony were an unproven force in a market dominated by Nintendo and Sega. And the PlayStation's approach was all so adult.

Time, of course, has proven any doubts unfounded. The original PlayStation blew people's minds from the moment it launched, and its successor - the PS2 - is still the #1 selling video game console of all time. So it too did OK.

True, things haven't quite been the same for the company since, with both the PSP and PS3 failing to achieve the same level of market dominance. Oh well. There's still plenty of time left for both platforms (well, at least the PS3, which has been coming along in great strides all year), and besides, today isn't a day for nit-picking.

It's a day for clinking glasses. Happy birthday, PlayStation. Think it's safe to say the video game business wouldn't have been the same without you.

Taylor Swift Bikini [VIDEO]



Get a load of Taylor Swift in a two-piece. This newly-released home video of the eight-time Grammy-nominated star frolicking around the sandy surf in a bikini is growing in popularity with Swift’s fans. The bikini clad teen singing sensation reportedly recorded the footage as a part of music video to accompany her song “I’m Only Me When I’m With You.”

Taylor still can’t believe she’s up for eight of the most coveted prizes in American music.

After hearing the news Wednesday, “I started freaking out and jumping up and down,” Swift, 19, told The Associated Press. “I honestly never would have predicted this, eight nominations — I’m ecstatic, and blown away and so, so thankful.”

SS501 and Hong Kong girls are “just friends”

Back in August, SS501 took some time off from their Japanese concert promotions by vacationing in Hong Kong. Two of the members of SS501, Kim Hyun Joong and Heo Young Saeng were spotted getting into a cab with 2 random Hong Kong girls.


The media circulated rumors that the boys went to Hong Kong for "extracurricular activities," that they secretly flew into Hong Kong for a secret get-away vacation with females. While DSP Entertainment denied the claims and stated, "It's just tabloid / paparazzi work. SS501 was tired from the Budokan concerts in Japan and they went to Hong Kong to unwind with 8 friends that they knew as kids. It's just the Hong Kong media twisting the story around from the photos showing the two females getting into a cab with Hyun Joong and Young Saeng."

Well earlier today, the SS501 members were guests on MBC's Golden Fishery and addressed the issue by stating that the women "were just friends who happen to live in Hong Kong."

So this begs the question, was it friends with benefits or just friends? Also they should've known better since Lan Kwai Fong is one of the trendiest spots in Hong Kong littered with paparazzi. Hopefully they learned their lesson.

Leaked Intel Core i9 chip makes its way to eBay?



Would you pay $1,200 for an as-of-yet unreleased Intel Core i9 chip? Hard to say if the transaction actually occurred, but an auction recently ended from a Taiwanese eBay user who claims to be selling a six-core, 2.4GHz Xeon Westmere Gulftown processor. We can't vouch for the validity of the listing, but those are some pretty convincing pictures being tossed around -- ones that aren't blurred, which might give Intel an advantage in snooping out the leak. That's not all, though -- Nordic Hardware (via Tom's Hardware) also reports that the OCTeamDenmark forums had it listed for on sale for $850. The 32nm fella had some promising benchmarks released recently, although its release isn't slated until at best sometime early 2010. Sure, it's great to be first, but with early adopter prices like that, we don't mind waiting until it goes official.


YouTube begins testing lighter 'feather' version

In a nod to efficiency, YouTube on Thursday began testing a more lightweight version of its video player pages called "feather."

Feather pages do a number of things to speed up the video-playing process, from defaulting to the standard quality version (instead of high quality or high definition), to removing various on-page features such as being able to control the size and coloring of an embed. The idea is to get the video playing as soon as possible with fewer on-page distractions.

Other efficiencies include limiting the number of loaded comments to just 10, which users are now unable to vote on or respond to. Video replies, real-time sharing, and auto-suggest from YouTube's search bar have also been cut. However, related videos remain--albeit at a more limited 5 videos compared to YouTube's usual offering of 21.

Users who want to try out the new interface can do so by opting in to it on YouTube's TestTube page, which houses experimental, or otherwise not-so-ready-for-primetime features. These include YouTube's visual warp browser, its live streams product, and comment search tool. Once it's enabled, it can quickly be disabled from any video page with a little green box that sits on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.

It's worth noting the feature does not yet appear to work on all videos just yet. We had the best luck on popular videos, including those from YouTube's featured section. Also, if you're a YouTube power user who regularly makes use of things such as video replies and user comments, it's worth staying on the standard version of the service.

Below you can see a before and after of feather mode on the same video.


New Eminem Songs, 'Elevator' And 'Buffalo Bill,' Hit The Net

Songs are slated for Relapse: Refill, out December 21.

Two new Eminem songs hit the Internet on Thursday (December 3), both of which are slated for his re-release of his Relapse LP, Relapse: Refill. The album comes out on December 21.

"Elevator" is a satirical look at Em's life: He raps that he can't believe his house is so big that it has an elevator in it.

"I used to sit and goof on the phone with my friend Proof," he sings on the chorus. "That if I went gold/ I'd go right through the roof/ He said, 'What if you went platinum?'/ I'd just laugh at him/ 'That's not happening/ That I can't fathom.' "

After selling millions and millions of albums, of course, Em is living like Tony Montana — well, at least in that they both have lifts in their cribs. In the song, Slim Shady also calls out some names from pop culture, as he often does.

"Sorry, Lance, Mr. Aiken and Lambert ain't gonna make it," Em raps before addressing the two "American Idol" stars' manhood.

Later, Em goes into battle mode, rapping: "You standing adjacent to Jason/ Leatherface, and together it makes him a bad combination."

On the track, Shady jokes about using gold toilet paper and having to walk one hour just to get from the refrigerator elsewhere in his house.

The second song from Relapse: Refill to make the rounds is "Buffalo Bill." Buff, of course, is the villain from "Silence of the Lambs" that Clarice Starling has to confer with Hannibal Lecter about.

Em's record name-drops two of his familiar subjects, Christopher Reeve and Lindsay Lohan, but dissects what's going on in the mind of the psychotic film character. The musical version of Bill isn't far from the movie version, as Slim Shady cuts and skins women and severs limbs.

Of course Em does nod his hat to Buffalo Bill on Relapse's "3 A.M.," where he quotes from the film: "She puts the lotion in the bucket/ It puts the lotion on the skin/ Or else it gets the hose again."

G-Dragon is a ninja

Big Bang's G-Dragon was recently spotted looking like a ninja as he made his return from Japan at the Incheon International Airport.


Because G-Dragon wanted to hide, being a celebrity and all, he wore a mask, but his ninja skills failed him as his photo was taken. He looked very much like Lee Byung Hun's Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe. He also had on some nice white Dr. Dre beats headphones.

Then again, maybe this is a new fashion trend that G-Dragon is trying out? He's supposedly a fashionista after all.

Two weeks, 5 iPhones sold in Chinese online store

China Unicom has sold just five iPhones through a big online retail site in the two weeks since it opened the virtual store, the latest sign that the handset is suffering in China from its high price and lack of Wi-Fi.

An official iPhone store on Taobao.com, the biggest Chinese e-commerce Web site similar to eBay, has sold just two 8GB iPhones and three 16GB iPhones, according to figures on the site. The store launched in the middle of last month, a few weeks after China Unicom began offering the first official iPhones in China.

China Unicom is also selling iPhones through its own Web site, which does not list sale figures. But Taobao is China's top online retail site and many users turn to it to buy items like mobile phones and laptops.

The China Unicom iPhones have to compete with iPhones brought into the country from abroad, which users have bought since long before the official handset arrived. iPhones bought outside China have Wi-Fi, which was removed from the China Unicom iPhones to comply with local regulations. The official handset is also more expensive than iPhones bought elsewhere. The 32GB iPhone 3GS with no service contract costs 6,999 yuan (US$1,024) in China, compared to about US$800 in nearby Hong Kong.

Slow sales at the online shop follow earlier signs that the official iPhone is unpopular in China. China Unicom has reportedly said it sold just 5,000 iPhones in the few days after its launch. That contrasts with the more than 60,000 online orders South Korean carrier KT received before launching the iPhone in its country last week.

Difficulty using the App Store may be another strike against the iPhone for Chinese users. Credit cards are increasingly common in China, but their holders rarely use them to make small payments via mobile phone, local consultancy Analysys International said in a research note. Credit card penetration also remains low among young people of the sort that would like the App Store, it said. Many Chinese make payments via mobile phone but do so with prepaid cards sold by local carriers. The App Store will need to add new payment options and more localized content to win more users in China, the consultancy said.

China Unicom has kept outwardly positive about the iPhone's prospects. A company executive last month said China Unicom expects 10 percent of China's 3G users to buy iPhones, according to Chinese state media.

Sony and FIFA team up to make the World Cup 3D

It's no secret that plenty of companies are hoping that 2010 will be the year of 3D, and it looks like Sony has now gotten a big boost by lining up a partnership with one of the biggest events of the year: the FIFA World Cup. As the pair have announced today, the new arrangement will see at least 25 World Cup matches produced in 3D using Sony's 3D cameras, which will be viewable through a variety of means. That includes special public viewing events in seven cities around the world (none in North America, unfortunately), an "Official 3D Film" that will be previewed at Sony Stores and other retail outlets and, last but not least, a Blu-ray of said film that will be made available at some point following the World Cup. This won't be the first time a soccer match has been broadcast in 3D, however, and it looks like it won't be your only option for catching some games in 3D next year either.

Zii Trinity smartphone concept handled on video



It's an all too brief look, but it's infinitely more than we've seen so far. CNET Asia has managed some hands-on time the Zii Trinity concept smartphone. Quite a looker, and here we also get a glimpse of it next to the good ol' Zii Egg. As noted by the narrator, the bottom proprietary slot can be swapped for microUSB or mini-HDMI, there's a notably-sized 5 megapixel camera on the back, as well as one on the front for video conferencing. Enough talk, take a gander for yourself after the break.

Huge stash of HTC Android codenames found within 2.1 ROM



You know that leaked HTC Sense ROM with Android 2.1 underneath? Well, somebody did some digging and found a wild stack of HTC Android handset codenames buried within. It starts in the realm of the familiar, with mentions of Dragon, Passion, Dream and Hero, but then it starts to get a little wild. Here's the full list: Bahamas, Bravo, DesireC, Dragon, Dream, Espresso, Halo, HeroCT, HeroC, Hero, Huangshan, Incredible, Legend, Liberty, Memphis, Paradise, PassionC, Passion, Sapphire and Supersonic. Pretty wild, right? There's no telling what exactly this list implies, other than the fact that Passion and Dragon are indeed on the books, and that HTC's naming department can really let the superlatives fly, but we're sure all will be made clear over the next year or two.

Taylor Swift 'Freaking Out' Over Grammys

No one else may be surprised by her strong showing at the Grammy nominations Wednesday, but Taylor Swift certainly is.

"I started freaking out and jumping up and down," Swift, 19, tells the Associated Press. "I honestly never would have predicted this, eight nominations – I'm ecstatic, and blown away and so, so thankful."

With eight nods, Swift was second only to Beyoncé, who had 10, and ahead of Lady Gaga, with five. Swift is up for album of the year for Fearless, as well as song, record and country album of the year.

The soon-to-be birthday girl was in an Los Angeles hotel room with her mom editing home videos when her producer texted her the news: "AAUUGGH!!!!!"

"To be recognized by the Grammys is the ultimate honor, and all I know is that when I write about this in my journal tonight it will be in all capital letters and underlined four times, and there will be lots of exclamation points in this entry because I never imagined I'd get to write this kind of journal entry," Swift says.

Swift's been nominated before, but never won. She finds out if she'll take a statuette home on Jan. 31.

"The thought of that absolutely is something that you daydream about," she says.

But for now?

"I'm just gonna call a bunch of people and tell them that I love them."

Final Microsoft browser ballot may include Opera-suggested modifications

The seemingly never-ending antitrust trial in Europe may soon come to a close, if a new report by Bloomberg is on the money.


Bloomberg reported on December 3 that the European Commission (EC) may issue its final remedy in the browser-bundling case involving Opera Software and Microsoft by December 15. According to the Bloomberg report, which cites two unnamed sources, the browser-ballot screen — which will allow PC users in Europe to select from a variety of browsers, rather than having to figure out what alternatives to Internet Explorer (IE) are out there and how to download them — has been modified yet again. Bloomberg is reporting that the final browser-ballot screen that Microsoft will offer to Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 users will include modifications advocated by Opera. (That’s according to Opera officials quoted in the story).

Last month, just before the EC-imposed comment deadline, Opera, Google and Mozilla all weighed in with modifications they wanted to see to the latest browser-ballot proposal. Opera officials said they were opposed to the inclusion of the Microsoft logo being at the top of the ballot, fearing undue influence on users. Opera’s CEO also said he wanted to bar Microsoft from displaying a warning if and when users choose to download rival’s software. Mozilla officials said they were opposed to listing the five biggest browser vendors (by market share) in alphabetical order on the browser screen.

Opera lodged its initial browser-bundling complaint against Microsoft in December 2007. The EC has not yet said whether it intends to levy fines against Microsoft as part of this complaint or whether the browser-ballot screen remedy — which Microsoft agreed to during settlement talks with the EC — will go far enough to level the playing field in the EC’s eyes.

Nokia 2010 Symbian UI update gets previewed

Nokia’s promise to overhaul the Symbian UI yesterday was heavy on stats but light on screenshots, but thankfully the company’s webcast is fair overflowing with concept renders. The Finnish company has promised not only to make the UI more attractive – by cutting out clutter and upping scrolling rates from 15fps to 60fps – but more functional too, slicing out the number of taps required to complete tasks or launch features, and giving users “large capacitive displays” to do that tapping on.



It’s probably too much to expect the slick concept device Nokia’s designers have thrown together to be anything like what the company have on the drawing boards, but we certainly wouldn’t argue with a keyboard-free capacitive version of the N900. One of the biggest changes, Nokia claims, will be removing some of the more frustrating user prompts, and with 350 of them that’s a decent move toward a less-frustrating owner experience.

In the end, we’ll have to see exactly what Nokia come up with on shipping devices; we’ve seen concept videos and mock-ups before, but there seems to be something stopping those excellent ideas from transitioning to production handsets. Still, with two “major product milestones” on the cards for 2010, and the UI project underway, Nokia don’t look to be taking their flattening market share lying down.





The 5 Top-Earning Taiwanese Idol Drama Actors/Actresses of 2009

2009 saw the broadcast of many excellent idol dramas and the celebrity actors & actresses who starred in them also drew in millions of revenue. This year, Jerry Yan tops the list for the 3rd consecutive year, with estimated earnings of $68million, which is $10million more than last year. Rainie Yang follows closely behind with $61.8million, followed by Joe Cheng, due to his increased endorsements in mainland China, with estimated earnings of $50.7million.

1. Jerry Yan: estimated earnings = $68million

1 drama (Down With Love) = $18million
5 commercial events = $17million
2 events = $8million
album sales = $5million
merchandise (calendar, DVD etc) = $20million

2. Rainie Yang: estimated earnings = $61.8million

1 drama (Hi My Sweetheart) = $2.6million
9 commercial events + New Year Eve’s event = $7.9million
10 endorsements = $48million
1 film (The Child’s Eye In 3D) = $3.3million

3. Joe Cheng: estimated earnings = $50.7million

1 drama (Love Or Bread) + stage play = $2.6million
4 endorsements = $37.6million
album sales = $1million
24 commercial events = $8million

4. Vic Zhou (Zai Zai): estimated earnings = $41million

2 dramas (Black & White + The Last Night Of Madam Chin) = $18million
1 film = $3million
2 endorsements = $20million

5. Joe Chen (Qiao En): estimated earnings = $35.7million

2 dramas (Easy Fortune Happy Life + Take Care of You, Accompanied by the Lights) = $11.7million
6 endorsements = $24million

This year, many other artists shot to fame who are also worth mentioning. ‘My Queen’s Cheryl Yang has estimated earnings of $22million and Ethan Ruan has close to $20million. ‘Story Of Time’s Tammy Chen and ‘Black & White’s Mark Zhao also each raked in tens of millions of revenue.

Note: all figures are in New Taiwan Dollars (NT$)

TVXQ accused of yet another fraud

We had previously reported that CreBeau, the cosmetics company known for their involvement in the TVXQ controversy, got sued in China by a company that used to distribute their products in the Shanghai region. Now, CreBeau's Da Lia region distributor decided to do the same.


According to the plaintiff, Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu of TVXQ urged the plaintiff to distribute their cosmetics products claiming that they are shareholders of CreBeau and will personally take part in product promotion in the Da Lia region. The members did not show up for promotion and distributors from other regions informed the plaintiff that the CreBeau office has disappeared, forcing the plaintiff to sue CreBeau for fraud in order to compensate damage that they suffered. The plaintiff's claim is very similar to that of the Shanghai region distributor's, who also claimed that they suffered damage because TVXQ members falsely promised to show up for promotions and CreBeau's office disappeared.


Did the three members really commit fraud with false promises of showing up for promotions? Stay tuned to allkpop as the case develops.

ABC Runs Scared, Pulls Plug on Two More Lambert Performances

ABC: The Adam-Banning Channel?

Just over a week after Adam Lambert's sexually expressive American Music Awards performance got him booted from Good Morning America, the Disney-owned network—out of hypocrisy, fear of the FCC or general old fogeyness, it's not yet clear—has widened its ban on the singer.

Lambert is now persona non grata at the Alphabet net's annual New Year's Rockin' Eve countdown and, rather surprisingly, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he was due to appear on Dec. 17.

Apparently, harboring the sentiment that you want to f--k Matt Damon is only acceptable if you don't really mean it.

"Yes, sadly friends, ABC has cancelled my appearances on Kimmel and NYE. :( don't blame them," he tweeted yesterday. "It's the FCC heat."

The thing is, it's not.

Vigilant as it is at sussing out daytime indiscretions, the ever-watchful FCC doesn't monitor programming after 10 p.m, calling the time between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. a "safe harbor" for broadcasters.

"During this time period, a station may air indecent and/or profane material," according to the commission's own website.

Last we checked, Kimmel, the ball-dropping and Lambert's AMA performance—potentially profane, all—all take or took place well within the secure period, but ABC would apparently rather be safe than sorry.

Not so, NBC!

"I am doing Leno though," Lambert tweeted. "And lookin into something for NYE."

Glambert is also encouraging his fans—of whom there are plenty, as his strong third-place debut on the charts this week proves—not to hold a grudge against the Alphabet net.

"It'll all blow over. Let's focus on being positive! :)"

Besides, can a guy who takes his sartorial cues from Howie Mandel really be all that controversial?

Bing Maps Beta: The Good and the Bad

It's tempting to compare Bing Maps Beta, Microsoft's revamped mapping service, to Google Maps. And the two services do have plenty of common features. But once you start exploring Bing Maps Beta, you'll find lots of features that Google Maps doesn't have, so let's examine those features on their own merits.


Pro: Feature Rich

There's lots to do in the revamped Bing Maps. Type in city name and you'll get its Wikipedia entry, weather, photos, and a selection of "apps" for things like hotels, businesses, and even graffiti art (apparently Microsoft has a rebellious streak). If you're a fan of Google's simplicity, this could be a con, but it is a good way to explore a city without actually going there. One quibble: Where's Wolfram Alpha integration when you need it?

Con: Weather's Just Clutter

Showing the weather for whatever area you're viewing seems like a good idea, but it's not particularly useful to know weather conditions at that exact moment. An overview of the climate or seasonal weather, would be more helpful, but the most you do is click "more details" for the entire sidebar and get a 3-day forecast.

Pro: Streetside for Business, Photosynth for Pleasure



I like that Photosynth, a tool that lets you create 3D walkthroughs from your pictures, is integrated into Bing Maps Beta. Practically, there's very little value to it, especially when you've got Streetside, Microsoft's answer to Google Street View. Combined, you can get a pretty good sense of where you're going.

Con: Apps Are Too App-Like




I understand that a grid of big, colorful buttons is all the rage these days, but Bing Maps Beta's current app menu is too clunky. Instead of only having a pop-up menu that occupies the whole screen, there should be a place in the existing layout for small, user-selected icons, explained when you run the cursor over them.

Pro: Area Glimpses

A minor feature of Bing Maps Beta is one of the best: When you type in a destination or scroll over to it on the map, you see a few thumbnail images that provide some local flavor. You can also click on these images to get more photos from Bing Images. It's a Google rip-off, but the thumbnails are actually large enough to see. Unfortunately, though, it's still a bit buggy: all the photos that appear for "Venice, CA" were taken in Italy.

Con: Visit Once And You're Stuck


Okay, Microsoft, I've tried Bing Maps Beta, but it's too slow and buggy to use it full-time right now. Let me switch back. No seriously, show me a button for switching back, and stop redirecting me back to the beta in Chrome. (If you want to switch back, click the tiny button in the bottom right corner of the map that says "About beta," then click "Stop using the beta.")

Windows 7: Seven Points of Imperfection

Since its highly ballyhooed rollout near the end of October, Windows 7 has been applauded by many as Microsoft's best operating system yet. But no OS is perfect, and that goes for Windows 7.

Windows 7 is earning high marks from many users. People "will appreciate significant improvements in areas such as boot time, resume from sleep/hibernation and faster connections to networks," wrote one early user, Andre da Costa, on a Microsoft forum.

Also on the positive side, users are citing advantages such as much better disk performance, a more streamlined design, longer battery life, and out-of-the-box support for 3G wireless, for instance. The list goes on.

In fact, in a survey conducted by Technologizer's Harry McCracken, a PC World contributor, a sizable majority of more than 550 Windows 7 early adopters said they're "extremely satisfied" with the new OS.

So what's not to like about Windows 7? Although the widely publicized Windows "black screen of death" issue has turned out to be largely a bunch of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt), Windows 7 does have its flaws.

Here's my personal list of seven points of imperfection in and around the new OS. Some of these - such as your need to learn a new user interface (UI), Windows 7's omission of Movie Maker, or its lack of support for older printers -- might or might not matter to you personally. But issues related to Windows 7 pricing, installation and customer support are more universal in scope.

#1. Windows 7 doesn't include certain earlier Windows components.

In the interests of reducing bloatware and improving performance, Windows 7 strips out components such as Windows Messenger, Movie Maker, and Live Mail, a program rolled out in 2007 to replace XP's Outlook Express and Vista's Windows Mail.

If you never use these components, you're not really going to care. You can always go ahead and add this software later, anyway. But if you're a long-time user of Windows Messenger, for example, and you don't know ahead of time that it's not supposed to be there, you might be a bit mystified as to where to find it.

#2. Windows 7 lacks support for older printers and other external devices.


With Microsoft now imposing a more stringent approval process for compatibility of external devices, drivers for a lot of devices aren't yet available for Windows 7 -- even six weeks after the release of the new OS. If you're among the many people who are stepping to a 64-bit version of Windows for the first time ever with Windows 7, you could face even worse problems around peripheral support.

Assuming that your PC hardware supports it, 64-bit Windows accommodates a lot more RAM. But like 64-bit Vista before it, 64-bit Win 7 requires drivers to be digitally signed for security reasons. So if you have a six-year-old laser printer or an aging Webcam you really want to hang on to, you might be out of luck.

#3. Windows 7 forces you to learn a new UI.

In creating Windows 7, Microsoft made a lot of tweaks to its previous UI, adding new features such as Jump Lists, One-Click WiFi, HomeGroup, and Device Stage, along with smaller UI enhancements like Aero Snap and Aero Shake.

I find some of these to be quite useful. HomeGroup, for example, makes it a lot easier to set up a home network. Device Stage helps you to manage external devices such as printers and phones. With Aero Snap, you can quickly resize windows on your desktop. But as with any software changes, there's some degree of a learning curve involved in getting used to the new tweaks. So if you're especially short on time right now, you might want to hold off on Windows 7 until you have more time to dabble.

#4. Windows 7 isn't impervious to viruses.

Well, no OS is impervious to viruses, actually. But in examining Windows 7 just after its release on October 22, the security firm Sophos found that, when configured to follow the system defaults for User Account Control (UAC), Microsoft's latest OS was vulnerable to eight out of ten viruses tested.

More recently, the security firm Prevx spurred an uproar by claiming in a blog post that "Black Screen woes could affect millions on Windows 7, Vista and XP" and charging that the issue was caused by a patch issued by Microsoft. Yet as noted by Tony Bradley, a fellow PC World blogger, it turns out that while there does seem to be a real black screen of death issue, it's affecting much smaller numbers of PCs, more like thousands or even hundreds. Further, a Trojan virus could be the actual culprit.

But as with previous editions of Windows, Microsoft doesn't include any anti-virus software in Windows 7. So here's another place where Microsoft hasn't learned from experience.

#5. Installation of Windows 7 can be a real bear, especially in upgrades from XP.

While many users have installed Windows 7 quite seamlessly, others have run into major problems around moving to the new OS, including endless reboot cycles and product keys that don't work, for example. Upgrades from Windows XP can be especially cantankerous. Yet Microsoft doesn't even give official support to upgrades to Win 7 from XP.

"It was my understanding that Win7 was supposed to answer the problems people faced with Vista. So you would think all the people who had to go back to XP would be able to jump right to Win7. Very disappointing," complained one frustrated user, 68Vistacruiser, in a support forum.

"Upgrading from XP to 7 is a mission for the A-Team. When upgrading from pre-XP to XP, you just put the CD/DVD in and click next, enter a s/n and press next. With 7 you have to back up all your current data and system files into a folder using a tool on the 7 DVD and then install 7 next to XP, then manually delete XP without [losing] your current data," chimed in a user named UK-Penguins.

#6. Windows 7 pricing is both too high and too complex.

With family and business budgets pinched right now, why is Microsoft charging anywhere from about $100 to $300 for an upgrade disk for Windows 7, depending on the version? C'mon, Microsoft. Windows 7 beta testers got their upgrade disks for only $50. The latest edition of the Mac OS cost $29, and distributions of the Linux OS can be downloaded free of charge.

Some discounts on Windows 7 are now available from Microsoft and retailers. You can also get a bit of a price break by buying an OEM or "system builder" version online. But Microsoft isn't doing a lot to make deals like this widely known. And why does Microsoft need to have multiple versions of the same OS -- with names like Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate - all with different features and price points? Isn't Windows 7 installation complicated enough, anyway?

#7. Customer support for Windows 7 is too scanty.

Many people say they've turned to user forums only after calls to Microsoft's customer support lines prove unsuccessful. Often, it's a matter of an inability to get through the busy phone lines to an actual person.

Even after Win 7's commercial release, support in Microsoft's TechNet forum tended to be erratic. Microsoft reps handily answered some questions from users. Yet other questions went unanswered, and in some casers, users got conflicting advice from different reps - or, at least, that's how they interpret the situation. "This page says you can only upgrade Vista to Win7 for the same edition. The main MS page says you can upgrade from any edition. Which is correct?" asked one confused user, B-C-S, in the TechNet forum.

In early sales, Windows 7 has been beating Vista by a wide margin. But does the company have enough customer support in place to handle the load?

To its credit, Microsoft is now providing some new support alternatives with Windows 7, including automated troubleshooters built into the OS, new "Fix Its" to supplement Microsoft Knowledge Base articles, support through Twitter, and a new Win 7 forum on Ask Microsoft. In the Ask Microsoft forum, Microsoft reps often answer questions within a matter of a few hours. Still, when a user is facing a critical system error, just about nothing in the customer support realm beats the immediacy of a phone call.

Vicki Zhao sparks pregnancy rumours

First the marriage rumours, now comes pregnancy rumours.

Chinese actress Vicki Zhao is five months' pregnant and in Singapore preparing for her delivery, reported Hong Kong entertainment rag Next Magazine.

Zhao turned up for the Guangzhou premiere of her new film "Mulan" last month in a loose-fitting black dress, sparking rumours that she was pregnant.

According to Hong Kong media reports, the actress was already pregnant then and had put on 10 kilogrammes, and was using her hands to conceal her tummy the entire night.

Her manager has refused to confirm or deny these reports, and sent an SMS to Hong Kong reporters stating that "Vicki will not talk about anything other than her work" and that she will "ignore media reports that seek to twist the truth".

Zhao was reportedly engaged to Chinese real estate magnate Huang You Long, 30, in August this year after Huang dumped his fiancee, Miss Hong Kong 2005 winner Tracy Ip, 28, to be with her.

A close friend of Zhao's has confirmed that the "Mulan" actress is indeed seeing Huang, but is unsure if they are married. When asked if Zhao is pregnant, said friend replied, "Impossible!"

"Long told Vicki that he wanted her to have his child shortly after they started dating. He said they would get married once they have a kid so Vicki gave up smoking and drinking after they got together... Even then, it's a surprise that she got pregnant so soon."

Zhao who is best known for her role in the Chinese drama serial "Princess Pearl" and the two "Red Cliff" films, was previously been linked to Chinese actor Chen Kun, Hong Kong actor-director Stephen Chow and Chinese table tennis player Wang Liqin.

Wonder Girls awarded the ‘Best Artist Of The Year’ at MTV Style Gala, and will perform on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’

News spam for the WonderGirls!


Good news: The girls were awarded the ‘Best Artist Of The Year’ during the MTV Style Gala held on 2nd December.

News to get excited about: The girls will be performing on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ on the show next week with American Idol winner Kris Allen.

Go under the cut for more details!

Wonder Girls, “Best Asia Artist Of The Year” Award

The 2009 MTV Style Gala was held at the Shanghai Grand Theater on the December 2nd, 7pm. South Korea’s popular idol group Wonder Girls received the “Best Asia Artist Of The Year” award that night, below is the transcript of interview at backstage.

* Host: Lets welcome the Wonder Girls to our backstage interview room.
* Wonder Girls: Firstly, we felt very honored, thank you everyone. We are happy & honored to be able to receive this award today.
* Host: As we all know, the Wonder Girls held a concert in Shanghai, how was it?
* Wonder Girls: Yesterday, the concert was a success, the unforgettable part was, when closing to the end of the concert, all of the fans stood up & sang along & dance along with us.
* Question (from reporter): Have you ever thought that you would be so popular?
* Wonder Girls: We had never expected to be so popular, we’re happy to have so many people liking our song “Nobody”, we’ll workeven harder from now on.
* Host: Congratulations to the Wonder Girls.

WonderGirls on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’

Wonder Girls Set to Perform on Next Week’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’
On Wednesday, Dec. 9 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), Season Eight AMERICAN IDOL winner Kris Allen and pop sensations Wonder Girls will take the stage. Allen will perform his newest single, “Live Like You’re Dying,” and Wonder Girls will sing their hit song, “Nobody,” before America’s vote is revealed and Cat Deeley names the six dancers who will perform in the following week’s finale.

Pop sensation Wonder Girls sold over 30,000 copies of their debut single “Nobody” during the week of October 11 earning them the No. 76 position with a bullet on the Hot 100. This is the first time ever a music group from South Korea has debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Already a hit in Asia, the Wonder Girls are striking a chord with a young U.S. audience, having just completed their first U.S. concert tour with the Jonas Brothers.

Mystery Motorola Android smartphone spotted

Hot on the heels of the leaked Motorola Sholes pictures comes this, another as-yet unknown Motorola smartphone that again is tipped to run Android. Little is known about the unnamed handset, but it’s said to have a 3.8-inch touchscreen and an 8-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash.



Inside we’re hearing that Motorola have picked an 800MHz processor, but there are no other specs available. Of course it’s possible that this might not actually be Motorola’s own handiwork, but the buttons below the display certainly match up with those we’ve seen on the Motorola DROID.

Otherwise it’s faintly reminiscent of the HTC Touch HD, which is to say it’s a pretty uncomplicated, smooth-edged candybar dominated by a big display.


HTC's Touch.B gets demonstrated, featurephone status confirmed (video)

Remember the HTC Touch.B (aka HTC Rome), spotted in the wild earlier this week? The handset was tipped to run Android initially, but MobiFrance have now revealed that in fact it’s HTC’s first Qualcomm Brew device. Rumored to be arriving in early 2010, the Brew smartphone will be HTC’s entry-level device; there’s a brief video demo of it in action after the cut.



Right now the UI is pretty basic – though we actually quite like how clean it looks – but underneath there’s full support for Adobe Flash. That should make developing for the platform more straightforward; Verizon Wireless in the US, for instance, have several devices running Brew rather than a more typical smartphone OS.

Known hardware specs include a 2-megapixel camera (though no video recording, at least not in this early build) together with 3G and Bluetooth, but no WiFi. What we still don’t know is how expensive – or cheap – the Touch.B might be, likely to be the deciding factor in its success.

Charlene Choi talks about love: No sex is more romantic

Aaron Kwok, Ekin Cheng, Nicholas Tse and Charlene Choi were in Beijing for new film "Wind & Cloud II" premiere and press conference. Aaron and Charlene talked a lot about love. Aaron said that the modern generation is too complex, often wanting spectacular, but he hopes to have a classic style love life. He expressed: "Simple, romantic and just need simple eye contact with little movements. There does not need to be too many words used, nor should the word old be mention to love."


Charlene only said that she really dislikes the modern generation having sex not long after getting into the relationship. Love without bodily contact is more romantic. In the film, Charlene's role is "Second Dream" and will be having a love relationship with "Nip Fung" played by Ekin Cheng. Charlene said that she was frightened by Ekin's costume in the film. The other female lead in the film is Tang Yan who will have many scenes opposite of Aaron, she frankly said that she feels more pressure.

Ikuta Toma Talks about Matsumoto Jun: Past and Present

Johnny's member Ikuta Toma talked about his recently meeting with Arashi member Matsumoto Jun.


Ikuta "For the first time in ages I went out to eat dinner with Matsumoto Jun. Afterwards we ended up going to Matsumoto's house...I had a great time talking about lots of different things. Matsu-Jun [Matsumoto] is a very earnest person. He's a great source of motivation. While we were talking we discovered that we were using the same perfume. We 'argued' who should switch to a different one! 'I'll change first!' 'No, I will!' That reminded me of when we had costarred in the theater production 'Stand by Me'. We quarreled practically everyday (laugh). We fought over the most insignificant things. But hey, we were just middle school students back then. Now those 'brats' have grownup, and there we were talking while having a drink...gee, we've matured a lot (laugh)."


Fans would definitely have wanted to be there between them! The two longtime friends must have been surprised to find that have unwittingly been using the same perfume. Does anyone know exactly what brand they're using? As they grow older they are bound to continue being good friends and also be good influence for each other!

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