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Taylor Swift Named Billboard Artist Of The Year

12/12/2009 01:30:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas among top sellers, tours.

Taylor Swift ought to be getting used to this by now. The latest accolade showered on the 19-year-old breakout star of 2009 is Billboard magazine's Artist of the Year. Swift topped the list that also included tallies of the biggest singles, tours and albums of 2009.

"To say Taylor Swift had a remarkable year would be a comic understatement," wrote Billboard editors in announcing the honor, based on a review of the Hot 100 song rankings and album sales figures between November 2008 and November 2009. "She sold more albums than any artist not named Michael Jackson. Her first headlining tour, Fearless 2009, sold out every show within minutes. She became the youngest woman to win the Country Music Assn.'s entertainer of the year award, and she set seemingly every chart record that exists. But most important, she proved herself a graceful, timeless celebrity, handling hosting duties on 'Saturday Night Live' and a rampaging Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards with equal aplomb."

Swift was followed on the list by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, the Black Eyed Peas, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, Britney Spears, T.I., Nickelback and Pink. Other artists in the top 20 included Kings of Leon (#11), Katy Perry (#12), Flo Rida, (#13), Kelly Clarkson (#14) and Lil Wayne (#18).

Not surprisingly, the Black Eyed Peas topped the Hot 100 Songs list with "Boom Boom Pow," which notched an amazing 12 weeks at #1. They had plenty of company from Gaga, who had the #2 and #3 songs with, respectively, "Poker Face" and "Just Dance." The Peas were back at it with their latest smash, "I Gotta Feeling," which hit #4, followed by Swift's "Love Story," Flo Rida's "Right Round," Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Kanye West's "Heartless" and at #10, the All-American Rejects' "Gives You Hell."

Other songs in the top 20 included Swift's "You Belong With Me" (#11), T.I. with Justin Timberlake's "Dead and Gone" (#12), Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" (#14), Jamie Foxx's "Blame It" (#16) and T.I. with Rihanna's "Live Your Life" (#18).

The Billboard 200 Top Albums list was, not surprisingly, capped by Swift's Fearless, which was the year's best-seller (though dark horse Susan Boyle's debut, I Dreamed a Dream, is actually coming on so strong that it may end up being the top seller of the calendar year).

Just behind Swift was Beyoncé with I Am ... Sasha Fierce, Nickelback's Dark Horse, the "Twilight" soundtrack and the "Hannah Montana: The Movie" soundtrack. Rounding out the top 10 were Britney Spears' Circus, Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak, Lady Gaga's The Fame, Eminem's Relapse and the Peas' The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies). The magazine did not announce final sales figures for any of the categories, which are due in the first week of January from Nielsen SoundScan.

Other albums in the top 20 included: Kings of Leon's Only by the Night (#11), Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 (#12), David Cook's self-titled debut (#13), Pink's Funhouse (#16) and U2's No Line on the Horizon (#18).

The year's biggest tour was, also not surprisingly, U2's enormous stadium outing, which grossed more than $311 million while playing 44 sold-out shows in front of more than 3 million fans. Madonna was in the #2 position with $222 million for a tour that played 46 sold-out gigs in front of 2.1 million. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, another staple of the top tours list, hit #3 for a 72-gig tour that grossed $156 million, played to 1.7 million and featured 42 sellouts.

Fellow veteran act AC/DC was at #4, with a 76-date tour that grossed $135 million in front of 1.5 million. Pink is the only contemporary performer in the top 5, with her acrobatic Funhouse tour, which grossed more than $103 million during 131 gigs for 1.5 million fans. Britney Spears' circus-themed world outing also made it into the top 10 (#7), with a $95 million gross for 70 shows (including 61 sellouts) for nearly 1.1 million.

Other top 20 tours included #10 Coldplay ($84 million gross, 66 shows, 1.2 million attendance), #11 Metallica ($77 million gross, 66 shows, 1.1 million attendance), #12 Jonas Brothers ($73 million gross, 62 shows, 1 million attendance) and #15 Beyoncé ($57 million gross, 57 shows, 697,000 attendance).

In other year-end charts, Swift had the year's hottest radio song with "Love Story," as well as the #2 with "You Belong With Me." The Peas topped the Hot Digital Songs list with "Boom Boom Pow," T.I. was the Hot Ringtones Artist, Soulja Boy Tell'em took the Hot Master Ringtones crown with "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" and the Top Digital Album was the "Twilight" soundtrack.

Katy Perry unwraps herself for a sexy Christmas present for boyfriend Russell Brand (and all her Twitter fans)

12/12/2009 01:27:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

With boyfriend Russell Brand on his way over to the U.S. for a visit, it seems Katy Perry was keen to get him hot under the collar during his flight.


The I Kissed A Girl singer gave the comedian and her fans an early (unwrapped) Christmas present as she posed for a picture apparently wearing nothing but a Santa hat and string of lights.

She posted the picture on the profile of her Twitter account yesterday.

It should make the comedian feel even more Christmassy after he went to a nativity play this week.

When the pupils at an Essex primary school performed their annual nativity play, their surprise visitor was none other than Russell Brand.

But while he might be infamous on both sides of the Atlantic, it seemed Brand's identity left at least a couple of the youngsters puzzled.

As they posed for photos onstage, the angels gave Brand a very suspicious look.



Headteacher Andrea Elliker said: 'I'm not sure all the pupils will have known who he is, but lots did.'

The comedian dropped in before flying to Los Angeles, where he is to take the lead in his new movie Arthur.

His bodyguard's four-year-old nephew attends the school, St Mary's Primary School in Hornchurch, Essex.

Russell, 34, told the children: 'I remember I was a shepherd or something in my primary schools. I think my acting skills went undiscovered for a few decades.'

Brand's visit came as his relationship with pop star Katy Perry continued to blossom.

Brand, who has been sober and drug-free for more than seven years, said his main hobby before dating the singer was to 'chat up girls'.

During a radio interview, he said: 'Because I didn’t drink or take drugs, my main hobby was like meet girls... chat them up.

'Once you stop doing that everything’s a lot more relaxing if you’re not, everywhere you go, thinking "Right, shall I chat to her?"'

The legendary lothario, 34, has in the past admitted to being addicted to sex.

But he was recently introduced to Perry's parents who are Born-Again Christians and spoke about winning over her father Keith.

During the interview on the Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show on Absolute Radio, he said: 'It was remarkable. Have you seen a picture of him?

'He’s got a shaved head, he’s tense looking, but they’re actually… you know, if you’re a proper Christian, without wishing to get into the territory of your actual name, it means that you’ve got to be a gentle, loving, compassionate soul.'

He added: 'Oh my God, they love the old school Englishness.

'There’s a thing where she said, the mom said "nothing’s impossible".

'And I went, "Well of course, Nelson Mandela said that everything is impossible 'til it’s done". And she went "Oh!", and she really enjoyed that.

'You know, I’ve been bringing out quotes, I’m doing well, you know, because I’m committed to it and they’re lovely, lovely people, its been nice. Obviously when I heard that my girlfriend had preacher parents, I thought well this has got a huge scope for disaster, but it’s actually been quite good so far.'

He said that dating the 25-year-old had made this one of the best years he had ever had.

'Its been really good actually, in retrospect its been one of my favourite years,' he said and when asked what the highlight had been, he said without hesitation, 'Meeting Katy'.

'She’s amazing. I’m having a right laugh. She’s a good person to spend time with and its changed me - it's made me stop doing stuff that I probably shouldn’t have been doing.'

The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star also spoke about his career plans. He will be appearing in a re-make of the 1981 Dudley Moore film Arthur.

'We're starting it next year. I’m a huge fan of Dudley Moore and I would never do anything to desecrate that great man’s memory,' he said.

'Unless you include my new film, Dudley Moore: Let’s Ridicule Him... I’m not doing that, I’m doing Arthur. It’s different from the original because it's sort of relevant to today.

'Peter Baynham wrote it, who wrote with Sacha Baron Cohen and wrote Partridge - one of the great comic writers of our time.

'It's wonderful, it's very, very funny. There’s a lot of significant changes but it’s still like a fairy story really.'

And on playing the character, who is a drunk, he said: 'I myself can’t drink any more, but I do remember what it was like to be drunk.

'I can pop down the old databank, check-out a few of my drunken debacles and bring them to the screen.'

He said he would be at home with his mother over Christmas rather than with Katy but said they keep in touch with their busy work schedules with 'a bit of texting, a bit of tweeting'.

'Here’s regular phone conversation, and then there’s what I can only describe as the kinky miracle of iChat. I very nearly have given it a new word, Christian, but I’ll leave it to you and your imagination.'

Yahoo Faces Off Against Google In Search War With Microsoft Funds

12/12/2009 01:24:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

Yahoo and Microsoft are moving quickly to start acting on their recently-signed agreement to collaborate on search technology, with Microsoft agreeing to increase payments to Yahoo and Yahoo identifying 400 engineers it will send to Microsoft.

The urgency in going forward on the deal comes as advances in search engine offerings come quickly.

Yahoo on Thursday said on its Search Blog that it now provides a separate feed of Twitter "tweets" after the regular search results.

That came on the heels of news that Google added search results from Twitter and FriendFeed, as well as from news sites and blogs, in real time, and that the Google Search Appliance can also now search Twitter tweets in real time as well.

The agreement between Microsoft and Yahoo is aimed at helping them work together against common search rival Google.

Yahoo and Microsoft in July said they will work together in the online search and advertisement business, with Microsoft's Bing powering Yahoo's search capabilities and Yahoo becoming the exclusive worldwide relationship sales force for both companies' premium search advertisers.

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will compensate Yahoo through a revenue-sharing agreement based on traffic generated on Yahoo's online properties and will pay Yahoo traffic acquisition costs at an initial rate of 88 percent of generated search revenue. Each company maintains its own display advertising business and sales force.

The Associated Press on Thursday reported that Microsoft is planning to reimburse Yahoo $150 million for expenses related to the agreement. This $150 million is in addition to the $50 million per year that Microsoft will pay Yahoo in each of the first three years of the ten-year agreement.

The payments are subject to regulatory approval.

Yahoo is also in the process of identifying about 400 engineers and some executives it will send to Microsoft to work on search technology, said Tim Morse, executive vice president and CFO of Yahoo.

Morse, speaking this week at the Barclays Capital Global Technology Conference in San Francisco, said that Yahoo has been working behind the scenes to identify the people and the path needed to make sure the transition for both the algorithm and the search happen as seamlessly as possible, both for users' benefit and for the financial impact expected for the two companies.

"We are well down the line," Morse said. "We have dedicated teams running the search business, running the transition of the search business. Some very seasoned executives on those teams. There's nothing more important for us over this next 'x' number of quarters as we transition. This again is extremely important to the foundation of what will be our company going forward."

Getting regulatory approval for the deal will have a big impact on Yahoo, Morse said.

"At that point, we start getting reimbursed by Microsoft for the costs of running our paid search and algorithmic search businesses," he said. "That is a terrific financial benefit for us that starts right off. Part of that total benefit will be these 400 or so engineers that move over. But far greater than that, that savings will be a meaningful impact to us in 2010, as soon as regulatory approval happens."

Hello, tablets. Good-bye, netbooks!

12/12/2009 01:24:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , 0 Comments

Seven trends are conspiring to usher in a tsunami of tablets -- and sink netbooks

ook, I know you like the netbook idea -- and you love netbook prices. If you're like most people, you think tablets are expensive, slow, heavy and a pain to use. But if you've bought one, you know that netbooks aren't as great as they sound. And next year's tablets will be way better than you think.

Of course, everybody's talking about, hinting at and arguing over all the non-existent tablets of tomorrow. You've heard a lot about Apple's rumored tablet, for example, which could hit the market as early as March.

News broke recently that Apple has taken control of the TabletMac trademark. The tablet formerly known as CrunchPad (now unfortunately named the JooJoo) goes on sale today for $499. Asustek is said to be planning to launch a tablet based on the Eee PC. And Dell may show a touch-screen Android tablet at the the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, next month.

I'm sure this is one seafaring hazard metaphor too many, but all this tablet news is just the tip of the iceberg. You can expect small touch-screen tablets from all major vendors, and minor ones as well.

As Ian Paul argued today in a PC World column, "2010 will be the year of the tablet computer." (Paul is one of the few Apple tablet deniers, but his recent piece indicates that he may be coming around to the inevitable.)

Why tablets are finally ready for prime-time

Tablet devices have a bad reputation, thanks primarily to Microsoft's fuzzy vision for the devices, which resulted in several years of incredibly expensive, slow, clunky, unappealing pen-based tablets from all the usual Microsoft partners.

Seven trends are conspiring as we speak to usher in a tsunami of tablets totally unlike the current generation of tablet PCs. Here's what's new:

1. Touch instead of pen

Microsoft always loved the stylus, but most people hate it. Apple and others understood that actually touching the screen is far more appealing than using some funky pen. And touch requires an entirely different user interface, which Microsoft was unwilling or unable to build into Windows until Windows 7.

The casual observer might believe that the usability difference between pen and touch is small. But using a pen is an unnatural act, one that until very recently only a tiny minority of people ever engaged in. The psychological payoffs for using a pen on paper are the tactile feel of the paper, the instant feedback of the trail of ink and the physicality of stacks and files and binders of paper notes. Pen-based computer systems don't offer any of those payoffs.

Meanwhile, interacting with and manipulating objects in our environment with our fingers is the most natural of acts. People have been doing it since before our species even existed.

Most users don't really know why they like or don't like different user interfaces. They don't know why tablet-based and stylus-based devices are somewhat irritating to use, and why touch-based interfaces like the iPhone are a joy to use. The reason can be found not in the design of the gadget, but in the design of humans -- we're the ones who are touch-based systems.

In one respect, pen and touch systems are opposites. One makes us adapt, the other adapts to us.

The main difference in usability between yesterday's tablets and next year's tablets is touch. And touch will make all the difference in the world.

2. Cell phone operating systems

Current tablet systems are PCs that run full-size PC operating systems, usually Microsoft Windows. The combination of mobile processors and the extra layer of code required for the pen system resulted in a relatively slow experience. It also helps make tablets more expensive.

Next year's tablets will run cell phone operating systems like iPhone OS, Android and others. That will make them cheaper, faster and far more usable on a mobile device.

3. Cheaper components

Because tomorrow's tablets will be big cell phones, rather than small PCs, they'll be cheaper to manufacture. They'll have lower-powered chips, less RAM, smaller screens, fewer ports and cheaper (or free) operating systems.

Plus, Moore's Law is still in effect. All component prices will come down, which means next year's touch tablets will be priced similarly to last year's netbooks: Cheap!

4. App stores

Apple's iTunes app store demonstrated how tightly designed, limited use, inexpensive applications can turn a ho-hum phone into an incredibly powerful and usable platform. All the other major smart phone handset makers followed suit, and developers are pouring incredible time, money and energy into creating mobile games and applications, many of which will work on touch tablets just like they do on cell phones.

Unlike pen tablets, which Microsoft envisioned we'd use for running Microsoft Office, tomorrow's tablets will run a gazillion free or low-cost apps from the platform vendors' app stores.

Because of cell phone apps stores, touch tablets will be way more fun to use than netbooks, old-school tablets or even cell phones (because their screens are bigger).

5. The rise of e-books

Everybody is talking about e-books. And although dedicated e-book readers will always be with us, most people will read electronic books with cell phones and touch tablets. Ignore the naysayers. Tablets will be great for reading books. You'll even be able to turn the page by flicking your finger across the top right of the page, kind of like a paper book.

6. Faster mobile broadband

The carriers haven't figured out the right pricing models for data in a world where everything is connected via mobile broadband. But they will. And when they do, touch tablets will be sold like cell phones, and always-there Internet connections will be standard.

7. HD video on demand

Consumers are gradually discovering that getting TV and movies over the Internet is the way to go, the TV itself is optional, movies are downloadable and the cable subscription probably isn't worth the money. Just as the masses really understand all this, along comes a cheap, high-quality tablet that functions largely like a cable-connected, Blu-ray-connected, DVR-connected TV set, but one you carry with you everywhere you go.

And this will be the killer app that mainstreams touch tablets: It's a mobile HD TV with a universe of downloadable programming.

Why tablets will kill netbooks

Netbooks suck for typing. Believe me. I'm a professional. One problem is that the keyboards are too cramped. But the other is that tiny netbooks force you to have the screen too close for comfortable reading.

A touch tablet is also a netbook. Just add a kickstand to prop up the screen and add a Bluetooth keyboard. The best part is that you can add the keyboard of your choice, not the one that happens to match the netbook's screen size.

It can be a fold-up, roll-out, light-based, or even giant old-school keyboard. Or it can be something that is built-into and detaches from the tablet itself, or the tablet's case. And the screen can be propped up and placed at any distance, not the distance dictated by the keyboard's location.

What is a netbook, anyway, but a tablet with a bulky keyboard attached? And what is a tablet, but an ergonomically adjustable netbook that also functions without the detatched keyboard?

Netbooks won't stand a chance against the tidal wave of touch tablets coming next year. Tablets have many advantages over netbooks, but netbooks have very few advantages over tablets.

So here's my advice. Sell your netbook now while you can still unload it. By this time next year, the space between cell phones and laptops will be taken over by a new generation of touch tablets, and you won't be able to give that netbook away.

2009 Yahoo Taiwan Asia Buzz Awards Results

12/12/2009 01:23:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Results (based on popularity polls held by Yahoo!)

Best Actress in a Drama: Tammy Chen

Best Actor in a Drama: Tender Huang

Television Drama: Ruffian Hero/Black & White

Best Group: Fahrenheit

Best Overseas Group: BY2

Best Band: Mayday

Most Stylish Male Artiste: Godfrey Gao

Most Stylish Female Artiste: Maggie Wu

Most Popular Female Artiste: Zhang Yun Jing

Most Popular Male Artiste: Aska Yang

Most Popular Asian Star: Kim Hyun Joong

Most Popular Host: Zhu Ge Liang

Most Popular Pretty Girl: Yao Yao

Most Popular Blog: Wan Wan

Most Popular Broadcaster: Fiona Lee

Best Male Singer: Show Luo

Best Female Singer: Zhang Yun Jing

Instantaneously Popular Male Singer: Anthony Neely

Instantaneously Popular Female Singer: Ren (Xia Yu Tong)

Best Overseas Male Singer: Khalil Fong

Best Oversea Female Singer: Fish Leong

Best Mandarin Movie: Yip Man

Best Actress in a Movie: Shu Qi

Best Actor in a Movie: Van Fan

Instantaneously Popular Male Artiste: Nylon Chen

Instantaneously Popular Female Artiste: Amber Ann

Best Male Songwriter/Singer: A-Chord

Best Female Songwriter/Singer: Lala Hsu

Most Memorable Artist: Michael Jackson

Best Overseas Male Artiste: Aaron Kwok

Best Overseas Female Artiste: Goo Hye-Sun

Chris Brown Throws a Big Hissy Fit

12/12/2009 01:22:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments



Chris Brown is mad. After months spent repenting—including everything from insincere apologies and community labor to that bow tie—he finally released his album Graffiti this week and word got to him that some music retailers aren't stocking the record. So Breezy did what any calm, emotionally mature person who just learned a lot from a major life event would do.

He threw a big hissy fit on Twitter:
"im tired of this s--t. major stores r blackballing my cd. not stockin the shelves and lying to costumers. what the f--k do i gotta do..."
"WTF... yeah i said it and i aint retracting s--t"
"im not biting my tongue about s--t else... the industry can kiss my ass

We can only assume that some of these stores are not stocking his album because he's a convicted woman beater (unless anyone has a better guess). Fair enough. That's their choice. Not everyone has to support the singer just because he told a few talk-show hosts he's sorry. Plus, his album is still widely available on iTunes and Amazon.

All this little Twitter rant does is make Chris look like a whiny, hotheaded, entitled jerk, which doesn't exactly match up with the whole sensitive, changed man image he's been trying to work.

As one Graffiti review says, despite the album's best attempts, "Chris Brown fails at persuading us that he has changed as a person or learned anything...He may not be a monster, but that's only because he hasn't grown into one yet—he mostly just sounds like a big baby."

And that's exactly what's going on here.

Apple Tablet video leak is obviously fake, but we still want it

12/12/2009 01:14:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Now, we’ll prefix this with a huge disclaimer that it’s 99.9-percent fake, and we’re only pointing to it because – as concept videos go – it’s a pretty slick one. Purported to be a leaked video demo of the much-rumored Apple Tablet, it shows a thin slate with a touchscreen and Cover Flow style interface.



As for why we don’t believe a moment of it, not only does Apple’s secrecy machine tend to clamp down tightly on anything so large as video access to such a prototype, but the content on-screen all seems a little to “perfect”. We can’t imagine Apple putting together some sort of IKEA-esque room decor tool, and it’s unlikely that any third-party site would be quite so well integrated with any Apple Tablet’s interface system.

Nonetheless, as concepts go we think it’s pretty slick, and we’d be lying if we said we didn’t like the idea of a thin, touchscreen slate – whether it’s an Apple Tablet, a JooJoo or one of the numerous Android-based devices that are proliferating these days – for sofa-surfing. Rather than scream “FAKE” at us in the comments, let us know what you think of the concept design or UI instead.

Can 'Avatar' defeat the Oscar curse against fantasy films?

12/12/2009 01:14:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Battle scenes in "Avatar" are spectacular and thrilling, but the movie's greatest fight lies ahead, off-screen – at the Academy Awards.


James Cameron's fantasy is as terrific as we Oscarologists had hoped it would be and it will surely break into the best picture race, but "Avatar" will probably trip up in the home stretch. Last year's critically cheered blockbuster — "The Dark Knight" — didn't even get nominated for best picture. But now there are 10 slots in a weak year, so "Avatar" can't be denied its due place on the derby track.

But Oscar voters are stubborn, narrow-minded graybeards. Computer-generated fantasy films, however amazing, aren't "important" in their eyes. Voters like their best pictures real. Sure, "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" won the top prize. Indeed, it went undefeated in all 11 categories, tying the record for most wins held by "Ben-Hur" and James Cameron's "Titanic," but that was only because the franchise wore voters down over the years.

The first installment, "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring," looked invincible when it entered the 2001 derby with the most nominations — 13, which is the second most in academy history. It lost best picture to "A Beautiful Mind," which prevailed despite being engulfed in scandal as journalists kept blasting it with repeated disclosures of how Ron Howard & Co. sugar-coated the life story of its protagonist. (There was absolutely no evidence of a smear campaign against "A Beautiful Mind" so let's not rehash that nonsense again.) "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002) was also nominated for best picture and lost to "Chicago." If the final installment of the most successful film trilogy in Hollywood history had also lost, it's safe to assume that hobbit fanboys and Oscar nuts everywhere would've nuked the academy in 2003. Voters knew that and were forced to surrender foolish old views.

But that fuddy-duddy bias against fantasy blockbusters still reigns. Nonetheless, "Avatar" can still pose a serious threat. Here's how.

Besides the expansion of the best-picture race to 10 slots, there's another curious quirk about this derby year. Due to the interruption of the winter Olympics in February, the Oscars aren't until March 7. Nominations come out on Feb. 2. That's two days after the Director's Guild of America Award winner is revealed. Usually, the final round of Oscar voting is well under way when we learn who wins DGA.

As every Oscarologist knows, the DGA winner repeats at the Oscars more than two-thirds of the time and the movie that wins best director at the Oscars usually wins best picture too. Given the stunning directorial achievement of "Avatar," Cameron could pick up his second DGA trophy after prevailing for "Titantic" (1997). However, since the odds are stacked against "Avatar" winning the top Oscar, the mirror effect between the guild and the academy may not repeat this year.

But maybe a ripple effect will. That's why I continue to bet on "Inglourious Basterds" to win the Oscar for best picture. I think the good-old-boy bias within the guild is too great for a woman to triumph (Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker") and I don't think guild members will consider "Up in the Air" to be a grand directorial achievement (they didn't even nominate Jason Reitman for "Juno"). Thus I consider Quentin Tarantino to be Cameron's biggest threat at DGA. "Basterds" is impressive, it's cool and it's Tarantino's most successful film to date ($300 million worldwide). If Tarantino wins the DGA trophy on Jan. 30, that should set off a "Basterds" juggernaut. That's what happened to "Midnight Cowboy" in 1969. After it failed to win best picture from any awards group earlier in the derby, it got a sustained bump from DGA.

But if I'm wrong about Bigelow and she wins at DGA, her victory will be historic; no woman's ever won there. It will also launch "The Hurt Locker" to an easy win at the Oscars, of course. It will also be terrific Hollywood soap opera to witness, considering she will beat her ex-husband. Bigelow and James Cameron were married from 1989 to 1991.

Hmmm . . . do you think any of Cameron's other four ex-wives will ever get a shot at that too?

Google's Chrome OS Aims to Speed Up Netbooks

12/12/2009 01:13:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , 0 Comments

Look for Google’s lightweight, browser-based operating system to debut on mobile systems sometime in 2010.



A few weeks ago, Google unveiled what it's hoping will be the new standard in netbook operating systems: Chrome OS. Based on Linux, Chrome OS is a fast, low-overhead OS that boots directly into a Web browser to get you online with as little waiting as possible. We've been running an early version of Chrome OS on our test systems since Google released the code to the open-source community. Here's a peek at what you can expect to see when preinstalled systems debut for the 2010 holiday season.

Because Chrome OS runs exclusively on solid-state drives, it boots extremely quickly. The early build we played with took as little as 7 seconds to reach a login screen, and then snapped almost instantly into the browser.

Unlike traditional operating systems, Chrome OS offers few controls that you can't already find in Google's Chrome Web browser. The most significant difference is the Chrome icon in the upper-left corner, which reveals a list of bookmarked Web apps. It's as close as Chrome OS gets to installing software. While the inability to install apps as Windows does can be a limitation, it's also a safeguard against viruses and malware: If apps can't install, neither can Trojan horses and other nasty bits of code.



Like the Chrome Web browser, Chrome OS is tab-based. However, to keep your favorite Web apps handy at login, the OS gives you the option to pin tabs to the left side of the tab bar. Once pinned, a tab remains in the same location every time you log on, so it's always exactly where you left it.

Apart from a battery icon, a clock, and a network monitor in the upper-right corner, the operating system is identical to the existing Chrome browser for Windows. The whole idea is simplicity, and that's exactly what you get.

No Chrome OS devices have yet debuted on the market, and none are expected before the second half of 2010. Acer has declared that it will be among the first manufacturers--if not the very first--to release a netbook with Google's operating system preinstalled. Meanwhile, Chrome OS already has some competition from the FusionGarage JooJoo, a 12.1-inch tablet device running a similar browser-oriented OS.

Record breaking sale of "Storm Warrior II" on the first da

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

Directed by the Pang brothers, starring Ekin Cheng, Aaron Kwok, Simon Yam and Charlene Choi "Storm Warriors II" was shown in cinema yesterday. Box office have already made a record of 2.25 million HKD on the first day. This film not only tops the first box office sale, it has become the top ticket sale for Chinese language film in 2009. People have been lining up to get ticket to see the movie, 521 shows were shown, breaking the record of the number of cinema screen in the history of Hong Kong Chinese language movie. The cinema operators are still thinking of how to accommodate more screen release for the next two days.

The box office success of "Storm Warrior II" makes Universal boss Lam Siu Ming a very happy man. He decided to treat the whole cast of "Storm Warrior Hero Banquet " next Tuesday. Aaron was very happy indeed, he is particularly proud that "Storm Warrior II" broke the cinema record. Ekin expressed that he has been busy doing the promotion for the film last two weeks. He is a bit tired now, but reckons it is worth it as this film has broken the record.

After School covers Beyonce’s ‘Irreplaceable’

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

The pretty girls of After School appeared on the radio program SuKiRa earlier today and showed off their vocals.


On the program, Kahi, Jung Ah, Raina, and Bekah covered Beyonce's hit single Irreplaceable. The girls did a good job for the most part, but I must admit that they sounded a bit off at times with a little dose of engrish.



Raina and Bekah also did a cover of Rihanna’s ‘Please Don’t Stop The Music’ previously on 7th December. Go under the cut for the video

Miley Cyrus Covers Lady Gaga “Bad Romance” Choreography

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

It’s no secret that Disney star Miley Cyrus is a mayjuh “Stan” for Lady Gaga – now check out this video of Miley covering Gaga’s signature “Bad Romance” choreography.

How did she do?

Renée and Bradley: How Serious Are They?

12/12/2009 01:10:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

They've breakfasted in Barcelona and canoodled in Canada. Now, Bradley Cooper and Renée Zellweger have been spotted reportedly pursuing property together in Pacific Palisades, Calif., with Zellweger snapping photos of potential homes on her cell phone.

So, just how serious is the pair? They're keeping mum, but give us your opinion.

It’s The Google Countdown!

12/12/2009 01:10:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments



Here’s a nifty little Google Easter Egg on this fine Friday. If you go to the Google homepage and click the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button with no query entered, a countdown timer will appear below the buttons. As of right now it stands at 1765472, with each second ticking off the last number in that sequence.

Some quick math (with Google’s help) tells us that 1,765,472 seconds equals a little over 20 days. What happens in 20 days? It could be the end of the world, when Google becomes self-aware, or 2010. You decide.

To make sure, we went ahead and switched our system clocks to trick it into thinking it was December 31, and sure enough, the countdown ends at January 1 at midnight. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be a payoff when the timer hits zero. Maybe Google will add that later. That is, if they got it done before the code freeze.

Motorola Milestone becomes eXpansys UK's 'fastest selling gadget'

12/12/2009 01:10:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments



Call it a pent-up demand for WVGA Android devices, call it Droid jealousy, call it an unnatural love for the sweet, doughy goodness of a just-baked Eclair -- but whatever it is, early indications suggest that the British love their Milestones. Retailer eXpansys (which is big enough to actually produce some meaningful sales trend data, we suspect) is reporting that the just-launched Droid clone for GSM became "the fastest selling gadget in the website's 11 year history, even more successful than the iPhone" when it sold out inside of three hours on its site on top of the roughly 1,000 preorders they had taken prior to the 10th. This might be a case of double-speak -- we're trying to establish just how many phones were sold during those three hours, because what we really need is a sales rate, not a time span alone -- so we're cautioning Moto not to bust out the champagne glasses just yet, but it's certainly looking like a promising start. Schaumburg hasn't had a lot of success in Western Europe in recent years, of course, but if we can use eXpansys as a barometer here, we'd say that a little cautious optimism is well justified.

Andy Hui considers Sammi Cheng as a guest for the "Big 4" concert next year

12/12/2009 01:09:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

Big 4 (Dicky Cheung, Andy Hui, William So and Edmond Leung) participated in the <Tung Wah Charity Show 2009> blessing ceremony yesterday. Tonight, it will be the first time that the Big 4 are doing a public performance together. They arrived at the studio early to rehearse.


Andy was asked if he still has something for Sammi Cheng because earlier he visited Sammi while she was rehearsing? He said that he has the same dance instructor as Sammi, they get their dance lessons a floor below and above one another. They often bump into each other. He expressed that they both support one another, Sammi's new album he already brought two copies, one for at home and one for his car. Next year, Big 4 will be holding a concert and he will consider asking Sammi to be their guest.

Lee Byung Hun responds to ex-girlfriend’s accusations

12/12/2009 01:09:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

when ex-girlfriend Kwon Mi Yeon accused the IRIS & G.I. Joe star of causing physical and mental suffering during their allegedly tumultuous relationship. The actor has finally come out with a press release addressing the matter. Although he admitted that he had indeed shared a relationship with Kwon, Lee denied her accusations and promised to defend himself against this lawsuit.

"I have never done anything I should be ashamed of as a public figure," Lee said firmly. "I will fight these vicious accusations through the law."

And that's not all - on the 9th, Lee expressed that a few anonymous men had contacted him earlier in 2009, blackmailing him and threatening to reveal his relationship unless he gave them 2 billion won (1.7 million USD). BH Entertainment also revealed that Lee has asked prosecutors to look into Kwon's false (?) accusations, possibly for slander and a maybe even a countersuit.

Although the idea of legally seeking monetary compensation for "physical and mental suffering" may seem ludicrous at first, it's actually a common motive behind many lawsuits and torts. As this scandal unfolds, I guess we'll just have to see whether Lee's actions really did cross the line and seriously harm Kwon Mi Yeon... stay tuned for more on this dispute!

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie look so in love at charity ball

12/12/2009 12:50:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

A newly released unauthorised biography claims there are 'irreparable tensions' in Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's relationship, but there was certainly no sign of strain as they attended a charity ball in Los Angeles last night.


The tactile couple didn't leave each other's side as they mingled among the star-studded crowd at a UNICEF ball at the Beverly Wilshire.

The couple, who have six children, revelled in their night off parent duty and stole romantic moments at every opportunity.

Angelina, 34, a UNICEF ambassador, was seen gazing adoringly at her 46-year-old partner of five years and at one point ran her fingers through his hair.

While there were a host of stars at the event, including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bruce Willis and Cindy Crawford, the couple were most interested in chatting with time with surprise guest Muhammad Ali.



They both appeared star-struck as they shook hands with the former boxer, who is considered one of the greatest heavyweight championship boxers of all time.

Angelina even launched in for a hug with the 67-year-old, who suffers from Parkinson's Syndrome.



It was clear that the Hollywood couple remain unshaken by the allegations made in Ian Halperin's new book, Brangelina: The Untold Story of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

'They've broken up so many times it would make your head spin,' the author claims, declaring the couple will break up by 'Christmas 2010.'

But it all looked rosy last night as they put their support behind the charity.



The evening was designed to honour individuals who made key contributions to UNICEF's mission to save and improve children lives worldwide.

Producer and long-time philanthropist Jerry Weintraub was honored as Man of the Year with UNICEF's Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award.

The evening raised more money for the organisation than any UNICEF Ball to date.



Weintraub, Pitt, Clooney, Damon and Don Cheadle allo donated $250,000 to help the organisation's mission to reduce the number of preventable deaths of children from 24,000 to zero.



Weintraub directed the actor's in Ocean's Eleven and it's follow-up franchise.

Other guests included Joan Collins, Larry David, Selena Gomez, Benji Madden and Joel Madden and Alyssa Milano.

Miley Cyrus Caught Kissing a Boy in Paris

12/12/2009 12:50:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Miley Cyrus puts on a little public display of affection in the most romantic city in the world -- Paris.

Photographers snapped the tween superstar smooching a boy on the Champs-Elysee.

To our eyes, it looks like her rumored boyfriend and 'Last Song' co-star Liam Hemsworth, but we're not so sure.

Apple Says Nokia Missed The Boat And “Chose To Copy The iPhone” Instead

12/12/2009 12:50:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , 0 Comments

Now that Apple has responded to Nokia’s patent lawsuit filed last October with its own countersuit today, we have a clearer picture of what the dispute is all about. As suspected, it is about money, specifically the patent licensing fees Nokia is trying to get out of Apple for wireless patents it holds and it alleges are infringed by the iPhone.

But more broadly, it is about Nokia missing the boat on the shift from conventional phones to mobile computers where the phone functionality is relegated to one of many features, and not the most important one at that. Apple lays this argument out in its countersuit, saying that Nokia tried to overcharge it on patent fees because it missed the boat on the shift to smartphones.

In Apple’s countersuit today, it accuses Nokia of attempting a “patent hold-up.” The patents in question are part of industry standards, and as such Nokia must license them under fair and reasonable terms, argues Apple. But instead, Nokia tried to put the squeeze on Apple. Apple states in its countersuit:

In dealing with Apple, Nokia has sought to gain an unjust competitive advantage over Apple by charging unwarranted fees to use patents that allegedly cover industry compatability standards.

Whether or not Apple’s arguments hold water is for a court to decide. But Apple takes the opportunity of this legal battle to make a swipe at Nokia as a flailing competitor. If you read between the lines of the suit, the reason Nokia is not willing to license its patents under “fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms” to Apple is because while Apple was creating a “revolutionary change in the mobile phone category” with the iPhone, Nokia was sitting on its haunches:

In contrast, Nokia made a different business decision and remained focussed on traditional mobile wireless handsets with conventional user interfaces. As a result, Nokia has rapidly lost share in the market for high-end mobile phones. . . . In response, Nokia chose to copy the iPhone.

In other words, Nokia is losing in the marketplace so it is falling back on the only thing it has left—its patents. Apple is already more a profitable phone manufacturer than Nokia, and it has no intention of returning those profits via exorbitant patent fees. Now, what exactly those proposed fees are and whether they are in fact exorbitant we don’t know because the numbers are not in the suit. Presumably, those will come out at trial.

Apple could lose that trial or end up paying a huge settlement fee. Both of these suits are negotiations by other means. Regardless of the outcome, though, it feels like Apple has already won the bigger battle in the marketplace.

Video games sales drop, but still strong

12/12/2009 12:49:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , 0 Comments

The video game industry just keeps on seeing its sales numbers decline, in spite of a huge month for Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and the crucial holiday month of November was no different than the last nine months of 2009. For the month, according to industry analyst The NPD Group, sales across the entire video game business were $2.7 billion, down 7.6 percent from $2.92 billion a year earlier.

Yet, NPD added, industry-wide sales were so high in 2008 that even despite this November's significant drop, the month was still the second-best November on record. "I think we all have to realize the incredible year that was 2008," wrote NPD analyst Anita Frazier, in a research report.

Winning the month, yet again, at least in console sales, was Nintendo's Wii, with 1.26 million units sold. That's significantly more than the 1.1 million units that Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter predicted late last month, in the wake of Black Friday, that Nintendo would sell. Microsoft saw its Xbox 360 take a solid second place with 819,500 units sold, and Sony's PlayStation 3 brought up the rear with 710,400 consoles moved.

Despite a big year-over-year jump in PS3 sales, those numbers had to be disappointing for Sony. The PS3 had finished ahead of the Xbox in October and September, mainly as a result of the pent-up demand for the machine in the wake of its mid-August price cut to $299.

For the Wii, first place is nothing new, and it's clear that consumers had a bigger hunger for that console than its competitors' offerings. But while 1.26 million units sold is impressive, it's quite a bit lower than the 2.04 million Wiis that sold last November, even given the fact that Nintendo lowered the price of the Wii from $249 to $199 in September.

"Nintendo products top Amazon.com's most wished for and most gifted lists for video games, and Wii remains at or near the top of the most-searched for video game terms on Yahoo," Nintendo said in a statement. "As families and friends gather for the holidays, Nintendo games offer the best shared experiences."

Microsoft saw sales of the Xbox drop 2 percent, from 836,000 last year to 819,500 this year. But Xbox spokesperson David Dennis said overall, last month was the best November in the Xbox 360's history, in terms of dollars spent across the board.

Though it did finish in third place, the PS3's sales were through the roof compared to last year, almost certainly due to the price cut. Sony's sales of 710,400 PS3s was up 87.9 percent from last November's poor showing of just 378,000 units.

Indeed, Sony touted that big jump, though without mentioning the recent price decrease of the PS3. "In November, PS3 was the only hardware console to see any growth when compared to last November," the company wrote in a press release, "experiencing an (87.9) percent lift and a 122 percent increase from the previous month."

On the software side, it was pretty clear that the Xbox--with four of the top 10 best-selling games on that platform, compared to two for the PS3 and four for the Wii--was November's big winner. That was no more clear than in sales of the biggest game title of the year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which broke the single-day record for sales for any entertainment product when it launched November 10, and was expected to make up a fifth of all games sales in November. The Xbox dominated sales of the game, with 4.2 million units sold, while just 1.87 million were sold for the PS3.

Dennis said the reason for that was clear: "It's Xbox Live," Dennis said. "People's friends are on Xbox Live, and you buy the version of the game where your friends are."

Dissension within TVXQ? Canceled Big East fan meeting

12/12/2009 12:49:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

By now, many people already know about the ongoing struggle of the trio of Jaejoong, Micky, and Xiah Junsu from TVXQ / DBSK / Tohoshinki with SM Entertainment in Korea. Many fans, especially Big East (TVXQ's Official Japanese Fan Club) were convinced that TVXQ would continue on as Tohoshinki in Japan with no issues, Avex pretty much said so. However, recently there's been some signs of trouble in Japan.


Most notably, the most anticipated 4th Big East fan club meeting being canceled. The reason for the cancellation was because Tohoshinki stated that they wanted to be honest and couldn't stand in front of their fans and put on fake smiles, fake happiness. They want to meet fans when they can truly smile once again. There's been rumors flying around that this proves that their is dissension and problems within the group. Adding further fuel to the fire were the lack of communication and very awkward situation between Jaejoong / Micky / Xiah and Yunho / Changmin in their recent performances in Japan. It also doesn't help matters when Changmin and Yunho previously stating that they're in support of SM Entertainment.

Hopefully if this is true they can quickly patch things up. They have such a great thing going, and I wouldn't want to see all the hard work they put in together to go to waste. Always keep the faith, now more than ever.

TechCrunch Sues Over CrunchPad

12/12/2009 12:49:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Michael Arrington apparently made good on his vows to sue former CrunchPad business partner Fusion Garage on Thursday. The TechCrunch founder says he has filed suit with the Northern District of California Federal court against Fusion Garage alleging fraud and deceit, misappropriation of business ideas, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition and violations of the Lanham Act (trademark protection). Fusion Garage plans to go ahead with selling the device on its own under the name JooJoo. The device was supposed to be available for online presage Friday morning, but at the time of this writing it was still unavailable for purchase.
TechCrunch Tablets Its Complaints

In a blog post published early Friday, Arrington made public legal documents that detail TechCrunch's
complaints, and include
some preliminary evidence the TechCrunch founder believes will support his case. According to the lawsuit, TechCrunch claims to have been deeply involved in the design process of the CrunchPad a.k.a. JooJoo including design and oversight of device specs, performance characteristics (including the JooJoo's nine-second boot speed), software architecture, hardware platform design and component sourcing, hardware form factor, driver integration, user interface and more.

The suit also alleges that TechCrunch paid bills and debts that Fusion Garage was unable to cover, provided advice and direction on technical problems for the device, hosted Singapore-based Fusion Garage's U.S. base of operations, and lined up business deals to promote, market, and distribute the CrunchPad.

In addition to those allegations, the documents Arrington made public include blog posts allegedly created by Fusion Garage that have since been taken down from the company's site, and e-mail correspondence between TechCrunch and Fusion Garage.
Arrington Speaks Out

TechCrunch's founder also added some of his own personal thoughts about the unfolding controversy in his Friday blog post. Arrington says his company had lined up "top tier investors" to support the project, as well as restating previous claims that he had lined up a major retail partner willing to distribute the device, and to keep the retail price of the device low. Arrington says all of these partners are willing to put statements on the record supporting TechCrunch's claims.

Arrington also said on Friday that Fusion Garage's financial situation is a mess. Arrington believes that
Fusion Garage, even with an influx of revenue from Jo
oJoo presales, does not have the financial ability to mass produce the JooJoo and fulfill its obligations to customers. "Fusion Garage is, and always has been, a company on the edge of going out of business," Arrington wrote.

Fusion Garage's public relations agency has been asked for a response to these allegations, and we will post any communication we get from them as soon as it is available.
Fusion Garage for the Defense

It should also be pointed out that during a video call with members of the press on Monday, Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan disputed most of Arrington's claims about TechCrunch's support for the project. Rathakrishnan contends that Fusion Garage is solely responsible for the final prototype the company debuted on Monday.
CrunchPad Genesis

The CrunchPad project was a result of a blog post Arrington published in July 2008. At the time, the TechCrunch founder wanted a "dead simple Web tablet" that would cost around $200. Arrington says TechCrunch company developed two prototypes on its own, before producing a third prototype with deeper assistance from Fusion Garage. By June the CrunchPad launch prototype was complete, according to Arrington.

However, by November the business relationship between Fusion Garage and TechCrunch had broken down, and Arrington declared the CrunchPad dead. Arrington claims this was due to deceitful practices on Fusion Garage's part. Rathakrishnan told reporters on Monday that his company had to move on and bring the device to market without TechCrunch, because none of Arrington's many promises of support ever came true.

It is now left up to the courts to sort out the grievances on both sides.

You can read the court documents supplied by TechCrunch for yourself below.
SF-38-303-C2_20091210160410_00000001

Humourous Ella disguises as a pregnant lady !

12/12/2009 12:48:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Idol drama "Down With love" is intensively filming in HangZhou. SHE's comic, Ella is acting as Yang Guo who dreams in the drama that she's pregnant. Because Yang Guo gets insulted by Mommy Qi, at night she gets nightmares of becoming pregnant, and because it's a dream, Ella had to overract very much.Before filming, she swung her big tummy here and there as she entered the set.

Her manager and assistant both protected her as her bodyguards, and upon seein the shock people get when they see her that way, she laughed hard and pulled out a watermelon from under her T-shirt : "I don't have a tummy anymore ! I'll treat everyone to eat watermelon ! "

Michael Zhang played along with her even putting his ear on her stomach, faking to listen to the baby's heartbeats.

Idol group 5566 is on the verge of break-up?

12/12/2009 12:48:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

5566's Sam Wang, Tony Sun, and J-Star boss Sun De-Rong goes on "Kangxi Lai Le" to promote new group Magic 1+1.

J-Star Entertainment's idol group 5566 is on the verge of break-up? Members of 5566 have been working on individual activities in the recent years; Zax Wang and Jason Hsu are busy with hosting duties, Tony Sun has shifted his focus to Mainland China, while Sam Wang is looking after his food business. Despite not working together as a group, Tony Sun stated that there are no concerns on breaking up. However, J-Star boss Sun De-Rong confirmed that their contracts will expire at the end of this year.

Sun De-Rong recently went on CtiTV "Kangxi Lai Le" along with Tony Sun and Sam Wang to promote J-Star's new group Magic 1+1. When asked about 5566's contract issues, Tony Sun reaffirmed that he will be staying with J-Star. Sam Wang echoed his sentiment and said that Sun De-Rong is still his boss. When "Kangxi" host Xiao S asked if they were still under contracts, Sam Wang answered ambiguously, "Yes, for this month!" However, Sun De-Rong admitted that 5566's contract will only last till the end of this year.

J-Star Entertainment is known to be very sensitive about their artists' love life. They prohibit artists to date within the company, and are strongly against idols from having relationships. However, Sun De-Rong reacted uncharacteristically when expressing his views this time, "I hope Tony Sun gets marry soon, and have his own children in the future." Nevertheless Tony Sun avoided the topic like he did previously and said, "I don't watch variety shows or read the newspapers. I only watch the sports channel."

The "Virgin Prince" also happened to be on the same show and impressed J-Star boss Sun De-Rong.

While promoting Magic 1+1, Sun De-Rong also expressed interest in the "virginal" Jing Wong. He would like to sign him and put him a new group. Since Sun De-Rong has a liking for putting idol groups together, host Xiao S suggested that he should consider creating an all-virgin boy group, and said that it will probably be tougher to find (virgins) then magicians to be idol singers.

Apple and Nokia's battle hots up

12/12/2009 12:46:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

The legal battle between Finland's Nokia and its US rival Apple has taken a new turn, with Apple countersuing Nokia over alleged patent violations.

The move follows a Nokia lawsuit filed in October accusing iPhone maker Apple of 10 Nokia patent infringements.

Now Apple, in turn, is claiming that the Finnish phone firm is infringing 13 of its technology patents.

"Other companies must compete with us by inventing their own technologies, not just by stealing ours," Apple said.

Apple has not yet revealed which patents are at issue. Nokia was unavailable for comment.

In October, Nokia said it had not been compensated for its technology, and accused Apple of "trying to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation".

The 10 alleged patent infringements by Apple involve wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption.

The breaches applied to all models of the iPhone since its launch in 2007, Nokia added.

Finland's Nokia said that it had agreements with about 40 firms allowing them to use the firm's technology, but that Apple had not signed an agreement.

Nokia 5235 Comes With Music offers unlimited music downloads for only €145

12/12/2009 12:46:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Almost four months after the announcement of Nokia 5230, a new and similar phone has now been introduced by Nokia: Nokia 5235 Comes With Music.


As you can guess from its name, the 5235 is a Comes With Music phone, so those who buy it will be able to download as much music as they want from the Nokia Music Store, for either 12 or 18 months.

The handset also features all the stuff the 5230 has: 3.2 inch resistive touchscreen display with 360 x 640 pixels, GSM and HSDPA connectivity, GPS, Ovi Maps, 3.5mm headset jack, 2MP camera, MicroSD card support (up to 16GB) and a 1320 mAh battery that can provide up to 33 hours of music playback.



Nokia 5235 Comes With Music will be available starting the first quarter of 2010. Interestingly, the phone will have a suggested retail price of €145 – €4 less than the initial price of 5230.

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