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No Shot, Sherlock—Avatar Rules

12/28/2009 12:21:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , 0 Comments

For a while there, Sherlock Holmes had James Cameron outwitted. But only for a while.

Cameron's Avatar ended up the biggest, fattest movie of a big, fat box-office weekend, with an estimated $75 million Friday-Sunday. The Robert Downey Jr.-ized Sherlock Holmes finished second, but didn't settle for second, with a bigger-than-expected $65.3 million.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel ($50.2 million) and Meryl Streep's It's Complicated ($22.1 million) got in on the record-breaking holiday action, as well.

More box-office highlights, including the debut of Heath Ledger's last film, and a Top 10 farewell to New Moon:

• The Chipmunks sequel edged Avatar on Wednesday; Sherlock Holmes edged Avatar on Friday. Avatar opened up a lead on both movies on Saturday, and is expected to do the same today.

• You know how you know a movie's a hit movie when its second weekend is only down, say, 30 percent from its first weekend? Avatar was down 3 percent. (Titanic comparisons, however, are still not allowed.)

• Sherlock Holmes is Robert Downey Jr.'s biggest opener, sans Iron Man's mask.

• Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is the Chipmunk's biggest opener, no qualifier necessary.

• It's Complicated is Meryl Streep's biggest opener this year, which tells you what kind of year Streep is having: a good one—again.

• Conventional wisdom says It's Complicated will have a long shelf life, which would behoove the comedy's backers since it cost a reputed $85 million. Sherlock Holmes, by comparison, has already made back more than half of its $90 million budget from its domestic gross alone.

• Not every movie was full of cheer: Did You Hear About the Morgans? (ninth place, $5 million) apparently was still digging out from last weekend's snowstorm; Nine (eighth place, $5.5 million) broke wide, broke into the Top 10, but didn't pack theaters; The Princess and the Frog (seventh place, $8.7 million) got squeezed out by the CGI rodents.

• New Moon ($3 million) departed the Top 10 after a relatively fast five-weekend stay, but an indisputably huge $280.9 million domestic take.

• With Christmas going, Jim Carrey's A Christmas Carol ($1.4 million) went, exiting the Top 10 after seven weekends and $136 million. Worldwide, it looks like the $200 million budget-buster was a money-maker.

• From Friday-Sunday, Hollywood's movies combined to gross $275 million, a record for a three-day haul, Exhibitor Relations said. Overall, Hollywood will close out 2009 likely having sold $10.5 billion worth of tickets, also a record.

• Heath Ledger went out on top. Again. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was, theater for theater, the weekend's highest-grossing movie, making $129,980 off four screens.

Here's a look at the weekend's top-grossing films based on Friday-Sunday estimates as compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
Avatar, $75 million
Sherlock Holmes, $65.4 million
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, $50.2 million
It's Complicated, $22.1 million
Up in the Air, $11.8 million
The Blind Side, $11.7 million
The Princess and the Frog, $8.7 million
Nine, $5.5 million
Did You Hear About the Morgans?, $5 million
Invictus, $4.4 million

Taylor Swift ‘Jealous of Emma Roberts’

12/28/2009 12:19:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments



The singer — who recently celebrated her 20th birthday — apparently flew into a jealous rage when she saw Julia Roberts‘ niece Emma Roberts making a play for her hunky beau Taylor Lautner, who stars with both girls in new movie Valentine’s Day.

“Everyone on set could tell Emma was crushing on Taylor’s teenage toyboy — she kept making goo-goo eyes whenever she saw him, even though they have no scenes together,” a source told American tabloid the National Enquirer.

“Then Emma pushed too hard, unexpectedly showing up on-set to watch a love scene between Taylor and Taylor.

“Swift got really creeped out because Emma kept staring at Taylor, so just to show her that the race really does go to the swift, she suddenly kissed her boyfriend like he was the last guy on earth.

“Her kiss was so long and passionate that everyone held their breath, knowing it was an in-your-face warning to Emma that she’d better back off fast.”

Song You Need To Know: Lady Gaga, 'Reloaded'

12/28/2009 12:19:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments



With its storming Timbaland-esque beat and R&B flavor, "Reloaded" is something of a different look from Lady Gaga. It was born from the same Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins sessions that produced "Telephone," but didn't make The Fame Monster's track list. And, we gotta say, there's no evident reason why that is. "Reloaded" is a banger, with Gaga's vocal melody on the verse eerily reminiscent of Prince's on "When Doves Cry." Jerkins' beat hearkens back to his classic work with Destiny's Child ("Say My Name") and Jennifer Lopez ("If You Had My Love").

Ultimately, I think what kept "Reloaded" off The Fame Monster is the lack of glam, the lack of epic sweep and, perhaps most importantly, the lack of Gaga flair. "Bad Romance" is unmistakeably Lady Gaga, a track only she could have made. "Reloaded," while a dope song, sounds like something any number of R&B and pop stars could have recorded. (Which doesn't mean we don't love it.)

Will the Apple tablet be a full-fledged computer?

12/28/2009 12:18:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

With all the crystal-ball-watching over the seemingly imminent Apple tablet, one issue hotly debated around the CNET offices, but infrequently mentioned elsewhere, is the hypothetical device's status as a mobile computer.


There are two schools of thought on this: either the Apple tablet (or iSlate, or whatever it ends up being called) will be a 10-or-so-inch tablet PC with a full Mac OS X operating system; or it will merely be a larger-screen version of the current iPod Touch, which has a closed, limited phone-like OS.

The former would mean it could very likely run any software you'd run on a MacBook, from Firefox to Photoshop, and maybe even install Windows 7 via Boot Camp or Parallels. The later points to a hermetically sealed ecosystem, where apps would have to be approved and sold through an official app store (as in iTunes).

Initially, at least, the scant evidence hinted at the Apple tablet being akin to a touch-screen, keyboard-less version of the company's current laptops. After all, convertible tablet laptops are, if not common, than at least easy to find. While mostly intended for medical, education, or other specialized markets, there are a handful of consumer-oriented ones, such as HP's TouchSmart series.

There is even already a tablet version of the 13-inch MacBook you can buy. It's from a company called Axiotron, which takes apart stock MacBooks and rebuilds them as tablets, with a touchscreen and stylus. We reviewed one a couple of years ago, and found it to be an interesting, if expensive, alternative for tablet-loving Apple fans.

The last several rounds of Apple tablet rumors, however, point more decisively towards an iPhone or iPod Touch style device. The Financial Times reports that Apple is planning a press event on January 26 in San Francisco, while the Silicon Alley Insider claims several app developers have been asked to prepare large-screen versions of their current iPhone apps.

While the recent rumors all seem to point towards a device without a full PC-style operating system, the purported 10-inch screen of the Apple tablet may create a different set of psychological expectations from consumers. After all, that's the size of most Netbook PCs, which, despite costing as little as $299, offer the same (or in some cases, the "Starter" versions of) Windows XP or Windows 7 as full-size laptops, and which can install and run virtually software (with the possible exception of power-hungry apps like 3D games and video editing suites).

And, even with single-core Intel Atom CPUs, a 10-inch Netbook can run multiple apps at once -- something currently not allowed (with a few exceptions) on the iPhone/iPod Touch platform.

Would a 10-inch device without that added flexibility feel unduly crippled or underpowered? Is an OSX-powered tablet the right way for Apple to go?

The Greatest Windows Tips of All Time

12/28/2009 12:18:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

If you don't know every one of these 26 classic tricks, utilities, and shortcuts for XP, Vista, or Windows 7, you're not getting your money's worth out of Windows.

Whether you're a grizzled Windows vet or a relative newcomer, you can always use a trick or two for making things go faster. We've compiled our 26 favorite time-saving tips for Windows XP, Vista, and 7. Print out this story and keep it on your desk, under your pillow, or anywhere else.

Classic Windows Tips

Toggle between apps: Use Alt-Tab to switch open programs without touching your mouse. The oldest--and still the best--Windows timesaver.

Navigate app windows: Press Ctrl-Tab to cycle through an application's windows (or through a Web browser's tabs). First cousin of the tip above, and probably the most underrated tip ever.

When in doubt, type it out: If you don't want to hunt through nested menus and the like, you can access most functions, applets, or files the old-fashioned way--by entering them into the Search box. Type Calculator, Control Panel, or even the name of a piece of music on your hard drive, and press Enter.


Full-frontal folders: In Windows Explorer, click Folder Options (located under the Organize menu) to reveal hidden files, show the full path in the title bar, display file extensions, and more.

Unobtrusive updates: Keep your OS current by opening Windows Update (Automatic Update in XP) and setting it to Download updates but let me choose whether to install them. (To get there, press the Windows key and type Windows Update.) That way, you won't have Windows urging you to restart when you don't want to (or worse, triggering a restart when you're away from the PC with an unsaved document open).


Tweak your taskbar: Right-click the Taskbar and choose Properties to find options for switching to the old Start menu, choosing which icons show in the notification area, setting default programs to appear in the Start bar menu, and more.

Partition, partition, partition: Make backups and restores easier by partitioning your hard drive and keeping one partition for the OS and the other for your documents and data.


Make your text special: Need a special character such as © or á? Press the Windows key and type character map in the field to bring up an app that will let you copy and paste the characters you need.

Simple screen capture: Take a screenshot by pressing Print Screen, which copies an image of your full screen to your clipboard so that you can paste it into Paint or your preferred image editor. To capture just the active window, use Ctrl-Alt-Print Screen. For more fine-tuned controls, try Screenshot Captor.

Take a shortcut: Right-click on any application icon, bring up the Properties menu, and click the Shortcuts tab. You can specify a keystroke combination to start your application here. Our personal favorite: Making a shortcut for Windows 7's Snipping Tool makes screenshots much easier. (Windows 7 only)


Sticky keys (the good kind): Holding down two keys at once--such as Ctrl-C to copy--is a royal pain. Press the Shift key five times to start Sticky Keys, a feature that allows you to initiate a keyboard shortcut by merely pressing Shift, Ctrl, Alt, or Windows instead of holding that particular key down. Press Shift five more times to toggle Sticky Keys off.

Line 'em up: Want to arrange two (or more) windows side by side in Windows XP or Vista? Hold down Ctrl and click on the desired windows in the taskbar; then right-click the taskbar and select Tile Vertically. In Windows 7, you can simply drag any open window to the right or left edge of your screen and then let go.

Instant classic (control panels): Miss Windows' old Control Panel, which conveniently displayed all of its items at once? In Windows XP and Vista, just open the Control Panel and select Switch to Classic View. In Windows 7, click the View by drop-down menu in the upper-right corner and select your preference.

Speed Up Your Services

Manage the Task Manager: Windows' built-in Task Manager (press Ctrl-Alt-Del and click Task Manager) is great for seeing what your system is up to, but power users will prefer Process Explorer, which shows more details that can help you find a memory leak or troubleshoot a pesky DLL problem.

Nudge your network: If you have network problems, try opening the command prompt (enter cmd in the Start menu's search box) and typing ipconfig /renew to reset your network connection.



Index this, not that: The Windows Search indexer speeds up built-in search functions, but the indexing process itself can consume system resources at inconvenient times. Open Indexing Options in Control Panel (or press the Windows key and type Indexing Options). The resulting dialog box will let you specify which folders or types of data are indexed to avoid bogging down your PC needlessly.



Clean up your startup: If your PC drags its feet during the startup process, press the Windows key and type msconfig to open the System Configuration utility. Check in the Startup tab to see what your machine is loading. Your computer might be loading services or apps that you don't need or want to use on startup.



Sharing is caring: For a little assistance in tracking your shared folders, right-click My Computer (or Computer in Windows 7) and click Manage to bring up the Computer Management tool. Then click Shared Folders to see a list of all of your machine's shared folders, file-sharing sessions, and open files.

Essential Add-Ons

Look, Ma, no mouse: XP users should grab Launchy, a free keyboard-driven launcher application that allows you to access programs, files, and even Websites with just a few keystrokes. (Vista and Windows 7 users get the same functionality from the Start menu's search tool.)



Cleaner than you found it: To make sure that your programs uninstall completely, use Revo Uninstaller--it's often more thorough than the programs' own supplied uninstaller routines.

Annoyance buster: If you're tired of User Account Control dialog boxes popping up all the time in Windows Vista, but you don't want to disable the security feature completely, grab TweakUAC to set it to Quiet Mode. Windows 7 has its own UAC controls, but can still benefit from TweakUAC.

Get your hands dirty with Greasemonkey: Optimize your Web browsing with Greasemonkey for Firefox, an add-on that lets you choose among thousands of user-designed scripts for blocking ads, changing the layouts of popular sites, and more. (Variants also exist for Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Safari.)

Work Your Windows Key



Lock your doors (and Windows): Stepping out for a minute? Remember to press Windows-L to lock your computer's screen so that no one can nose around without entering your account password.

Run, Windows, run: To access the Run command easily, press Windows-R.

Keyboard explorer: Want to open a new Windows Explorer window without leaving the keyboard? Press Windows-E.

Declutter your desktop: Access your desktop instantly by pressing Windows-D to hide all open windows. Press Windows-D again to return to where you were.

SM Entertainment refutes Chinese report pointing So Nyeo Shi Dae to one of reasons for HanKyung’s case

12/28/2009 12:17:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

According to the most recent article by IS Plus, a SM Entertainment representative has responded on 27th December regarding the recent Chinese report how So Nyeo Shi Dae is also the reason to HanKyung’s filing of lawsuit against SM Entertainment, “After confirming with the So Nyeo Shi Dae members, it is found that the news report is not true. We were disappointed and taken back by such news since they are all a family.”

And also about HanKyung’s no-show on MBC Music Core on 26th Decemeber, “HanKyung is currently in China, it seems that it will be hard to see him during the year-end shows.”

Lindsay Lohan shows off her bruised and battered body in a skimpy swimsuit

12/28/2009 12:17:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

As a 23-year-old svelte blonde larking about on a beach in a plunging swimsuit, Lindsay Lohan doesn't need to do much to get attention.


But as the troubled actress posed for a photoshoot on a Santa Monica beach recently, onlookers found themselves distracted by the nasty cuts, bruises and scratches on her body.

On her right thigh, it appeared a chunk of Lindsay's skin has been removed, while a painful red scratch lay beneath it.

She also had another bruise on her left shin and a deep scratch on her right arm.

But despite her many injuries, Lindsay didn't appeared bothered by them and looked happy.

By the time the photos taken will appear in a magazine, we can safely assume her cuts will be airbrushed out of the photos.

The Mean Girls star also appeared to have applied her fake tan badly and had orange blotches on her arms, feet and bikini line.

Lindsay was getting into the Christmas spirit during the shoot as she posed on the beach wearing a Santa Hat.

In between shots, she relaxed on a deckchair reading the latest gossip on Tiger Wood's scandal in the latest edition of American magazine Newsweek.

Lindsay spent actual Christmas Day in her native New York with her mum Dina Lohan, brothers Michael Jnr and Dakota and sister Aliana.

The family also celebrated Aliana's 16th birthday earlier this week.

Earlier today, Lindsay cheered on hockey team New York Rangers play the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.


Unfortunately for Lindsay, the Islanders won 3-2.

Writing on her Twitter page, she said: 'With my brother Dakota, his friend, my sister, and my best friend Jackie Swerz at Ranger/Islander game -Rangers should've won.'

Meanwhile, the fashion boss who hired Lindsay to work as a creative adviser for French fashion house Ungaro has resigned.

Sheen's Domestic Dispute Weapon in Question Revealed

12/28/2009 12:17:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

And the plot thickens.

As we exclusively reported Saturday, a source close to Charlie Sheen's Christmas day scuffle in Colorado revealed that a "weapon of some sort," had been involved. Now the same source tells E! News the weapon present in Sheen's domestic dispute, and the cause of his felony menacing charges, was a knife.

During the reported domestic dispute between Sheen and wife Brooke Mueller, the Two and a Half Men star allegedly threatened his better half with a knife in the living room of her Aspen rental home.

Aspen's Chief Deputy District Attorney Arnold Mordkin tells E! News that he "cannot confirm nor deny" the presence of the knife, while Pitkin County Police Department spokeswoman Stephanie Dasaro would only say that additional information regarding the Sheen case will be made available on Monday.

Calls for comment from the actor's rep have yet to be returned.

LG eXpo now available for $50 from Amazon

12/28/2009 12:16:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments



AT&T’s LG eXpo has made a quick jump from launch announcement to price reduction. Originally debuting for $199 after a $100 mail in rebate and a two year contract, the eXpo is now available for the rock bottom price of $99 from Amazon with free activation. Throw in a $50 Amazon gift card and the LG eXpo will cost you a mere $49 with a two year contract. Better get while the getting is good, though, as both the $50 gift card and the free activation are limited time offers which end December 28th.


Master Google Android: 40 Tips and Tricks

12/28/2009 12:16:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

The first time you use an Android phone, one thing becomes immediately clear: You're not in Cupertino anymore.

Android, as recent Verizon commercials remind us, is the antithesis of Apple's celebrated handset: It's open source, fully customizable, and free from unexplained app rejections. If the iPhone is Apple's inalterable masterpiece, the Android platform is Google's open canvas. The palette is in your hands; it's up to you to add color.

We've assembled 40 tips and tricks to help you make the most of your Android phone. Some are specific to Android 2.0 or later, but most apply to any Android-based device. And not one of these tricks requires you to jailbreak anything.

So grab your phone, and get started--it's time for you to become a certified Android master.

Optimize Your Home Screen

1. Make the most of your space by using widgets--dynamic programs that operate right on your home screen. Simply hold your finger on any open space, and then select Widgets from the pop-up menu. Widgets come in a huge variety of sizes and functions, so search the Android Market to find what works for you.

2. Prefer not to be bothered by a sound every time an e-mail arrives? Head into Gmail's Settings menu and set its ringtone to Silent. You'll still see new-message alerts in the notification panel at the top of your screen, and you can always pull the panel down to get detailed information. You can configure text messaging and other alert-generating apps the same way.

3. Set up one-touch dialing for the people you call the most. Hold your finger on an open space and select Shortcuts. Then, touch Direct dial and pick the person from your contact list. If one-touch texting is what you crave, use the Direct message option instead.

4. To drop your favorite Web pages onto your home screen, long-press on any site in your browser's bookmarks and then select the Add shortcut to home option.

5. Try using folders to keep your home screen organized. Long-press on a blank space and select Folders to create one. You can then drag and drop frequently used contacts, apps, or other shortcuts into it to cut down on clutter. To rename a folder, press and hold the folder's title bar while it's open.

Get Around Android

6. Make file management a snap with a utility such as Astro, which allows you to browse through your phone just as you would a computer, navigating directories and moving or deleting files at will.

7. Need to cut and paste text? Long-press on any text input area. If you're on a Web page, tap the Menu key and use the Select text option.

8. Use Android's hotkeys to do everything from zooming in to a Web page to opening a program. Check out our complete list of Android keyboard shortcuts to learn them all.

9. You can set your own hotkeys to open apps, too. Head into the main Settings menu, select Applications, and then choose Quick Launch to get started.

10. If the on-screen keyboard pops up when you don't want it, touch it and swipe downward to make it disappear.

11. You can see the current date at any time by touching your finger to the top-left corner of the screen.

Stay Connected

12. To load files onto your Android phone, plug the handset into your PC and pull down the notification panel. Tap the USB connected box, and then tap Mount when the confirmation dialog box appears. Your phone will appear as a hard drive on your PC, and you can then drag and drop files as you wish.



13. Manage your music--and even import your iTunes playlists--with DoubleTwist, a free PC-based utility. The program's intuitive interface makes Motorola's Media Link offering look like a bloated relic.

14. Sync your Outlook calendar with your phone without the hassle. Install Google Calendar Sync and let it do the work for you.

15. To sync your Outlook contacts without using an Exchange server, try GO Contact Sync, an open-source utility for your PC.

16. Stay up to speed with your feeds with the help of NewsRob, a handy app that syncs your phone with your Google Reader account.

17. Want to have your PC's browser bookmarks on your Android phone? Download MyBookmarks from the Market to import them.

18. Get extra calling power by integrating Google Voice into your phone. Once you've signed up for an account, download the official app and watch your options expand. Bonus tip: Add the Google Voice widget to your home screen for one-touch toggling of your outgoing-call preferences.

19. You can send text messages for free through Google Voice--everything you need is in the app. Just make sure you change the settings to refresh every 5 minutes so that incoming messages won't be delayed. If you want faster notifications, log in to the Google Voice Website and configure your account to send you e-mail alerts when a new text arrives.

20. Get unbilled talk time by using Fring, a free mobile chat client for Android. Fring lets you make calls over Google Talk, Skype, and any SIP calling service.

21. Cut down on calling headaches by using the free Dial Zero app to call the companies you do business with. It lets you bypass annoying phone trees and get right to human representatives.

22. Keep annoying callers away by routing them directly to your voicemail. First, open the offending person's profile in your contacts list. Then, press the Menu button, tap Options, and check the Incoming calls box.

23. The Incoming Calls screen also holds the option for setting custom ringtones for callers. Tap Ringtone and change each person's tune as you wish.

24. Want to use your own MP3 files as ringtones? No problem: Make a new folder on your memory card and name it ringtones. Copy your MP3s there, and they will automatically show up in your selection list. Folders called alarms or notifications will do the same thing for those respective functions.

25. Check out the free app RingDroid. With it, you can easily edit an MP3 file to grab a precise segment of a song for a ringtone or system sound.

26. Android lets you keep multiple browser windows open at the same time. Long-press any Web link to open it in a new window. Tap the Menu key while in the browser to toggle between windows.

27. Prefer seeing Web pages in landscape mode? You can tell Android to always display sites that way. Select the Landscape-only display checkbox in the browser's Settings menu.

28. Android's built-in browser isn't your only option. Try Dolphin Browser for cool features such as tabbed browsing, gesture-driven commands, and multitouch zooming (yes, even on the Droid).
Secure Your Smartphone

29. Android includes an option to use simple patterns to secure your phone; to unlock the handset, you swipe your finger across the screen in a specific pattern. Look for Screen Unlock Pattern under 'Location and Security' in the main System Settings menu.

30. Want to back up your phone's data? Try MyBackup, which saves your apps, contacts, call logs, texts, and even settings to either your SD Card or a secure Internet server. You might also like SMS Backup, which periodically saves all of your texts into your Gmail account.

31. For even more protection, download Mobile Defense. The app allows you to use a PC to track your phone via GPS, remotely lock it, and then back up and wipe all of your data.

Add Essential Apps

32. If you handle a lot of Office files, Documents To Go may be just the thing for you. The free version gives you the ability to view Word and Excel files. The full paid version adds editing capabilities, along with PDF and PowerPoint viewing options.

33. Prefer working in the cloud? Get your hands on GDocs or ThinkFree Mobile Office, both of which make it a cinch to connect with your Google Docs documents.

34. If basic note-taking is all you need, download a PC-synced notepad such as GDocs Notepad. It saves documents directly into your Google Docs account for easy access.



35. For on-the-go photo editing, Adobe's Photoshop.com Mobile app is tough to beat--and it's free, too.

36. Jazz up your Android music experience with TuneWiki, which automatically finds and scrolls lyrics next to your songs as they play. Plus, it gives you access to Internet radio streaming and some cool community-sharing features.

Customize Your Phone Completely

37. Adjust how your phone acts by using Locale. The app lets you set custom profiles for practically any circumstance--having your ringer shift to silent when you're at work, for example, or making your screen glow brighter at night.

38. Take full advantage of your phone's LED by installing Missed Call, which configures your phone's light to flash specific colors when calls from certain people slip by.

39. Edit Android's custom dictionary to include your name and other proper nouns. That way, they'll pop up in the auto-complete list as you type. Look under Language and keyboard settings in System Settings to get started.

40. If you try an Android app and decide that you don't like it, return it. The Android Market will give you a full refund for up to 24 hours after any purchase, provided that you haven't tried to return the same app before.

Rainie Yang and Cyndi Wang fight over the same guy?

12/28/2009 12:15:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Rising star Wang Bo-Chieh (王柏傑) from the movies “Winds of September” and “Bodyguards And Assassins” was recently cast in both Rainie Yang and Cyndi Wang’s new music videos. Due to the similarities of the MV’s, in addition to the album release dates being only one month apart, Rainie Yang’s record company is fuming that Wang took on both jobs. They claimed that it is a taboo in the music industry and his action was unethical.


In Cyndi Wang’s new song “I'm fine, how about you?” (我很好，那麼你呢?), she plays a couple with Wang Bo-Chieh. They shared some intimate scenes in which she bit his ear and arm, and then cried profusely after they broke up. In Rainie Yang’s “Raining Love” (雨愛), she also shared some intimate scenes with Wang Bo-Chieh, and cried over his ghostly spirit. The two MV’s also featured similar scenes including the leading ladies lying on bed, and wandering the streets on their own. The fans of both sides are blaming each side for copying their concept.

Rainie Yang’s record company said Wang Bo-Chieh only revealed on the day he arrived on set in Ilan that he recently shot Cyndi Wang’s MV. Yang’s manager also pointed out that because they were so far away in Ilan, they were not able to change the male lead at the last minute. They asked him to be part of the MV anyways but the press release won't be focused on him. Cyndi Wang’s manager said that they already finalized the decision to cast him way back in October. They weren't aware that Rainie Yang’s company also wanted him till they saw her “Raining Love” MV.

Wang Bo-Chieh’s manager explained that they originally turned down the offer to be in Rainie Yang’s MV, as he has just completed work on Cyndi Wang’s. The production company subsequently came back and asked them again many times. They were told that the script was very good and the production was under a time constraint, therefore Wang’ side took the offer as a friendly gesture. They are surprised of being blamed on this matter, “Moreover, how are we supposed to know when they plan to release the MV’s?”

Rainie Yang's "Raining Love"


Cyndi Wang's "I'm fine, how about you?”

Taecyeon and Yoona are secretly dating?

12/28/2009 12:15:00 PM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , , 0 Comments

2PM's Taecyeon will perform with his "secret" girlfriend at the 2009 MBC Gayo Daejun. And guess who, that secret girlfriend is none other than Yoona of SNSD.


Fan girls, don't go crazy just yet. It's just a performance, or at least that's what we think.

The two will put on a special performance with a deep storyline. Let me lay it down for you. Taecyeon and Yoona have been dating secretly, they get in a fight over a small misunderstanding and Yoona starts to dodge Taecyeon's calls. SNSD tries to cheer Yoona up so they escape their dorm to have some fun, but during their night out, they run into 2PM. And of course, they make up after the members help them out and they all live happily ever after.

The two groups have been practicing hard, with sleepless nights for this performance and even though I'm really excited to see this performance, I'm kind of jealous. I mean think about all the time SNSD is getting to spend with these boys!

Because of last year's amazing performance with the Wonder Girls and Big Bang, people are really looking forward to this one. Hopefully, it will surpass Wonderbang.

Also on MBC Gayo Daejun, Park Jin Young and 2PM will have a dance battle. Do you guys remember Rain and JYP's battle last year? I'm sure this one will be even hotter than that one.

I can't choose which one I'm more excited for, SBS, KBS or MBC's Gayo Daejun? How about you?

SM Entertainment’s official statement regarding Hankyung and SNSD

12/28/2009 01:58:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

SM Entertainment has been plagued with scandal after scandal this year.

With the recent report from Sohu.com claiming that SNSD members were a main factor for Hankyung wanting to leave Super Junior, SM Entertainment has released an official statement that the report was completely fabricated.

On the 27th, SM Entertainment stated:
"The reports regarding SNSD are completely false. It's extremely disappointing and upsetting that such a report would surface between the members of our own family."

In regards to Hankyung's absence on the December 26th year end MBC Music Core special:
"Hankyung is currently in China, most likely it will be difficult for him to attend year end shows."

Stay tuned for more developments on Hankyung vs. SM Entertainment.

Can Google's Chrome Banner Change the Course of the Browser Wars?

12/28/2009 01:58:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Google has an ad banner in their search home page for their Chrome browser. Can it eventually change the course of the browser wars? And what can happen if it does?

Google's search home page has stayed clean forever, with no clutter or advertising banners of any kind. When Chrome came out, they broke their self-imposed rule to promote their browser whenever an Internet Explorer user arrived to their page. Using their most powerful nuke—the most popular home page in the world—Google is looking to change the course of the Browser War. Now that Chrome is available for Mac, the banner has started to appear in Safari too. According to the latest statistics, their strategy is working well, growing to a 4.4% browser market share in 15 months.

Google knows they need to control the web in every sense, and Chrome is now one of the most important pieces in their strategy to keep their web stronghold. It's clearly the cornerstone of their future plans to take over the incoming new computing world—a world of smart phones and new devices that will eventually replace the computer as we know it. They are hoping the majority of those smart phones would be running Android, and tablets and computers would running ChromeOS. And rendering their web world, there will be Chrome. Not Internet Explorer, Safari/Webkit, or Firefox. Google wants to own the delivery medium, power the hardware, deploy the browser, and then control the delivery of the content. They want the whole enchilada.

That's why this is happening. Chrome will now get exposed to the hundreds of millions of people who visit Google's home page every day. Many will look at the banner and, trusting the Google brand, they will download and install it. My feeling is that many will click that big thing on the top right corner, but even if it's a small percentage of visitors, the potential for change is enormous. We will see soon how effective this campaign could be, but there's one fact that can't be denied now: This is a competitive advantage that browsers like Firefox or Opera don't have. If it ends being powerful change force, Google could eventually face an anti-trust investigation like the one Microsoft faced when they used their domination of desktop operating systems to win the Browser War 1.0 against Netscape. After all, the web is the new OS and Google owns the web.

Would Mozilla whine about this now, like they did about Microsoft? Would the Department of Justice keep an eye on this? Would the European Commission order Google to place banner's for Firefox, Opera, Safari, and, o the irony, Explorer in Google's home page, alongside Chrome's?

It's too early to tell if this is part of a long term aggressive push, but I can't wait for this clusterfuck to happen. It's going to be fun.

[Silicon Alley Insider]

5 Microsoft and Google battlegrounds in 2009

12/28/2009 01:58:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

The tension between these two software giants got a bit thicker this year, and it’s certain that it will again in 2010. Here’s a look at who is winning on each front in 2009.

1) IE8 vs. Google Chrome

Each version of Internet Explorer released is an opportunity for companies like Google to steal market share. This year was a very big year — and has given us an early glimpse into browser wars 2.0 that will surely play out over a few years.

Google Chrome had a great year — development versions are already on version 4.0. The browser is *actually* fast, unlike claims being made by Microsoft about IE8. In fact, most of the facts being given out by Microsoft about their new browser are completely false — an attempt to retain as much market share as possible.

Even though the number of users using IE8 are greater than those using Google Chrome, I’m giving this one to Google.

Winner: Google

2) Operating System: Google Chrome OS vs. Windows

Not much of a fight here this year. Even though Google showed us their plans for Google Chrome OS, there is not much of a threat here for Microsoft Windows.

Winner: Microsoft

3) Operating System: Android vs. Windows Mobile 6.5

Microsoft has really been falling behind on the mobile front. Instead of releasing Windows Mobile 7, all they could do was give us 6.5 — a relatively small improvement over 6. In the same breath, Google’s Android operating system has found its way onto a handful of devices, and has had 2 major versions released in just one year.

2010 should hopefully be a more competitive year on this front, but this year has to go to Google.

Winner: Google

4) Search Engine: Google Search vs. Bing

I have been surprised so far with Bing actually — it’s been doing better than I had originally thought it would — though I still don’t believe Google has anything to worry about.

Both search engines gained market share this year: Google (+2.3%) and Bing (+0.1%) according to Net Applications as of Novermber.

Both search engines struck deals with Twitter to gain access to their firehose. Real-time search has been added to Google in their main index, and Bing has added a separate tool that you can use to search through tweets.

Due to Google’s increased dominant position, and their superior feature created as part of their foray into real-time search has earned Google the gold star for this one.

Winner: Google

5) The Enterprise

Microsoft is fighting to keep their enterprise clients from Google Apps, while Google is looking to steal any type of market share by offering cheaper licensing fees and lower overall costs.

About the same time Google announced their (impressive) numbers around Google Apps, Microsoft decided to drop their licensing fees. There’s no word on whether the price cut has anything to do with any pressure that may be coming from Google, but there’s no question — it’s game on.

Even though Google reported impressive numbers (2 million businesses and 20 million users), there’s no word on how many of those are using Google Apps exclusively, and how many of those are paid. The Google Apps standard edition is free — but lets companies only create a limited number of accounts, and doesn’t include some of the features of “premium”.

There is no way Google won the enterprise battle this year — though it’s unlikely they will give up for 2010.

Winner: Microsoft

What do you think about what’s happening between the two companies?

"The Treasure Hunter" premiere in Taipei; Jay Chou and Lin Chi Ling arrive holding hands

12/28/2009 01:57:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

On the 25th of December, the movie "The Treasure Hunter" held its premiere in Taipei, the male and female leads Jay Chou and Lin Chi Ling arrived holding hands. But perhaps it was due to not wanting to start any rumours, when the two went onstage the interaction between them seem a bit cold.


Yesterday night Jay Chou and Lin Chi Ling attended the premiere of "The Treasure Hunter", there were a few hundred fans there nearly going crazy, the stage was about to burst with so many, they nearly lost control there. When the two walked on the red carpet, they held hands all the way, but when they go onstage, the interaction between them seem to be a bit cold, maybe it was because they didn't want any rumours, when they were interviewed the director Zhu Yan Ping stood between them, maintaining "a safe distance apart".


With this being their first time on the silver screen together, Jay Chou and Lin Chi Ling admitted that they knew each other beforehand, so it was very easy to gain a mutual understanding, they got into the movie very fast. For one scene in the desert where they drink alcohol and talk, Zhu Yan Ping especially let them drink real alcohol, they performed under a bit of intoxication to add even more flavour to their performance. For the last two days the two have been running around promoting "The Treasure Hunter", but they both said that they felt the happiest returning home, they are also looking forward to audiences in Taiwan giving this big movie, that they put a lot of effort into, their passionate support. Jay Chou thinks that his role had action, friendship and love, it was very rich in content, his desire for acting was fully satisfied.

Lin Chi Ling is not just the female lead in "The Treasure Hunter", she is also the lyricist and singer of the ending song, she especially asks audiences not to leave too early so they can have a listen to her first time singing.

HanKyung, “So Nyeo Shi Dae hurt my feelings by mocking me”

12/28/2009 01:57:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

A Chinese news site has recently put out an article titled “Hangeng has been belittled by SNSD” and caused a stir amongst fans.


The Chinese media website sohu.com reported on the 25th that “The reason why Hangeng has left SM entertainment is not only because of the displeasures of his contract and constraining his activities, but he received a wound due to the disrespect towards him by other artists.”

Sohu.com also stated “Super Junior member Hangeng filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment, Hangeng was also hurt in the past by Korea’s famous group So Nyeo Shi Dae by their harsh words towards him. Why Hangeng left his company is not only because of his contract’s unfair length and clauses, but also because he was neglected when he had gastritis and kidney illness from when he was working nonstop for two years.”

They also said “Because of his sickness, he requested a break from the company but got rejected. So Nyeo Shi Dae was also rude to Hangeng on many occasions. For example, So Nyeo Shi Dae said ‘Oppa! Do you think dying your hair blonde will make you look Korean?’ and left Hangeng hurt and made it even harder for him to withstand it.”

Because of this article, international fans are enraged. One netizen even said “It seems like the Chinese source is purposely making a slandering article to give Korea a bad name. Wouldn’t it make sense that Hangeng would mock So Nyeo Shi Dae instead? The article distorted the true content of the incident.”

At the beginning of this month, Hangeng filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment to nullify his contract. Related to this, a Chinese portal site put out a poll titled “What do you think about Hangeng’s withdrawal from Super Junior?” and 57% of Chinese netizens picked the option “It is impossible from him to continue in the entertainment industry with such an unfair contract. Quitting the team is his only option.”

Do You Sext?

12/28/2009 01:57:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , 0 Comments



Sexting is on the rise, replacing phone sex and even video sex. It's fast, it's easy, and you can do it anywhere. It's getting to the point in which there are even specific iPhone applications for it. Do you sext?

And if the answer is yes, do you sext—send naked pictures of yourself or receive them from other people—often? Or did you just sext once? Perhaps you prefer other remote sex practices, like video sex? Sex chat? Maybe classic phone sex? What about beeper sex?

Here's my answer: I started having phone sex when I was 16. Yes, my then-girlfriend-later-wife-laterer-ex-wife and I were very precocious, and we didn't have enough with sneaking to dark corners to do very naughty things in high school. Then we moved into email sex, then chat sex. Phone sex was my favorite, however, and I only tried video sex a couple of times, much later, when the technology was good enough (good as in "Macs with cameras built in and iChat AV"). The last time I tried video sex it definitely won over my phone sex experiences. Sext, on the other side, has never been very exciting. Exciting, yes, but more like a preamble of the real thing.

Whatever your favorite remote sex practice is, don't watch this video first or you will lost all your sexual appettite. Or maybe you will get it. It can go either way, really.

HTC Espresso's updated Sense UI shown off on video

12/28/2009 01:56:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments



We'd been itching for some video of the mysterious HTC Espresso's updated Sense UI ever since we saw those intriguing screenshots last week, and here we go: a leaked version of the ROM has been hacked onto a Hero and given a run-through. Overall, things seem to be slightly cleaner all around, and that new launcher bar at the bottom looks quite handy, but we're still not totally sold on those translucent app icon surrounds. CES is right around the corner (and MWC is right after that) so we're hoping to find out more soon -- check the video after the break for now.

'Monga' releases official poster & trailer!

12/28/2009 01:49:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

Earlier, Taiwanese film ‘Monga’ released its official poster and trailer. The film tells of the Taiwanese gang life back in the 1980s and the violent childhood of 5 young men.


‘Monga’ is directed by Niu Cheng Ze and stars popular idols Ethan Ruan & Mark Zhao. The film is slated to release on the 5th of February 2010 and Warners Pictures is responsible for overseas distribution.


Da S completly in red for Christmas

12/28/2009 01:49:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments



Just one day after Christmas, DaS Barbie Xu, attended to a Macalline event as their ambassador in Nan Jing. On that day, she wore a red dress revealing her back, and DaS kept on smiling seductively. On Christmas Day, in NAn Jing, she stated that it was the first time she spent Christmas in such a cold place, it made her very excited. But about facing couples everywhere on Christmas, she looked a t loss, honestly saying that she feels deeply that right now, about love, her feelings are "Love is completly about destiny, running after it will only bring failure ! "

Leaving Love to Fate : Wishing for a family


Yesterday, when DaS appeared, a lot of people who came said : "Wahh ! She's so gorgeous! " she was wearing a red dress, purposely spreading her charm around. Because the theme of the function was "Home Year", it was very warm and with "family feel", while interacting, the host especially invited 3 families up on the stage. One was a family of 3, another was a newly wed couple and the last was a couple with a pregnant wife, Das, upon seeing such a warm set, said out loud : "Having a family is so warm !", and took XiaoS (her sister) family as an example, saying how good a life she had with 2 daughters and how happy she was right now.


DaS who had been said to have a "queen" personality, didn't have a steady love life, right now, she is single, but DaS clearly had got used to people asking her about her love life, she smiled using her perfect answer "Every woman hope to have a good husband, to give birth to his children and raise them for him, like both my sisters, their families are both successful. I also wish to have such a family one day, but Love is something that need to rely on fate, you can't be too impatient, always blindly running after it won't have a good outcome, and you may even be defeated !" Of course, if you're pretty and well known in the entertainment business, your love life will never be lonly, DaS very confidently says "I believe I will have my own happiness."

Cold Christmas : wanting to act a role "out of the norm"


DaS had spent all her previous Christmas in Hong Kong, Taiwan, such warm places. But this Christmas, the first thing she said after landing in Nan Jing was that she never had seen such a cold christmas ! She was very surprisingly excited about this fact , " Actually, a Christmas should be cold, that fits mmore the feeling of it, this time I finally could find such a feeling in Nan Jing, it's so exciting ! " Because of that, DaS purposedly asked the dirver to take her on a tour of the city. DaS, being known for being good at keeping her looks, despite knowing that Nan Jing had very good dishes, she only had a vegetarian meal in a restaurant for her christmas dinner to keep her figure.

DaS who had been struggling to keep a good figure, has been looking more and more beautiful these past years, we could often see her on the big screen from "Connected" to "Forbidden City cops 009", DaS had been working with hotties. Right now, the 2 movies she had participated in "Hot summer days" and "Future X Cops" she is paired up with Nick Tse and Andy Lau. But DaS still feels that she needs a complete change with the roles she performed as before, "Next year, I'll put all my efforts on movies, I hope to act as roles out of the norm, these roles need to be multidimensional and a breakthough from all the roles I performed in the past, this is the only way to progress. Now I already received a few script, if it's possible, next year, I'll give the audience a big surprise !"

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