Ellen “American Idol” Promo Pictures





FOX has released the first promotional photos of Ellen DeGeneres as a judge on the ninth season of American Idol.

The comedienne and daytime hostess will be taking over the seat vacated by Paula Abdul, who opted not to return to the Idol judges panel in August. The new season of American Idol will feature appearances by guest judges Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris, Joe Jonas, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, and Shania Twain.

The nation’s most-watched television talent show returns Jan. 12 in a two-night, four-hour season premiere on FOX. Ellen makes her Idol debut next month.

“Twilight Eclipse” Script Leaked?



The blogosphere went gaga on Tuesday after an alleged copy of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse script leaked to the Internet. Fan sites went wild as TwiHards gleefully read through pages watermarked with the name Jackson Rathbone — the actor who plays Jasper Hale in the Twilight series. Despite the hype, Summit Entertainment, which produces the Saga, is putting the kibosh on rumors that the script making the rounds is the same one used for the third film in Stephenie Meyer’s smash franchise.

“There is absolutely no merit to this claim,” a rep for the studio told MTV News this evening. “We noticed it over the holiday on multiple message boards and sites, and it appears that some of this was spam.”

Eclipse opens in theaters June 30.

Ke$ha Bisexual? ; “Tik Tok” LIVE “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”

Ke$ha has raised questions about her sexuality after refusing to confirm her orientation.


Ke$ha — whose slightly-catchy single “TiK ToK” is a breakout hit — is remaining coy about whether or not she enjoys the company of women, but she’s ignited speculation about her sexual preference after admitting her views on the subject are blurred.

“I like people. I wouldn’t say I’m gay or straight – I don’t like labeling things anyway. I just like people,” she tells Out.com.

Ke$ha appeared in Katy Perry’s 2008 music video “I Kissed A Girl.”

Ke$ha “Tik Tok” LIVE “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”



Ke$ha performed “Tik Tok” live on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Tuesday…..Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Since when is slithering around stage and talking through a song considered performing? I’ve heard more talented vocalists in a middle school choir.

HP TouchSmart tm2 convertible tablet slims down and spruces up

HP's new TM2 swivelling tablet is an evolution of its surprisingly long-running tablet series, and it's definitely a worthy younger brother to the TouchSmart 600 all-in-one. BumpTop, the new desktop alternative, is a huge step up for the line.


The TM2 is the next-gen version of the TX2, also a 12.1-inch capacitive multitouch swivelling tablet. The TX2 had some issues—it was one of those "just slap a touchscreen on Windows and now it's a tablet" tablets, which never really work that well. HP's TouchSmart software was okay, but was really better for its big brother, the all-in-one. But the TM2 is a huge step in terms of software, not least because Windows 7 is eminently more touchable than Vista or XP. The hardware is a typical bump from the TX2—same sized screen, 9-hour battery life, same chiclet-style keyboard and multitouch trackpad as the Envy line, Core 2 Duo proc and better graphics.

But what's exciting is the "BumpTop" interface. It's essentially a desktop replacement that replicates your documents as well as various "places" that you can toss them—toss a photo into the Facebook icon to upload it, or toss a document into the printer icon to print it. It's intuitive and works well, although it's tricky to use when the screen is flipped up in "laptop" mode rather than down in "tablet" mode. The TM2 also has the new TouchSmart software for things like music, video, Netflix and Hulu, which is good because they've eliminated the optical (DVD) drive. But this is still a Windows 7 tablet—it's best to think of it as a portable version of the TouchSmart all-in-ones. It's a normal computer with some fun touch extras built in.

It'll be available January 7th, starting at $950.











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'I find all the romcom roles I've been offered offensive': Natalie Portman reveals why she's steered clear of comedy

Natalie Portman says she is finally ready to take on a comic role.

But film directors wanting to take her on will certainly have their work cut out for them trying to find a part that is 'exciting' enough for her.


The 28-year-old actress revealed that she generally finds romantic comedies 'offensive' and not challenging enough.

She told Elle magazine: ‘It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do comedy.

'It’s just that I would only get offered girlfriend parts in guy comedies, which aren’t exciting to me, or those offensive roles in romantic comedies where the woman has to have a job in fashion so that she can have nice clothes, and her goal is always marriage.

'I’m more interested in finding characters that make me laugh.’

Portman recently tackled her first overtly Jewish role, that of a Hasidic bride in New York, I Love You.

But another genre she is not fond of is Holocaust movies.

She added: ‘I’ve always tried to stay away from playing Jews,’ she says. ‘I get like 20 Holocaust scripts a month, but I hate the genre. That was the first thing to come my way (New York, I Love You) that really intrigued me.'



The U.S. star can next be seen alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire in the film Brothers, opening in the UK on January 22.

She admitted the film’s grim subject matter - tackling the myriad horrors of war as well as the loneliness and fear experienced by the family members left behind - didn’t exactly make for a party on-set.



‘I would bake on weekends and go have snowball fights with the girls who played my daughters in order to lighten things up,’ she says.

Natalie insists she is not prudish about sex or nudity on screen.

But she said she had deliberately stayed away from developing a 'sex object' status after her Lolita-esque role in Leon, aged 12, prompted a flurry of 'weird' letters from men.

'There was a lot of controversy about the whole Lolita thing. My parents were super-protective about it, but I got a lot of weird letters. It was really upsetting. I didn't want to be seen as a sex object, so I went in the opposite direction.

'I'm definitely not a prude about sex or nudity, I just don't want to do something that will end up as a screen grab on a porn site.'

Rachel Weisz pictured in sultry shots which show why she is the girl most men want to marr

Posing in her bra and sexy hold-up stockings, it is easy to see why Rachel Weisz has been voted the woman that men would most like to marry.


The Oscar-winning actress, who is a mother of one, was snapped with tousled hair and skimpy outfits for Esquire magazine, whose readers voted in the poll.

The 39-year-old star of The Mummy and The Lovely Bones said she was flattered by the attention.

She said: 'Oh my God!... To marry? That’s interesting. That’s so funny. I’m marriable. But I’m not married.

'I was getting worried that the men didn’t like me anymore.'

Rachel is mother to three-year-old Henry and engaged to his father Darren Aronofsky, who directed The Wrestler

But the British actress said that when they met, she desperately wanted to impress the independent director and writer.



She told the magazine: 'I didn’t want this cool indie director to see me in this stretch limo.

'But as I stepped out, he was waiting there. I was like, "Argh! S***". I felt like such an idiot.'

Rachel also admitted having a phobia of travelling.

'I don’t like travelling. Which is ridiculous,' she said. 'And it’s not because I’m afraid of dying on the plane or anything. I just like to stay at home.

'It’s a pretty hilarious problem to have.'



The star recently admitted that she hopes her young son won't follow in her footsteps into acting.

He caught the bug after seeing her perform in A Streetcar Named Desire on the London stage last year.

'His dad brought him in after a matinee to watch the curtain call and he figured out bowing and getting claps,' she Rachel said.



'So, yesterday, he put on his policeman’s outfit and bowed. That was the show. I hope he’s not an actor — I’d dissuade him as hard as I could.'

She also told how the three-year-old has already developed a taste for breasts.

'He’s really into firemen — and women’s breasts,' she said. 'He just talks about them all the time. It’s very sweet, he thinks that I have the biggest breasts in the world.

'That’s a son’s idolatry of his mother, that I’m the biggest and the best.'

Susan Boyle Won’t Become a Diva!

SUSAN Boyle has vowed not to become a diva.

The Britain’s Got Talent sensation — whose debut album has sold six million copies worldwide — has reportedly rejected mentor Simon Cowell’s efforts to give her the lifestyle of an international superstar.

“Susan simply doesn’t want all that goes with fame and doesn’t need all that space she’s offered in hotel rooms,” a source told UK tabloid the Daily Star. “Unlike some of the younger acts to come from reality shows, Susan has had plenty of time to get used to life before celebrity.

“Finding herself in a giant hotel room with none of her home comforts has been overwhelming.

“Susan understands Simon wants the best for her, but she’d be just as happy in a smaller room.”

“Susan is being treated as well, if not better, than any of Simon’s other acts, but she’s not the type of person to turn diva and make outrageous demands.”

Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez are "Women to Watch For"

As we head into a new decade, who are the young celebrities on whom we should keep an eye?


While this comes as no surprise to THG staff members and readers, Vanity Fair has cited a pair of "Women to Watch Out For." They are... drumroll in full force... Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez!

Each rising star is interviewed in the magazine. What do they think of fame, fortune and celebrity crushes?


Hudgens, on growing up: “I started off as a super-shy girl, extremely hesitant. Now I’m really growing into my own person. I can actually take care of myself, which my mom thought would never happen.”

Hudgens, on the paparazzi: “It was like, ‘Oh, my God! No way! So cool.’ The second day it happens, it’s like, Never mind. Maybe it’s not as cool as I thought it’s going to be.”


Gomez, on her well-known crush: "I am obsessed with Shia LaBeouf. He’s gorgeous and he’s a phenomenal actor. I haven’t met him — I think I’d have a heart attack if I did. I’ll wait till I’m older so that I can work with him. Maybe I’ll have calmed down by then."

The February Vanity Fair issue hits comes out on Thursday, January 21.

Katy Perry & Russell Brand Engaged in India

Seventeenth century Indian ruler Shah Jahan the Magnificent gave his beloved wife the Taj Mahal - it's her eternal and very expensive resting place. Over 350 years later, vulgar British comedian Russell Brand gave his beloved pop star Katy Perry a ring. A very big, fat, expensive ring, according to the UK's Daily Mail. A diamond is forever too, you know. It all went down on Dec. 31 just a train ride away from the Taj Mahal in Jaipur, India, according to Us Weekly.

Brand, 34, and Perry, 24, have been dating since September, when they reportedly met at the MTV Video Music Awards.

According to an October article in The Sun, Brand wrote Perry a love poem and asked for a romantic reply. She sent him a picture of her famous chest, "scrawling the word 'poem' across it."

At the MTV Europe Music Awards in November, the "I Kissed a Girl" songstress went public with the romance, rocking a hot soccer outfit with "Rusty" emblazoned across her rear.

Later that month Brand, a former heroin and sex addict and recovering alcoholic, met Perry's parents – both of whom are pastors. Brand told the Daily Mail's Nathan Kay, "I really like her parents, we got on well. But I'm not sure if I want them coming on holiday with us all the time." In that same interview he mentioned, "I'd love to marry Katy – hopefully it's heading that way and I'm really happy."



The elder Perrys didn't accompany the lovebirds on their holiday jaunt to India – which was reportedly inspired by Katy's taste for curry – and now it looks like Brand is getting his wish.

Perry Tweeted a photo of the two in front of the Taj Mahal on Dec. 29, writing, "He built this for me..." The next day she Tweeted, "In India, the motto is...you gotta go with the flow..."

According to Us Weekly, the question was popped on Dec. 31, the same day the couple was reportedly blessed by a love guru.

The flow was going.

And though the rock bestowed by Brand isn't quite as impressive as the massive Taj Mahal, if it's the "large, square-cut diamond" he was spotted gawking at Cartier in London on Dec. 12, he won't be knocked for holding back.

Paris Hilton models her latest present from boyfriend Doug Reinhardt... the tackiest snow suit on the slopes

She's a notorious shopaholic, but if there's one thing Paris Hilton likes more than hitting the stores, it's getting presents.


The socialite received a suitably chavvy white snow suit as a gift from boyfriend Doug Reinhardt, and it seems she couldn't bear to take it off.

As the couple welcomed in the new year on a skiing break in Aspen, Paris was pictured repeatedly wearing the bling suit complete with furry collar.

She posted pictures of herself in it on her Twitter page, posed for photographers and even found time to hit the slopes.

She wrote: 'Getting ready to go skiing. D bought me the cutest white ski suit. Snow Bunny Time! :)'

But it wasn't her only Christmas present. Lucky Paris told her fans that she had received diamond jewellery from her TV star boyfriend.



'At home opening Christmas presents from my man,' she Tweeted on Christmas Eve. 'SO happy! He really spoiled me this year and gave me so many incredible presents!

'It's true diamonds are a girl's best friend.'

Paris even found time to take a break from her holiday with Doug and his family to reply to fans concerns that her white fur hood was real fur.



'No, don't worry, it is not real fur. Fake fur can look still look cute and real, but it's just synthetic.'

And it wasn't all hard work in the snow.

Paris found the time to relax, Tweeting: 'Finally got back to the hotel. Sitting by the fire drinking a hot chocolate with marshmallows with my favourite person in the world. Loves it.'

Joey Yung turns into a "Black Bunny Girl"

Joey Yung will be releasing her new EP at the end of the month. Joey has always liked Miffy the bunny and this time she has created a "Black Bunny Girl" look image for herself. Her face, arms and legs were all covered in black make-up.


Joey has been in the industry for 10 years and she has created 9 different images for her new EP "Joey Ten". Each image is very detailed and creative. Joey said "Miffy is a white bunny. We discussed about it and I suggested to paint myself black. I have tried many different images within the last 10 years and this time I want to be brave and try something different.

On the day of becoming a "Black Bunny Girl", Joey's face, arms, legs and neck areas were covered in black make-up. She said "This make-up will not make your skin sensitive. It's all real and not done by computer effects. I will also wear Black fury clothing and wear Bunny ears. The outcome is very shocking". Joey used about half a hour to 45 minutes to cover herself black.


She realised washing off the black make-up was very complicated. She said "I thought when the make-up was removed everything would be clean. However when I got home I realised my nails, toe nails, ears and nostrils still had black marks. I had to immediately remove it again. It took about 4 washes before everything came off. But I am very satisfied with the outcome. As well as having 9 different images for the EP cover, a Joey Ten Boxset will also be released that will contain Joey's personal photos, a manga book and Image photo collection.

Show Luo releases slick-looking “The Leading Role” MV!

Yesterday, Taiwanese entertainer Show Luo released his first MV off his upcoming “Rashmon” album for his album debut track “The Leading Role”. The MV, which features the popular actor/singer as a walking statue, his featured red cape crusader outfit, a messianic white garb, and a male Lady Gaga-like look, has its moments where it resembles a CGI-filled scene from a blockbuster movie than it does a typical dance music video. The intro scene alone is an impressive visual effects treat that will impress viewers.

That’s not to say that the MV stops being good in the non-CGI sequences. Show also fills those scenes with slick dance moves that take a page from a Michael Jackson how-to dance manual than from the R&B and hip-hop-inspired dance moves that have been adopted from similar Asian male artists. That doesn’t come as surprise, as Show has made his Michael Jackson obsession quite known for some time, though other artists don’t usually follow the dance style as strictly as Show does.

The song itself is obviously fast-paced for the dance moves to match it on. People expecting the new song to be a ballad in the veins of “Good Friend” or “Corner with Love” will be disappointed, as Show has instead gone the direction of “Hot Shot” and “One Man Show”. It’s great that Show has established his own musical identity, but it’s too bad that Show abandoned the nostalgic sounds that he sang in his debut era like classic cover song “Do You Dare”.

Speaking of classics, the song for the MV feels dated and out-of-place in the futuristic-sounding 2010, in an era that’s becoming known more for techno-infused hip-hop beats and heavily overused autotune. That is, Show’s latest track seems like it belongs more in the mid-90s, an era ruled by the dated syncopated-dance tunes of its Andy Lau's and Ekin Cheng's. Typical Show fans will still more than likely get attached to this song as expected, but casual Mandopop fans might ask themselves, “What is this?”

Sylvester Stallone breaks his neck shooting fight scene in veteran action heroe' movie

Sylvester Stallone broke his neck while filming a fight scene in his latest movie.


The veteran action hero had emergency surgery and a metal plate inserted in his neck following the accident on the set of The Expendables.

The 63-year-old actor was filming a fight with wrestling co-star Stone Cold Steve Austin, 45, in the upcoming movie, but it was so realistic that Stallone ended up with a hairline fracture in his neck.

Stallone told FHM magazine: 'Man, it was seven guys, kicking each other's ass, one guy tougher than the next. No joke, our stunt guys were begging for mercy.



'Actually, my fight with Stone Cold Steve Austin was so vicious that I ended up getting a hairline fracture in my neck. I'm not joking.

'I haven't told anyone this, but I had to have a very serious operation afterwards. I now have a metal plate in my neck.'

The plot of the film centres around a team of mercenaries head to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator.

The movie features a who's who of veteran action actors including Arnold Schwarzenegger, 62, Bruce Willis, 54, Dolph Lundgren, 52, Mickey Rourke, 57, Jet Li, 46, as well as relative youngster Jason Statham, 37.



It also stars Brittany Murphy, who died in December of a heart attack.

Stallone, who wrote the script and directed the movie, said testosterone was flowing during filming.

He said: 'Bruce's character, who hires me to do the job the film's based on, turns to me and says, "Look, there's one person I need to talk with before I give you the job."

'At which point Arnold, who plays my oldest rival, walks out. And it's clear we have a lot of history there. So I tell him I should have shot him a long time ago when I had the chance.

'And the scene goes from there. But man, those guys were up for it.

'They got out of bed at 5.30am just to shoot a small five-minute scene.'

It is not the first time the actor has been hurt during filming. He was also badly hurt by Dolph Lundgren when he filmed Rocky IV.

He said: 'Dolph and I always went for it. I gave him orders to try to knock me out while the cameras were rolling. At one point, he hit me so hard on the head I felt my spine compress.

'He then hit me with an almighty uppercut. That night my chest started to swell, and I had to be helicopter-ambulanced from my hotel to a nearby emergency room.

'I was told that Dolph had punched my rib cage into my chest, compressing my heart. If it had swollen any more, I would have died.

'After that, I was like, "Dolph, it's only a movie, bro."'

Stallone recently revealed that he and Arnold Schwarzenegger, once huge rivals, are now the best of friends.

'He's my best friend now. It's strange, given what big rivals we used to be. He's still ridiculously competitive, though. See this watch?

'This is the only one of its kind in the world, so I wore it to our last lunch. Arnold was desperate for me to get him one but I had to explain that wasn't possible. He was so mad!'

SNSD confirms full-length album for February!

Fantastic news for SNSD fans out there!


After rumors circulated the net about this nine-member girl group preparing for a mini-album release very soon, a representative from SM Entertainment confirmed that the girls would be releasing not a mini-album, but a full-length album sometime in February.

"The girls' new album is in steady progress," an SM Entertainment rep said today. "The new album is likely to be released before the end of February." The album hasn't been set in stone yet, but for now, it will most likely be a full studio album with new tracks.

SNSD's first mini-album was a huge hit when it was released last January, with Gee truly launching the girls into grade A stardom. They continued to thrive with the success of Tell Me Your Wish, and now many fans are expecting another smash hit with this upcoming album. Hopefully the girls' vacation will do them good; we want these girls to be fresh & ready for their album, right?

Future X-cops postponed its screen date



With Chinese New Year round the corner, Chinese films had entered the “festive holiday slot” period. Reporters found out from insider that Future X-cops which starred Andy Lau and Barbie Hsu had redrawn their scheduled screen date of 5 February. When reporter called the film distributor China Film Group, they had confirm the news: “After much consideration, we decided to redraw the film from the festive holiday slot.” With regards to the reason, the spokesman quoted the reason of post production unable to complete in time as the reason.

There were many Chinese New Year films last year, it’s still a massive traffic jam this year, from the middle of January till the middle of February films like Confucius, True Legend, 14 Blades, All’s Well End’s Well Too 2010, Hot Summer Days, Choi San Dou, Big Soldiers and others will hit the cinemas.

Future X-cops initially scheduled to open in the cinema in 25 December 2009, it was later postponed to 5 February, now it’s been postponed once again thus one less competitor for the other Chinese New Year films.

During the Ming Pao Weekly interview, Andy was asked if he requested the script of Future X-cops was changed 19 times. Andy clarified: “Impossible!” He exclaimed that accepting this film is to return the favor to the Taiwanese boss Tsai Sung-lin whom had supported him for many year whom will still support him if he lose money investing films or bankrupt. Therefore, this film is not used to help him to earn money, thus he recommend Wong Jing to be the director. He added: “It should be several changes during the preparation of the film.”

Google Nexus One: Review

Yesterday Google wasn’t in the business of selling mobile phones. Today, they are. The Nexus One smartphone has arrived and on sale at Google.com/phone. Our live notes from the event are here.


I’ve been using the Nexus One with TMobile since mid-December as my primary mobile phone. This is the best Android powered phone to date. It’s also the fastest and most elegant smartphone on the market today, solidly beating the iPhone in most ways. In this rapidly evolving market there is sure to be something better just around the corner. But if you are looking to buy a high end smartphone right now, this is the phone for you. The Nexus One is the Android signature device.

Our complete review is below.

Nexus One: The Big Picture

The phone looks more like the iPhone than any other phone on the market. There is no physical keyboard like the Android-powered Motorola Droid, and the tradeoff is a much slimmer design. The phone is 11.5 mm deep, slightly thinner than the iPhone 3GS at 12.3 mm. It is also slightly lighter than the iPhone 130 grams v. 135 grams). The package comes with the phone, a removable battery, 4 GB Micro SD storage card (expandable to 32 GB), USB charger and microphone headset.

The Nexus one has four functional touch buttons at the bottom of the screen (back, menu, home, search) and a navigation trackball pointing device. It also has physical power and volume controls. But most of your interaction with the phone will be through the gorgeous 3.7 inch 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touchscreen. This is the best mobile phone display on the market today, blowing away the iPhone’s 480 x 320 display. The screen is bright and alive, and an absolute pleasure to use.

This phone is also powered by the Snapdragon 1 GHz core processor, which is more than able to handle the Nexus One’s 3D graphics, multiple applications running in the background and heavy browser use simultaneously. Unlike previous Android phones, there is no slowdown or lag when you push the phone’s performance, and less of a need to kill applications to keep the device humming.

On the downside: all this hardware bling is an energy hog. The screen will self adjust brightness and Google is smart about turning down the processor when it’s not being used. But I’ve found battery life to be woefully brief, even by iPhone standards. Officially the phone has up to 7 hours talk time, 250 hours standby, 5 hours of 3G Internet use, 7 hours of video playback and 20 hours of audio playback. Unofficially, I was able to kill the fully charged battery with 1.5 hours of continuous gameplay (Robo Defense) on the full-brightness screen. Be prepared to keep this phone near a charger at all times. You can easily view what’s using the battery, though (the screen is 71% of my current usage), and then adjust the hardware or software usage to maximize battery life.

Overall the Android is a superior mobile device, particularly when paired with Google Voice. Google is calling this the first of the Super Phones. And they may not be exaggerating all that much.

Price And Availability

The Nexus One is available “in large quantities” starting today at Google.com/phone. An unlocked GSM version of the phone that will work in most countries is $529.

Google is also offering a subsidized version of the phone – also unlocked – through T-Mobile for $179. The service plan offered by Google is 500 minutes/unlimited SMS/unlimited data for $80/month. T-Mobile’s termination fee is $200, and some users might be tempted to buy the T-Mobile version and terminate immediately, paying just $379 for the unlocked phone. Google says that users terminating too soon will be charged the full price of the phone, however. But even the T-Mobile version of the phone can be used overseas on trips by slipping in a different SIM.

Google will ship the unlocked version of the phone to customers in the U.S., U.K., Hong Kong and Singapore. In the Spring they say they’ll add a CDMA version of the phone through Verizon, and set up a European store with a carrier plan via Vodafone.

U.S. users can also use the unlocked phone with AT&T, although the phone’s radio isn’t able to use AT&T’s 3G network.

Notable Software Features

The Nexus One, which runs the new Android 2.1, has a number of notable software features that make the phone a pleasure to use.

First, Google Voice is deeply integrated with the phone, as it is with all Android phones. That means you can assign your Google Voice number to the phone, and use it to make all outbound calls and text messages. In my opinion this is the single biggest selling point for Android phones, and why I won’t switch away from the platform any time soon.

Google’s Voice Keyboard is amazing. It goes way beyond the Voice Search application that was launched in 2009. Every text field in the device is now voice enabled. In most apps you can choose the microphone button and talk into the phone, which then converts your speech to text. I’ve found it to be around 90% accurate with no background noise (dropping to around 70% accuracy in a moving car). It’s easy to then go in and edit out errors. It’s a massive time-saving feature of the phone.

The Live Wallpaper feature is pure eye candy, and fun. You can choose a variety of wallpaper settings like Grass (blades of grass wave gently in front of a day or night sky), Magic Smoke (my favorite, draws smoke, clouds, water and plasmas in eye popping colors), Water (touch it and it ripples), and a Polar Clock (presents the date and time as clockwise arcs).

The new clock application, which runs automatically in the charger doc, shows the time, local weather and has easy access buttons to the alarm, pictures and music. Keep a charger next to your bed and toss out that alarm clock.

Google will also offer a Settings Backup service that backs up profile, application, ringtone and other settings to the cloud. Setting up a new Android phone after using the backup service is a breeze. Even without it I was able to set up the phone in about ten minutes with my Google contact, calendar, email and important applications.

Finally, Google has added a lot of nice graphical touches, including 3D scrolling of apps, and a new way of viewing photos using the CoolIris technology. Photos dip into the plane as it there is depth. Tipping the phone trips the accelerometer and the photos dip in the same way.

Notable Hardware Features

The most obvious hardware feature of the phone is the 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touch screen. Combined with the Snapdragon chipset the phone is a real workhorse. But Google has also included other more-than-nice touches.



The noise cancellation feature is particularly useful. The device has a second microphone on the back that monitors inbound noise and automatically cancels it out (anyone who’s used Bose noise cancellation headphones on a long flight will appreciate this). It does a great job of canceling out machinery and wind noise on the other end of the call. In my testing, call recipients noticed a substantial increase in call quality on this phone v. either the Droid of the iPhone. Look for other phones to quickly add this feature, it’s a must have.

On the downside, the phone’s primary microphone is located on the bottom of the device, to the left. I noticed that on calls, when I cradle the phone between my neck and shoulder without using my hand, my voice is often muted and can’t be heard. This is a design error that should be changed in future versions.

The phone’s camera really shines. It has a large footprint on the back of the device, larger than on most phones. It’s a 5 megapixel camera with a flash, but that description doesn’t do it justice. The macro and low light features are top notch for a mobile phone. I took the picture to the right in low light with no flash in our conference room at TechCrunch HQ.

The phone has two available docks. Both charge the device via frictionless touch points. The normal charger turns on the phone’s clock feature, as described above. The car charger turns on Google Navigation, a killer Android application that turns the phone into a connected navigation device.

Google, Purveyor Of The Nexus One Smartphone

The Nexus One is an important milestone in the smartphone market. This is a software company, frustrated with making compromises with hardware manufacturers, that has taken the product bull by the horns. HTC makes the phone, but the branding is mostly Google and it’s clear that they directed every aspect of the development of this phone. It’s Google’s vision of the perfect Android device, from the huge and beautiful screen and massively fast Snapdragon processor to the software elegance of Google Navigation, Live Wallpaper and the Voice Keyboard. When combined with Google Voice there is no phone on the market today that can touch the Nexus One.

Unlike previous Android phones, and I’ve used most of them, the Nexus One has no obvious flaws or compromises. The phone is the state of the art in mobile, and I will use it happily. Until, as I always say, something better comes along.

Microsoft to unveil HP-made slate PC (Courier?) on Wednesday?

Microsoft’s push for the Tablet PC segment has earned them widespread ridicule and relatively minimal market penetration, something that’s only beginning to change with the advent of lower-priced multitouch notebooks and netbooks that use a basic touch-UI rather than in-depth handwriting recognition and the like. So we’re not quite sure what Microsoft may have on the cards for CES 2010 tomorrow, what with the New York Times reporting that Steve Ballmer will take to the stage for his company’s keynote clutching an HP-made slate.

According to the NYT’s sources, the Microsoft slate – it’s unclear which branding it will carry – might arrive on shelves by mid-2010, and be focussed on multimedia and ebook content consumption with a multitouch interface. It’s possible that this is the production version of the Microsoft Courier tablet we’ve seen leaked information regarding since September 2009.

Of course, neither HP nor Microsoft are spilling any details in advance of Ballmer’s speech, and the news might simply be a new HP tablet; we’re expecting the company’s CES 2010 line-up to be revealed in full later this week. Still, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it does turn out to be the Courier: that would make for an interesting battle with the Apple iSlate expected to arrive later this month.

'Spider-Man 4' indefinitely delayed

Sony has decided to push back the start of production on Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4, a Sony source confirms to Variety. (The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.) The film, starring Tobey Maguire and directed by Sam Raimi, was to have begun shooting in February. The studio does not yet know when the film will get rolling, according to the reports. Last month, Raimi and co. hit the pause button on pre-production in order to do further work on the script. It is now unliklely that Spidey 4 will meet its announced May 6, 2011 release date.

Kim Kardashian’s Sexy New Fragrance Ad Revealed



Since Kim Kardashian first broke the news that she’d be creating a signature scent a-year-and-a-half ago, the reality star has kept us guessing about exactly what the fragrance would be like. But today she finally unveils a sizzling new campaign for the eponymous scent developed with Lighthouse Beauty exclusively to PEOPLE. Dressed in retro lingerie and a marabou coat, Kim swings from a circle that mirrors the smoky bottle, in an image that plays up her signature sex appeal. The scent itself mixes notes that were chosen to reflect aspects of her personality, with jasmine, tuberose and gardenia evoking her femininity and tonka bean and sandalwood suggesting an even softer side. For the time being, however, you can look — but not smell. The scent, which will range in price from $16 for a .33-oz. rollerball to $65 for a 3.4-oz. spray, won’t launch until February, exclusively at Sephora


More tease to 2PM’s upcoming Cass Beer CF with Yoon EunHye



A fresh batch of photos of 2PM’s upcoming Cass beer CF with actress Yoon EunHye have been revealed.

With this, we will most probably be in for a CF with TaecYeon and Nich Khun as the main character alongside Yoon EunHye.

More eye candies under the cut.

Dance Battle: Big Bang’s Taeyang vs. Super Junior’s Eunhyuk



The two best dancers of each group, Big Bang's Taeyang and Super Junior's Eunhyuk came face to face on Kang Shim Jang / Strong Heart. I was pretty excited for this one because they're both known for being amazing dancers.

Both of these talented dancers definitely gave an eyeful for all the female guests and us! Though Eunhyuk is usually the funny man on Kang Shim Jang, he surely got into it while dancing.

It's been awhile since Taeyang has been on a variety show so it was nice to see him being active as well.

Dirty Eyed Girls: Chinese gay porno?



Apparently a writer at the Dutch website DePers thinks so! On January 4, our hawk-eyed reader Chimizu spotted an article on the site titled "Taboo in China" that featured a ridiculous "Chinese gay film." As you've probably guessed, this video was no porno but rather 2AM and 2PM's viral and absolutely hilarious Dirty Eyed Girls music video.

The original article is pretty self-explanatory so I'll let it speak for itself. (Pardon the rough translation, I don't speak Dutch!)


Taboo in China
Published: Monday, January 4, 2010 07:52
Update: Monday, January 4, 2010 09:52

Een groot taboe. De Chinese autoriteiten zwijgen het liever dood. Dan maar ondergronds, denken de producers van Chinese gay-films. Een paar 'kroonjuweeltjes' van het genre.

A big taboo. The Chinese authorities have hushed up. But underground, the producers of Chinese gay films. A few 'crown jewels' of the genre.


So... the origin of these beliefs? DePers found this "crown jewel" on LiveLeak, where someone else uploaded the video, titling it "The Gayest Chinese Video In The History Of Gay Chinese Videos." It included the caption, 'Mao would be proud..... This almost deserves the *GRAPHIC WARNING* tag.' The video has garnered over 52,000 views and 300 comments in two days.

Misled viewers have left some comments on the video ranging from amusement to disbelief, but the majority are disgusted by the "heavy gayness" of the music video. One user even said, "It's in fact Japanese not Chinese. And they still gay." As a member of The Atheist/Agnostic, Gay-Loving, Evolution-Supporting Liberal Axis of Evil who also happens to be Asian, I should be boiling over right now, but I kind of want to GPS these people down and smack them across the head with a frying pan instead.

In a twisted way, I guess the One Day team was successful in their production, since 'outrageous' was definitely the connotation that the 'Dirty Eyed Girls' parody project was going for. But seriously - LiveLeakers & DePers-ers, do your research and keep your words in check, because the last time '2PM' and 'gay comments' came together, the world kind of imploded.

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