Oscars' lead actress nominees: two vets, two rookies and a dark horse

Sidibe and Mulligan are in the race with Streep, Mirren -- and dark horse Bullock.


In what's certain to be one of this year's most closely watched and vigorously debated Oscar battles, the lead actress category is shaping up as a fight between gossamer youth and hard-won Hollywood experience.

Representing the establishment: Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren. "Julie & Julia's" Streep -- who portrays celeb chef Julia Child in the film -- is a 16-time Academy Award nominee (with two wins to her credit). And Mirren, the 64-year old costar of the Tolstoy biopic "The Last Station," is no less than a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire who claimed a lead actress Oscar for portraying her country's monarch in 2006's "The Queen."

Why You Shouldn't Hate On Taylor Swift

Grammy wins, wobbly performance during show lead to backlash for Fearless singer, in a Bigger Than the Sound special edition.

I suppose this was inevitable. Actually, I knew it was.

Given Taylor Swift's career trajectory — from sweet-faced Nashville ingenue (who wrote her own songs!) to super-duper country-pop megastar (who used to date the beefy dude from "New Moon"!) in less than four years — it seemed like a backlash was unavoidable. After all, this is what we, as a culture, tend to do in situations like this. It's in our nature to knock folks down from the pedestals we've put them on.

Still, I'm sort of amazed at the acrimony with which Swift is being assaulted. Yes, I'm aware that the Internet has much to do with it ... after all, it provides not only the stage but the secure blanket of anonymity. The allure of the "comment" box is that it allows you to say the nastiest things imaginable — things you would never dream of saying directly to someone — without fear of direct retribution. And yes, I'm aware of the fact that negativity and pettiness are the cultural currency of the day, that they drive page views and sell magazines, and that we are all competing to see who can get to the bottom the fastest.

Lady GaGa — Sad and Lonely!

LADY GaGa wants a boyfriend.

The Poker Face singer — real name Stefani Germanotta — is apparently feeling sad and lonely with no man in her life.

“Lady GaGa is a character she hides behind,” a source close to the eccentric star told American tabloid the National Enquirer. “When the show is over and she’s just Stefani; she’s not comfortable being herself. There’s no one really close to her heart right now.”

Last summer, GaGa dated L.A. entrepreneur Speedy after meeting him on the set of her LoveGame video. She even got close to his parents, but the couple split after just four months.

“She finally found someone she could relate to,” the source said of Speedy. “GaGa has trust issues. She’s afraid to expose her true self.

“Over the last year she has become a machine who just throws herself into her work. At this point, it’s really all she has.”

Jon Voight: Angie & Brad Just Having a "Bad Day"? Uh-huh

We still have our doubts whether Jon Voight and estranged daughter Angelina Jolie really have reconciled…especially if he keeps talkin' to the press about her life with partner Brad Pitt. But we like hearing about it, so we're not complaining!

While at Clive Davis and the Recording Academy's Grammy party over the weekend, Jon did his best to defend his daughter and her possibly-on-the-rocks relaysh with stinky Brad:

"It's a very, very hard thing these days to be a celebrity, and to be the No. 1 celebrity in the world…it's very hard," Jon told us concerning the press interest in—make that obsession with—Brangelina's status.

"You get all sorts of nice things," he said. "But you get a lot of crazy stuff coming at ya, too."

We pressed Voight a bit to see if he had any idea how Angie and Brad are handling the breakup rumors. If appearances really are everything, then you'd think Brangelina is happier than evah, considering their obvious PDA at the DGA Awards over the weekend.

Did Google Just Multi-Punch Apple In The Face?

As great as Android phones are getting, there has been one major feature lacking that users have complained about: multi-touch. Yes, some third-party apps have been free to use it on certain devices, but the best Android apps, those made by Google, have all lacked it.

Until now.

With the Android update announced for Nexus One phones today, Google has enabled multi-touch for its Browser, Gallery, and Maps applications. Specifically, they’ve enabled the popular pinch-to-zoom functionality that iPhone users are fond of.

So why did Google wait all this time to implement this obvious feature when its devices have been capable of it since the G1? Well, a report last year (written by me for another publication), cited a source within Google who noted that Apple and Google had a gentleman’s agreement that Android wouldn’t encroach on what Apple believed to be its property, certain multi-touch gestures, like pinch-to-zoom. With Apple and Google now fighting, all bets are apparently off.

Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch Defends Flash, Warns HTML5 Will Throw The Web “Back To The Dark Ages Of Video”

Adobe’s Flash technology has been taking a beating lately. Apple still won’t support it on its upcoming iPad or its iPhone. Steve Jobs calls it buggy and crash-prone and dismisses Adobe as being lazy. Adobe is trying to fight the negative vibes emanating from Cupertino and elsewhere. It has already pointed out that it will be easy to convert Flash apps into iPad apps, and now CTO Kevin Lynch is weighing in to defend Flash.

In a blog post today, Lynch addresses the two major threats to Flash: Apple’s refusal to support it on mobile touchscreen devices and the rise of HTML5 as a new, open standard which may one day replace Flash. On Apple, Lynch says Adobe is ready and able to put Flash on the iPhone, the iPad or anything else Apple can throw its way. But, as has been the case for more than a year, the ball is in Apple’s court:

Office 2010 hits the release candidate stage

Microsoft has provided some early testers with a near-final "release candidate" version of Office 2010 as the software maker works to make the suite broadly available in June.

"Microsoft made a release candidate available to members in the technology adoption program (TAP)," a Microsoft representative told CNET. "This is one of Microsoft's planned milestones in the engineering process; however (we) do not have plans to make this new code set available broadly."

A beta version of Office 2010 was released in November and had been downloaded 2 million times, as of last month.

The company officially started public testing of the product with a Technology Preview version that was released in July, although an earlier version of that code leaked out in May.

Jacky Cheung is willing to participate in one combined music award ceremony

Jacky Cheung has been the first artist to break TVB’s “monopoly” on exclusivity with HK’s singers. Not only did he accept an interview with ATV last month, he will also be making a musical special for ATV this week that will air on Chinese New Year / Valentine’s Day. At the same time, Jacky continues to reprimand TVB for not having any respect for music in Hong Kong, which contributes to the general public’s lack of respect for copyrights in music.

Jacky has indicated that he agrees with having 1 combined music award ceremony (as opposed to the 4 that HK currently has). Though Jacky has expressed long ago that he will no longer compete for awards in the music industry or “participate” in music awards ceremonies, he said that if the one ceremony concept does take place, he is definitely interested in participating to show his support.

Yesterday, Jacky accepted an interview with Metro Radio station. He admitted that this week, he will be filming an interview-style musical special for ATV. In terms of RTHK (government radio station) suggesting that next year’s music awards shows be combined into one, Jacky highly agreed: “The fact that RTHK is willing to consider this is a good thing. There are a lot of organizations out there that are unwilling to talk about it, mention it, or even think about it – so RTHK is very brave and respectable for suggesting it.” Actually, more than 10 years ago, Jacky had already made the suggestion of combining the music awards ceremonies into one, but at that time, it did not materialize. Jacky feels that back then, the timing wasn’t right, but now, the situation with the music industry has changed drastically – albums no longer earn money, so perhaps various organizations would be more willing now to combine one award ceremony, since there would be less conflict of interest in terms of money. Even if it ends up taking several years (for this to happen), it would still be worth it.

TVXQ on Ellen DeGeneres?

We reported earlier about actress, TV host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres asking people for international music suggestions via her website. Since then, the majority of viewer votes has gone to none other than TVXQ / DBSK / Tohoshinki!

Since January 21st, fans have been voicing their support as the website logged over 20,000 suggestions for TVXQ alone. That’s quite an impressive gesture of fandom and Korean media points the success to a collaborative effort of Korean netizens and other international fans.

So the question is: Will TVXQ be setting foot on American soil? That’s still unknown but appearing on a talk show with nearly 10 million in viewership could definitely open up new possibilities for the k-pop industry.

Five Oscar Nominees You Don't Know but Should

George Clooney, Sandra Bullock, Penélope Cruz and Matt Damon are just a few of the very familiar names who popped up on this year's list of Oscar nominees.


But what about some of those, well, lesser-known contenders?

Here is our list of five Oscar nominees you don't know but should…

Jeremy Renner (Actor in a Supporting Role, The Hurt Locker): The hunkster California native, 39, has appeared in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford with Brad Pitt and even has a Gossip Girl connection—he stars opposite Blake Lively in Ben Affleck-directed The Town.

Is 'Valentine's Day' Filled With Too Many Stars?

Valentine's Day is complicated -- both the holiday and the upcoming movie. The holiday is jam-packed with commercialized schtick, sentimental love songs and half-hearted performances. Hopefully the movie (which hits theaters Feb. 12) will have a little more substance instead of leaving you feeling like you just ate that entire box full of heart-shaped chocolates: guilty, over-stimulated and still hungry for more.


'Valentine's Day' the movie stars everyone in Hollywood (not really, but pretty darned close.) At this point you have probably seen the commercials or print ads. They've been out there since before Christmas. And each time you see one you probably smack your head thinking, "I didn't know Julia Roberts (or Bradley Cooper, Jessica Alba, Taylor Swift, Ashton Kutcher, Taylor Lautner, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Topher Grace, Queen Latifah or George Lopez) was going to be in that movie. It's a lot of star power packed into a single movie, begging the questions: How well we will get to know any of these characters? Is it just too much?

Nick Jonas and Selena Gomez in Love??

NICK Jonas and Selena Gomez are in love — apparently!

Insiders say the pair have grown closer over the past few weeks and their relationship is hotting up.

“These past few weeks have brought them a lot closer,” dished one source.

“Both are always texting & calling each other. They are even using the love word now!”

On Monday night, Nick and Selena were spotted driving around LA.

The pair — who dated in secret for nearly a year before parting ways last February — recently fueled speculation they had rekindled their romance after Selena was spotted accompanying Nick on tour.

Fears for Lindsay Lohan's health as she is spotted with 'prescription drugs'

Stepping out of her SUV for a night on the town, Lindsay Lohan was all smiles and doe eyes as she played up to the papparazzi.


But a closer look inside her car revealed an open handbag - and what looked suspiciously like prescription pills.

The image of the tablets inside the bag - nestled among her lipstick, hairbrush and wallet - has raised fears the star may be slipping back to her old ways.

In October, Lindsay's father Michael said he was 'terrified' his daughter would suffer the same fate as Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson and die from a prescription drugs overdose.

American Idol: Is everybody from Denver going to Hollywood?

Ryan Seacrest notes the importance of coming to the audition dressed to impress (as David Bowie's Fashion plays in the background).

Casey James isn't particularly well-dressed, but he comes with a compelling backstory. A motorcycle accident when he was 21 resulted in multiple fractures and a diagnosis that he would never play guitar again. His goal for now is Hollywood. "If I could just get there, I really think I've got a shot," he says.

Casey's version of John Mayer's Slow Dancing in a Burning Room fails to impress Simon.

"No charisma, no effort," Simon says. The girls beg to differ. "He looks like a model," Kara says, but she notes that he does need to work on his personality. Kara and Victoria finally press upon Randy to vote yes, so he'll get a chance to be dull in Hollywood, too. Or get better.

Lady Gaga Snubs “We Are The World” Remake 2010

We hope this isn’t true, Gaga!!

Pop sensation Lady Gaga reportedly turned up her nose at an invitation to lend her popular voice to the 25th anniversary re-recording of “We Are The World.”

“They literally begged her to come,” whispers one snitch. “She turned them down. She didn’t get it.”

Eminem, LL Cool J, Miley Cyrus, and even Kanye West are among stars who have recorded vocals for a redux of the 1985 charity classic. In fact, an all-star cast of more than 75 mega-stars gathered Monday to re-record the anthem in the same Hollywood recording studio where the original was cut a quarter century ago. Will.i.am, Celine Dion, Natalie Cole, Jennifer Hudson, Toni Braxton, Tony Bennett, Akon and other musical luminaries stood shoulder to shoulder at Henson Recording Studios, singing their hearts out for the wrecked island nation.

Originally penned by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie to raise money for famine relief in Africa, this time the recording industry is coming together to help the people of Haiti, which was destroyed in an earthquake last month.

“Jersey Shore’s” Snooki Scoffs At Sex Tape Rumors

Pint-sized reality personality Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi may be famous for grinding on guys in wifebeaters on the hit MTV show Jersey Shore — but when it comes to rumors of a Snookin’ For Love sex tape, the brunette guidette says the reports are anything but realistic.


“…..about my supposed ‘sex tape’…There are no nude pictures nor will there ever be. the tabloids just love snook gossip,” the 22-year-old former receptionist wrote on her Twitter page on Tuesday. “[I don’t know] where radar online comes up with their stories..weirdos,” she added.

Oscar nominations that are for the people

The expanded best picture category includes selections that appeal to everyday filmgoers, not just movie buffs.

They are precisely the kinds of movies hardly ever nominated for the best-picture Oscar -- a tear-jerker sports film, a space-alien thriller and an animated feature with a flying house and talking dogs -- but the populist pleasures "The Blind Side," "District 9" and "Up" all made the final cut for the top Academy Award.

Concerned that a steady stream of challenging, often little-seen art movies were dominating the Oscars and deflating TV ratings, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences doubled this year's best-picture race to 10 contestants, and the results Tuesday were exactly as intended: the inclusion of movies that have sold a boatload of tickets.

The nominations for the 82nd annual Academy Awards were led by the presumptive best-picture favorites -- "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker," which each scored in nine categories. The two movies represent opposite extremes of audience recognition, as "Avatar" has generated almost 50 times more domestic revenue than "The Hurt Locker."

But to the delight of the March 7 ceremony's producers, four movies besides "Avatar" that have grossed more than $100 million made the best-picture competition: "Up" ($293 million), "The Blind Side" ($237.9 million), "Inglourious Basterds" ($120.5 million) and "District 9" ($115.6 million).

When last year's statuettes were presented, only one of the five best-picture finalists -- "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" -- had grossed more than $100 million.

Nexus One Gets a Software Update, Enables Multitouch (video)

The iPhone isn't the only handset getting bumped today -- Google's just outed a very, very significant update to the Nexus One that includes Google Goggles on board and a re-upped version of Google Maps that includes suggestions and a dedicated night mode. Much more significantly, though, they've capitulated and enabled multitouch in Browser, Gallery, and Maps -- great news and a big win for the Android community at large. Finally, there are some 3G improvements in there, but you might have to wait a bit -- Google expects to have it rolled out to pretty much everyone toward the end of the week. Seriously though, now that we've gotten that whole multitouch spat cleared up, it's time for Engadget to rally around something else: ridding the world of tiny ninjas, perhaps? Follow the break for a video of the new firmware -- in all its multi-fingered glory -- in action!

ReadWriteWeb's gotten an official statement from Google on the question on everyone's mind: why now? The company says that Android 2.1 "powers a new class of devices" with more horsepower and bigger displays, and "based on these new capabilities and numerous requests from Android users, we decided to provide pinch-to-zoom capabilities with this new over-the-air software update for Nexus One devices." This sounds like a total cop-out to us -- HTC got multitouch working just fine on the Hero way back on 1.5 -- so we still think they just got uncomfortable with the noise surrounding the groundswell of demand for it. Of course, that's fine by us -- power to the people, right?

Official WordPress Android app available for download

Since WordPress is one of the world’s most popular blogging platforms and Android will soon be one of the world’s most popular mobile OSes, it was only a matter of time until an official WordPress app for Android would be developed.

Well, the official WordPress Android app is here now to let you manage your WordPress blog(s) directly on your Android smartphone.

With WodrPress for Android you can configure and manage multiple blogs, create and edit posts, create and edit pages, moderate and reply to comments, and get notified when new comments appear.

The WordPress Android app uses the source code of wpToGo – which will be discontinued. To download the new app you must visit the Android Market, or scan this code.

iPhone OS 3.1.3 goes live


Grab your USB to 30-pin dock connector cable kids, Apple has released iPhone OS 3.1.3 to iTunes for your downloading pleasure. It doesn’t look like 3.1.3 is going to knock your socks off, but hey, an update is an update, right? Here is a list of what’s new according to Apple:
  • Improves accuracy of reported battery level on iPhone 3GS
  • Resolves issue where third-party apps would not launch in some instances
  • Fixes bug that may cause an app to crash when using the Japanese Kana keyboard

Let us know in the comments if you find any other improvements/changes.

Next iPhone codename, new iPod touch revealed in latest SDK and firmware


If somehow you've become concerned that another iPhone might not be on the way to market, you can now rest easy. Our ingenious tipsters have discovered yet another fascinating factoid deep within the Frameworks of the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK, namely: the codename of the next iPhone. Buried way inside the platform simulator lies a set of folders dedicated to specific models of iPhone OS-ready devices, including the iPhone 3GS, second generation iPod touch, something called the "K48" (yep, the codename we were told was the internal name for the iPad), and... the "N89." Sure, it sounds like a Nokia phone just waiting to happen, but this is -- according to our extremely knowledgeable and trusted sources -- likely the codename of the next iPhone (previous versions were called the M68, N82, and N88). We can't take too much away from this beyond the fact that the model exists, though we're certain that with a little more digging, some detail is sure to rear its head (attention hive-mind). Interestingly, Apple's just released firmware (3.1.3) also includes another new model, the "N80," which we're told will most likely be the next version of the iPod touch. We're going to keep researching here, so stay tuned for more.

Zune HD drops $30-$40 at Amazon, Newegg


This looks like it may be more of a price war than an official price drop, but anyone in the market for a Zune HD may one to pay a visit to Amazon or Newegg fairly soon, as they're now both selling the device for what appears to be the lowest price yet. While there's no telling how long it'll last, you can now snag a black 16GB Zune HD for $189.99 ($30 off the MSRP), or a 32GB Platinum Zune HD for $249.99 (a discount of $40). As of this writing, most other retailers seem to be offering nothing more than $20 discounts, though we have a suspicion that may change in the near future.

Rainie Yang releases Japanese version of “Youth Bucket” that fans do want

The English-based Kpop blogosphere has made it known to western fans of the huge popularity of Kpop over in Japan, but what has not been reported is that Kpop is actually only one of two popular trends going on over in the land of the rising sun. The other trend, of course, is Taiwanese pop. We kid you not, and there’s even a word for it Japanese called 台流 (pronounced tairyuu), which literally means the influx of Taiwanese pop culture in Japan. This trend has been prevalent in Japan for quite some time though, with Taiwanese idol dramas like Meteor Garden, Hot Shot, and soon Autumn’s Concerto making waves in Japan, while Japanese artists like Gackt making frequent visits to Taiwan for pleasure.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that Taiwanese pop tart Rainie Yang is releasing Japanese songs in order to appease her surprisingly large overseas fanbase in Japan. What is surprising though is that she’s really pushing her latest Japanese venture only a month month after her Taiwanese Mandopop release "Rainie & Love". Furthermore, her latest song that has hit the web is a Japanese version of “Youth Bucket” that was also from that same Mandopop release. The song, which appears to be renamed “Love in Magic” for her Japanese fans, marks the second Japanese song to be released for her upcoming Japanese album, and while there doesn’t appear to be any new material, her latest song can be treated as such since it’s a near co-release of the original Mandarin version.

Wonder Girls postpone release of their first US album

The Wonder Girls were planning on releasing their first US English album in February. Unfortunately, there is a bit of bad news for fans. As if Sunmi’s withdrawal wasn’t enough, the album has now been postponed for a March-April release. But somehow, I saw this coming.

JYP Entertainment said, “Wonder Girls were planning on releasing their album this month. But since Sunmi has decided to leave the group recently, the release of the album is most likely postponed to March or April.”

Since Sunmi is going back to Korea in March to focus on her education, Sunmi will not be a part of this new album at all. JYPE says that Sunmi is not working on the album right now and the parts that Sunmi had already recorded, will be re-recorded with new member Hae Lim. The songs that have not been recorded yet, will of course have Hae Lim and not Sunmi.

Avatar Up for Oscar; The Blind Side, Too!

The Avatar, sorry, Oscar nominations are out.


James Cameron's big, blue blockbuster will vie for Best Picture opposite The Hurt Locker; Inglourious Basterds; Precious; Up; Up in the Air; the Coen Brothers' A Serious Man; An Education; one entry that wasn't entirely a sure thing, District 9; and one entry that was completely a shock, The Blind Side.

Avatar and The Hurt Locker tied with the most overall nominations: nine. Inglourious Basterds scored eight. Precious and Up in the Air notched six each.

The acting categories contained a surprise or two. No, actually, they contained a surprise, not two.

Rob and Kristen Get a "Slap on the Wrist"

Yesterday's item about how Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, according to some, are possibly taking it down a notch sure got many of you readers riled up.

We guess "don't shoot (or tweet) the messenger" doesn't apply when Twilight news is involved, huh?

One of our go-to Robsten sources reached out to us to shed some more light on what really went down behind the scenes...

"Let's just say Rob and Kristen got a slap on the wrist," 'fesses one of our moles deep inside Camp Robsten.

"Everyone, from their management to the studios involved in their upcoming movies, is worried [Rob and Kristen] will start to become…distracted."

Again like we said in yesterday's item (which many misread), Rob and Kristen are still together and totally cool. But they are both listening to what their teams are telling them, which is to stay focused.

As we've been pointing out, a lot is riding on R.Pattz's and K.Stew's movies post-Twilight—that includes promotion for The Runaways and Remember Me, but also getting their cute butts in gear for upcoming projects.

Hayden Panettiere, Wladimir Klitschko Go Public

Looks like Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko are officially a couple ... or at least good friends who accompany each other to things like movie premieres.

Originally seen together in Miami over New Year's, the two were spotted (and looking hot) at the "Best of Musical Gala" in Hamburg, Germany Saturday night.

As you can see, there's a bit of a height difference. The Ukrainian boxing champ and actress may seem to have little in common, but they are making it work.

Here's Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko ...


What can these two see in each other? While on the surface, this couple makes less sense than last night's Heroes, we're not judging. To each their own!

Complete List of Nominations for 82nd Academy Awards


Avatar and The Hurt Locker lead all Academy Award nominees with nine nominations apiece, including Best Motion Picture and his and hers Best Directing nods for former spouses James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow. Inglourious Basterds is close behind with eight, followed by Precious and Up in the Air with six.

Meryl Streep, up for Best Actress for Julie & Julia, extends her reign as the most nominated performer in Academy history, with her 16th nod.

The Oscars will be handed out March 7 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. Here's the complete list of nominees:

Despite sales growth, Apple's iPhone loses market share - report

Though iPhone sales grew 18 percent in the fourth quarter, the overall market saw even greater growth, leaving Apple with a smaller market share during the holiday season, a new study has found.

The data from ABI Research, via The Wall Street Journal, shows that Apple's smartphone market share dropped from 18.1 percent in the third quarter of 2009 to 16.6 percent in the fourth quarter. This despite the fact that Apple sold 8.7 million iPhones in the fourth quarter -- an 18 percent increase from the previous quarter, and Apple's best quarter ever in terms of total sales.

However, as noted by similar research from Strategy Analytics, Apple also saw a year-over-year increase in market share, growing from 10.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 to an estimated 16.4 percent at the end of 2009 -- just 0.2 percent off from the ABI Research findings.

ABI's Michael Morgan told the Journal that the iPhone could be suffering a case of "Razr burn," referring to Motorola's popular cell phone which dominated the sales charts for years but lost favor when its design went unchanged. But the report quickly discredited that notion.

Microsoft Could Make the iPad a Great Business Tool

Apple has made a bone-head play that damages the iPad's potential for business. But, Microsoft, believe it or not, could come to the rescue. Here's why:

Apple put iWork--not a great tool to begin with--on the iPad. It's better than nothing, but while iWork can read Microsoft Office formats, it can't be set to save DOC files by default. What a mistake. While Apple's home and student customers may be fine with this annoying limitation, business users can't be endlessly exporting documents to share with colleagues and customers. Unless Apple makes this important change to iWork on the iPad, the forthcoming tablet will be a good device to view written content, but will fall flat when it comes to creating it.

But suppose Microsoft (hold the boos, please) decided there was money to be made here, and created a version of Office for the tablet? Given the relative lack of storage and so on, iPad Office couldn't be full-featured, but since most of us only use a fraction of Office's capabilities, that wouldn't be a show stopper. In fact, we'd have a device that would be useful for small business, and would probably cut deeply into sales of netbooks.

Sony Ericsson Aspen (Faith) with WM 6.5.3 officially announced

The Sony Ericsson Faith smartphone that we recently saw in some leaked pictures has been officially announced as Sony Ericsson Aspen.


Like the Garmin Asus Nuvifone 10, the Aspen runs Windows Mobile 6.5.3. The new Sony Ericsson smartphone is part of the Green Heart series and comes with a “human curvature design”.

The SE Aspen has a 2.4 inch QVGA touchscreen display, as well as a full QWERTY keypad. Customizable panels and the Sony Ericsson Slide View feature enable easy multi-tasking, while the Microsoft MyPhone service can remotely erases phone data in case the device is stolen or lost.

Hugh Jackman onboard 'Secret Fan' with Li Bingbing

Hugh Jackman, Li Bingbing and Jeon Ji-Hyun. The lineup for the film "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" has been finalized after some small problems.


"The Forbidden Kingdom" star Li Bingbing has been confirmed to replace Zhang Ziyi in "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan", which will be directed by Chinese-American filmmaker Wayne Wang, the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post reported Tuesday.

Li has arrived in Hengdian, a large film studio near Shanghai where filming is slated to kick off Tuesday, the report says.

Wonder Girls Chinese Album Release Date Set ; Cute selca photos of WonderGirls new member HyeLim revealed

Wonder Girls,South Korea’s Nation Sister is set to release their 2 disc edition special album collection on the 12th of February. The album includes all their past works including hit singles like “Tell Me”, “So Hot” & “Nobody”. The Wonder Girls was noted as one of the top 8 Girl groups to watch out for by Virgin Media & was featured on People’s Magazine

With members, Sunye, Ye Eun, Sunmi, Sohee & Yubin, these 5 girls were selected to form the Wonder Girls through a competition. Making their debut in 2007 with hit single “Irony”, after experiencing losing member from the group, Wonder Girls returned to the music scene with another big hit “Tell Me”. Successfully to claim the #1 spot for 8 weeks in various Korean music charts. In 2008, releasing their hottest single yet, “So Hot”, claiming #1 spot for 6 weeks in Korena music charts. Following with the release of “Nobody”, Wonder Girls managed to claim various awards in Korea’s Music Industry.

Wonder Girls “Best Collection” CD+DVD album will be released in Taiwan, includes 13 tracks of their past works, & exclusive tracks of “So Hot”, “Tell Me” & “Nobody”, all in mandarin version. A total of 16 tracks. Wonder Girls had practiced their mandarin for this album, the lyrics aren’t the usual simple wordings, but it contains some “poetry” behind these lyrics.

Supermodels Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Lara Stone strip off for LOVE magazine cover

They are some of the world's most famous clothes horses.


But Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and David Walliams' fiancée Lara Stone have proved they look just as good without a stitch on in their latest magazine shoot.

Eight supermodels appeared naked in identical poses for the latest issue of LOVE.

The magazine has produced eight different covers - one for each model - and has even printed their individual measurements.

The biannual title, on sale from Monday next week, contains a 40-page shoot featuring the supermodels.

Matt Damon Won’t Star in Fourth Bourne Film

MATT Damon will not be in a fourth ‘Bourne’ film.

The actor — who has played government agent Jason Bourne in the last three movies — admitted the future of the franchise is uncertain but expects the next instalment will be a prelude to the original 2002 Bourne Identity movie.

“I don’t know you know,” said Matt. “I think it will be a prequel of some kind with another actor and another director before we do another one.

“I think we are probably five years away from another one. We gotta get a script. If you have any ideas please call Universal.”

Matt has previously said he hoped to start work on a new Bourne movie in 2011, but later admitted he was unsure if he would sign up again following the departure of director Paul Greengrass.

Instead, the 39-year-old star — who shot to fame after co-writing and starring in Good Will Hunting with pal Ben Affleck in 1997 — wants to focus on directing, but only if the right project comes along.

Simon Cowell Haiti Charity Single “Everybody Hurts” [AUDIO]


Some of the biggest names in UK and American music have joined forces to record a cover of REM’s ’80s classic “Everybody Hurts” in a bid to raise money for a pair of British charities supporting the relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. In the direction of tough-talking music mogul Simon Cowell, the lineup of featured artists includes: Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Jon Bon Jovi, Robbie Williams, Kylie, Rod Stewart, Alexandra Burke, Miley Cyrus, Take That, Joe McElderry, Cheryl Cole, JLS, Mika, Michael Bublé, James Blunt, James Morrison, Susan Boyle, and Westlife.

The track — recorded London and Los Angeles — will split all proceeds between the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) and The Sun Newspaper’s Helping Haiti campaign. The track will be available for download via Amazon.com on Feb. 7.

Producer Pushing Lindsay Lohan-Lady Gaga Duet

Lindsay Lohan and Lady Gaga collaborating in the studio?


Don't bet on it, but producer Rodney Jerkins, who's going to be out of work if he keeps coming up with ideas like this, says he'd like the two to work together.

"I can pair them up," says Jerkins, who recently collaborated on Gaga's "Telephone" with Beyoncé. "I would love it. I would love to see what could happen."

While it sounds like convincing the Lost writers to collaborate with the total hacks who bring you Heroes, Jerkins thinks this would be a can't miss project.

Snooki Nude Photos: Allegedly, Disgustingly Real

The Jersey Shore cast just can't keep its pants on - on or off camera.


According to Radar Online, photos and video of Snooki nude have been obtained by someone and are for sale. Pics and videos are being shopped to media outlets.

Now Snooki, a.k.a. Nicole Polizzi, is notoriously unlucky in love. Now it appears she’s supplied a self-taken preview of what a potential boyfriend could be seeing.

Somehow we don't suspect it will fetch top dollar. After all, if you're trying to hawk pics of a 4'10" Oompa Loompa naked, you're really going after a niche market.

Harry Potter Theme Park Super Bowl Ad


Universal Studios Orlando is giving literary fans their first look at the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in a commercial ad that will air during this weekend’s Super Bowl. The amusement wonderland is based on the famous books by British author J.K. Rowling.

Madonna Dumped by Toyboy

EVEN Madonna gets dumped!

According to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper, the singer’s toyboy, 23-year-old Jesus Luz, decided to call time on their year-long romance because realized their age difference (she’s 51) and overall lack of mutual interests nixed a long-term relationship.

“It not only was totally amicable, but it was Luz who initiated the split,” a source said.

Madonna has now reportedly moved on to a chap who’s in his late seventies.


Apple 4th-gen iPhone prototype in front of us all along?

You may be wondering why we’re reposting one of the leaked iPad prototype photos that drummed up excitement prior to the Apple tablet’s launch. Well, according to Apple Insider’s sources – with “an impeccable track record in matters such as these”, no less – the handset we all overlooked in favor of the iPad is, in fact, one of Apple’s fourth-generation iPhones.



Close-ups of the photo don’t give away much, which is probably why the prototype wasn’t spotted despite the photos having been floating around for a week now. Apple Insider’s sources haven’t told them anything else about the smartphone, and nor have they revealed whether it’s seen here in a production casing or wrapped up like the iPad in the image.

Sony Launches Vaio E Series Today: Core i5 Notebooks, in Technicolor

There may be only one build of the Sony Vaio E notebook you can buy today, but your coloring options are equal parts expansive and aggressive. Even beyond the plumage, though, you're looking at a nice little set-up.


It's easy to be distracted by the glare of the "Caribbean Green" and "Hibiscus Pink" color schemes, but under the hood of the 15.5" Vaio E available today are a Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, and a CD/DVD burner standard for $800.

Nokia reconfirms: Symbian^3 and Maemo 6 devices are coming this year

Michael Hsu, Nokia Taiwan’s general manager, has recently reconfirmed that Nokia will be skipping Symbian^2 and release only Symbian^3 smartphones this year – starting the third quarter.


Shortly after Symbian^3 handsets are released, Symbian^4 smartphones will be out, too – in late 2010 or early 2011. As we’ve reported earlier, Nokia is already working on Symbian^4, which will be based on Qt and feature multi-touch, free placement of homescreen widgets, redesigned Control Panel and so on.

Nokia’s first Maemo 6 device will also come in the second half of 2010. Since Maemo 6 and Symbian^4 are both based on Qt, developers will be able to create applications that simultaneously support the two platforms.

Korean Star Song Hye-kyo To Appear in "Zhao's Orphan"

South Korean star Song Hye-kyo is joining the cast of director Chen Kaige's upcoming historical film "Zhao's Orphan," the Zhejiang-based "Youth Times" reports.

Other big names such as box office star Ge You and newly crowned best actor Wang Xueqi also have roles in the film.

Song is supposed to have a supporting role in the male-dominated film that features 12 male roles, the report said.

She is portraying the biological mother of Zhao's orphan. She will perform opposite Ge You's lead role of Cheng Ying, a rural doctor who sacrifices his own son to save the newborn baby of Zhao Dun, the chancellor of the Jin Kingdom (679 B.C. -403 B.C.) whose family is executed because of political slander.

Song signed on for the role because of her keen interest in art-house films by Chinese directors. Her latest onscreen appearance is in "The Grand Master" by Wong Kar-wai.

2PM’s Taecyeon receives hate

We can’t deny that 2PM Taecyeon’s popularity has soared since the the last quarter of 2009. The man is everywhere and fans/netizens have been noticing that he no longer has that humble rookie mindset. Instead, they have been criticizing him for becoming “cocky,” but with all the new found fame and glory, I would think that is somewhat understandable.

But that is just my opinion, as fans and netizens are not as understanding. Hazyfiasco of 2Oneday reported:

Taecyeon’s ‘Thanks To’ note from the 1:59PM album has stirred up the netizens once more. When the issue first came up, kHottests remained silent and stayed away from the controversy. Netizens are furious on behalf of the Hottests because of three points:

TVXQ Named the Best-selling Foreign Artist in Japan

Five-member group TVXQ (known as Tohoshinki in Japan) became the bestselling foreign artists in Japanese music history with the group’s latest single album “Break Out!” Oricon News reported that TVXQ’s 29th single in Japan has sold roughly 25,600 copies in the first week out in the market, rising to No.1 spot on the Oricon weekly single chart. Japanese fans have eagerly waited for the release of “Break Out!” It has been proven by the fact that the album was placed first in the most anticipated album list.

The group’s album sales have surpassed the record set by Elton John in September 1997 when he released “Candle in the Wind” in memory of the late Princess Diana. They have also become the first foreign artist to sell more than 200 thousand copies in the first week since the album’s release. Meanwhile, TVXQ will market on February 17th their best album comprised of the songs introduced in Japan. However, it is not known when the group will resume their activities in Korea, since the legal dispute between three of the members and their agency hasn’t been resolved yet.

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