Microsoft needs to give smartphone users some guarantees or Windows Phone 7 will fail

Microsoft has many miles of bad road to cover if it’s to make any headway in the smartphone market. As I see it, if users are to have any confidence in Windows Phone 7, Microsoft is going to have to offer users some guarantees that they are buying into a platform that will be around for a few years.

Lets face it, Windows Mobile is dead. But the problem is, rather than give is a decent burial and give users the space they need to grief and move on, Microsoft has instead decided to leave its rotting corpse in plain view. You can go out today and buy a handset powered by Windows Mobile 6.5 and know that as soon as Windows Phone 7 handsets make an appearance, the old platform is a gonner.

And that’s been the problem with all Microsoft mobile platforms for years now. Each revision has meant upset, upheaval and having to spend more dough on applications because the old ones wouldn’t run on the new platform. Rinse and repeat …

4minute releases Huh (Hit Your Heart) MV


Having released their full album earlier in the day, the 4minute girls have now unleashed upon us their music video for their title track, Huh (Hit Your Heart).

And you have to admit that the girls have more or less bought out a slick title track for their impending comeback. And all we have to do now is to await their comeback stages starting with M! Countdown on the 19th!

Hankyung to release solo Mandarin album

The last we heard of Hankyung was when he updated his fans about his life, but now it seems like fans will be seeing more of him!’


On the 18th, there was a press conference held about an ambitious music project by Red Bull China and 4 out of five famed Chinese producers attended to outline their plans. Things progressed like normal until a surprise guest showed up and it was revealed to be Hankyung.

His appearance caused many of the fans to scream aloud for him while the producers started “fighting” to produce songs for him.

One of the producers, Yuan Wei Ren said, “I am currently assisting in producing an album for Hankyung. The whole album will be one that will touch fans. I can only say so much for now.” Another producer, Gao Xiao Song, “I will also be working with Hankyung but I cannot say anymore.”

Crystal Bowersox And Lee DeWyze 'In It To Win It' On 'American Idol'

Casey James seemingly punches his ticket home with lackluster pre-finale performance night.

It's down to three, and if this season (or any season, frankly) of "American Idol" has taught us anything, it's all about song choice. Left to their own devices, the top three mostly blew it on Tuesday night with their selections, with only Lee DeWyze earning lukewarm praise for his pick, while Crystal Bowersox and Casey James both elicited tepid responses. Things turned around in the second half when all three got thumbs-up from the judges (who also happened to pick the songs), and DeWyze sprinted ahead of the pack with a powerhouse performance of the oft-covered Leonard Cohen soul-stirrer "Hallelujah," which has been the savior of many an "Idol" contestant.

First up, though, was Cool, Texas' James, who chose little-known singer Eric Hutchinson's 2008 song "OK, It's Alright With Me," which he said felt like something he could have written. James sang the bouncy pop tune in his signature bluesy rasp and smiled his way through the peppy lyrics, earning a clap-along from the pumped-up audience but clearly not impressing the panel.

John Travolta and Kelly Preston Are Expecting

The new cover of Star reports that John Travolta and the 47-year-old Kelly Preston are expecting a child. "Kelly is about three months pregnant," a source told the magazine for their cover story. "Both she and John are absolutely over the moon."

Now the family confirms the news on Travolta's official site. "It's impossible to keep a secret ... especially one as wonderful as this. We want to be the first to share this great news with everyone that we are expecting a new addition to our family. Love, John, Kelly and Ella"

Travolta and Preston wed in 1991 and had two children, daughter Ella Bleu, born in 2000 and their late son Jett, who died in 2009 at age 16. Jett, who had a history of seizures, died on January 2 last year while at the Travoltas' residence in the Bahamas. Both John Travolta and Kelly Preston have kept low profiles since the death of Jett.

Preston had spoken to PEOPLE back in 2007 about her desire for a third child. "I thought I would get pregnant when Ella was about 4," she said in August of 2007. "Then I wanted to work a little bit more, and all of a sudden she's 7. I'm not pregnant now, but I don't have another movie project [lined up]; that's all I'll say."

Kim Kardashian Shape June 2010


Here’s something you see every other day — Kim Kardashian in a two-piece!

The sex symbol is sharing her tips for keeping fit in the June issue of Shape.

Inspired by unflattering paparazzi photos of her that emerged online last year, Kim dropped 10 pounds by increasing her workouts and changing her diet to omit sugar and coffee.

Lindsay Lohan: I'm Not "Dating" 36-Year-Old Female Photographer

Lindsay Lohan doesn't have a new girlfriend.

When asked about a report that she's dating a 36-year-old photographer named Indrani, the actress, 23, tells UsMagazine.com, "No, no, no... In NO way am I dating her."

Indrani -- who will be star in a Bravo show called Double Exposure premiering June 15 -- snapped Lohan at a photoshoot last fall.

"We have been spending a lot of time together. I have never had a relationship with a woman before, but Lindsay is just somebody who I find fascinating, gorgeous and extremely smart, as well as super-hot," Indrani told the New York Post of Lohan, who split from Samantha Ronson in April 2009.

Microsoft warns of serious, unpatched Windows 7 flaw

A serious security vulnerability in Microsoft’s newest operating system could expose users to code execution and denial-of-service attacks, the company warned in an advisory issued late Tuesday.

The vulnerability, which only affects Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, was publicly discussed ahead of Microsoft’s advisory but the company said there are are no reports of attacks attempting to exploit the flaw.

The flaw was found in the Canonical Display Driver (cdd.dll), which is used by desktop composition to blend the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) and DirectX drawing.

New iPhone 4G / HD videos and photos


Vietnamese websites are sure set to piss off Apple and Steve Jobs, as one of them has just posted new photos and videos of what certainly looks like yet another iPhone 4G / HD prototype – although this could be the same unit seen last week.

We’ve already reported what the next iPhone should bring feature-wise, so these new photos and videos don’t actually unveil anything we didn’t already know. However, they confirm, once again, that there will be a 16GB iPhone 4G / HD, and that the smartphone uses a Micro SIM card, just like the iPad 3G.

Apple iPhone OS 4 Beta 4 Goes Live and Brings Plenty of New Options

The Betas for Apple’s iPhone OS 4 have been coming out at a steady pace, but so far none of them have been all that ground breaking, when it comes to feature lists. Sure, Beta 3 released Folders onto unsuspecting people and developers, but still, it wasn’t earth shaking. This time around, though, along with a few small pieces of a larger puzzle, we’ve got something big in the release.


First up, new wallpapers! Yeah, yeah, we know, you were expecting more, right? What? New wallpapers to show off to all your friends isn’t exciting? What about the ability to send a mass message, to everyone you know? You could tell them you’ve got new wallpapers on your iPhone HD. How awesome is that?

CNBLUE’s Love MV unveiled!


Just last week, CNBLUE’s new track Love Light as well as the tracklist for their upcoming album Bluelove was released. The day after the track release, their title track Love’s MV teaser was revealed.

Today, the full MV of Love has finally been unveiled! The track, with its modern rock atmosphere of acoustic and electric guitar sound, definitely has a catchy tune that’s bound to make this track a hit. Love Love Love… Everybody Clap Clap… Without further ado, check it out below!

Raymond Lam’s “The Mysteries of Love” Accused of Stealing Ideas from Japanese Series, “Detective Galileo”

TVB series have recently been accused of copying elements from overseas productions. Ada Choi Siu Fun’s Fly With Me "飛女正傳" borrowed ideas from Hollywood movie, My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Jessica Hsuan’s Sisters of Pearl "掌上明珠" resembled Japanese drama Matriarchal Family. TVB’s prime-time dramas have become a case of duplicating overseas productions.

After Fly With Me airs its ending, TVB will broadcast The Mysteries of Love <談情說案> starring Raymond Lam Fung, Tavia Yeung Yi, Kenneth Ma Kwok Ming, Bernice Liu Bik Yee, and Lisa S. Raymond will play a genius physicist who assists police officer, Kenneth, in solving difficult cases. Tavia will play the role of a doltish police officer who falls in love with Raymond. Even audiences who do not closely follow Japanese dramas will see the similarities between The Mysteries of Love and Japanese drama, Detective Galileo.

Last year, when The Mysteries of Love began filming, the media had already accused TVB of copying Detective Galileo, which starred Fukuyama Masaharu. Raymond denied the accusation, “The two dramas have two different scripts. The different cast should result in a dissimilar interpretation and distinct outcomes.”
Even before its broadcast, netizens have uploaded photos of The Mysteries of Love and Detective Galileo, pointing out their similarities. We will have to see how the The Mysteries of Love’s ratings fare!

'Single Ladies' Tots Are Back With More Sexy Dancing


A very young precision dance troupe started quite a scandal last week when a YouTube video featuring a group of 7- and 8-year-old girls wearing midriff-baring tops and short skirts dancing to Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' hit the web. Although a World of Dance representative and the girls' own parents claimed the dance was "taken out of context," this isn't the first time these young dancers have caused a stir by acting grown up during dance competitions. Here, the girls perform 'My Boyfriend's Back' at the 2009 Hall of Fame Nationals:

Kendra Wilkinson Sex Tape DVD Cover

Kendra Wilkinson is inching closer to becoming the web’s next overexxxposed reality star…whether she likes it or not.


FOX.com’s PopTarts Column has obtained an advance copy of the cover of the married mommy’s racy X-rated video — Kendra Exposed — which reportedly features the former “Girl Next Door” in a variety of compromising positions with multiple partners.

Vivid Entertainment is forging ahead with plans to release the saucy footage later this month, despite Kendra’s argument that she never signed a release permitting the tape to be distributed.

Say Hello To Twitter For iPhone, Aka Tweetie 3.0


Just as we suspected late last night, Twitter removed Tweetie 2 for the App Store yesterday to make room for the newly rebranded “Twitter for iPhone.” It’s there right now in the App Store, labeled as simply “Twitter” — but you can’t download it just yet, as it’s likely still in the process of being put up.

Without being able to see the app just yet, the thing that immediately jumps out is that it’s labeled as “Version 3.0″ — this suggests there will be some upgrades (beyond just the name) from Tweetie 2 (which, of course, was version 2.0). That said, Twitter for iPhone is actually smaller in file size than Tweetie 2 was (2.4 MB versus 2.8 MB), so I’m not sure what that means. That also doesn’t seem to bode well for the possibility that an iPad version of the app is included.

Bill Gates Told Steve Jobs About the iPad in 2007


May 30, 2007. Watch Señor Bill Gates describing the future of computing, with Apple CEO Steve Jobs next to him: An iPad-like device being used alongside an iPhone-like device. Then watch Jobs saying that, actually, the future was the PC.

First, Bill Gates' idea of the future of computing:

I don't think you'll have one device. I think you'll have a full-screen device that you can carry around and you'll do dramatically more reading off of that... yeah, I mean, I believe in the tablet form factor [...] You'll have some way of having a hardware keyboard and some settings for that. And then you'll have the device that fits in your pocket, which the whole notion of how much function should you combine in there, you know, there's navigation computers, there's media, there's phone.

Choi Siwon is responsible for Super Junior’s toned bodies?

Popular idol group Super Junior recently came back to the k-pop scene with their new album and transformed looks, causing a great interest among fans.


In contrast to their usual quirky and funny selves, 10 of the Super Junior members came back with tight abs and noticeable arm muscles. They are now being referred to as “beast idols” much like idol group 2PM because of their athletic looking bodies.

After releasing their fourth album from the 14th to the 16th, they have been performing their title song BONAMANA and appearing on various music shows, including KBS Music Bank, MBC Music Core, and SBS Inkigayo.

Ah Sa Talks About Picking Spouse: I Love Big Belly

New film "Triple Tap" (鎗王之王) starring Louis Koo, Daniel Wu, and Charlene Choi (Ah Sa) held a press event yesterday in Beijing. Director Derek Tung and actors Chapman To, Lam Shuet, and Lin Hoi etc all attended.

In the event, the film's Mainland Sina official website was launched and its Mainland trailer was released. Ah Sa and Louis play a couple. They've played couple many times in the past, but this time is a little different. In the past it was mostly comedy, but this time it's a very serious film. As for that, Louis praised Ah Sa matured a lot: "In this film, I saw a different side of Ah Sa. I felt she grew up a lot compared to the past, more matured." After hearing that, Ah Sa said because director has high standards, so the filming environment was always serious. It's different than comedies in the past and she's quite stressed. During filming, when they saw director's serious face, everyone won't dare to speak.

In addition, reporters at the event asked Ah Sa's spouse requirements, she pointed at Lam Shuet next to her: "I like Lam Shuet's big belly the most!" Later she said she actually doesn't have any standard, depends on fate.

Ashley Greene: Robert Pattinson 'Doesn't Understand Girls'

Ashley Greene might be the only woman who hasn't fallen under the spell of Twilight hunk Robert Pattinson.

"When I met Rob, I didn't think twice about him," Greene says in new issue of Seventeen, on newsstands May 25. "He's really attractive, but that chemistry wasn't there."

And with what could be a dagger in the hearts of woman all over the world, Greene says the sex symbol "doesn't understand girls."

"He gets a lot of attention from them, but he doesn't quite understand it because before Twilight, he was just a guy from Harry Potter."

But it was different story for Greene and her Twilight costar and onscreen family member, Kellan Lutz. When asked if she's ever hooked up with Lutz, Greene replied, "I've definitely thought about it."

She says the pair, who are currently in contract negotiations to make sure they remain part of the Cullen family for the final two Twilight installments, met years ago through their agent and they've been "best friends ever since – and filming together has made us even closer."

Is Firefox Headed Towards A Massive Decline? Its Co-Founder Thinks So

Quora is a great place to find answers about products from prominent people involved with them. It’s also a great place for those prominent people to disagree, publicly. That’s what’s happening right now in a thread about the future of Firefox.

Someone posted the following question to Quora recently: Will Firefox have double-digit market share in 3 to 5 years? Straightforward enough. Yes, says (outgoing) Mozilla CEO John Lilly. No, says Firefox co-founder Blake Ross. So far, Ross is winning the argument, according to the votes from Quora users.

Here’s what Ross had to say:

I’m pretty skeptical. I think the Mozilla Organization has gradually reverted back to its old ways of being too timid, passive and consensus-driven to release breakthrough products quickly.

HTC Wildfire to hit T-Mobile UK on June 14. Nokia C5 coming this month

Although Virgin Mobile was the first to announce it’s bringing the HTC Wildfire to the UK, it looks like the first UK carrier to actually launch the smartphone will be T-Mobile.


The Wildfire is now featured on T-Mobile UK’s website, in the coming soon section, and the carrier says on Twitter that customers will be able to buy the handset starting June 14. Last time I checked, June was in the second quarter of the year, so this might be a mistake, since HTC officially said the Wildfire (which runs Android 2.1) would only be out in the third quarter.

T-Mobile UK didn’t disclose the price of the HTC Wildfire, but “free on select plans” sounds like a safe guess.

Vogue June Covergirl Blake Lively: “I’m Going To Be The Coolest Aunt Ever!”


Blake Lively makes her blockbuster action flick debut alongside Ryan Reynolds in Green Lantern, set to hit theaters on June 17, 2011.

The comic book movie role is quite a departure from what Lively is used to playing blonde bombshell Serena van der Woodsen on the tube, but Blake admits she has selfish reasons for wanting to take on the high-octane action scenes in the upcoming feature:

Don't admire these at work! Miranda Kerr poses in her underwear in another racy GQ shoot

Last time Miranda Kerr posed for GQ it led to one hapless Australian banker nearly losing his job.


So for his sake let's hope he isn't looking this time. The model has stripped off yet again, posing in the June issue of the men's magazine in her underwear.

Images of banker David Kiely gazing at Miranda were broadcast around the world after he was inadvertently filmed during an interview on Channel 7 news at Maquarie Bank in Sydney.

'It was a big deal,' Miranda told GQ. 'I wasn’t offended. I just felt sorry for the poor guy.

'I wonder if he’ll get into trouble if we send him this cover.'

And she said that this time she hoped Kiely would not be caught out.

'We should send him a signed cover!' she said.

Is ***** Really Dead?! Gossip Girl Bosses Tell All About Shocking Finale

O.M.F.G. indeed.

We're still not really sure what to say about last night's jaw-dropping Gossip Girl finale, so we went straight to show runners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage for a little clarification. You fans have been asking all day, is ***** a goner?! Is ******** really preggers?! When will ***** and ******** be back on the show?! Spoiler Alert! Do not read on if you haven't watched the episode, 'cause the silly asterisks end right here!

Here's what Josh and Stephanie had to say:

First, the money quote from Josh Schwartz: "Tell all the Gossip Girl fans out there we're just getting warmed up. We want to drive them into an even greater frenzy."

Could that even be possible? Check out Twitter for Gossip Girl reactions from the past 24 hours and you'll know it is so far the most talked about season finale so far this month by far.

Cecilia Cheung Leaves The Hospital Secretly

After giving birth to second son Quintus last Wednesday, it's known that Cecilia Cheung and her newborn left the hospital secretly yesterday, successfully avoided all media. Last night around 8PM, security guard in the hospital saw reporters had been waiting and waiting, so he told them that Cecilia already left. But when reporters contacted Deborah (mother-in-law of Cecilia), she still said: "Not yet, we are still in there." However, Cecilia's manager admitted they left already. Yesterday afternoon around 3PM, Cecilia's brother appeared in the hospital to visit his sister. He greeted reporters when he left. Asked is Cecilia still in the hospital? He nodded. In addition, Nicholas Tse continued to work, filming commercials. His assistant posted Nicholas' photos on Sina Mini Blog and expressed: "He is still in break, but some jobs cannot be put off."

Long-delayed Calling For Love gets off to a rough start

Mike He and Charlene Choi’s Calling For Love finally made it on air after nearly 10 months of delay. The CTS drama joined the Sunday night ratings battle alongside P.S. Man and Down With Love this past weekend. It averaged a less than stellar rating of 0.75%, but then again, that’s almost 3 times the amount of viewers that tuned into the Because of You finale. It probably won’t get any easier over the next few weeks, as the last episode of Down With Love is coming this Sunday, while FTV will begin airing Summer’s Desire on the 30th.

On a positive note, Calling For Love pulled in 1.06% among viewers between the ages of 15-44. Meanwhile, the top two idol dramas retained their positions and relatively the same ratings as the previous weeks. P.S. Man drew an average of 4.35%, while Down With Love was at 3.13%.

In related news, Mike He celebrated Calling For Love’s “15-44” ratings with costars Tracy Zhou and Chen Zhi-Kai. He also announced that he has fired his manager on Facebook...

Toned Jennifer Aniston works up a sweat and reveals her taut tummy in ad for bottled water

Jennifer Aniston shows off her athletic figure in a new U.S. ad campaign.

The 41-year-old star is plugging electrolyte-enhanced Smart Water and looks immaculate in the black and white photograph.


In the ad, currently running in American magazines, the actress is pictured in her gym gear, baring her taut tummy while clutching a bottle of the mineral water.

She is pictured above a caption which reads: 'My workout partner. Working out feels great...afterwards.

'That's why I drink Smart. It's hydration I can feel. (And it's one part of my routine I never sweat.)'

Aniston is no stranger to exercise. The yoga devotee also runs to keep in shape.

Megan Fox Allure Magazine June 2010: “Plastic Surgery Patients Need Therapy!”


As outspoken as she is gorgeous, Megan Fox has some stern advice for frumpy folk thinking of emulating the look of old Hollywood glamour by going under the knife: “See a shrink!”

Lindsay Lohan Dating 36-Year-Old 'Cougar Lesbian Lover'

Lindsay Lohan has been dating photographer Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri, 13 years her senior, who the New York Post dubs a "cougar lesbian lover." The two met during a photo shoot last fall -- the Post has a picture of a scantily clad Lohan cozying up to Indrani.


"We have been spending a lot of time together," Indrani told the Post. "I have never had a relationship with a woman before, but Lindsay is just somebody who I find fascinating, gorgeous and extremely smart, as well as super-hot. Lindsay gets a lot of bad press, but she's a really strong, creative woman and is trying really hard to get her life in a good, positive place."

Lohan, 23, recently dated 32-year-old British DJ Samantha Ronson. LiLo told The Sun: "I never really thought about women before, it kind of just happened with Samantha. If I wasn't with Samantha, I would probably be with a boy next. She's the only woman I've been attracted to."

Apple slips a MacBook update, more power and 10 hours of juice


That MacBook leak was the real deal, folks. Today, right on cue, Apple announced it had refreshed its popular, low-end MacBook unit. Now offering a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics card and non-user replaceable battery rated for 10 hours of battery life (up from a previous 7), the new $999 MacBook is perfect for hipsters on a dime. Of course $200 more will bump you into MacBook Pro line, but we know you’re style conscious and fully aware that only the white polycarbonate frame of the MacBook matches your painfully ironic K-Swiss kicks.

LG Windows Phone 7 handset caught in wild?

LG’s Windows Phone 7 device looks to have been caught in the wild again, with a photo purportedly shared on Flickr by a French Microsoft employee. The handset – which we last saw back in March 2010 – has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that isn’t shown in this particular live shot.


In fact, LG are yet to confirm exact specifications for the device, though we do have Microsoft’s minimum Windows Phone 7 capabilities to give us some idea. They include a 1GHz processor – likely to be Qualcomm’s Snapdragon – and a capacitive touchscreen, as well as at least 8GB of memory and a-GPS, an accelerometer, digital compass, light and proximity sensors.

4minute drops their 2nd mini album “Huh (Hit Your Heart)”


The concept photos instigated fans to build up the anticipation and the MV teaser featuring BEAST was enough to bring fans to the breaking point, but now 4minute continues to test the limit with the release of the tracklist for their 2nd mini album Huh (Hit Your Heart). Check it out below!

1 Who’s Next? (Feat. Beast)
2 Huh
3 Invitation
4 I My Me Mine
5 Bababa
6 Highlight
7 태연하게 당연하게

Jay Chou's new album 'The Era' released today; Hong Kong sales breaks previous record


Jay Chou's new album was released across Asia today, and Hong Kong sales have already surpassed 70,000 copies, smashing his previous album sales record. In the MV for his second title track 'The Era', Jay turns into a handsome vampire and it also features a special custom-made piano that cost $620,000rmb, again smashing his personal record for the most amount of money spent on an MV. And for his third title track 'Raining All Night', Jay continues to travel through time, and transforms into a traditional Chinese man, playing er hu. The most special thing about this MV is that it actually led to a very happy event. During filming, one of the male actors suddenly proposed to his girlfriend, who was also one of the female actors, making her very surprised but happy. And this whole process was also recorded.

Charlie Sheen to Earn Nearly $2 Million Per Episode

Charlie Sheen will not only be staying on for two more seasons of 'Two and a Half Men,' the actor is getting a huge pay raise to the tune of nearly $2 million per episode, according to reports.

The deal, between Sheen's reps and Warner Bros. TV, was sealed Monday night and bumps his salary for the CBS comedy from $850,000 to between $1.8 - $1.9 million each episode, Variety is reporting.

He was already the highest paid actor in primetime, but now he'll be getting about what Ray Romano received for the final season of 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' also a CBS show.

Sheen confirmed he was returning to the hit show in an earlier statement. "To put a fitting end on the two-and-one-half months of whirlwind speculation, I'm looking forward to returning to my CBS home on Monday nights," he said.

Christina Aguilera Swears Lady Gaga "Is Great," OK?


So Christina Aguilera has seemed a bit testy lately. Maybe it's because no one's been all that into to her big Bionic comeback or maybe it's because not enough focus is put on doing good stuff. Who knows? In any case, she didn't have nice things to say about Lady Gaga and now has to backtrack.

It all started when Out magazine asked Xtina about Gaga, really a sort of mandatory question at this point, and this was the response: "'Oh, the newcomer?' Aguilera chuckles. 'I think she's really fun to look at.'"

CBS cancels 'Ghost Whisperer' and 'Old Christine' & more

In a stunning move, CBS has axed both Ghost Whisperer and The New Adventures of Old Christine.


Also gone: Gary Unmarried, Cold Case, Miami Medical, Accidentally on Purpose, and Numb3rs.

Medium and Rules of Engagement, meanwhile, have been renewed.

Fans may want to hold off on eulogizing Ghost and Christine for a day or two. There’s an outside chance that ABC (which co-owns GW and has long coveted Christine) may swoop in and rescue one or both.

“There’s a 50/50 shot that Christine will move to ABC,” says one source. A reprieve for Ghost appears less likely. Final decisions are expected later this week. In the meantime, my Bubble Show Scorecard has been updated.

It's official: Microsoft is out of the Vista doghouse

Microsoft has won back the customers it lost during the three years when it was best known for the unloved and much-mocked Windows Vista. In fact, a new survey from an independent group finds that Microsoft’s customer satisfaction levels in the wake of the successful launch of Windows 7 are at an all-time high. The report also includes some bad news for AT&T Mobility and for the cable and satellite TV industries.

You can see the results for yourself in this year’s comprehensive American Customer Satisfaction Index report, released today by the University of Michigan. The annual survey covers 10 economic sectors, 44 industries, and more than 200 companies or Federal and local government agencies. Each entity is scored on a scale of 0-100, with higher numbers representing greater satisfaction.

Back in 2006, before Vista was released, Microsoft’s ACSI score was a respectable 73. (To put that number in perspective, the highest satisfaction score for 2010 is an 83 for Sempra Energy.) In 2007, the year of Vista’s launch, Microsoft’s ACSI score dropped significantly, to 70, and it dropped another point in 2008, to 69, inching up to 70 again in 2009. Those numbers are remarkably consistent and significantly lower than the pre-Vista ratings.

Last fall, Microsoft introduced Windows 7. Today, roughly six months later, the company’s ACSI score has spiked impressively, to an all-time high of 76.

Browser wars are back: The downside for you

Web video without ads? No one would mind that. However, iPad users viewing the popular New York Times site are finding out that not having to sit through ads has a price -- fewer videos to watch.

Here's why: Apple won't allow Flash based videos to run on an iPad. The Times and thousands of other sites use a media player called Brightcove to play those Flash-less videos. But without Flash, Brightcove can't include ads, or the analytic tools that allow advertisers to measure the performance of ads, said Brightcove's marketing chief Jeff Whatcott. And since ads pay the bills, The Times won't post many videos on the version of its site tuned for the iPad.

Normally, the technology industry's progress in adopting standards is like making sausage: You don't want to see it or know too much about it. But as the problem on The Times' Web site illustrates, the tiff over Flash and a rival video standard called HTML 5 is having a real effect on the Web-loving public. Users of mobile devices like the iPad and iPhone are unwilling participants in the skirmish, and you can expect ripples to reach the desktop as well.

Is TVXQ Jaejoong dating a japanese model?


TVXQ / DBSK / Tohoshinki’s Jaejoong is once again involved in a Japanese dating rumor.

A weekly magazine in Japan reported that Jaejoong and Japanese model Mikiko Yano were spotted enjoying a date together in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. The two were seen wearing masks standing at a cross walk with arms locked looking to be enjoying each others company.

Vic Zhou tries out a saucy and "soft beauty" image for new film


After series Ruffian Hero, Zaizai Zhou Yumin once again has a major breakthrough in his image for a new film. Not only wearing a pink suit, he also put on a saucy and cute pose. But actually in the film Zaizai plays a decadent rock band member and will sing in the movie, plus have a passionate bed scene with Japanese actress Kato Yuki.

Wearing a saucy pink suit, and combining it with vulgar (俗俗) taiwanese-flavored (台客) dance steps, Zai Zai Zhou Yumin will wriggle his waist and exhibit his buttock and even sing a classic old song to show off his vocal chords in the movie "Love You Ten Thousand Years".

Android 2.1 becomes most used version, just in time to be obviated by Froyo


Rejoice, oh Android lovers. Thy OS of choice has finally graduated to the point where its latest variant is also the most used -- a statistic that is likely to last for only a day given Google's intent to reveal Android 2.2, or Froyo, at its I/O conference tomorrow. For the first time since El Goog's been keeping these platform version stats, 2.1 has risen above 1.5, the previous incumbent, having grown from 32.4 percent on May 3 (chart after the break) to 37.2 percent on May 17. This rapid ascension can only be expected to accelerate with more devices getting their Eclair permissions slips, and let's not forget that Google will be trying its hardest with 2.2 to make upgrades easier for phone makers to implement. Onwards and upwards we go.

Google begins Chrome 6 development

A few days ago, Chrome turned 6. Version 6, that is, though only on the developer preview channel.

The move doesn't mean a radical new version of Google's browser is available to test--the changes over the 5.0 series are pretty minor, chiefly reflecting the fact that a new branch has sprouted from Chrome's source-code tree. But the change is important for a couple reasons.

First and foremost, it means the work of buttoning down geolocation support and other new features in Chrome 5 can begin in earnest since experimental work is now happening elsewhere. Chrome 5 will be the first stable release for Mac OS X and Linux, a move that's important for attracting mainstream users.

Second, starting Chrome 6 frees the cutting-edge coders up for developing those new features, making the new branch more than a mere twig.

Google doesn't make a big deal about Chrome version numbers, treating them as mere milestones passed on the journey to a better browser. If a feature doesn't make a particular milestone, it gets pushed back, as indeed has happened with a few items planned for Chrome 5. But Google updates Chrome relatively frequently, so delaying a feature typically pushes it back only a few months.

Robert Pattinson “Kill Your Friends” Movie Role Could Be “Darkest Part” Yet

Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson is campaigning for the starring role in the film adaptation of the smash novel Kill Your Friends. If he bags the role, Twi-Hards will see their beloved Pattz doing drugs, sleeping with prostitutes, and committing murder as a drug and sex-obsessed record executive.

Rob has his sights set on playing fictional record label A&R man Steven Stelfox in the big screen adaptation of the 2008 novel written by former real life A&R man John Niven.

A movie industry tattle tells London’s The Sun newspaper: “Rob is a huge fan of the novel. He is fascinated by the music industry and is keen to get involved in the project. He’s already approached producers telling them he wants to play the leading man. If he gets the role it will be the darkest part he’s ever played. It’s an incredibly adult character and is bound to shock his fan base.”

Hugh Laurie Could Totally Be the Next Simon Cowell

You're welcome, America!

I just caught up with the always amazing Hugh Laurie, who not only talked about what it was like shooting last night's incredibly fantastic finale of House, but gave up this little bomb for you American Idol fans:

He's totally not adverse to the idea of replacing Simon Cowell!

It was all in good fun, but you should see how charming and great Hugh is in person.

And in all seriousness, Hugh would not be a bad choice at all to step in for Simon, whose replacement on Idol will be announced this summer according to Fox president Kevin Reilly. Not only is Hugh British and tells it like it is, he's already on Fox and is a talented musician who plays multiple instruments. Done and done!

Can we start a campaign now? Major brownie points to the first fan to head up a Make Hugh the New Simon Facebook page. Hey, it worked for Betty White.

What do you think of Hugh as the next Simon? And how did you like last night's House finale? Are you Team Huddy?

Rain and Jackie Chan to collaborate for production of ‘Hip Song’ MV


Singer actor Rain will work together with actor Jackie Chan for his ‘Hip Song’ MV.

Known to be close friends, the 2 will produce the MV for ‘Hip Song’ and also making use of the upcoming project movie ‘Karate Kid’ between Will Smith and Jackie Chan. The MV will go in line with the upcoming worldwide screening of ‘Karate Kid’ on 10th June. According to a JTunes Entertainment representative, Jackie Chan had proposed the idea and Rain had accepted and agreed to work together. The MV will be released on 20th May online.

Kim HeeChul, “YoonA is the prettiest female entertainer I’ve seen”


Super Junior member Kim HeeChul praises So Nyeo Shi Dae YoonA on her beauty.

HeeChul wrote on his Twitter on 18th May attached a selca photo taken together with YoonA. He wrote in his Tweet, “She’s got a great personality and beauty, but I like her bare face better than when she has any make up on. Even though I’ve encountered times when she would be spoken ill of by the grandmothers and ajusshis, she is the prettiest female entertainer I’ve even seen.”

Idol‘s Top 3 Rehearse Songs of Their Choice

Back in L.A. after their hometown visits last Friday, American Idol‘s three remaining contestants — Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze and Casey James — are buckling down for their last performances before the season’s big finale. Singing two songs each, the contestants were able to choose any tune they wished, while the judges picked their second selection — and PEOPLE was on hand to at the rehearsal to bring you a (spoiler free!) sneak peek of what you’ll see on Tuesday’s show. –Jessica Herndon

LEE DEWYZE: Singing a soft, harmonic staple chosen by Simon Cowell, Lee strummed his guitar while standing behind the mic stand in sneakers, a blue sweatshirt and red baseball cap. A chorus line of background singers surrounded the rocker on each side. DeWyze joked that he should be lifted by a harness to look like he’s flying. For his second song, he performed a sentimental rock classic that he sped up a bit. Changing the vocal arrangement slightly, DeWyze raised the bar by picking the perfect tune for his voice.

Twilight Director: Salary Dispute 'Could Turn Ugly'

Catherine Hardwicke, director of the first Twilight film, who was closely involved in casting the ensemble of actors, is under no illusions about the seriousness of the current salary dispute involving Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz.

"It would really break my heart if they were replaced, but it could happen. Things could turn ugly quickly," Hardwicke, 54, said this weekend at the Twilight Convention in Vancouver.

Cullen kids Lutz, 25, and Greene, 23, reportedly had a three-picture deal, which expired, and are trying to score paydays of about $1.5 million as work begins on the next installment, Breaking Dawn. But Hardwicke says the young actors might not even be all that involved in the negotiations.

"They have all these people and outside influences telling you what to do," Hardwicke said. "They tell you to hold out for this much because you're such an important part of the franchise, and everyone is telling you to ask for more."

Jensen Ackles & Danneel Harris Skip Honeymoon


For a chick who insisted her marriage was completely legit, gorgeous Danneel Harris, who wed this weekend, sure has a funny way of showing it! The very expensive, exquisitely detailed affair?which took place at one of Dallas's swankiest hotels, the Crescent?was months in the planning. From Danneel's stunning Monique Lhuillier gown to those dog dresses Danneel insisted her bridesmaids wear (very crafty, star of the show!), Ms. H. had the planning on this one down.

So why were Danneel and her new hubby, Jensen Ackles, back at work the next day?

Oh, the same reason Danneel and Jensen got married in the first place: They're both all about the pro stuff! What a perf couple!

Indeed, the always up and perky Danneel told our own Kristen Dos Santos she didn't mind "Donald Trump being at her honeymoon," as it were. This, of course, is while Danneel attends the New York press tour for her new NBC show, Friends With Benefits...and while Jensen has a "spa day."

Robin Hood Beats Iron Man UK box office

Robin Hood's latest big-screen outing has debuted at the top of the UK and Ireland box office, pushing Iron Man 2 into second place.

The Ridley Scott movie, which openedCannes Film Festival last week, took £5.75m to Iron Man's £1.6m.

Horror remake A Nightmare on Elm Street stayed in third place with £0.65m, and Hot Tub Time Machine stayed in fourth with £0.57m.

Furry Vengeance dropped three places to round out the top five with £0.55m

Critical reaction to Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, has been mixed.

This big-budget epic has taken a few liberties with the traditional outlaw story - Richard The Lionheart is portrayed as a selfish, warmongering monarch, while the Sheriff of Nottingham plays only a peripheral role.

powered by Blogger | WordPress by Newwpthemes | Converted by BloggerTheme