Lady Gaga adds a little nunsense to her already outrageous stage show

Lady Gaga isn't one to hold back when it comes to causing controversy.

The 24-year-old performer is known for her outrageous on-stage and off-stage outfits, naked photo shoots and generally bizarre persona.

So it was no surprise to see Gaga following in the footsteps of the original queen of controversy, Madonna, by donning a nun's habit as she performed in Tacoma, Washington last night.



And Gaga being Gaga this was no regular, run of the mill nun's habit, hers was made from see-through plastic, showing her nude-coloured underwear and some criss cross plasters over her breasts.

Madonna sparked outrage from religious groups with the release of her fourth album, Like A Prayer, in 1989.

Miley Cyrus Ditches Good Girl Image in New Film


Miley Cyrus can't be tamed and is ditching her Hannah Montana-persona for an edgy new role in the upcoming film, 'LOL: Laughing Out Loud.' Hollywood Life has seen the script and reports that Cyrus' character loses her virginity, smokes pot, gets wasted and kisses two girlfriends on the lips. Her character even accidentally shows her mom Ana, played by actress Demi Moore, her Brazilian wax. "You're my daughter, and I won't let you turn into a porn star!" Ana tells Lola.

In an interview with MTV, Moore praised Cyrus' acting and professionalism.

"She's great, and I think that she is incredibly grounded," Moore said. "[Miley] is a true professional, and she truly has a wonderful family."

How Microsoft can save itself

It's going to take some strong medicine, but Microsoft can turn things around

By some very important measures, Microsoft's best days are behind it. Once the dominant technology company in the world, it has fallen behind -- even far behind -- in the market's biggest growth areas: the Internet and mobile devices. True, it remains dominant on the desktop and in office software suites, but that's not where the growth is these days.

When it comes to the Internet, it trails far behind Google. And when it comes to mobile devices, it has fallen far behind both Apple, which offers the iPhone and the iPod, and Google and the various Android-based phones.

In fact, a milestone was passed back in May, when Apple overtook Microsoft in total valuation. Soon, Apple is expected to pass Microsoft in revenue as well.

Should Microsoft simply give up and accept that its glory days are over?

Certainly not. The technology market changes quickly, and companies can leapfrog competitors, even seemingly entrenched ones, with the right mix of strategy and products. Here is my modest proposal for two steps Microsoft can take to try and regain its technology dominance.

LG GW910 Windows Phone 7 device gets outed by the FCC

As time passes, there are more and more leaks of the upcoming smartphones powered by Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7.


One way or the other, the Samsung i917 Cetus, the LG C900 and E900 have surfaced. And LG definitely seem to want to keep that promise of selling 5 million smartphones by year’s end, as they’ve apparently got quite the WP7 line-up.

Another LG WP7-powered device has just cleared the FCC. This is the LG GW910.

Heechul protects BoA from anti’s and even ELF’s?


Super Junior’s Heechul has given a warning towards anti’s and possibly even ELF (Super Junior’s fan club) through his Twitter.

Heechul recently tweeted, “Slow to tattle tell, but the fingers are speedy. You hear ballad from outside but from the inside its death metal. Holding a knife in your hand and starts attacking others on what they wrote. My oppa and XX’s difference. They can make someone into a devil and then a angel.”

He continued, “I thank for your actions to try to protect someone. But offending others in the process is XX you. I recently fell into rap, and ah, I feel like I’m saying rhymes keke. If I like my fans, I like your fans as well. If you know that I’m hurt to see my celebrities being attacked, you should also know that I get hurt looking at other celebrities being attacked.”

Wang Lee Hom Buddha too busy violently "cottage Liu Yifei"

Leehom Wang playing the Chinese style, in order to allusions create "Boya must string" Concert was once again co-lyricist of the Mayday A letter, which was originally performed in a total of Liu Yifei movie schedule is too full, MV only version of beauty invited to perform cottage.


The story of the song from Spring and Autumn Period and the son of Boya, Lee Hom moved by this story, come to help him with "the plum side," a talk "The Peony Pavilion" A story of a letter again to work together this ancient replication Concert Food of Love. Wang Lee Hom says with a laugh: "Both the co-operation, also called a Concert of the event ah."

In fact, the film "Love notice", the Lee Hom will be into the story in which he played Boya, Liu Yifei play sub-period, "Boya must Strings" is a concept of the movie theme song, in order to convey the song's mood, Wang Lee Hom arrangement of a large number of integration into the zheng, please "Twelve Girls Band" in Zheng Zhou Jiannan playing hand, and then hip-hop rhythm to tell a story, showing what combination, through the ancient and modern atmosphere.

“Nikita” Promo Poster Banned

An ad promoting the upcoming premiere of CW spinoff Nikita has caused controversy among censors, who claim the promo is too racy for public display , Variety reports.


The poster features series star Maggie Q wearing a revealing leather outfit but was rejected by posh Los Angeles shopping mall The Grove, Shopping destinations in Chicago and New York also rejected the campaign.

“Of course, we’ve been down this road a few times with some of our campaigns,” CW Marketing Executive Rick Haskins. “We know it’s always smart to come prepared [and] to have different options ready to offer our different constituents.”

Kara DioGuardi Tried to Quit Idol Two Months Ago!

Kara DioGuardi is done with American Idol.

But that doesn't mean she was fired...

While Ms. DioGuardi still hasn't heard from Fox about the upcoming season, I'm told she's actually been wanting off the show for a while now.

"She went to Fox two months ago and told them she didn't want to do another season," a source tells me. "She's ready to move on. She did two years and thinks that's enough."

Big problem right now for DioGuardi is she's probably still contractually obligated to do the show if Fox tells her to. "It's frustrating because she can't even take any meetings...everyone wants to know what her schedule will be like, but she doesn't know," the source said. "What happens if Fox tells her they still want her for next season?"

DioGuardi's rep did not immediately comment. A Fox rep declined to comment.

So what happened when DioGuardi told Fox that she wanted out? "They said they'd get back to her," the source said.

Fortunately, DioGuardi hasn't been holding her breath.

Mobile Browser Deathmatch: Windows Phone 7 vs Nexus One vs iPhone


Wondering how the Windows Phone 7 browser stacks up against that of other popular devices? The folks at PocketNow can help clue you in because they've compared a Windows Phone 7, a Nexus One running Froyo, and an iPhone.

It's worth noting that neither the Windows Phone 7 device nor the software it's running are final builds, so this is only a general idea and not intended as some sort of grand benchmark. [PocketNow via Zatz Not Funny]

Nokia N9 Rumored to Feature 4-Inch OLED Screen and 1GHz Processor

Late last week, Nokia’s N9 broke cover with plenty of leaked images. While the photoshoot was great, and it showed off plenty of the device’s physical attributes, there still wasn’t enough information to get people excited. Now though, it’s time to spend some time in the rumor mill, and reveal to you, the curious onlooker, what exactly is going to make the Nokia N9 so prominent in the smartphone market some time in the near future.



According to a tipster named Lee, who provided these “tips” to site NokNok, the N9 is certainly going to be a formidable device. Despite not being named specifically in the tip, we’re still hearing that the handset is going to be running MeeGo when it launches (whenever it launches). That’s underneath a 4-inch OLED display, and powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. As for memory, that’s somewhere in the ballpark of 512MB of RAM, 1GB of system storage, and a whopping 64GB of internal memory.

iPhone Gmail Gets Push By Routing Around The Mail App Using Apple’s Servers

I’d wager that you’d be hard-pressed to find an iPhone user that doesn’t use Gmail on the device. And yet, it’s an awkward relationship. Why? Because Gmail run through the iPhone’s native mail client is a crippled experience. Set aside for a second that you cannot star anything (well, aside from moving an email to the “Starred” folder, which is ridiculous), more importantly, there is no push support. This means you cannot get your email in realtime. Instead, you have to ping Gmail’s servers (either in set intervals or manually). Both Yahoo Mail and MobileMe mail have full push support. It’s ridiculous. Google finally made a move to fix that today. Well, sort of.

With the latest version of their Google Mobile App, you can set up your iPhone to receive Push Notifications each time you get a new Gmail message or when you have a Google Calendar alert. No, Push Notifications on the iPhone aren’t technically the same as full push support for mail, but it will do. Essentially, you’ll now be getting a notification when a new message comes in and this will alert you to open your Mail app and retrieve it. It’s two more steps than regular push would require, but whatever.

What’s interesting is that Google is using Apple’s Push Notifications servers to enable this service. All of these Push Notifications are served up by Apple Push Notification Service (APNS). So yes, Google is using Apple to overcome their own shortcoming (which may or may not be Apple’s fault, who knows what is going on between the two at this point).

Charlene Choi possessed by Bruce Lee

It was the 5th time for Charlene Choi to appear as Adidas' ambassador. In the advertisements, Charlene had many different styles, and also did some movements such as boxing and kicking. To make her actions look more professional, they specially invited a gym instructor from Australia, Paolo Gimenez to guide her in her actions. Their photographer was Richard Ramos, from Spain.

This time Charlene took up a big challenge. Her actions were getting more complicated, she joked and said, "Filming their advertisement feels like participating in a yearly exercising event, running, jumping, lifting legs up all at once, it's the most healthy day of the year." Under the supervision of her trainer, Ah Sa managed to perform the most beautiful stunt within a short time, successfully finished the challenging pose, she said, “I also feel that I'm quite good, I didn't expect it too. Seeing myself doing some kicking stunts, I felt like Bruce Lee was possessing me."

Narsha unleashes ‘Mamma Mia’ MV


Last week, a MV teaser for Narsha’s follow-up track, Mamma Mia, was revealed. The teaser revealed a sexy kiss scene done by Narsha herself, and although she did not begin her follow-up promotions yet, her follow-up track has started to dominate various music portal sites.

Featuring hoobae group Sunny Hill, the full MV that showcases the full version of Narsha’s kiss scene has been finally unleashed today!

'Piranha 3-D: The Sequel' in the works


Strong reviews and a $10 million opening was enough for Dimension Films to get working on a sequel of Piranha 3-D. The studio confirmed today that plans for another bloody gore fest are in the works with director Alexandre Aja and producer Mark Canton re-teaming with Dimension. “We are thrilled that audiences are not just loving Piranha 3-D, but cheering for it,” says Canton. “And it’s fantastic that so many critics are really getting the movie and recommending it. We can’t wait to get to work on the sequel.”

What would said sequel look like? No plotline has yet been decided, but Aja, when interviewed a couple weeks back, said the team has been throwing around a lot of different story lines. “We had many ideas, like the full moon party in Thailand — a huge event with like 200,00 young people from all around the world taking mushrooms and partying on the beach.” Ahh, a perfect environment for man-eating fish.

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren's Divorce Is Final

After months of speculation, the marriage between Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren Woods is officially over: The couple were present at Bay County Circuit Court in Panama City, Fla., Monday for the execution of their divorce agreement.

"We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future," they said in a statement released by Nordegren's Virginia-based law firm of McGuireWoods. "While we are no longer married, we are the parents of two wonderful children and their happiness has been, and will always be, of paramount importance to both of us."

The documents do not reveal details of the split, but the couple's statement also says, "Once we came to the decision that our marriage was at an end, the primary focus of our amicable discussions has been to ensure their future well-being. The weeks and months ahead will not be easy for them as we adjust to a new family situation, which is why our privacy must be a principal concern."

The settlement – division of property and assets – was undisclosed, but varying reports have suggested that Elin, 30, could receive anywhere from $100 million in assets to as much as five times that figure. Sources have previously told PEOPLE that custody was the key issue for both, and that the couple wanted to share custody of their two children, Sam Alexis, 3, and Charlie Axel, 18 months.

Adobe Flash 10.1 files leaked, will work on any Android 2.2 handset


If you’re rocking an Android 2.2 handset but can’t see Adobe’s Flash 10.1 in the Market, Droid-Life may have you covered. A user has uploaded the Flash 10.1 .apk file for those interested to download. If you’ve got an Android 2.2 build on your device (official or not) and want to take Flash for a spin, hit up the read link and download the goodies.

Source Link

HTC EVO 4G suffering occasional micro-USB port issues?


A quick glance of forums about the interwebs suggests that the EVO 4G has another potential defect that seems to be affecting a notable (though probably still very, very small) number of devices: problems with the micro-USB port, an issue that bit Nokia not long ago on the N900. The main symptom here seems to be that the phone will no longer charge or charges intermittently -- and considering that your phone amounts to little more than a paperweight if it's not properly juiced, we'd say it's a big issue for affected folks. People returning their devices to Sprint have apparently have mixed luck getting reps to agree that the phone should be replaced, but for what it's worth, we've just heard back from an HTC spokesperson who -- in addition to emphasizing that the number of affected units seems to be small -- says that the problem will be covered under the one-year warranty as long as "it is determined that the issue was not caused by customer misuse." Anyone out there seeing this?

iMac the next touch-screen Apple device?


Apple's put a touch interface on so many of its other products, could an iMac be next?

If a patent application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is any indication, the answer is possibly yes. Patently Apple, a blog that keeps tabs on Apple's USPTO filings, noticed an application on Monday that depicts a hinged-screen version of Apple's iMac desktop that has a touch-sensitive screen. The hinge appears to allow the computer to alternate between a traditional vertical desktop configuration and a flat, iPad-like surface when rocked back on its hinge.

Because this would be a desktop computer and a touch-screen device at the same time, it appears the user can choose whether to use the touch-focused iOS operation system from the iPhone and iPad, or the traditional Mac OSX desktop operating system. Moving between the OSes, according to the application, would be activated by touching specific areas of the iMac's screen.

The patent also describes how an accelerometer would be used for alternating between touch input and mouse/keyboard input when the device is in horizontal surface mode versus vertical desktop mode.

Google makes it official: Phone calls now in Gmail


Gmail isn't just about e-mail anymore: it's also a phone.

Google launched the ability to make voice calls to any traditional phone number from a Gmail account Wednesday, which CNET had reported Tuesday was in testing. It's a blend of Gmail and Google Voice technology that allows users to dial numbers from their computers as well as receive incoming calls through one's Google Voice number.

Calls to phone numbers in the U.S. and Canada will be free, and will cost 2 cents a minute to several other countries such as France and the U.K. The service should be rolling out to Gmail users Wednesday.

More to come...

Hebe wishes Ella was the male lead for her 2nd MV

S.H.E’s Hebe Tian will be releasing her solo debut "To Hebe" on September 3rd. The "Super Newcomer" (we didn't make this up, that's what her company is labeling her) is already garnering the attention of stars including Fish Leong. The songstress wrote on her blog, “I can finally hear your character, breaking free on your own, I like it a lot.” A-Mei Chang also showed her support, “Hebe Tian, the girl who loves to sing, you are amazing! The new song is just too good, and touching.”

In contrast to the video for her first single "Love!", Hebe gets a human costar in the form of a male model for her second single “寂寞寂寞就好” (which roughly translates to “Fine with being lonely”.) The two made a good looking couple as they chased each around the beach, but Hebe revealed her ideal costar was in fact Ella. She said she has wanted to act alongside her groupmate, but unfortunately she’s not a guy. The music video is said to be over 4 minutes long and plays like a mini-movie. It will premiere on August 26th on (the local) MTV.

Here's a preview of the song (We'll come back to update the MV when it's available):

Microsoft's IE9 look leaks to the Web


Thanks to Microsoft's Russian subsidiary, the world now has a pretty good idea of what Internet Explorer 9 will look like.

The Russian folks were kind enough to briefly post an image and some details that had yet to be shared about the browser. And although they pulled it down, ZDNet blogger Mary Jo Foley captured the information and screenshot.

More than anything else, the screenshot shows a browser that attempts to offer a minimalistic user interface and leave as much room as possible for the Web sites. When combined with the browser's hardware acceleration, the hope is to pave the way for Web sites that are as application-like as possible.

Microsoft declined to confirm the details Wednesday of what had been posted to its Russian site.

However, the look is consistent with what IE team member Ryan Gavin told CNET earlier this month about the planned appearance of IE9.

"The browser is the theater," Gavin said in the interview. "We're not the play."

The browser appears to go as far as to allow people to pin certain sites to the desktop and open them in their own windows without any clear indication that they are using IE at all. According to Foley's Bing translation of the Russian site, there will be certain sites that are "recognized" or "protected" and can be pinned to the taskbar and launched with their own icons.

Microsoft plans to release a beta of the browser at a September 15 event in San Francisco, although this latest leak clearly steals some of the thunder. Up to now, Microsoft had offered several technical previews of the underlying engine, but had yet to show or talk in detail about how the browser would look.

The invitations for the event do mention "the beauty of the Web" and "unlocking the native Web."

Until now, though, the focus had been on several key features of the browser's engine, including the hardware acceleration capabilities, improved JavaScript engine, and broader support for HTML5 and other standards. Microsoft first showed those features at the Mix10 event in March in Las Vegas, though it had talked about hardware acceleration as far back as last November's Professional Developer Conference.

The details on the Russian site reveal a browser that borrows much from Windows 7, including the ability to tear off browser tabs and have them "snap" to a particular part of the screen, similar to the way documents and applications already do in the latest version of Windows.

There is also a unified search and address bar, something already seen in Google's Chrome. However, having learned from criticism of Google--as well as its own considerable issues with regulators--I'm hearing that Microsoft will make the choice of whether to let the bar suggest sites as you type a completely opt-in affair.

Britney Spears On Working With Lady Gaga: 'Anything's Possible'

Singer poses on manga-inspired Pop cover.

From schoolgirl to toxic temptress, Britney Spears has played many characters throughout the years. But the singer took a very different approach for her photo spread in the upcoming issue of the U.K.'s Pop magazine by channeling her inner manga character. In the issue, the pop princess dished about the possibilities of a Lady Gaga collaboration and working with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami for the anime-inspired cover.

Despite Gaga overthrowing Spears as the most-followed celebrity on Twitter, the singer had no hard feelings toward pop's newest sensation. "I'm a big fan of hers," she said when asked about working with Gaga. "Anything's possible!"

A collaboration between the pop stars doesn't seem out of the question, as Gaga's mega-hit "Telephone" duet with Beyoncé was originally offered to Spears.

Donning a white wedding dress and a veil with matching gloves, Spears innocently poses in a field of flowers on the cover. In another photo, the singer trades the dress for a leg-baring getup accessorized with a red backpack.

Spears' manga-style shoot was shot by Todd Cole with art direction from Takashi Murakami, who is often referred to as the "Andy Warhol of Japan." While the spread strays from the singer's typical styling, the pop star enjoyed working with the artist. "I loved working with Takashi," she said. "I especially liked how he took high-end fashion and incorporated it with Japanese manga."

The singer's tour to Japan was what originally piqued her interest in Japanese culture. "We looked at a lot of characters and artwork before we shot, so I could get a feel for what he was looking for," she explained. "I was in Japan on my past promo tour, and I loved it."

Editor in Chief Dasha Zhukova spoke to Style.com about the singer's Japanese treatment: "She's feminine, sassy, strong-willed, determined: all the things a great Pop icon should be. Couple that with some Japanese swimsuits and a Rodarte wedding gown, and I think she is pretty much Pop personified!"



Britney Spears and her boyfriend Jason Trawick flaunt their matching toned bodies on the beach in Hawaii

Spears couldn't wait to share her excitement for her photo shoot with fans. The pop star took to Twitter, saying, "I just saw the photos for the first time and they are beautiful. Comes out Sept. 1st. Thanks @TakashiPom -- Britney."

Aside from gracing the cover of Pop magazine, the singer has already filmed a cameo for her "Glee" tribute episode and is working on completing the follow-up to 2008's Circus.

So Nyeo Shi Dae’s debut Japanese showcase a success!

Korea’s representative girlgroup So Nyeo Shi Dae has finally started their Japanese promotional activities with a successful debut showcase.

The girls held their debut showcase in Japan on 25th August at 2pm in Tokyo Ariake Colosseum which saw about 7000 fans turning up.

Their debut single ‘Genie’ with both the Japanese and Korean version of their hit song ‘Tell Me Your Wish’ will be released following this debut showcase. The girls showed off each of their charms through the 30-minute live performances session.

They performed 5 of their hits included ‘Oh!’, ‘Run Devil Run’, ‘Into the new world’, ‘Gee’ etc. They had the strong support from their Japanese female fans. Since most girlgroups go for the cutesy image, the girl’ sexy and charming features are well received by fans in Japan.

A SM rep also voiced that the response from the fans for the showcase is positive and overwhelming. And the girls felt encouraged to see that most of their fans are female fans in their 10s and 20s. The girls’ record label Universal Nayuta Wave revealed that about 80% of the fans who attended the showcase are female fans.

Meanwhile, the girls will be heading to LA Staple Centre for SMTown Live ’10 World Tour in LA concert coming 4th September.


Korean Pop Night Concert 2010 for Singapore confirmed

Having had a wonderful star-studded K-pop concert back in 2008, K-pop fans in Singapore were disappointed that there was no repeat the following year. The good news is that K-pop fans in Singapore can now rejoice for perhaps an even bigger concert that will be happening this October.

The news was revealed by a local concert organizer, Proof Label, and the Korean Pop Night Concert 2010 will be happening this October 23rd.

How epic is it?

Well, there’s SNSD, Big Bang, F.T Island, SHINee, INFINITE and there’s one more name that’s yet to be revealed. It might not be the Dream Concert, but it’s almost like the real thing!

Stay tuned to the Proof Label Facebook page or Twitter for more updates.

Heidi Montag Wants G-Cup Breast Implants Removed

Heidi Montag regrets the body she attained through 10 plastic surgeries, saying she wants her G-cup breasts implants removed and she worries about losing her nose.

"My boobs are crushing me," Montag, 23, tells Life & Style. "My body's still getting used to them and I have major anxiety about it."

Heidi says she's had nose tape on "24 hours a day since November," hoping to "keep the swelling down and hold my nose in place the way Dr. Ryan sculpted it. I don't want my nose to fall off like Michael Jackson's."

"Dr. Ryan" is Frank Ryan, the surgeon who helped Heidi create her "perfect body" in November. He died in a car crash last week at age 50.

In February, Montag said of her new body: "I love my boobs, but I still want to improve. I didn't get them as big as I originally wanted."

Now she says her breasts contributed to the demise of her relationship with Spencer Pratt, that she looks like she's been "in a horrific accident" and Spencer "begged her not to do it in the first place."

Heidi wants to get out of Hollywood and is calling it quits with plastic surgery. "I won't get anything done again," she says, "at least not for a long time."

Elin Nordegren Speaks: 'I Feel Stronger Than I Ever Have'

Her divorce is final and she's ready to talk. Elin Nordegren breaks her nine-month silence in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE magazine.

"I have been through the stages of disbelief and shock, to anger and ultimately grief over the loss of the family I so badly wanted for my children," she says in the magazine's latest issue, out just days after her split from Tiger Woods was made official.

The 30-year-old mother of two, who is studying towards a college degree in psychology, says that despite her husband's betrayal, "I also feel stronger than I ever have. I have confidence in my beliefs, my decisions and myself."

In 19 hours over four visits to her Windermere, Fla., rental home, Nordegren shared never-before-seen personal photographs and opened up to PEOPLE about the emotional roller coaster she's been on, her life as a mother to Sam, 3, and Charlie, 19 months, and her hopes for the future.

"My immediate plan is for the kids and me to continue to adjust to our new situation. I am going to keep taking classes, but my main focus is to try to give myself time to heal," she says.

She tells the magazine this was her first – and last – interview, as she intends to remain a private person.

Windows Phone 7's short-term future includes phone-to-console gaming, Twitter?

At this point you'd think we covered almost every nook and cranny of Windows Phone 7, from games and UI to a launch device or six, but of course there's a few dust balls of info our swiffer of newsgathering has yet to grab up. Microsoft Canada's Greg Milligan has revealed at a recent Xbox 360 event. The big takeaway is future plans for phone-to-console gaming. While suggesting an initial use would be companion games that bring enhancements to full 360 titles (our first thought is how both a web game and Arcade casino title directly tied into Fable 2), he says it's something they are "absolutely" working on for the "near future" -- likely initially through WiFi only due to network speed sensitivities. "Near future," on that note, is a lot sooner that the impression we got at the recent hands-on, but in either case, we won't believe it until we see it with our own eyes.

In news that won't directly affect your gamer score, Twitter, which has been noticeably (and annoyingly) absent from our time with the device, Milligan had this to say: "Twitter is not part of the base platform, but we're working closely with a number of software developers to make sure we have a twitter experience... on or very shortly after launch." Some on the staff are divided whether or not this implies full integration or just some third-party apps, but let's be hopeful for the former, aye? Video interview after the break.

Dude, Where's My Android Tablet?

Apple’s iPad has been a huge hit, but Android tablet devices without a doubt will make a huge impact on the consumer electronics industry. With all of this the pent up consumer demand for the tablet device form factor, customers are eagerly awaiting the release of dozens of Android alternatives.

Right now, however, the only Android tablets available right now are low-powered Chinese knockoffs running an old version of Android, with no apparent warranty or detailed specs. The buyer should definitely beware these devices.

Then there’s the Augen Gentouch78 which appeared briefly at various Kmart stores only to sell out before anyone even realized they existed. The takeaway from it is that it’s slow, underpowered, and doesn’t work properly with the Android app store.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab looks really promising–a well-designed device, with decent specs for a 7-inch tablet. Samsung is geared up to officially announce the device in Berlin on September 2, but there’s no set release date for when it will actually be available for sale.

It looks like the Cruz Reader from Velocity Micro will be available for sale in early September. It’s fairly low-powered with an 800MHz CPU and 800×600 resolution, but it’s low-priced and is an Android-powered 7-inch tablet with WiFi and web capabilities. The Cruz Tablet has the same CPU, faster WiFi networking, more memory and a narrower resolution of 800×480. Both use the Cruz App Market, and there’s no way to yet determine if the regular Android app market is available.

The problem is that there is no abundance of tablets to compete with Apple’s iPad right now. Every manufacturer is talking about what they have coming, but they really have nothing to show. Google’s own Android tablet isn’t due to arrive until late November. RIM’s projected Blackpad, which has no confirmed specs, and may not run BlackBerry OS6 or Android, also isn’t due until November.

Cisco’s Cius and the HP Slate based on the Palm WebOS won’t be out until Q1 of 2011. By that time, Apple may have already released their second tablet, which is rumored to be a smaller 7-inch device to fill that missing tablet sweet spot.

Suspiciously absent from all of this are Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I mention them because they both have released mature e-reader devices based on the Android OS, are WiFi and 3g networking-enabled, and the e-reader market has been greatly successful. It’s not that far a stretch to see the Kindle and the Nook re-engineered with a 7″ AMOLED screen and a 1GHz CPU. Battery life would shrink, so they would have to add a second battery or use a much larger one.

Both of these companies have released Android versions of their e-reader software for phones. Both companies missed a huge opportunity here to develop lightweight mass-market Android tablets, and they could have done it before Apple got the iPad to market.

With all of these delays, Apple’s hold on the tablet market simply grows stronger. It doesn’t mean that there won’t eventually be competitive alternatives. It does, however, mean that many customers will get frustrated by the long wait and end up buying an iPad, even if it doesn’t meet all of their needs.

Admittedly, the Android smartphone market has collectively outsold the iPhone. But that doesn’t mean there is one phone that goes toe-to-toe with the iPhone. The same will be true for an Android tablet. Collectively they may outsell the iPad, but there will inevitably be a lot of junk mixed in with the gems.

Honestly, I wish the manufacturers would stop diddling around so we can figure out which ones are the gems sooner rather than later.

“The System” by Roscott

[Via Zdnet]

Samsung Captivate only $0.01 at Amazon. Samsung Vibrant now $69

Samsung Captivate and Samsung Vibrant – the two Galaxy S Android smartphones that AT&T and T-Mobile, respectively, have recently launched in the US – now have special prices at Amazon.


With a new 2-yr contract agreement, the AT&T Captivate is only $0.01, while the T-Mobile Vibrant can be yours for $69.99 (not long ago, the Vibrant was only $0.01, too – it’s probably selling too well for Amazon to offer it for free).

At the moment I’m writing this, the Captivate and the Vibrant cost $199.99 each at AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s websites, so Amazon’s offering is more than tempting if you plan to get any of the two handsets.

If you’re wondering about Verizon’s Galaxy S (the Fascinate) – the carrier has still not announced when it will be launched. Oh well, it’s not like you don’t have other options to choose from.

Apple holding a media event September 7, says Bloomberg


Not sure how exactly this slipped our neural net, perhaps it was added in a later update, but yesterday's Bloomberg revelation about a potential Apple TV show rental service now also includes the following tip: Steve Jobs et al plan on hosting an event in San Francisco on September 7. This just so happens to be on a Tuesday and meshes perfectly with Apple's annual Mac plus iPod touch promotion (which ends on the same day). Of course, we could've told you Apple would be holding an early September iPod refresh event this time last year -- the real question is what else might be revealed during the keynote?

Sharp's e-reader ready to 'rival the iPad' by year's end, may have a 3D future


Sharp is going to launch its brand new e-reader in Japan this fall with US retail availability to follow by the end of the year. Riveting stuff, isn't it? Well, the company's President Mikio Katayama does his best to spice things up by proposing this device will aim "to rival the iPad," and it may well sport a color LCD if earlier indications still hold true, but what's really got us hot under the collar is the potential for 3D down the line. Katayama claims to have witnessed great enthusiasm for 3D -- particularly when it comes to games -- and posits it as a likely future direction for this new ebook reader. Multifunctional devices are what people want, he says, and since Sharp already has a 3D smartphone in the pipeline and a glasses-free 3D tablet display in the lab, we can't see many technical hurdles to the realization of his vision. Let's just hope his depth perception is accurate when it comes to measuring the interest in three-dee.

Kim Kardashian Would "Definitely" Date Justin Bieber If He Was 18

Well, Biebs, the good news is you only have two years to go.

On Tuesday's Lopez Tonight, Justin Bieber's foxy photo-shoot costar Kim Kardashian confessed to George Lopez that she's all up for going out with the teen singing sensation "if he was of legal age," coyly adding, "He definitely has this swag to him."

Bill O'Reilly must love hearing that. Speaking of Bill...

The E! reality star addressed the Fox News pundit's grumblings about her and Justin's Elle spread with a safe, calm response: "I thought the shoot was all in fun, we had a good time. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on it."

Aw, where's outspoken Khloé when we need her?

Richie Ren cancels Philippine concert in wake of bus hijacking

Taiwan singer-actor Richie Ren has cancelled his concert in the Philippines in the wake of Monday's bus hijacking tragedy in Manila, reported Hong Kong media.

"This [November] concert was meant to benefit the overseas Chinese (in the Philippines) but my fans said they were worried, while my management company felt that the atmosphere is not right for me to hold a concert there.

"We are in currently figuring out other ways of helping schools for overseas Chinese in the Philippines," explained Ren after they observed a moment of silence at an event on Tuesday.

Eight hostages were killed on Monday when a disgruntled Filipino ex-police officer hijacked a busload of Hong Kong tourists in Manila with an assault rifle.

Ren also took the opportunity to speak out against the way the hostage situation was handled by the authorities.

"So many people in the tour group died. I feel that the Philippine side was negligent. The safety of the hostages is paramount. How did this happen?

"Going on tour is supposed to be a happy occasion yet such a huge tragedy struck," he said.

Ren is not the only Hong Kong celebrity who is cancelling his travel plans to the Philippines.

Hong Kong actor Michael Tse, who is best known for his role as Laughing Gor in the Hong Kong drama "E.U.", had also revealed that he will be heading to Malaysia instead for his diving trip.

The actor had already bought his plane tickets but did not mind paying a little more to switch destinations.

"The security in Malaysia is better ... Spending money to change destinations is a small matter. Personal safety is the most important. After this incident, I have lost all confidence in the Filipino police force," said Tse.

Hong Kong actors Ekin Cheng and Simon Yam have also expressed that they have no plans to visit the Philippines any time soon.

Miriam Yeung felt shocked and grief over the incident. When she found out, her company decided to hold a moment of silence before the press conference and all artists are to wear black to mourn for the lost lives. Miriam felt fustrated and sad, she did not understand why the gunman was so heartless to kill the innocent. She hopes the victims' family can stay strong. The people of Hong Kong will support them, it necessary, she can give a helping hand. Life is short, cherish your loved ones.

Sammi Cheng: "Can't sleep! A real tragedy swallowing us. Swallowing up all Hong Kong citizens! Praying for the injured and the hospitals working hard to save lives! Sending out the most positive strength! Keep going! Keep going! Keep going!"

Charlene Choi: "Last night, I did not sleep well...kept tossing and turning. At 3am, I forced myself to sleep... 5 minutes later I woke up again... after seeing the news, I just felt so much pain for those who lost their lives innocently and the injured. As an outsider, I feel pain.. I believe the witnesses are 100 million more times in pain... really hope the nightmare can disappear soon for them... As for us, we have to really cherish our own lives!"

Edmond Leung: "I really haven't let down a tear for many years, but today I woke up and read the paper like usual and I really couldn't hold it in."

Steven Ma: "I just watched many news clips. Grief? Not even! Is disgusted! I am disgusted because of just 1 person's fault causes everyone to be buried with him! Everyone buried? Where is the source? Who is responsible? Nonesense, really nonesense! How to handle such terrifying situation, know how? Don't know how? Then please don't act recklessly! Why must take others' valuable lives to prove your incompetence? Even if the victims are gone! I will still ask my country to help us get our justice back! Of course, I don't hope that a tragedy become a racial confrontation, but an explanation? Absolutely cannot avoid it!

Joey Yung attended Metro Radio for recording, but canceled the media interview that was suppose to occur after. The media contacted Joey by phone and she admitted the incident has cause a big impact to her: "Today I don't want to do interviews or promotions. I feel it's a little weird, I'm not in a very good mood. So pitiful! Feel so much grief for them, hard to believe they were tortured in the nus for 11 hours, it is really painful! Because the gunman wanted to prove his innocence and just sacrificed so many innocent lives like that. Not only was he unable to help himself clear the charges, now that he's caused so many other deaths, it is bigger crime! I send my deepest condolence to the victims' families. I hope they will recover soon, the incident is the past, the people of Hong Kong will support them."

Song Seung Hun and Kim Tae Hee to star in ‘My Princess’ next year

Earlier in May, we reported that Song Seung Hun and Kim Tae Hee would be pairing up together for a romantic drama, My Princess, which would air later this year. Nothing much was revealed though, as they both were kept busy with their respective movie filming.


Happy to report that new information about the drama was revealed today, as the production house said that filming will begin in October and will be aired on MBC in January 2011.

The story is about an ordinary/poor university female student (Kim Tae Hee) who becomes a princess, and follows her romantic story with a foreign affairs official (Song Seung Hun) who also happens to be the only heir to the wealthiest chaebol group in Korea.

This will be their first time working together on a drama/movie, although they did pair up for a fashion show by the late Andre Kim. Fans are nevertheless looking forward to this dream pairing on the small screen, making the drama to be one of the most anticipated in 2011.

New album, tour and a wedding: Katy Perry says she's struggling to keep it together

It's a hard life being a pop star - or so Katy Perry seems to think.

The U.S. singer, who released her second album Teenage Dream today, says she is getting stressed out over her hectic schedule.

With an impending wedding, a new record on the go and a promo tour, admittedly the starlet does have a lot on her plate.



However Miss Perry, who is to wed British comic Russell Brand later this year, is not exactly in short supply of help (or money) in order to lighten the load.

Speaking to People magazine, she revealed: 'Most people have breakdowns just over weddings, and I'm planning mine and my tour.

'I really have to learn to breathe and delegate.'


Her staunchly religious evangelical parents, no doubt, will be relieved to hear their daughter has ruled out wearing latex for her big day.

Katy added:'I'm definitely not going to get married in latex. When I wear latex onstage, I sweat. I could wring out those dresses- and I don't want to do that at my wedding.'

California Gurl Katy, 25, was pictured out and about today in New York, where she is set to appear on tonight's The Late Show With David Letterman.

Despite her busy diary, she still found time to make two outfit changes, starting the day off in a green floral print dress teamed with a fluffy pink cardigan and purple Christian Louboutin heels, before later emerging from her New York hotel in a form-fitting peachy halter neck number.


Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the career-driven celeb has admitted she is too busy to have children at the moment with 35-year-old Brand.

However she said she would like to be a mother one day. Speaking to Britain's OK! magazine, she said: 'I see myself as a professional right now and hopefully when I decided it's time for children, I'll be able to devote myself to that.'

Perry added that she isn't sure whether she will ever work with her funny-guy fiance.

She said: 'I don't know. I think that's always one of those things that can get quite sensitive. There's a place to be professional and a place to be intimate and some things they can't co-exist.'

Andy Lau and Carina Lau in New Movie "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame"


Tsui Hark, who produced John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow and directed Once Upon a Time in China is back in audacious epic form with Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, premiering at the Venice Film Festival next month.

In Tsui Hark’s latest lavish epic wuxia/mystery choreographed by Sammo Hung, starring Andy Lau, Carina Lau, Tony Leung Kar Fai, Li Bing Bing, etc, Di Renjie, who is in exile, is summoned back to the court to investigate a series of mysterious murders that threatens the coronation of Empress Wu Zetian.

Trailer and Some Pictures after the cut is even more gloriously berserk and a full minute longer, but doesn’t have English subtitles. Honestly though: “To solve this murder case, we need to seek help in the Phantom Mart.” What else do you need to know?







Please Stop Making New Phones With Old Firmware

We've reached the point where buying a "new" Android phone could still mean you're using firmware that's 18 months old. There's got to be a better way.

Today's release of the Android 1.5-laden Dell Aero might be the most recent (and egregious) example of a manufacturer gimping its product's operating system, but it's a problem that affects nearly every phone release these days.

It's a rough landscape for cellphone shoppers, who've faced four major releases with four different firmwares in just the last couple of months: Droid X launched with Android 2.1, Droid 2 followed with Froyo, while Dell Streak had Android 1.6 along for the ride. And today, Aero.

And that's to say nothing of the capriciousness of updates: typically, when a company releases a handset running a musty Android version it promises that it'll bestow the new hotness on the device at some point. But when that update comes—short of various hacks—is totally beyond the consumer's control. And in some cases, as with the Samsung Behold II, you're stuck forever with an outmoded jumble of a mobile OS.

So here's the plan. Hardware manufacturers, once a new firmware is released, stop churning out old phones and get what's already on the market updated asap. Stop putting crazy skins on top of Android that do more harm than good and slow the update process. And—especially when an Android update has been in the open for a few months already already—take the time to incorporate the latest and greatest firmware onto your handsets so that your customers know exactly what they're getting. It's time to get serious about hardware/software synchronicity.

Lindsay Lohan Released from Rehab

Lindsay Lohan is a free woman again. The 'Mean Girls' star was released from her court-ordered rehab at UCLA Medical Center on Tuesday evening, RadarOnline.com exclusively reports. Lohan entered the facility on August 2 to serve her 90-day sentence as ordered by Judge Marsha Revel. But it seems circumstances have changed.

Earlier today, the starlet signed discharge papers and then departed the center later in the day. RadarOnline.com is also reporting that in an attempt to keep her release a secret, a decoy was created to help Lohan leave in without media frenzy.

Judge Revel originally sentenced Lohan to 90 days in jail and a 90-day inpatient rehabilitation program on July 6 for violating probation on an old DUI case. She ended up serving only 14 days due to good behavior and overcrowding at the jail.

According to sources close to the case, doctors overseeing the actress saw no cause to keep her in rehab for the entirety of the 90 days she was sentenced to by Judge Marsha Revel, who has since recused herself from further proceedings related to Lohan.

RadarOnline.com is also reporting that the very first thing Lohan did as a free woman was call her mother, Dina.

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