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Taylor Swift, Taylor Lautner Split!

12/30/2009 01:43:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

So much for the two Taylors finding love.

After three months of dating, country singer Taylor Swift and New Moon star Taylor Lautner have split, UsMagazine.com has learned.

"It wasn't really developing into anything, and wasn't going to, so they decided they were better as friends," a source close to Swift, 20, tells Us. "There was no chemistry."

The pair -- who met on the set of the romantic comedy Valentine's Day -- first sparked rumors of a romance when she hugged him at her October 9 concert in Rosemont, Illinois. They have since been spotted on several wholesome dates -- like their frozen yogurt date at Menchie's alongside Swift's mom earlier this month -- and have each coyly alluded to their relationship on separate Saturday Night Live hosting gigs.

Find out what an expert predicted about Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner!

However, the relationship officially fizzled when Lautner, 17, flew to Nashville for Swift's birthday party on Dec. 13, a friend of the singer reveals.

"He liked her more than she liked him," the source tells Us. "He went everywhere he could to see her, but she didn't travel much to see him."

Lucky for Lautner, the split won't inspire angry songs like those written about ex Joe Jonas -- who dumped Swift during a 27-second phone call in 2008.

"They plan to stay friends," the source says.

In fact, Swift -- whose friend says she is a "hopeless romantic" who "wants everything she writes about" in her songs -- will likely reunite with the Twilight hunk when they begin promoting Valentine's Day, out Feb. 12.

Swift's rep had no comment. Lautner's rep could not be reached.

Megan Fox Voted “Worst Actress Of 2009″

12/30/2009 01:43:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Megan Fox may Hollywood’s hottest “It Girl,” but the brunette stunner is also the silver screen’s worst actress.

The silver screen stinker outfoxed lackluster entertainers like Bandslam’s Vanessa Hudgens for the title of “Worst Actress of 2009,” according to a new year-end poll from AOL’s Moviefone.com.

The bombshell gave the worst performance of the year in the blockbuster summer sequel Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen — a film that earned the titles of Best Action Film of 2009 and Worst Film of the Year in this week’s poll. (Sidebar: Recession-era drama Up In The Air was named “Best Film.”)

Even the famously straight-forward Megan was critical of her performance in the first installment of the series in 2007, branding her now critically-certified bad acting “terrible.”

“I’m terrible in it,” the star told Entertainment Weekly last June. “It’s my first real movie, and it’s not honest and not realistic. The movie wasn’t bad; I just wasn’t proud about what I did.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, Megan also nabbed the title of the year’s “Sexiest Female.”

Susan Boyle Sets Sales Record Down Under

12/30/2009 01:42:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , 0 Comments

Scottish songbird Susan Boyle has stormed the music scene in Australia after her debut album earned the highest seven-day sales ever seen in the country upon its release there last week.

The Britain’s Got Talent star-turned-global singing sensation sold almost 165,000 copies of her platinum-certified CD I Dreamed A Dream last week, breaking the record of Guy Sebastian’s 163,000 sales at Christmas 2004.

Boyle set another Australian chart milestone – she is the only act to sell over 100,000 albums in two consecutive weeks.

Google Nexus One sold directly and only by Google, officially supported by T-Mobile

12/30/2009 01:42:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

Interesting. It looks like Google won’t be entirely shaking up any wireless industries at the present time, but it will be pushing forward with its own “flagship” device by selling it directly to consumers. While our connect’s internal T-Mobile photo is rather small, we’ve broken down the text for you:

Google, with support from T-Mobile, is scheduled to launch a new Android device in early January. The Google Android phone will be sold directly by Google via the Web.

Support for the device including troubleshooting and exchanges will be managed by Google and HTC. T-Mobile will offer service support including billing, coverage, features, and rate plans. Additional details Streamline content regarding the launch of Google’s Android phone will be coming in early January.

So… Google is simply selling the phone directly for now, as rumored, and T-Mobile will “officially” support it, even though they practically do the same for any unlocked handset on their network. Google and HTC will be fielding support calls from users, and I’m not quite sure how I feel about that. Unless this is only the Android Development 3 phone. But it’s not just that. And T-Mobile could possibly subsidize it in or around March. Ok, bye.

Why Apple Tablet may not be the gadget of the future

12/30/2009 01:41:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

Gadget lovers are waiting with bated breath for the much-anticipated unveiling of the Apple tablet, but don't expect it to take the world by storm the way the iPod and iPhone did.

"There will be a strong interest in it, but it won't be the wave of the future," said James Brehm, analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

Tablet computers are hardly a new concept. In fact, Apple already brought a tablet device to the market in 1993 in the form of the Newton MessagePad. Despite a ton of hype, Apple only sold a few hundred thousand Newtons in the five short years it was on the market.

Other tablet-like devices have also fizzled. The Compaq iPAQ and the Palm Pilot were quickly replaced by smart phones. Consumers can find some modern-day "tablets" in the form of notebook computers with swiveling monitors, but they're clunky, expensive and haven't taken off.

The problem with handheld tablets is that they're middle-of-the-road devices. They have better functionality than smaller gadgets but don't have enough functionality to replace your PC.

Though Apple hasn't released any details about its tablet, analysts who have been briefed on the device say it will run apps like the iPhone and iPod Touch do, but the tablet will be better suited for watching movies and reading. According to a New York Times report, Apple will unveil a tablet on Jan. 26.

"The Apple tablet will have a beautiful user interface, it will have a pleasing aesthetic and will be marketed well," said Chris Collins, senior consumer research analyst at Yankee Group. "But at the end of the day, we're still talking about a smart phone with a bigger screen."

Collins anticipates the tablet will initially take off with lots of excitement, but ultimately he expects it will help accelerate innovation in smaller gadgets, like smartphones, and bring down prices for PCs.

Such was the fate of netbooks. Shipments of the mini, ultra-portable notebook computers soared in 2008 and earlier this year. However, sales have cooled off as full-sized notebook prices dropped, and smart phone performance grew, according to John Jacobs, NPD Group's director of notebook market research. As a result, NPD expects netbook shipments to grow just 19% in 2010.

"Netbooks won the battle but lost the war," said Collins. "Eventually, people either went to a smartphone or a notebook. Tablets will also generate a lot of interest initially, but they will ultimately suffer a similar fate."

Too pricey?

Tablet technology doesn't come cheap. Creating screens that allow users to write on them is a costly endeavor, and swivel-monitor notebooks tend to run several hundred dollars more than non-tablet peers.

Apple will likely need to charge around $800 for the device, analysts say, which could relegate the tablet to "niche" status. That $800 price point could be too rich for some and others may opt to spend just a little more for a full-function laptop computer.

Brehm and Collins argued that the there will be some compelling uses for the tablet, including note-taking for students or examining electronic health records for physicians. Apple fans will also bite because, well, it's an Apple product, and it's bound to be really cool.

"The market will be there, but this will definitely be more of a niche product," said Brehm, who was Gateway's tablet product manager a decade ago.

Apple may pull it off

The tablet will have to offer more than the iPhone or iPod Touch to be successful, say analysts.

"They have to trump themselves," said Laura DiDio, principal analyst at ITIC. "That will be difficult, but the tablet shouldn't only be an iPhone with a bigger screen. It's going to have to bring something new to the table to be successful."

DiDio said the tablet will have a 10-inch to 12-inch screen and a high-end graphics card that will enable stunning resolution -- even more so than the iPhone and iPod Touch. She said the device will come in several different models that offer varieties of Internet connections, such as Wi-Fi or 3G, perhaps through a contract with AT&T. A Web cam will also be available for video conferencing.

Is that enough to change the gadget game? Maybe. Analysts counted out Apple before the iPod changed the music player and before the iPhone re-imagined the smartphone.

Likewise, it may be too soon to count out the long-awaited tablet. Even tablet detractors know better than to dismiss a Steve Jobs creation too quickly.

"There have been tablets before, and they did not take off," said Brehm. "There had been MP3 players before 2001 too, but we hadn't seen anything like the iPod before."

Rihanna Respects Lady GaGa

12/30/2009 01:39:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

RIHANNA’s favorite artist of 2009 is Lady Gaga.

The Russian Roulette singer — who endured a turbulent year after being assaulted by her now ex-boyfriend Chris Brown in February — was amazed by the Poker Face hitmaker’s continuous stream of chart-topping tunes over the year.

“Lady Gaga has a very bold, fearless image and, I have to say, I have so much respect for original artists who aren’t afraid to do what they do,” Rihanna said. “That’s what I respect the most. She’s awesome.”

The 21-year-old singer recently admitted 2009 had been the toughest year of her life because of the attack, which left her with cuts and bruises and emotionally traumatized.

But Rihanna hoped one good thing to come out of the incident was that her fans would be able to see that no one’s life is perfect.

“Before, young girls thought my life was perfect,” she said. “Now they realize it’s not. Nobody’s perfect. I’m living the same human life that they are, just with a more public career.

“The assault came at the end of an incredible year for me, career-wise. Now I kind of look back on it as the beginning of a new era, almost like it was a wake-up call for me. It was a massive turning point for me in my life.”

Robert Pattinson Spotted in London — Without Kristen Stewart!

12/30/2009 01:38:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

ROBERT Pattinson has been seen strolling around South-West London with his sister Lizzy.

Sporting a good chunk of facial fuzz, the hunky Twilight star was photographed walking the streets of Barnes with his leggy blonde sibling.

Pattinson, 23, has previously admitted that until he was 12 his sis used to dress him up as a girl and introduce him to pals as Claudia.

“Twelve was a turning point as I moved to a mixed school and then I became cool and discovered hair gel,” he said.

It was recently reported that Pattinson had come to blows with girlfriend Kristen Stewart over where the couple would spend Christmas.

“Rob and Kristen can’t decide where to spend the holidays,” a source said earlier this month. “Kristen is keen for Rob to join her in Los Angeles, but he wants to spend Christmas in London — with his family.

“Rob wants things to be as normal as possible after a crazy 12-months.

“Kristen is not amused.”

Android and iPhone users not so different after all

12/30/2009 01:37:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , 0 Comments

New data shows that the iPhone may finally have a true competitor in the Android operating system with user profiles appearing very much alike.

According to eMarketer.com, marketing intelligence firm comScore found that 37 percent of U.S. mobile users had heard of Android in November 2009, up from 22 percent in August, "likely due to the Verizon Droid ad campaign." More interestingly, "17 percent of mobile users in the market for a new smartphone in the next three months planned to buy an Android phone, compared with 20 percent who would pick up an iPhone."

The data also showed that usage patterns for Android and iPhone owners were very similar in terms of media consumption, browser and application usage, but e-mail oddly tracked behind on Android devices. This is likely due to the immaturity of the mail application that ships with Android and not a change in use patterns.

This news obviously keeps the iPhone in the dominant position but shows that other smartphones finally present a real challenge. It's notable because BlackBerry and iPhone users have always seemed worlds apart, whereas Android users seem to be using their devices at parity with the iPhone crowd.

The fact that the Droid runs on Verizon instead of AT&T no doubt helps, though only time will tell if Verizon can handle the traffic, or if T-mobile could handle the pressure of a huge influx of new Google Nexus One phones running Android.

As of November 2009, it was estimated that Verizon sold between 700k-800k Droid smartphones and as the software gets better and more applications become available it appears to be the best contender in the short term.

But the Droid is not without its flaws, such as a lack of support for Bluetooth voice dialing or commands. For that matter, the iPhone is no poster child for stability, especially considering the fact that it's the No. 1 seller in the U.S. From dropped calls to miserable battery life to random crashing, it's the best device in a category so new that we really don't know what could be better.

I've been using the iPhone 3GS since it launched and while it remains a fantastic little mobile computer, it remains a mediocre phone. I've experienced more dropped calls, missed connections, and other sundry issues since I switched to the iPhone six months ago than I did with Verizon over several years.

That said, there hasn't been a high-quality alternative that offers the full range of software and hardware that the iPhone does until the Droid came along. I experimented with the Droid and found the keyboard a bit odd but otherwise felt like I could make the switch provided that I could get similar or better applications.

The applications (as we recently learned) are where the iPhone stands out and despite Apple's occasionally Draconian approval practices has been one of the driving forces behind adoption of not just the iPhone but also the iPod Touch. Comparatively, the Android marketplace has nowhere near the number of applications, but it could easily grow with a bit of marketing to developers.

The Apple Tablet: Will It Be Called iSlate, iGuide, Or Something Else?

12/30/2009 01:36:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

After discovering that Apple had registered iSlate.com in late 2006 (we dug a little deeper and found trademarks had been filed for ‘ISLATE’ in both the United States and Europe by a company that was most likely a dummy corporation set up by Apple), MacRumors has now discovered another possible name for the upcoming Apple tablet.

MacRumors bases its report on the filing for a US trademark for ‘IGUIDE’ by another Delaware-registered company called iGuide Media LLC, which can be linked to Cupertino by means of signatures on the documents coming from Apple’s Senior Trademark Specialist, Regina Porter.

Let’s dig a little deeper, once again.

Domain names

There’s no indication that Apple owns any domain name that contains the term ‘iguide’. The identity if iguide.com is shielded from public WHOIS records, but not by Mark Monitor, the brand protection firm Apple usually works with. The domain name iguide.net belongs to a company called iGuide Media, a marketing and design firm started by Jon Warren back in 1997 and led by a Brian Noon from 2002 to 2006, when the company was sold.

I checked a couple of other TLDs (.ca, .fr, and more) and found no indication that Apple owns any of those.

Trademarks

Two trademarks were filed for ‘IGUIDE’ by iGuide Media LLC (through a James Johnston) in the United States: a principal and a service mark, both on 18 December 2007. The description of goods and services given to iGuide Media is very similar to the one given to Slate Computing, the supposed shell company set up by Apple used to register the trademark for ‘ISLATE’, although it leans a bit more to a focus on software and services than hardware.

On the exact same day, iGuide Media LLC filed for a trademark in Europe as well: search OHIM for ‘iguide’ and you find a trademark filing that has all the Apple marks on it: the legal representative is ‘EDWARDS ANGELL PALMER & DODGE UK LLP’ (the same as for ‘ISLATE’ and ‘MACBOOK’, among others), and the priority country is Trinidad & Tobago, the same as when Apple filed for the ‘iphone’ trademark in Europe.

Noteworthy: the status history suggests that the community trademark application was registered (not filed) in February 2009, and that the full examination of the CTM application has been completed very recently, on the 18th of December 2009 to be exact.

Final thoughts

If I were betting man, I’d still be putting my money on the name iSlate for the tablet, Magic Slate for a possible peripheral, and iGuide for a service linked to the hardware device(s).

Here’s why:

- Apple doesn’t seem to own, directly nor indirectly, any ‘iguide’ domain names
- The ‘ISLATE’ and ‘MAGIC SLATE’ US trademarks were not filed for separately as a service trademark, unlike ‘IGUIDE’
- The ‘ISLATE’ US trademark was filed earlier than ‘IGUIDE’, by a different shell corporation (and the same as ‘MAGIC SLATE’)
- NYTimes editor Bill Keller’s mention of an ‘Apple slate’ device in a past speech
- According to Trademarkia, the ‘ISLATE’ trademark application was extended a second time last September, to show use in commerce
- The slightly different description for ‘goods and services’ for both Slate Computing and iGuide Media

Or, of course, we’re all wrong, and none of these names will ever be actually used by Apple. I would deem that unlikely, but we can’t know for sure.

Besides, has Apple announced that it’ll be selling a tablet computer yet?

Vanness Wu & Jerry Yan vs. Takuya Kimura; new Sunday idol drama battle begins!

12/30/2009 01:34:00 AM kenmouse , Posted in , , , , 0 Comments

In 2010, FTV returns to the Sunday night idol drama battle. Next year in January, Takuya Kimura’s Japanese drama will battle against ratings champion SETTV’s ‘Autumn’s Concerto’ & GTV’s ‘Down With Love’. The battle between Asia King Takuya Kimura and F2’s Vanness Wu & Jerry Yan is receiving a lot of attention.


Vanness Wu disappeared from Taiwan's idol drama industry for some time. This time, he successfully threw away his idol baggage, playing the role of a single father in ‘Autumn’s Concerto’ and his acting has received affirmation. The night before yesterday, ‘Autumn’s Concerto’ ratings reached another new high of 6.64% and online netizens expressed that back in the F4 days, they didn’t feel that Vanness had any breakthroughs, but now everyone is in love with him, and even thinks that he has the best acting skills amongst F4.

Yesterday, ‘Down With Love’ released its official poster where Ella wears a long wedding dress, while leaning against Jerry Yan, and it looked very happy & sweet. However, Ella didn’t have any wishes about marriage. She said that marriage seems very troublesome, and in the future, she may choose to have a civil marriage.

Takuya Kimura entered the industry in 1991, and to date he has been popular for 18 years, and also has many fans in Taiwan. FTV has chosen his drama ‘Karei-naru Ichizoku’ as the number one gun in the new battlefield. The story is set a hundred years after the Meiji Restoration and Japan undergoes a series of reforms in the finance system. Takuya Kimura plays an ambitious young man, striving for a better future, but his non-biological father eventually pushes him into suicide. The drama was broadcasted in Japan in 2007 and ratings broke 30%. Some of the scenes in the drama were also filmed in the Head Office in the Bank Of Taiwan.

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