Kemu's Blog

After yesterday’s news that Verizon would be charging a $2 fee for paying bills online and over the phone, the FCC has chimed in.

?On behalf of

…

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/c5AUQdpIc6M/story01.htm

Celine Dion

As it currently stands, Google hands over the ‘final’ code for each version of Android, and OEMs and developers then spend some time customizing the OS to fit their hardware, and to create a unique and marketable flavor. That’s all set to change, however.

Over the last few months, according to several people familiar with the matter, Android licensees such as HTC, Motorola and Facebook, have been asked to sign ‘non-fragmentation clauses.’ This new contract caveat will give Google the right to review and pass judgment on all changes to the Android OS. Two executives at Facebook say that they’re unhappy that Google gets to review its changes to Android — which is understandable, given Facebook and Google are direct competitors — and there have also been allegations that Google is preventing some Verizon devices from shipping because they include Microsoft’s Bing instead of Google search.

Continue reading Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of ‘open source’

Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of ‘open source’ originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/google-demands-veto-on-android-changes-stretches-definition-of/

Will Smith Dick Wolf Dave Matthews Band Tom Brady

Robert Pattinson breaks away from Edward Cullen in the story of one man’s rise to the top of Parisian society.
By Terri Schwartz

Christina Ricci and Robert Pattinson in “Bel Ami”
Photo: 19 Entertainment/ Protagonist Pictures

Ladies, say goodbye to Edward Cullen and hello to George Duroy.

The newest “Bel Ami” trailer has hit the Web, showcasing a Robert Pattinson who is very different from the one fans have come to know and love in “The Twilight Saga.”

The sex-filled drama follows penniless soldier Duroy on his rise to the top of the Parisian social ladder thanks to his manipulation and seduction of the wives of the French elite. Needless to say, fans who want a lot of nudity and friskiness to go along with their daily dose of Pattinson should not be disappointed by this latest preview, which follows an earlier “Bel Ami” trailer released in July.

While the film doesn’t have a release date yet in the U.S., viewers in the U.K. will be able to see it starting March 2. For now, here are five key scenes from the brand-new trailer!

Meet the Ladies
There’s a reason directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod enlisted Pattinson: He’s one of the biggest sex symbols around, and Duroy is a playboy in every sense of the word. As important a character as he is, the ladies Duroy seduces are also integral to the story. About a fourth of the way through the trailer, Pattinson is seen sitting across from the three women who will act as his love interests: Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci and Kristin Scott Thomas. These ladies likely have no idea what emotional roller coaster is in store for them.

Sex, Sex and More Sex
Pattinson has been pretty upfront about the fact that “Bel Ami” includes plenty of sex and — in his words — “a lot of my crack in it.” This trailer teases those aspects of the movie, as Pattinson can be spotted frequently getting frisky with Thurman, Ricci and Thomas. But it’s his slow seduction methods that have really captured our interest. Whether he’s drawing a finger down Ricci’s neck or flirting with Thomas in a church, Pattinson seems to have come a long way from the brooding Edward Cullen.

“I’ve Been Such a Fool”
You’ve got to love a man who can admit when he’s wrong. The crux of the movie pivots on Duroy’s bad behavior, so it should come as no surprise that he eventually gets in trouble for it — at least that’s what it looks like when he admits to Ricci’s character, “I’ve been such a fool.” Whether that means he will learn from his actions is yet to be seen, but we doubt it based on all of the other dramatic occurrences in the trailer.

“Get Out of My House!”
Between “Bel Ami” and Pattinson’s other project, “Cosmopolis,” the man best known as a sparkly vampire is getting the chance to show he can be more than just a heartthrob. And he gives us a preview in the trailer when he yells, “Get out of my house!” breaking down his character’s usually composed façade.

A Man’s Reflection
The trailer is scattered with shots of Duroy staring at his own reflection, but two pivotal instances bookend the video. In the first, Duroy gazes at his face in a small, broken mirror, looking unsatisfied with what he sees. But toward the end of the trailer, there is a (shirtless!) full-body shot of Duroy staring at himself yet again. In the voice-over, he emphatically states, “There is no next life, and I am going to live.” It’s clear Duroy has undergone significant changes since the beginning of the film, but we have a gut feeling those changes aren’t going to end well for him.

Check out everything we’ve got on “Bel Ami.”

For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676438/bel-ami-trailer.jhtml

Annika Sorenstam Matthew Broderick an Lane Mel Brooks

Nortel, once one of the biggest telecoms company in the world but now in the death throes of bankruptcy, has selected Google’s $900 million bid for its patent portfolio as the stalking horse bid. This doesn’t mean that Google will automatically win Nortel’s massive array of telecoms patents, but it does mean that Google is the preferred buyer.

Google, which has a history of lobbying for patent law reform, has been the target of many patent litigation suits. Google’s relative infancy means that it has a lot less patents in the vault than big-hitters like Microsoft, Oracle and IBM, and buying Nortel’s portfolio of 6,000 patents could provide better protection against patent litigation in the future. It’s worth noting that both Apple and RIM have showed interested in the portfolio, too.

Mashable speculates that the patents — which are nearly all telecoms-related — will be used to defend against Oracle’s attacks on Android’s use of Java. We reckon that Google is simply looking to cover its future endeavors in the world of networking. In the absence of patent law reform, and continued threats to net neutrality, owning a bunch of telecoms patents sounds like a very sensible move.

Google bids $900 million for Nortel’s patents to protect against litigation trolls originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/google-bids-900-million-for-nortels-patents-to-protect-from-li/

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Why is it that the simplest, plainest designs always cost the most? Possibly because the resulting elegance comes from lots of hard work. Or maybe it’s just that the best products use the best raw materials. Whatever the reason, I must have this beautifully simple wallet, despite its $90 price tag.
The billfold–by Noah Lambert–is made [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/5UUBH9rNBlc/

Eric Idle Nichols Adriana Lima Ty Pennington

The iPad Has Both Changed and Revitalized Reading One area that iPad has made a large impact is reading. Sure the e-Book readers have also had an impact but not in the way that the iPad has. The iPad has done this is by being a platform for brilliant app developers. The apps developed for the iPad have made reading on an electronic device fun. People that, although desktop computer literate, had no idea what an RSS was for, now [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/how-the-ipad-has-changed-the-world-2/

Celine Dion Kobe Bryant Michael Jordan Johnny Depp

So many sights, so few vacation days remaining.

Lonely Planet’s new book “1,000 Ultimate Sights,” published in October 2011, has listed the great, the strange and the hilarious things to see on our planet. 

Here are 10 to get us started. 

1. Banksy public murals: Bristol, United Kingdom

read more

Source: http://rss.cnngo.com/~r/cnngo/~3/6Lm9_Eai9a0/10-cool-sights-world-111739

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Maria Shriver To Reconcile With Cheating Hubby Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Maria Shriver is reportedly having second thoughts about divorcing Arnold Schwarzenegger. Shriver is feeling torn because of her religious beliefs about divorce and is reportedly [...]

Maria Shriver To Reconcile With Cheating Hubby Arnold Schwarzenegger? Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stupidcelebrities/~3/OCspeIdTPWg/

Jerry Bruckheimer David Beckham Jessica Simpson Andrew Lloyd Webber

Sydney’s all about being in the know, and on New Year’s Eve the city comes alive with rooftop parties and jiving boats at the world’s biggest harbor party.

There are also festivals, beach parties and park gatherings. Restaurants and bars join the fun, too.

Whether you want adventure, hedonism or romance, Sydney has it at the turn of the calender year.

Peats Ridge

December 29-January 1

The year?s premier arts festival near Sydney hosts a multitude of bands, DJs, art installations, yoga workshops and stand-up comics for four days in the Glenworth Valley.

Headline acts include The Holidays, Salmonella Dub, and Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro.

read more

Source: http://rss.cnngo.com/~r/cnngo/~3/SQX4HOQrBwE/how-sydney-celebrates-new-year-461979

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Update: Tech From 10 seems to be offline — but we have lots of images and a hands-on review if you want to see what the new Music app is like.

In what is probably a bit of a big-G whoopsie, the folks at Tech From 10 woke up to find a new, test version of Android Market installed on their Galaxy S.

Visually, the new version is almost identical. The carousel of featured apps has been updated slightly, and apps now have a ‘Content rating,’ but that’s it (image after the break). The interesting bit, however, is the inclusion of alpha and beta apps — most notably, there’s a new version of the Music app, which looks like a scaled-down version of the Android 3.0 Honeycomb Music app (see right).

Also available from the test Android Market is ‘Google Gallery 3D New 10.2′, ‘Google – Camera v12′ and ‘Google Desk Clock 10′ — but, curiously, all of the apps refused to launch on Tech From 10′s Galaxy S (Vibrant) smartphone. Are they Honeycomb apps? Or, more likely, are they destined for the next Android smartphone OS, Ice Cream?

If you want to try out the new Honeycombish Music app, Tech From 10 has made the APK available for download. You can also download the three Google apps, if you want to have a poke around.

Continue reading A sneak peek at the next version of Android Market and Music app

A sneak peek at the next version of Android Market and Music app originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/a-sneak-peek-at-the-next-version-of-android-market-and-music-app/

Ray Romano Paris Hilton Adam Sandler Derek Jeter

Using some early numbers from both StatCounter and Net Applications, Mozilla’s noisiest hominid, Asa Dotzler, has illustrated Firefox 4′s meteoric rise to around 5% of Web browser global usage share. Internet Explorer 9, which launched two weeks ago, seems to be enjoying a much more casual stroll in the park with just 1.5% of the global Web usage share.

Interestingly, we can see IE9 dipping between March 20 and 21, just before the ‘Important’ Windows Update rolled out. It’s hard to say whether IE9 is only growing because of the installed-by-default Windows Update, but that small dip definitely sticks out — did excitement peter out? Did people download IE9, try it out, and summarily uninstall it? Perhaps, given their close proximity, the stats show an attention shift from Microsoft to Mozilla?

Numbers-wise, if the bottom left corner of the graph shows 2.3 million downloads for IE9, we can guesstimate that that it has now been downloaded 5 million times. Firefox is clocking in at 37 million downloads after five days of public availability.

We wonder whether Microsoft knew its release schedule would coincide so closely with Firefox 4. Internet Explorer 9 — a great browser by almost every metric — was never going to do well against anything emanating from the maws of Mozilla. The main thing, though, is that Microsoft has now shown that it’s serious when it comes to the Open Web. If Internet Explorer 10 is good, and 11 and 12, then we might finally see it compete with the zealous Mozillan horde.

Firefox 4 rockets to 5% global usage share, IE9 wallows at 1.5% originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 05:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/28/firefox-4-rockets-to-5-global-usage-share-ie9-wallows-at-1-5/

James Patterson Leonardo DiCaprio Kiefer Sutherland Jim Carrey

Analytics firm ComScore just released a new batch of numbers, showing Android extending its lead over, well, everybody in the United States for September through November of 2011.

Out of the 91.4 million smartphone subscribers in the United States, ComScore says 46.9 percent — about 43 million give or take — have Android smartphones. That's up 3.1 percentage points from the June through August. Apple, meanwhile, saw slower growth, at 28.7 percent (up from 27.3 percent for the previous period).

Those were only platforms to see growth — RIM was down 3.1 percentage points to 16.6 percent, microsft fell a half-percentage point to 5.2 percent, and Symbian down three-tenths of a percentage point to 1.5 percent. WebOS was a no-show.

Source: ComScore

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/yQF5gvNJNlI/story01.htm

LeBron James Neil Diamond Alex Rodriguez Will Smith

Mumford & Sons, Justin Bieber, Rick Ross also prepping new material.
By Gil Kaufman

Photo: Theo Wargo/ WireImage

The past 12 months have seen the release of monster albums from Adele, Lady Gaga, Drake, Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj.

But the next 12 are promising to bring even more music from several of those artists, plus new albums from Mumford & Sons, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Linkin Park, Paramore, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Maroon 5 and Green Day.

It’s a bumper crop of major albums from some of rock, pop and hip-hop’s biggest stars, who are returning from long breaks, hoping to follow up smash debuts or just trying to keep their momentum going.

While release dates are always subject to change, here are some of the most anticipated releases of 2012.

Pop:
Ironically, the status of new albums from the artists whose next moves everyone is most curious about are the ones most in the air. Rihanna tends to deliver a new album every 12 or 13 months, which means that she may have another disc in stores at the end of next year once the just-released Talk That Talk has run its course.

On the other hand, Lady Gaga has already begun talking about her follow-up to this year’s Born This Way. Gaga recently told MTV News that she’s already started writing songs and “all the concepts are beginning to flourish and take place.” She didn’t give a potential release date, only promising, “I’ll put it out when it’s done.”

Katy Perry hasn’t publicly spoken about what will come after 2010′s smash Teenage Dream, but it’s possible she could start work on new material in 2012 as well. We know for sure that Justin Bieber is planning to show his more mature side next time around, possibly even incorporating some EDM sounds into the mix.

It’s been confirmed that Madonna hooked up with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj for the single “Gimme All Your Luvin’ ” from her untitled forthcoming album, which will feature production from Ray of Light producer William Orbit.

Other artists who could release fresh material in 2012: No Doubt, Maroon 5, Avril Lavigne, Miley Cyrus, Christina Aguilera, Ke$ha and Nicole Scherzinger.

Hip-Hop:
Two titans of rap are cueing up fresh tracks for early 2012, with Nicki Minaj likely to get out of the gate first with her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, due out on Valentine’s Day. The disc will include first single “Roman in Moscow,” which sees the Best New Artist Grammy nominee getting into the character of her alter ego, Roman Zolanski.

After the delay of God Forgives, I Don’t due to a pair of seizures he suffered in October, Rick Ross is expected to come back strong as well. The Bawse has taken his convalescent time to work on a new track with Jay-Z.

Speaking of Jigga, fans may get a new record from him as well, considering he told MTV News he was cooking up fresh tracks way back when he first played us songs from his Kanye West collaborative album, Watch the Throne. In fact, Jay-Z said you might get solo albums from both men as well as the second Throne release.

Other artists that should have albums hitting stores in 2012: Nas, Frank Ocean, Slaughterhouse, Wiz Khalifa, the G.O.O.D. Music compilation, T.I., Big Sean, 50 Cent, Ludacris, Big K.R.I.T., Meek Mill and potentially two discs from Lil Wayne, I Am Not a Human Being II and Rebirth II.

Rock:
Some of rock’s biggest guns are reloading for 2012, among them Green Day, who debuted some new tracks at a benefit show in August. The title of the follow-up to 2009′s 21st Century Breakdown hasn’t been announced yet, but some of the early songs slated for possible inclusion are “Nuclear Family,” “Carpe Diem” and “Sweet 16.”

U2 have reportedly been cooking up a number of potential new albums, logging sessions with Danger Mouse and working with French producer/DJ David Guetta, RedOne and will.i.am on a disc of dance-oriented tunes.

Prog rock revivalists Muse should also have some new material for us, with bassist Chris Wolstenholme promising in a recent interview that the sound on their sixth album will be “radically different” from 2009′s The Resistance.

We may get something from Linkin Park, who are prepping the follow-up to 2010′s A Thousand Suns, and Mumford & Sons. It’s been two years since the British folk rock revivalists dropped their still strong-selling debut, Sigh No More, and they began giving fans a taste of some new material in the fall when they unveiled the majestic song “Ghosts.”

After a rough year, Paramore have finally put the drama behind them and they’re super-psyched to record an album free of tension and inter-band awkwardness. So far, they’ve already unwrapped the bouncy “Renegade” and “Hello Cold World,” which bode well for their fourth full-length studio album.

Other rock acts slated to release new albums: the reunited Soundgarden, Foster the People, Neon Trees, Sleigh Bells, Silversun Pickups, Bruce Springsteen and All-American Rejects.

Which 2012 albums are you most excited about? Which ones did we miss? Let us know in comments below.

Related Artists

• Lady Gaga
• Madonna
• Nicki Minaj

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676533/most-anticipated-albums-2012.jhtml

Sean (Diddy) Combs John Grisham Rachael Ray Dave Chappelle

We try to explain ourselves (good luck with that), plus more of your questions!

How did this happen? A million or so downloads later, and we've reached the final podcast of 2011! So how are we going to spend it? How about explaning the craziness of the past year, the 2011 Android Awards, and maybe a look ahead at 2012. Plus a few final questions from you guys. 

So join Phil and the gang — and, of course, the chat room — live tonight at 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST for the live broadcast. You should be there. You will be there. You must be there. After all, you are what makes it the Greatest Android Podcast in the World.

Not at a computer? Pick up the free UStream Viewer from the Android Market [link] and search for Android Central a little before the show (it won't appear until we go live). We'll see you there! AndroidCentral.com/live

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/ap3ocoRy8YE/story01.htm

Serena Williams Ryan Seacrest Wolfgang Puck Venus Williams

Mother Monster was named Mayor Bloomberg’s special guest for the annual celebration.
By James Montgomery

Lady Gaga
Photo: Joe Scarnici/ WireImage

Back in May, ahead of the release of her Born This Way album, Lady Gaga described her hometown of New York City as her “husband,” and now, she’s been tapped to help her spouse ring in the New Year in the most traditional of ways: by dropping the ball in Times Square.

Yes, according to The New York Post, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has named Gaga as his special guest at the City’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration, where she’ll ceremoniously push a Waterford Crystal button at 11:59 p.m., officially beginning the famed crystal ball’s descent over the raucous Times Square crowd.

Shortly after the official announcement was made, Gaga took to her Twitter account to express her excitement, writing “I’m so looking forward to … dropping the Ball with Mayor Bloomberg! What an honor as a New Yorker!”

Each year, Bloomberg chooses a guest to drop the ball and help usher in the New Year … though, to date, Gaga is his most, uh, unique pick: previous honorary button-mashers have included Bill and Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, Muhammad Ali and Rudy Giuliani.

Of course, dropping the Times Square Ball — which this year is bedazzled with 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles and carries the theme of “Let There Be Friendship” — isn’t Gaga’s only New Year’s Eve gig. She’ll also perform at two NYE celebrations: the 40th annual “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” and, of course, the Japanese program “Kohaku Uta Gassen.”

MTV will also be throwing a New Year’s Eve party of its own: “NYE in NYC 2010,” a performance-packed special featuring Demi Lovato, Mac Miller, Selena Gomez, J. Cole, Jason Derülo and more. It all goes down live on MTV at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday (December 31) from Times Square.

Will you be watching the ball drop this New Year’s Eve? Let us know in the comments below!

Related Artists

• Lady Gaga

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676579/lady-gaga-new-years-times-square-ball-drop.jhtml

Reese Witherspoon Bill O Reilly Kate Moss Diane Sawyer

It is a known fact that when most of the people encounter problems with their everyday use of the ipad, they resolve to upgrading or downgrading their firmware as a way to eliminate and solve their problems. There are many problems however that cannot be solved or fixed by upgrading or downgrading ipad firm ware. Though the two tasks appear to be similar, they differ from one another, and this is not in reference to upgrade or downgrade. The legality [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/how-to-upgrade-or-downgrade-ipad-firmware/

Kiefer Sutherland Jim Carrey Cameron Diaz Gisele Bundchen

With the tagline ‘The easiest way to get a girlfriend is to already have one,’ Cloud Girlfriend promises to be a very interesting startup indeed. The brains of the operation, David Fuhriman, speaking to CNET, says it’s all about fulfilling Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. “CloudGirlfriend.com can fulfill Maslow’s higher needs, even though the users know that the interaction is virtual. They will interact with a real person and see real profile images of the girl with whom they interact. This interaction can build confidence and esteem as well as provide real training experiences in navigating a friendship and a relationship.”

Our concern, of course, is that it’s very nearly April 1. We’re also worried by the fact that Fuhriman has a name that sounds ominously like a social subculture that we’ve grown strangely attracted to here in the Download Squad bunker.

Finally, just stop and think about it for a second. Because your cloud girlfriend will be entirely virtual, she could be based anywhere. She could be underage — or overage — or she might be someone who you know in real life. She could even be a relative of yours, and you’d never know.

Let’s not forget this is the Internet we’re talking about, folks. Worst case scenario, she could turn out to be a hairy, male truck driver from Texas. Such as… your dad, perhaps?

Cloud Girlfriend will use a swarm of females to satisfy men originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/cloud-girlfriend-will-use-an-army-of-females-to-please-lonely-me/

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Missed a compelling piece of iPhone news, a great review, or a killer how-to? We’re not collecting absolutely everything in iPhone here — you can hit up TiPb.com/iPhone and TiPb.com/iPad for that! — but we’re carefully picking what we think is the best of the last 7 days and presenting it here for your review. And hey! — these double as show notes for our iPhone and iPad Live! podcast tonight at 6pm PT/9pm ET. So join us at TiPb.com/live and follow along!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/8wgyB2T8eBg/story01.htm

Peter Jackson Dr. Phil McGraw Jay Leno Celine Dion