Party In The U.S.A.

• Artist: Miley Cyrus
• Label: Hollywood Records
• Director: Chris Applebaum
• Album: You Need to Live a Little

Gabrielle Union Gavin Henson Gena Lee Nolin George Clooney Georgestephanopoulos Georgie Henley

by Claudine Zap

First, “Jersey Shore” star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi shed some weight. Now, she’s dumped her overly made-up face. And her fans looooove it. The Web gushed over a makeup-free pic Snooki posted on Twitter with the comment: ” No make up day and IDC ” (I don’t care).

Over on Yahoo!, a flurry of positive comments — close to 19,000 at last count — like this were typical: “She looks amazing without all the goop!” and, “She should go for the natural look, it looks much prettier!” Web searches on the pint-sized Polizzi also surged. Lookups on “snooki without makeup” increased a whopping 28,400% in one day.

Snooki herself seemed overwhelmed by the response to her make-under. She tweeted to her 4 million-plus followers, “Can I just say how amazing my fans/supporters are! You guys really know how to put a smile on my face! Love you all beyond words.”

Before and after pics certainly show a dramatic difference. The 4-foot-9-inch star, who regularly showed up to the gym in full makeup and wore her hair in a signature pouf, instead features a face that is erased of its bronzer, overly done eyes, and dark lips. The undone look shows straight hair, mascara-free eyes, glowing skin, and, gasp, a beautiful woman underneath.

Friends on Snooki’s Facebook page also agree: The star truly shines without all the makeup. A fan posted on her wall: “She is Beautiful without make up, just gorgous!”

The move to go natural is a growing trend in 2012. Makeup artists report to the New York Times: “Stiff coiffures, overdone eyes, defined lips and matte skin are out. Tousled hair, smudged eyeliner, dewy lips and luminous skin are in.” If this is Snooki’s new look (and we hope that it is) she could lead the way for a  new outlook in the new year.

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Jay-Z And Liza Minnelli met at Jay-Z’s Carnegie Hall show. The photo is amazing.

Jared Leto Jay-Z Jean-Claude Van Damme Jeff Bridges Jenna Fischer Jennie Finch

The first 90 minutes played

Any chapter in the Mass Effect story has a responsibility to shoulder. In a time when so many games are over in a 6-hour flash and rely heavily on multiplayer for any sort of longevity, Mass Effect 3 has to deliver the thick storytelling that practically all contemporary titles lack.

We played through the first 90-minutes odd of the game at a preview event to get a feel for what Mass Effect 3 is going to offer when the game launches in March. Talking to a spokesperson from BioWare, we got confirmation that this instalment will be similar in length to Mass Effect 2, so that’s about 60 hours of gaming, with plenty of replay value based on how you approach the game.

You get to pick your game style at the outset. You can play it as an action game, with the dialogue section playing as cutscenes rather than user triggered section. Many, if not most, will elect for the traditional RPG approach, or you could play in story mode, which cuts down the difficulty of the combat.?

There is plenty of scene-setting as the game opens and some stunning graphics too. There will be some spoilers in what we cover here, but nothing that should ruin your game experience, given the length and variety it offers. If you’ve seen the trailers, you’ve been given a good taster on what is to come anyway.

Mass Effect 3 is similar in look and feel to Mass Effect 2, although there has been some obvious tweaking to character modelling in cutscenes. We thought things looked a little too shiny in ME3, but it was smooth and detailed, with masses of attention in faces that reflect tension and stress, which is important to building the central story.

Our man from BioWare told us that the preview portion we were playing was almost finished, so aside from the occasional pause in animation, there was very little to complain about.?

The opening is rather cinematic, and like Mass Effect 2, there is plenty of rich storytelling to get you going. Nothing happens without reason and there is context to everything. Starting out in Mass Effect 3, the context comes from the previous games.?

As such, if you’re a newcomer to the game, some of those familiar faces, who nod in recognition or surprise, will be lost on you. But you’re not left high and dry: there is enough here to set you off on the right path, and even if you’re not totally conversant with Mass Effect lore, you get eased in gently enough.?

Returning as Commander Shepard, Mass Effect 3 sees you battling to save the Earth from the invasion of the Reapers. The action opens with the huge Reaper ships dropping from the sky to tear your world apart. This is where the first playable prologue section begins too, which will quickly outline the main controls as you fight your way to extraction on the Normandy.

With the Reapers ripping the place up, you take Shepard through the smashed city, up and down ladders, jumping gaps and vaulting walls, outlining the skills you’ll need in the game to come. The controls are very much as they were previously, although the menus have been redesigned slightly to power-up various skills, but not drastically so.

If anything, you might find that there is a little too much dependency on the A button when it comes to control. It opens doors, it puts you in cover, vaults cover, it makes you sprint. That means you’re juggling different actions through the same control based on the game situation. We were cut down several times trying to sprint to cover and duck, but instead vaulting over that cover, into the line of fire.

But this is partly due to the complexity that Mass Effect 3 brings with it. It’s not just shooting from the hip, it’s a whole range of other actions and skills too, all of which have to be mapped on to a console controller. At least it’s easy enough to assign powers to buttons to get things running the way you want.?

You’ll finally make your way on to the Normandy, but not before Mass Effect 3 throws down one of its emotional story hooks. A boy sheltering in air ducts (invoking memories of Newt from Aliens) that you tried to rescue, makes his way on to a transport ship, only to be annihilated by the Reapers. Mass Effect isn’t scared to tell its story and it’s delivered with more skill and maturity than the brutal shock value of something like Homefront.

Having made your escape from Earth, you’re off to a colony on Mars on an information gathering mission, the first proper level of Mass Effect 3. The destination is the Prothean Archives, but this isn’t simply the case of waltzing in. Almost as soon as you’ve set foot on the red dust of Mars’ surface, you’ll find things aren’t going to be that simple.?

You’ll get to put your gunplay to the test here as well as find, swap and upgrade weapons as you roam around. Now that you have the semblance of a team forming, you’ll also be able to command your teammates and start to get to grips with the various powers you have at your disposal. In this section you’ll be reunited with Liara and have to put her skills into play. Even in these early sections, it becomes apparent just how much you can come to depend on your allies.

Even playing in action mode, you can’t just shoot your way through. You’ll need to use everything at your disposal – there isn’t enough ammunition for sustained gunfights, after all. And yes, we did find ourselves faced with an empty clip and multiple skirmishing enemies on several occasions.?As you proceed through this level on Mars the plot thickens. As with the opening levels of Mass Effect 2, you’re fed information in tiny amounts as the plot twists and squirms, throwing out surprises as it reveals itself.

We leave this intense, but satisfying, re-introduction to the world of Mass Effect with a thirst for more. To us Mass Effect 3 already feels like it will be an unmissable title for 2012 and as we’ve seen with Mass Effect 2, it’s likely to deliver that deep satisfaction that many games currently lack.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 PS3 PC games mass effect 3 BioWare EA

Mass Effect 3 hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:57:00 +0000

Faith Hill Felicity Huffman Fergie Frank Lampard Frankie Delgado Freddie Ljungberg

He says singer’s elaborate performance was “gruesome,” doesn’t understand why celebrities were tweeting positive notes about Super Bowl show.

Demi Moore Denise Richards Denzel Washington Dermot O\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’leary Diane Lane Diora Baird

Popular budget phone sequel

Ladies and gentleman, it’s the news that you’ve all been waiting for. The follow up to one of the most successful phones in Samsung’s history has just been made official.

That’s right…..the Samsung Tocco Lite 2 is hitting shops in March.

What? What phone did you think we were talking about?

The Tocco Lite 2 takes the reins from the original Tocco Lite, a handset that was sold 30 million times around the world, and runs with them.

Runs with a proprietary OS with Samsung TouchWiz Lite thrown over the top. And runs with EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 connectivity. Okay, okay – so it’s probably not going to be running very fast sans-Android (or even Bada) and 3G connectivity, but it’s likely to be cheap as chips (from a chip shop, not an upmarket gastro-pub) and it packs plenty of social features to keep its target tween market entertained.

Features include Samsung’s communication service ChatON, which boasts integration with Facebook, Twitter, MSN, Yahoo and Google Talk.

Hardware-wise, it has a 3.0-inch QVGA TFT LCD display, a 3.2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and space for a microSD card (you’ll need it – on board storage is a paltry 20MB). As well as ChatON, there’s a wealth of other youth-friendly software on board too, including a music player and the Opera mini browser.

Out in March, there’s no word on pricing just yet. We’d suggest betting low.

Tags: Phones Samsung Samsung Tocco Lite Samsung Tocco Lite 2

Samsung Tocco Lite 2 lands for social tweens originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:02:00 +0000

Gordon Ramsay Gwyneth Paltrow Halle Berry Harrison Ford Hayd Christensen Hayden Panettiere

‘If you’re in love, you’re in love to the fullest,’ singer/actress tells Cosmopolitan.
By Jocelyn Vena

Selena Gomez on the cover of Cosmopolitan
Photo: Cosmopolitan

<P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/gomez__selena/artist.jhtml">Selena Gomez</a> turns the big 2-0 later this year, and she seems to be leaving her tween image behind. The 19-year-old is the latest teen star to appear on the cover of <i>Cosmopolitan,</i> following last month's issue of the women's magazine, featuring 17-year-old Dakota Fanning. For her first cover for the magazine, Gomez dons a low-cut, floral-print dress as she looks rather seductively into the camera. She's sitting with her one leg perched in front of her body, displaying a saucier side of herself than fans might be used to seeing. <center><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:713774/cp~id%3D1672718%26vid%3D713774%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A713774%26instance%3Dmtv" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed></center> Inside the issue, she's talking all about love, opening up about her longtime boyfriend, Justin Bieber. "I'm just like every 19-year-old girl," she said. "If you're in love, you're in love to the fullest, and you just want to go to the movies, hang out, and be as normal as possible. I'm fortunate that I've found someone who has that philosophy." In another <i>Cosmo</i> <a href="http://perezhilton.com/2012-01-31-selena-gomez-dating-justin-bieber-cosmo-dating-life-waste#.Tyg4aMXOyf4" target="_blank">quote</a> floating around online, Gomez dishes on a past boyfriend (Taylor Lautner? Nick Jonas?) who didn't make things as easy on her. "I was in a relationship previously where I had to hide everything and it wasn't my choice. I had to go through different exits and take separate cars and do the craziest things, and it just really wasn't worth it," she explained. "It was like a year of my life completely wasted." The more mature magazine cover comes as <a href="/news/articles/1676848/selena-gomez-plans-wizards-of-waverly-place.jhtml">Gomez prepares for the next phase of her career</a>. In the coming weeks, she'll hit the set for her next film, the <a href="http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2011/11/29/selena-gomez-spring-breakers/">more adult-themed "Spring Breakers,"</a> which follows a group of college girls who rob a restaurant to pay for their spring break. When they land in jail, a drug and arms dealer bails them out, and they quickly become entangled with him and his business. "It's a different character than I have ever played before," she told MTV News about the film, which will be directed by "Kids" mastermind Harmony Korine. "It's a different kind of vibe I think than people are used to seeing me in. What you're going to see is more raw, I think. It's going to be raw and more about acting." <i>What do you think about Selena's grown-up image? Let us know in the comments!</i></p>

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Claire Forlani Claire Foy Claudia Schiffer Clive Owen Colin Farrell Colin Firth

Affordable point and shooters

Nikon has updated its S range (S for style), bringing a host of new affordable compact cameras to the table. On offer are the Nikon Coolpix S2600, Coolpix S3300 and Coolpix S4300.

All the new models are compact and colourful, offer loads of shooting features and were launched today, when we were able to get our hands on them and have a quick play. We’ve bundled all the images into the gallery at the bottom of the page, so check the captions to see what’s what.

Nikon Coolpix S2600 hands-on

The Nikon Coolpix is an Argos exclusive in the UK, but will be available through other retailers internationally. It’s an affordable ?69.99 and is already available through the Argos website.?

The slim body measures 93.8 x 58.4 x 19.5mm and although it sits at the bottom of the Coolpix lines, it still feels relatively well made. At 121g, it’s light enough and small enough to slip into any pocket or bag.

Controls are simple but it doesn’t throw up any problems in use; 14-megapixel snaps are offered along with 720p HD video capture via the instant record button on the back.

A 5x zoom lens offers a range of 26-130mm (in 35mm terms) and a 2.5-inch display on the back isn’t the highest resolution at 230k-dot, but that’s to be expected at this price.

It’s available in black, red and an interesting patterned purple.

Nikon Coolpix S3300 hands-on?

The Nikon Coolpix S3300 steps up the compact camera range, offering 16-megpixel snaps and 6x zoom lens, giving you 26-156mm (in 35mm terms).

The body is still slim and compact, measuring 94.8 x 57.8 x 19.5mm, and weighing only 128g. The Coolpix S3300 still feels like a good quality camera in the hand and the curves of the edges giving it an attractive design, although there isn’t much to grip on to.

It offers 720p HD video capture and a 2.7-inch 230k-dot display, which is a little on the small side, but that can be expected on such a compact camera.

But don’t let the price or the features fool you: Nikon tells us that the S3000 was the best-selling camera in Europe in 2010, the S3100 the best-selling in 2011, so maybe you’ll be seeing these at every wedding you go to in 2012.

It’s reasonably affordable at ?129.99 and will be available from 23 February 2012 in (deep breath) black, blue, pink, green, purple, red and silver.

Nikon Coolpix S4300 hands-on

The Nikon Coolpix S4300 is a Jessops exclusive model in the UK, but we’re sure you’ll be able to get it through other retailers internationally. We don’t have an exact price yet, but it will be affordable and hitting stores at the end of February.?

Like the other models in the S range, the Coolpix S4300 is compact and well built, measuring 95.5 x 58.9 x 20.8mm and weighing 139g. You get a 6x zoom lens, offering 26-156mm (in 35mm terms).

It gives you 16-megapixel snaps and 720p HD video, but now you get a 3-inch display around the back, with a higher 460k-dot resolution, so it looks better when taking and viewing photos.

Aside from those small changes, like the other S range cameras it’s very much all about point-and-shoot photography and designed for those who just want to take pictures without having to worry about buttons, settings and fiddling around.

The S4300 will be available in black, white, red and silver, although we think the silver looks a little bit gold.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Nikon Nikon Coolpix S2600 Nikon Coolpix S3300 Nikon Coolpix S4300 Photos

Nikon Coolpix S2600, S3300, S4300 pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:29:00 +0000

Christina Applegate Christina Ricci Claire Forlani Claire Foy Claudia Schiffer Clive Owen

1080p me

Nikon’s new D800 can shoot broadcast-quality 1080p video, at least that’s what they tell us. It damn well needs to, as Canon has had quite a monopoly over video fans with its 5D MK II. On paper the D800 delivers in just about every respect. It trumps its predecessor in every way possible.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating and we aren’t believers until we see plenty of D800 footage for ourselves. While it might be scarce, there is quite a bit of video already making its way on to the internet shot with the new camera. Curious about how the D800’s movie footage looks? Take a peek below to see what she is capable of.

D800 promo – Joy Ride

The first proper D800 video to emerge has been put together by someone called “Sandro”. Despite having a name like one of Alan Partridge’s children, it is damn impressive what can be produced from just a DSLR. Sure he might have had a massive crew at his disposal but ultimately this is what you can get out of a D800 should you try.

For a promo video this is seriously edgy stuff. It features some rather dishevelled looking ladies of the night, a child being born and even a cool motorbike guy. Oh and it was all shot at night, should you be wondering what high ISO footage looks like from the D800.

There is also a behind-the-scenes clip which shows how the Joy Ride video was shot and edited.-

Joy Ride – Behind the Scenes from Sandro on Vimeo.

Nikon D800 D movie – Through the lens

Appearing on Nikon Asia’s YouTube channel, this video is shot using a D800 under Multi-area AF mode. It is taken in daylight and has had a lot less tweaking done to it than the above promo video.

First thing we notice is how well the D800 copes with motion and wobble that you usually get from DSLRs. It is also incredibly sharp, colours well balanced and more than up to Nikon’s claims of broadcast quality video.

As boring as the content is, this is the video that has got us wanting to play with the D800 more than anything else.

At the moment this is all we have, unfortunately. Believe us though, the internet will be flooding with delights shot using the D800 any moment now. The second we see anything we will add it to this article.

Tags: Photography Cameras Nikon Nikon D800

Nikon D800 video samples roundup originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:56:00 +0000

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UPDATED: All the ads in one place

The Super Bowl has become a tester platform for all the big-budget adverts set to hit the US. Dominated by technology and consumer electronics advertising, it draws audience numbers quite unlike any other television show in the US, bar the Moon landings.

This means new products and ideas get massive budgets thrown at them to come up with new adverts for the Super Bowl. Being inventive is key, as standing out in a seven-minute ad break – where each second is costing thousands of dollars – is extremely important. Social media in particular is going to be the buzz word of Super Bowl 2012. Nearly every advert will have a Facebook or Twitter counterpart as well as an app.?The Yanks reckon that up to 35 per cent of people watching the game could be doing it with an iPad or smartphone next to them, so building on that with social interactivity is going to be important.?

So what does Super Bowl XLVI have in store? Do any new products make an appearance? Or has CES cleared the big players out?

Update: We have now added the full versions of the adverts for your enjoyment post Super Bowl. Oh and congrats Giants fans, not sure exactly how you win at American handball, but you appear to have done it.?

Acura NSX with Jerry Seinfeld

We previewed the NSX concept?last month when we got a chance to see it at the Detroit motor show. But now, there’s a Super Bowl ad available to see too. Like those much-hated Microsoft adverts from a few years ago, Seinfeld is starring, and we think it’s pretty amusing.

All of this is quite a lot of expense and effort to go to for a car that’s as much as three years away from going on sale. Still, it’s charming enough, and it does feature the Soup Nazi.?

Volkswagen Star Wars dogs

Volkswagen has a tradition of putting something big out at every Super Bowl. Back in 2011, it was a young Darth Vader messing with a new Passat. This year the Star Wars theme continues with something even better.

What can only be described as a doggie choir is used to re-enact the iconic Star Wars theme, complete with an AT-AT clad Whippet at the end, a particular favourite part as we have one ourselves. This is just a taster to the real advert to come, so who knows what to expect. A battle between Rebel Alliance cats and Empire dogs? We can only dream.

Full advert:

Volkswagen has now released the full version of the ad. Its not really as good as the preview, despite featuring the delights of aqualish and the rest of the Mos Eisley cantina crew. Watch the whole video, the dog element is just a prelude to the good stuff.?

Go Daddy.co girl

Go Daddy likes to keep things fairly low rent at the Super Bowl, hoping that it will keep eyes fixed to the screen during ad breaks rather than running off to grab snacks.?Take three models and have two of them body paint Go Daddy logos on the best looking one who is naked. Simple enough really.?

Oh and if you want to see an uncensored version of it then it will be live on the Go Daddy website. We haven’t looked at it yet. Honest. No, we really haven’t but that is because it isn’t live yet.?Oh, and just in case you want to do a bit of Googling, the models involved are?Natalia Velez, Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels.?

Go Daddy also made as equally a low-rent ad for its conventional cloud and .com domains. We aren’t really going to complain though, this one has the Pussycat Dolls thrown in for good measure.?

Chevrolet game time app

Prizes, prizes, prizes! Everyone loves a good give away, especially if it involves cars, houses or, say, billions of pounds-worth of uncut diamonds. Chevrolet has sadly opted for just cars this year, along with some other treats that all seem to involve either American football or pizza; a decent enough combination.

Should you want to prep for the Chevy giveaway, then you can pick up the app?here. There are 20 different Chevrolet cars up for grabs during the ad breaks alone. So, who knows, you could get lucky. Then again you might end up winning some tyres which is great if you have a car but not so hot if you don’t.?

You’ve Been Samsunged!

Samsung’s never-ending pursuit of Apple continues. This time it’s a crack at fans who queue outside Apple shops on launch day. A Galaxy S II owner walks by and drops off a charger for the cold?queuing crowd, explaining how he got there using free navigation apps with Android.?

Shame that the people?queuing seem to ignore him and go and buy a new Apple device anyway, or at least that is what we presume. Samsung wishes they had device launch days like Apple has and this advert comes across slightly as if it has been designed by a jealous child. Who knows though, perhaps the Galaxy S III will do it.??

Samsung has also thrown this preview to its Super Bowl extravaganza online. The next big thing is coming. Wonder what it could possibly be??

It’s not the Galaxy S III before you get too excited.

Full advert:

Oh wait, it was The Darkness. Forgot how much we loved this song. They really go for it in this advert. We are sure if any of this started going on in the background Apple fans would begin leaving the queues.?

Coke Polar Bears

Coca-Cola is to bring back its Polar Bear advertising this year with the Super Bowl. The company will use a highly innovative social media campaign which will involve the bears commenting live on the game, via a Facebook stream.?

Hundreds of pre-rendered animations have been put together to create the impression that the CGI animals are actually watching things. A selection of teaser videos currently sits on cokepolarbowl.com, including the above, to give you an idea of how it will work.?

Lexus GS teaser

What could possibly be more manly than a game where men run around in spandex, touch each other’s helmets and fight it out over balls? Big fast-car adverts between the game of course! Lexus is to show off its new GS at the Super Bowl which will no doubt be a highlight among petrol heads.

Known for its in-car gadgetry, the new GS will no doubt have some treats hidden inside. If it is anything like the LFA, which has without doubt the?best dashboard we have ever seen on a car, we are excited.?

Full advert:?

The car manages to escape unharmed. Solid stuff these Lexi (plural for Lexus), getting the whole way through a thick steel wall without any damage to the front. Worryingly the airbags didn’t deploy. Perhaps a safety rethink Lexus?

Bridgestone rubber balls

More cars? Yup. Well not cars exactly, more tyres, which are even more exciting. Ooh big rubber round things which you can roll down the street with a stick. Bridgestone is one of the best manufacturers of equipment for this classic Victorian past-time and have as such indulged in a rather elaborate advert for the Super Bowl.

In a taster currently live on YouTube the company is apparently putting its expertise into balls and pucks. It’s obviously a spoof, but still fun none the less.?

Full advert:

We get to see the rubber balls in action in both American Football and basketball. Personally, we prefer the former as the idea of quiet basketball is a bit rubbish.?

Audi vampire party

Recently we’ve noticed particularly flamboyant lighting setups on Audis. The company’s saloons in particular are guilty of cyclist blinding blinkers sat on the front. Audi is aware of this and has turned it to its advantage in its Super Bowl advertising.?

A vampire manages to crash his own party by melting his friends with his car’s lovely headlamps. He doesn’t seem to get fried by them though when he gets out; a minor detail we know, but hey accuracy is paramount when it comes to vampires.?

Chevrolet apocalypse

We would like to think if the world did end, the first car we went for wasn’t a Chevrolet truck. Once the fire and brimstone was over, a Ferrari would most definitely be sat outside the front of our chateau. The Americans however, with their love of all things big, appear to have chosen a Chevy truck as a post- doomsday transport.?

Ford users are apparently all dead. At least that is what Chevrolet says.?

Chevrolet Sonic

You can’t beat a bit of gratuitous action. Chevrolet went all out this year at the Super Bowl with its Sonic adverts. The poor little car gets thrown about in all different ways, pulling off bungee jumps, a music video and even a kickflip.?

There is plenty more Chevrolet adverts that aren’t quite as enjoyable as the two above, if you want to check them out, head over to Chevy’s YouTube channel.

Honda CR-V

Honda has done a good job here, making what is a relatively unexciting car into a fun piece of kit. Matthew’s day off, as the advert is entitled, sees Ferris Bueller star Matthew Broderick going about his business after pulling a sicky from work.?

Fiat 500 Abarth

This car has been a bit of a sleeper hit for Fiat. The souped-up version of Fiat’s hatchback has proven hugely popular. This advert features a rather enjoyable Italian lady who eventually transforms herself into the car.?

Tags: Features superbowl Star Wars Chevrolet Lexus Volkswagen Coca-Cola Samsung Audi Super Bowl

Super Bowl 2012 tech ads: Seinfeld, Star Wars Bark Side, Go Daddy girls, Chevrolet apps and more originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:33:00 +0000

Andy Garcia Andy Murray Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie Angie Harmon Anna Faris

She’s never been one to hold back when it comes to topics she’s passionate about, and Miley Cyrus voiced her positions on numerous issues for the March 2012 issue of Glamour.

Definitely upset after Prop 8 was struck down in California, the 20-year-old “LOL: Laughing Out Loud” actress – who was spotted shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond today (February 7) – offered up a passionate defense for same-sex marriage in the magazine while also talking about the rights of Americans and her boycott of Urban Outfitters.

Highlights from Miley’s interview are as follows. For more, be sure to pay a visit to Glamour!

On the reaction to her tattoo picture on twitter:
?When I shared a picture of my tattoo on my twitter page and said, ?All LOVE is equal,? a lot of people mocked me ? they said, ?What happened to you? You used to be a Christian girl!? And I said, ?Well, if you were a true Christian, you would have your facts straight. Christianity is about love.? The debate resulted in a lot of threats and hate mail to people who agreed and disagreed with me. At one point I had to say, ?Dude, everyone lay off.? Can?t people have friendly debates about sensitive topics without it turning into unnecessary threats??

On her defense of same-sex marriage:
?I believe every American should be allowed the same rights and civil liberties. Without legalized same-sex marriage, most of the time you cannot share the same health benefits, you are not considered next of kin and you are not granted the same securities as a heterosexual couple. How is this different than having someone sit in the back of the bus because of their skin color??

On her boycott of Urban Outfitters:
?One day I read online about the head of Urban Outfitters donating to a presidential candidate who does not support equality for everyone. I was shocked and disappointed that a company with such diversity would exclude such a large group of people. I can no longer bring myself to shop there.?

On her father, Billy Rae Cyrus? beliefs:
?We all should be tolerant of one another and embrace our differences. My dad [country singer Billy Rae Cyrus], who is a real man?s man, lives on the farm and is as Southern and straight as they come. He loves my gay friends and even supports same-sex marriage. If my father can do it, anyone can.?

On the rights of Americans:
?This is America, the nation of dreams. We?re so proud of that. And yet certain people are excluded. It?s just not right.?

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MTV Buzzworthy Blog: Pop Stars At The Airport!

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by Claudine Zap

Timing is everything, and when news broke that Demi Moore had been hospitalized for “health and exhaustion issues,” ex Ashton Kutcher was living it up in Brazil.

The two split last November after the “Two and a Half Men” star reportedly cheated on his wife of six years. But even though the two are kaput and Kutcher appears to be partying with supermodels in Sao Paulo, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t care.

A source told People that the 33-year-old is “deeply concerned for Demi,” adding, “He still cares about her and wants the best for her. But their marriage is ending and they are both moving on with their lives.” In fact, the source said Kutcher was in the South American country shooting an ad campaign when he heard the news.

The Web was certainly moved by Moore’s health crisis. Yahoo! searches for “demi moore news” rose 200% in the last day. The 49-year-old was hospitalized on Monday night after she apparently suffered a seizure. At the same time, Kutcher was tweeting a picture of himself “surfing the streets of Sao Paulo.” For now, he’s gone Twitter-silent.

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Beans spilt

A promotional video, starring Microsoft senior vice-president and Windows Phone product manager Joe Belfiore, has been leaked to the chaps at Pocketnow.com leaving them no choice but to tell us what the company supposedly has in store for Windows Phone 8.

The promotional video – supposedly aimed at Nokia employees to gee them up into an “awesome” frenzy for the next iteration of Windows Phone – has actually given us a fantastic insight, if true, into a host of new features we can expect in the next version of Windows Phone, the Windows Phone 8.

The new operating system update, to be dubbed Apollo, will supposedly see several hardware spec changes to the Microsoft?mobile operating system.

Those changes include support for multicore processors (think Qualcomm S4), four new screen resolutions presumably for the bigger screen phones like the HTC Titan and Titan II, and the ability to expand a Windows Phone’s memory via removable microSD.

Other specs will include NFC support for contactless payment, with Belfiore reported to be “placing specific emphasis on 8′s push into contactless payments”.

The “wallet experience,” as Pocketnow says he calls it, will have the “capability to be carrier-branded and controlled, either by a secure element on the SIM card or utilising hardware in the phone itself. In addition, tap-to-share capabilities will reportedly work across multiple platforms, allowing desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones to all share content.”?

The video also supposedly details that Windows Phone 8 will include many of the same coding features as Windows 8 with developers being able to use most of their code when porting an app from desktop to phone.

If that’s the case that is likely to be a big draw for programmers who are already developing apps and features for Windows 8. Either way, it is going to help Microsoft convince developers that developing for its platforms is going to be considerably easier than it is currently.

That move to a more symbiotic relationship will also stretch towards a more dedicated companion application to align with what is already available via the Mac Windows Phone connector software, or for older Windows Mobile users; the return of ActiveSync.

“The Xbox Companion app, currently found on Windows Phones, will see a partner client on Windows 8. Skydrive support promises seamless sharing of data between devices; Belfiore gives the example of instantly having one’s music collection available on a newly purchased Windows Phone, without the need for a PC sync,” reports the site. ?

Also improved, in the heavily detailed report by Pocketnow, is a reworking of the camera and photo elements of the operating system:

“Also mentioned is support for app-to-app communication, as well as a revamped Skype client that hooks directly into the OS, letting Skype calls behave almost identically to regular, non-VoIP telephony. The camera will now be based around so-called lens apps: Microsoft provides a basic camera interface that can either be skinned by OEMs or overlaid with viewfinders from third-parties. Belfiore gives the example of a lens app that combines burst mode with smile detection to capture a perfect portrait shot,” says Pocketnow.com.?

Other elements include Windows Phone 8 actively attempting to give Wi-Fi connections precedence, going so far as to connect to carrier-owned WLANs automatically when in range.

Talking to other journalists in the industry, Pocket-lint has no reason to believe the video isn’t legit. Sadly, Pocketnow hasn’t posted the video for us to hear it from the horse’s mouth.

Microsoft is expected to make an announcement on its future Windows Phone plans at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February. Pocket-lint will be in attendance at the show, to bring all the latest news, including any announcements from Microsoft, as it happens.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Microsoft Windows Phone 8 Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 8 detailed by Joe Belfiore in leaked video originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:30:00 +0000

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A rep for the 24-year-old rapper tells E! News that this “ongoing dispute” is under control.

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After our first day of CES we discuss what tech is making waves in Vegas. What grabbed your attention and which products will never see the store shelves. Molly breaks down her interview with Google’s Eric Schmidt and Brian Tong reflects on his time with LL Cool J live on the CNET stage.

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EPISODE 1575

NEWS

-What mattered on CES Day 1

-Dell plans to re-enter tablet market in late 2012

-Intel enters smart phone chip race for real

-Intel playing smart phone and tablet catch up at CES

-Lenovo unveils first smartphone, powered by Intel (live blog)

-What’s grabbed your attention at CES so far? (poll)

-Eric Schmidt says Android isn’t fragmented, only “differentiated”

-Schmidt on Next Big Thing: Devices have to be friends (live blog)

-CES: LL Cool J brings the Boomdizzle to CES 2012

-LL Cool J is a great hugger

-Microsoft’s CES floor space for 2013 sold in just 45 minutes

-Inflatable Cube is a bouncy castle for your iPad

-Reddit to go silent in SOPA protest

-Twitter to Google: You broke the Internet!

—–

http://bol.cnet.com, 800-616-2638 (CNET), buzz@cnet.com

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Compatible with iMAME4all

Zeon Tech, the company behind the forthcoming iPhone-activated Tardis and R2-D2 Smartsafes, is to release a rival to the iCade Jnr, an arcade cabinet for the iPhone and iPod touch. Called the iAppCade, the new device differs in several key areas, the most notable being that it doesn’t connect to an iDevice via Bluetooth.

Instead, the mini coin-op machine casing works a bit like an iPhone dock: just insert your handset and away you go. It will automatically work with dedicated games without the need for a complicated setup period.

Essentially, movements on the eight-way joystick or either of the two buttons equate to presses on the lower half of the device’s touchscreen using a capacitive material and, as?the play screen is 4:3 in aspect ratio, you can’t even see that going on.

“As I use one half of the screen as the control interface, the other half is used to display the game,” says Steve Carpenter, the designer of the iAppCade.

“I designed a case that would fit the iPhone, have buttons and joysticks for playing the game.?I then coded a test game for the iPhone and set the screen to roughly half the available screen space. By chance this was around the 4:3 aspect ratio that real arcade cabinets use. Fitting it all together resulted in a small but proportional?cabinet with a 4:3 screen, 8-way joystick and dual buttons!”

It results in a cabinet that doesn’t require power, nor sucks the life from your device like Bluetooth can.

However, there is a downside to this proprietary method of control. On launch, there will be only a few games on the App Store that are compatible – Blasteroids, Pinger, BlockBuster and Invaders from Outerspace – all variations on classic arcade titles. But developers are working on more and the iAppCade will play HTML5 games online for multiplayerbattles and user generated games.

Additionally, as we secretly spied at the unveiling of the prototype during London’s Toy Fair in January, the cabinet is also completely compatible with MAME4all, the arcade emulation software that’s barred from the official App Store, but still available on Cydia for jailbroken iDevices.

The iAppCade is coming in Q2 (around summertime) and will cost a mere ?14.99. A larger version for the iPad is also on the cards, if its diminutive forerunner proves successful.

Tags: iPhone iPhone accessories Phones Zeon Tech iAppCade Zeon Tech iPod Touch iPod touch accessories iPad accessories MAME4all ToyFair2012

iAppCade iPhone arcade cabinet works without Bluetooth (pictures) originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:57:00 +0000

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Shockproof, waterproof, dustproof

Pentax has announced a brace of new tough cameras, the Pentax Optio WG2 and the Optio WG2-GPS, which pack in a host of features for those that like to abuse their pocket camera.

Not only does the WG2 look like it has been designed for Batman, but it is waterproof (12 metres, IPX8), dustproof (IPX6), happy in the cold (down to -10C) and crush proof (100kgf). In our books, that makes the Optio WG2 something of a badass camera.?

Of course, all that protection is no good if the features are lacking. Fortunately you have a 16-megapixel back-illuminated sensor, offering a top ISO of 6400, along with a “night snap” mode that will take four images and compile them together with the aim of creating one good image.

There is a 5x zoom lens build in, offering 28mm at the wide end and 140mm at full zoom. An ultra-wide mode can also be deployed, giving you a 21mm effect by stitching two images together.

You get Full HD video capture and a slow motion option if you accept a drop in resolution. An HDMI will let you hook-up to the big screen to share your snaps and movies.

On the rear of the camera you get a 3-inch 16:9 display, offering a typical 460k-dot resolution and an anti-glare coating to aid viewing on the beach or slopes in bright conditions.

On the front of the camera you’ll also find six LED lights in a ring around the lens for macro illumination in the “digital microscope” mode. They can also be used for self-portraits and as a torch in the dark, again adding to this camera’s rugged repertoire.

If you want the GPS version, you’ll have to accept a ?50 premium on the price, but you’ll then be able to tag your photos as you shoot.

The Pentax Option WG2 will cost you ?299.99 and the Pentax Optio WG2-GPS is ?349.99. Both will be available from March 2012.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Pentax Pentax Optio WG2 Pentax Optio WG2-GPS 16 megapixels

Pentax Optio WG2-GPS: The adventure proof camera originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

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by Claudine Zap

They’re beautiful, fashionable, and always red-carpet-ready for their close-ups. But there’s one accessory these stars don’t have: a stylist. So they say. Blake Lively, the “Gossip Girl” star, has become the poster child for going stylist-free.

What does this mean, exactly? The 24-year-old says fashion is her favorite hobby, so she prefers to go with her gut. “I just like whatever I’m feeling. Sometimes things are really beautiful, but they just don’t photograph well, and that’s that.” Yes, we all know that whenever an outfit doesn’t work, it’s the camera’s fault.

Still, the stylish TV show “Gossip Girl” seems to be doing for Lively’s fashion sense what “Sex and the City” did for Sarah Jessica Parker. Off set, Lively clearly loves to show up in designer duds, even if she doesn’t always hit the mark.

The blog Fashionista is doubtful of the Chanel spokesmodel’s claim, noting, “It doesn’t seem that Blake needs a stylist, because she has Eric Daman, ‘Gossip Girl’s’ costume designer, who clearly ‘helps her out’ for big events.”

Other stars who say they turn up at major events with a DIY look include January Jones, Diane Kruger, and the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley.

Certainly, there’s no shame in hiring a stylist. In fact, a celebrity stylist told the New York Times that it can be a game changer. Nicole Chavez, who has dressed Katherine Heigl and Scarlett Johansson, insisted that a good dress is a great career move: “People — casting agents, studio executives — stop and take notice. They are suddenly interested in working with you.”

Whether or not Lively has a stylist, directors are apparently interested in working with the up-and-coming actress. Her career is on the rise, along with her fashionably short hem: She is said to be starring in the upcoming Oliver Stone movie “Savages.”

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It must be reduction year in Hollywood, because just days after Heidi Montag announced her intentions to get her boobs reduced, now Lisa Rinna has gotten a decrease as well. But Lisa Rinna did not get a boob reduction (thank goodness!), but a lip one. The model, actress and writer was on The Morning Show [...]

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