All for 'Pakistan Appeal'

Imran Khan joins the charity event in Dubai to raise funds for flood victims, you can too

“A father lifts his newborn son above his head as he submerges under water. His prayer is for someone to lend a helping hand. That helping hand is you.” The millions of flood victims who lost everything in the greatest natural disaster ever to hit Pakistan need the power of positive thought and action - that’s just what ‘Pakistan Appeal’ is all about. And you can be a part of the landmark UNICEF charity event! The event, organised by Quintessentially, takes place Friday, March 4, at the Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa. And it brings together several influential and high-profile participants. The opening address will be made by H H Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Imran Khan, former cricketer and international humanitarian, will also speak about his personal relief efforts, the acute need for funding and his own account of the tragedy on the ground.

In an interview with Masala!, Imran Khan revealed, “As I travelled through the villages washed away by the floods, I saw displaced families scattered in the makeshift shelters without food, adequate clothing and health services. I saw distressed families squatting together in the most unhygienic conditions. I could see the unfolding tragedy and knew that in order to cope with devastation of such a high magnitude and severity, we all needed to lend a helping hand.”
At the ‘Pakistan Appeal’ event, H E Engin Soysal, UN Special Envoy for Assistance to Pakistan will also explain the scale of the tragedy and the UN response as a whole. H E Shaukat Aziz will highlight the importance of continued efforts towards the recovery of flood affected areas in Pakistan. There will also be a presentation by UNICEF on the disaster and relief efforts. The evening will end with a live concert by the famed Mekaal Hasan Band.

You can show your charitable side for the flood victims by being a part of ‘Pakistan Appeal’. Premium Seat Invitations (limited availability) - Dhs2000; and General Seat Invitations (Dhs1000) are available, and at the event you can participate in a signature raffle draw featuring over $150,000 worth of prizes, a live auction for priceless items, and individual and corporate monetary/in-kind pledges throughout the evening. Go on, make a difference in the lives of people who really need it.
INFO
Date: March 4, 2011
Venue: Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa
Time: 7:30pm
For seat and table reservations, contact 04 437 6820 or email eventsdubai@quintessentially.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
For more details, visit www.pakistanappeal.com

Facebook Like button takes over Share button

Say goodbye to the Share button because the Like button is taking over.

After months of updates to its Like button, Facebook has released an update that fundamentally changes the button's functionality to that of a Share button. Now after hitting the Like button, a full story with a headline, blurb and thumbnail will be posted to your profile wall. You'll also be given an option to comment on the story link. Previously, only a link to the story would appear in the recent activity, often going unnoticed by users.

Though users may now think twice about hitting the button, given how prominently it will appear on their walls and in their networks' newsfeeds, it should ultimately increase traffic to publishers' websites.

Facebook has slowly been rolling out updates to its Like button and has stopped developing the Share Button. Facebook Spokeswoman Malorie Lucich told us that while the company will continue to support the Share button, Like is the "recommended solution moving forward."
However, Lucich today called it a test, saying "We're always testing new products that incorporate developer feedback as we work to improve the Platform experience, and have no details to share at this time." It's unlikely that the change is just a test, however. Typically such tests from Facebook only affect a small number of users, whereas this change affects all Like buttons.

Perhaps the change was necessary. Because it was never made clear to users that the Like button would function differently than the Share button, many never understood what it meant to click Like on a piece of content. Making the result the same as the Share button could build stronger user expectations, ultimately fashioning a better user experience.

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez Make It Official

We've seen them hold hands before. And cameras caught them on a movie date in early February. But Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez put to rest any remaining debate over their status by showing up together on Hollywood's biggest night. The 100% confirmed, official, adorable couple stopped on the red carpet and posted for pictures at the annual Vanity Fair Oscar party. Turn away now, ladies, if you don't wanna see your dream man wrapping his arms around another woman. Both dressed in Dolce & Gabbana, you must admit: Justin and Selena look happy, don't they?

2011 Academy Awards: Full List of Winners!

And the Oscar goes to ...

The King's Speech. Other films too, of course, but it was a royal victory for the picture about King George VI, which won Best Picture, and Best Actor Colin Firth.

Director Tom Hooper and Screenplay writer David Seidler also triumphed for the film. Natalie Portman, as the troubled dancer in Black Swan, won Best Actress.



The four big winners at the 2011 Oscars.

"This is insane," she said in her acceptance speech. "I truly, sincerely wish the prize tonight was to work with my fellow nominees. I am in such awe of you."

The Fighter's Melissa Leo and Christian Bale won Supporting Actress and Actor. The technical awards were monopolized by Inception and Alice in Wonderland.

Were you happy with how the Oscars turned out? Did anyone get snubbed? Follow the jump for the full list of winners at the 2011 Academy Awards ...
Best Picture

* Black Swan
* The Fighter
* Inception
* The Kids Are All Right
* The King's Speech - WINNER
* 127 Hours
* The Social Network
* Toy Story 3
* True Grit
* Winter's Bone

Best Actor

* Javier Bardem, Biutiful
* Jeff Bridges, True Grit
* Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
* Colin Firth, The King's Speech - WINNER
* James Franco, 127 Hours

Best Actress

* Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
* Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
* Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
* Natalie Portman, Black Swan - WINNER
* Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Supporting Actor

* Christian Bale, The Fighter - WINNER
* John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
* Jeremy Renner, The Town
* Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
* Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Best Supporting Actress

* Amy Adams, The Fighter
* Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
* Melissa Leo, The Fighter - WINNER
* Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
* Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Director

* Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
* David O. Russell, The Fighter
* Tom Hooper, The King's Speech - WINNER
* David Fincher, The Social Network
* Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit

Best Original Screenplay

* Another Year
* The Fighter
* Inception
* The Kids Are All Right
* The King's Speech - WINNER

Best Adapted Screenplay

* 127 Hours
* The Social Network - WINNER
* Toy Story 3
* True Grit
* Winter's Bone

Best Animated Film

* How to Train Your Dragon
* The Illusionist
* Toy Story 3 - WINNER

Best Foreign Language Film

* Biutiful
* Dogtooth
* In A Better World - WINNER
* Incendies
* Outside the Law

Best Art Direction

* Alice in Wonderland - WINNER
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
* Inception
* The King's Speech
* True Grit

Cinematography

* Black Swan
* Inception - WINNER
* The King's Speech
* The Social Network
* True Grit

Costume Design

* Alice in Wonderland - WINNER
* I Am Love
* The King's Speech
* The Tempest
* True Grit

Editing

* Black Swan
* The Fighter
* The King's Speech
* 127 Hours
* The Social Network - WINNER

Sound Mixing

* Inception - WINNER
* The King's Speech
* Salt
* The Social Network
* True Grit

Sound Editing

* Inception - WINNER
* Toy Story 3
* Tron: Legacy
* True Grit
* Unstoppable

Original Score

* How to Train Your Dragon
* Inception
* The King's Speech
* 127 Hours
* The Social Network - WINNER

Original Song

* "Coming Home" from Country Strong
* "I See the Light" from Tangled
* "If I Rise" from 127 Hours
* "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3 - WINNER

Documentary Feature

* Exit through the Gift Shop
* Gasland
* Inside Job - WINNER
* Restrepo
* Waste Land

Documentary (short subject)

* Killing in the Name
* Poster Girl
* Strangers No More - WINNER
* Sun Come Up
* The Warriors of Qiugang

Makeup

* Barney's Version
* The Way Back
* The Wolfman - WINNER

Animated Short Film

* Day & Night
* The Gruffalo
* Let's Pollute
* The Lost Thing - WINNER
* Madagascar, a Journey Diary

Live Action Short Film

* The Confession
* The Crush
* God of Love - WINNER
* Na Wewe
* Wish 143

Visual Effects

* Alice in Wonderland
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
* Hereafter
* Inception - WINNER
* Iron Man 2

Double Oscar loss for Rahman

Misses Best Original Score and Best Song awards

Music maestro A R Rahman lost the Oscar for best original score to composer duo Trent Rezmor and Atticus Ross who took home the award for 'The Social Network' at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles. He also lost the Oscar for best original song to Randy Newman, who won it for 'We Belong Together' in 'Toy Story 3'. Rahman was nominated with Dido and Rollo Armstrong, who wrote the lyrics for the song 'If I Rise' from '127 Hours'. Earlier this year, the 45-year-old had also lost the Golden Globe award as well as British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award for best original music in '127 Hours'.

Other Oscar winners announced so far include Christian Bale for Best Supporting Actor in 'The Fighter', Melissa Leo for Best Supporting Actress in the same movie, 'In A Better World' (Denmark) for Best Foreign Language Film, and 'Toy Story 3' for Best Animated Feature Film.
'The Social Network' won for Best Adapted Screenplay, while 'The King's Speech' won Best Screenplay.

Websites to Google: 'You're killing our business!'

Google made one of the biggest changes ever to its search results this week, which immediately had a noticeable effect on many Web properties that rely on the world's biggest search engine to drive traffic to their sites.

The major tweak aims to move better quality content to the top of Google's search rankings. The changes will affect 12% Google's results, the company said in a blog post late Thursday.

"Our goal is simple: to give users the most relevant answers to their queries as quickly as possible," said Gabriel Stricker, Google spokesman. "This requires constant tuning of our algorithms, as new content -- both good and bad -- comes online all the time. Recently we've heard from our users that they want to see fewer low quality sites in our results."

Typically, Google's algorithm changes are so subtle that few people notice them. But these most recent changes could be seen immediately.
How to test the change: The IP address 64.233.179.104 displays Google search results as they would have appeared before the recent algorithm change, according to several webmasters posting to the WebmasterWorld.com forum.

Google would not confirm that IP address uses the older algorithm, but comparing searches of trending topics on google.com with searches using the special Google IP address reveals how the search engine now seems to be favoring certain content.

The changes appear to be affecting so-called "content farms" the most, which are websites that amass content based on the most-searched terms of the day. Demand Media, AOL, Mahalo and the Huffington Post have all been accused of such tactics, including a notable "story" from HuffPo about the Super Bowl that Slate.com media critic Jack Shafer called "the greatest example of SEO whoring of all time."

Tests using trending topics show Google's tweaks in action.

The current top Google result for a search of Charlie Sheen rant target "Haim Levine" is a New York Daily News page, followed by a story from gossipcop.com. The old algorithm would have featured two Huffington Post stories at the top, with the New York Daily News story not appearing appear until the second results page.

A controversial decision: Any change to Google's algorithm is a zero-sum game. Some websites win, some lose.

Comments from site operators lit up on the WebmasterWorld.com forum starting on Wednesday. Many webmasters complained that traffic to their sites dropped dramatically overnight, and others expressed concern that they can't adapt quickly enough to Google's changes to its algorithm.

"Why is it that every single time the search engine result page starts to stabilize and sales return, Google has to throw a monkey wrench in the system again?" asked commenter backdraft7. "Hey Google, this is not fun anymore - YOU'RE KILLING OUR BUSINESSES!"

"My God. I just lost 40% of my traffic from Google today," said commenter DickBaker. "Referrals from Yahoo, Bing, direct sources, and other sources are the same, but Google dropped like a rock."

There are many legitimate ways content creators optimize their sites to rise to the top of Google's results. But Google has been cracking down on what it regards as inappropriate attempts to do so: The company recently penalized Overstock.com and JC Penney in its search results after the companies were found to have set up fake websites that linked to their own, causing Google's algorithm to rank them higher.

When it comes to site content, the lines get very fuzzy. Operators like Demand Media (DMD) -- which now has a market valuation of $1.9 billion, more than the New York Times Co. is worth -- sit right on the ever-shifting boundaries.

"Sites of this type have always been controversial," said Daniel Ruby, research director at Chitika, Inc. a search advertising analytics company. "On one hand, they often do produce extremely informative, well-written articles. On the other hand, they put out countless articles on a daily basis, and some claim they exist only to generate the top result on as many keywords as possible."

Demand put out a very carefully worded response to Google's changes.

"As might be expected, a content library as diverse as ours saw some content go up and some go down in Google search results," Larry Fitzgibbon, the company's executive vice president of media and operations, wrote in a blog post. "It's impossible to speculate how these or any changes made by Google impact any online business in the long term -- but at this point in time, we haven't seen a material net impact."

So will Google's changes have a lasting effect on search quality? Perhaps. But it's an arms race: Any time the company adjusts its algorithms, those determined to beat them immediately adjust.

"Content originators make money, and Google makes money," said Whit Andrews, analyst for Gartner. "Their interests will always be in conflict, and as long as there is greed, people will try to game system.

Britney Spears: Pretty Much Loaded

Britney Spears has done well for herself in the last few years.

The singer's conservatorship and marketing machine have made a killing since December of 2008, when the conservators took over $2,826,362.68.

Exactly one year later, Britney's assets controlled by the conservators swelled to $27,500,000, thanks largely to Britney's wildly successful Circus Tour.

It's good to be Britney Spears. Especially on medication.

The figures are deceiving in that conservators only control a portion of Britney's total estate - namely her business expenses. She has a lot of money and property in her various trusts and other business entitites the conservators do not control.

Basically, she's even richer than that figure indicates.

Kushal Punjabi wins 'Zor Ka Jhatka'

The star-studded finale of SRK's show also saw Rani Mukerji and Dolly Bindra

Kushal Punjabi has won Imagine TV's reality show 'Zor Ka Jhatka', hosted by Shah Rukh Khan, in the grand finale on Feb 25. Kushal, seen on the small screen as well as in bit roles in films like 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal' and 'Salaam-E-Ishq', walked away with the grand prize of Rs.5 million, as the show came to an end after four weeks. It provided light entertainment through unusual water-based adventures. The show was in the news mainly because of the star host - Shah Rukh Khan, who gave a running commentary during the episodes. Actress Saumya Tandon was his co-host. 'Zor Ka Jhatka', an Indian version of the internationally popular 'Wipeout!', started with 28 contestants, who were taken out of their comfort zone to battle it out in an obstacle course set in Argentina.

The participants on the show included celebs like Akashdeep Saigal, Amit Sareen, Ashima Bhalla, Bakhtiyaar Irani, Claudia Ciesla, Debina Bonnerjee, Gaurav Chopraa, Jennifer Winget, Karishma Tanna, Kushal Punjabi, Narayani Shastri, Natasha Suri, Payal Rohatgi, Priyadarshani Singh, Raja Chaudhary, Dimpy Mahajan, Rohit Verma, Simran Kaur Mundi among others.

The finale started with a fight between 15 contestants for the prize money. Thereafter, four contestants - Claudia Ciesla, Kushal Punjabi, Captain Albert and Jai Bhagwan - made their way to the deciding round of the 'Wipeout Zone', where the winner was finally announced.

The special guests for the evening included Dolly Bindra and Rani Mukerji, who even dancedwith Shah Rukh.

To add humour, contestants were given funny awards under the category of "Ram Lal Foundation Award" for Manoranjan award which was given to Priyadarshani Singh, "Running Commentary" which was given to Sonika Kaliraman, and the "Haste Zakhm" to Dimpy Mahajan.

Ash-Abhi to attend the Oscars

Who's been revealing their plans in LA?

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan are ready to dazzle the West some more, the star couple, who are currently in Los Angeles for a holiday, will be attending the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on Sunday (Feb 28). And the man who's confirmed the news is none other than Amitabh Bachchan. "Ya, Abhishek and Aishwarya have been invited by the Academy to attend the Oscars on Sunday … so … ," Amitabh posted on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com. Amitabh spilled the duo's plans while sharing how American actor Warren Beatty met Abhishek at an LA store for fittings. "Oh! And incidentally they were getting fitted at a clothes store, for the Oscars Award ceremony for Sunday - Warren and Abhishek!," added Amitabh.

Abhishek, who had been busy with the shooting of 'Players' in New Zealand, is in LA for a break with wife Ash. The couple will also be meeting once Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, who is also expected to attend the prestigious ceremony.
These apart, music composer A R Rahman, who has been nominated for two categories at the Oscar this year, will be at the event too.
Rahman, who won two Oscars for his work in the 2009 movie 'Slumdog Millionaire', is vying for the golden statuette for the original score of Danny Boyle's '127 Hours' as well as the original song 'If I Rise' from the same movie, this year. Rahman will also be performing the song at the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Bollywood is hoping that the Mozart of Madras brings back trophies this year too.

India-born British film editor Tariq Anwar is also in the Oscar race with a nomination for his work in the hugely popular historical drama 'The King's Speech'.

SRK joins Nadiadwala mega movies cast

Top producer has also lined up films with Salman and Akshay

After producing high-on-entertainment and successful movies like 'Heyy Babyy', now producer Sajid Nadiadwala has roped in Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar for five of his upcoming projects. Starting with 'Housefull 2' that has stars like Akshay Kumar and John Abraham, he has teamed up with Salman Khan for 'Kick', which is being directed by Shirish Kunder and also stars Sonakshi Sinha.   Apart from these superstars, Nadiawala has also signed on directors Vishal Bhardwaj and Imtiaz Ali. While Vishal will direct the adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's 2 States that will have Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role, Imtiaz's directorial venture could star Hrithik Roshan.   If this wasn't all, Nadiadwala has also signed on Shahid Kapoor for Heer Ranjha but for now the producer chooses to remain tight-lipped about it. This is definitely going to be one helluva year for bollywood.

Salman is not a bhai!

He hates being called that, especially by young girls

As we all know Salman Khan is lovingly called as Salman Bhai, not just by his Bollywood colleagues but by his fans too. But, apparently he isn’t too happy about it and he especially hates it when the young girls call him that. When Bigg Boss 4 winner Shweta Tiwari had addressed him as bhai in one of the episodes of the show, Sallu clarified, "I am okay with Dolly Bindra (another participant of the show) referring to me as bhai, but I don't want Shweta to call me Salman bhai." And, it looks like his 'Dabangg' co-star Sonakshi Sinha took this as a warning. Sonakshi, who has won several trophies for the best newcomer at various award functions recently this year made sure that she won’t make that mistake. For most of these functions, she prepared a speech in which she thanked everyone from the Dabangg team. In most cases, however, her speech went, "I thank Arbaaz bhai and Mr. Salman Khan..." Well, Sonakshi may respect Sallu a lot, but she clearly avoided calling him bhai.

How Will Justin Bieber Celebrate His Birthday?

It's a date we're guessing millions of young women have had circled on their calendar for months: Justin Bieber turns 17 years old on Tuesday.

How does he plan on celebrating?

"I'm just going to relax because I start my world tour on [March 4]," he told Entertainment Tonight. "So just going to mentally prepare... No birthday bash... Hopefully, my grandparents will be out here and I'll be able to spend time them. My grandma makes the best cheesecake."
Got any birthday wishes for Justin Bieber?
As for the haircut heard around the world?

"I just woke up and said, 'I don't want this anymore,' so I just cut it," Justin said. "The fans really liked it, but they'll like me no matter what because I think it's about the music. I'm really excited to see what the fans overseas think and take it day by day."

Google declares war on content farms

Google has announced a major algorithmic change to its search engine, subtle in nature and perhaps unnoticeable to many users, but one that should dramatically improve the quality of Google's search results.

With this move, Google is targeting content farms -- a common name for low quality sites whose main goal is to attract search traffic by piling up (mostly) useless content, usually by either producing large amounts of low-quality text or by copying it from websites with original content.

Google does not go into details of the change which should impact 11.8 percent of Google's queries (currently only in the U.S., with plans to roll it out elsewhere over time), but it does say that it will affect the ranking of many sites on the web.
"This update is designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites -- sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful. At the same time, it will provide better rankings for high-quality sites -- sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on," explain Googlers Amit Singhal and Matt Cuttsin a blog post.

While the change will surely have many website owners up in arms, complaining that their website was unfairly ranked lower than before (we're sure that in some cases they will be right), it's a very welcome one.

The popularity of Google's search engine is still second to none, but Google has been plagued by black hat SEO practices and content farms for a while now, with thecomplaints from users slowly mounting over time.

If Google manages to put an end to content farms or at least significantly reduce their influence in search results, it will be an important step in regaining the trust of its millions of users.

Personal sub could be easiest, safest yet

Hop into this Ego Compact Semi Submarine, and without any extensive training you can be on your way to exploring the deep blue sea in no time.

Why is this called a semi-submarine? The entire boat is not submerged, but it's more like a pontoon boat with a transparent waterproof compartment hanging from its middle.

That means James Cameron is not going to be using one of these subs for that deep-water shoot for his Avatar sequel, but it's still suitable for giving you an eye-popping view of the undersea world. Think of it as more akin to snorkeling than scuba diving.

Photos: Raonhaje's Ego Compact Semi Submarine

The little boat cruises along at a leisurely sightseeing pace that's unspecified by its maker, which will only say that its batteries will last eight hours at cruising speed or four hours at top speed.

It's built by South Korean company Raonhaje, which plans to sell fleets of these Ego Semi-Submarines to resorts, and single units to individuals and yacht owners. The company offers to build custom moorings for the craft, as well as hoists for yachts.

We're thinking super-safe leisure subs like these would be a huge hit at a resort, especially seaside marinas near coral reefs, with their colorful and bustling underwater wildlife. Just think, even people who can't swim can enjoy the spectacular view.

Madhuri says no to Rajnikanth

The real reason she refused a role opposite the superstar

Madhuri Dixit's enjoying being back in the B'wood limelight as a judge on 'Jhalak Dikhla Jaa 4' but her heart is obviously where her family is - in the US of A. We hear that's the reason she refused a role opposite Rajnikanth in his new movie 'Rana'.

Madhuri wants to get back to hubby Sriram and kids Arin and Ryan asap, and that's why she said no to the role offered to her by Rajni. The Southern superstar plays a triple role in 'Rana', and Deepika Padukone has already been signed as one of the leads opposite him. 

Think Madhuri will sign any movies before she flies back to the US? Well, the buzz was that she might just say yes to Anil Kapoor for the 'Freaky Friday' remake. Watch this space for updates!

Deepika-Ranbir's reunion?

Buzz is she's finally agreed to do a movie with her ex

Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor might soon be back together - on-screen that is! Apparently DP really wanted to be part of Ayan Mukherjee's next that stars RK, and that's what's happening.

Ayan, of course, directed Ranbir in 'Wake Up Sid', and was keen to work with him again. While Ranbir had been signed on earlier for the new movie, Deepika, it seems, has just agreed after a series of narrations by the director.

We've got to admit Ranbir and Deepika had great chemistry in 'Bachna Ae Haseenon', here's to more of that! 

Dancing Witch the Stars: Christine O'Donnell to Join Cast?

Will failed Delaware GOP Senate candidate, Tea Party favorite and possible witchcraft practitioner Christine O'Donnell give Dancing with the Stars a shot?

That's the rumor going around, and she confirmed via Facebook on Tuesday that she's being courted to join the ABC hit show's cast next season.

"I just got the Official 'Ask' from Dancing With The Stars!" the Republican wrote on the social networking site, although she remains undecided.

Her thoughts: "Although I am utterly flattered, my initial thought was to decline, as 2 year old nephew has more rhythm than me, and my two left feet!!"

O'Donnell then turned the floor over to her Facebook followers, who weighed in on the pros and cons of doing Dancing With the Stars.
Pros: Plenty of money for relatively little time invested and so much potential for brooms and other witch-themed props incorporated into routines.

Cons: Bristol Palin set the bar high for beloved Tea Party candidates. It will be hard to live up to those expectations. Also, who's Christine O'Donnell?!

Apple to unveil new iPad on March 2

It's pretty much official: After months of anticipation, Apple on Wednesday sent out invitations to a March 2 press event where the company is expected to unveil the new version of its iPad tablet computer.

The invite, e-mailed to members of the news media at about 11 a.m. ET, features a picture of an iPad-shaped device with a giant "2" in the center, seemingly a sly reference to the date of the San Francisco event and also to the device's rumored name: "iPad 2."

"Come see what 2011 will be the year of," the invite says.

Apple, the world's highest valued tech company, became the first in the field to debut a modern, touch-screen tablet computer when it unveiled the iPad in January 2010. Since then, a host of competitors, many working with Google's Android operating system, have emerged to compete with the popular iPad.

No one knows exactly what the new tablet from Apple will look like, or what it will be called, butbloggers expect the second-generation device to feature a front-facing camera, for making video calls. That's something many iPad competitors, including the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab, have going for them that the iPad currently doesn't.

Timothy Dalton to Testify Against Mel Gibson?

Before Mel Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva dated James Bond star Timothy Dalton, with whom she also has a child. The two still communicate - about Gibson, in fact.

According to reports, Grigorieva told a lawyer that Dalton will testify against Gibson in their case, revealing potentially damning evidence against the actor.

In the battery and extortion investigations into Gibson and Grigorieva, she alleges he punched her and that "Tim" saw a bruise on her left eye after the fact.

"Tim saw a bruise on my left eye as well as Mady," Oksana said, referring also to her facialist and Dalton, the father of Grigorieva's teenage son Alexander.

"Both will testify," she added, noting: "Facts and witnesses."

If Gibson is charged with domestic abuse, the idea of Dalton - the subject of one of many Mel Gibson rants - testifying in court would make for a spectacle.

The revelations about Dalton, taken from Oksana's emails to an ex-attorney, came a day after we learned her desire to call his bluff and take her chances. The e-mails, texts and documents uncovered in a Radar Online investigation reveal that over the course of last year, Grigorieva has also claimed:

* That a furious Mel once flew from Costa Rica to "spy" on her
* That he jealously accused his own friends of hitting on her
* That she told two other doctors she was "hit by a man"
* That she emailed a lawyer the night Mel allegedly hit her
* That she also telephoned three friends - "Jimmy" and "Alicia and Robert Seidler" - the same night, who advised her to call the police
* That she told Jimmy Mel was "threatening to come and kill me"

While the Russian musician has battled repeated claims she has changed her version of events, or is trying to bilk Mel for cash, the D.A. will ultimately decide whether her account is credible and what, if any, charges will be filed.

Angelina Pivarnick Ready For TNA Impact

Former Jersey Shore waste of space Angelina Pivarnick may or may not be engaged, but she is definitely taking her lack of talent to the wrestling ring.

Angelina, who is supposedly marrying Dave Kovacs, or not, will soon appear on two “TNA iMPACT” episodes on SPIKE TV, Thursday, March 3 and 10.

What brings Pivarnick inside the ropes?

GETTING SOME TNA: Angelina will not go away. But maybe she will at least suffer a major beatdown in one of these wrestling events. [Photo: Pacific Coast News]

She will meet and partner with the wrestling duo “The Shore,” comprised of Cookie and Robbie E, and make her professional wrestling debut on TNA.

Angelina and “The Shore” share a mutual hatred of “Jersey Shore” star, JWoww, whom she will challenge publically to meet her in the ring for a brawl.

Last October, JWoww made an appearance on TNA where she pounded Cookie. Somehow we can see her jumping at the chance to repeat history ...

American Idol voting goes online via Facebook

Facebook users soon could become the power brokers in who becomes the next Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood.

"American Idol," Fox's massively popular TV singing contest, will be adding online voting next week, according to a news release. Voters will use their Facebook profiles to log in to a designated voting page on the "American Idol" website.

"We have been wanting to do online voting for several years, and now Facebook has offered us a secure solution and we are ready to go," said Simon Fuller, the show's creator. "The show has always involved a high level of engagement with its viewers through texting and phone voting, and it's great to expand on this tradition."

The online system will begin after Tuesday's episode.
People will still be able to vote for their favorite singers via text message or voice call.

Fans will be able to vote up to 50 times from each Facebook account, according to the release.

That could be a major shift in how results are tallied. As Jackie Cohen at the All Facebook blog notes, only the most rabid "Idol" fans are texting or calling in anywhere near 50 times.

"Adding Facebook voting would likely foster more participation in the voting. It certainly makes sense for 'American Idol' to limit each viewer to a maximum of 50 votes per show, but that could be more voting than most fans can achieve via telephone," Cohen wrote.

The Facebook report had been tipped off in reports by Entertainment Weekly and other media outlets. Earlier this week, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Rodney Ho that online voting will be added this season.

Tech-news blog Mashable (a CNN partner) notes that viewers last season could use a Facebook app, "Idol Fanatic," to call in votes. The app used the Ribbit online telephone service, but has apparently now been shut down.

According to leaks reported by People magazine, "X Factor," the upcoming talent show to be hosted by former "Idol" judge Simon Cowell, also plans to introduce Facebook voting.

Inside the Hot 100 Party

All the goss and news from Dubai’s hottest party of 2011

The annual Hot 100 party kicked off at Meydan on Wednesday night (Feb 23) in celebration of the personalities who have helped develop the UAE socially, on a business level and those who simply inspire us. With the Hot 100 in attendance as well as Dubai movers and shakers, and of course Jermaine Jackson the party was one fab affair.

Laid out across the roof terrace at Meydan there was food and drink as far as the eye could see – courtesy of Meydan’s restaurants who laid out delish live cooking stations. And as the mingling continued Katie Heskett, Ahlan! Editorial Director took to the stage to officially kick start the party before singer Clarita belted out the tunes and had the crowd dancing. Ahem, we saw those shapes on the dance floor!

The party which continued well into the night was a stunning showcase of Dubai’s ‘it’ crowd and was officially the hottest of 2011.

Shah Rukh's rugged 'Don 2' look

Check out our exclusive stills from the super-hot sequel

It's Shah Rukh Khan like we haven't seen him before (not with hair like that since those 'Koyla' days at least!) - check out his look in 'Don 2', with the sorta-dreadlocks, a bandana and that menacing stare. It's going to be a thrilling ride in the movie for sure. Shah Rukh's character obviously spends a part of the movie in prison (undercover maybe?) and that's where these stills you see here are set. Think orange is Don's colour? Well. he's certainly adopted it well! We're liking this new and dangerous Don! Tell us what you think of SRK's look in the movie

Priyanka and Shahid's eternal love story

They've signed on for a movie spanning a couple's 100-year-long relationship

Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra are set to team up again (on-screen that is!) and this time it's for a movie that charts the relationship between a couple over a 100 years!

Sounds super intriguing, doesn't it? We saw Priyanka play a senior citizen in 'Saat Khoon Maaf', but this is something else! And opposite Shahid too!

The movie, directed by Kunal Kohli, will be Shahid and Priyanka's first after 'Kaminey' and we're hoping to see the same sparks again!

Miley Cyrus Wins Inspirational Award

In case you need proof of just how polarizing a figure Miley Cyrus can be, consider:

An AOL poll named the singer/actress the Worst Celebrity Influence on the planet two years in a row. Over the weekend, however, Cyrus received the first ever Global Action Youth Leadership Award at a gala in Los Angeles.

Miley and Tish

Said Cyrus on stage, after being handed the award by Hilary Duff:

"I want [kids] to do something they love. Not something that seems like a chore because someone tells them that's the right thing to do or what their parents want or what's important to people around them, but what's in their heart."

It's been a trying few days for Miley, as sources say she's angry at her father for bashing Hannah Montana and openly stating that Satan is attacking his family, as evidenced by his daughter's recent actions.

How One Teacher's Angry Blog Sparked a Viral Classroom Debate

Pennsylvania high school teacher Natalie Munroe has been suspended from her job over angry blog posts about her students

When high school English teacher Natalie Munroe had a bad day at school, she didn't just vent to her husband: she took it to her blog. Titled "Where are we going, and why are we in this handbasket?" and all but unknown to the world until earlier this month, Munroe's website served as a chronicle of her "utterly loathsome" students. In one post, she advises students to go get jobs with the trash company. In another, she calls them "rude, disengaged, lazy whiners." In yet another she doesn't mince words, proclaiming, "There's no other way to say this: I hate your kid." Now Munroe, who has been temporarily suspended from her position, finds herself in the middle of a swirling online debate — not over what she did, but over what she said about the sometimes harsh realities of the 21st century classroom.
While it's undoubtedly naive to believe in 2011 that a blog will remain anonymous — especially considering Munroe published the online musings using her first name, the initial of her last name and a photo of herself — her attorney, Steve Rovner, says legally she did nothing wrong to warrant suspension. Rovner says his client's school district does not have a policy in place that dictates what teachers can and cannot do online and Munroe did not name the school, nor her students, in her blog posts. Still, while Munroe maintains what she wrote was meant only to serve as amusement for herself, her husband and seven of her friends who read the site, in publishing the rants to a blog — rather than, say, via a mass e-mail to friends and family — she opened herself up to the chance that anyone outside her circle could find the posts.
Someone did. Though she never could have predicted the fallout from what she thought were private rants, the full ramifications hit home on Feb. 9 when she was suspended with pay from her job at Central Bucks East High School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Not long after, her face was plastered on the evening news. "I'm like anyone else in the world — when we encounter frustrations we come home, tell our family and friends about it," Munroe told TIME. "I wasn't fixating on these things, I wrote them down and moved on."

A few days after her suspension, Munroe again logged onto her blog to write a different kind of post, titled "Bloggate- Day 1: The Scandal Begins." (Though she removed all the old posts, this newer post is still available online.) In the post she laments her comments being taken out of context and says the positive things she said about her students in some posts were overlooked. But rather than wishing her plight would quickly fade from the spotlight, Munroe instead welcomed the discussion she thought her comments could spark. "There are serious problems with our education system today," she wrote. "If this 'scandal' opens the door for that conversation, so be it."

By the following week Munroe's story had caught the eye of producers at ABC's Good Morning America. Her appearance on the popular morning show on Wednesday quickly made her the subject of online postings on blogs and across Facebook. One Facebook group, labeled "I support Natalie Munroe," has garnered nearly 3,000 "likes," while an opposing group, called "Throw the Book at Natalie Munroe," has more than 500 "likes."

It's within these Facebook groups that the court of public opinion has weighed in on Munroe's situation. Her supporters — many of them teachers — tout the age-old mantra "Kids these days," and cheer Munroe for having the guts to publicly write things about today's "disrespectful" youth that most of them only dare mutter under their breath. One such commenter was Brian Nash, a fifth-grade teacher in West Point, Utah, who has been teaching for nine years. While Nash calls teaching "the absolute greatest job in the world," he says any teacher can relate to having a few students that drive them crazy. "I don't think there is anything wrong with calling kids out — I think they need it," he tells TIME. "There's this mentality that we can't say anything to kids, that we have to baby them, but I'm one of those tough-love kind of people."

But other teachers, like Amy Sterling Casil, an English teacher at a California community college, says that while she cuts K-12 teachers some slack for having to face things she doesn't have to in a college environment, Munroe's remarks were "immature and unprofessional." "It's not like I don't think things like this," she tells TIME. "I have a student right now that I could react that way about, but instead I'm working with that student to get him interested in the class rather than going on the Internet and venting."

It seems the contention surrounding Munroe's comments boils down to a fundamental question: Just how much are teachers to blame for the problems plaguing the current education system? Some see in Munroe's comments a systematic rundown of the dire challenges facing America's overburdened teachers. Others see just the kind of attitude problem that can lead students astray. For her part, Munroe thinks teachers get a bad rap. "I don't think people realize how much work goes into being a teacher," Munroe says. "The perception is that everything is the teachers' fault, but teachers can only work within the system that is in place."

While Munroe's suspension is indefinite — in place until the school district decides whether to take her back or terminate her employment — her lawyer says he will likely be filing a lawsuit in the near future. "It's a First Amendment issue," Rovner says. "And it's an unresolved area of the law." And much like the impending legal battle, it's also uncertain as to when the online furor will die down. With an increasing number of national and now international publications picking up her story, it seems Munroe was right when she said the conversation had just begun.

Veena Malik-Rakhi Sawant's cricket chemistry

Here's all you need to know about their new TV show 'Bigg Toss'

After 'Bigg Boss', it is time for 'Bigg Toss'! The new show on India TV will see item girl Rakhi Sawant and Pakistani actress Veena Malik entertaining viewers by discussing cricketers in their unique style during the World Cup matches.
"Usually, during the World Cup matches, all the news channels organise discussions with four or five experts in the studio. This concept doesn't excite people anymore. We wanted to do something different so we zeroed in on this concept," India TV's Hemant Sharma said.

'Bigg Toss', which went on air Feb 17, will be shown only when India is playing. It features 12 contestants divided into two groups who will choose their favourite player from the Indian team and bet on him. The group that scores the maximum points will be declared the winner of a Honda car.
Why Rakhi and Veena?

"Both of them can add a lot of drama to the show and people are interested in watching them on small screen," Sharma said.

Apart from Rakhi and Veena, the list of contestants includes cricketer Yuvraj Singh's father Yograj Singh, singers Shankar Sawhney and Ashok Masti, beautician Sylvie and RJ Simran, among others

Preity's identity crisis

Who refused to recognise her at a wedding in Delhi?

Preity Zinta doesn't really look like Preity Zinta, at least according to a 16-year-old the star met at a recent party. It all happened at a wedding in Delhi. Preity posted on her Twitter page, "Ended up at a wedding party with some friends... Love the farm houses & space in delhi! 1 16year old boy kept coming up to me & saying...OMG! U look so much like Pz! Can u imagine if she was here? After 10 minutes I told him it was me & he laughed... U WISH ! Haha ! Ting!" Knowing PZ, she had a good laugh about it! Can't imagine all our stars taking something like this well!

http://www.efunplus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=637:justin-bieber-named-mvp-of-celebrity-all-star-game&catid=39:hollywood&Itemid=98

Singer, author, movie star... baller?

Justin Bieber added to his resume and his legacy last night, taking home MVP honors in the NBA All-Star celebrity game, despite the fact that his squad lost 54-49. The 16-year old still managed to impress with eight points and four assists.

"I'm just running back and forth," Bieber said during an in-game interview. "I'm controlling this whole team. I'm just kidding."

Justin Bieber was number-six on the court, but number-one in the hearts of screaming fans.

Bieber set up teammates in the half court offense all night, dishing to Zachary Levi, Jalen Rose, Trey Songz and Rob Kardashian, whose brother-in-law, (Lamar Odom) said after the game that Rob "didn't embarrass the family."

Of course, multiple-time NBA champion Rick Fox knows the true reason Bieber was name MVP. Marveled the former professional: "He has the softest hair."

Reese Witherspoon on Robert Pattinson: So Nice and Cute!

Get in line, Reese Witherspoon.

The Oscar-winning actress talked to Entertainment Tonight this week and had a few positive words to say about Robert Pattinson, her co-star in this April's Water for Elephants.

"He's so amazing and wonderful and sweet and just the nicest guy too, so you can just add that to the soup... he's just so good looking and he's a really nice person."

We can think of a few (million) females out there who wouldn't mind drinking from that soup.

What was it like to work with R. Patt on set? "All we do is just laugh and joke around," Reese says.

Water for Elephants opens on April 22.

Researchers aim to 'print' human skin

Researchers are developing a specialized skin "printing" system that could be used in the future to treat soldiers wounded on the battlefield.

Scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine were inspired by standard inkjet printers found in many home offices.

"We started out by taking a typical desktop inkjet cartridge. Instead of ink we use cells, which are placed in the cartridge," said Dr. Anthony Atala, director of the institute.

The device could be used to rebuild damaged or burned skin.

The project is in pre-clinical phases and may take another five years of development before it is ready to be used on human burn victims, he said.
Other universities, including Cornell University and the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, are working on similar projects and will speak on the topic on Sunday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Washington. These university researchers say organs -- not just skin -- could be printed using similar techniques.

Burn injuries account for 5% to 20% of combat-related injuries, according to the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine. The skin printing project is one of several projects at Wake Forest largely funded by that institute, which is a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Wake Forest will receive approximately $50 million from the Defense Department over the next five years to fund projects, including the skin-creating system.

Researchers developed the skin "bio-printer" by modifying a standard store-bought printer. One modification is the addition of a three-dimensional "elevator" that builds on damaged tissue with fresh layers of healthy skin.

The skin-printing process involves several steps. First, a small piece of skin is taken from the patient. The sample is about half the size of a postage stamp, and it is taken from the patient by using a chemical solution.

Those cells are then separated and replicated on their own in a specialized environment that catalyzes this cell development.

"We expand the cells in large quantities. Once we make those new cells, the next step is to put the cells in the printer, on a cartridge, and print on the patient," Atala said.

The printer is then placed over the wound at a distance so that it doesn't touch the burn victim. "It's like a flat-bed scanner that moves back and forth and put cells on you," said Atala.

Once the new cells have been applied, they mature and form new skin.

Specially designed printer heads in the skin bio-printer use pressurized nozzles -- unlike those found in traditional inkjet printers.

The pressure-based delivery system allows for a safe distance between the printer and the patient and can accommodate a variety of body types, according to a 2010 report from the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

The device can fabricate healthy skin in anywhere from minutes to a few hours, depending on the size and type of burn, according to the report.

"You are building up the cells layer after layer after layer," Atala said.

Acquiring an adequate sample can be a challenge in victims with extensive burns, he said, since there is sometimes "not enough (skin) to go around with a patient with large burns," Atala said.

The sample biopsy would be used to grow new cells then placed in the printer cartridge, said Atala.

Researchers said it is difficult to speculate when the skin printer may be brought to the battlefield, because of the stringent regulatory steps for a project of this nature. Once the skin-printing device meets federal regulations, military officials are optimistic it will benefit the general population as well as soldiers.

"We're not making anything military-unique," said Terry Irgens, a program director at the U.S Army Medical Materiel Development Activity.

"We hope it will benefit both soldier and civilian," he said.

In the meantime, researchers said they're pleased with results of preliminary laboratory testing with the skin printer.

Atala said the researchers already have been able to make "healthy skin."

Ranbir turns dance teacher

His student? Virendra Sehwag!

Ranbir Kapoor, who will be seen giving batting tips to cricketer Virender Sehwag in a new TV ad, actually taught him to dance during the shooting. Ranbir, who has showed off his moves in movies like 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' and 'Anjaana Anjaani', has teamed up with the cricketer for Pepsi's cricket World Cup special commercial. "Thoda grace se hila... Kamar bhi hila… shakal pe expression la… Upar se aane ka, niche dabane ka, piche uthane ka, haan!" will be the background song for the ad. A source from the sets revealed that Sehwag was initially shy, but quickly got into the groove and started following Ranbir's instructions on the dance floor.

The actor sports a loud and carefree look in the ad, which has been designed by Aki Narula who gave him a pair of ripped jeans and a colourful bold checked shirt to wear over a white fitted tee.
To complete the edgy and chilled out look, Narula decided to give Ranbir white wayfarers, a chic hat and a leather cuff.

For the first Ranbir wears a ponytail, styled by Hakim Aalim.

The new commercial airs Saturday, Feb 19.

'Dhobi Ghat' to release in Germany

Aamir-Kiran film will have theatre, video and TV screenings too

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao have another reason to celebrate as a German distributor has bought the rights of their critically acclaimed movie 'Dhobi Ghat' to release it in theatres in Germany later this year. The film has been produced by Aamir Khan and distributed by UTV Motion Pictures. The deal with Rapid Eye Movies includes theatrical distribution rights, home video rights and free TV rights of the movie for screening in Germany. "We are excited to work with Kiran Rao who has made a beautiful and touching film about life in Mumbai and we believe it will touch the hearts of German audiences," said Stephan Holl from Rapid Eye Movies.

Set in Mumbai, 'Dhobi Ghat', which is Kiran's directorial debut, follows the joy, sorrow and heartbreaks of four individuals who come from distinct backgrounds and how they deal with it.
"It is a special film and we are pleased to announce that the film will now be seen by German audiences. We are happy to join hands with Rapid Eye movies who is the ideal partner for this film," said Amrita Pandey, UTV's senior vice president, international distribution & syndication.

Aamir, who also stars in the movie, is currently on the jury at the Berlin Film Festival.

Michael Jackson Estate: Raking in the Cash!

Michael Jackson has been dead for a year and a half, but has been raking in the cash since. We're talking hundreds of millions of dollars since June 2009.

According to legal documents, MJ had over $400 million in various debts when he passed, but his executors have been working furiously to retire them.

The singer's estate has made $310 million in the last 18 months, $159 million of which has already been used to pay debts, taxes and other expenses.

Running the King of Pop's life, even in death, is a formidable task.

In addition to creditors, the estate provides "uninterrupted support for Mrs. [Katherine] Jackson and Michael Jackson's children as Michael intended."

In addition to $400 million in debt,MJ's estate had $40 million in liabilities to AEG stemming from the "This Is It" tour, which he was readying for.
Obviously, he never made it on tour after his scared, sedated final days.

It's unclear where Jackson stands with AEG now financially, but MJ's executors admit that the estate still faces several lawsuits in multiple countries.

The documents show the estate received more than 65 creditor's claims against him, with some of debt accruing interest at "extremely high" rates.

John Branca and John McClain, Michael's former attorney and manager, have done a remarkable job given the task they were assigned, however.

The executors also claim they have "successfully rebuilt and enhanced Michael Jackson's image" since they've been empowered to run the estate.

With the singer more popular than ever and raking in money at a crazy clip, that statement is undeniably true. Hopefully it continues, as well.

Miley Cyrus: Fuming Over Father's Comments!

Miley Cyrus is angry. Really angry. Peeved even.

A friend tells Pop Eater that the former Disney star simply can't believe her father opened up to GQ this manner in such a disturbing, strange manner.

"To say Miley is angry is an understatement," a pal says. "She's furious that her own flesh and blood would make a private matter so public. Who does he think he is, Michael Lohan?"
Reports claim Miley and her father have not spoken since December. We can't confirm that, but this same source says Miley has labeled her dad's comments as "unforgivable," adding:
"This isn't what a father does. He never said a bad world about Hannah Montana all those years it made millions for the family, and now that Miley has turned 18 and is making her own decisions, he does this. Unforgivable."

It's hard to argue with this insider, isn't it?

Facebook adds civil union, domestic partnership to relationship statuses

Facebook users now have two more ways to describe their romantic arrangements.
In a gesture of inclusiveness aimed at the gay community, Facebook on Thursday added "In a civil union" and "In a domestic partnership" to its official list of relationship statuses.
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a gay rights group, which announced the change, cheered it.
"By acknowledging the relationships of countless loving and committed same-sex couples in the U.S. and abroad, Facebook has set a new standard of inclusion for social media," Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation president Jarrett Barrios wrote in a statement.
Barrios said that GLAAD and several other gay-rights groups met with the company to push for the change.

The option is now available for Facebook users in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Australia, the group said.

Bipasha hits out at the media

Rumours about break-up with John have really upset her

Bipasha Basu has had enough of the stories that she and John Abraham have broken up. The couple, who have been in a relationship for many years now, haven't been seen together in public recently as often as they used to in the past. And this has led some sections of the media to report that the couple had split up. The stories have obviously upset Bipasha, who posted on her Twitter page, "I cant b answerable 2 media nymore abt my personal life becoz no matter hw open u r, there is no respect evr." She added, "We are just stories till we are famous, that's it. Its Harsh reality but true. All is well in my life. Thank you all for being concerned."

Some time ago, when a newspaper had called John and Bips a boring couple, she had said, "Whoever from the media quoted me in print saying John n me lk (look) like a boring couple, is bizarre. My real opinion, we look "SMOKING HOT."
She'd been quoted in a daily saying - "We have become a boring couple".

However, it was said in an explanation as to why the two aren't being seen together at social events.

Aamir set to sing in 'Dhoom 3'

Will he repeat his 'Aati Kya Khandala' success?

Whatever Aamir Khan touches seems to turn to gold these day! Add him to an already successful franchise like 'Dhoom 3', and you're looking at a blockbuster. Still, the 'Dhoom' team is sparing no effort to make sure that the next movie in the series, where Aamir plaus the villain, has all that it takes to be a hit. And that might just include Aamir singing in the movie. Music director Pritam is working on the score for 'Dhoom 3', and is thinking about getting Aamir singing in it. Well, AK did show that he knows his stuff when he sang 'Aati Kya Khandala' in 'Ghulam'. That was a true superhit number, and that's just what Pritam wants again. We hear that Pritam's been asked to complete all his other assignments by June this year, so he can give all his attention to 'Dhoom 3'. Well, we loved the songs from 'Dhoom' and 'Dhoom 2'. Here's to even better things from 'Dhoom 3'.

Disney Insider Responds to Billy Ray Cyrus, Questions Miley's Future

In a wide-ranging interview with GQ this month, Billy Ray Cyrus says he and his kids are under attack by Satan.

He also says the casting of Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana "destroyed" his family and that he'd take it all back "in a second" if he could. How does Disney feel about these remarks?

“We saw it coming for a long time,” a company source tells The Hollywood Reporter. “She wanted to mature herself, but it kind of backfired. Her future without Disney is TBD.”

As for Billy Ray's assertion in the same article that he made no money off Miley, the Disney insider says that's “ludicrous.” That pretty much sums up most of the country singer's quotes in that interview.
We mean, seriously: if an attack by Satan simply results in some skimpy clothing and bong smoking, this Lucifer guy has been been way oversold for awhile now.

High-rise living with a twist

An eye-catching spiral skyscraper with a garden on every level is being planned for Abu Dhabi.

The so-called Stairscraper was one of the winners of the Total Housing Competition run by New York's Storefront for Art and Architecture, a non-profit organization which promotes innovative architecture, and Architizer, an online platform for architects.

The Barcelona-based architect Nabito that designed the Stairscraper said it is in negotiating to build it in Abu Dhabi, but that details are currently confidential.

Alessandra Faticanti, who founded Nabito with Roberto Ferlito, said: "We tried to join horizontal and vertical, designing a horizontal skyscraper, mixing the pragmatism of vertical buildings with the romantic idea of horizontal landscape cities."

Faticanti said they were talking to engineers in Abu Dhabi about the possibility of creating a well to reach the underground water table in the center of the building, and using it to create a green oasis of gardens.
"The building will be especially careful about sustainability using all the techniques, technologies and materials and method of construction to reach environmental sustainability," she said.

The concept of the Stairscraper is to combine housing, offices and public spaces in the most sustainable way possible.

Ferlito, 37, said the concept for the Stairscraper came to them while looking at a spiral staircase in Istanbul and trying to imagine it as a building.

"We were in Istanbul for the opening night of a building we recently built and while we were speaking we've been astonished by a spiral stair hanging from a building in front of us," said Ferlito. "We started joking about the form, playing and imagining the possibilities of transforming it into a building."

Marc Kurshner, co-founder of Architizer, said: "We were really beguiled by the project. Nabito have a great sense of humor and lightness of touch which is all too infrequent in smart architecture.

"The Stairscraper deals with real life issues and takes them to their extreme."

Ferlito and Faticanti founded Nabito in 2007 and have since won several European awards for young architects.

Yahoo unveils personalized magazine

Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz on Wednesday unveiled Livestand, a magazine platform for publishers to deliver personalized content on a wide array of platforms, including the iPad.

During a keynote address at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Bartz demonstrated the new platform, which she labeled "content in context." The application allows users to digest articles and advertisements that are relevant to them, based on their search and viewing history.

"Publishers want to know how to connect to a massive audience," said Bartz. "The way to do it is through the science of machine learning, which can deliver personalized content. Livestand offers each and every user a chance to get more personalized information."

By learning a user's preferences over time, each subscriber will receive a different version of the same magazines. For instance, if John the CEO and Jane the tech geek both subscribe to Fortune, John will likely see more stories about business strategy first and Jane will get more technology articles.
Bartz didn't announce any publishing partners, and she had nothing to say about a timeframe for when Livestand will launch.

The demonstration revealed a relatively easy to use application. The app opens to a library of content. Once a user selects a magazine, a page appears with a large article on the top and four smaller pieces of content on the bottom that are relevant to your location. Users can scroll through articles horizontally with a swipe.

Livestand features social connectivity as well, with the ability to comment on articles and share stories with friends on social networks. The application also has the ability to host dynamic in-app advertisements, including a Hewlett-Packard (HPQ, Fortune 500) ad that appears to fold up the magazine's page into a paper airplane, which can be flown around by the user by tilting the iPad from side to side.

Though it was demonstrated on an Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) iPad and it will come to tablets first, Bartz said the platform "won't be limited by screen size." A video showed the application running on a tablet, a laptop, a television and a smartphone.

Bartz argued that publishers are experiencing difficulties cutting through the noise of the Internet and can't always get their content to users who would find it interesting.

That noise is growing too: Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500) said it adds 50 terabytes of data every day to its servers. To put that in context, the Library of Congress holds 200 terabytes of data, meaning Yahoo adds two new Library-of-Congress-sized pools of information every week.
0:00 /2:07The Daily: Gimmick or future of news

Of course, publishers' problems go beyond just finding eyeballs, and it's worth noting that Yahoo has certainly had its share of challenges as well. The business model of digital publishing also remains questionable, particularly on the iPad.

The solution, Bartz argued, is personalization. Click-through rates on Yahoo pages doubled when users tailored the site's settings to their own interests, she said.

"Livestand will allow publishers to publish once and run their content on any device with extreme personalization," said Bartz

Yana Gupta's broken her nose

'Jhalak Dikhla Jaa 4' star needs surgery

Talk about dancing with all you've got! Yana Gupta has fractured her nose while performing on 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4'. She will undergo surgery on Feb 17. "Remember our domestic violence act? Did X-ray finally and my nose is fractured. Surgery on Thursday. I wonder how I managed to dance till the end," Yana posted on her Twitter page. The Czech-born model-actress is not a new name on TV - she participated in the Akshay Kumar-hosted adventure show 'Khatron Ke Khiladi'. The 31-year-old made her big screen debut with the item number 'Babuji' in 'Dum' (2003) and also featured in 'Oh! What A Babe' in 'Rakht' (2004).

With just five contestants left, the competition has turned fierce on Sony TV's dance reality show. Yana, Sushant Singh Rajput, Ankita Lokhande, Mahi Vij and Meiyang Chang are all doing their very best to reach the final.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's visa extended

What's next for the singer in India?

ndia decided to extend the visa of Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on Feb 15 to help the probe into the recovery of undisclosed foreign currency of over $100,000 from him, even as Pakistan thanked New Delhi for releasing him. "His visa has expired. His visa will be extended and we hope that post Feb 17 there could be adjudication proceedings, and we hope that the matter would be resolved," Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which interrogated Rahat and others of his troupe, are continuing their investigation into the source of $124,000 foreign exchange recovered from Rahat and two others - Maroof, his manager, and Chitresh Shrivastava, the owner of an event management company.

The trio were detained at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Feb 13 when they were planning to catch a flight to Dubai for an onward journey to Karachi.
Rahat was released Feb 14 after hours of interrogation by officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.

He was released after an assurance by the Pakistan High Commission that he will cooperate with the probe. The singer, along with two of his colleagues, have been asked to appear before the DRI on Feb 17.
Pakistan Interior Minister Rahman Malik on Feb 15 thanked Home Minister P. Chidambaram for the release of Rahat and assured him of the singer's full cooperation in the probe.

Malik thanked Chidambaram for extending his assistance and cooperation in regard to the matter relating to singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the Pakistan high commission said in a statement here. He also assured the Indian home minister of Rahat's full cooperation in the matter, in accordance with the law of the land, the statement added.

Government sources said India's external affairs ministry has been in constant touch with Pakistan's foreign office over the issue.

Rahat's release on Feb 15 came amid intense pressure from Pakistan.

Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir called Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Sharat Sabharwal and discussed the matter around midnight Sunday. He requested the Indian envoy to ensure that "no official should misbehave with Rahat during interrogation".

Bashir also called up Pakistani High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik and directed him to "take immediate steps for securing release of Rahat".

Elycia Turnbow Claims Frankie Muniz Punched Her, Put a Gun to His Head

Frankie Muniz punched his girlfriend during a domestic argument Friday night, then put a gun to his own head, according to the alleged victim, Elycia Turnbow.

A police report filed in Phoenix, Ariz., last Friday, says the Malcolm in the Middle star was arguing with Turnbow in their home about their "prior relationships."

That's when Frankie "grabbed a gun and held it to his head, possibly with the intent of committing suicide," Elycia says, although Frankie disputes the claim.



Elycia called one of Frankie's friends to take him to the hospital.

Frankie tells a different story, claiming Elycia was screaming and yelling when he "fell and hit his head." Muniz says that's why he went to the hospital.

The actor and musician also denied putting a gun to his head, but did admit the following: "I grabbed the case, but not the gun ... it isn't even loaded."
Makes sense... except cops did find the gun and it was loaded.

In any case, it got worse from there after Muniz was released from the hospital a short time later, went home, and things exploded back at the house.

According to the police report, Elycia says, Frankie "punched her in the back of the head, and threw her into a wall while in the downstairs bedroom."

Muniz denied punching Elycia, telling cops, "I love her too much. She is the woman I want to marry." Notice a lack of actual denial there. Just saying.

Muniz told police thatwhat actually happened was that he was sleeping but was awakened "by Elycia yelling at him and hitting him in the face."

Muniz said defended himself when "Elycia fell to the ground and started to kick the bedroom door." No visible injuries were listed in the report.

According to TMZ, the handgun was impounded and both Frankie and Elycia were warned they will go to jail if things got out of control again.

Frankie issued a statement this afternoon denying he is suicidal.

'Patiala House' Movie Review

Nothing new in this father-son story but it has some strong emotional moments

Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Dimple Kapadia, Anushka Sharma

Director: Nikhil Advani

It takes us just five minutes to get the hang of this film's narrative structure. It is as nimbly-paced as a fast-bowler playing cricket in a wide-open field trying to avoid all the roar and din of the cheering crowds in the stands.

For a film that has a surprisingly large number of characters (after the 23rd Sikh-Briton running up and down the wooden staircase I stopped counting) the noise decibel is surprising low. The clamour of a crowded Sikh household in London never overpowers the emotional kernel of this film.

Nikhil Advani's admirable episodic structure of 'Salaam-e-Ishq' failed because of its inordinate length. This time Advani takes no chances with the length. Economy of expression is paramount to the storytelling in 'Patiala House'.
At heart, 'Patiala House' is a father-son story. Akshay has done them before. One immediately recalls Suneel Darshan's 'Ek Rishta' where Amitabh Bachchan was the father who drove son Akshay to a state of smothered silences. In 'Patiala House' Akshay's silences scream in wounded protest every time papa Rishi Kapoor's iron hand falls on the boy's dreams.

In many ways the screenplay (Advani, Anvita Dutt Guptan) is a collection of cliches -- despotic dad, timid mother (Dimple Kapadia), unfulfilled son, encouraging girlfriend, her precocious surrogate-son (he reminded me of Kajol's boy in My Name Is Khan).

Even as the peripheral characters make a fleeting but coherent impact (Rishi Kapoor's pregnant daughter-in-law's anguish at watching her husband being treated like a doormat is as apparent to us as the family's daughter Hard Kaur's tattoo on the arm), we are constantly seeking out the next chapter in the repressed Gattu's wretched-going-on-glorious life.

Akshay plays Gattu with a restrain that never shies away from tears. Every time he thinks of his ruined dreams a trickle of a tear comes down from the side of his cheek. It isn't done for effect. Akshay embraces Gattu's shattering dreams and makes them his own.

Akshay and Rishi don't look like father and son. And that's the best compliment one can pay to the film's theme. How can they look like a family, when the father has spent all of his son's growing years denying the boy's sense of self?

Rishi Kapoor's sudden reformation at the end is unconvincing. The unhurried grace of the rest of the film gives away to an urgently-claimed culmination. One can't blame Advani for abandoning the pace at the end. He knows the audience wants a hurried send-off.

Anuskha Sharma remains bubbly. But she needs to play a less talkative character.

Though scarce, the moments between Akshay and Dimple are very precious. There is a specially evocative sequence at the hospital when Rishi Kapoor tells his screen-wife Dimple Kapadia to shut the door on their screen-son Akshay's face.

The film has some exceptionally emotional moments bolstered by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's resplendent background score. Santosh Thundiyil's cinematography adds precious little to the proceedings. London doesn't seem to come alive beyond the cricket field.

The editing (Manan Sagar) could have been less generous. Portions of the narrative also lose their energy. Watch this one with patience

'Yeh Saali Zindagi' Movie Review

Brutal and savagely funny, Sudhir Mishra's latest is a roller coaster ride

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Chitrangda Singh, Arunodoy Singh, Aditi Rao Hydari

Director: Sudhir Mishra

To describe the roller-coaster ride that is 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' is to attempt to draw the picture of the Red Fort at the seaside. Every attempt to define the plot will be washed away by forces beyond our control. So let's just say, it is an edgy and raw take on what it takes to make love, loyalty and other related illusions jell in a rapidly-mutating consumerist society like ours.

The film is set in and around Delhi's underbelly. Mishra explores the capital's get-rich sub-culture, revealing a flair for satire even at the most deplorable moments of reckoning. Yup, Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino would approve of Mishra's humour in the strangest circumstances.

Almost every character in this foul-tongued treatise on love, lust and longing during times of gangwars, is stricken by a get-rich-quick itch, which eats into the very core of their existence, corroding their sense of propriety.

'Yeh Saali Zindagi' has some terribly funny moments of violence where you shock yourself by laughing at the senseless callousness of the killings. We have ruffians from in and around Delhi with thick Haryanvi accents who just gun down a man and then wonder why they killed him. In another funny sequence, a goon is asked to kill his own brother-in-law. The goon acts scandalized but instantly pulls the trigger when the price is right.
To be or not to be bad is no more the question. Being evil is fashionably acceptable.

While Irrfan Khan plays a man taken by surprise by the eruption of unconditional passion for a singer who doesn't care about him, Chitrangda's gold-digger act is a sophisticated variation of Vidya Balan's conniving seductress in 'Ishqiya'. Her character has been created with a sensuous vigour that very few actresses in Hindi cinema can boast of.

But 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' is not a film that invites you to watch the characters' perform. It instead spreads the characters out in a wide, unmanageable net of indeterminate purpose but definite motivations. Get rich, fast, is the magic mantra.

Arunodoy Singh, as the tough Delhi jail-bird Kuldeep, exudes the scent of self-destructive aspirations. Not surprisingly Arunodoy's character is constantly running through crowded marketplaces and congested roads of Old Delhi, pursuing his angry and defiant wife (Aditi Rao Hydari). Arunodoy furnishes this love story with a true passion, a far cry from his uncomfortable presence in 'Aisha'.

Chitrangda plays the part-time simger, full-time wealth-chaser with a robust but feminine cunning. She is a temptress, a fighter and packs a punch into her oomph. And when she finally surrenders to the overpowering devotion of Irrfan's character, she transforms into a woman with a conscience.

The conscience is a scarce commodity in Mishra's films. The characters are wild, boorish misfits who probably bathe once every week and go to the temple only to steal the deity's jewellery. Indeed gangsterism acquires an extended sense of humour in 'Yeh Saali Zindagi'. But one wishes the film had gone easy on the expletives and profanities.

Garnished with innovative music by Nishat Khan and Abhishek Ray and Sachin Kumar Krishnan's camera work that captures Delhi in all its eccentric quirky askew glory. The movie has stand-out performances by Arunodoy, Chitrangda, Aditi, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh and Yashpal Sharma.

But it's Irrfan Khan who leaves the deepest wound on the bloodied face of this savagely funny film. He is able to put across all the turmoil and confusions of an otherwise-hard-headed man who can't understand his burst of passion for a woman of dubious means and even more dubious morals.

Yes, the narrative meanders. We often don't know what it's looking for. Just like the characters who are lost in a labyrinth of kidnapping and embezzlement. The people in Mishra's movie are forever seeking self-gratification through means that are quite outrageous from the outside though perfectly explicable from the perspective of the perpetrators.

'Yeh Saali Zindagi' is like of those nightmares that you have probably seen on a feverish night. The acts of injustice perpetrated by the characters nowhere suggests that they are compelled by circumstances to act as criminals. These people just can't help being bad.

Brutal, savage, funny and violent, 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' is not for the weak-hearted

'Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji' Movie Review

Omi Vaidya and Ajay Devgn shine in this mostly entertaining comedy

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Omi Vaidya, Tisca Chopra, Shazahn Padamsee, Shruti Haasan, Shraddha Das

Directed by: Madhur Bhandarkar


Ummm….Picture to achcha hai jee. Disregarding the rather strenuously upbeat ending 'Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji' (DTBHJ) turns out to be quite charming and clever. Though this time Madhur Bhandarkar, one of the strongest celluloid creators of contemporary times, veers into new territory, the trademark Bhandarkar touches are evident everywhere in this multi-plot story of love and betrayal during times of laughter music and backchat in Mumbai.

The writing (by Bhandarkar, Anil Pandey and Neeraj Udwani) weaves skillfully through the hearts and conscience of our three heroes who are designed to be a study in contrasts and yet so believable, you can touch their lives by just watching them stumble, fall and redeem themselves in tentative, sometimes funny, sometimes moving ways.

This, then, is the story of three house-mates wading through the concrete jungle of Mumbai in search of love, and, yes, a sense of belonging. Their houses, hearts and environment look believable. They are shot to resonate reality.

Though projected outwardly as a comedy, DTBHJ has deeper, darker resonances that we cannot miss even if we are too busy laughing at the protagonists' clumsy attempts to get lucky in love.

Omi Vaidya, who plays the most idealistic love-seeker of the trio, says to the go-getting struggler from Mumbai(Shraddha Das) at a pub, "How can people talk in here?" She of course doesn't hear him. She's lost in the pursuit of her wanna-shine dreams that take her further and further out of reach of true love.
Vaidya is in splendid form here, far more in control of his character's destiny than in '3 Idiots'. In the way he hybridizes his yankee accent with Marathi and a sense of earnestness with a subtle tone of mischief, Vaidya is absolutely endearing. So is Emraan Hashmi. Playing the character with the steepest graph, Hashmi goes from Tisca Arora's toyboy to the new-age Devdas rejected in love by the savvy NRI chick who has social conscience and a practical attitude to men.

When Shruti Haasan (looking so lovely) turns around and tells the philanderer, "Yeah, so we slept together. So what? It wasn't your first time nor mine," you know that Bhandarkar has not abandoned his scathing and savage exploration of urban values which made his heroine-centric dramas from 'Chandni Bar' to 'Fashion' so unforgettable. He's only added laughter to his cinema.

In DTBHJ, Bhandarkar walks a tightrope. He has to balance the laughter with the dark underbelly of Mumbai's beautiful, but alas, desolate people. Besides the powerful writing (Sanjay Chel's dialogues are tongue-in-cheek and sometimes killing in their effectual demolition of the sacred cows of urban conduct) and razor-sharp characterization (barring the caricatural people in Devgn's office), the film gets high marks for dead-on casting.

Every actor breathes life into the constantly mutating comedy. If we care for all the three love stories that run in criss (never crass) cross it is because the actors enacting the love relationships go beyond their own personalities in search of the people they play. While Omi Vaidya and Emran Hashmi make a great impact, it is Ajay Devgn, echoing Amol Palekar's Common Man from the 1970s, who must be congratulated in the loudest voice for abandoning his 6-pack mean-mirth-machine image to play a mousy middle-aged divorcee with the hots for his comely secretary.

Among the female cast, Shazahn Padamsee is extremely easy on the eyes and fits her bubbly ingenue's part like a chic glove. Tisca Arora as the bored socialite who strays into a lust liaison with an ever-ready glorified gigolo, lends a certain weight to the proceedings with her fiery eyes.

DTBHJ is a true-blue comedy that doesn't lapse into unnecessary passages of vulgarity and innuendos. Though Bhandarkar has sought inspiration from the romantic comedies by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee, the style of storytelling and urban morality would have flummoxed those wondrous comedy makers.

Times have changed. So have the films. Thankfully we still have filmmakers who believe the story is the hero. This is the world of Bhandarkar's 'Page 3' coming together with the laughter of Blake Edwards' rom-coms.

Then there are three heroes who never take off their shirts even when they are sweating in nervous anxiety. Love is like that only.