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Showing posts from June 1, 2010

Ofcom unveils anti-piracy policy

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Some nations are threatening to cut off persistent copyright infringers The plan is contained in a draft code of practice it hopes will curb copyright infringement. Names and the number of times individuals infringe will be logged. Music firms and movie studios can request details from the list so that they can decide whether to start their own action against serial infringers. However, any suspected infringers will be sent three warning letters before any action can be taken. The letters will contain "easy to understand information on the nature of the allegations made against the subscriber and on what actions a subscriber can take, both to challenge the allegation and to protect their network from being hijacked for the purposes of infringement." Jim Killock, executive director of the advocacy body the Open Rights Group (ORG) said the proposals left "huge unanswered questions". The ORG joined forces with the Communications Consumer Panel Consumer Focus, Which and

China aims to become supercomputer superpower

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China is ramping up efforts to become the world's supercomputing superpower. Its Nebulae machine at the National Super Computer Center in Shenzhen, was ranked second on the biannual Top 500 supercomputer list. For the first time, two Chinese supercomputers appear in the list of the top 10 fastest machines. However, the US still dominates the list with more than half the Top 500, including the world's fastest, known as Jaguar. The Cray computer, which is owned by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, has a top speed of 1.75 petaflops. One petaflop is the equivalent of 1,000 trillion calculations per second. It is used by scientists conducting research in astrophysics, climate science and nuclear energy.

Beat By An Overgrown Booger

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Sarah Jessica Parker's bony claws of death failed to choke out the gigantic nose dingle known as Shrek. SATC2: Horny Mummies in the Desert was expected to take the #1 spot this weekend even though almost every critic Cleveland Steamrolled that bitch, but it came up short behind Shrek. That other movie about sexy ladies baring their succulent chichis and whipping their weaves in the desert, Princess of Persia , came in third. Here's the Top 5 of the weekend: 1. Shrek Forever After - $43.3 million 2. SATC2 - $32.1 million 3. Prince of Persia - $30.1 million 4. Iron Man 2 - $16 million 5. Robin Hood - $10.3 million SATC2 is over two hours long so there is no way I'm going to sign up for that KY and Lanacane party. I would leave the theater with blood shot eyes, cotton mouth and a newfound hate for myself. I can achieve that feeling for free by masturbating in front of a mirror. Besides, why bother seeing that cinematic yeast infection when you can

IIFA comes at a critical moment for Sri Lanka: Jacqueline Fernandez

Sri Lanka is in a new era of peace after winning its long fought war against the Tamil Tigers, says actress Jacqueline Fernandez, elated that the IIFA Awards are being held in her home country this year and looking forward to playing the perfect host to her Bollywood colleagues. 'It's one of the biggest events Sri Lanka has seen to date. I have quite a few roles to play at the IIFA this year,' Jacqueline told IANS in an interview. 'This is just not any award function for me because I am a Sri Lankan and everyone from the film fraternity is actually coming to Sri Lanka; so for me it's like a chance to welcome the people who have welcomed me so warmly,' added the actress, who made her Bollywood debut with 'Aladin'. The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards are being held in Colombo June 3-June 5 against a backdrop of massive protests from Tamils in India, who allege that members of the community continue to be discriminated in

Spice Girls planning for comeback?

The Spice Girls are reportedly planning to regroup for the second time but without Victoria Beckham. Singers Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Melanie Chisholm met together to finalise plans for a new album, a DVD, merchandising and a new tour, however, they are apparently having a tough time convincing Victoria, who is reluctant to rejoin, reports imdb.com. 'The girls are so excited. They are buzzing about getting back together and each have so many new ideas and so much to bring to the table,' said a source. 'They are desperate to get Posh on board, but that is the sticking point. Although she's still so nostalgic about the good old days, she has moved on now and is relishing the fashion world. 'They don't want to give up on her, but have so many plans. The way things are going they might have to go on without her if she doesn't come round soon,' the source added.

Diaz won't sacrifice career for motherhood

Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz insists she's too busy focusing on her career to consider raising a family. 'You know how you have those moments of feeling dissatisfied and you think, 'What would make my life better?' Well, I've yet to go, 'A-ha, that's it: a child!' I'm not saying I don't want them, but right now I see how torn up parents get when they're away from their kids, how guilty they feel, and I don't want that! I don't want to feel like I ought to be missing someone, I don't want to not do a film at a moment's notice,' imdb.com quoted her as saying. However she isn't ruling out motherhood entirely, adding: 'Don't get me wrong. I'm 100 per cent committed when I commit to somebody or something. I'm a full-on nurturer - that's all I do.'

Rupert Grint hates old 'Harry Potter' movies

Hollywood actor Rupert Grint said he gets embarrassed while watching old 'Harry Potter' movies because he can't stand seeing himself go through puberty on screen. The actor rose to fame as Ron Weasley in the wizarding franchise. 'It is weird I suppose. I've not known any different... it's the way I've grown up. You get used to it. It's weird - like having a big home movie. If the old films are on TV I'll glimpse slightly, but I've never watched one all the way through,' he said. The 21-year-old star admits he is concerned about being typecast by the series which is why he decided to take on a completely different role in his new comedy 'Wild Target'. He said: 'I guess it was one of the reasons I did 'Wild Target' because it was kind of a way out... 'Harry Potter' is coming to an end, it's the last one, then it's all done. It's a weird feeling because we've been so long in this b

'Sex and the City 2' heads to London?

'Sex and the City 2' director Michael Patrick King has revealed his plans to take the hit franchise to London. In the new film, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, the lead actors leave their Manhattan mainstay to travel through the United Arab Emirates. Although he did not confirmed plans for a third instalment but admitted that he'd love to film scenes in London for another big screen outing, reports express.co.uk. 'We will come to the U.K., I promise. If this film does well, then London is definitely the venue for us. At one point Carrie was going to move (abroad) for a work assignment anyway,' said King. 'We all see it as our spiritual home for the show. The support from the fans has been wild and we'd love to come here and film. Obviously we'll have to see how we do this time around, but I'm hoping the third will happen.'

Gwen Stefani obsessed with make-up

Singer Gwen Stefani who launched her fashion line L.A.M.B in 2004 admits she has been obsessed with make-up since she was 10-year-old. 'I've always loved beauty. I was the girl who was like, 'Ask your mom if we can play with clothes or makeup,' And you know what? I'm doing the same thing now that I was doing when I was 10,' femalefirst.co.uk quoted her as saying. 'I know I'm vain. I have so much make-up - I'm not kidding. I'm the girl who would wear baggy jeans but didn't forget to put on tons of makeup,' she added.

Gabriella Cilmi regrets baring all for photo shoot

Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi says she regrets baring all for a British men's magazine, to promote her new album 'Ten'. 'The first single from the album is called 'Woman on a Mission', it was just kind of getting into character for what I thought the song was about, which is that it's OK to show off a bit of your body and your curves. Not to the extent that I did in the magazine,' contactmusic.com quoted her as saying. 'I was fed the wrong information, people didn't keep their promises. I wouldn't do it again, you can never tell what the outcome's going to be.'

B'day Spotlight: R. MADHAVAN

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Iconic 'Idiot'! Ever heard of an 'Idiot' making it BIG? Well, this one strode in from the South and made it bigger in Hindi cinebiz, courtesy his Rajkumar Hirani flick. The actor did manage to create his own brand of buzz in '3 Idiots,' despite daunting competition from Aamir Khan and Sharman Joshi. Success, however, didn't exactly come on a silver platter for R. Madhavan. He had to struggle long before he could make it big in Hindi films. It took a 'Rang De Basanti' and a '3 Idiots' to do that for him perhaps two of the most significant films to come out of Bollywood in recent years, on what plagues the Indian youth. Born on June 1, 1970 as Madhavan Ranganathan, the actor displayed his acting skills in seven Indian languages films before finding his place under the sun. Compared to many of his peers, a much married Madhavan began his filmi career at age 29 and he went down South for it. Luck was on his side and he was

Reid showered with bottles and bananas!

Cage fighter Alex Reid claims he has been showered with bottles and bananas while walking down a street. 'There were boos when I entered, but I thought: I can live with that. I expected a bit of pantomime behaviour, but it wasn't nice when people started throwing bananas and bottles. That was unacceptable and I worried about taking Katie,' contactmusic.com quoted him as saying. 'It's not nice - come on, guys. You had to see some of the hate that was directed towards us to believe it. It was borderline bullying,' he added. Reid is married to model Katie Price.

B'day Spotlight: NARGIS

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Her powerhouse performances and feisty charm have etched an eternal place in the hearts and minds of cinegoers. Deservedly, Nargis Dutt ranks among the greatest actresses to have graced Indian cinema. Nargis Dutt (1 June 1929–3 May 1981), 'the lady in white', was the daughter of the famous singer, Jaddanbai. Fortunately, her mother did not groom her in singing but in acting and the actress made her debut in films at the tender age of six in a movie called 'Talaash e Haq' in 1935. However, her career as a heroine took off by the time she was 14, when Mehboob Khan cast her in 'Taqdeer' in 1943, opposite Motilal. Call it sheer coincidence or what you will, but most of Nargis's films had her cast opposite top notch heroes like Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Ashok Kumar with an occasional film with Pradeep Kumar ('Raat Aur Din') or a Balraj Sahni ('Lajwanti'). If she did 'Jogan', 'Deedar', 'Mela', 'Babul

Dimple's Tea Telling!

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She's a combo of distracting beauty and commendable talent. Dimple Kapadia, looking a zillion dollars, as usual, is raring to capture collective interest in her role as a psychic and tea cup fortune reader in Rahul Dholakia's 'Society.' Reportedly, the character of a psychic who foretells events by reading the cup from which they have sipped tea, fascinated DK. Amply charged, the actress did her own round of extensive research before fleshing out her character for 'Society'. A close source states, "Dimple herself is a huge believer in the science of psychic reading and so she connected with her character in the film totally."

Mani Salutes Steely Ash

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Confessedly, directors Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Vipul Shah and Mani Ratnam are all unabashed Ash fans. Ratnam, in particular, requires little prodding to rave over Ash. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan may appear more fragile than Dresden china, though behind the persona lurks a woman of courage and a professional of rare merit. Reportedly, Ratnam ensured that Ash didn't use a body double for 'Raavan', unless the stunt was expressly dangerous. Climbing mountains, rapelling, braving chilling winds, swimming in turbulent waters, and canning sequences with leeches and snakes for creepy company… Ash has smilingly endured it all for 'Raavan'. What's even more commendable, she's performed it twice over, since she was essaying the lead in the Tamil and Telugu versions. A feat, which had Ratnam applauding her heartily all the way… and a proud hubby stating categorically that "Ash was the real hero on the sets." Reportedly, Ratnam would ofte

Anil, Ajay: Two Aces For Priyan

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Priyadarshan had notched a winner with 'Viraasat' starring Anil Kapoor, though 'Kabhi Naa Kabhi', his subsequent effort with Kapoor and Jackie Shroff was far from memorable. Priyan, however, has always admitted to an express fondness for Anil Kapoor, the professional and the person. Besides, Priyan's also stated to have turned favorable towards Ajay Devgn after showcasing the actor in his future venture 'Garam Hawa'. Presently, Priyan's thrilled to smithereens, as he's reportedly finalised a flick with Kapoor and Devgn, a first in the casting coup line up, which is gearing to roll towards the year end. Titled 'Bullet Train', the highly stylised movie to be canned in London, has Priyan excited… and quite tight lipped over his robbery opus. Kapoor vs. Devgn. Spotlight on stealing thunder.

Weak Puffing Trio: SRK, Salman, Aamir!

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Their starry resolve seems to vanish into a cloud of smoke… as the Big Trio of Khans: Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir have confessed to having trouble staying off the nicotine stick. On the occasion of 'World No Tobacco Day', routine smoker Shah Rukh Khan admits in a tweet that, "They (Aryan and Suhana) don't like me smoking. I see that as a blessing. If they had no objection, I would have liked to continue smoking." A close source states, "Shah Rukh is a heavy smoker and cannot do a cigarette for more than three hours. Sometimes, he still ends up smoking eight to ten packs per day." Salman Khan, reportedly, only lights up when he's chilling out with pals. Admits Sallu in a media chat, "I'm a heavy smoker, but I don't want children to take up smoking just because I do. I smoke coz' I have not been able to kick the habit." Says a close pal, "Salman has cut down on his smoking. He tries not to smoke more tha

Perry threatens record company with pregnancy

Pop singer Katy Perry has threatened her record company to reduce her work load or else she would stop popping contraceptive pills and get pregnant. 'I've told them not to p*** me off and if they continue to push me harder, I'll just get pregnant, thesun.co.uk quoted Perry as saying. 'I have the power to have unprotected sex!' she added.

Bachchan to face police probe over Barabanki land

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan is likely to face a probe after an Uttar Pradesh court Monday directed police to look into an allegation of cheating a villager by not building a women's college in his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai's name. The complaint was filed May 29 by Raj Kumari, the village head of Daulatpur village, about 40 km from here in Barabanki district, before the chief judicial magistrate, who had fixed May 31 for hearing. The court directed police to carry out preliminary investigation and submit a report June 10. The court is also expected to take a final decision on the complaint to get a criminal case registered against Bachchan for failing to keep his promise to the people of the village, where he had acquired land, that he would build there a college for women. Bachchan's proximity to former Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh allegedly helped him to get agricultural land allotted to him through fraudulent means, the comp

The top movies at the North American box office 31.5.10

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Following are the top 10 movies at the North American box office for the four-day U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend beginning on May 28, led by "Shrek Forever After," according to studio estimates compiled on Monday by Reuters. 1 (1) Shrek Forever After ........ $ 55.7 million 2 (*) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time .......... $ 37.8 million 3 (*) Sex and the City 2 ......... $ 37.1 million 4 (2) Iron Man 2 ................. $ 20.6 million 5 (3) Robin Hood ................. $ 13.6 million 6 (4) Letters to Juliet .......... $ 7.3 million 7 (5) Just Wright ................ $ 2.7 million 8 (7) Date Night ................. $ 2.3 million 9 (6) MacGruber .................. $ 1.9 million 10 (9) How To Train Your Dragon ... $ 1.5 million NOTE: "Sex and the City 2" was released on Thursday, and "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" on Friday. Last weekend's rankings in parentheses; (*) denotes new release. Iron Man 2 ...................

"Shrek" brushes off "Sex," stays atop box office

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Lovable green ogre Shrek brushed off the ladies of "Sex and the City 2" to retain the No. 1 spot at movie box offices over the U.S. holiday weekend, as ticket sales for the first month of Hollywood's summer fell slightly from last year. In its second weekend in theaters, "Shrek Forever After" took in $43.4 million for the three days ended Sunday and an estimated $55.7 million for the four days ending on Monday's U.S. Memorial Day holiday, according to studio estimates. The figures surprised box office watchers who expected adult comedy "Sex and the City 2" to land at No. 1. But it took only third place over the four-day holiday period, with estimated ticket sales of $37.1 million, just below No. 2, action adventure "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," with a four-day predicted total of $37.7 million. Overall, the box office for Hollywood's summer season -- the most lucrative period of the year that runs from the start of May t

Lady Gaga lies 'profusely' to protect relationships

Pop star Lady Gaga lies 'profusely' about herself in interviews to protect her personal relationships. 'The discrepancy between private and public life: I believe, as an artist, being private in public is at the core of the aesthetic, the message. However, I profusely lie about my personal relationships in an effort to protect that aesthetic and that message. Today people are distracted by unimportant things - like what my diet is, or who I'm f**king,' contactmusic.com quoted her as saying. 'I do sometimes feel that I'm on a stage all the time, and I do feel that life is a stage for my art - when I'm dancing, singing, making breakfast,' she added. But the star revealed she breaks down in tears when she steps out of the spotlight. 'There is a moment of freedom, when the stage disappears - when I cry. On stage, off stage, alone or with someone. There's something very honest about that.'

Bruce Beresford-Redman: 'I Am Innocent'

Bruce Beresford-Redman is finally speaking out through his lawyer and proclaiming his innocence amidst reports he will be charged in the murder of his wife. The state attorney general in Mexico told the AP a judge has issued a warrant for the former "Survivor" producer's arrest. Beresford-Redman, who spent the day with his kids ( see above ), released this statement: " Monica was the axis around which our whole family revolved. From her sisters and parents to my parents and of course to our children and me, she was everything to us. "I am devastated at her loss; and I am incensed at the suggestion that I could have had anything to do with her death. I am innocent. My children have had one parent taken from them by a senseless act of violence. I implore the Mexican authorities not to take their remaining parent by a miscarriage of justice and to do what is right not just what is expedient. " His attorney, Richard Hirsch, said in p

Former NASCAR Driver Arrested for Attempted Rape

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Former NASCAR driver Jimmy Neal got out of jail early this morning -- and now he's headed right back ... after he was arrested hours later for attempted rape. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Neal got out of jail at around 1:30 AM -- after serving about two weeks for felony evading while driving recklessly. We're told Neal then went to the home of a woman in Lake Forest, CA at around 3:00 AM and police were called three hours later for a disturbance. When police arrived, we're told the woman (who claims she had only met Neal once before) told officers Neal attempted to rape her. Law enforcement sources tell us Neal was transported to a local hospital rather than jail because he complained of chest pains. When he is medically cleared, he will be booked for attempted rape and false imprisonment. Neal was a NASCAR driver in the 1980s -- he never won a national race. UPDATE : Neal was booked into custody and a burglary charge was added. Bail has been

Megan Fox -- Hot, Wet, Bikini

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The new " Transformers " movie must not have any bikini scenes in it -- 'cause certainly Megan Fox would have knocked those out of the park. After being fired/turning down the next "Transformers" flick, Megan hit up the beaches of Maui yesterday with BF/SOB Brian Austin Green .