Watch Cudder perform the catchy anthem off his sophomore hit album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. It’s definitely one of his best performances to date; I’ve never seen him so happy and full of joy before and its totally infectious through his crooning chorus. (Yep, that’s collaborator Dot Da Genius on the keys.)
[Via DatNewCudi]
There’s no denying the popularity of Mr. West. In just one week his latest outing My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy sold nearly half a million copies–496,000 to be exact, according to Nielsen SoundScan–and perched itself atop the Billboard 200 chart at the No. 1 spot. Ye’s pursuit of perfection, along with rave reviews, certainly contributed to this impressive early sales figure. Right behind him at the number 2 spot is female rapper Nicki Minaj; her debut album Pink Friday sold 375,000. Pretty good start, wouldn’t you say? Rounding out the top ten are Susan Boyle, Taylor Swift, Jackie Evancho (O Holy Night), Rihanna (Loud), Justin Bieber (My Worlds Acoustic), My Chemical Romance (Danger Days: the True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys), Ne-Yo (Libra Scale), and Glee‘s Christmas album. Look after the break to see the rest of the corresponding sales numbers.
[Via EW-MusicMix] Continue reading Kanye West’s ‘Twisted Fantasy’ sells 496,000 copies in first week, debuts at #1 on Billboard
Support the Peas a pick up a copy of their latest album The Beginning. iTunes offers three versions: the standard CD, a deluxe version that includes three bonus tracks, and that same deluxe version with five popular songs from The E.N.D. You can purchase a physical copy of the deluxe version at Amazon. I can’t get over how cool that album art is! All pixelated like that, the Peas never looked better.
OK now this is neat. One Eric Ruth, retro games enthusiast, has created an 8-bit playable version of DJ Hero for the PC. And the 70s and 80s mashups sound pretty incredible in chiptune form. They include Ray Parker Jr’s “Ghostbusters”/Huey Lewis & the News’ “I Want A New Drug” (demonstrated in the video above) and Queen’s “We Will Rock You”/Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock & Roll” (see it in action after the break). There are six mashups to play using keyboard keys. And if I must be honest here, the NES-influenced remake is more addicting than Activision’s modern take. Go on and download the game for free at Ruth’s website; there you’ll also find a “pixel force” edition of Left 4 Dead.
Update: Reader “laus_hel” has pointed out that the game is no longer available to download from Ruth’s website. Bummer! But there must be other ways of finding it…
Now this is what I can a steal! Today Microsoft pushed out the Xbox Live Rewards program and essentially it doles out Microsoft Points to Xbox Live users (in the US and UK only for now) to reward them for actions they periodically perform. Once you sign up for the free program at this website you will become eligible to receive MSP for renewing Gold memberships, Gold Family Packs, purchasing select Marketplace content, taking quick monthly surveys, and participating in promotions. You’ll even get 20 MSP for activating Netflix on your Xbox. Prizes range from 10 to 400 MSP depending on the performed action (again, many of which you do anyway). There really is no reason to ignore this opportunity to receive some Points.
[Via Joystiq]
Last we heard out of the video game giants Sony had shipped 1 million Move controllers in one month, and Microsoft had sold 1 million Kinect sensors in ten days. Post-Black Friday, the companies were eager to share the latest sales figures for these products. As of November 2010 Sony has shipped over 4.1 million units worldwide, and Microsoft has sold over 2.5 million Kinect sensors globally in 25 days. Now bear in mind that there’s a notable difference between units shipped and units sold. Unlike Microsoft, Sony is not reporting actual sales results; instead they are reporting the number of units shipped to retailers. A Sony rep says that the company won’t “disclose [their] exact sell-through number”, and that kind of chips away at their impressive and somewhat misleading stat. Nevertheless, there’s no denying that the new motion peripherals are happily riding the Wii’s coattails this holiday season.
There have been so many versions of Avatar released into the market it’s hard to count them all. But this latest edition is especially sweet. Why? Because it includes the 3D version of the highest grossing flick! The only way to get it (for now) is to purchase a Panasonic VIERA 3DTV. When you pick up a Panny set you can also get the “Panasonic 3D Full HD Ultimate Pack” which includes Avatar in 3D on Blu-ray and two pairs of rechargeable Panasonic 3D glasses. If you happen to have purchased a VIERA 3DTV between between March 10 and November 30 you are eligible to receive a copy of Avatar in 3D via a mail-in request program (hope you saved the receipt!). So if you’re in the market for a new HDTV, you should definitely consider a VIERA 3D set because you will be able to watch Avatar on it the way it was meant to be seen. Expect the Panasonic-Avatar in 3D exclusivity to end and a standalone release in 2011. Full PR after the break.
[Thanks, Kristen Sweeney] Continue reading You can get Avatar in 3D on Blu-ray …if you buy a Panasonic 3DTV
And that makes 5. Dell’s Venue Pro is now for sale on its website and now Microsoft can safely say that all five of its Windows Phone 7 US launch devices are now available for purchase. Specs are nothing to call home about: 4.1 inch display, 1GHz processor, 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash, 720p HD video recording, 8GB or 16GB of built-in storage. It’s that full slide-out QWERTY keyboard and its handsome looks that make this one a charmer. If you’re willing to start a new 2-year contract with T-Mobile you can pick up the phone for $99 (8GB) or $149 (16GB). Or you can pay $449 or $499, respectively, if you decide to opt out of signing a contract. Purchase here; it ships December 9.
Interested in looking at the other WP7 devices? Samsung Focus/HTC Surround/HTC HD7 / LG Quantum
[Via Engadget]
Today Verizon announced that it will be turning on its blazingly fast 4G LTE wireless network on Sunday, December 5. The mobile operator claims it will be “the fastest and most advanced 4G network” in the country. They are starting small but the long-term plan is to eventually replace the current 3G network with 4G LTE (or Long Term Evolution). The network is initially launching in 38 major cities, including New York, Chicago, San Fransisco, and Los Angeles, and in more than 60 commercial airports coast to coast. They say it will immediately reach more than one-third of all Americans, and they expect the expansion to reach all current 3G areas by 2013. They are using the 700MHz spectrum for LTE deployment in the US to insure a “high-quality” network with “excellent coverage.” 4G LTE boasts speeds up to 10x times faster than 3G and a response time that’s over 2x faster. Faster speeds and reduced lag time promise better upload and download times, smoother video streaming and video chat, and sharing options. Verizon says customers can expect 5-12Mbps on the downlink and 2-5Mbps on the uplink. That’s pretty damn fast; compare those numbers to current 3G speeds (0.6-1.4Mbps download and 0.5Mbps upload). It’s also faster than the competition; it bests AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s HSPA+ (1-7Mbps download) and Sprint’s WiMAX (3-6Mbps download).
When Verizon officially launches its 4G LTE network this Sunday, customers will only have the option to use from two USB modems to hook up their laptops wirelessly to the network. Verizon says “consumer-oriented handsets” (aka cell phones and tablet devices) that will harness the new network will be available by mid-2011 and will be announced at CES. The LG VL600 (available on launch day) and Pantech UML290 (available “soon”) USB modems will each cost $99 after a $50 rebate and with a new two-year agreement. The data plan pricing is as follows: $50/month for 5GB monthly allowance, $80/month for 10GB. You’ll have to pay $10/GB in overage charges if you use up the allowance. There’s no cap on overages, a nice touch I guess. Both modems are backwards-compatible with Verizon’s 3G network. If you lose 4G reception the modem will automatically switch to 3G speeds on the fly. 3G to 4G does not work that way; if you move from the slower network to the faster one the switch will only take place once 3G downloads are complete.
And that about sums up today’s announcements. When the network goes live on Sunday, Verizon will provide street level coverage area maps so you can find out if you’re blanketed by 4G LTE. Be sure to look after the break for the official PR which includes a full listing of all cities and airports included in the initial launch window.
Update: It’s been confirmed that Verizon will offer the 4G LTE service off-contract, too. The monthly rates and overage fees remain the same; what becomes more expensive is the upfront cost for the USB modem. Instead of paying $99, you’ll be forced to pay$249.99 for a modem if you decide to enter the 4G world contract-less.
[Via Verizon; Engadget] Continue reading Verizon details its 4G LTE network
Using highly effective visuals in augmented reality animation, BBC’s Hans Rosling tells the story of the world in 200 countries over 200 years using 120,000 numbers, in just four minutes. More specifically, he plots life expectancy against income for every country since 1810, and the visually splendid data reveals interesting rises and drops in correspondence to major historical events such as world wars. Go on mash play and educate yourself.
[Via Gawker]
Here’s an unsolved mystery as old as time: blindfolded humans cannot walk straight. If you blindfold a person and tell them to walk straight, that person will quickly begin to walk in circles and not even know it! Says Robert Krulwich in an NPR report, “Humans, apparently, slip into circles when we can’t see an external focal point, like a mountain top, a sun, a moon. Without a corrective, our insides take over and there’s something inside us that won’t stay straight.” Though many scientists have attempted to figure out what exactly that something is, no one has cracked it just yet. Watch the fun animation describing the strange phenomenon in the video above.
[Via NPR]
Can’t get enough of BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory series. This time host Jem Stansfield travels to the Solar Furnace Research Facility in Southern France to witness the incredible power generated by highly concentrated sunlight. At the core of the “sunshine” temperature can rise to 6,300 degrees Fahrenheit and is powerful enough to almost instantly burn through wood and even melt a rock! Watch a dangerously cool demonstration above.
[Via Gizmodo]