Are you a Gleek? There’s an app for you.

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Designed by Smule (the musical geniuses behind Ocarina, Leaf Trombone, I Am T-Pain, and Magic Piano apps), the Glee music app puts you behind the mic and lets you belt out your favorite songs from the FOX hit show.  Here’s how it works.  You got your iPhone or iPad, right?  Plug in some headphones to get the background music pumping.  Hit start and music plays in the ‘phones while the lyrics scroll across the screen.  Now sing.  There’s a live pitch meter that let’s know if you’re in tune or not.  But it doesn’t end there.  Say you can’t sing all-natural and need some help.  The app automatically auto-tunes your voice and generates harmonies from your voice.  Neat-o, right!?  Once you’re done recording a song, you can share it with friends on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or email (or the entire Glee app network) and listen to other Gleeks rocking out.  Everything is stored on Smule’s servers for easy access right from the app.  If you choose to “broadcast” your recorded song, other app users can find the track and sing on top of it, creating a band-like experience.  A world-wide Glee Club, if you will.

The Glee app is available at the App Store today for $2.99.  It comes with three tracks (“Rehab”, “Somebody to Love”, and “You Keep Me Hanging On”) and Smule promises to add new tracks every week.  They will appear as in-app purchases.  So far, the Glee “music store” includes the following additional songs: “Can’t Fight This Feeling”, “Imagine”, “I’ll Stand By You”, “Lean On Me”, and “No Air”.  The social aspects work over WiFi and 3G.  Well, what are you waiting for!? Gleek out!  (See how it’s done after the break.)

[Via TUAW; Gizmodo]

Continue reading Are you a Gleek? There’s an app for you. →

Kanye West Foundation is back for another round

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The Kanye West Foundation, created by Kanye’s late mother Donda West, is all about keeping kids in school.  As an incentive to keep kids in school, they are given this ultimatum: if they improve their grades, attendance, and behavior they are offered free tickets to see Kanye West perform at the Chicago Theatre at the end of the school year.  Last year more than 2,500 students improved their grades and attendance and were able to see Kanye perform live in a televised concert (broadcasted on FuseTV) in their honor.  Currently the Foundation focuses on public high schools in Chicago, Kanye’s hometown.

This trailer promotes the second annual performance by Kanye.  Ever since his “imma let you finish but” incident with Taylor Swift, Kanye has ducked out of the limelight and into the studio.  He’s currently working on his next album rumored to be called Good Ass Job.  With the goal of diminishing student dropouts in the Chicago area, his foundation spreads a good message that hopefully resonates with the rest of the nation.  Thing is, he might just have to go on a nationwide Foundation tour to give more kids the incentive to stay in school and improve themselves.  Or you can just be really smart and set goals for yourself, then watch the performance when it airs on FuseTV this June.

[Via KanyeBlog]

Eminem’s next album is not a sequel, it’s Recovery

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After a five year haiutus, Eminem dropped Relapse into the world.  And I liked it.  Shortly after its release Em let it be know that during the recording sessions with producer Dr. Dre they had created so much new content that all of it couldn’t fit on a single CD.  Thus began the talk of a Relapse 2, a sequel to the 2009 album that would contain the rest of the tracks that didn’t make it the first go-around.  The Em came out and said this: “I had originally planned for Relapse 2 to come out last year.  But as I kept recording and working with new producers, the idea of a sequel to Relapse started to make less and less sense to me, and I wanted to make a completely new album.  The music on Recovery came out very different from Relapse, and I think it deserves its own title.”  Relapse 2 is no more.  Recovery is due out June 22.  Producers include Just Blaze, DJ Khalil, Jim Jonsin, and Boi-1da.

Just Blaze hypes the album: “As far as what’s going on in Detroit, a lot of good music is being made. He’s really back spitting. The wordplay is crazy, the metaphors are crazy. He’s really back on his game. He had his ups, he had his downs, he’s back way, way, way up. This is definitely going to be up there with the best of his albums, for sure, for sure. The fact that he’s branched out working with a lot of different people now, collaborating in a lot of different ways that he never has before, I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people.”

[Via RapRadar; MTV News]

Droid welcomes new family member: Droid Incredible by HTC

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Say hello to Droid Incredible.  It joins the Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris on Verizon Wireless.  And it packs quite the punch: it’s powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, features a 3.7 inch WVGA (480×800) AMOLED capacitive touch display, its got an 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, and it runs Android 2.1 with the latest HTC Sense overlay.  Besides that, you’ll find the usual suspects like GPS, 3G, WiFi, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.  It goes on sale with VZW on April 29 for $199.99, after a $100 mail-in rebate and a 2-year agreement.

Essentially the Droid Incredible is an updated version of the Nexus One, a phone that is currently only available for T-Mobile (but it’s supposedly come to Verizon later this month).  Its got the same processor but a better camera.  The significant difference lies in the software.  While both phones are 100% Android, the Droid Incredible’s got the HTC Sense UI built on top of it, allowing for a bit more UI customization.  If you’re a VZW customer, the Droid Incredible just became the best Android phone to get; that’s of course if you don’t mind the lack of a physical keyboard.  If that’s a necessity, the orignal Droid (which was recently upgraded to Android 2.1) is the one for you.  Full PR after the break.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Droid welcomes new family member: Droid Incredible by HTC →

Macbook Pros get a refresh: faster Intel processors, NVIDIA graphics

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On Tuesday Apple refreshed their Macbook Pro line, at long last.  The 15.4 inch and 17 inch models now have 2010 Intel processors; the 13 inch model is sticking with Intel Core 2 Duo (2.4GHz/2.53 GHz).  The 15.4 inch MBP can be puchased with a Core i5 (2.4 GHz/2.53 GHz) or Core i7 (2.66 GHz) processor, while the 17 inch MBP can be configured with this i5 (2.53 GHz) and i7 (2.66GHz).  The 15 and 17 inch models got fitted with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M (256MB/512MB); the 13 incher’s got the NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics.

The GeForce GT 330M features “automatic graphics switching technology” a process whereby the computer automatically switches between using the integrated and discrete graphics.  Apple describes how it works: it “switches graphics processors on the fly to give you performance when you need it (when you’re playing the latest 3D game, for example) and better battery efficiency when you don’t (such as when you’re reading email). MacBook Pro transfers the workload between the powerful discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor and integrated Intel HD Graphics so seamlessly, you won’t even notice.”  That last part there is key; the user never has to worry about toggling on/off a graphics card.  Depending on what type of application you’re using, it’s all done on the fly.

All MBPs come standard with 4GB of RAM and a hard drive (250GB for 13 inch, 320GB/500GB for 15 & 17 inch).  There’s an option to swap out the HD for a solid state drive (128GB/256GB/512GB) on all models.  Battery life on the 13 inch remains at 10 hours, while the 15 & 17 inch models will manage 8 to 9 hours on a single charge.  There are three display options for the 15 inch: Glossy Widescreen (1440×900), Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen (1680×1050), and Hi-Res Antiglare Widescreen (1680×1050).  The 17 inch comes with a 1920×1200 display, with glossy and antiglare options.

The unibody enclosure, ports and all, have stayed the same.  The only new addition is one that cannot be seen, only touched: the multitouch trackpad now supports inertial scrolling, “an intuitive way to scroll through large photo libraries, lengthy documents and long web sites” just like you’re used to on the iPhone.

The 13 inch MBP starts at $1,199; the 15 inch base price has jumped $100 to $1,799; and the 17 inch starts at $2,299.  They are all available to purchase today.  Apple’s online store says all 15 & 17 inch models ship within 24 hours, but give the 13 inch 2-3 days to ship.

Long overdue, but they’re finally here.  Faster processors, better graphics chips, new customizations.  Here’s the deal: if you purchased a MBP within the last year, stick with that you got; if it’s been longer than that and you’ve been waiting for the new Intel processors to hit the MBP with bated breath, go for it.  Look after the break for the full  list of specs and customization options.

[Via Apple]

Continue reading Macbook Pros get a refresh: faster Intel processors, NVIDIA graphics →

Joss Whedon set to direct Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’

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OK, did you take that all in?  Good.

According to Deadline, Buffy the Vampire Slayer–Dollhouse–Firefly–Serenity–Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog creator Joss Whedon is in “final negotiations” to direct Marvel Studio’s mega-sequel The Avengers!  Whedon has been rumored to helm the massive superhero flick for some time now, and I can’t believe the stars are aligning.  The Avengers will bring together Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Hulk (Edward Norton), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), SHIELD leader.  Others are expected to join, too.  Thor and Captain America will be introduced in their own movies sometime next year.  The Avengers is on track to hit theatres May 2012.

[Via Deadline]

Microsoft Kin: the device for “Generation Upload”

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On Monday Microsoft finally lifted the covers off ancient rumored devices dubbed “Microsoft Pink” by introducing their next foray into the mobile space called Microsoft Kin.  Microsoft recently aquired Danger, the company behind the Sidekick; created with Sharp, the Kin devices are essentially next-generation Sidekicks.  At its core, and well all around it, Kin is a social networking phone aimed at tweens.  Microsoft is calling its target market “Generation Upload”, 15-30 year olds who are all about chatting, texting, taking and sharing photos, and constantly updating their favorite social networks like Facebook and Twitter.  Note that Kin is not a smartphone; smart dumbphone is more like it.  Although it’s built upon Windows Phone 7 and shares similar UI aesthetics, it can’t run apps and it’s closed off to many other WP7 features like Xbox Live.  This is all by design, really, since Microsoft is really pushing it strcitly as a social networking device.  Kin contains two family members, Kin One and Kin Two.  Both devices contain three unique features: Kin Loop, Kin Spot, and Kin Studio.

Kin Loop: This is your home screen.  It’s the place where all your social network content gets aggregated and displayed.  Loop aggregates information from four selected services: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Windows Live.  Information is updated in real time (well, every fifteen minutes unless you manually hit refresh).  So what you need to understand is this: the device does not run apps for these services; they live on the phone at all times.  Your profile picture and current status is visible at the top of the screen.  The rest of Loop is covered in recently updated statuses from the friends you converse with most often.  If you want to delve deeper into their page, simply tap their picture and you’ll be transported to their standard profile page.

Kin Spot: There’s a small green spot located at the bottom center of the screen at all times.  This dot allows you to collate all kinds of stuff and share it all with your friends.  For example, if there’s a picture, video website, status update, or map you want to share with one of your contacts, simply drag and drop the content into Spot and you’re one tap away from sending it off to your friends.  Enter Spot by tapping it and select the contact and content you want to share.  Content can be shared over SMS, email, or social networks.

Kin Studio: This is where all your device’s content is stored online.  Everything that you have on your Kin (contacts, pictures, videos, etc.) is backed up to “the cloud.”  In this case the cloud is Kin Studio, a website based on Silverlight that can be accessed on any computer.  So if you lose your Kin, all the data that’s on it continues to thrive online at Studio.  Also, Studio makes for a great way to watch and enjoy your Kin’s content on a larger display.  Studio’s UI is impressive; it features a visual timeline and supports geotagging in a map, allowing you to pinpoint exactly when, say, a photo was taken, and where it was taken, respectively.  It’s a very seamless experience; if you update something in Studio (for example, add a video), the change will take effect on your Kin device, and vice versa.

Kin also comes loaded with a custom IE web browser.  The display is capacitive with multitouch support, enabling pinch-to-zoom in the browser, but there is no Flash or Silverlight functionality.  Also included is a fully functional Zune player (hrm, minus Zune gaming), allowing for music,video, and radio playback.  Zune on Kin will provide the same experience found on Zune HD players and (soon) WP7 devices.  You can stream music over WiFi and 3G and there’s full support for Zune Pass, meaning you will always have access to your entire Zune library.  For Mac users, Microsoft will be providing software to sideload your iTunes music and iPhoto pictures to a Kin device.  Note, this is not a Zune client for Mac, it just a way to get a Mac user’s content from Mac to Kin; no Zune Marketplace access for you!  Now let’s distinguish between the two members of the family. Continue reading Microsoft Kin: the device for “Generation Upload” →

Opera Mini browser lands in the App Store

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Shock!  Awe!  Surprise!  That’s right, Apple has actually approved the Opera Mini web browser to co-exist alongside its coveted Safari mobile browser on iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads.  After playing around with Opera Mini, I think it’s safe to say it is definitely a worthy contender to Safari and a welcome addition to the App Store.  It loads pages super fast “by compressing data by up to 90 percent before sending content to the device”; it features a unique tabbed browsing experience; booksmarks can be added and managed within the app; it has the “find in page” feature that allows you to search for specific keywords within web pages (very handy!); and it supports a tab & hold gesture to select, copy, and paste text and save images.  The default Opera Screen provides a great place to start; you can customize it with your most frequently vistited sites.  It comes preloaded with Facebook, Twitter, New York Times, and more.  The only downside is that it does not support pinch-to-zoom.  To zoom into text you double tap the screen, and you tap again to zoom back out.  But you know what, the blazing speed at which it can load web pages sorta knocks that disadvantage down a notch.  You can download Opera Mini today, it’s free!  Full PR and a demo video are waiting after the break.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Opera Mini browser lands in the App Store →

Trailer: Gears of War 3

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Last night Epic lead designer Cliff Bleszinski unveiled the first trailer for the next installment in the Gears of War series.  Using Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as a platform, Bleszinski debuted a trailer called “Ashes to Ashes” which “outlines the world you’re going to see in Gears of War 3.”  Protagonist Marc Fenix makes an appearence, along with Dom, a female soldier, and of course tons of Locust baddies.  Bleszinski confirms that double barrel shotguns and playable female soldiers will be featured in the game.  Gears of War 3 is slated to release on April 8, 2011.  Starting the hype a bit early there, aren’t you Cliffy B?  Look after the break to watch the full interview.

[Via IGN]

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House finale shot entirely with Canon 5D Mark II

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Director Greg Yaitanes has informed House fans ’round the world that the upcoming season finale of House will filmed using a Canon 5D Mark II, a DSLR that shoots great HD video.  Yaitanes shared the news on Twitter and began fielding questions about the experience.  The meat of the feedback tells us the production team had a spendid time using the camera.  He shot in “24fps and wanted it for ease of use in tight spaces”; he used “all the Canon primes and the 24-70 and the 70-200 zoom” lenses;  he “mostly gave it a hand held feel…or [used it] on a small tripod; and lastly he “loved it and feel it’s the future” of TV filmmaking.  We already know how well the 5D Mark II can shoot; this episode is going to be gorgeous.  The finale airs May 17 at 8PM on FOX.

[Via Petapixel; Engadget]

Conan O’Brien heading to TBS in November

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It’s official: late-night comedian Conan O’Brien is heading back to the late-night arena this November on TBS.  The show will air from 11PM to midnight (Monday-Thursday), pushing Lopez Tonight to the midnight spot.  George Lopez couldn’t be happier about the new addition: “I can’t think of anything better than doing my show with Conan as my lead-in.  It’s the beginning of a new era in late-night comedy.”

So what happened with FOX?  Well, we’re not entirely sure at the moment. Deadline points out that Team Conan was looking “outside the network box” for quite some time now.  In fact, at one point Conan was in talks with Microsoft about bringing the show to Xbox!  But in the end, Conan decided to go with TBS.  The executives at TBS apparently impressed Conan on a level no other network could come close to.  Then George Lopez sealed the deal with a simple and convincing phone call.

According to Deadline, Conan will own his yet-to-be-named show, just like David Letterman owns his show and Craig Ferguson’s under Worldwide Pants.  Reruns of Family Guy and The Office will lead into Conan’s new show and likely continue to garner a young audience for the ex-Tonight Show host.  How does the competition look?  Since he’s moving from network to cable TV, he won’t be in the same ratings ring as Letterman, Leno, and the others.  However, there will be tough competition at the 11PM spot in cable world, as he’s pitted directly against Comedy Central’s Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report.  On cable, Conan will be able to get away with, let’s say, more risqué material, and this creative freedom will fuel the show with laughs.  Something tells me he’ll do just fine.

With his nation-wide comedy tour starting today in Eugene, Oregon, today is a great day for Conan O’Brien.  “In three months I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable.  My plan is working perfectly.”  Look after the break for the full PR announcement.

[Via Deadline]

Continue reading Conan O’Brien heading to TBS in November →