Mark Hoppus/ Pete Wentz Octopus Mystery Solved ... Sort Of

It's a mystery that has plagued the Twitter-verse for nearly a week now: What do Blink-182's Mark Hoppus, Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and an octopus have in common?

Well, we have the answer. Sort of.

But first, a refresher: For fans not in the know, on Friday, at 10:53 a.m., Pete Wentz posted a link to a photo on his Twitter account, showing what appears to be a USB flash drive (or a very fancy Zippo) emblazoned with the image of an angry-looking octopus. A scant three minutes later, Hoppus responded by posting a photo of his own, showing the reverse side of that same USB drive, emblazoned with the Fall Out Boy logo.

Considering that all of this followed a week of spirited Tweeting (that will always sound gross) between Hoppus and Wentz, which resulted in the former remixing a version of the latter's song "America's Suitehearts," many believed that the octopus USB drive is the final resting place of that remix. (For reasons not exactly clear to anyone, Hoppus has spent most of the past month posting photos of the same octo on his blog — like this one of Wentz wearing an octopus shirt, or this one of a pair of plastic octopi.)

Confused — and determined to get to the bottom of the cephalopod chicanery — MTV News decided to reach out to both parties to see what the heck was happening.

We e-mailed Wentz, who, when asked if the flash drive contained Hoppus' remix of "Suitehearts," told us, "That's some of it." He then added that "only 50 will be made, with other content, then will be distributed one at a time."

We asked him for clarification but didn't receive a response. Still confused, we reached out to Hoppus for clarification, only he wasn't about to divulge any additional secrets.

"Everything will be known very soon. I am the Octopus," he wrote. "That's all I can say right now."

So there you have it, straight from the guys themselves. The octopus flash drive contains Hoppus' remix, plus some mysterious additional content. Only 50 of them will be made, and they'll somehow be distributed one at a time. Oh, and Hoppus is the Octopus.

That's all we've got for now. Solving mysteries is tough work.

Eminem Posts Relapse Cover Art On Twitter

Never one to employ subtlety when a sledgehammer will do, Eminem released the cover art to his upcoming Relapse album through his Twitter account on Tuesday (April 21).

The image that will grace the MC's first disc of new material in more than four years features a headshot of Slim Shady staring out with eyes narrowed composed entirely of thousands of pills. The not-at-all-veiled nod to the rapper's struggle with addiction to prescription medication is in keeping with Em's career-long habit of putting his personal struggles on display in his art, from his problems with twice-ex-wife Kimberley Mathers to his disputes with his mother and beating at the hands of a bully in high school.

The iconic backward E that has been a part of Em's graphic persona makes another appearance in the lower right-hand corner at the end of the album's title in a sticker made up to look like the label on a pill bottle. It lists the patient's name as Mathers, Marshall, with an address in his old stomping grounds, Detroit's 8 Mile Road, and counsels him to take one tablet once a day at 3 a.m.

The refill date on the prescription reads 5-19-09, the album's release date, and the prescribing doctor is, of course, Em's mentor and beatmaster, Dr. Dre. In a recent cover-story interview with XXL magazine, Em explained that the death of best friend and D12 member Proof in 2006 was part of what put him on a downward spiral of prescription drugs after he'd already visited rehab to work on an addiction to sleeping medication that scuttled his 2005 European tour.

"I think it kind of hit me so hard," Em told the magazine about Proof's shooting death in a Detroit bar. "It just blindsided me. I just went into such a dark place that, with everything, the drugs, my thoughts, everything. And the more drugs I consumed — and it was all depressants I was taking — the more depressed I became, the more self-loathing I became."

The cover has a decidedly more serious look than the first video for the album, the celeb-slamming "We Made You," which has drawn fire from right-wing talking head Bill O'Reilly for its digs at former Republican vice-presidential candidate Governor Sarah Palin. Relapse will be followed by a sequel album tentatively slotted for later this year titled Relapse 2.

Lakers Player Andrew Bynum Says He's Not Dating Rihanna

Basketball player Andrew Bynum is denying that he and Rihanna are dating after rumors began circulating that the pair went on a date in Los Angeles.

"Nope," the Lakers center told TMZ when asked if the two were dating and if their friendship had the potential to ever become anything more.

Rihanna was linked to Wilmer Valderrama after reconciling with Chris Brown following their alleged altercation in February.

Then, last month, Rihanna had been romantically linked to "The Hills" and "Bromance" star Frankie Delgado. Delgado later denied the romance rumors, saying the two are "just friends." Delgado said he thinks the chatter got started because "she's been out, hanging out, I guess. It's Hollywood, people talk a lot. ... She's good."

According to recent reports, Rihanna will be hitting the stage this May at a still unconfirmed-concert in the popular resort locale of Dubai. "Rihanna will be performing on May 28," Mary Rachelle Cherpak, a spokeswoman for Alba Hotchkiss of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing North America, told MTV News.

She went on to say that if the reported concert comes together it will be "a concert for 25,000 audience members. This is another example of how Dubai tourism is attracting the best of the best and is one of the world's hottest destinations. ... She chooses to do that in Dubai, which I think is a great credit to the destination that it has support of these top artists."

Source :http://www.mtv.com/

Adam Lambert Got 'American Idol' Training At Wild 'Zodiac Show

For most "American Idol" fans, Adam Lambert is the wildest, most unusual contestant they've ever seen on the show. But to his friends and castmates in Los Angeles' long-running variety extravaganza "The Zodiac Show," the Adam you see on the "Idol" stage every week is nothing compared to what they've witnessed back home.

Lee Cherry, "Zodiac" co-creator and director, first met Lambert in Europe in 2003, when the singer was touring with the musical "Hair," and he directed Lambert in his "Zodiac" stage debut in 2004. "He did [Sam Cooke's] 'A Change Is Gonna Come' and as Randy would say, he blew it out the box, dog," Cherry said. "That was pretty much the first time in L.A. anyone saw him being Adam in all his full fabulousness, and everybody lost their minds."

Several years later, at the most recent "Zodiac" show in December, Cherry said Lambert wrote some songs with Madonna collaborator Monte Pittman, and he got a real sense of how far the 28-year-old singer could go. "That was a big collaboration and a big production number, where he had the whole outfit and the dancers and the whole thing. ... We love seeing Adam do his thing how he loves to do it, and you've only seen the half of it on 'American Idol,' " Cherry said.

The six-year-old "Zodiac Show" started as an underground, after-hours monthly party hosted by Los Angeles' dance and glam-rock communities that grew into an irregular series of big, one-off productions at the city's Avalon Theatre. The events revolve around a sign of the Zodiac, and they include every kind of performer imaginable, from singers, dancers and actors to comedians, jugglers, fire-eaters and high-wire acts. It's been described as a "rock 'n' roll Cirque du Soleil."

Part of the reason Cherry thinks Lambert is doing so well on "Idol" is because of the experience he's had onstage at the "Zodiac," performing his own outrageous glam-rock songs, as well as creative covers of other songs and learning how to be part of an ensemble. "Before 'American Idol,' [he] didn't really have an outlet for his talent, to do it the way he wanted to do it," Cherry said. "Every time he was working, he had to fit into some kind of box. He was doing it because he had to do it, he had to live. But on our stage is where he got to ... bring the black nail polish, bring as much glitter as you can bring, what's the craziest outfit you can. It's never too much, except for when it is. Because sometimes, sometimes we ... "

Scarlett, the show's other co-creator and co-lead singer, interrupted Cherry: "We have to tone him down," she laughed.

Like, for instance, the time he wanted to perform a song with a flaming headdress, and they had to convince him it was too dangerous.

Cherry, Scarlett and co-creative director and former Pussycat Dolls member Carmit Bachar said they are all immensely proud of Lambert's success on "Idol," but they're not surprised he's doing so well on such a mainstream national stage.

"I think that it's really been beautiful on the show to see him grow and take in all the comments and the constructive criticism and really add it to his performances, and he's so humble and so beautiful, and he means it and he's real," Scarlett said.

That doesn't mean they weren't a bit worried that America wouldn't know what to do with a eyeliner-wearing, banshee-wailing, glam-rock, emo theater kid who didn't exactly fit the more traditional style of an "Idol" front runner. "He's really cut out for this on every level," Cherry said. "[But] we ... honestly didn't know how he was going to be received. We thought he was either going to get kicked off right away or he was going to win. We figured it was going to be one or the other. We knew he was going to be the best singer of the bunch by far."

After conferring with Lambert early on, Cherry posted a number of the singer's "Zodiac" performances on YouTube, including the very David Bowie-esque glam-rock original "Crawl Thru Fire" from last September, which has garnered more than 400,000 views to date. While each "Zodiac" revue is full of performances from a variety of Hollywood artists at the top of their respective games (choreography, dancing, songwriting, makeup, singing), he said Lambert has that indescribable "it" factor that sets him apart even on a stage with other super-talented performers.

Scarlett said despite Lambert's unusual background and flamboyant (for "Idol") style, she's not surprised America is embracing him. "They heard somebody breaking through," she said of the early embrace of Lambert. "When you're witnessing something like that, it's undeniable, even if you're from, like, Arkansas. You're like, 'Oh, my god, I'm watching a star. This is incredible!' "

Source :http://www.mtv.com/

Rick Ross Buries 50 Cent In 'Cold Blood' Video

Rick Ross has claimed that his insults against 50 Cent have ended the Queens rhyme lord's career. The Miami boss recently held a ceremony in honor of what he calls his accomplishment.

Over the weekend, Ross released the trailer to a video for "Cold Blood," a record from Deeper Than Rap. You see flashes of Ross sitting in church wearing a suit. The viewer is led to believe that once again he'll be mocking 50, because the words "R.I.P. Curtis Jackson" appear on the screen.

This is yet another salvo in the ongoing feud between 50 and Ross that started several weeks ago when the husky down-South MC called 50 out with "Mafia Music." Since then, the back-and-forth has been incessant. Last week, Ross released a remix to "Mafia Music," featuring the Game, Ja Rule and Fat Joe. On a recent trip to New York, Ross told radio personality DJ Envy that many more MCs had given him raps to include in the remix.

Maybe with the release of "Cold Blood," Ross is signifying an end to his war with Fif, at least on his part. Rick told Envy that 50 was boring him and that he might have to look toward Eminem for real comp.

Later in the Envy interview, Ross implied that if he did go into competition with Slim Shady, it might not be a traditional trade of barbs but rather a battle over who makes the best music. He did tell Envy he wasn't exactly excited about Em's new "We Made You" video.

"His swag ain't the same, though," he said, adding that he was just giving an opinion. "We not dissing. We'll never dis. [The video] was funny. This time I'm not gonna be critical because I'm a fan. But I see the swag ain't the same."

Soruce :http://www.mtv.com/

Meet Susan Boyle's Competition, Shaheen Jafargholi

Over the weekend, singing sensation Susan Boyle was just beginning to get used to her instant, worldwide fame when she learned the #1 lesson of Internet infamy: It doesn't last. While Boyle was setting up chats with "Oprah," CNN and every other news outlet that could get her "gobsmacked" reaction to being viewed more than 50 million times on YouTube, another "Britain's Got Talent" singer (who has also likely never been kissed) was already waiting in the wings.

Welsh singer Shaheen Jafargholi, 12, appeared on the show on Saturday and initially bombed with judge Simon Cowell, who made him stop singing his Amy Winehouse version of the Zuton's hit "Valerie" after just one verse.

Waving his hand and calling for the music to be stopped, a frowning Cowell said, "You've got this really wrong," as the crestfallen Jafargholi looked on. "What do you sing apart from that?"

Jafargholi then suggested the Smokey Robinson song "Who's Loving You," made famous by a young Michael Jackson with the Jackson Five. When the preternaturally poised Jafargholi — who began singing at age 2 and once played a young Jackson in a stage production of "Thriller" — rebooted with the second song, the audience went nuts. And much like they did when Boyle surprised them, Cowell and fellow judge Piers Morgan smiled broadly and seemed genuinely stunned by the boy's outsize talent.

"This is how one song can change your life," Cowell said afterward, after dishing out one of his very rare standing ovations. "And this may be the start of something special for you young man."

The dimple-faced young boy has already earned a major endorsement from none other than Demi Moore, who declared on her Twitter feed, "Wow this kid is something else!"

Morgan also gave Jafargholi props after the show, writing in his blog that the young man had been the stand-out performer on the show and could challenge Boyle for the $146,000 top prize. "Once Simon got him to sing the right kind of song for his voice, he was sensational. Like a young Stevie Wonder," Morgan wrote.

So far, Jafargholi has a long way to go to reach Boyle's YouTube ubiquity, with just over 300,000 views to her more than 50 million at press time.

Source : http://www.mtv.com/

Kelly Clarkson Gets Sexy Sad In 'I Do Not Hook Up' Video

Generally speaking, Kelly Clarkson videos tend to follow one of two formulas: 1. Kelly is jilted, either by a former love or a father figure, and she rebels in some form (tossing clothes out the window, haunting someone in airport bathrooms); or 2. Kelly rocks out, either in a spooky forest or on a stage somewhere, usually accompanied by her band and several flashing lights. Sometimes, she wears impossibly baggy pants.

Regardless of the path they follow, all Kelly Clarkson videos tend to end the same way: badly. Kelly never gets the guy or the closure or even the satisfaction. This is all fairly uncommon in the pop universe. In fact, she may very well be the saddest pop star in the world.

Now, take all that into consideration while viewing her brand-new "I Do Not Hook Up" video, the second single from her (really genuinely great) All I Ever Wanted album. Here — possibly for the first time in her career — we get to see a different Kelly. She's no longer the victim, she hasn't been jilted — she's in control, she's sexy, she's the one doing the jilting. That she's doing it all in her head is par for the course. After all, she's the saddest pop star currently working. She has a reputation to uphold.

Still, whether it's because the song was originally intended for Katy Perry's album or because of director Bryan Barber's effervescent color scheme and exceedingly literal treatment (here, Kelly's opening plea of "Oh sweetheart, put that bottle down/ You've got too much talent" isn't directed at some half-in-the-bag flame, but rather a sorta-cute waiter at a highfalutin soiree), "I Do Not Hook Up" isn't your usual Clarkson fare. She tackles said waiter and shoves strawberries in his mouth. She takes a pratfall off a bar — and emerges unscathed, much to the delight of everyone. She gets to be sexy and funny and happy. It's sort of refreshing, actually.

Of course, none of it actually is real, and at the clip's end, Clarkson is pretty much all alone: just another single girl on a Saturday night. Again, that's kind of sad (and it kind of makes her like the rest of us normal people too), but you get the feeling that she wants it this way. All of Clarkson's best videos — "Because of You," "Never Again," "Behind These Hazel Eyes" — have that same sweet sadness to them. It's what she does. If this were a Katy Perry video, things might be different. But it's Kelly Clarkson, and even when she's happy, she's still plenty sad. Or normal. Often, those are the same when you're talking pop stars.

Source: http:www.mtv.com

Mandy Moore Says Husband Ryan Adams Can Audition For Her Band

Mandy Moore recently married indie rocker Ryan Adams, and — for now at least — she'd like to keep their relationship strictly matrimonial.

"Lots of exciting things going on in my world right now. I'm very happy — very, very happy," said the singer, whose album Amanda Leigh drops in May. "And in terms of collaborating in the future, I wouldn't rule it out as a possibility, but right now, I'm kind of just psyched about this record and getting my band on the road."

She did say that she might be able to find a spot for her husband on the road — if he's willing to put in the work. "You know, if he ever needs a job or something, maybe he can audition for the band," she joked. "Other than that, I think we'll both just stick to being supportive of each other on the sidelines."

Moore said Adams is supporting her these days by teaching her guitar and piano, calling him her "in-home teacher" during an interview with Details. And Moore revealed to MTV News that aside from the Ryan Adams School of Guitar and Piano, she's also learning bass. No word if Adams is also her bass teacher.

"I'm learning bass right now, so I'll potentially show some bass skills off onstage, but only on the easy songs," she said, adding, "I know guitar a little bit, and I play a little bit of piano, both kind of terribly, but I always think its pretty badass when you see a female bass player."

Source : http://www.mtv.com/

Beyonce Announces U.S. Tour Dates

Nearly eight months after dropping her dual-personality smash, I Am ... Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé will finally bring the tour in support of the album to North America. The six week I Am ... Tour is slated to kick off on June 21 with a show at Madison Square Garden in New York and wind down with a four-night residency at Encore in the Wynn Las Vegas July 30-August 2.

According to a press release announcing the outing, the singer, currently on tour in Europe, will perform selections from the new album, as well as tunes from throughout her career in a high-tech production backed by her all-female band. Presale tickets for members of Beyoncé's fan club will be available on Monday (April 20) and general-public sales will begin on April 25.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Beyoncé said one of the hardest parts of the tour is squeezing a decade's worth of hits into a two-hour show and performing the songs in designer Thierry Mugler's elaborate costumes.

"I'm never gonna go onstage or do a video and not work until my feet are blistered, and until I'm basically, I can't walk any more," she said. "I always give, and I do that because I know how lucky I am, to do my job." She promised that the new tour will be more "emotional" than her 2007 outing because of the nature of the I Am portion of the double album. "That portion was a lot more real and raw and more sensitive," she explained. "The best part about this tour is I'm working with Thierry Mugler, who is an icon and a legend, and I've been a fan."

She also expressed frustration that snippets of the show have popped up online, ruining, she thinks, some of the surprise of the concert experience and possibly convincing some fans not to attend. "It's great because people can get a little sneak peek and say, "Oh, I wanna come to the show," or, "I don't wanna go to that show," [laughs] and I'm fans of people so I go on there and check it out too. But you put so much of your heart and time into the wardrobe ... it's kind of unfortunate that people can see the show months before you get into their city, but that's life."

Though fans responded enthusiastically to the long-awaited tour news over the weekend, Beyoncé's site was peppered with requests by disappointed supporters — from Boston; Anchorage, Alaska; Tampa, Florida; St. Louis and Montreal — who begged her to come to their towns.

The dates for the I Am ... Tour, according to Beyoncé's Web site:

» 6/21 - New York @ Madison Square Garden » 6/24 - Washington @ Verizon Center » 6/26 - Philadelphia @ Wachovia Center » 6/27 - Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum Complex » 6/29 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BankAtlantic Center » 7/1 - Atlanta @ Philips Arena » 7/3 - New Orleans @ Essence Music Festival at Louisiana Superdome » 7/4 - Houston @ Toyota Center » 7/5 - Dallas @ American Airlines Center » 7/7 - Phoenix @ US Airways Center » 7/9 - Sacramento, CA @ ARCO Arena » 7/10 - Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena » 7/11 - Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center » 7/13 - Los Angeles @ Staples Center » 7/16 - Minneapolis @ Target Center » 7/17 - Chicago @ United Center » 7/18 - Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills » 7/23 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun » 7/30-8/2 - Las Vegas @ Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas

Source : http://www.mtv.com/

Madonna Blames Paparazzo For Horseback-Riding Accident

Madonna was hospitalized briefly on Saturday after taking a spill while riding a horse at the South Hampton, New York, home of photographer Steven Klein.

The 50-year-old singer was taken to a hospital after the fall, treated for suffering minor injuries and bruises before being released, according to spokesperson Liz Rosenberg.

"The accident occurred when the horse Madonna was riding was startled by paparazzi who jumped out of the bushes to photograph the singer, who was visiting friends on Eastern Long Island over the weekend," Rosenberg said in a statement to UsMagzine.com. "Madonna will be having further tests and will continue to remain under observation by doctors.'

But the photographer who is being blamed for allegedly causing the incident, Thomas Hinton, told TMZ that while he was the only paparazzo around when Madonna tumbled off her horse, he had nothing to do with the incident. Hinton claimed to have taken shots of Madonna before and after she fell but said he has no pics of the actual accident because he walked away after shooting the pictures of her riding the horse. He said that 30 minutes later he got a tip about an ambulance being sent out to for a 50-year-old woman. Figuring it was Madonna, he returned to take pictures of her being tended to by the emergency workers.

Hinton told TMZ that all his pictures were taken from a public road and that the only other photographer around was the home's owner, Klein. "If I had startled the horse, I would have gotten pictures!," Hinton said.

The New York Post has what it calls the exclusive Hinton pictures, which show Madonna on the horse and then images of her being attended to by emergency personnel, but none of the accident itself. The paper claims that Madonna was hurt while taking the horse through a jumping routine.

In 2005, Madonna cracked three ribs and broke her hand and a collar bone in a riding accident at her estate outside of London.

Source : http://www.mtv.com

What Should 'American Idol' Top Seven Sing For Disco Week?

It's Disco Week on "American Idol" (don't even get me started), and the top seven hopefuls have a huge challenge ahead of them: How do they sound contemporary while sticking to a genre that hasn't been popular since the pre-MTV era? Song selection is more important than ever, and with two people going home Wednesday night, thanks to the "judge's save" being used last week on Matt Giraud, the stakes are even higher!

Rest easy, Idols. No reason to get those Camile Velasco butterflies. We've got you covered. As long as you skirt the obvious picks and listen to our suggestions, you're in the clear.

Adam Lambert
Will Sing: Adam hasn't said "no" to a high note yet, and the glory notes in the chorus of the Alicia Bridges classic "I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)" are going to prove irresistible to him and his rabid fanbase.

Should Sing: We prefer when Adam's wails are reserved for songs with substance. Why not tackle "Band of Gold" — a Motown tune later covered by disco drag star Sylvester — and show "Idol" fans that the song doesn't only belong to season-two divas Frenchie Davis and Kimberley Locke?

Allison Iraheta
Will Sing: We doubt the 16-year-old rocker has that much disco on her iPod, so it's likely she'll be picking from the song list blind. When she sees Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" on the list, she'll probably think, "That sounds like a badass rock song." If only ...

Should Sing: Since Allison and disco go together as well as Kara DioGuardi and numbers, we beg Allison to check out a Kate Bush cover by Italian disco revivalists the Chromatics. "Running Up That Hill" provides a fantastic opportunity for our fave to purr a midtempo burner piano-side and have a big moment. Check out Kiki & Herb's delirious rendition, tone down the hysterics and you'll have a winner.

Anoop Desai
Will Sing: It's only a matter of time before Anoop the Party Animal returns to the "Idol" stage, and how can he not do an uptempo number on Disco Night? Therefore, expect the crowd-pleaser to pick the "Idol" staple "Turn the Beat Around" by Vickie Sue Robinson.

Should Sing: Anoop needs to find a disco song with a smooth R&B flavor. Earth, Wind & Fire's "Let's Groove" lets the Usher wannabe have fun yet be cool at the same time. Plus, if his less-than-reliable falsetto isn't in tip-top shape, he can let the background singers do the heavy lifting while he riffs on the chorus.

Danny Gokey
Will Sing: Danny loves being the center of attention. And "Idol" loves giving him huge production numbers. If he sings the Trammps' "Disco Inferno," he can do lots of silly disco choreography while the producers can use that fire background they love shoving down our throats. Let's just hope "Idol" keeps their golden child to the time requirement. Who needs the full 10 minutes of that song? Especially with the Hokey Gokey croaking it?

Should Sing: I know I often criticize Danny for referencing his deceased wife, but if he sang Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' "The Love I Lost" (and cherry-picked the second verse, which is more lyrically appropriate for his situation), I wouldn't hold it against him. His voice would suit the song wonderfully.

Kris Allen
Will Sing: This is a toughie. Who knows what the guitar-playin' heartthrob guitar will settle on? He surprised us last week with a fantastic contemporary song, so perhaps he'll look to more recent disco artists like LCD Soundsystem and Daft Punk. In fact, Daft Punk's "Digital Love" has a fun melody and a cute lovey-dovey lyric that would drive his fans wild.

Should Sing: Hell, we hate to sway any contestant away from a song released in this decade, but if "Digital Love" doesn't work out, we think he could turn Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way" into a heartbreaking guitar-based rock song and keep his winning streak alive.

Lil Rounds
Will Sing: The judges expected perfection from Lil during Motown Week, so they'll expect even bigger things from the "diva of the season" on Disco Night. And after last week's Simon tongue-lashing, Lil's going to look to one of the most famous disco vocalists ever and sing Donna Summer's "Last Dance," which we think (or hope) will end up being an appropriate swan song.

Should Sing: Amii Stewart's "Knock on Wood" is one of the "Idol" Death Songs. Every contestant who has tried it has ended up in the bottom group or eliminated. Sorry, Lil, but we think your time has come and want to ensure our fave Allison gets to the finals. So do us a favor and sing "Knock on Wood." You'll do a great job! Ahem.

Matt Giraud
Will Sing: Carl Carlton's "Everlasting Love" appears every time "Idol" does disco. And while the recently saved contestant might be inspired to sing Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" or the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" given his cockroach-like ability to stay on this mother-lovin' show, we think he'll ultimately be swayed by Carlton's sing-songy melody, which was recently covered by fellow piano man Jamie Cullum.

Should Sing: Our favorite Matt Giraud performance was back in Motown Week when he rocked the sex-machine swagger during "Sexual Healing." We suspect he could light up Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" by tickling those ivories. At the very least, Kara would feel it.

Source : http://www.mtv.com

M.I.A. Brings It on the Main Stage at Coachella

If Day Two of Coachella proved anything, it's that M.I.A is now big enough (and good enough) to be a main stage act, but is perhaps more comfortable personally in the dance tents where chaos is often rewarded by excitement and the barrier between artist and fan is a lot smaller -- both figuratively and literally. "I really don't know how to bring it on the main stage but we're going to try," she said. And in many ways she and her sprawling entourage succeeded. But the impersonal vibe of the larger stage, as well as her new popularity as a hit maker, had M.I.A. clamoring to retain her street cred.

"Just because I did the Grammys doesn't mean I sold out," she told fans, most of whom didn't see her perform in the tent last year. In an effort to prove her point, as she chucked noisemakers into the crowd she claimed that her lawyer told her she could be sued if she hit anybody on the head. "But," she said, "I ain't gonna change."

Towards the end of a set that was entertaining if choppy, M.I.A. invited fans to jump the barrier and join her onstage. "I've already been banned from Coachella once," she said. "S---, let's do it." Despite security strongly disagreeing with her and not going along with it, a cluster of fans did make it up there to dance and bring the sense of chaos that she thrives upon, until they were cleared from the stage by unamused stage hands. Closing with 'Paper Planes,' as expected, M.I.A. nonetheless had tens of thousands singing along. Not bad for a "retired" mom.


Source :http://www.spinner.com

Axion 10.4” AXN-9105M Digital Multimedia Player & Digital Picture Frame Review

It seems everything is going digital these days including our cameras. Why print out pictures you shoot with your digital camera when you can display them on a digital picture frame?

If you have ever wondered how well digital picture frames perform read on.


source : http://www.i4u.com/

Coosh Headset for iPod/iPhone Review

Today we are looking at the Coosh headset that is compatible with the iPhone and other devices. The headset promises comfort, good sound and the ability to make and receive calls without removing the headset. Read on to see how well the Coosh headset performs.


source : http://www.i4u.com/

Nextar M3-MX GPS Review

Today we are going to check out a GPS device from Nextar called the M3-MX. The device is packed with maps of the US and Mexico. The full featured unit is compact and works well. If you are looking for a nice GPS device that has good maps the Nextar M3-MX could be just what you need. Read on for all the details.


source : http://www.i4u.com/

Nikon D5000 DSLR unveiled

Nikon introduced the new Nikon D5000 DSLR camera today. The Nikon D5000 is the newest addition to its family of DX-format digital SLRs.
The Nikon D5000 features a versatile Vari-angle 2.7 inch LCD monitor that can be viewed in normal position flush against the camera back, or swung out and rotated and/or tilted.

Other features of the Nikon D5000 include 12.3MP, EXPEED image processing system, Live View shooting, D-Movie video capture with up to 1,280x720px HD videos, 19 Scene Modes, Scene Recognition System with Face Detection System, Active D-Lighting, 11-point AF system with Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus module, and Nikon Integrated Dust Reduction System.


source : http://www.i4u.com/

Mint 220 Wireless Digital Music Station

Features & Specifications
The Mint 220 utilizes the Texas instruments PurePath Digital audio amplifier and uses 2.4 GHz lossless streaming for sending music wirelessly from the PC or Mac. Mint says the wireless range for the 220 is 45 feet or 15 meters. Inside the shiny, black case, the Mint 220 has dual 3.5-inch Peerless transducers. The Mint 220 can dock most iPods and the iPhone and charge them while docked. The 220 also has a line-in for DAPs other than the iPod. The MSRP for the Mint 220 is $179.99.

Setup & Use
The Mint 220 is small and sized well for use in many places around the home. The speaker system measures 11.4" x 7" x 4.3". Setting the Mint 220 up requires nothing more than removing it from the box, plugging it into the wall, and docking your iPod. Connecting the Mint 220 to your Pc via the wireless adapter is a cinch as well.

All I had to do was plug the wireless receiver into a USB port on my computer and the wireless stream from YouTube was picked up immediately without any drivers required. The system includes a wireless remote that allows you to switch between iPod, wireless and line-in for different music sources.

The Mint 220 sounds very good. Mid range and high sounds are crisp and sharp. Bass form the small speaker is deep and doesn't over power the vocals. When streaming music or other studio wirelessly from the PC, I noticed no lag. The wireless range is right on with the 45-foot promise from Mint.

The remote allows full control of the iPod including pause/play, track forward and back, and volume up and down. The remote also has a mute button, a button to activate the EQ, and a power switch to turn the system off.

Overall, the Mint 220 is very impressive. The sound quality from the small system is great, the price is very good at $179, and the system is very easy to set up for wireless streaming. It's hard to go wrong with the Mint 220. The only way I could see the Mint 220 being better would be if you had the option to run it from batteries for truly portable use.

source : http://www.i4u.com