Hundreds see Philippine Prison Inmates perform Jackson tribute - Thriller (Video)

More than 1,500 Philippine inmates at a maximum security prison on Saturday performed a Michael Jackson tribute for the public with a dance routine that has become a global Internet hit.

Hundreds of spectators arrived at the jail to see the convicts, including murderers and drug-traffickers, put on the show two days after the music icon collapsed and died.

One by one the performers, wearing their prison-issue saffron uniforms, filed into the fenced-off exercise yard at Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, where officials had hung a picture of the star.

The event began with a prayer for Jackson before singing and dancing to his hit "We Are the World", which he co-wrote with Lionel Richie to raise funds for famine victims in Ethiopia.

They then went on to perform to two other Jackson ballads, "Ben" and "I'll Be There", before taking positions for their popular dance routine based on the singer's megahit video "Thriller".

The inmates' four-minute synchronised performance first aired on the video sharing website YouTube two years ago, and has since gained a cult following, generating more than 23 million hits so far.

Officials at the prison also said they had been told Jackson himself had even seen it.

Choreographer Byron Garcia, a prison consultant and the brains behind the dance exercise, said he was shocked by Jackson's death at the age of 50 and that many of his wards were grief-stricken.

"Without MJ, the inmates would never have become world-renowned. That is why Michael Jackson is a God to them," Garcia told AFP. "Inmates had hoped that one day, he'll come to dance with them."

He said the prisoners had performed the routine for visiting tourism officials on Thursday afternoon, just hours before Jackson died.

Jackson's music served to help the facility in rehabilitating the inmates, Garcia said.

"Music is the language of the soul, and dancing is a form of positive expression," he said as press photographers jostled for positions. "I am sad. Forty years ago, I learned singing his songs."

Inmate Michael Carunngay, 31, a former drug trafficker, said: "We are sad that Michael Jackson passed away because he was our inspiration and the reason why we have found fame."

Millions of fans around the world have held tributes to the "King of Pop" who died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles.

Tourists had flocked to the prison hours before the performance started at 3.00pm (0700 GMT) Saturday, with one official saying an unusual number of people had been signing in.

The video has become such a big hit that the inmates have themselves become tourist attractions, with visitors having their pictures taken with them after each performance.

They have also performed the dance for government officials and the Archbishop of the Catholic church in Cebu.

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iPhone App Store Puts Apple in Sticky Situation

Apple's App Store is a runaway success, but controversial applications may force the company into decisions that run counter to the free market spirit that makes the App Store so popular.

Since the debut of the Apple App Store in July 2008, iPhone and iPod touch owners have been able to access a rapidly increasing number of applications, ranging from free apps like Skype to low-priced mobile games and all number of programs. The App Store’s rise to prominence has not been without controversy, however. The latest minor uproar concerned an application that allowed users to access sexually explicit photos.

The application, “Hottest Girls” disappeared from the App Store on Thursday, though the development team behind the app, Allen the Geek, wrote on its Web site the application had “sold out” and pulled the app to prevent their servers from crashing. “Those who already have the app will still be able to use our app,” posted the ATG development team. “To answer the question on everyone’s mind: Yes, the…images will still be there when it is sold again.”

But the story doesn’t end there. As similar applications began to appear on the App Store, Apple told CNN that, despite a rating system informing consumers about the content of applications (Hottest Girls received a 17+ rating for, in Apple’s words, “frequent/intense sexual content or nudity), the company would not distribute applications that contain inappropriate content, such as pornography.

“The developer of this application added inappropriate content directly from their server after the application had been approved and distributed, and after the developer had subsequently been asked to remove some offensive content,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told CNN. “This was a direct violation of the terms of the iPhone Developer Program. The application is no longer available on the App Store.”

Apple found itself in the media spotlight earlier in the year for similarly controversial, if less sexually explicit, applications, including the infamous “Baby Shaker” app and a “Me So Holy” application that allowed users to take photos of themselves or friends and paste their head onto the body of Jesus. Days after the Baby Shaker controversy broke, Apple announced the billionth application had been downloaded from the store.

Micahel Oh, president of Apple specialist Tech Superpowers, says the Apple has a fine line to walk when it comes to regulating the content on the site. “I’m not sure exactly where they should be on this,” he says. “If you look at desktop application development and distribution, there’s been this very specific separation between the manufacturer of the system and the developer.”

By hosting its own application portal, Apple puts itself between the developers and the consumer market. “Apple has obviously developed the App Store with a revenue stream in mind, but they have put themselves in a position where they’re between the software developer and customer, so they can be a gate, even if they’re not saying it,” Oh says. “There’s going to be increasing pressure on them to restrict [applications]. It is a free market and it’s part of capitalism and making software that people want.”

However, Oh says Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, might be able to put a human touch on what is essentially a question of regulation in the face of corporate responsibility. “This is potentially one of those places where Apple needs to make an announcement, and maybe Jobs has to stay the software market needs to be open,” he says. “In looking at Apple’s history, it’s always easier for that type of announcement to come from a person. That’s the reason that Apple is so loved as a company.”

No matter what controversies arise in the near future, and no matter how Apple negotiates this tightrope of an issue, one thing remains certain: The App Store, boasting 50,000 applications, and the runaway success of the iPhone and iPod touch, mean the App Store is in for a flourishing future. “The selection is really where it gets an A+,” Oh says. “In term of the App Store, it’s always delivered what I’ve asked it for.”

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Celebrities React To Michael Jackson’s Death

Michael Jackson's death took the world by surprise Thursday (June 25), when he died suddenly from a heart attack. Fans all across the world couldn't believe it, and neither could countless celebrities on Twitter, who tweeted in disbelief.

Here's a few of their initial reactions:

Cassie - There are no words.... Sending all of my love and prayers out to the Jackson family.

Dawn Richard (Danity Kane) - omg! u guys say a prayer..mj is gone..i wont believe it!

MC Hammer - I have no words.. I loved Michael Jackson.. RIP.. I will be mourning my friend , brother, mentor and inspiration.. He gave me and my family hope. I would never have been me without him.

Ice-T - Rest In Peace Mike. People can say what they want but you were 100% original. WE will always love , miss & remember your GREATNESS. "Ice T"

Alyssa Milano - Remember the first time you saw him moonwalk? RIP Michael Jackson.

Lil Jon - RIP M J!!

Nicki Minaj - Oh no! Plz tell me its a joke!!!! Please! Not michael jackson!!!! No!!!! Dead???!!!!

Tyrese - I can't believe I'm about to write this Michael Jackson May God Bless your SOUL WE LOVE YOU FOREVER REST IN PEACE I'm sad this is horrible

Ashton Kutcher - Mike Jackson passed away today from a heart attack. That's what tmz said. Wow. Pray for his kids

Tila Tequila - My heart is broken! We have lost a true icon of our time, he will forever be with us! Please have a moment of silence and pray for MJ

Ben Baller (jeweler) - im literally sick, im gonna vomit and then eat it. im just happy to have worked & met the legend smh sad

Lauren London - Michael Jackson?!. It feels like someone called me and told me a family member passed away. Since I could remember...there was always MJ. There are no words.....my prayers to the Jackson Family

Khloe Kardashian - This can't be true! Michael Jackson Passed away???

Kim Kardashian - Wow I am truly in shock that Michael Jackson has passed away! I love u Jackson family, my prayers are with the whole family!

Travis Barker - Michael Jackson R.I.P. I'm speechless, WTF?

Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers) - My thoughts and prayers go out to Michael Jackson and his family. He is a legend. King of Pop.

Baron Davis (Los Angeles Clippers) - RIP Mike Jackson

Xzibit - DAMNIT! they just put the big yellow banner up "breaking news" on CNN. the King of Pop has passed away. MJ we love you. U were Genius.

Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) - i am very shocked about mj. i have every song he ever put out. i am shocked and sad.

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Michael Jackson 50 Years - Summary

The king is dead.

On the afternoon of June 25, music icon Michael Jackson’s heart suddenly stopped at his Hollywood home. Paramedics and doctors could not revive him. The media competition began. Gossip website TMZ.com reported it first, and soon ABC and NBC were quoting the celebrity gossip site as if it were CNN or BBC — as if it were a colleague. CNN confirmed it last, but the news was true all the same. The King of Pop was gone forever. Michael Joseph Jackson, age 50.

Fans responded quickly.

A swarm gathered at UCLA Medical Center with pictures of his face and shirts with his name.

As news of his death sent shock waves the world still mourned the passing of Farrah Fawcett, who lost her battle with cancer, and Ed McMahon, whose combination of medical illnesses took his life several days ago. Three icons in a matter of less than a week, and in its wake the public still grapples to cope with it. Yet it was Mr. Jackson’s death which proved to overwhelm the public.

Jackson once revealed in a televised interview that the most honest song he has ever written, the song he feels people should examine when it comes to him, is “Childhood” from the album HIStory. The first verse of the song reveals a poignant fact, “no one understands me.”

And in the aftermath of his sudden death, questions still abound in attempts to understand how this King of Pop, the artist who enamored fans with his dancing and music, could have fallen from grace so tragically.

Although we may never know the truth to the molestation charges pressed against him, the scandal was detrimental enough and made a lasting impression. Mr. Jackson lost credibility among many fans and friends as his antics grew increasingly questionable — from wearing pajamas while on trial or jumping on the roof of his car before onlookers outside the courthouse.

What does remain is a prolific body of work which has inspired generations of musicians, artists and actors.

The beginnings of Michael Jackson, as one of seven musically gifted children, hail from Gary, Indiana. At age five, Mr. Jackson began to reveal his flair for singing during school recitals and eventually became a part of his father’s dream team later known as The Jackson 5. Michael quickly became the most adored brother, captivating audiences as the years went by and fame grew quickly.

After a momentous meeting with legends Barry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, and Diana Ross, it appeared that Mr. Jackson and his brothers were on their way to being stars with hits like “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.”

The price of fame eventually came at a cost. Unlike most children his age, Mr. Jackson’s catapult toward the limelight cheated him from normal childhood experiences — a factor that would become a recurring theme in his music and life.

Where most child stars fall into the shadows of entertainment history, Mr. Jackson developed into a man and flourished. And it appeared, with the success of his solo project “Off the Wall,” that he might do well after all, but no one could have predicted what would happen in 1982.

Thriller, a compilation of songs that fused his R&B roots with rock and pop, forever bridged the gap between rock and soul. The diverse tracks and addictive melodies pushed the album to record heights. It remains the top selling album of all time. Added to the appeal of his music was the timing of another trend: MTV. Jackson saw the potential in using music videos and was one of the first to use it heavily to promote his work. The apex of this phenomenon came with the featurette video of “Thriller,” an homage to classic horror films, in which Jackson incorporated his own style, music and choreography.

This also marked a period of Michael Jackson’s change in appearance. Mr. Jackson, who was rumored to have undergone excessive plastic surgery, suffered from a debilitating skin disorder called Vitiligo which causes one’s skin pigmentation to become patchy in appearance. This would be the first in a string of social dissections of his eccentricities. Even though his life was often plagued by public scrutiny, the popularity of his music throughout the course of the 80s never faltered, as legions of fans copied his moves and style as “The Gloved One.”

In the end, while most people permanently decided to love, admire, or loathe Michael Jackson, it was the media that truly had the mood swings. There’s no doubt he was often the center of attention by tabloids and the press — a fickle beast that one moment adored him and the next shut him down.

But the boy from Indiana, whose humble beginnings rooted in a band of brothers, who captivated the world in the 1960s, is gone. And the performer who showed us how to moonwalk, dance the Thriller, and ask the tender question, “Who’s Lovin’ You?” is long gone. And so, too, is the eccentric, increasingly insular celebrity. The legend of Michael Jackson will never be forgotten.

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Michale Jackson's CDs Sold Out Yesterday!

Sulaiman Ahmad Junid, 26, a staff of Rock Corner record shop at Mid Valley in Kuala Lumpur putting a note on the wall that all the Michael Jackson CDs and VCDs had been sold out.

Show promoter Tan Sri Syed Yusof Tun Syed Nasir, who was instrumental in bringing Michael Jackson here for a two-night concert in 1996, said the King of Pop was “weird but in a friendly way”.

The iconic pop star was never the freak that the foreign media painted him out to be, he said.

“His behaviour was childlike. For instance, he liked to knock on the hotel room doors of his friends and then run away like a kid.

“He was full of love and very generous. During his visit to KL, I got to know him well and realised he was a gentle and talented person. I sympathised with him for the negative media reports.”

Jackson was also a nocturnal creature.

“His mind was hyper active at night,” said Syed Yusof. “That was the time he would write his songs or discuss business. I personally spent many late hours discussing business with him.”

They had planned to build a theme park here, but the project did not take off due to the economic situation then.

When Jackson was staying at Syed Yusof’s Concorde Hotel here during his concert, the singer would ring up his Malaysian friend in the middle of the night, saying he couldn’t sleep.

“I had to call in a doctor to get him to sleep,” Syed Yusof recollected. “He didn’t like to pop pills. So I asked the doctor to give him a jab.

“I first met Michael in Las Vegas (in 1995),” said Syed Yusof. “I stayed in his hotel room. He then took me on a tour of Neverland and his recording studio in New York. He was a good host, not to mention a good-hearted person. He had a lot of love in him, especially for children.”

The last time that he heard from Jackson was through his older brother, Jermaine, who is also a close friend of Syed Yusof’s.

“I met Jermaine two weeks ago and asked about Michael. Jermaine said his brother was fine.”

Syed Yusof has renamed the swanky room that his celebrity friend had stayed in Concorde KL as the “Michael Jackson suite”.

Located on the 18th floor, the room is full of photographs and collectibles of the superstar. Syed Yusof has also put Jackson’s doodles on the wall.

“Aside from music, Michael loved to doodle.

“Michael wanted to be remembered as the greatest entertainer in the world. And I think he achieved that. What’s really disappointing is that I was planning to go to London for his concert on July 8,” said Syed Yusof.

Stephen Yap, who was promotions manager with Sony Music (M) in 1996 when Jackson was here said: “There wasn’t the usual ‘diva’ fanfare surrounding him. Even with his bodyguards present, he was pleasant to us. In fact, we even had tea with him. He wasn’t one of those stars who was just waiting for his social commitments to be over and done with. He really cared about the things around him.”

Cynthia Chen, project director for Jojo Events, said: “The concert was the biggest and most expensive production for a solo artiste I have worked on. He seemed like a nice but shy person. Do you know that the Concorde Hotel was closed for bookings the whole time he was here? And we completely refurnished the presidential suite for him.”

Michael Roche, regional director of Lushington Entertainments, the promoter responsible for bringing Jackson to this region in 1996, said: “I remember at the Merdeka Stadium concerts, there were a few restrictions that we were meant to adhere to. And we told Michael to try and refrain from doing his famous crotch-grabbing routine. He politely assured us he wouldn’t. And as he hit the stage, that’s exactly what he did, sending the audience wild with excitement.

“He had this mischievous streak in him. When he checked in at the Concorde Hotel, he felt it was very cold and said he wanted heaters, even though it was 30-odd degrees outside. We had to scramble and try to sort that out for him, and that was the element of fun about him ... he was always delightful and charming about it all.”

Apparently, Jackson was not one of those stars who liked to stay cooped up in their hotel room. He went out on the town and took in some sights while in Kuala Lumpur, said his Malaysian pals.

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Michael Jackson - King of Pop - DIES Age 50 in Los Angeles

Paramedics found him in a coma at his Bel-Air home today and rushed him to UCLA Medical Center. He was in L.A. rehearsing for a series of concerts in London in July. LAPD has opened an inquiry.

Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead today after paramedics found him in a coma at his Bel-Air mansion, city and law enforcement sources told The Times.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told The Times that paramedics responded to a 911 call from the home. When they arrived, Jackson was not breathing. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda said.

Hundreds of reporters gathered at the hospital awaiting word on his condition. The sources, who spoke on the condition that they not be named, said family members rushed to Jackson's bedside, where he was in a deep coma.

The circumstances of Jackson's death remain unclear. Law enforcement sources said that Los Angeles Police Department robbery-homicide detectives have opened an investigation into the death, though they stressed there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. The detectives plan to interview relatives, friends and Jackson's doctors to try to figure out what happened. The L.A. County coroner's office will determine a cause of death.

Paramedics were called to a home on the 100 block of Carolwood Drive off Sunset Boulevard. Jackson rented the Bel-Air home -- described as a French chateau built in 2002 with seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces and a theater -- for $100,000 a month.

The home is about a six-minute drive from UCLA Medical Center.

Jackson has three children -- sons Prince Michael 7, and Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., 12, and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11.

The news comes as Jackson, 50, was attempting a comeback after years of tabloid headlines, most notably his trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.

In May, The Times reported that Jackson was living in a Bel-Air mansion and rehearsing for a series of 50 sold-out shows in London's O2 Arena. Jackson had won the backing of two billionaires to get the so-called King of Pop back on stage.

The concerts had been scheduled to kick off July 13.

Johnny Caswell, a principal at Centerstaging, the Burbank soundstage where Jackson rehearsed for his London concerts, watched many of the run-throughs and said he was "absolutely shocked" by the performer's death.

Jackson, he said, was "very frail" but approached the rehearsals with boundless energy.

"He was working hard. Putting four days a week in here. Six hour a day. Working hard. Dancing," Caswell said. "We're in shock over here."

The performer moved from the Burbank facility to the Forum at the beginning of June, Caswell said.

His backers envisioned the London shows as an audition for a career rebirth that could ultimately encompass a three-year world tour, a new album, movies, a Graceland-like museum, musical revues in Las Vegas and Macau, and even a Thriller casino.

Such a rebound could wipe out Jackson's massive debt, estimated at $400 million.

Jackson needed a comeback to reverse the damage done by years of excessive spending and little work. He has not toured since 1997 or released a new album since 2001, but he has continued to live like a megastar.

To finance his opulent lifestyle, he borrowed heavily against his three main assets: his Neverland Ranch, his music catalog and a second catalog that includes the music of the Beatles that he co-owns with Sony Corp. By the time of his 2005 criminal trial, he was nearly $300 million in debt and, according to testimony, spending $30 million more annually than he was taking in.

Compounding his money difficulties were a revolving door of litigious advisors and hangers-on. Jackson has run through 11 managers since 1990, according to Frank DiLeo, his manager and friend of three decades.

Times staff writers Richard Winton, Chris Lee Carla Hall, Ari B. Bloomekatz, Anna Gorman and Nicole Santa Cruz contributed to this report.

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Megan Fox: Stop Comparing Me to Angelina Jolie!

Most stars would be happy to be compared to Angelina Jolie. Megan Fox isn't one of them.

"It's a lack of creativity on the media's part," the "Transformers" star says in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (on newsstands June 12). "Because I have tattoos and dark hair and I was in an action movie? That's as far as the similarities extend."

Adds Fox, "I'm not the next anyone."

The 23-year-old actress -- who says she was joking when she once said she was afraid of the "Changeling" star -- admits that she has no plans to get to know Jolie.

"She always seems otherworldly in her power and her confidence," Fox says. "I'm sure she has no idea who I am. But if I were her, I'd be like, 'Who [...] is this little bulls--- brat who was in 'Transformers' that's going to be the next me?' I don't want to meet her. I'd be embarrassed."

Fox even interjects when asked if she wanted to follow in Jolie's footsteps of starting out as a sex symbol before taking on serious roles.

"Angelina Jolie was always a Method actress," she says. "She'd been nominated for Golden Globes before she ever did 'Tomb Raider'."

Still, the star -- who admits "I'm clearly not ugly" -- isn't bothered by the fact that she's seen as a sex symbol.

"I don't know why someone would complain about that," she says. "That just means that the bar has been set pretty low. People don't expect me to do anything that's worth watching. So I can only be an overachiever. I think all women in Hollywood are known as sex symbols. That's what our purpose is in this business. You're merchandised, you're a product. You're sold and it's based on sex. But that's okay. I think women should be empowered by that, not degraded."

In fact, she doesn't regret how "Transformers" made her "this new girl" in the industry.

"I happened to be such an outrageous personality that people wanted to start writing about me because it was deemed controversial," she says. "I think if I had been a typical Hollywood actress and I said all the right things and I had been a publicity android, it wouldn't have escalated to this level."

Fox, who appears in this summer's blockbuster "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," doesn't want to still be making robot movies five years from now, but when asked what the worst-case scenario would be, she says, "That I'd be on 'The Hills'."

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10 cool things about the iPhone 3G S

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that Apple has announced its latest iPhone -- the iPhone 3G S.

The third iPhone to be released since the first was launched in the U.S. in 2007, Apple claims the iPhone 3G S is faster and more powerful than the current iPhone 3G. Although it retains an identical form factor and design, the iPhone 3G S has some nifty new features. Here are 10 of the best:

1. It's faster

Apple launched the iPhone 3G S by announcing it has a faster processor, more memory and "snappier performance". Although the iPhone 3G is no slouch, it can be a little sluggish when opening and closing applications. If Apple's demo videos are anything to go by, the iPhone 3G S will be a much zippier smartphone.

2. It has more memory

Apple will sell two models of the iPhone 3G S: 16GB and 32GB. There original iPhone came with 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of storage.

3. Video recording

Wow! A smartphone in 2009 that can record video? No way! Apple critics will point to the fact that the iPhone 3G can't record video as an example of a phone that lacks some basic features, but for potential iPhone owners the addition of video recording is a real plus.

4. Improved camera

The iPhone 3G S has a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus, compared with the iPhone 3G's 2-megapixel, non-autofocus camera. It still lacks a flash, but the increased megapixel count should slightly improve photos and tapping an area on the screen to focus on is a cool feature that should make mobile photography easier.

5. You can talk to it

The iPhone 3G S introduces what Apple calls Voice Control, a voice recognition feature that allows you to make a call and play music by speaking. Voice Control can find any entry in your contacts list, and users simply have to say a name or phone number to make a call. For music, you can ask what song is playing and hear the iPhone 3G S answer, tell it to play your favourite album, or play similar tracks to the current one.

6. It has a built-in compass

A built-in digital compass is another new feature of the iPhone 3G S. We aren't sure exactly how often anyone would use this as a standalone app, but when combined with Google Maps, the compass will rotate maps to always match the direction you're facing. Now that is pretty cool.

7. Internet tethering

The iPhone 3G S can now be used as a modem, connecting to a Mac or PC via USB or Bluetooth. Although AT&T in the US won't be supporting this feature, Optus is one Australian telco that has confirmed it will be. Telstra and Vodafone are yet to announce whether they will offer tethering capability.

8. Accessibility features

Apple has included a number of features that help people with disabilities use the iPhone 3G S. These include Apple's VoiceOver function, which reads aloud what is on the screen, a zoom function that magnifies up to five times, and a white on black display option that provides increased contrast.

9. Nike+ iPod integration

Previously only available for selected iPod nano models, Apple's Nike + iPod is a fitness system that involves a Nike shoe communicating wirelessly with an iPod. The iPhone 3G S will be compatible with the system, which displays real time walking or running statistics.

10. New headphones

The iPhone 3G S will include Apple's remote headphones in the sales package. The new headphones have a multi-button remote and volume control keys, as well as a microphone to handle voice calls.

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Megan Fox's Dress Causes Chaos

Fact: 98% of males have at least a dim awareness of Megan Fox's existence. After her appearance at the Seoul premiere of "Transformers 2," the final 2% may now be on board as well.




Fox, the heir apparent to Angelina Jolie as the universe's supreme sex symbol, walked the red carpet in a sheer black dress that has the Web (especially drooling dudes) in a tizzy. As soon as word hit that Fox had outdone the gown she wore to the Tokyo premiere (a very leggy purple number), searches soared on "megan fox black dress" and "megan fox seoul premiere."

The Huffington Post hosts a nice photo of the saucy starlet strutting her stuff, and blogs including Just Jared and Celebrity Gossip covered the premiere with the knowledge that Fox's frock could become the stuff of red-carpet legend.

Not surprisingly, lookups on Ms. Fox are dominated by the fellas. Three out of every four queries on the gorgeous thespian come from males. Aside from the intense interest in her dress, we continue to see lookups on her tattoos (Fox has several and may get more), desktop wallpaper, and whether or not she's dating her male equivalent Robert Pattinson.

Wait, what?

Though just rumors, speculation that the "Transformers" goddess and "Twilight" superhunk are an item is running high, according to NY Daily News. For what it's worth, Fox apparently dismissed the claims. And for 98% of men across the country and around the world, that denial must have made their day.

Watch the Transfomers Trailer below

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Adam Lambert (Glambert) Album Out in Fall

"American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert has told Rolling Stone magazine he is gay, answering a question that followed the singer for months since he gained millions of fans on the No. 1 U.S. TV talent show.

"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I'm gay," Lambert told the music magazine in excerpts from an interview released Tuesday as it was announced that he had secured a record contract with his debut album due out in fall.

"I'm proud of my sexuality," he said. "I embrace it. It's just another part of me."

The issue with Lambert on the cover hits newsstands this Friday, with the full interview inside.

During his "American Idol" run Lambert was known for his falsetto singing, outlandish costumes, eyeliner and fingernail polish. He was nicknamed "Glambert" and Entertainment Weekly magazine called him "the most exciting 'American Idol' contestant in years."

When he lost in May's finale to the more buttoned-down Kris Allen, some fan websites and the media buzzed with speculation that being gay cost him votes from viewers who pick a winner.

Lambert, who was widely considered the front-runner going into the finale, had never publicly said he was gay. In March, when photos appeared on the Internet of him kissing another man and dressed in drag, he said only: "I have nothing to hide. I am who I am."

His sexuality became an issue widely covered in the media because "Idol," seen by an average of about 26 million viewers a week in 2009, had never crowned an openly gay winner.

The runner-up in 2003, Clay Aiken, hid his sexuality for years after his run on the show, coming out as gay in 2008.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, a group that advocates for homosexual rights, said it hopes Lambert's "decision to live openly and honestly inspires gay people and opens the hearts and minds of his fans."

On Tuesday, producer 19 Recordings said it had signed Lambert to a record contract and that his debut album will likely be released in the fall through RCA Records.

The announcement came a day after 19 Recordings said it had signed Allen to a record deal, a guaranteed result of his first-place finish on "American Idol." 19 Recordings is run by Simon Fuller, executive producer of "American Idol."

Lambert, 27, grew up in San Diego, California, and starred in musical theater before trying out for "Idol" last year.

In the Rolling Stone interview, he said he had a "psychedelic experience" at an annual festival held in the Nevada desert called Burning Man, and that experience convinced him to try out for "American Idol."

"I realized that we all have our own power, and that whatever I wanted to do, I had to make happen," Lambert told Rolling Stone.

Lambert also revealed a crush on Allen, who was his roommate for much of the two singers' run on "American Idol."

"He's the one guy that I found attractive in the whole group on the show: nice, nonchalant, pretty and totally my type -- except that he has a wife," Lambert joked.

"American Idol" is broadcast by the Fox network, a unit of News Corp. Past winners, including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, have enjoyed Grammy-winning careers, but stardom has also touched runners-up such as Chris Daughtry.

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Adam Lambert Finally Confirms: "I'm Gay"

Adam Lambert finally confirms his sexuality in the new issue of Rolling Stone (on stands tomorrow).

"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I'm gay," the American Idol runner-up says.

Look back at the Season 8 Idol's finale most unforgettable moments.

"I'm proud of my sexuality," continues the rocker, who was photographed holding hands with interior designer Drake LaBry earlier this month. "I embrace it. It's just another part of me."

Check out photos of star couples who can't get enough of each other.

But Lambert, 27, from San Diego -- who performed Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" on the Idol finale -- says he's not the poster boy for gay rights.

"I'm trying to be a singer, not a civil rights leader," he tells RS contributor Vanessa Grigoriadis.

VIDEO: Adam Lambert talking to Rolling Stone about his cover shoot.

Lambert admits that he was nervous about coming out while Idol was still on the air because contestants are under a media embargo, and he wanted to do it on his "own terms." (He also says producers were open to him handling it however he wanted to.)

"I was worried that [coming out] would be so sensationalized that it would overshadow what I was there to do, which was sing," Lambert tells the mag. "I'm an entertainer, and who I am and what I do in my personal life is a separate thing. it shouldn't matter. Except it does. It's really confusing."

Find out what an Idol stylist has to say about Lambert's look.

Lambert credits the FOX reality show with helping him gain self confidence.

"I finally checked into my self-worth for the first time in my life, and the fact that it coincided with Idol is so sweet," he says. "I mean, I still have moments where I think, 'Oh, my skin is terrible, and I'm a little fat -- I should really go to the gym more.' But for the most part, when I look in the mirror now, I finally see somebody who can do something cool."

See before and after pics of Idol's weight winners (and losers).

For more details on which Idol Lambert is attracted to, how he came out to his family, and what was going through his head when those photos of him in drag hit the web mid-season, pick up the newest issue of Rolling Stone, on stands Wednesday.

iPhone 3G S vs Palm Pre

The guessing game is over: Apple's iPhone 3G S has arrived. Don't let appearances fool you. On the outside nothing looks much different with the 3G S. The real difference is what's inside. So how will Apple's iPhone 3G s compare to the Palm Pre? I've put together a chart for a quick glance at how they stack up (see below). For a more in-depth analysis, read on.

The main difference is quite obvious -- for the same price as a 16GB iPhone3G S you only get a 8GB Palm Pre. In comparison, the current generation 8GB iPhone 3G dropped in price to $99, going after Pre's lower capacity storage.

For just $100 more than the Palm Pre (that is if you get your $100 mail-in rebate) you can get a top-notch iPhone 3G S with a whopping 32GB of storage (four times more than the Pre).

However, the Palm Pre offers a better deal against the iPhone 3G S when it comes to the data plan. AT&T did not reduce its iPhone tariffs, so the Pre on Sprint still offers more for the buck when it comes to data, voice and text plans.

Both the Pre and iPhone 3Gs have a 3-megapixel cameras; however, there are some major differences in features. The Pre's camera has an LED flash, but no autofocus, video recording or editing capabilities. You also cannot adjust white balance or exposure.

Apple did not throw in a flash for this generation, but the iPhone 3Gs brand-new camera gets some pretty nifty features nonetheless. You can now control focus either by tapping on the screen or using the autofocus feature.

But perhaps the biggest edge the iPhone 3G S's camera has over the Pre is its video recording capability. You can record 30fps VGA video with audio by simply going into the camera app and switching from still to movie. Autofocus, auto white balance and auto exposure features apply to video, as well.

Video recording was long overdue for the iPhone, especially since it is a feature that most low- to mid-range phones carry. Even better: You can edit your videos with a tap of the finger by picking an in-point and end-point and hitting "trim." Then, you can tap the share button to send over e-mail, MMS, MobileMe gallery, or YouTube-pretty cool.

But the new iPhone 3G S also matches in features some of software advantages the Pre had over the 3G model. The 3G S has now copy and paste, MMS, tethering (coming later this year), A2DP Bluetooth capability, geotagging (photo and video) and turn-by-turn navigations.

While none of the two phones features a FM receiver/transmitter, the iPhone 3G S has a built-in digital compass and voice controls over the Palm Pre. On the downside, the new iPhone still doesn't feature a removable battery or a hardware keyboard (but nobody was expecting the 3G S to have one, anyway).

There is also an essential advantage the iPhone 3G S has over the Palm Pre -- it's the App Store. Apple packs over 50,000 apps in its store while Palm's App Catalog is still at the beginning of the road, with 12 apps available and a store in beta stage.

Apple claims a muchly-improved battery life on the 3G S, which would be a welcome addition to the not-so-acclaimed 3G's lifespan between charges. But then again, the Palm Pre didn't score too well either. Meanwhile, iPhone 3G S's battery shall withstand the usage test when it comes out in just under two weeks.

But the final battle between the iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre will be carried out on June 19, when Apple's new device is to hit the stores. Besides the obvious storage capacity and price difference, each buyer will have to carefully consider whether they really want a physical keyboard or a LED flash for the phone's camera.

Click on the Comparison Chart Below

Source : PC World

New Apple iPhone 3G S Features & Guided Tour 2009

Check out the guided tour video for the new 2009 iPhone 3G S below.

Meet the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet. iPhone 3G S features video recording, Voice Control, up to 32GB of storage, and more.

The Fastest iPhone Ever

The first thing you’ll notice about iPhone 3G S is how quickly you can launch applications. Web pages render in a fraction of the time, and you can view email attachments faster. Improved performance and updated 3D graphics deliver an incredible gaming experience, too. In fact, everything you do on iPhone 3G S is up to 2x faster and more responsive than iPhone 3G.


VIDEO

Now you can shoot video, edit it, and share it — all on your iPhone 3G S. Shoot high-quality VGA video in portrait or landscape. Trim your footage by adjusting start and end points. Then share your video in an email, post it to your MobileMe gallery, publish it on YouTube, or sync it back to your Mac or PC using iTunes.

COMPASS

Now you can shoot video, edit it, and share it — all on your iPhone 3G S. Shoot high-quality VGA video in portrait or landscape. Trim your footage by adjusting start and end points. Then share your video in an email, post it to your MobileMe gallery, publish it on YouTube, or sync it back to your Mac or PC using iTunes.

Cut, Copy & Paste

Cut, copy, and paste words and photos, even between applications. Copy and paste images and content from the web, too.


MESSAGES

Send messages with text, video, photos, audio, locations, and contact information. You can even forward one or more messages to others.



GUIDED TOUR - PART ONE & PART TWO














Apple Website

Can Apple beat the too-expensive rap?

The big knock on Apple--whether or not it's always been accurate--is that its products are more expensive than most of its competitors.

But in the keynote speech Monday that opened Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, it became clear the company is tackling the price question head on.

The best example of this new attitude is the decision to keep the 8GB iPhone 3G, but sell it at $99. That was the most aggressive price move it made Monday. But Apple was price conscious in other ways, too: It upgraded its 13-inch unibody MacBook to specs worthy of its more high-end MacBook Pro line, while also reducing the price. The MacBook Pro 15-inch and MacBook Air also received price cuts. And Apple didn't stop there. The new Mac OS X 10.6, known as Snow Leopard, will cost current Mac OS X 10.5 owners just $29 to upgrade when it becomes available in October.

The price cuts on the MacBook lineup and the iPhone 3G are clearly intended to bring more "switchers" over to the Mac and iPhone platforms. And it shows that Apple is acutely aware of the financial problems facing potential new customers. But will it work?

There are two things that lowering the price of the iPhone to $99 does: It broadens the potential base of people who can now afford the iPhone. It also kneecaps Palm. The $199 8GB Palm Pre has been touted as a potential "iPhone killer," or at least a very nice alternative to Apple's device. But the Pre is now $100 more than the comparable device from Apple. That could make the decision very easy for people who are on the fence.

But this isn't just about Palm. It's about all the other phones that are currently sub-$100 right now, too. As of the beginning of the year, Apple owns just under 11 percent of the smartphone market, and that could increase exponentially now. In order to figure out just how much a price cut from $199 to $99 on the 8GB version will affect consumers, the best example is what happened when Apple cut the iPhone from $399 to $199 last year. That was also a 50 percent price reduction.

Apple watcher and Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster notes that the price cut last year tripled the sales of the device, from 4.7 million iPhones sold in the three quarters before the price cut, to 15 million iPhones sold after the release of the $199 iPhone 3G. There are other factors of course: greater visibility for the iPhone after a year of being on the market, people who had been holding out for a 3G version of the phone, and more availability in international markets. But Munster says demand in the U.S. alone increased 100 percent with that price cut.

Whether Apple can repeat this is going to be determined by a number of factors. Of course, the economic environment isn't the same as it was a year ago, plus far more people have iPhones already, and there are more smartphones on the market now.

In any case, the decision on price shows Apple is being aggressive, and it makes a statement about the kinds of customers it is courting.

The same is true of its pricing approach to the Snow Leopard upgrade. While there are plenty of flashy new tweaks to the operating system, they're just that: tweaks. The updated OS is not a monumental change from Leopard, which is why Apple likely went with the easier-to-stomach and surprisingly low upgrade fee for current Leopard users of $29. (When Leopard was introduced, it cost $129).

Jab at Redmond
The move also clearly puts pressure on Microsoft vis a vis Windows 7, which will start shipping in October. Microsoft executive Bill Veghte told CNET News last week that Microsoft is considering whether to offer a lower-cost Windows 7 upgrade for Vista users--and hinted as much in a speech earlier on Monday. A leaked Best Buy memo says the retailer plans to pre-sell Windows 7 upgrades for $50. However, it is unclear if that is a promotional price; Microsoft has yet to publicly detail its plans.

That wasn't the only jab at Redmond during the presentation. Some were more subtle than others (Like Bertrand Serlet's remark about "Windows 7 is just another version of Vista.") Microsoft has worked hard to make the choice of buying a Mac or a PC about the price--just witness its series of I'm a PC ads that send moms, kids, aspiring actresses, and college students searching for inexpensive laptops at retail stores. Apple, however, has never really engaged on the issue of pricing--the company's messaging on Macs has always been to position it as "the best computer" period. But the aggressive pricing on Mac laptops revealed at WWDC today shows that Microsoft (and Hewlett-Packard, and Dell, and Sony, etc.) has Cupertino's attention.

Prices were cut across the board, from the newly introduced 13-inch MacBook Pro to the MacBook Air. The 13-inch now starts at $1,199 and 15-inch at $1,699, though both received upgrades to battery life, the screen technology, and a new SD card slot. The MacBook Air price was the biggest change: It now costs $1,499 for the low-end Air and $1,799, down from $2,499, for the high-end version packed with a 128GB solid-state drive.

Apple is obviously hoping to rejuvenate its Mac sales. While the overall market for computers has dropped steeply, Apple's sales have fallen but not as drastically. Its market share stands at about 7.5 percent, but sales for February and April this year were both trending at about a 4 percent to 16 percent declines in unit growth from the same time a year prior. Price cuts across the board could definitely get people to shop again.

SOURCE

New Apple iPhone 3G S shows promise with speed, battery life

On the surface anyway, Apple is giving the smartphone faithful many features they've been clamoring for. The new iPhone 3G S that arrives in the U.S. and certain foreign countries on June 19 adds a better digital camera (3 megapixel, autofocus, still no flash), the ability to shoot and edit video, plus voice controls for making calls or playing back music.

Apple is promising superior battery life (let's hope) and faster performance — the "S" in 3G S signifies "speed." Apple claims it'll render Web pages and launch applications twice as fast on average as the iPhone 3G. We'll see.

A model with 16 gigabytes will cost $199 with the usual two-year AT&T contract; a new 32-GB model goes for $100 more.

Meanwhile, by dropping the price on the existing 8-GB iPhone 3G to just $99, Apple is making a major play for new buyers.

The 3G S models are virtual twins to the iPhone 3G, except there's now a white version to complement traditional black.

Both the new and existing iPhones can take advantage of iPhone OS 3.0 software. This major upgrade, free for iPhone customers and $9.95 for folks who use iPod Touch, brings cut, copy and paste, better search, expanded parental controls, and MMS picture messaging, among other features.

Actually, you'll have wait for AT&T to turn on MMS for U.S. subscribers. It plans to add the capability late in the summer.

The 3.0 software, coming June 17, also promises to let you "tether" the iPhone to a PC or Mac, meaning your computer can piggyback on the iPhone's wireless connection when Wi-Fi isn't available. AT&T must flip the switch on that, too; no word yet on when, or what (if anything) it will charge.

If you lose your iPhone there's now a feature that may help you get it back, though you'll have to subscribe to Apple's $99-a-year MobileMe service.

It is aptly named Find My iPhone. If the phone is turned on and has coverage, you can display its whereabouts on a map. You can also remotely send a message that will appear on the screen to let the Good Samaritan who may have picked it up know how to get in touch with you. And if it turns out the missing phone is actually in your house somewhere, you can make it sound an alarm (even if it is set on silent mode). If the phone is lost for good, you can erase all its data from afar.

Of course, some touted features are unique to the iPhone 3G S. Take voice. You can dial a number or name in your address book by talking aloud, but lots of phones do that. The difference here is you can also use voice to control music playback. You can ask out loud to play a song or album — and even ask the iPhone to play more music like the song you're listening to. The iPhone taps into the "Genius" feature in iTunes to come up with a playlist.

Also new to the 3G S is built-in digital compass to keep you pointed in the right direction. I'll let you know if Apple is still on the right course once I've had a chance to put the new iPhone hardware and software through the ringer.

Source

Apple iPhone at US$99 (RM350)?

Apple Inc. slashed the entry price for an iPhone in half and lowered some laptops by $300 Monday, the company's first dramatic price cuts since the recession began a year and a half ago.

With co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs absent until his medical leave is over at the end of June, Apple's biggest unveiling at its annual conference for software developers was a new model of the iPhone, the 3G S.

It looks the same but sports a faster processor, longer battery life, an internal compass, a video camera and a photo camera with better resolution and auto-focus.

A 16-gigabyte version of the 3G S will cost $199 and a 32-gigabyte version will be $299.

Philip Schiller, Apple Senior Vice President for Worldwide Product Marketing, speaks about the price for the new 16GB iPhone 3GS at an Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Monday. The 8-gigabyte iPhone 3G, which came out last year, now costs $99, instead of $199. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

The 8-gigabyte iPhone 3G, which came out last year, now costs $99 (RM350), instead of $199.

When the iPhone debuted two years ago, eager Apple fans had to shell out $499 for a 4-gigabyte version and $599 for 8 gigs.

Apple is known for ending events with a last-minute surprise, leading to some anticipation that Jobs might make a cameo in Monday's two-hour presentation.

But he did not take the stage, and Apple's top marketing executive, Philip Schiller, exited without uttering the company's signature line that there would be "one more thing."

The latest iPhones go on sale June 19, just as two-year contracts for the buyers of the original models are expiring and Apple faces tougher competition from the likes of Research in Motion Ltd. and Palm Inc.

On Saturday Palm came out with a well-regarded iPhone rival, the $200 Pre. Industry analyst Michael Gartenberg, with the Interpret market-research firm, said the new iPhone pricing breaks through an important barrier for consumers.

It will likely cause other smart phone makers to offer something similar, he said.

"Every $100 you move down in consumer electronics brings in a lot more customers," he said.

"Ninety-nine dollars is a psychological price point, so that's a real barrier to move through. It becomes something people can afford - it becomes an affordable luxury."

Schiller said in an interview that $99 iPhone will reach people just joining the smart phone market.

But lowering the price could be risky for Apple unless its new versions have enough appealing features to keep them selling briskly at higher prices.

AT&T Inc., the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the United States, said Monday it's confident its wireless profit margins will hold steady overall.

AT&T shares fell 16 cents to $24.40.

Apple might also be banking on expanding the profits it reaps from taking 30 percent of the revenue from downloadable applications on the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

A new version of the iPhone operating software, available for download June 17, lets software developers sell additional content, like electronic books or extra levels to a video game, within applications.

Among other upgrades, the new iPhone software will let people download movies and TV shows using the device's cellular connection.

It will let users send photos and videos the same way they send text messages, bringing the iPhone in line with other smart phones. (AT&T won't offer this feature until late in the summer.)

And the new software will let parents limit the kinds of applications kids can download. Apple had already announced other new features in the new software - such as the ability to cut, copy and paste text - and the ability for "tethering," which means using the iPhone to connect a computer to the Internet.

However, while 22 wireless carriers will enable tethering, AT&T will not.

For its MacBook line, Apple showed off new laptops that boast longer battery life and faster processors.

The company rolled out a new 13-inch MacBook Pro that starts at $1,200, or $100 lower than an existing similar notebook, and a 15-inch Macbook Pro that starts at $1,700, $300 less than the current model.

It also lowered the price on the ultra-thin MacBook Air to $1,500 from $1,800. The 17-inch MacBook Pro, unveiled in January, costs $2,500 and up, though it now has a faster processor at the same price.

Apple also is trying to steal share in the computer market by enhancing its Mac operating system.

The next version, Snow Leopard, comes out in September, before Microsoft Corp.'s next edition of Windows hits PCs Oct. 22.

Among Snow Leopard's improvements is built-in support for Microsoft's Exchange Server software, so Apple programs for e-mail, calendars and contacts could become more useful in corporate settings.

One thing looming over Apple is the growing popularity of cheaper, stripped- down laptops sometimes called "netbooks."

They are one of the few segments of the overall PC business that has been growing in the recession, while Apple's Mac revenue dropped 16 percent in the most recent quarter.

Jobs has said Apple doesn't know how to build a sub-$500 computer "that's not a piece of junk."

That doesn't mean Apple won't someday try to enter that market, but on Monday at least, Schiller sounded similar themes.

He said in the interview that netbooks are merely "very underpowered, poorly designed cheap notebooks."

"They have poor keyboards, poor screens, and none of the features and capabilities to do what a MacBook, for example, can," he said.

"We think those products are below the quality standards of something Apple would like to make."

SOURCE