Flipboard digital iPad magazine auto-curates Twitter & Facebook content

Twitter is abuzz with talk of Flipboard, the latest news reader for the iPad and another attempt to pull curated content down onto Apple’s slate. Unlike the Pulse News Reader, Flipboard pairs pre-selected content feeds with links shared by your Facebook and Twitter friends; logging into your respective accounts allows the app to show you a custom digital magazine of the news, videos and other links they’re currently sharing.

At least, that’s the idea. Right now the Flipboard servers are obviously having trouble coping with the demand, and so attempting to register your Facebook or Twitter credentials throws up an error message. You can still read the standard content, however, which has a slick page-turning animation and all the shifting, tappable boxes you could hope for from a digital magazine.

We’ve been trying Flipboard out, and it certainly presents content nicely; this really is the kind of thing that the iPad was meant to do. Unfortunately there are still some gaps; server support is one and so is the excerpting of articles: you only get the first few paragraphs, and then have to tap through and read the remainder on the source webpage. It does at least open up within Flipboard, rather than throw you out to Safari, but you miss out on the slick formatting. Still, as a free app we can’t complain too much;

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Verizon “Entourage” ereader duo due September

Here’s an odd one. Verizon are already tipped to be offering at least one 10.1-inch tablet later in 2010, and are name-checked as the potential carrier of choice for Sharp’s upcoming duo of LCD ebook readers, but according to Engadget‘s sources the roadmap has two devices billed as “ereaders” on the roadmap for September that are labelled as “Entourage”. That’s got them speculating that the devices may be from the same Entourage that produces the dual-screen eDGe ereader.

Unsurprisingly technical specifications aren’t exactly flooding the roadmap, so beyond the two devices having 7- and 10-inch displays there’s no indication of hardware. If indeed Entourage are the hardware manufacturers,

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HP Slate 500 Windows 7 tablet product page spotted

HP’s tablet intentions continue to be slowly fleshed out, with the latest being a new product listing for the HP Slate 500 (product code XB830PA) on the company’s site. Specifications are still unclear, but a mention ofEnergyStar testing [PDF link] leads to a listing that tips a 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and Windows 7 as the OS.

That’s of course different to what we’ve heard earlier this week, of an HP PalmPad webOS based slate tipped by a new trademark listing, and rumors yesterday that HP would be using a dual-mode touchscreen. That would respond both to multitouch finger input and to active stylus input, potentially used for handwriting recognition and sketching.

According to the product page the Slate 500 also has two cameras and auto screen-rotation. What all this points to is the continued co-existence of two HP tablets, one being the Windows 7 based slate they were working on themselves, and the other being a webOS based alternative using the Palm IP acquired recently.

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EKING multitouch MID gets render outing

It’s been a while since we’ve heard a peep out of EKING, but the company is back with a new UMPC/MID, at least in render form. Currently unnamed, the Atom based ultraportable is expected to have a 5-inch 1024 x 600 multitouch-capable display (sourced from Sharp), WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G and GPS.

The display slides and tilts away to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, but there are plenty of bezel controls for using it while closed. Despite the Windows XP screenshots it’s tipped to run Windows 7, and there’s at front-facing webcam for video calls and talk of a rear-facing camera for photography.

EKING may not be a household name, but products under the brand have seen releases in various markets across the world; the EKING S515 shipped as the PsiXpda, for instance. No word on release dates or estimated pricing at this stage.

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T-Mobile USA HSPA+ network overtakes rivals with 4G speed reach

“You snooze, you lose” may not be the most eloquent way of putting it, but Sprint CEO Dan Hesse knows thatthe longer it takes to get customers onto shiny devices like the EVO 4G, the more chance his carrier rivals have to overtake him in high-speed mobile networks. T-Mobile USA has just announced that their HSPA+ network is now the most pervasive in the country, currently covering more than 85m people and on track, the carrier promises, to offer HSPA+ to over 185m people by the end of 2010.

The news comes on the heels of leaks suggesting Verizon are pushing ahead with their own 4G plans, with the first stage of their LTE network expected in November this year.

Meanwhile T-Mobile USA has also updated its “Rocket” HSPA+ USB modem with the webConnect Rocket 2.0 USB Laptop Stick, another compact modem that has a flip-out USB plug and a few other enhancements. That’ll be followed in the summer by T-Mobile’s first HSPA+ capable smartphone. Full details of the covered T-Mobile HSPA+ markets in the press release below.

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Gemei GM2000 eReader Gives You Color or E-Ink Options

When it comes to eReaders, you probably already have your favorite picked out. Either that, or you’ve just completely passed over the market and decided on something else, like a tablet. But if, by a slim margin, you’re still waiting for your perfect device, then maybe this new model, the GM2000 from Gemei, will fit the bill.

First, let’s talk about the options in display. You can either choose from a 7-inch color display with a resolution of 800 x 480, or a 6-inch E-Ink display with a resolution of 800 x 600. Strangely enough, that’s where the differences end, so let’s just go ahead and move onto the similarities. Both models will give you the option to output 1080p videos through an HDMI cable. It also supports a plethora of video formats, like H.263, H.264, VC-1, RMVB, MKV, and FLV amongst others.

As far as text files go, you can fully expect support for .TXT, PDF, UMD, CHM, EPUAB, as well as compressed ZIP files. Both models have 4GB of internal memory out of the box, but you will be able to expand that with an external memory card, up to 32GB. It was announced for only 799 Yuan, or about $120 here locally. Unfortunately, no word on if this will actually make an official appearance in the States, but if you’re really interested in picking one up, you can probably get it imported. Plus, for only $120, that’s not a bad deal at all.

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Sanyo PLV-HF10000L Projector Due in November, Not for Your Living Room

When it comes to projectors, the smaller they come, the more attention they’ve been getting over the last few months. Those pico projectors are all over the place. But, thanks to companies like Sanyo, we’re still seeing that the big projector market is alive and well. And this one definitely fits the bill. Even the picture makes it look big. But, while its physical characteristics are big, so are the features it packs inside.

The PLV-HF10000L (they need a different name) has a native 2K resolution, which means it’ll bring 2048 x 1080 images to your wall. What makes it better, though, is the fact that it can bring that resolution to work in conjunction with several units, which can then use edge blending to bring together the images they’re displaying, making one giant –and we mean giant– projection. As far as contrast ratios go, the PLV packs a 3,000:1, and utilizes QuaDrive technology together with a Color Control Device (CCD) to separately control the yellow light insdie the optical engine. Which, hopefully, should mean that the image itself is sharper, and the color should be a bit more precise and feature far more clarity.

You also get picture-in-picture, as well as picture-by-picture features, too. Just in case all of that wasn’t enough to make you want this thing. As the title suggests, Sanyo is set to launch it upon the world in November, but they don’t have any word on pricing quite yet. Though, we can probably safely say that it’s going to be expensive.

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MP3Tunes and Roku Team Up to Bring Your Music Out of the iTunes Library

Let’s face it. There’s plenty of folks out there that love iTunes, but don’t have an iPod, or some other iDevice. Not that there’s a problem playing your iTunes library somewhere else, considering all of the music is now DRM-free, but there’s still that desire to get that music to as many places as possible. So how about your TV? Well, if you’ve got a Roku Box, then you’ll soon be free and clear to enjoy all of your music right from your TV.

In a deal inked today, Roku is teaming up with MP3Tunes. The latter company is designed to provide people with a secure cloud-based location for their music, with the ability to also listen to music in an “unlimited” capacity. The site gives customers the ability to sync their music to the cloud, so that they can later enjoy it from any web browser, as well as a large variety of mobile products, and home entertainment devices. That last bit is the most important part, as the Roku Box definitely fits in there.

You will be able to access 10GB of storage for absolutely no charge, just as long as you can stand the ads that they’ve installed. But if you want to pay to get rid of them, or you just need more storage up there in the ethereal, then you’ll be able to start paying your way all the way up to 200GB of storage. We love options, especially those that let us pick and choose where we play our music, but we’re not sure how excited to get our iTunes library on our TV. We’ll probably have to give it a shot before we can make a final judgment.

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Edge Tech 32GB DiskGO Mini & DiskGo Backup Flash Drives Make Your Keyring Make Sense

When you look at your keyring right now, what do you see? (Of course, you have to have a keyring for this little test to work out, mind you.) Your keys, from your car to your house, and maybe a little trinket to show how lucky you are. Well, what you need is a flash drive. No, reallly — that’s what you need. Just imagine how cool, and important you’ll feel if you’ve got 32GB of data right there, easily accessible, ready whenever you are to get that next file to your computer, or anyone’s computer for that matter. You’re already starting to feel better about this, right?

That’s how we see Edge Tech’s sales pitch working out, especially to prospective customers. Despite the fact that flash drives aren’t as “cool” or “in” as they used to be, that’s not stopping companies from making them. And, obviously, as technology progresses, these things that used to be as long as our finger now, remarkably enough, can be the size of a quarter. At least, that’s how big the new 32GB flash drive from Edge Tech is, and it even comes with a keyring already installed. How great is that?

While the small stature of the flash drive is worthy of attention in of itself, the DiskGo Backup also features Dmailer Backup software, which fully supports 128-bit AES encryption and auto-backup. It’s also got an extra 2GB of cloud-based storage, so you’re 32GB of storage just got a bit of an upgrade in the storage space market. Doesn’t seem to be any word on pricing quite yet, but hopefully they won’t be too nonsensical that we won’t want to actually buy one of them. So, here’s to hoping.

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Xbox 360 4GB confirmed; Kinect priced at $149.99

Leaked last week, Microsoft has just officially confirmed the upcoming Xbox 360 4GB, the replacement to the 360 Arcade. Priced at $199.99 and set to begin shipping on August 3rd 2010 in the US, the new Xbox 360 4GB will also be offered as a bundle with the Kinect sensor for $299.99 this holiday season.

The Kinect sensor itself, meanwhile, will be $149.99 when that launches during the holidays, and of course it will work with both the refreshed Xbox 360 and the previous-gen model. There will be more than 15 games available at Kinect’s launch, including “Kinectimals,” “Kinect Sports,” “Kinect Joy Ride” and “Dance Central”, retailing for $49.99.

The Xbox 360 4GB, as the name suggests, lacks the 250GB internal hard-drive of the existing slimmed-down Xbox 360, having instead just 4GB of flash storage. It has built in WiFi b/g/n, touch-sensitive controls and a DVD drive.

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Canon mini-DSLR tipped to take on Micro 4/3rds

Canon’s head of Image Communication Products, Masaya Maeda, has revealed that Nikon isn’t the only company looking at a new high-end compact camera. Speaking as Canon increased their sales forecasts,Maeda confirmed that the company is looking at a new compact camera that could be a mini-DSLR; “It’s not a question of whether or not you have a mirror,” he told reporters, “there is a consumer need for good-quality cameras to be made smaller.”

“We will meet this need” he went on to declare, dismissing doubts that it would be possible in a model that used an internal mirror and pointing to Canon’s track record of producing small-frame DSLRs. However he declined to outline any specific details or hardware specifications.

The new Canon camera will go up against micro-four-thirds models such as from Panasonic and Olympus, together with Sony’s recent range of NEX interchangeable lens cameras. All of these have bypassed internal mirror designs.

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OtterBox Defender Series for iPhone 4 promises ruggedness & no antenna glitches

As two sheets of glass in a sandwich with a thin metal band, the iPhone 4 isn’t exactly the most rugged smartphone we’ve seen. Happily third-party manufacturers like OtterBox are around to address that: their newDefender Series for iPhone 4 promises to wrap the Apple smartphone in three layers of protection: a shatter-resistant polycarbonate shell, a clear display screen cover (as well as a clear cover for the Apple logo cutout on the back) and a silicone skin. Together, OtterBox reckon, it’s enough to make the iPhone 4 “nearly indestructible”, plus it also addresses the antenna issues too.

OtterBox has put the Defender case through lots of fancy testing to make sure of it, but the short version is that because the iPhone 4′s antenna bridge isn’t getting touched by a human hand, you won’t see the attenuation issues that prompted Apple’s press conference last Friday. The case also gets access to the various hardware controls around the smartphone, and is dust, shock and bump resistant.

Meanwhile two further iPhone 4 cases are due from OtterBox, the Impact Series and Commuter Series, with varying degrees of protection versus bulk. The OtterBox Defender case for iPhone is available now, priced

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Pogoplug Biz targets business sharing with sober new chassi

We were big fans of the second-gen Pogoplug when we reviewed it back in April, and now the company has outed a business-centric version, the Pogoplug Biz. Ditching the consumer model’s hot pink chassis for a more sober, black finish – after all, we wouldn’t want employees thinking it was a party in the office – the Pogoplug Biz adds in file tracking stats, custom email addresses and file-sharing pages, multiple user accounts and remote backup.

In short, it’s all about making Pogoplug more serious, and making sure the files you share with others – via the straightforward email invite system – look like they’ve come from your company rather than Pogoplug’s generic site. That includes adding in company logos and backgrounds, together with adding custom email addresses so that clients can send files directly to the Pogoplug Biz.

There’s also a web-only sharing feature, which Pogoplug say is intended for artists and the like who want to give clients a preview of a file but not let them download the original (though we guess they could always take a screenshot if they were really determined not to pay you). The Pogoplug Biz is available for preorder today, priced at $299 with no ongoing fees.

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Samsung 1TB Spinpoint MT2 outed

Samsung’s first 1TB 2.5-inch mobile hard-drive has begun shipping, offering another capacious option for mobile users who refuse to sacrifice on space. The Samsung Spinpoint MT2 packs 333GB per platter – there are obviously three of them inside – and runs at 5,400rpm.

There’s also SilentSeek and NoiseGuard, which are both trademarked ways of saying the Spinpoint MT2 should run pretty quietly. It’s also meant to be relatively efficient compared to rivals: Samsung say it uses 4-percent less power but boosts performance by around 20-percent, while it’s also mildly shock resilient too.

Samsung envisage not only laptops but TVs, mediaplayers, STBs and portable external drives using the new HDD. No word on pricing, but the 1TB Samsung Spinpoint MT2 drive is shipping now.

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Apple begins iPhone 4 Case Program: apply for your free case or Bumper now

Well, there's nothing like masking bad news with good news, right Apple? Just moments after quietlyannouncing that the white iPhone 4 is now scheduled to ship sometime between tomorrow and your New Year's Eve party, the company has also fired up its iPhone 4 Case Program. Just as Jobs promised last week at anemergency press event, this program will ensure that anyone who purchases an iPhone 4 prior to September 30th will be able to receive an iPhone 4 Bumper or select third-party case from the company at no charge. 'Course, you need to be located in a country or territory that Apple actually ships to, but if that's all squared away, feel free to hit up the App Store to download the iPhone 4 Case Program app. Once there, you'll need to sign into your iTunes Store account, select your Bumper or case and wait oh-so-patiently (read: "3 to 5 weeks"). Better hurry -- wouldn't want the servers to get overloaded, now would we?

Oh, and if you happened to have already purchased a Bumper, the company should be hitting your credit cardwith a full refund (including any applicable taxes and shipping) momentarily. As for the case / Bumper choices? Every single option is available in any color you like... so long as it's black, of course. There's a black Apple Bumper option, an Incase Snap Case, Belkin Shield Micra, Griffin Motif, Griffin Reveal, Speck Fitted and Speck PixelSkin HD, but again, don't go in hoping to select your favorite hue. Yeah, you're free to bicker about free things -- we won't judge.

Update: If you're one of those wise guys who purchased an iPhone 4 right away just to sell it, you can forget about getting a free case for the handset you no longer own. Apple has arranged this so that only one case can be ordered per iPhone 4, so even if you ordered two under your account name, you'll need two phones to place both of those orders. Check out the error message below if you still don't believe us.

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Apple delays white iPhone a second time, won't ship until 'later this year'

Man, there's about a zero percent chance that Steve Jobs and company are happy about this. Just days after shocking the market with higher-than-expected profits and revenues, Apple is having to grit its teeth once more with yet another iPhone 4 problem. This time, the elusive white iPhone -- yeah, that one that we toyed with at theWWDC announcement keynote -- is being delayed again. The new due date? Sometime "later this year." Here's the full, and unsurprisingly brief, announcement:

"Statement by Apple on White iPhone 4

White models of Apple's new iPhone(R) 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected."

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Microsoft becomes official ARM licensee, could an MS microprocessor be next?

ARM processors are so hot right now, especially in the mobile space, where they power many of the greatest smartphones, tablets, and mobile devices coming down the turnpike. Microsoft is apparently looking to merge in on that action, becoming an official ARM licensee. It's unclear exactly what MS will be doing with its new found technical rights, but General Manager KD Hallman said "With closer access to the ARM technology we will be able to enhance our research and development activities for ARM-based products." This likely means Microsoft will be better optimizing Windows Embedded and Windows Phone for the processor architecture, but also opens the door for Ballmer & Co. to create their own magical microprocessor and, ultimately, use it to rule the world with an iron fist. Terms of the agreement were not given, but hopefully nobody in Redmond had to lose any appendages to seal the deal.

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Kin listed as at least $240 million writeoff in Microsoft earnings report

Here's a tidbit in today's Microsoft quarterly earnings that we previously overlooked: a $240 million cost of revenue "primarily... resulting from the discontinuation of the Kin phone, offset in part by decreased Xbox 360 console costs." In other words, the company took at least a quarter billion hit due to manufacturing, distribution, and support costs of the Kin (according to Microsoft's definition of "cost of revenue"). We don't know how much Xbox 360 offset, unfortunately, but we can add this figure to the $500 million Danger acquisition and the full marketing cost for the product (which we also don't know, but anecdotally, it was on par with other major campaigns) to reach... well, at least $800 million in regret for the folks in Redmond.

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Microsoft Kin gets a software update, still can't re-tweet

We're going to go out on a limb and guess that most folks haven't been losing sleep over the prospect of a Kinsoftware update (or lack thereof), but those that have been constantly watching their One or Two for a bit of good news can now rest a little easier -- sort of. While the Kin has received a software update, it's not the previously talked about one that would add revolutionary features like Twitter replies and re-tweets. It does add a number of other more minor Twitter updates, however, including Twitter avatars and re-tweets from your contacts in the Kin Loop, and the ability to link your Twitter contacts to your Kin contacts. So, the update still leaves quite a bit to be desired. Kind of fitting, really.

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iPhone 'End Call' sticker is an ironic solution to your reception problem

Not sold on those iPhone Antenna-aid bandages? Fret not, as we've got a whole 'nother round of laughs coming your way. What started as a concept has landed on Etsy as a buyable product: the 'End Call' vinyl sticker. As you'd expect, you simply place this guy over the iPhone 4's "weak spot" and then press it whenever you'd like to conveniently drop whatever call you're on. The only problem? This $4 add-on actually won't accomplish what it says in plain English.

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HP CEO: Palm could end up a 'sub-brand' of the company

Given the way HP has treated acquisitions like VoodooPC and Compaq, this should come as no surprise -- but CEO Mark Hurd is at it again with comments about his company's recent Palm acquisition to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, saying that the brand could "move into the background" and become a "sub-brand," ostensibly the same as Envy and iPAQ (he gives Pavilion as a specific example). From a marketing alignment perspective, that makes sense -- though it assumes that the HP brand is stronger than Palm's in the target demographics that they're looking to sell into. Is that a safe assumption, especially considering how iPAQ withered on the vine? Hard to say.

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Samsung Galaxy S review shootout: Captivate for AT&T and Vibrant for T-Mobile

We've got to hand it to Samsung with its Galaxy S line. Coordinating the launch of a single family of devices across all four national US carriers (plus a regional or two) is a feat very rarely accomplished, and usually reserved for really unique handsets that those carriers wouldn't be able to effectively source from anyone else; HTC's Touch Pro2 is a prime example of that. Add to that the murky issue of exclusivity periods... and, well, yeah, Samsung definitely has reason to be proud here -- on the business end of things, anyway. Never mind the awesome contractual maneuvering that undoubtedly took place to make this all happen, though -- we all know that it's the hardware (and software) that really counts. Today we're looking at the first two models of the American run, the Captivate for AT&T and the Vibrant for T-Mobile; Verizon's Fascinate and Sprint's QWERTY- and WiMAX-equipped Epic 4G are still forthcoming, though we expect the Fascinate to be largely similar to these first two.

Beyond their simple appeal as sexy, high-end Android phones, what makes the Captivate and Vibrant especially interesting is that they are actually their respective carriers' only high-end Android phones at the moment. In other words: if 1GHz processors and high-res AMOLED displays are how you roll, these are basically the only game in town if you're on AT&T or T-Mobile -- particularly now that Nexus One sales are winding down. Do they rise to the challenge? Let's have a look.

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Bollywood beauties wallpaper Collection 23710

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Bipasha Basu Wallpaper 23710

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Malika Arora Still From CoolGuy Magazine 23710

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I'm itching to direct: Sonam Kapoor

The gauche, overweight youngster who started her Bollywood career as director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's assistant is the graceful star well on her way to success. Only three films old, Sonam Kapoor is already itching to get back to direction.

'My first love is acting and I will be acting till the day I die. I love my job. But, yes, the field of direction is always open for me. I think I shall direct in a couple of years. I am literally itching to direct,' Sonam told IANS.

'I need a little more time to figure out what I want to direct and take care of the script and such logistics. But, honestly, I would like to give myself at least 10 years before I go behind the camera once again,' said the actress over the phone from Scotland, where she is currently shooting for 'Mausam'.

It was Bhansali who thought of casting Sonam as the female lead in 'Saawariya' while she was working with him as assistant director for 'Black'.

The actress has been trying to do something different in each of her films -- her debut film 'Saawariya' was based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story 'White Nights', 'Delhi-6' was about the life in the walled city and her recent release 'I Hate Luv Storys' is a modern day love story. She is now waiting for the release of her home production 'Aisha' next month.

She is having a rollicking time in Scotland, with the cast and crew of 'Mausam', and is looking forward to coming back to India to promote 'Aisha'.

'I am experiencing four seasons in a day here in Edinburgh...the 'mausam'(weather) is so unpredictable here...but I am loving it. I am coming back home on 27th of July to promote 'Aisha'. It's going to be fun,' she said.

Sonam plays the principal character in 'Aisha' - a young, free-spirited, stylish and spoilt high society girl obsessed with match-making. Based on Jane Austen's classic novel 'Emma', the film is about Aisha's life and her friends.

What makes the film special for Sonam is that it has been produced by her younger sister Rhea and has the backing of her father.

'Aisha', releasing Aug 6, also features actors like Abhay Deol, Cyrus Sahukar, Arunoday Singh, Ira Dubey and debutante Amrita Puri.

Sonam has been zipping across the world to fulfil her work commitments.

From promoting 'I Hate Luv Storys' here and going back to the sets of Anees Bazmee's romantic comedy 'Thank You' opposite Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Kapoor's 'Mausam', she has been constantly on the move.

But she doesn't find it tiring.

'I don't want a break. Working is a holiday for me. I have a lot of work lined up till December, then maybe I take two weeks off. But I really don't believe in the concept of taking a month off,' said Sonam.

In fact, it is her packed work schedule that is making her indecisive about two international projects that have been offered to her. One is a Ben Stiller movie, while the other is a co-production between her father Anil Kapoor and Italian actress Sophia Loren's son Edoardo Ponti.

'Yes, I have been offered these two films. I have read both the scripts - one is a comedy, the Ben Stiller one. I have liked both of them, but I can't give any of them a thought till I work out my dates. My schedules are jam-packed. I don't know when they want to shoot - so accordingly, if my dates are free, I'm all for them,' said Sonam.

So even if she maybe Hollywood bound, what's the kind of work she is looking forward to in Bollywood?

'I have been quite appreciated for what I have done. I want to do work that makes me happy and I am quite an impulsive decision-maker. I don't mind smaller but offbeat films, and not so much mainstream stuff. By mainstream, I mean ones with big budgets and no story,' she said.

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'Man lafanga' will enchant you in 'Lafangey Parindey' album

 Film: 'Lafangey Parindey'; Music Director: R. Anandh; Lyricist: Swanand Kirkire; Singers: Ronit Sarkar, Mohit Chauhan, Shail Hada, Anushka Manchanda, Shilpa Rao and Suraj Jagan; Rating: ***
R. Anandh, known for composing jingles for ad films, returns to film music direction after 13 years with Yash Raj Films' 'Lafangey Parindey'. His first film as a composer was 1997 movie 'Zor'.

The music of the film is simple, easy to understand, yet different. The album boasts of six originals and one remix version.

It starts with Ronit Sarkar singing the title track. The song begins with very middle eastern music, but soon other instruments can be heard. Later it acquires a rock touch and makes it an interesting song for the youngsters. The track, about a group of free spirited people, is already on air and is being appreciated.

Next in line is a light romantic number 'Man lafanga' that begins with the sounds of an acoustic guitar. Mohit Chauhan's voice suits this breezy, enchanting and free flowing song. It is melodious with less orchestration and instantly strikes a chord with the listener.

The song also has a club mix, which is not so appealing.

Things pep up a little with 'Dhatad tatad', a song about life crooned by Shail Hada and Anushka Manchanda. It has strong orchestration and heavy distortion, but fails to create a mark.

Then there is 'Nain parindey' that has Shilpa Rao behind the mike. The song actually grows on you with its great composition, sedate melody and impressive vocals.

'Rang daalein' thrives on western beats and has a rock touch. Sung by Suraj Jagan, it is spunky and totally entertaining.

Finally, the album offers an instrumental track 'Born to fly' that is intense and slow in the beginning dominated by a piano and picks up tempo after a few minutes.

On the whole Anandh has made a comeback with an entertaining album

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Australian model Miranda Kerr marries Orlando Bloom

Supermodel Miranda Kerr, who was raised in an Australian country town, has married her Hollywood leading man, Orlando Bloom, just a month after the couple announced their engagement.
Kerr, 27, who shot to international fame as a Victoria's Secret lingerie model, and Bloom, 33, star of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "The Lord of the Rings" movies, began dating in 2007 and have frequently denied rumours of an impending wedding.
But the couple's publicists last month confirmed that this time the reports were true and they were engaged.
Australian store David Jones, for which Kerr is an ambassador, confirmed the wedding in a statement released to the Australian media on Friday, that said Kerr had canceled
her appearance at the store's upcoming spring/summer fashion launch.
"We have been trying to plan this for some time and unfortunately the only window of opportunity for our honeymoon fell at the same time as the David Jones fashion launch," Kerr said in the statement.
"David Jones very graciously released me during this period so we could celebrate an intimate ceremony and honeymoon together."
Kerr, who was raised in the country town of Gunnedah in the state of New South Wales, was ranked ninth on the Forbes' Top 10 Earning Models list this year after earning an estimated $4 million in the past 12 months.
The mayor of Gunnedah, Adam Marshall, offered the star couple a street parade and use of the town's award-winning brass band if they chose to marry in his town, but it appeared the couple opted instead for a small Los Angeles wedding.
(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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"Saw" movie franchise to get Guinness world record

The "Saw" horror movie franchise is getting a place in the Guiness World Records as the "Most Successful Horror Movie Series," one of the film's producers, Mark Burg, said on Thursday.
"I'm still in shock," Burg told Reuters. "The fact that we beat out (such horror franchises as) 'Friday the 13th,' 'Nightmare on Elm Street,' 'Halloween' and 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre' is a testament to our cast, crew and our partners at Lionsgate."
The franchise consists of six movies, each one having come out consecutively every Halloween since 2004. The seventh, and final, installment is due out Oct. 29th and will be featured in 3D.
Collectively, the "Saw" films have made over $73O million at the worldwide box-office and sold more than thirty million DVDs, according to distributors Lionsgate.
The films center around a killer named Jigsaw who puts his victims through psychological torture before killing them.
Burg said it was during the production of "Saw 2," that the producers decided to "etch out" one long story spanning seven films. Therefore, after the seventh movie, called "Saw 3D", there will be no other movies, including spin-offs or prequels.
"We are done; this is it," he said. "We don't want to be that boxer who fought one too many fights."
Burg said the seventh chapter was always "anticipated" by fans as the final one.
"In every 'Saw' movie, we left questions open and in this movie we answer every question the audience has ever had," Burg said, adding that even new viewers will be able to follow and "get caught up to speed."
The Guinness presentation will take place at San Diego's Comic Con convention on Friday. London-based Guinness Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday will be on hand to present the award to the film's producers

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Disney to make film on Haunted Mansion attraction

Hoping to take a page from its wildly successful "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, Walt Disney Co said on Thursday it was developing a film based on its popular Haunted Mansion theme park attraction.
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro will write and produce the film based on the landmark Disney ride that features a plantation-style mansion with ghosts, creepy creatures, secret passages and all the related sounds.
Disney said each year millions of people visit the Haunted Mansion, which opened in 1969 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Versions of the Haunted Mansion have been built at Disney theme parks in Orlando, Tokyo and Paris.
The "Pirates" franchise, also based on a theme park attraction, has grossed over $2.6 billion globally and a fourth "Pirates" film, starring Johnny Depp, is being filmed and is scheduled to be released in 2011.
No release date has been set for the "Haunted Mansion" movie

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Justin Bieber to guest star in TV crime drama "CSI"

Canadian teen idol Justin Bieber is turning his sights on acting, winning a guest role in the hit TV crime series "CSI", CBS television said on Thursday.
Bieber, 16, will play a troubled teen who is faced with a difficult decision regarding his only brother. The pop singer will appear in the season premiere of "CSI" in September, and then make other appearances later in the year as his storyline concludes.
"CSI" is one of the most-watched drama series on U.S. television and is widely syndicated around the world.
"CSI" producers called Bieber -- whose music video for "Baby" has a record 250 million views on YouTube -- a world phenomenon.
"We'd like to believe that the phenomenon of 'CSI' has had the same impact on popular culture. The opportunity to bring them together in the premiere is a great treat for our audience and all of its new viewers. This will be true event television," executive producers Carol Mendelsohn, Don McGill and Anthony Zuiker said in a statement.
Bieber signed a record deal at age 14 after posting home videos on YouTube and now causes mob scenes of hysterical girls wherever he goes. He is currently on tour promoting his No.1 album "My World 2.0".

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Piyush Pandey to get AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award 2010

The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has decided to confer the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award 2010 to Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director, Ogilvy & Mather South Asia. The award is considered the highest honour to be given to an individual in India for outstanding contribution to the advertising industry.

Announcing the name of the award winner, Colvyn Harris, president of AAAI and chief executive officer, JWT, stated that Pandey is "indeed an inspiration to us all and the most deserving recipient of this year's award".

The AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually to an individual, based on criteria like leadership of the industry as an individual, contribution towards advancement and professionalism in the industry, and whether he or she is an example of personal integrity, values and ethics consistent with the standards expected.

Pandey became the national creative director of Ogilvy & Mather India in 1994 and was inducted to Ogilvy's worldwide board in 2006. He has also been named the most influential man in Indian advertising seven years in a row by The Economic Times. Under his leadership, Ogilvy has been named India's most creative agency ten times in the last 11 years and has won 29 Lions. Pandey has also been recognised by every industry body, both in India and globally. Notably, in 2004 he became the first Asian to be the president of the Cannes Jury in the 51 years of its history.

The award will be presented at a ceremony in Mumbai. The date of presentation of the award will be announced soon.

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OgilvyAction bags Coca-Cola's retail business

After a multi-agency pitch, Coca-Cola India has appointed OgilvyAction, the activation arm of Ogilvy India, for creating shopper marketing programs for the company’s brand portfolio. The agency will work across all key channels where Coca-Cola India operates in the country, to engage and convert shoppers into buyers at critical points of sale and drive consumption.

Speaking about the partnership, Sumanta Dutta, vice-president, customer and commercial leadership, Coca-Cola India, said, “We are excited to appoint OgilvyAction as our agency partner to drive Coca-Cola India’s entire Shopper Marketing Business program in the country. We look forward to working with them in this fast changing retail environment. I am confident that the entire team would deliver something special for Coca-Cola India.”

According to Sanjay Thapar, group president – North & East, Ogilvy & Mather India, “Over the last two years, we have invested time and resources in setting up a brilliant team of shopper marketing professionals who understand shopper behavior and recommend ideas that convert shoppers into buyers.” Rahul Saigal, vice president of retail, OgilvyAction, added, “We understand the change that is needed from merely creating danglers and posters that mimic ATL campaigns to creating in-store ideas that marry a brand’s philosophy and channel objectives to the shopper’s behaviour and journey.”

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Aamir Khan leads Filmfare's Power List

Filmfare's latest issue will chronicle the people who wield the most power in the film industry in 2009. Continuing the trend of male actors dominating the top spots, Aamir Khan was perceived as the man exercising the most power in the industry, on the basis of his back-to-back hits.

According to Jitesh Pillaai, editor, Filmfare, “Power has different forms. It is the same power that creates illusions. That creates images. That provides the swagger… but Power lasts only as long as you keep providing it. The last word rests with the audiences.”

Research was outsourced to AC Nielsen ORG MARG. The poll was conducted through what is said to be a completely confidential process, and the the respondents included actors, actresses, directors, producers, writers, distributors, singers, music composers, cinematographers, art directors, choreographers, editors, sound recordists and assistant directors. The results were arrived at on the basis of parameters like work done in a certain year, the ability to get a project off the starting tracks, ability to create wealth for others, the ability to choose the projects of their choice and the ability to influence the box office.

This year, financiers, distributors and exhibitors were divided into independent categories. Also, the category of Maestros was done away with. However, lyricists were included in the music category.

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Sheetal Dasgupta joins Xpanse Asia

Xpanse Asia – the small town and rural marketing unit of Starcom MediaVest Group  - today announced the appointment of Sheetal Dasgupta as Business Director. She will be based in Mumbai and report to Sandip Bansal, country head of Xpanse Asia.
In her 15 year-long career, Dasgupta has spent close to 10 years in rural marketing with RC&M where she headed the marketing function as general manager. In her most recent assignment, she ran her own entrepreneurial venture.

Dasgupta's mandate at Xpanse Asia will be to lead business development into new categories of clients.

Speaking on the appointment, Bansal said, “The rural marketing space is evolving rapidly and clients are looking for innovative solutions to achieve their objectives in the most productive manner. In this new role, Sheetal will help us identify new clients and work with existing clients to reach the small towns and rural hinterland with a fresh set of ideas”.

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1pointsize wins Inasra Technologies

Inasra Technologies has appointed 1pointsize as its advertising agency for 2010-11. It is the company behind Inasra.com, a portal for hotel room booking.

According to Yogendra Vasupal, director of Inasra Technologies, the move is a bid to up the company and portal's visibility quotient by a few notches. He said, “We will be commencing a total brand overhaul of Inasra.com in the next few weeks. We are really glad to have chosen 1pointsize for this task because when it comes to digital design, branding and advertising for start-ups, there’s no one better in South India.”

“Inasra.com is a brand with immense potential. It’s one of the Top 5 travel portals in our country. And has the scope to go international. We are delighted that we’ve been chosen to be their brand custodian. You’ll see the difference we bring to the table, in about six months,” added Sharad Haksar, chief executive officer of 1pointsize.

In 2008, the portal was shortlisted as one of the Top 30 Start ups of 2008 by Tata Nen.

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MTV ties up with Wildcraft

MTV has tied up with outdoor gear brand Wildcraft to introduce the MTV range of bags and adventure gear. Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez and three MTV VJs - Rannvijay, Bani J and Ayushmaan - were present at the launch event.

Commenting on the tie up with Wildcraft bags, Sandeep Dahiya, senior vice president – consumer products and communications, Viacom18, said “Bags are today an extension of one’s style statement. We’re excited to partner with Wildcraft to enter into yet another important category in the youth space. What makes this range unique is the mix of innovative product features with international creative & design elements.”

On the new partnership, Gaurav Dublish, director and head marketing Wildcraft India, said, “This initiative mirrors our constant endeavour to attempt the seemingly impossible, keeping up with the fickle and constantly changing youth. MTV, known for their close connect with the youth are the obvious partners and choice for this initiative. We hope to reach out to our consumers as a dynamic new brand becoming the ultimate answer to their needs in our category.”

The new range launched by MTV also consists of a "Roadies" line that includes bags as well as adventure gear for riding, hiking and cycling, and outdoor equipment like sleeping bags and tents.

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“Life can surprise you,” say new Aegon Religare TVCs

Insurance, in particular the advertising for life insurance, is usually considered as no laughing matter. However, in Ogilvy & Mather’s new commercials for Aegon Religare, there’s a bit of dark humour to be found.

The first commercial deals with three friends going home from a costume party, when one of them who’s driving, decides to answer the call of nature in the middle of the woods: the twist being he’s dressed as a deer and there’s a hunter on the prowl. In the second, a wasp gets to have the last laugh at a laughter club. The third ad is set in an office and follows an executive who thinks he knows everything, except for one tiny detail: the window in his office isn’t there anymore. The baseline for all three is “Life can surprise you”.

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Dish TV Q1 losses dip to Rs 63.17

DTH service provider Dish TV narrowed its June quarter losses to Rs 63.17 crore from Rs 69.20 crore in the same period last year.

Total income of the company increased 23.35 per cent to Rs 304.30 crore for the first quarter of 2010-11 from Rs 246.68 crore for the corresponding period last fiscal, Dish TV said in a statement here today.

Dish TV added 0.64 million subscribers during the first quarter, at an average subscriber acquisition cost of Rs 2,147 compared to Rs 2,383 in the previous quarter.

“With this, the net subscriber base stood at 6.2 million as on June 30, 2010. The total market share stood at over 33 per cent in a six-operator market scenario,” the statement said.

The total DTH subscriber base in the country at the end of the first quarter stood at an estimated 23 million.

The (DTH) category added 2.5 million subscribers in the first quarter of the current fiscal, moving closer to becoming the largest DTH market globally in terms of subscribers while maintaining its leadership position, Dish TV Chairman Subhash Chandra said.

The company remains focused on improving operating margins and target bottom-line profitability going forward, he added.

“Growth in subscriber numbers triggered operating leverage thus significantly reducing content cost as a percentage of revenues to a new low of 40 per cent,” Jawahar Goel, Managing Director, Dish TV said.

The average revenue per user (ARPU) for the quarter was marginally up at Rs 139, he added.

Source: Business Standard

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Come Sept, pick and choose DTH channels

Come September and subscribers of DTH services would be able to pick and choose the channels they want to watch but have to pay a minimum of Rs 150 per month for a bouquet of channels of their choice.

In its tariff order for 2010, broadcast regulator TRAI also included provisions to protect the consumers from rise in rates, like no increase in subscription charges in the first six months of enrolling.

The rates can, however, be decreased in those six months and the consumer can opt for any other service provided by the DTH operators.

The composition of the bouquet of channels should also be the same as those for the normal cable subscribers.

“Every service provider providing broadcasting services or cable services to its subscribers using an addressable system shall offer…to its subscribers on a-la-carte basis,” the order, which will come into effect from September one, said.

As of now, pay channels on DTH are not available on a-la-carte or individual basis.

In case DTH operators or cable service providers in CAS areas are not able to offer all its pay channels to its subscribers on a-la-carte basis from September one due to technical reasons, then they will have time till January next year to upgrade their services.

With a view to provide some relief to the operators, the order has fixed Rs 150 as the minimum monthly subscription that a consumer will need to shell out for any number of channels. The channels of Doordarshan should be a compulsory part of each bouquet, it said.

TRAI, however, refrained from fixing the retail tariff for the pay channels. “As the market forces appear to be operating effectively, the authority is of the view that there is no need for regulatory intervention in the matter of retail tariff fixation at present”.

However, the order said the fees that a operator has to pay to broadcasters for a channel should not be more than 35 per cent of that being paid by a normal cable operator.

The broadcaster, the regulating body said, should specify a minimum subscription period not exceeding three months for a subscriber.

TRAI further said that replacement of the consumer’s faulty equipment like set-top boxes and dish antennas and their repair should be done without any payment.

The recommendations said that the broadcaster has to report the rate of individual channel and bouquets of channels on its website. It should also publish such rates on its website.

Any change in prices shall be reported to the authority 30 days in advance and any new pay channel has to be notified 30 days in advance on the broadcaster’s website as well as to the authorities.

Any broadcaster of a free to air channel intending to convert the channel into a pay channel or vice-versa shall, at least one month before the scheduled date of conversion, inform the authority about the intended conversion and give a public notice about the intended conversion.

The information about the intended conversion should also be published in at least two newspapers of which one should be a national newspaper and one in the same language as the channel.

The notification comes a day after TRAI had submitted an affidavit before the Supreme Court informing about its plans to cap the monthly cable charges at Rs 250 across the country, except for pockets where conditional access system (CAS) has been implemented.

Source: Indianexpress.com

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Trai caps a la carte channel price to 35% of non-Cas areas

MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has capped the a la carte pricing of channels for addressable systems at 35 per cent the cost in non-Cas areas, a step that will bring down the content cost for DTH, digital cable and IPTV operators.

The earlier rate for DTH operators was fixed at 50 per cent of pricing in non-Cas areas.

In its new tariff order today, applicable to all broadcasting and cable services provided to subscribers through addressable systems, Trai said that every broadcaster shall offer all its pay channels on a la carte basis to distributors of TV channels, and specify the a la carte rate for each pay channel.

The broadcast sector regulator said that the charges payable by a cable operator to a multi system operator (MSO) or to a HITS (Headend-In-The-Sky) service provider, as the case may be, shall be as determined by mutual agreement.

Trai said that every service provider providing broadcasting services or cable services to its subscribers using an addressable system shall, from the date of coming into force of the order, offer all pay channels offered by it to its subscribers on a la carte basis and shall specify the maximum retail price for each pay channel.

DTH players, who might be unable to offer all pay channels to subscribers on a la carte basis due to any technical reason, will have to do so by 1 January 2011.

To protect the subscribers, Trai has also said that no service provider, who provides broadcasting services or cable services using an addressable system, can increase the charges for a subscription package for a minimum period of six months from the date of enrollment of the subscriber.

Source: Indiantelevision.com

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Chhattisgarh slaps entertainment tax on DTH connection

Raipur, July 22: The Chhattisgarh government has imposed entertainment tax ranging from Rs.10 to Rs.20 per Direct-to-Home (DTH) connection, effective retrospectively from the month of June.

The commercial taxes department Thursday said dealers of companies providing DTH services in the state will collect the tax.

In a statement, the department said the tax will be applicable only on cities having a population of over 10,000.

“The per connection charge for towns having populations between 10,000 to 50,000 will be Rs.10 while the charge for towns exceeding populations of 50,000 persons will be Rs.20,” the statement said.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

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UTV blockbusters now available on Tata Sky HD

Mumbai, July 22, 2010 : Tata Sky, one of the leading DTH satellite television providers in India, today announced the availability of UTV Motion Pictures’ blockbuster movies like Jodhaa Akbar, Race, Kaminey & Kurbaan on the latest digital revolution – Tata Sky HD

With great picture quality, incredibly vivid colors, sharper images and stunning surround sound, viewers can tune into these classics from the UTV Motion Pictures’ bouquet and enjoy a better television viewing experience on Tata Sky HD. Jodhaa Akbar, 2008’s biggest blockbuster, is a sixteenth century love story about a political marriage of convenience between Akbar and Jodhaa which was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Kaminey, which has earned many accolades and awards, is a 2009 Bollywood film directed by Vishal Bhardawaj featuring Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in the lead roles. Race, another runaway hit from UTV, is comedy, thriller and action film which explores themes of sibling rivalry, betrayal and passion and Kurbaan, co-produced by Dharma Productions is a film set against the backdrop of global terrorism, features real life couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor in pivotal roles.

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TRAI issues new tariff order for Cable, DTH services

No. 1114/2009B&CS. In exercise of the powers conferred by subclauses (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) of clause (b) of subsection (1) and subsection (2) of section 11 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 of 1997), read with notification of the Government of India, in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Department of Telecommunications), No.39 ,

Issued, in exercise of the powers conferred upon the Central Government by proviso to clause (k) of subsection (1) of section 2 and clause (d) of subsection (1) of section 11 of the said Act, and

Published under notification No. S.O. 44 (E) and 45 (E) dated 9January, 2004 in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India hereby makes the following Order, namely:

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Trai to cap cable TV prices at Rs.250

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: In what could upset multi-system operators (MSOs), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) plans to cap cable TV pricing at Rs 250 in non-Cas areas while allowing broadcasters an inflation rate of nine per cent and denying cable TV operators to choose channels on a la carte basis.

The broadcast sector regulator is in favour of leaving carriage rates to market forces as it feels capping it would not be feasible.

Trai today told the Supreme Court that it plans to introduce three pricing slabs for cable television, with a maximum cap of Rs 250.

In an affidavit, Trai said it was considering limiting the monthly cable charge to Rs 100 per month for a minimum of 30 free-to-air channels. Subscribers opting for a basic package (which includes Doordarshan channels) with up to 20 pay channels will pay a monthly bill of Rs 200. But those taking a basic package with over 20 pay channels will have to pay Rs 250 per month.

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Varun Dhawan- David Dhawan’s Son, Karan Johar Movie

David Dhawan’s younger son Varun Dhawan is the next star kid in the tinsel town. He is going to start his movie career with a Karan Johar movie. According to news sources Karan has said that another young male lead is also going to start career with this project. However, the names of other actors and the director is yet to be announced by Karan Johar. Varun Dhawan has got this project because of his looks and abilities rather than his lineage as he is more of a discovery of Karan Johar and less of a son of star director.

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Lohan likely to be released on Aug 2

Lindsay Lohan's jail term has been reduced and the actress may be released as early as Aug 2, says Los Angeles Country Sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore.
'We expect that she will be eligible for release around August 1, 2 or 3. Most likely, it will be August 2,' heraldsun.com.au quoted Whitmore as saying. And this means Lohan will serve just 10 days of her 90-day sentence.

Asked if it were true that Lohan would be eligible for weekend release, Whitmore said: 'No, she won't be going out on weekend release.'

Lohan is in the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood for violating her probation terms for her drink driving offences.

She appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court July 20 and was taken into custody to serve a 90-day sentence. Due to overcrowding in California prisons, most detainees serve much less than their full term.

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Inmates 'pissy' over LiLo's 'VIP treatment' in jail

'Mean Girls' star Lindsay Lohan's VIP treatment in prison has made other inmates furious.
Even though officials have insisted Lohan is treated like everyone else - beyond getting her own cell - rumours suggest that the actress is enjoying perks.
"She's getting special treatment. Some inmates were getting pissy over it," the New York Daily News quoted Debra Sickels, 30, who was released after doing 19 days for shoplifting, as saying.
"The girls said they cleaned a special room for Lindsay. It had a regular hospital bed, a TV and a dresser for her new clothes and socks," Sickels said.
Other just-released inmates said they heard Lohan was paying for special food and new clothes and had a female guard at her disposal and access to a private phone, but officials have denied giving any special treatment.
"She's being treated like any other inmate in her classification. There's no special treatment at all," Los Angeles sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

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Brangelina win privacy damages

Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have accepted an undisclosed sum in settlement of their privacy claim against the News of the World.
The couple sued the newspaper over a story saying they would separate and had agreed custody arrangements.
Appearing in London's High Court, the couple's lawyer said that News Group Newspapers now accepted the allegations were "false and intrusive".
The couple were not present for the hearing.
"In consequence, when the News of the World failed to publicly retract the allegations and apologise for them - thereby leaving their readers in the dark as to the true position - the couple felt they had no alternative than to sue," the Independent quoted advocate Keith Schilling as saying.
"Today's victory marks the end of the litigation brought by Brad and Angelina," Schilling added.

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Could Mel Gibson be suffering from "righteous rage"?

'Mad Max' star Mel Gibson's anger at ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva may have been caused by "righteous rage", say experts.
According to CNN.com, experts said that what causes a calm individual to morph into an out of control monster in a traffic jam, may stem from a survival instinct.
"It gets into this mentality of 'kill or be killed'," the New York Daily News quoted psychiatrist Dr. Tracy Latz as saying.
"Subconsciously, there's a fear that someone else is going to kill or take power over me," she said.
When this sense of one's very existence being threatened is paired with a sense of entitlement, "righteous rage," can result, according to clinical psychologist and attorney Robert Goldman.
A person may believe he or she deserves something so intensely that he doesn't see the real situation, and irrational behaviour is the result.
"While we live in a world of abundance in our country, it can also create feelings of anger and rage when we get caught up in it," Goldman said.
"We're not able to step back and see how really lucky and blessed we are," he added.
For a high-octane celebrity like Mel Gibson, that sense of entitlement coupled with a fear that someone could take away his power could have pushed him so far over the edge that he was willing to risk all in order to harm the mother of his baby.
In some cases of uncontrollable rage, drinking is to blame. The brain's frontal lobe is crucial in the decision-making process, but anger is centred in a more primitive area of the brain.
Anger can be released when alcohol inhibits the more reasonable and thoughtful part of the brain that would normally make a rational decision.
How people handle anger is also contingent upon their own upbringing, Latz explains.
Those whose parents either repressed anger or expressed it inappropriately may do the same thing, which is how abusive behaviour is handed down from parent to child.
But there are ways to reign in inappropriate anger. Just thinking about the consequences of anger gone too far may stop a person before it's too late. Another tactic is to shut your eyes and think of something - anything - that calms you down. Letting go of grudges is also important.

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Stewart makes Pattinson uncomfortable

Hollywood actor Robert Pattinson admits his 'Twilight' co-star Kristen Stewart makes him uncomfortable at times with her honesty.
'Kristen is always really good but also clearly speaks her mind. That can be a bit uncomfortable. After we shoot a scene she sometimes looks at the director and says, 'Let's do that again',' femalefirst.co.uk quoted him as saying.

However, the actor admits he fears being vocal about his opinions in front of her.

'If I did that she would probably kill me! She would probably say something like, 'Shut up! The scene was perfect',' he added.

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Vampire TV series "True Blood" now a comic book

Popular television drama "True Blood" launched a comic book series on Wednesday that its authors said will add "new and unique layers" to the adventures of telepathic waitress Sookie and her vampire friends.

Designed as a companion to the TV series, the comics contain the same tone of the HBO show complete with the erotically charged romance, wry humor, mystery and suspense.

"True Blood" creator Alan Ball developed the plot to the comics with series writers Elisabeth Finch and Kate Barnow. The books follow Sookie and company who are trapped in bar by an entity that begins killing patrons to subside its hunger.

Two exclusive versions of "True Blood #1" -- each with a different cover -- were made available at the annual Comic Con convention in San Diego, which starts on Wednesday.

The comic books can also be downloaded in both print and digital formats through the Apple App Store and the Sony Digital Comics store.

"True Blood", now in its third season, was nominated earlier this month for a best drama series Emmy award.

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Alicia Keys to wed Swizz Beatz in Europe

Singer Alicia Keys will wear a Vera Wang gown when she walks down the aisle with rapper-producer fiance Swizz Beatz later this summer in Europe.

'They're planning a celebration in Europe very soon. It will be a star-studded celebration,' dailystar.co.uk quoted a source as saying.

'She's decided on a (American fashion designer) Vera Wang gown and has been eyeing Christian Louboutin shoes,' the source added.

The singer, who is five months pregnant with Beatz's baby, plans to be a wife before she becomes a mum.

Another media report had suggested the couple would exchange vows on a yacht in the Caribbean this weekend.

Among the guests expected to attend the wedding are Jay-Z, Beyonce Knowles and Oprah Winfrey.

The couple broke the news about their engagement and child in May.

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Taylor Swift likes to run away from love

Country singer Taylor Swift likes to keep herself from falling in love.

The singer says that 'Mine', the first song from her upcoming album Speak Now, was written to confront her problem with 'running away', reports digitalspy.co.uk.

'It's been sort of a recent tendency, and I think it's because, for me, every really direct example of love that I've had in front of me has ended in goodbye and ended in breakups and things like that,' said Swift.

'So I think I've developed this pattern of running away when it comes time to fall in love and stay in a relationship. The song is sort of about finding the exception to that and finding someone who would make you believe in love and realise that it could work out, because I'm never ever going to go past hoping that love works out,' she added.

Her new album will hit stores Oct 25.

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Akshay-Aishwarya to light up screens this Diwali

Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai hope to brighten Diwali this year as their film 'Action Replayy' will release on the festive occasion.

The film's shooting was completed in Manali July 15 and is set to hit screens Nov 5 alongside Ajay Devgn-starrer 'Golmaal 3'.

While 'Action Replayy' is a time-travel caper weaved around a story that progresses backwards in time, 'Golmaal 3' follows the hit outings 'Golmaal' (2006) and 'Golmaal Returns' (2008).

Produced and directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, 'Action Replayy' also stars Aditya Roy Kapoor, Rannvijay Singh, Neha Dhupia, Kirron Kher, Rajpal Yadav, Om Puri and Randhir Kapoor.

'Golmaal 3' on the other hand also features Mithun Chakraborty, Arshad Warsi, Kareena Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor and Kunal Khemu.

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Anil Kapoor inspires me: Preity Zinta

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta is in awe of Anil Kapoor and says looking at him inspires her to work harder.

'Met Anil Kapor in the gym and he never ceases to amaze me and inspire me! More power to him! Watching him made me workout harder and not complain,' Preity posted on her Twitter acount.

Known for her performace in movies like 'Dil Se', 'Kya Kehna' and 'Dil Chahta Hai', Preity worked with Anil in 'Armaan'.

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Milan-Randeep bond over horses

People bond over similar interests and hobbies and what led to the camaraderie between Bollywood director Milan Luthria and actor Randeep Hooda was their craze for horse riding.

'Randeep is an avid horse riding enthusiast and incidentally Milan too has an immense fervour for the sport. So when Naseeruddin Shah, a good friend of Milan, introduced him to Randeep shortly after he (Randeep) arrived here (Mumbai) from Delhi, the duo hit it off instantly thanks to their common passion for horse riding,' said a source.

'Milan also introduced Randeep to the Riders Club in Mumbai,' the source added.

Hooda also stars in Luthria's forthcoming underworld saga 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai'.

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Indian Ocean to embark on five-city tour

Delhi-based band Indian Ocean is set to rock five cities with their contemporary fusion music while on their latest country tour that starts Thursday.

An initiative of UTV World Movies in association with Hard Rock Cafe, the band is set to perform at all the Hard Rock Cafes across the country, according to a statement.

Starting with Delhi July 29, the group will perform gigs in Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad on Aug 5, Aug 6 and Aug 12 respectively.

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For Bipasha's 'jewelled' looks, thank John

All that glitters on Bipasha Basu actually comes from her beau John Abraham. The sultry actress confesses that all the jewellery she has is gifted by her boyfriend.

'All the jewellery comes to me from John. He is my diamond supplier,' Bipasha told reporters after the launch of a new ad campaign of Gili, the jewellery brand of Gitanjali, at Taj Lands End here.

Asked about the kind of engagement ring she is looking forward to, she said: 'Well the engagement ring comes from the other side. You have to ask this to the other side. I hope it's nice and beautiful; not too big, not too small, just the right size for my finger.'

Bipasha maintains that her mother saves a lot of jewellery for her, but she is happy with her own stuff.

'My mother saves a lot of gold and diamond jewellery for me. I have not really looked into it. Till now, I am very happy with my jewellery,' said Bipasha.

Bipasha's recent release 'Lamhaa' has garnered mixed reviews but she is happy the way media and public have raved her performance.

'I guess that every film has its destiny but I am very proud to be a part of 'Lamhaa' and the kind of appreciation I got was excellent both from people from media and common man. I have got fantastic feedback for my part as Aziza. You can't really control what actually happens to the film,' said Bipasha

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Anil Kapoor inspires Preity Zinta to work harder

Recently B-town’s dimpled beauty Priety Zinta met her ‘Armaan’ co-star Anil Kapoor at a gym. Recalling the meeting, the actress shared the experience on her Twitter page. Preity tweeted, "Met Anil Kapor in the gym and he never ceases to amaze me and inspire me! More power to him! Watching him made me workout harder and not complain." Hmmm, we really wish she inspires some filmmaker soon, to earn a project or two….

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Ajay, Sameera to play terrorists in Priyadarshan’s next

Yeah looks exciting na… Well, the news is making rounds about Priyadarshan’s next untitled venture, tentatively said to be titled ‘Bullet Train’. We had recently told you about the film which will be mostly shot in train from London to Glassgow. Now read the latest update. It seems the film is inspired from the popular Hollywood, Jan de Bont’s 1994 thriller ‘Speed’ – in which a bomb is placed in a speeding bus. Of course the twist here is that the terror attack in the Hindi version is shifted from a bus to a train. The film is said to go on floors from September 1 in London. Speaking to sources, the director revealed, “We’ve got permission to shoot at one of the London stations and inside a train. It took some effort but we did it. I don’t think it would’ve made sense to shoot the film without actual locations and the train.” Apparently Priyadarshan knows how to bring the right kind of flavour from his actors, portraying them in distinguished roles. Here Ajay Devgn and Sameera Reddy will feature as terrorists. However, Kangna Ranaut is said to play the love interest of Ajay. Also in the terrorist character is Tusshar Kapoor. Interestingly, Manoj Bajpai - the man who is popularly known for negative performances, will do a positive role as the engineer trying to control the train’s speed. The filmmaker is also bringing in his favourite actor Suniel Shetty in a special role.

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Salman wants laden to watch ‘Laden’

The Bollywood macho hunk wants the dreaded Osama to watch the latest laughter chapter in Bollywood ‘Tere Bin Laden’, needless to add that Salman has loved this flick and was bursting into laughter every now and then throughout the film. Salman who is known to speak his heart out had advised the notorious Osama Bin Laden to watch the flick. He posted in popular social networking site, “Even Osama wud laugh. Obama shud keep a pvt screening for him.” Hmmmmm, Bhai ka toh jawab nahin… What say?

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Katrina Kaif disgusted by the fake sex tape

The London beauty in her Bollywood duty is furious and very angry, a sex tape claiming to have a lookalike of Katrina is getting popular amongst  the netizens. The clipping shows Katrina Kaif look-alike having sex with multiple men. The fuming Katrina says, “The video is disgusting and the girl clearly doesn't even look like me. There's no room for any speculation whatsoever. How can you even call her my lookalike? The girl's face is completely different! I think it's ridiculous to even talk about it." This is the second time Katrina is facing this ridiculous situation, previously her sister Isabel was dragged in a similar controversy. It’s absurd to see a top Bollywood actress being dragged into controversy due to some cheap mischief by an unsound mind.  First it was her sister now Katrina has become a victim of this stupidity.

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Vidya: Old is Gold

The south Indian stunner who is rocking Bollywood with her marvelous performances is a lover of melody. Yes we are talking about Vidya Balan; the gal has an ear to old classics. Among Vidya Balan's favorites are Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd. Rafi and R.D. Burman. She is a big fan of old Hindi film music and possesses most prized collection of some of the greatest songs by Kishore Kumar and Mohd. Rafi. Whenever she is travelling, she makes sure that couple of her favourite CDs are there in the dash board of her car. The songs work as stress buster for Vidya.

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Priyanka's parents surprise her to tears

Normally Priyanka Chopra is not the kind of girl who displays emotions, not even in front of her own family. But on the night of 16 July when her parents threw a small pre-birthday party at home for her and her close friends, Priyanka for the first time cried openly.

It was not the well-organized party where her mother cooked her favourite Punjabi dishes. It was the gift that her parents bought her, a 6-carat diamond ring, which made Priyanka bawl like a baby.

Says a close friend who was at the get-together. "The minute she saw the gift Priyanka burst into tears. We were shocked because we had never seen her like that." Apparently, Priyanka proudly wore the ring to her beachside holiday although her parents warned her she might drop it in the water.

Priyanka's brother Siddharth who celebrates his birthday a week before his sister kept teasing her about hiding the ring before she left.

Incidentally, Priyanka had arranged a surprise birthday party at China House at the Grand Hyatt for her brother.

Says PC's close friend, "It was his 21st birthday and very special. Priyanka looked into every detail personally although she was shooting for Saat Khoon Maaf. Siddharth who has just returned from a year-long course on the culinary arts from Switzerland cooked Priyanka's favourite pasta for her birthday."

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