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Posts with tag entertainment

Nokia Opens Hollywood 'Lab'

by Evan Shamoon, posted Nov 24th 2008 at 4:17PM




Here's an odd pairing: Mobile phone behemoth Nokia has decided to open a lab in Los Angeles, designed with the explicit goal of "recruiting from and collaborating with the Hollywood entertainment, media and art communities".

It's an odd move for the Finnish company, whose company headquarters sit far, far away from Mickey Mouse, Brangelina et al., in Espoo, Finland. "Opening our latest laboratory in Hollywood is a key milestone for Nokia," project leader Henry Tirri said in a prepared statement. "Engaging more actively with the entertainment and media community and establishing a research force there is a significant step for Nokia as we continue to build our position as a leader in the converging worlds of Internet and mobility." Nokia will also be working with the likes of University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Southern California (USC) on the project.

Essentially, Nokia seems to be realizing that Apple is starting to gain a stranglehold in the whole "mobile entertainment" sector with the iPhone (read: iTunes Store, App Store), and is attempting to do something about it. May the Force be with it. [From: TechRadar via Textually]

Long-Awaited Guns N' Roses Album Streamed for Free on MySpace

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Nov 21st 2008 at 1:34PM

Chinese Democracy Streamed for Free on MySpaceYesterday at midnight (9 PM on the west coast), the public got its first listen (legal) to (cough...) 'Chinese Democracy.'

Though the first Guns N' Roses album in 17 years wont be available in stores till November 23, it can now be streamed for free on MySpace Music (must... bite... tongue...). The album has actually been making the rounds on BitTorrent for a while, and the first hints of it leaked back in August. But for many, this is the first time they'll be hearing any of the music since radio refuses to play the two crappy singles 'Chinese Democracy' and 'Better' (arggh! sorry).

Mother always said, 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.' [From: TechCrunch]

Neil Patrick Harris Horror Comic Musical Comes to iTunes

by Will Safer, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 4:54PM



Some of the brightest starts of Hollywood put their creative talent to the test during the writers' strike last year, among them "How I Met Your Mother" star Neil Patrick Harris, who teamed up with "Buffy The Vampire" creator Joss Whedon to produce the online-only musical miniseries "Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog," a whimsical tale of right vs. wrong, and love, that has steadily built a fanbase since it hit the Internet last July.

The three-part series is now available on iTunes for $1.99 per episode.

The Hollywood writers' strike was a boon for online entertainment as many writers, directors and actors tested the waters of a more open version of content distribution. Getting major attention was Will Ferrell's "Funny Or Die," but many other top comedic talents had their creative juices flowing around the 'net.

(Among our personal favorites was My Damn Channel's "Horrible People.")

Whedon's goal with "Dr. Horrible" was "to make it on the fly, on the cheap – but to make it. To turn out a really thrilling, professionalish piece of entertainment specifically for the internet. To show how much could be done with very little."

In the end, he and his cohorts produced a fine piece of comic musical diversion. [Source: iTunes, via Urlesque.]

Movie Make-Outs Could Be Filmed By Cinematic Spy Cams

by Christine Whitney, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 3:25PM

One of our most awkward childhood memories was going to see 'Muppet Treasure Island' at the AMC with mom and lil' bro. There was this couple in the back totally necking (actually, they'd probably crossed over into heavy petting, though we didn't know what that was at the time).

Not that we all haven't made out in the cinema a time or two ourselves, but puh-leaze! It's the MUPPETS.

Count on the British to put a stop to this sort of behavior -- Odeon, the UK's largest theater chain, has taken to installing security cameras inside movie theaters. So while you're sitting around watching 'The Dark Knight', someone might be watching you! It's so meta.

Odeon execs claim that the cameras are intended to ensure the safety of moviegoers, and have already cut down on "disruptive incidents." But young Brits and human rights groups are sketched out. It's Big-Brotherly, they worry, and takes all the fun out of an old fashioned makeout sesh at the movies. [Source: Telegraph UK]

New Bebo-Universal Drama to Air Online

by Christine Whitney, posted Jun 11th 2008 at 12:47PM

AOL lovechild/social media network Bebo is having its own little tryst with Universal Music Group, starting now. The two just announced that they are conspiring on a new and, according to press materials, "revolutionary" online drama called 'The Secret World of Sam King.'

This is apparently the first-ever collab between a music company and a social media network, and it's intended to blur the "line between fiction and reality," in ways too complicated to get into. It seems that the actual Universal Music UK will serve as the setting for the show, and viewers will have sway over what happens in subsequent episodes, sort of like 'American Idol' meets 'Choose Your Own Adventure' meets 'DeGrassi Junior High.'

Executives are comparing the show to Bebo's established teen soap operatic sensations 'KateModern' and 'Sofia's Diary,' and the new show is expected to inspire a similar fan base.

Sam King, the protagonist, is a young Universal Music employee who secretly starts his own record label from Universal's mail room. Throughout the show, Sam has run-ins with real Universal artists (who appear in cameos on the show), resentfully does errands for the boss, and secretly builds his recording empire. Meanwhile, he has the hots for Kate, his co-worker, who gets her own spin-off, 'Kate's Love-in,' while BFF character Johnny only gets a podcast.

Oh god this is so postmodern. [Source, AOL]

(Disclosure: Bebo.com is an online service owned and offered by AOL, which also owns and operates Switched.com)

Device for Tattling on Fellow Moviegoers

by Tom Conlon, posted May 29th 2007 at 9:32AM

Device for Tattling on Fellow Moviegoers
America's largest movie theater chain wants to make rats out of all of us. This week, Regal Entertainment Group is greatly expanding its pilot program, which puts wireless "tattle" devices in the hands of frequent customers. The cell phone sized transmitters (photo) have four buttons -- "picture," "sound," "piracy" and "other disturbance." When pressed, the buttons activate a silent alert that informs the theater staff of a problem.

The program was launched last year in 13 Regal locations and has been so successful in improving customer behavior inside of theaters that it is now being deployed to a total of 114 locations. In the original program, tattletale customers were awarded a free bag of popcorn for their work as double agents, though there's no word from Regal if that will still be the case.

We're in love with this program. With people talking, cell phones ringing, babies crying and those idiots who think yelling at the actors could actually alter the course of the film's plot, the annoyances at the average theater-going-experience have become unbearable. Now if only there were a button for "This movie is garbage, I want my $10 back."

From USA Today

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