Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Conan O'Brien announces name of his new show

Apple unveils new iPod, iTunes, TV Rentals

Jobs also unveiled iTunes 10, which includes a new social networking aspect called Ping. (Watch out, Bing!) It’s “social music discovery,” according to Jobs, but you’re not actually sharing the music — just your opinions. The interface looks very Facebook-y, which I guess is the point.

Getting the “one more thing” treatment? Apple TV, to the surprise of no one. Jobs admitted that thus far, Apple TV hasn’t been “a huge hit.” Well, things are changing, he hopes: The second generation Apple TV fits in your hand. It has an HDMI cable, and it connects through wifi or Ethernet. All the content is rental, Jobs announced. “There are no purchases anymore. There’s no storage. It’s so affordable you can rent something several times for less than buying it. And you can stream from your computer.”








Steve Jobs kicked off Apple’s yearly September keynote this afternoon by unveiling an updated iOS and newly redesigned iPods.
“It’s the biggest change in the iPod line ever,” Jobs said. Shuffles are going back to button-based navigation, and it’ll come in five colors, each $49 (for 2GB). The iPod Nano is now a multitouch, which looks like a tiny square iPhone, and will be $149 for 8GB and $179 for 16GB. And the iPod touch? Thinner, sleeker, 3-axis gyro, and yeah, rear and front-facing cameras. The 8GB is $229, 32 is $299, and the 64 is $399.


Movies are $4.99 to rent the day the DVD comes out (wow), TV shows are $.99 — though only Fox and ABC are on board so far. It’ll also stream instant Netflix content and anything off your computer. Jobs called it “the best implementation of Netflix,” and somewhere, a Roku gently wept. Um, your move, Hulu? The new Apple TV is $99, and it’s available for preorder now.

Calif. Doctor Found Stuck & Dead in Boyfriend's Chimney


A doctor involved in an "on-again, off-again" relationship apparently tried to force her way into her boyfriend's home by sliding down the chimney, police said Tuesday. Her decomposing body was found there three days later.

Dr. Jacquelyn Kotarac, 49, first tried to get into the house with a shovel, then climbed a ladder to the roof last Wednesday night, removed the chimney cap and slid feet first down the flue, Bakersfield police Sgt. Mary DeGeare said.

While she was trying to break in, the man she was pursuing escaped unnoticed from another exit "to avoid a confrontation," authorities said.

DeGeare said the two were in an "on-again, off-again" relationship.

The man's identity was not revealed by police, but the man who resides in the home is William Moodie, 58.

"She made an unbelievable error in judgment and nobody understands why, and unfortunately she's passed away," Moodie told The Associated Press. "She had her issues - she had her demons - but I never lost my respect for her."

Reached by telephone, Moodie did not dispute the police's characterization of his relationship with Kotarac. He would not comment on the circumstances that led to her death, saying it was more important to focus on the good she did in life.

Moodie, who runs an engineering consulting firm, said Kotarac was a superb internist who often provided service and medication free of charge to her patients.

Kotarac apparently died in the chimney, but her body was not discovered until a house-sitter noticed a stench and fluids coming from the fireplace Saturday, according to a police statement. The house-sitter and her son investigated with a flashlight and found Kotarac dead, wedged about two feet above the top of the interior fireplace opening.

Firefighters spent five hours late Saturday dismantling the chimney and flue from outside the home to extract Kotarac's body, DeGeare said.

Officials said Kotarac's office staff reported her missing two days prior when she failed to show for work. Her car and belongings remained near the man's house.

A cause of death has not been determined, and an autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday. Foul play is not suspected, though investigators have been looking into the incident as suspicious.

Bethenny Frankel quits 'Real Housewives of New York'


First Danielle Staub, now Bethenny Frankel is wiping her hands of the "Housewives."

The 39-year-old reality star has announced she is leaving "Real Housewives of New York," usmagazine.com reports.

After three years on the Bravo series, Frankel rejected the network's offer to return for a fourth season.

"Last season was scary and painful," she told the gossip website, referring to former BFF Jill Zarin turning on her. "It took all of the joy out of it."

It's not a big surprise that Kelly Killoren Bensimon's mortal enemy is not returning to the show. In June, Frankel premiered her spinoff series, "Bethenny Getting Married?" which attracted approximately as many viewers as "Housewives" averaged last season.

According to usmagazine.com, Frankel's contract states that she must still make an appearance on the next "Housewives," which reportedly starts filming on Sept. 20.

But don’t expect her to change her mind before her contract is up.

"My gut's saying not to be part of this cast," she told the gossip website.

Real Housewives of New Jersey' cast want salary increase, may strike


It's hard work yelling into Danielle Staub's face.

"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice will not be returning next season if her salary isn't doubled, TMZ.com reports.

The Bravo show’s cast members are reportedly dissatisfied with their contracts and are threatening to pull a "Jersey Shore"-style strike on Sept. 3 - when season three is set to start filming - if they can't renegotiate new contracts.

According to TMZ.com, Giudice, whose financial troubles have been laid bare on the reality series, wants double her salary -- which the Star-Ledger reports is currently $3000 per episode - the chance to make more lucrative public appearance and a share of the profits from DVD and merchandise sales.

"She would like to be paid more equivalent to what the 'Jersey Shore' kids are getting," a source told the gossip website. "If she’s not treated better by Bravo, she's ready to walk away.”

The cast of "Jersey Shore" reportedly went on strike in July as they were dissatisfied with their contracts for the show’s third season. They are now said to be making $30,000 an episode, with The Situation set to earn $5 million this year from the series as well as appearances and other business deals.

Giudice has been repeatedly mocked by her cast mates for landing herself and husband, Joe, $11 million in debt. Despite her well-documented lavish spending habits, she reportedly blames Bravo for making her life harder.

"Teresa is sick of everyone knowing all her private financial business," an insider told PopEater. "She didn't sign up to be on 'Housewives' so that everyone could look into her bank account. Millions of couples go through what they are going through, except no one knows about it. It's just not fair."

The Giudices' belongings were set to be auctioned off Aug. 22, but a Newark, N.J., court has postponed the auction until Oct. 3 to reassess the value of the items.

Demi Moore - Twitter's more pics - yeah pun intended - LOL


Just when you think celebrities are tired of being in front of the camera, they turn the tables to play paparazzi in their own private lives – by filling cyberspace with Twitter pictures that are just TMI.

If you've got it, flaunt it. At least that's the motto Demi Moore seems to live by. The 47-year-old actress didn't look shy when she provocatively posed for a couple photos she posted on Twitter of herself wearing sunglasses and a teeny tiny two-piece.

'Finally a day off,' she wrote. 'Maybe this is more like summer!'

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski stunned by Sarah Palin-backed Tea Party candidate Joe Miller/3


Sen. Lisa Murkowski was booted from office in the Republican primary Tuesday by a little-known conservative lawyer in arguably the biggest political upset of the year.

Joe Miller, backed by Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express, became the latest newcomer to the national political stage to take down an incumbent in 2010 amid deep dissatisfaction with the Washington establishment.

Miller's win was a major victory for the tea party movement and marked the first time it had defeated a sitting senator in a primary. Tea partiers had knocked off Utah Sen. Bob Bennett at a state convention in May. Embolden tea partiers have now set their sights on Delaware where they are backing Christine O'Donnell against the more moderate Rep. Mike Castle in the GOP Senate primary. Murkowski is the third senator to lose this year, along with Bennett and Arlen Specter, D-Pa.

Murkowski trailed Miller, a Fairbanks attorney, by 1,668 votes after the Aug. 24 primary. Election officials began counting absentee and outstanding ballots Tuesday, and Murkowski made slight gains. But after more than 15,000 ballots were counted, she remained 1,630 votes behind.

"We all know that this has been a long week, a terribly long week," she said at campaign headquarters while conceding. She said that while there were still outstanding votes, "I don't see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor, and that is a reality that is before me at this point in time."

"And for that reason, and for the good of the state of Alaska ... I am now conceding the race for the Republican nomination."

The stunning result was a huge validation of the political power of Palin as the former Alaska governor has been playing kingmaker in midterm elections ahead of a potential 2012 White House run.

Miller, 43, is an Ivy League-educated lawyer, West Point graduate and decorated Gulf War veteran who cast Murkowski as too liberal and part of the problem in an out-of-control Washington. It is a campaign strategy that has helped oust other incumbents this year and that Republicans will employ again in November as they look to take back Congress.

He didn't immediately return messages from The Associated Press.

In a statement, Miller thanked Palin, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the tea party movement and a long list of Alaska supporters.

"Now is the time for all Alaskans to come together and reach out with our core message of taking power from the federal government and bringing it back home to the people," he said. "If we continue to allow the federal government to live beyond its means, we will all soon have to live below ours."