Crux Case Crux360 iPad 2 Keyboard Case Review

There are many people that roll their eyes when iPad and other tablet owners pair a physical Bluetooth keyboard with their device instead of using the onscreen keyboard. They say why don’t you just buy a laptop if you want a real keyboard… I say there’s nothing wrong with having the option to trick out [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/09/08/crux-case-crux360-ipad-2-keyboard-case-review/

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Anonymous' Director Believes Shakespeare Was 'A Fraud

As part of our Fall Movie Preview, '2012' director Roland Emmerich explains why he's traded action for historical drama.
By Josh Wigler


Joely Richardson and Jamie Campbell Bower in "Anonymous"
Photo: Reiner Bajo/Columbia

For his next trick, Roland Emmerich — the man who brought you such blockbusters as "Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow" and "2012" — will be taking you all the way back to the times of ... Shakespeare?

It's perhaps not a conventional choice for a filmmaker who is best known for his over-the-top alien invasions and natural disasters, but make no mistake, "Anonymous" is a movie that is very near and dear to Emmerich's heart. The project — which takes place during Elizabethan England and centers on Edward de Vere (Rhys Ifans), the Earl of Oxford and a man who some believe to be the true author of Shakespeare's works — has been in development for nearly a decade. Now, Emmerich's ready to tell his story, with his take on the Man from Stratford's real identity arriving in theaters on October 28.

Click for photos from fall's biggest flicks!

MTV News' Fall Movie Preview continues today with a conversation with Emmerich, who spoke with us about his interest in Shakespeare, the themes of succession and identity crises, how visual effects are actually working to keep budgets down, and whether or not he truly believes that Shakespeare was a fraud.

MTV: "Anonymous" deals with conspiracies centering on Shakespeare and conflicts during Elizabethan England, but for you, at its core, what is this movie about?

Roland Emmerich: In the foreground for people, it's probably the whole issue of did [Shakespeare] write [his works] or did he not? But for me, it was also always about this time and succession. The most important thing in these days was, "Who will be the next king?" Especially Elizabeth's [succession], being the virgin queen, there was a lot of insecurity.

When you want to come up with a story to explain to people why it could have been that the wrong guy got credited, it has to have a really big reason. I kind of thought everything in Shakespeare is about the prince, it's about succession. Half of his plays are pretty much about that. I kind of said, "This has to be the reason why he can't put his name on it."

MTV: It's also interesting when you consider a lot of his work focuses on doubles and dual identities.

Emmerich: Exactly. It's a lot about bastard children, the identity crisis of the young prince, you know? The court, the court intrigue, and about how power gets distributed by the king. I knew that the movie had to be about that.

MTV: On the surface, "Anonymous" doesn't seem like the kind of movie that fans of your films like "Independence Day" or "2012" would necessarily expect from you. What drew you to this? What made this story something you wanted to tell as a filmmaker?

Emmerich: Well, first of all, you get older. [Laughs] I always was super interested in reading about history. I think history is kind of something that isn't explored enough in movies, honest to god. I know this is kind of a relatively adult movie, but I said to myself, if I'm interested in something, I assume other people are too. This time around, it's probably another crowd and another audience. But the movie also doesn't have to perform that well to make money, so I'm kind of hopeful that Sony won't be [left] there with empty pockets.

MTV: You've been attached to this project and working on it for several years before the movie got made. How did "Anonymous" finally come together for you?

Emmerich: I've been on this project for nine years. Around five years ago, Sony greenlit it, and we'd headed to England. We had a lot of money, and [we got] more and more, and it became too expensive of a movie. We also couldn't quite get the cast. So we stopped it. But then I realized that this movie had to be done for a certain price. When I did "2012," I realized that now with digital cameras and blue screens, you can do quite amazing things and you can cheapen a movie without making it look smaller.

This movie, even if it costs very little, when people come out they're asking, "How much did this thing cost?" And I'll say, "Much less than you think!" [Laughs] Some people ask, "What was it, $70 [million]? $90?" And I say, "No, it was $30." And they're super surprised. I tell them, "Look, everyone keeps talking about this, the fact that one day, visual effects can help us to make movies cheaper." And this was actually the first movie where visual effects helped to make a really, really big look, but it actually saved us tons of money.

MTV: What was the research process like on "Anonymous"? What did you do to brush up your Shakespeare, so to speak?

Emmerich: I never claimed to be a big Shakespeare scholar or anything. I've watched every movie that was made about his plays, which is a good way to get into William Shakespeare's plays, because most of the time, the plays themselves — you get the highest grade of talent and I did that. I said to myself, "I'm not a theater director." What we did was we looked for a theater director, and found one in Tamara Harvey, who's very young but has worked under Mark Rylance at [Shakespeare's Globe in London]. We had long discussions with Mark and some Shakespeare actors in London, and we tried to approach it like that. For me, it was very important to get the plays right and the work right. I wanted to glorify William Shakespeare; I didn't want to destroy him.

MTV: But at the core of this movie's marketing campaign, there's been that tantalizing four-word question: "Was Shakespeare a fraud?" Based on what you discovered in the process of making this movie, do you have your answer to that question?

Emmerich: He was a fraud. I'm totally convinced.

MTV: What makes you so convinced?

Emmerich: I read pretty much everything on the Freudian side and the Oxford side and made my own opinion, you know? I'm not alone with this opinion. There are very famous people throughout history, a lot of writers and a lot of artists like Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, Emerson, Walt Whitman, Henry James, Sigmund Freud. ... There are so many people who were absolutely convinced of what I'm convinced about. And when you talk to Shakespeare scholars, they're kind of totally biased, because they've lived their whole lives and written books about the Man from Stratford. Sure, they have to scream and yell and say this is all nonsense, but I think these guys over the next 20 or 30 years will not be able to uphold this.

I think it's not good to tell kids lies in school, and I'm saying, why not openly discuss that there's a problem? I think to get access to William Shakespeare, the Man from Stratford, for kids today is totally boring. You cannot get this guy together with the plays. The plays are super complex and tell a lot about court life and themes that represent his time incredibly well, and then there's this Bard from Stratford and Avon, a guy who, when you look at him, was probably a businessman.

From "Abduction" to "Muppets, "Moneyball" to "Breaking Dawn," the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest upcoming flicks in our 2011 Fall Movie Preview. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films' biggest stars.

Check out everything we've got on "Anonymous."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1670489/anonymous-movie-shakespeare.jhtml

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Jennifer Morrison Warrior Interview

Jennifer Morrison Warrior Interview

Actress Jennifer Morrison gets around -- the TV world, that is. She played Dr. Allison Cameron on the hit show House M.D., appeared as Ted Mosby's (Josh Radnor) latest girlfriend on How I Met Your Mother and has her new fairytale-inspired show, Once Upon a Time, premiering next month.

But there's one TV genre she won't likely be dabbling in. "I am definitely in the dark when it comes to reality shows," the 32-year-old actress tells iVillage. "I still don't completely understand how someone's name is The Situation."

Now, Morrison is making the move to the big screen, playing the wife of a mixed-martial arts fighter (Aussie actor Joel Edgerton) in the drama Warrior (in theaters Sept. 9). When iVillage caught up with the actress, she dished about the emotional role, her real-life romance with actor Amaury Nolasco and why she still hasn't jumped on the Jersey Shore bandwagon.

Warrior is such an intense film. What attracted you to the role?
When I read the script, I immediately felt drawn to her. I was a huge fan of (director) Gavin O’Connor’s work, so for me it was a no-brainer to go after that.

Did you guys do anything to lighten the mood on set?
There was an environment of family, truly, between everyone. We all got along so well, and we all wanted it to be the best it could possibly be. So there was an exciting energy, even though the material was heavy and intense at times.

There have been rumors about you possibly returning to House this season. Is that something you're considering?
I would for sure. If there was something they wanted me to do, I would do it. It was such a huge part of my life, and I love that character. So, of course, I would want to be a part of the end of that show. But as far as rumors, I have not been contacted by anyone over there.

What about How I Met Your Mother? You played Ted's girlfriend last season. Any chance you'll be back?
You know what, I have no idea. With that show I always feel like anything could happen. They are so full of surprises over there that I wouldn’t put it past them. I would be in heaven to be a part of that again. I had so much fun working on that show. I think that is the happiest place on Earth.

It seems like such a fun group of people.
It is! I remember telling them -- the first time I had a scene where I had to sit at the bar, I was like, "Guys, I’m at the booth!" They were like, "What?" I’m like, "The booth! The booth you always sit at!" They were like, "Oh, right." For them it’s totally normal, but I’ve been a fan of the show since it started. So for me I was like, "I can’t believe I get to sit at the booth!"

You also have a new show, Once Upon a Time, starting this fall. What’s that been like?
It’s been absolutely incredible. I’m completely blown away by the script. I’ve never ever read anything like this, and there’s never been anything like this on television. We go crazy waiting for the next scripts. It’s like as if someone wrote this incredible novel, but they only give you one chapter at a time and you have to wait ten days for the next one!

You play a modern-day woman who finds out she's the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. What did you think when you first heard about the fairytale aspect?
I didn’t hear about it, I just read the script. And to be honest the script is so clear that when you read it, it makes so much sense. It’s much harder to articulate without having seen the script or pilot.

You've been in so many shows lately. What are your favorite TV shows to watch?
I loved Friday Night Lights. I actually just finished watching the final season and cried through the entire thing. I’m going to miss that show a lot. I love The Good Wife, and I watch 30 Rock and Modern Family.

What about reality shows? Any favorites?
To be honest, I don’t watch any. I always feel out of the loop because everyone is always talking about different shows, and I’m like, "What?" I remember I had never even heard of Jersey Shore, and at one point, someone said something about, "Did you hear what happened with The Situation?" I was like, "What situation?" They were like, "No, The Situation." I totally didn’t understand. I still don’t completely understand how someone’s name is The Situation. I am definitely, definitely in the dark when it comes to reality shows.

You’ve been engaged in the past (to House costar Jesse Spencer). Do you think you’ll go down that road again?
I guess, probably. I try not to make a decision about aiming for something. It’s just more about letting life be what it is and sort of accepting what it is, instead of hoping it would be different.

Now you're dating Prison Break star Amaury Nolasco. What do you two like to do on date nights?
Right now, we are in two different cities all the time. So being in the same city is enough. We eat at restaurants that we love, and we go see movies. We’re pretty normal.

Is it hard having a long-distance relationship?
Of course it is. You want to always be around the person that you love.

Do you see kids in your future?
Yeah, I think I’ve always assumed at some point I would have a family of my own. I don’t know when, but at some point

Have you even been starstruck around another celebrity?
I am a huge fan of Annette Bening. I was on the carpet next to her once, and I totally didn’t have the guts to say anything. Looking back I was like, “Why didn’t I just say something?” I’ve definitely had those moments of feeling like I have no idea how to form a proper sentence when it’s someone I really have that much respect for.

What would you do if you weren’t an actress?
I would probably be a teacher. My family is all teachers, and I grew up around that. I used to actually teach children's theater years ago, and I really enjoyed it.

What’s one job you think you’d be really bad at?
Well, I probably would have said being a doctor. But now that I’ve been on House for so many years, and I’ve been around so much fake blood, I think I would be a lot calmer than I would have thought.

So being around fake blood has made you better around real blood?
I think it has. In a weird way, your brain gets used to it, instead of being so squeamish. But I know for sure I’d be a terrible flight attendant because I’m terrified of flying. I do it all the time, and I’m just miserable.

Do you do anything to help you get through it?
I mean, I’m fine once we get to 10,000 feet. As long as I can get through the first part, I’m okay. I think my brain actually thinks my fear is holding the plane up. I think, “Well, if I stop being afraid it’s going to fall."

Ali Gray is iVillage's Senior Associate Entertainment Editor. Follow her on Twitter: @thealigray

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/jennifer-morrison-warrior-interview/1-a-380467

Christina Aguilera Christina Applegate Christina DaRe Christina Milian Christina Ricci

iPad Hacks ? Getting the Most out of Your iPad

If you are an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad user, you surely have heard of the term jailbreaking. No, it does not involve breaking someone out of jail. Jailbreak, or iPad Hacks, is the process of utilizing apps, music and other elements without purchasing from Apple. It is also a gateway to third party apps and tweaks. The question is, do you need it? You have been eyeing one application in the App store for quite some time and still [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/ipad-hacks-%e2%80%93-getting-the-most-out-of-your-ipad/

Adrianne Palicki Aisha Tyler Aki Ross Alecia Elliott Alessandra Ambrosio

Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements

opera 11.10
The crew in Oslo keeps plugging away at Opera 11.10, and the latest snapshot build includes a number of improvements to Opera's built-in email client -- as well as HTML5-related additions.

On the IMAP front, Opera now supports special folders like sent items, spam, and trash. It also better handles duplicate items in Gmail -- such as those which appear in all mail and under your custom labels.

Opera 11.10 now partially supports the HTML5 File API as well, which means your favorite Web apps (like Gmail) may soon begin adding Opera to the list of supported browsers.

You can download the latest Opera 11.10 snapshot for Windows, Mac, or Linux from the official release post.

Update: The Opera 11.10 RC is now available, as pointed out by SlashZaku in the comments. Thanks!

Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/06/opera-11-10-gets-html5-file-api-support-imap-improvements/

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Madonna Gets Sued For Being a Noisy Neighbor

Having to face the music for apparently living way too loud, Madonna has been slapped with a lawsuit by a neighbor citing excessive noise complaints.

According to the filing, the Material Girl's former neighbor, Karen George, was repeatedly subjected to the singer's "blaring music, stomping and shaking walls" for up to three hours each day.

According to the New York Post, the suit continued, "Despite Ms. George?s repeated complaints over the past seventeen months to the defendants concerning this situation, the pounding noise and vibration continues to emanate from Madonna?s apartment, and Ms. George has been forced to endure substantial interference with her tenancy by virtue of defendants? failure to fulfill their obligations.?

Madonna, who has since moved out of the New York City flat, made an attempt to have the case dismissed, however, a judge turned down that request.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/madonna/madonna-sued-being-noisy-neighbor-541627

Gina Philips Gisele Bündchen Giuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez Grace Park

Usher Says New 'Rev Pop' Project Is A 'Movement'

Singer teases his new project by pointing to past hits like 'Yeah!' and 'OMG.'
By James Montgomery


Usher
Photo: MTV News

With the success of songs like "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love," "Hot Tottie" and "OMG," Usher had himself a fairly massive 2010. But rather than rest on his laurels, he's looking to build on his big year, not with an album, but with a "movement."

It's something he's calling "Rev Pop" — or, simply, "Rev" — and though he's already teased his idea in a video with David Guetta (Akon is also involved), he has yet to speak in full about it. So when MTV News caught up with Ush before the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the (Belvedere) RED launch party, we asked him about his next musical endeavor. And though he didn't reveal much, he did let it be known that "Rev" isn't exactly something new. In fact, he's been doing it for a while now.

"I'll give it to you this way: At a later date, I'll tell you more about Rev Pop, but if I were to give you a flash: I've done it before, I did it with 'Yeah!' " he said, "taking a cultural experience, and also worldwide recognition of a feeling, and putting the soul in the middle of it. Not allowing it to shift heavily to R&B genre, or pop. I did it again with 'OMG,' once again putting the soul in the middle of it, which was an electric-pop experience, with the soul.

"It's bringing those elements together to tell a story, that was born here," he said, gesturing toward his heart, "And that's what Rev Pop is. There's more, I mean, I could really elaborate, but that's just what I'm going to tell you right now. 'Rev' is what it's called ... the movement is called Rev."

Usher wouldn't say just when his fans would be getting their first taste of Rev, but whenever they do, it sounds like they're going to be impressed ... if not a little shocked.

"Stay alive," he smiled, "Because you're definitely going to be in for a surprise."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1658043/usher-rev-pop.jhtml

Adriana Lima Adrianne Curry Adrianne Palicki Aisha Tyler Aki Ross

Zen Coding high-speed HTML shorthand plug-in updated

zencoding
Zen Coding made quite a splash when we first covered it almost a year ago. For those who aren't familiar, Zen is a fantastic form of shorthand for quickly hand-coding HTML. And today, a new version is out!

Here are some of the goodies version 0.7 brings to the party:

  • Text nodes: Writing something like a[href=/]{Click here} now works, and puts "Click here" within the link.
  • New actions added: Increment/decrement number under cursor, evaluate math expressions, and more.
  • Wrap with Abbreviation was upgraded.
There are several other improvements but they're all rather technical. If you use Zen Coding (or are intrigued by the concept) go ahead and read the release notes for this new version.

Zen Coding has official implementations for a ton of editors, including TextMate, Apatana, Coda, E2, Komodo, Notepad++, PSPad, and more. It also has unofficial builds for Vim, UltraEdit, Visual Studio and more.

If you want to play with Zen Coding without installing it, you can use the online demo to see some of its magic in action.

Zen Coding high-speed HTML shorthand plug-in updated originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/15/zen-coding-high-speed-html-shorthand-plug-in-updated/

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Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year

Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery with MTV News staff


Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."

He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.

You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.

Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.

And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.

And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.

To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.

One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.

"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1604582/plantkrauss-win-album-year-grammy.jhtml

Angela Marcello Angelina Jolie Anna Faris Anna Friel Anna Kournikova