Author: Serkadis

Come 2011, Tesla Motors will stop building its Tesla Roadster electric-car. Hidden deep within its Securities and Exchange Commission documents filed ahead of its IPO announcement, Tesla said that production of the Roadster and the Roadster Sport will stop next year – however, a replacement is due out in 2013. What’s the reason? Well, apparently Tesla doesn’t have anyone to build it.

“We do not plan to sell our current generation Tesla Roadster after 2011 due to planned tooling changes at a supplier for the Tesla Roadster,” the company said in its filing.

The current Tesla Roadster is built by Lotus, so it is speculated that Tesla is talking about the changes taking place at the British automaker’s factory in Hethel, England.

Tesla said that it will replace the Roadster but not “until at least one year after the launch of the Model S, which is not expected to be in production until 2012.” Tesla just closed a $465 million loan with the Department of Energy to finance production of the Model S sedan.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Autopia

Filed under: Odds and ends, Troubleshooting

I make part of my living as an Apple consultant, so one of the first thoughts that went through my mind on Wednesday when I first saw the iPad was “would I be able to use that to help support my clients?” After a bit of thought yesterday while waiting for files to be loaded onto a new server I was installing, I think the answer is a resounding yes.

Usually when I’m visiting my clients, I lug along a computer bag filled with various tools along with my MacBook Air. The rest of the time, I’m either in my office with my iMac, or away from a Mac enjoying myself. Unfortunately, Mac issues tend to arise at the worst possible times, and so there are many situations where I only have my iPhone available for support.

One of my tricks of the trade is to talk with clients while looking at their Mac screens using a remote support tool, and the iPhone screen has always been too small to be useful. When you’re trying to control someone’s computer through Jaadu VNC or some other remote control software, screen real estate is very helpful. I can see using the iPad for remote support in many situations where an iPhone just won’t work.

The iPad would also be useful for reading technical documentation while on-site. I have many support documents saved in PDF format and saved into my Dropbox; they’ll be much easier to read on the iPad screen than on my iPhone. Likewise, when I’ve tried to pull up support info from a number of websites with my iPhone, I’ve found reading the support articles to be nearly impossible.

With the built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi, the iPad is going to be useful as a very portable device for troubleshooting wireless networks. Apps such as the US$4.99 iNet Pro network scanner [iTunes Link] will work on iPad right off the bat, so they’ll find a place on my iPad home screen.

Of course, there are some things you’ll never be able to do with an iPad. For example, it’s sometimes helpful to start up another Mac in Target Disk Mode and run a utility on a laptop to check for disk issues on the ailing Mac. Since the advent of the MacBook Air and new MacBook, some of the lower-end laptops don’t even come with the requisite FireWire port to allow this type of connection. My solution was to use an old iPod loaded with TechTool Pro; there are ways to load Mac OS X onto USB drives as a boot drive as well.

Likewise, there’s no way to run Windows-based applications on the iPad… yet. However, many remote control apps for iPhone are cross-platform and supporting Windows machines from the iPad would be possible.

If there are other Mac support consultants out there who are thinking about how to use the iPad in their businesses, please leave a comment telling us how you think the device could be utilized to help out your clients. I, for one, am looking forward to going on service calls with nothing but my iPhone and iPad.

TUAWSome thoughts on using the iPad as an IT support tool originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New mom Kourtney Kardashian is fuming after OK! Magazine digitally slimmed down her post-baby curves on the cover of their latest issue — but Homegirl’s got bigger fish to fry, if the word of one of her former Booty Buddies is to be believed. Weeks after Star Magazine cryptically suggested that an affair just after her excursion to Miami may have left Kourtney pregnant, the socialite beauty’s former flame has confirmed the tabloid’s claim that he could be the father of her one-month-old son, Mason. Model/aspiring actor Michael Girgenti — who could double for a fist-pumping Jersey Shore reject — says he’ll take a DNA test to determine whether he, or the Patrick Bateman lookalike Kourtney’s currently dating, fathered Little Mason.

“I think Mason has more of a resemblance to me than to Scott,” Michael reveals in this week’s Star. “If Mason is Scott’s son, more power to him. But if he’s mine, I need to be with him, to be part of his life. It’s been eating away at me for months,” he added. “After the news broke last August that she was pregnant and I did the math, I started to think, ‘That kid could very well be mine,’” Michael explains. “Now its to the point where I flat out need to know if that’s my son. I’m willing to take a paternity test, and I hope that Scott would be man enough to do the same thing…..”

Girgenti, 23, says he and Kourtney enjoyed a one-night-stand nine months before Mason arrived last month. At the time, Kourtney was separated from longtime beau, Scott Disick, and the 30-year-old wasted no time cozying up to a shirtless Michael when the two met on the set of a Los Angeles photo shoot for the second season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians in August 2008.

“It was an incredibly sexy shoot,” the model recalls. “The photographer was encouraging us to get wilder and more cutting edge.”

According to Michael, the pair exchanged e-mails and kept in touch for several months before finally hooking up a sixty minute sex romp at his Glendale apartment in early March 2009.

“She was wonderful lover and very beautiful,” Michael beamed when asked to rate his role in the hay with the 30-year-old reality personality. “We didn’t use any protection — we were too caught up in the moment to think about it.”

Michael never heard from Kourtney after their brief encounter, despite what he calls “repeated” attempts to settle the question of Mason’s paternity.

“I’ve sent Kourtney e-mails over the winter — but she hasn’t replied. In the end, its all about doing right by the boy — and I would be the best father I could be if he really were mine.”

An Elgin man has been charged with attempted murder after stabbing his father, authorities said.

Jeremiah M. Jefferson, 32, of the 700 block of Jefferson Avenue, appeared Saturday morning at a bond hearing.

A Cook County judge set Jefferson’s bail at $500,000, which means he needs $50,000 to secure his release while the case is pending.

Police said they were called to the 700 block of Jefferson at 11:22 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a stabbing.

Police said the pair had been arguing inside the house when Jefferson stabbed his father once in the neck with an unknown object.

The Elgin Fire Department took the father to Sherman Hospital, while police arrested Jefferson at the house.

The father remained at Sherman Saturday.

Jefferson was charged with attempted murder on Friday, Elgin Deputy Chief Jeffrey Swoboda said.

If found guilty, he could spend up to 30 years in prison.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

So you’ve already seen how the upcoming Aliens vs. Predator stands up against its classic predecessor. We’ve also showed you the different ways on how to inflict the maximum damage to your enemies. Now here’s a glimpse

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos

It seems like only yesterday that Internet companies dominated the Super Bowl commercial water-cooler talk, but in fact it was a full decade ago. While most of those businesses are long gone, the few remaining Internet survivors like Go Daddy and Monster can be counted on for annual participation, and you can add Cars.com to that list, as the automotive research site has bought ad time during the Super Bowl for three consecutive years.

Cars.com’s newest TV spot echoes the theme of last year’s ad, which showed that even the smartest, best-prepared people in the world can use a little help when it comes to buying a new or used ride. This year’s ad features a new lead, the eminently capable Timothy Richman: a guy who can put out fires with a rattle, ride a two-wheeler on the first try, take the bite out of jellyfish stings, deliver a breach tiger cub and predict the path of funnel clouds without a Doppler. But like so many folks, he gets anxious when he steps onto a car lot. Hit the jump to watch the one minute commercial for yourself. Wait, one minute? Who makes a one minute long commercial when a 30 second spot costs up to $3 million? Oh well, enjoy the sneak peek.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Continue reading Video: Cars.com shows off Super Bowl commercial early

Video: Cars.com shows off Super Bowl commercial early originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sometimes tips come in that seem too good to be true. Take today, for example. I got a tip that Bill Gates’ new site, The Gates Notes, was running on a Linux-powered server. This would be ironic since Gates is of course the founder of Microsoft, which is Linux’s biggest competitor in the server market. It would be the equivalent of catching Gates or CEO Steve Ballmer being caught using (and not just signing) a MacBook at a conference. So is it true?

A quick search on Netcraft shows that thegatesreport.com sure enough looks to be running on the Linux OS. But wait. The results also say that web server is Microsoft-IIS/7.0. That doesn’t sound right, so what gives? Well, it turns out that because Gates is using Akamai to mirror his sites’ content in the event of massive traffic (or more specifically, something like a DDoS attack), this data is being filtered through there. Akamai uses Linux for its servers, so that’s what OS is being passed back to Netcraft. But at the same time, to make things more confusing, the Akamai servers are still passing back the correct server header for Gates’ site: Microsoft-IIS/7.0.

How do I know this? Because the same thing happened in 2003 when it was humorously, but erroneously reported that Microsoft was using Linux servers to run microsoft.com. In fact, the same thing was going on: Microsoft was routing its traffic through Akamai, which again, runs Linux boxes. Microsoft has since apparently changed to its own servers since then so that they now correctly return Windows Server 2003 as their OS. That is likely what The Gates Report is running on as well given the Microsoft-IIS/7.0 web servers.

So sadly, no nice bit of irony here, it would seem. But if you haven’t yet done so, take the opportunity to check out Gates’ site, it’s really well done and full of good information.

[photo: flickr/world economic forum]

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We’re sure just about every company on the map has an opinion on Apple’s new device, but a few big wigs have taken time out of their busy schedules to weigh in on the device. These are their stories.

• Nokia’s Mark Squires, Head of Social Media, was mainly confused by Apple’s statement that it’s the biggest mobile device manufacturer, surpassing Nokia in combined revenue on media players, phones and laptops. Mark argues that the accepted definition for “mobile devices” excludes laptops, and goes on to mention the undisputed fact that Nokia’s still number one when it comes to number of devices sold.
• Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, meanwhile, says that mobile devices aren’t a priority for his company yet. They’re fighting the good fight of the large screen, and once they feel comfortable in their various efforts there, then they’ll move on to small screens. Netflix hasn’t done or submitted an iPhone application, but Hastings did mention that he was optimistic that if Netflix did get into the game, the app would be approved for the App Store, and that it would run on both the iPhone and iPad.
• Satura Iwata, president and CEO of Nintendo, took a much more directly critical approach to the device, calling it a “bigger iPod Touch,” and that Apple delivered “no surprises.” In the same interview he expressed scepticism as to the value of bringing a high definition Wii on the market, as well as expressing doubts about 3D glasses-based gaming. Iwata is clearly a tough man to please.
• Perhaps most threatened by the iPad is Russ Wilcox, CEO of E-Ink. He says dedicated e-readers will outsell iPads due to “simple economics,” and that the iPad is “great entertainment device,” but it’s “not the world’s best reading device.” His criticisms, mostly in juxtaposition to Kindle-style devices, abound, including price, weight, backlight and so on. He’s right on the money about the shortfalls of a straightforward comparison, but we wonder if consumers will feel the same?

Nothing too salacious, unfortunately, and most of the points raised are pretty spot-on — though we do wish Reed Hastings would rethink his priorities just a smidgen and get Netflix onto mobile devices sooner than later. We’re needy like that.

Nokia, Nintendo, Netflix and E-Ink respond to the iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Money Mia! Amanda Seyfried is demanding a whopping $7.5 million to reprise her role in next year’s follow-up to Mamma Mia! — the most successful movie musical in box office history. Although Universal Studios insists there are no immediate plans to produce Mamma Mia! 2, Star Magazine cites sources which claim discussions are underway for a sequel to the smash hit that starred Seyfried as a blushing bride and Meryl Streep as the mother who wasn’t quite sure which of three fathered the young woman.

Sounds more like an episode of Maury than a film set to the soundtrack of ABBA.

According to Star’s Feb. 7 issue, Meryl has already inked a deal to return for the second installment of the sing-a-long. Amanda, however, recently exited her recurring role on HBO’s polygamy hit Big Love, and she’s ready to end talks if Universal can’t meet her $7.5 million asking price — which is substantially higher than what Amanda was reportedly paid to star in the original movie.

“She’s developing a reputation as an actress who is very ambitious when it comes to money and credit. She really hides behind her good-girl image,” an insider close to the negotiations said of the former “Mean Girl.”

Electric car company Tesla Motors has filed for a $100 million IPO. There were rumors recently floating around that the company, which is led by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, would go public “soon.” One interesting tidbit from the filing: Musk only takes $1 in yearly salary.

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Filed under: Rumors, SDK

A reader has sent us the above screen shot. It clearly shows six application icons on the iPad dock.

I was messing around with the iPad simulator, and I noticed that I could fit 6 icons in the dock. There was no modding involved. Since the iPad has a roomy screen, this could be very plausible. And since I am a jailbreak person, I know how uncommon this kind of thing is. But it goes along pretty well with Apple allowing the modification of the background.

Given that the the iPad has a much larger screen, this would be expected. However, none of Apple’s official shots of the devices shows six dock icons. With everything that’s been leaking out from the dev SDK in the last two days, there are surely many more surprises to come.

TUAWHow many icons on that iPad dock? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There are 15 events in five countries and on three continents in February. Lucky for you, four of them have discounts for ReadWriteWeb readers. Conferences, roundtables, and if you’re in San Francisco, free tacos from the famous El Toynaense Taco Truck – it’s gonna be a busy month.

How do you like your ReadWriteWeb events guide? As a world map? As a downloadable iCal (and Google Calendar-importable) file? You can even import individual events using the link beside each entry. Know of something cool taking place that should appear here? Let us know in the comments below or contact us.

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February 2010: Online

Startup Strategy Roundtable

Sramana Mitra – entrepreneur, author, and Forbes columnist – holds a free weekly strategy roundtable on positioning, financing, and other aspects of a startup venture. During the 60-minute session, five entrepreneurs pitch Mitra their business ideas. She reviews the material in real-time, provides feedback, and takes questions about positioning from other participants. Up to 1,000 people can attend each session, but only the first five who register to pitch will be able to present. All attendees are able to join in on the conversations via a live chat. Dates: Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25. Register here.

1 – 5, February 2010: New York City, Berlin, London, San Francisco, Toronto, São Paulo

Social Media Week

The second annual Social Media Week conference will explore the profound impact that social media has on culture, business communications and society at large.

The conference is designed as a series of localized events, which city partners are responsible for organizing. Programs will span a variety of formats, ranging from talks and panel discussions, to interactive workshops, seminars and networking events. Registration will open in January 2010 and the majority of events will be free thanks to the global sponsors and event partners.

You can find more information at http://socialmediaweekny.com.

3 February 2010: San Francisco, California

SF New Tech

SF New Tech is the Bay Area’s largest and longest running monthly tech event. In celebration of Social Media Week, on February 3rd, you’re invited to come on down to see and hear live demos from the executives behind Superfeedr, Bonvoy, Soundtrckr, LikeMinds, Amadesa, TalentHouse and more. Doors – and the bar – open at 5:30 p.m., and per usual, the famous El Toynaense Taco Truck will be parked outside dishing out free tacos. Demos begin at 7:30pm. Register here.

4 February 2010: San Francisco, California

Vator Splash

Vator.tv, a leading platform for innovators and entrepreneurs to broadcast themselves, is holding its inaugural Vator Splash event on February 4, 2010 at the Cafe du Nord in San Francisco. Catch onstage presenters: Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, Smule CEO Jeff Smith, August Capital VC Howard Hartenbaum and Google Ventures VC Bill Maris. Ten promising startups will also get to present onstage. Enter the Vator Splash competition if you want to present.

ReadWriteWeb readers get a 25% discount on their tickets using the code VatorReadWriteWeb.

8 February 2010: Tampa, Florida

Social Fresh Tampa

This is the social media conference that comes to you. Social Fresh is a one-day, case-study-rich conference targeted for marketers. Social Fresh Tampa will have 30+ speakers, including Chris Barger of GM, Maggie Fox of Social Media Group and John Andrews of Collective Bias (formerly of Walmart).

ReadWriteWeb readers get a 15% discount with the code “RWW15″.

10 February 2010: New York City

Online Community Unconference East

The Online Community Unconference East is a gathering of online community professionals – managers, developers, business people, tool providers, investors – to discuss experience and strategies in the development and growth of online communities. As we have found with our past events, the best source of information on all of these challenges is other knowledgeable practitioners. The event runs from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Digital Sandbox.

11 February 2010: New York City

NYC Venture Capital and Angel Showcase

FundingPost is hosting a VC showcase where 20-plus VC funds and angel groups will be exhibiting their firms during a great cocktail party setting. Each fund will have their own table setup for the sole purpose of meeting great new companies.

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop from 2:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. The cost to participate in the workshop will be $400. This workshop includes the $125 ticket to the event, and a 1/4 page listing in the Venture Guide Magazine. This event is sponsored by Credit Suisse, and takes place at One Madison Avenue, from 6-9:15 p.m.

18 February 2010: Silicon Valley, California

Future of Funding

Active limited partners, top rated venture capitalists, and successful entrepreneurs are invited to Silicon Valley on February 18, 2010 to discuss the Future of Funding. The venture capital bubble has burst, and change is coming. Now is the time to have a constructive dialog about the future with all of the stakeholders at the table.

Don’t miss the opportunity to partake in this exclusive event hosted by TheFunded. Please visit www.futureoffunding.com to see speaker and event details.

ReadWriteWeb readers use the code “RWW” and get 10% off.

22 – 24 February 2010: Miami, Florida

The Future of Web Apps Miami

The Future of Web Apps Miami is a three day event for Web application developers and entrepreneurs, and includes tutorials, inspiration and workshops taught by leading figures at the cutting edge of today’s Web. Companies at the event include Twitter, Facebook, Mint.com, Palm, FreshBooks, Reddit and Mozilla. Topics include HTML5, jQuery, online marketing, funding strategies, measuring the success of your Web app, and Facebook Connect. Find more information at http://carsonified.com

ReadWriteWeb readers use the code “RWW” and get $50 off.

25 February 2010: Miami, Florida

Miami VC and Angel Event

At FundingPost’s next event, a panel of investors who will focus on early-stage venture investing. We will be discussing trends in early-stage investing, sectors that these Angels and VCs look at, things that are most important to them when they are considering an investment and the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get their attention. Entrepreneur summaries will be given to the investor speakers and attendees – all of the investors will get your company description and contact info!

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop lunch where we will completely deconstruct your elevator pitch, and work with you on formulating a clean and concise elevator pitch giving the important information that investors need to hear to make an educated decision on your company! Then you get to give your new elevator pitch in person to the panel of investors during the event! Click here for more information.

4 March 2010: Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley VC and Angel Conference

At FundingPost’s next event, a panel of investors who will focus on early-stage venture investing. We will be discussing trends in early-stage investing, sectors that these Angels and VCs look at, things that are most important to them when they are considering an investment and the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get their attention. Entrepreneur summaries will be given to the investor speakers and attendees – all of the investors will get your company description and contact info!

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop lunch where we will completely deconstruct your elevator pitch, and work with you on formulating a clean and concise elevator pitch giving the important information that investors need to hear to make an educated decision on your company! Then you get to give your new elevator pitch in person to the panel of investors during the event! Click here for more information.

11 March 2010: Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles VC and Angel Event

At FundingPost’s next event, a panel of investors who will focus on early-stage venture investing. We will be discussing trends in early-stage investing, sectors that these Angels and VCs look at, things that are most important to them when they are considering an investment and the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get their attention. Entrepreneur summaries will be given to the investor speakers and attendees – all of the investors will get your company description and contact info!

Additionally, there will be an optional pitching workshop lunch where we will completely deconstruct your elevator pitch, and work with you on formulating a clean and concise elevator pitch giving the important information that investors need to hear to make an educated decision on your company! Then you get to give your new elevator pitch in person to the panel of investors during the event! Click here for more information.

15 – 16 March 2010: London, England

2nd Annual Social Networking World Forum — London

The 2nd Annual Social Networking World Forum takes place at the Olympia Conference Centre in London. The two-day event features four dedicated conference streams:

1. Social Networking World Forum
2. Enterprise social media
3. Social TV World Forum
4. Mobile Social Networking Forum

The event features key speakers from global brands, organizations, social networking publishers and developers, pioneering social media leaders, top agencies, content producers, and more.

• Full workshop program within exhibition area
• Evening networking reception
• Pre-show online meeting planner for delegates
• Free pass for exhibition only

7 – 9 April 2010: Sydney, Australia

ConnectNow

ConnectNow brings together international specialists and thought leaders in social media, emerging technologies and their intersection with business. Learn how the realtime web, location based services, augmented reality, ubiquitous computing and personalised services are changing marketing and communications. Understand the importance of trust in relationship marketing and what is “social currency”. For more info email [email protected].

16 April 2010: Mountain View, California

Under the Radar: Cloud

Under the Radar: Cloud is must-attend event for dealmakers and heads of IT from large enterprises, SMBs, service providers, carriers and media companies who are responsible for helping their companies leverage new technology and innovation in the fast-evolving IT ecosystem. Join us for the 15th Under the Radar conference, featuring a hand-picked selection of the world’s most innovative cloud startups among 350 top tech, media, telcom and finance executives. For ticket and more information, visit http://undertheradarblog.com.

16 – 17 April 2010: Royal Oak, Michigan

FutureMidwest

FutureMidwest is the region’s largest technology and knowledge conference. Founded by Adrian Pittman, Jordan Wolfe and Zach Lipson, FutureMidwest is the fusion of two successful conferences held in Michigan in 2009 – the Module Midwest Digital Conference and TechNow.

Both conferences highlighted how technology and digital tools have dramatically changed the way we do business and the effect this transition has had on companies. FutureMidwest kicks things up a notch with presentations, group breakout sessions, relationship-building opportunities and influencers who are taking action to redefine business in the digital age. Register here.

11 May 2010: San Francisco, California

FinovateSpring

FinovateSpring 2010 will again showcase the most cutting-edge financial and banking technology innovations to Silicon Valley and the world. With Finovate’s signature mix of short, fast-paced onstage demos (no slides are allowed) from handpicked companies and intimate networking time with their executives, this conference packs a ton of unique value into a single day.

Come see the cutting edge of banking and financial technology and network with hundreds of the leading financial executives, venture capitalists, press, industry analysts, bloggers and fintech entrepreneurs. Early bird registration rates are available.

5 October 2010: New York City

FinovateFall

FinovateFall will return to Manhattan on Tuesday, October 5 to showcase dozens of the biggest and most innovative new ideas in financial and banking technology from established leaders and hot young companies. The Fall event is the original and largest Finovate and features a single day packed with our special blend of short, fast-paced onstage demos (no slides are allowed) and intimate networking time with top executives from the innovative demoing companies.

FinovateFall is a unique chance to see the future of finance and banking before your competition and find the edge you need in today’s market. Early bird registration rates are available.

Download this entire events calendar in iCal format.

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Soon-to-be former Miss America, Katie Stam, capped off her final night as a beauty queen with a diamond engagement ring. Stam’s personal trainer boyfriend, Brian Irk, stunned the Oreo-lovin’ Katie with a marriage proposal at the Evening of Dreams Gala Friday night.

Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh will be one of six judges to decide who will be the next beauty to wear the Miss America crown at the 2010 Miss America pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas this evening.

Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham each have famous bodies, albeit for different reasons. One is an aging sex symbol whose curves are still the envy of a many of women, the other is a waify former Spice Girls with collarbones that could take an eye out… but apparently they can both fit into the same dress.

During an interview about her new fashion line recently, Victoria Beckham touted the collection’s “one-size-fits-all” benefits.

“My dresses are for women of all different shapes and sizes,” Posh told 10 magazine. “Actually, the one I tried on yesterday was the one Jennifer wore. Who’d have thought I’d be the same size as Jennifer Lopez!”

That must have been one helluva stretchy dress.

The following guest post was written by Edo Segal (@edosegal).

Earlier last week, as the day was coming to an end and I was speaking with my 5 year old at bedtime we shared the highlights of our day. I started by telling him the company that created the iPhone is about to come out with . . . I paused—how do I describe it?—well, a “big iPhone” I said. About this big, I gestured holding my hands about 10 inches apart. “Wow, Amazing!” was his instant reaction as his eyes lit up. Even my 5-year-old knows that bigger is better, especially when it comes to tactile interfaces. In fact, the advantages are probably more obvious to his generation than it is to ours.

For this first generation born into a world of the iPhone, Wii and soon the Xbox’s Project Natal, the distance between the metaphor created by these devices and the reality of their interaction is constantly shrinking. My wife is currently doing her PhD research on the merits of tangible interfaces for young children in education and the data is telling. There is no doubt that there is great potential to enhance learning with tactile computing. Through that lens the “Bigger iPhone” is akin to a bigger yard to play in or a bigger room. This insight is telling. For these kids the iPhone’s primary function is by no means a phone. It is first and formost a gaming device, followed by a networked camera, followed by everything else. Through this lens one can see the importance of the iPad in the historical trajectory of our human-computer interaction. What’s lost in all the complaints about what the iPad is lacking (multitasking, camera, etc.) is that people need to view the iPad on more than its merits as a first-generation product. Rather, they need to understand it in context of the evolutionary arc of computing.

Don’t think about the iPad as just a computer. Its true potential lies in its potential as a communications device. Already, it functions as an electronic reader, helping to bring the world of books to computers. But there is video and audio too, with the potential for VoIP apps and even one day a camera for video messaging. The artificial walls that separate our notion of communications and computing are being broken. It is time for the dawning of communications apps. Think about it. It makes absolutely no sense that we have these parallel universes on our devices that are relics of technologies past. The notion of voice as one stack of technologies and the rest must perish. Communications, both audio and video, will be weaved into the fabric of the app space. For example, an API should allow developers to integrate Skype-like P2P communications into their apps opening a new world of utility.

Only a company like Apple can have this kind of leverage over the telcos and only in the very near future will they be able to bring about this change. This goes for the iPhone as well as the iPad. The two are joined at the hip through 140,000 shared apps. In their dash to fortify their lead against the hordes dressed in Google colors, Apple must use its window of opportunity to push the envelope on what one can do with a touchscreen computer, but not yet with an Android-powered device. They must learn from their OS wars with Microsoft. Google will continue to copy their every move as did Microsoft before it. Fueled by their advertising money printing presses, Google gives away what Apple attempts to sell. This means Apple must drill deeper into the telco stack. Think of visual voicemail as a simple prelude. But they will have to go much deeper, making the communication experience itself evolve. Video calling will be made a reality with iChat for iPhone OS, and not just one-to-one calling but conference calling. Many claim that video calling is just a gimick and that it has never really caught on despite being available decades in one form or another. To them I would argued that it has never been attempted by a company with product-design excellence like Apple and furthermore it has never been integrated into a vibrant app ecology with tens of thousands of developers applying their creativity.

By opening up the communications stack via the API in a holistic way and introducing video and P2P realtime data transport, Apple will open a new world of communications apps that will further blur the lines between computers and communications devices. Imagine Xbox Live-type experiences where a group of teenagers fire away while being on a group audio chat, calling Hertz to reserve a car while seeing the agent and using swipe gestures to choose your car, even playing REAL strip poker (see illustration).

Utilitarian business communications, social interaction and gaming will all evolve and co-mingle on the platform. The iPad doesn’t need anything other than a data connection to function as a phone as well as everything else.

Whether they like it or not, the telcos will be relegated to running efficient data pipes competing on price and service. The iPad will further blur the lines between device categories and contribute to the coming confusion. As I wrote in a prior post this will significantly impact the media world as well.

Here’s another prediction: the coming iPad and next iPhone will have a front-facing camera and rest assured it will be put to good use. The lines between a device you put up to your face (a phone) and a next-gen communication device you speak at will continue to collapse. The fact you put it in your pocket or carry it around will also not define it as a “phone” anymore. In many ways the legacy technologies are coming full circle. You can be sure that when the inventors of the Internet sat down and brainstormed the topology of the network they used the metaphor of a phone number to explain the notion of it being a phone number of a computer. Now the phone number is the IP address of a person. It follows you in a nomadic form that is true to the human condition.

Extending this metaphor one can recognize another potential gap in the strengths of the forces aligning themselves against Apple. Namely, Facebook monopolizing the social graph. We carry with us on our “phones” our most intimate of social networks. Your contact list coupled with the frequency of communication you have with those people on your device makes for the most useful social graph of all. Without users needing to do anything they don’t do already, that social graph could be made extremely useful. Not a network of hundreds of people you didn’t want to say “No” to and friended despite your better judgement, but rather an intimate network of your real friends and family with a simple proximity threshold based on communication frequencies. Having someone’s nomadic IP (phone number) is an indication of a real relationship. Apple is in a position to capture that and control this namespace and add value to it. They already own Me.com and can build out that core MobileMe service to become the equivalent of a DNS service for telephone numbers by resolving them to peoples names. Think of it, a phone number is unique and is mapped to a person. It’s not so useless after all. With number portability people are holding on to these numbers with the same vigilance that some IT folks hold on to our static IPs.

What Apple should do is move Me.com to a freemium model ASAP and start amassing a high value social graph that will have increasing returns for the future of its platform. There is no reason for them to give up the addressable space of users to Facebook and Google when they own the point of origination and the best way to access consumers, their nomadic IPs. So there you have it: the path for Apple to combat the two other majors, who are all inching onto each others turf in more ways then one.

The winners, like with all such competitions (as long as no one wins), will be us. Welcome, iPad. Me and the kids are waiting.

Guest author Edo Segal (@edosegal) has launched and sold several companies. In 2000 he founded eNow, which he sold to AOL in 2006 (after it was renamed Relegence). Today, he runs his Incubator/Investment vehicle Futurity Ventures, which recently launched a new search engine for wisdom. iPad image via Flickr/Scott Chang, REAL strip poker illustration by Edo Segal.

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Lindsay Lohan in all her crazy glory

Ah Lindsay Lohan, how far you’ve fallen. Not that long ago a topless Lohan scene would have caused the internet to slow to a crawl, but today news that Lohan would be naked in the upcoming movie ‘Machete’ (which, as an aside, looks pretty amazing) has created barely any buzz at all from what I can see.

Not only was Lindsay Lohan one of the hottest things around circa 2004 or so, but she actually was kind of likeable. She was sort of adorable in Mean Girls, but of course we’ve since learned that was mainly due to the incredible skill of Tina Fey, and Lohan has since proven herself to be about as charismatic and likeable as a doorknob. ‘Machete’ is her first movie role in four years, she’s not a lead, and she clearly got hired mainly to create some buzz around a gratuitous nude scene. Someday they’ll make sad movies and Lindsay Lohan and Elton John might write a song about her, but right now the entire situation is just depressing.

What a Lindsay Lohan Nude Scene from ‘Machete’ might look like (pretend she’s the girl on the left)… NSFW Obviously

Robert Pattinson is taking on a new role – comic book star. Twilight’s Edward Cullen will get animated in Fame, an eagerly-awaited new comic book series from Bluewater Productions. Bluewater is the publisher behind the Female Force biography series that has featured influential women like First Lady Michelle Obama, Princess Diana, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, and Twilight author Stephenie Meyer.

The company expects the Pattz comic to be just as popular as its Twilight Saga series, which debuted in November.

Bluewater President Darren G. Davis said Friday: “Twilight fans want to know everything about the talented people who have brought them the story of Edward and Bella,” Davis said. “I’m pleased to be able to bring them Robert Pattinson’s story. It’s our hope that even the most devoted fans will discover a fact or two that takes them completely by surprise.”

“These biography comics are designed to illustrate interesting tidbits to fans about their favorite figureheads, and inspire them to learn more. I chose to conceptualize A-lister Robert Pattinson from a unique perspective, immersing the reader into the life of the talented actor beyond his most famous role,” comic writer Kim Sherman remarked with excitement in a statement of her own.

Rob’s comic will go on sale in May. Fame is also set to produce comic books about 50 Cent, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift later this year.

Spotted@

Captain Phil Harris

‘Deadliest Catch’ captain Phil Harris has been hospitalized with a stroke. Harris is the captain of the Cornelia Marie on the popular Discovery Channel show, and has captained the boat for 18 years. He now works with his two sons on the boat. Producers of the show told TMZ that Harris “suffered a stroke while in port off-loading from the F/V Cornelia Marie”. Harris previously suffered from a blood clot two years ago.


Season 5 ‘Deadliest Catch’ Preview Footage of Phil Harris

Check back with Harris’ official site for more details, hopefully Harris will make a full recovery here, as he did from the blood clot.