Delay on the cards though?

The rumour-mill is awash with Samsung Galaxy S III murmurs, following a couple of reports suggesting that the future flagship smartphone from the Korean company was facing a delay.

The Galaxy S III grapevine seemed to suggest that the next big Sammy Android instalment would be getting a February unveiling at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Not so, says The Verge though who cite our old pals “people familiar with the matter” as saying that Samsung had originally planned to announce the handset at MWC but has now decided to delay the news.

It will still be out “before summer” say its sources and the delay could be down to the long wait that the Galaxy S II endured after it was announced at MWC 2011 – it didn’t hit the US until September.

The trouble is, all these reports have overshadowed the fact that, as it stands, the Samsung Galaxy S III doesn’t actually exist. At least not officially. All we’ve got is some heated rumour mongering and a quote from JK Shin, president of Samsung’s mobile communications division, from last May in which he hinted a third-gen Galaxy S would arrive.

But Younghee Lee, Samsung’s head of global marketing has given the murmurings some added weight, with an official indication that the phone is coming, even if she didn’t say when. When asked to comment on the delay reports following the company’s latest earnings call she said:

“We are still reviewing several options when to launch, so we’ll let you know when it’s decided.”

It looks as if the rumours have basically forced an acknowledgement then. Lee could have said Samsung hasn’t announced such a phone, or that it doesn’t comment on speculation – instead she put more meat on the bones of a juicy rumour.

A UK Samsung source recently told Pocket-lint that plans for MWC are “being finalised at the minute”. Definitely a case of watch this space then…

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Tags: Phones Samsung Samsung Galaxy S III

Samsung Galaxy S III receives official recognition originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:53:00 +0000

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Smart in price alone

Can a telly that lacks Freeview HD, 3D and any semblance of a ‘smart’ platform really be considered suitable for modern living? That depends on what you’re after, but we’re sure Hannspree’s latest bargain basement edge LED-backlit LCD TV has enough to suit a lot of living rooms.

If you want the best online IPTV services around and an app-strewn user interface, it’s worth paying top dollar for sets from Sony or Samsung. The rest make a slight hash of it all in any case, so Hannspree – primarily known to us as the maker of budget-busting gadgets – is rather astute to completely swerve the whole ‘smart’ idea.

If a few quid has been knocked from the price already, another couple of tenners are saved through the lack of 3D compatibility, though plenty of homes are being perfectly well entertained without gimmicky children’s movies to get distracted by, so we’ll forgive that one, too.

Even the lack of a Freeview HD tuner makes sense at this price. We could go on forever about how we expect all new TVs to have a DVB-T2 tuner, but despite it being such a hit in 2010 that it’s now become a social faux pas to leave it out, the fact remains that homes with a Sky or Virgin Media set-top box – that’s about 15 million of us – just don’t need it. So why pay for it? Cable and satellite subscribers are often on the hunt for a back-to-basics telly capable of displaying hi-def signals with skill. Hanspree’s SE40LMNB could be that screen.

USB and digital file support

Despite coming armed with Edge LED backlighting, a panel depth of a mere 50mm and a Full HD resolution, the SE40LMNB does lack a lot of features considered normal on modern TVs. But, in an effort to distract us are some USB-fuelled features, which include digital file playback, pause and rewind live TV features (timeshifiting), and even TV recording.

In practical use all of these features are thoroughly disappointing. For starters, that USB slot is disarmed by some sloppy software that deals with the likes of JPG, MP3 and AVI (DivX) files, but fails with MKV – a very common video format.

Timshifting

ItsTimeshift features, too, are lacklustre – and even nudges being unusable. Although it can be used with a (minimum) 2GB USB thumbdrive, it’s too complicated. Pausing live TV takes three button presses and the navigation of two different menus. As if we’re going to do that when the guy with the lukewarm pizza turns up. Timeshift is supposed to be about convenience, but here Hannspree made us work far too hard to get some relatively simple tasks accomplished. It’s not even possible to set recordings from the EPG.

Was timeshifting added as an afterthought? Possibly – the remote control certainly isn’t equipped to handle such ‘advanced’ functionality.

Connections

A healthy dose of inputs and outputs give this budget TV a more mature look; three HDMIs meet component video, a PC and an RGB Scart (using an adaptor), while audio enters via phonos or a minijack, and exits through digital optical audio or a headphone socket.

Oddly, that optical slot is towards the top of a side-panel, which at a stroke makes it less enticing for owners of separate AV amplifiers and home cinema systems, though those with set-top boxes won’t need to use it.

Graphical user interface

A nicely designed GUI is unexpected and welcome. A subtle design that builds-in a functional Freeview guide complete with thumbnail of the live channel (with audio), and programme information is given for just six channels over two hours, though it’s quick to operate using the so-so remote control.

Picture & sound quality

Without much to shout about so far, we’re left virtually speechless when Blu-ray graces the SE40LMNB’s LCD panel. Detailed, with nicely cinematic colours and a decent stab at producing jet black, consider this a perfectly good set for partnering with a Blu-ray player.

That, however, is where the good stuff comes to a halt; standard Freeview pictures – and there are no other, remember, are covered in picture noise, while motion blur suddenly seems to smear moving objects around the panel. Colours collapse amid a realisation that, yes, expensive TVs with pricey picture processing are indeed much more versatile.

Sound from its twin 8W speakers is nothing to shout about, either, though what flat TV can claim otherwise?

Verdict:

At under ?350 the Hannspree’s sterling performance with Blu-rays will make the 40-inch edge LED-backlit LCD TV an attractive proposition for some.

If the lack of Freeview HD, 3D and smart TV apps don’t put you off, Hannspree’s combination of a good user interface and decent hi-def pictures is initially pleasing, though the shine is taken off by some messy, USB-driven timeshift features and a poor treatment of standard definition TV; in many ways its Full HD resolution works against it in terms of all-round versatility.

Tags: Televisions Home Cinema LCD televisions LCD TVs LED televisions LED TVs

Hannspree SE40LMNB originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:19:47 +0000

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Crowd-sourced and brilliant

We featured Star Wars Uncut as our Website of the Day here on Pocket-lint back in August 2010 and have been following its progress ever since. Now, the crowd-sourced project has been completed and is ready to be watched in its entirety; all two hours and four minutes of it.

Star Wars Uncut is the brainchild of Casey Pugh who, along with video editor?Aaron Valdez and?Bryan Pugh (sound design/mixing) undertook the mindnumbingly insane task of remaking the whole of Star Wars IV: A New Hope using fan-made material.

Casey cut the original movie into 15 second chunks and invited submissions from anybody who wished to film, animate or, generally, recreate their favourite bit. The Star Wars Uncut team have then stitched the entire film together using these crowd-sourced elements, and the end result is staggering.

So, if you have a couple of hours spare and fancy watching a familiar yet totally refreshing version of A New Hope, here is Star Wars Uncut: Director’s Cut in all its glory – starting with the best use of Twitter we’ve seen yet…

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Tags: Online Internet Websites Software Star Wars Star Wars Uncut

Star Wars Uncut finished – the entire movie remade by fans (video) originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:05:15 +0000

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Profit more than Google’s entire revenue

Apple, under the leadership of Tim Cook, has reported record sales for iPhones, iPads and Macs in its fiscal 2012 first quarter which spanned 14 weeks and ended 31 December 2011. These sales have helped the company earn a record quarterly revenue of $46.33 billion, with a net profit of $13.06 billion – more than Google’s entire revenue for the same period.

In the same period last year the Cupertino giant reported revenue of?$26.74 billion and net quarterly profit of $6 billion, so this year’s results show that the company has more than doubled its profit year-on-year.

This is in no small part down to the late release of the update to the iPhone, the iPhone 4S. Usually expected to launch in June, Apple’s latest handset was delayed and eventually hit the market in October 2011, therefore impacting the fiscal 2012 first quarter.

It has been announced that the manufacturer sold 37.04 million iPhones in the quarter (including former models), representing a?128 per cent unit growth over the year-ago quarter (naturally). The company also sold 15.43 million iPads (111 per cent growth year-on-year) and 5.2 million Macs (26 per cent growth). It also shifted 15.4 million iPods, although that represented a 21 per cent decline year-on-year.

CEO Tim Cook is, naturally, in a buoyant mood over the results, and promises more to come: “We’re thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs,” he said.

“Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline.”

Apple iTV anyone?

Tags: Apple Tablets Phones iPhone 4S iPad 2

Apple posts first quarter results: More than doubles profit year-on-year originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:07:45 +0000

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If Gerard Butler really did have mind-blowing sex with “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Brandi Glanville — as she proudly claims — he doesn’t remember it … asking TMZ, “Who’s Brandi Glanville?”In case you didn’t know … Brandi — Eddie…

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Bringing the popular Janet Evanovich series to the silver screen, “One for the Money” made its way into theaters everywhere today (January 27).

Starring Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum, the film tells the story of “unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum landing a job at her cousin’s bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.”

While giving press to movie, Ms. Heigl explained why “One for the Money” is a good ‘non-chick-flick,’ telling, “I think what’s sort of interesting about the books, is that they all have like a murder mystery tie-in with the bounty-hunting aspect of it. So it’s not all just about romance. It’s not all just about comedy. Especially, actually, in this movie, the murder mystery storyline is kind of dark and a little edgy, and gives it a vibe that is not purely chick-flick-ish. I’m really excited about it because I think it does appeal to everyone. It isn’t just a girls’ movie, and I think we’re working hard to advertise it so everyone knows that. It’s a good time for everyone, men included. And I forgot where I was going.”

Adding to the project’s star power, the Julie Anne Robinson-directed picture also hosts John Leguizamo, Jason O’Mara and Sherri Shepherd on its cast roster.

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After announcing plans to unveil his new music video this Monday (January 30), Adam Lambert is building up anticipation with a newly-released “Better Than I Know Myself” sneak peek.

The 29-year-old “American Idol” alum tells that the new offering is ?about the relationship you have with yourself, between your dark and light side. It?s about duality; it?s about that balance and finding it and struggling to maintain it and what it means.?

Lambert continued, ?Sometimes you screw up or you say something to hurt your partner?s feelings, or you haven?t been supportive. This song basically owns that, says, ?Look, I?m sorry. Sometimes I?m not perfect but without you I don?t know what I would do with myself. I need you because you are the only person that knows me better than I know myself.”

“Better Than I Know Myself” comes from Adam’s upcoming sophomore album Trespassing, which is due out March 20th.

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Leonard DiCaprio’s relationship with his 22-year-old Victoria’s Secret model girlfriend Erin Heatherton really hung in the balance this week — as the couple hit up an awesomely awesome zip line together in Mexico … and we got the pics!The exact…

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TOY FAIR 2012: R2D2 one as well

Kids like to keep things safe. They like Doctor Who. They probably have an iPod touch or iPhone.

So what better way to celebrate all that than with the Doctor Who Tardis Safe that will only open with a dedicated app and the right passcode?

Yep, that’s right, you need to have all three to get in to your new security locker, but rather than using the latest cutting edge technology like Bluetooth, Wireless or NFC, the app works by sending a receiver a series of lights as if it was Morse code once you’ve docked the phone.

That also means that you can work it with Android handsets as the company behind the new gadget told Pocket-lint that there is an Android app coming as well.

The lack of expensive technology means that the safe will cost just ?19.99 when it comes out in the UK in June.

Those not too fussed about Doctor Who will also be able to get an R2D2 safe as well, however it is considerably smaller. It too will be out in June.

Tags: Toys Dad ToyFair2012 Star Wars Doctor Who iPhone Phones Android

The Doctor Who Tardis safe that you unlock with your phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:46:00 +0000

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TOY FAIR 2012: Spoons

Salad Fingers, the downright strange but also fascinating YouTube animation is to get his own collectors action figure. Pocket-lint was at the Toy Fair in London to check it out.

Created by David Firth, the Salad Fingers character has become a firm favourite among internet obsessives. Firth’s website,?fat-pie.com is filled with strange and creepy animations, salad fingers being the most popular.?

The short cartoons see Salad Finger’s adventures in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. His obsession with rusty spoons and interactions with ants and other strange creations are now one of the popular memes on the Internet. Salad Fingers sits alongside the likes of Burnt Face Man, Jerry Jackson and Devvo (a personal favourite) on Firth’s website. Nearly everything he creates is seriously disturbing and definitely not one for the kids. If you can handle it though, his strange blend of cute and creepy can be quite addictive.?

Spotted at the London Toy Fair on the Together Plus stand, the figurine will come with three different heads to show his three different moods and will be limited to a run of just 2000 pieces.

Salad Fingers is expected to cost just ?16.99 and be available in the next couple months.

Tags: Toys Dad ToyFair2012 YouTube

Salad Fingers from YouTube becomes action figure originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:20:00 +0000

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Best Couples Of 2011

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Action bar is the future

The menu button on Google’s Android is all but dead and is to be replaced permanently by the action bar. That’s the message from Scott Main, lead tech writer for developer.android.com, who has posted an article advising Android developers to change their ways.

“Honeycomb removed the reliance on physical buttons, and introduced the ActionBar class as the standard solution to make actions from the user options immediately visible and quick to invoke,” he wrote. “In order to provide the most intuitive and consistent user experience in your apps, you should migrate your designs away from using the Menu button and toward using the action bar.”

The menu button has already been ditched on some Android devices, such as the Ice Cream Sandwich packing Samsung Galaxy Nexus and, going forward, Google wants just three buttons on offer; back, home, and recent apps.

The action bar, that will now see more, er, action is a dedicated area that identifies the options available to the user on specific apps. It sits up top and will mean that Fandroids will need to get used to a new way of interacting with their favourite apps.

If the tasks in hand are too much for the action bar to take, users will see an overflow button on the bottom bar (three dots in a vertical row).

“This might seem like splitting hairs over terminology, but the name action overflow promotes a different way of thinking,” explained Main.

“Instead of thinking about a menu that serves as a catch-all for various user options, you should think more about which user options you want to display on the screen as actions. Those that don’t need to be on the screen can overflow off the screen.”

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Tags: Android Google Phones Tablets

Android kills the menu button, demands action originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:11:24 +0000

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Your inbox will never be the same again

Fanboys, prepare your contacts list for a spruce-up like never before as Xobni Smartr Contacts for iPhone is hitting the App Store.

The announcement follows the launch of Smartr Contacts for Android and Smartr Inbox for Gmail back in 2011 and, apparently, tens of thousands of iPhone owners requested to be notified when the iPhone version went live.

Smartr contacts scans your email contacts, your phone-book, your Facebook buddies, your Twitter friends and more, and merges them all-together in an all-singing, all-dancing contacts list that not only groups all the phone numbers and addresses you hold but also gives you extra info such as recent activity and common acquaintances.

You can go further in the form of the Xobni Pro subscription, which costs $7.99 a month as well. For this you’ll be able to link your mobile device and Outlook Xobni results together. As many mobile users don’t have an excessive history of emails on their device, the benefits of having it scan your entire email account and sync this information goes without saying – for example, on the BlackBerry version we tested, it took us from hundreds of contacts locally on the device to in excess of 6000, when it added those it found in Outlook email too.

The basic version is free, and should be showing up in the App Store soon.

?

Tags: Apps iPhone apps Xobni for iPhone Xobni

Xobni Smartr Contacts lands on iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

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Oops

We’ve already started seeing rumours appear for the yet to be confirmed next generation of?Olympus?Micro Four Thirds Camera, the Olympus OM-D, and now we’ve got some more news thanks to another leak.

This time, rather than a leaked spy shot, it’s a more official sounding note from Wells Fargo advisors on the camera via a feed it has picked up from Kyodo News International, Inc. / Japan Economic Newswire.

Those who follow camera leaks will know that Wells Fargo correctly leaked news about the Nikon D4, Fuji X-Pro 1 and the Canon G1x ahead of the official announcements from Nikon, Fuji, and Canon. That implies to us that someone wasn’t told the news that the OM-D wasn’t supposed to come out yet.

More fool them and better for us we say. So what does the Well Fargo post say about the OM-D? Well…

“The company is hoping that the new product will come to symbolize its recovery from the recent scandal involving its coverup of investment losses, they said.”

The article then adds:

“The new OM-D model will be offered in the United States, Europe and some Asian countries as the top model of the company’s digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera series, selling for above 100,000 yen in Japan.

“The new model resembles the OM-1 film camera and is equipped with high-speed autofocus and image stabilization functionality as well as 16 megapixel resolution.”

We will keep you posted.?

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Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Olympus Olympus OM-D Micro Four Thirds

Olympus OM-D coming Spring, will cost around £850 claims leak originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

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Two-cylinder beast

We try not to get too hung up with engine size, the torque curve, 0-60 times and the like here at Pocket-lint. But for this Fiat 500 TwinAir review, forgive us if we make an exception to our own rule. Why? We hear you ask. Well, this 500’s only got two (yes two) cylinders under the bonnet – which makes it one of a kind for cars on sale in the UK today.

And the whole two-cylinder engine thing is rather central to pretty much everything about this car.

Design

You’ll be familiar with the Fiat 500 by now. Since 2007 the retro-style reinterpretation of the 1960s icon has been terrorising the streets of European cities, charming the pants off hip city-girls, their mums, dads and grandmas alike.

That shape is instantly recognisable, and regardless of how great a subscriber you are to the notion of modernist or minimal design, it’s hard not to fall for the smiling face of the 500, with it’s puppy dog eyes, retro touches of chrome and flashes of the Italian flag.

It’s a small car, but you’ve space for four – at a push – inside and a bigger boot than the Mini.

Jump in and the gloss dashboard, switch buttons that are like giant gobstoppers, and the stylised central binnacle lift the experience beyond the norm. Remember, you’re paying for a quazi-premium product here, and a crazy price tag is just a step away thanks to hundreds of different personalisation options, should the mood take you.

We’d suggest you don’t go mad, but you can do much more chic and interesting than our rather normal red-with-black test car.

Tech

Fiat’s connectivity interface is called “Blue and me”. It’s built on Microsoft’s in-car OS, meaning it’s the same architecture as Ford’s brilliant Sync.

You get an aux-in socket, USB port and 12v outlet just ahead of the cup holder, or you can use the Bluetooth. Then you control the phone, music and media via the steering wheel buttons and/or voice commands.

In our experience, talking to your car while driving, and telling it to play some Coldplay usually results in it asking “do you need directions to the motorway”. But Fiat has locked down the system so that the initial set-up and download of data from your phone or mp3 device can only be done while stationary – and it therefore doesn’t have a problem understanding what you say during set-up.

Once paired you only ever need shout simple instructions at it on the move, “Call Mrs Pocket-lint” for example, which it seems to obey with few issues.

Accept this isn’t the Range Rover world of TV and onboard cameras and it all works with a refreshing simplicity, which is kind of the entire point, isn’t it?

We’d also like to give a big thumbs up to fit for featuring a port on the dash-top, to slot in a satnav. We’ve long queried why car makers can’t move the cigarette/12v socket to a more sensible location, so you don’t have to trail wires all over the place to charge a TomTom.

How dim a view you take on the fact that you can only fit Fiat’s specific “Blue and me TomTom” device, rather than your existing nav, probably depends on how flush you’re feeling, and how much you’re bothered about everything integrating and working through the steering wheel. The company will relieve you of around ?280 for its device.

Driving

Now to that engine. Turn the 500 TwinAir on for the first time and you’re in for a shock. It starts with an almost electronic whine and then throbs into life before settling to a soft put-put-put at idle. For those of you into your mechanical sounds, think crossing a Vespa, a Porsche 911 and an electric kitchen knife and you’ll be some way to imagining what it sounds like. Sounds dreadful doesn’t it? In practice not so much, it puts a big grin on our face every time we press the accelerator.

Set off and the engine spins around the rev counter with surprising vim, and as the revs climb it makes a simply brilliant, like-nothing-on-else-on-the-road noise. The result is that you end up driving the 500 like a go-cart. Sure the ride’s bouncy and the steering feels like it’s turning through glue, but if you want refined or detailed feedback, you’re in the wrong segment altogether. It even does a passable job on the motorway – the flightly ride is less awful than many other tiny city cars, and hit the “eco” button and it all quietens down nicely.

Which is great except that the point of the TwinAir is that it’s supposed to be powerful enough for you to have fun when you want – mission accomplished – but uber-economical if you baby it. Well, we tried, and ended up getting 36mpg, which is pretty shocking for a city car, and one that includes stop/start at that.

Verdict:

Objectively, there are better cars than the Fiat 500 TwinAir. A Smart is smaller and easier to park, a Toyota iQ more sophisticated and space-smart, a Mini more premium and “big-car” in feel. But if you’re of a hard-headed logic, you’re probably not even be considering a 500 the first place. This is a car you buy with your heart because of the way it looks, or because you remember fondly the 60s original.

It isn’t just style over substance. There’s more than enough practical box-ticking here to make it an entirely justifiable choice.

Yes it’s expensive for its size and yes that engine’s economy is questionable, but you can forgive that because it’s just capable of putting a smile on your face – whether you’re looking at it or driving it.

If you’re worried about fuel economy, save yourself some money and buy the 1.2 petrol or better still the 1.3 diesel. But know that you’ll be denying yourself one of the most interesting, charismatic and fun sounding engines on sale in a car today. Sometimes emotion has to overrule logic, and the 500 TwinAir is one of those instances.

Tags: Car And GPS Fiat Fiat 500 Fiat 500 TwinAir

Fiat 500 TwinAir Plus originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:19:00 +0000

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Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus awarded on slime-filled Nickelodeon night.

By Aly Semigran

Photo: Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images

<P>For 23 years, <a href="http://www.nick.com/kids-choice-awards" target="_blank">Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards</a> has been an event in which celebrities can truly let loose. After all, it's hard to have an ego when you're getting covered in green slime or being inducted into the Arm Fart Hall of Fame (we're looking at you, Josh Duhamel).

Nick's 2011 awards show, which aired lived on the network Saturday from Los Angeles, kept with its tradition of stars finding themselves in some truly outrageous situations. <a href="/news/articles/1657689/jack-black-kids-choice-awards.jhtml">Host Jack Black</a>, who was at the helm for the third time (he last helped hand out those coveted orange kaleidoscope blimps in 2008), kicked things off with an over-the-top musical number. The funnyman, wearing a black leather jumpsuit with flames &#8212; the first of many quirky wardrobe changes &#8212; was joined by a group of dancers to perform his own rendition of the <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/black_eyed_peas/artist.jhtml">Black Eyed Peas</a>' hit "I Gotta Feelin'."

<div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:nick.com:784813" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed></div></div>

Black then introduced the group, as the "Jack Black Eyed Peas," and joined them onstage for "The Time (Dirty Bit)." BEP, who later won the award for Best Music Group, then sang their next single, "Just Can't Get Enough."

The first award of the evening was given out to <a href="http://www.mtv.com/movies/person/16504/personmain.jhtml">Johnny Depp</a>, who won Favorite Movie Actor for his performance in "<a href="http://www.mtv.com/movies/movie/373927/moviemain.jhtml">Alice in Wonderland</a>." Depp, who emerged from backstage, told the kiddie crowd and voters it was "truly a pleasure to receive this award that comes from you guys. I appreciate it."

After apologizing for beating Black in the category, Depp told Nick viewers, "You guys are the future; take good care of us." The actor then proceeded to get in on the fun, sliming the group of young fans who stood at the foot of the stage.

Depp's stunt led to one of the evening's most memorable &#8212; and by far, funniest &#8212; moments when "Arthur" actor Russell Brand and "Modern Family" star Rico Rodriguez appeared onstage soon after to present the award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie (the blimp eventually went to Eddie Murphy, who got the crowd to sing him "Happy Birthday," for his role in "Shrek Forever After").

Before Brand and Rodriguez could even begin their banter at the podium, the freshly slimed youngsters began throwing the green, gooey mess at the two stars. In response to the mayhem, Brand declared, "I'm never having children."

Brand continued, as he guarded Rodriguez from the kiddie coup, "I am English! I am your leader! You must not do this, I am royalty! You are all going to juvenile hall. You children are going to prison. You are bad children!" Brand, who is voicing a character in the animated feature "Hop," cried that the moment was not in the script, then joked, "Johnny, I wished you'd drowned them."

They weren't the only stars to get slimed during the broadcast. Heidi Klum, who almost took a spill thanks to her sky-high heels, got hit, as did Jason Segel, who received a slime slushie courtesy of Jane Lynch. Even Snoop Doog &#8212; who joined pop-rock group and Nick stars <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/big_time_rush/artist.jhtml">Big Time Rush</a> for their song "<a href="http://www.mtv.com/videos/big-time-rush/619502/boyfriend.jhtml#artist=3454569">Boyfriend</a>" &#8212; got doused in the green stuff.

As Willow Smith performed her hits "21st Century Girl" and "Whip My Hair," the 10-year-old was cheered on by her dad, Will Smith, and brother, Jaden Smith, who were in the audience.

The final big award of the evening went to <a href="/music/artist/cyrus__miley/artist.jhtml">Miley Cyrus</a>, who won for Favorite Movie Actress for "The Last Song." The former "Hannah Montana" star attempted to put gossip to rest during her acceptance speech as she thanked her family for supporting her career.

Cyrus will no doubt get fans wondering about the status of her relationship with "Last Song" co-star and on-again, off-again beau <a href="http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2011/04/01/mile-cyrus-liam-hemsworth-dating-again/">Liam Hemsworth</a>, whom she thanked for "helping me make movie magic" in the 2010 drama.

The Big Help Award, which was presented by Rosario Dawson, went to singer/actor Justin Timberlake for his devotion to charities, particularly the work he does with Shriners Hospital for Children. In between cracking jokes about burping and getting the crowd to cheer if they had ever helped anyone, Timberlake took the time to tell his young fans, "Your heart is the most beautiful part, so don't forget to use it."

In addition to telling kids they can do their part to help, even with major issues such as the crisis in Japan, the star said something bound to make any adult watching elated: "Listen to your parents!"

Finally, Kourtney and Kim Kardashian hit the stage to help give away the last award of the night for Favorite TV Show, which went to the kid-friendly Nickelodeon hit "iCarly."

Black kept a high energy throughout the show, including some interactions with his "Kung Fu Panda 2" character, Po, &#8212; one of which featured a cameo from Britney Spears in a pre-recorded segment. He ended the evening with a slime battle between himself and Jim Carrey, who made a surprise finale appearance.

Other winners included:

<B>Favorite Female Singer</B><br>
<LI>Katy Perry

<B>Favorite Male Singer</B><br>
<LI><a href="/music/artist/bieber_justin/artist.jhtml">Justin Bieber</a>

<B>Favorite Song</B><br>
<LI>"Baby" – Justin Bieber

<B>Favorite Movie</B><br>
<LI>"The Karate Kid"

<B>Favorite Animated Movie</B><br>
<LI>"Despicable Me"

<B>Favorite Reality Show</B><br>
<LI>"American Idol"

<B>Favorite TV Actress</B><br>
<LI>Selena Gomez

<B>Favorite TV Actor</B><br>
<LI>Dylan Sprouse

<B>Favorite Book</B><br>
<LI>"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series

<B>Favorite Cartoon</B><br>
<LI>"Spongebob Square Pants"

<B>Favorite Male Athlete</B><br>
<LI>Shaquille O'Neal

<B>Favorite Female Athlete</B><br>
<LI>Lindsey Vonn

<B>Favorite Video Game</B><br>
<LI>"Just Dance 2"

<i>What was your favorite moment at the 2011 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards? Tell us below!</i></p>

Related Photos

• Kids’ Choice Awards 2011 Orange Carpet

Related Artists

• Miley Cyrus
• Justin Bieber

Alex Rodriguez Ali Landry Ali Larter Alicia Keys Alicia Silverstone Alyson Hannigan

No data charges

Orange and the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organisation that operates Wikipedia, have joined forces to offer free learning to mobile browsers in Africa and the Middle East (AMEA).

Well, free learning and also free looking up of mundane stuff like what film you know the dad in Whip It from (Home Alone) and how many UK number 1s R-Kelly has had (two).

As long as mobile surfers with an Orange SIM and a web-enabled handset stick to the mobile Wikipedia page, they won’t be charged for mobile data.

“Wikipedia is an important service, a public good – and so we want people to be able to access it for free, regardless of what device they’re using,” said Sue Gardner, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation. “This partnership with Orange will enable millions of people to read Wikipedia, who previously couldn’t. We’re thrilled to be Orange’s partner in this important endeavour.”

Marc Rennard, group executive VP, Africa, Middle-East and Asia at Orange, added: “In countries where access to information is not always readily available, we are making it simple and easy for our customers to use the world’s most comprehensive online encyclopaedia.

“It is the first partnership of this kind in the world where we are enabling customers to access Wikipedia without incurring any data charges; and shows Orange’s ability, once again, to innovate in Africa and the Middle East, and bring more value to our customers.”

The partnership will see 20 African and Middle Eastern countries get free access in 2012. It’s a nice touch from Orange. Sure, it promotes its network – but it is less brazen than free cinema tickets, at least.

Tags: Online Orange Wikipedia Wikimedia Foundation

Orange and Wikipedia offer free knowledge in Africa and the Middle East originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:27:25 +0000

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