Ryan Seacrest Prepping Music Show for NBC

Ryan Seacrest is in early talks with NBC to do a music themed show.

Unlike "American Idol," the Ryan Seacrest Productions project is not a traditional competition show, nor is it clear that Seacrest would serve as host. At this stage, the potential series is in the preliminary stages of development, with the concept still being fleshed out.

What is clear is that Seacrest has no plans to have a show that would compete with "Idol," the Fox juggernaut that he's currently paid $15 million a year to front. Worth noting: that pact, with "Idol" parent CKX, bars him from appearing on any other broadcast network until 2012. It expires at the end of next season.

"It doesn't make a lot of sense to host a show competing with 'Idol,'" Seacrest said during an interview in his office in late March. "I think it's possible [to be the face of another show in the future], but at this point I certainly have not even gone down that road because 'Idol' is in a great place, so I think we're just enjoying that and we want to focus on that."

In recent years, the multi-hyphenate has been as -- if not more -- focused on expanding his footprint behind the camera as a producer, with a string of shows at E! (four iterations of the Kardashian franchise, "The Dance Scene"), ABC ("Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution") and TLC (upcoming "I Kid," hosted by Brad Garrett).

The musical offering is one of some 20 shows that RSP has in development, many of them with NBCUniversal networks. As Seacrest told The Hollywood Reporter in a cover story last month, the long-time Comcast Entertainment talent went into the merger with NBCU saying, 'Hey, what do you got? What can we do? Yes. Let's go."

The New York Post first broke the news.

Source: http://www.billboard.com/#/news/ryan-seacrest-prepping-music-show-for-nbc-1005167702.story

Rihanna, Black Eyed Peas, More to Perform at Billboard Music Awards

The 2011 Billboard Music Awards are shaping up to be one hot ticket: Rihanna, the Black Eyed Peas, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Taio Cruz are the first performers announced for newly revived show, which will air live May 22 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

And more announcements are on the way. On Wednesday morning (Apr. 13), the full list of nominees will be unveiled at a press conference in Las Vegas, where the Billboard Music Awards will be broadcast live on ABC. More announcements will roll out as the date approaches, so stay tuned to Billboard.com in the coming weeks for the latest updates.  

Tickets for the Billboard Music Awards are on sale now atTicketmaster.com. 

The Billboard Music Awards will reflect Billboard's chart rankings based on key fan interactions with music, including album, single and digital sales, radio play, touring, streaming and social interactions on MySpace, Facebook and other popular online destinations for music. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners. The awards will be based on the reporting period of February 28, 2010 through March 1, 2011.  Top artists will be recognized in a variety of genres, including R&B, Rap, Pop, Country, Rock, Latin and Alternative.  

"This show marks the first of several broadcast platforms we plan to build around the Billboard franchise," said Richard D. Beckman, CEO of Prometheus Global Media, which owns Billboard. "We have an incredible network partner and with Don Mischer, one of the finest producers in the world. We look forward to entertaining music fans with Billboard's own rendition of a televised celebration of music."

Source: http://www.billboard.com/events/rihanna-black-eyed-peas-more-to-perform-1005125872.story#/events/rihanna-black-eyed-peas-more-to-perform-1005125872.story

Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum Earn Billboard Music Award Nominations

Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum are the leading country nominees at theBillboard Music Awards. In addition, Jason Aldean, Sugarland and the Zac Brown Band received multiple nominations in the show's three country categories. The nominees were revealed Wednesday (April 13) in Las Vegas.

Swift is nominated in the elite top artist category with pop stars Justin Bieber, Eminem, Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Swift's other nominations include the all-genre top female artist and top Billboard 200 artist for sales across all genres. In addition, she's up for top country artist, top country album (Speak Now) and top country song ("Mine").

Meanwhile, Lady Antebellum earned all-genre nominations for top duo/group, top Billboard 200 artist, top Billboard 200 album (Need You Now) and top streaming song in audio ("Need You Now"). They are also nominated for top country artist, top country album (Need You Now) and top country song ("Need You Now").

In addition to Lady Antebellum and Swift, the top country artist category includes Aldean, Kenny Chesney and the Zac Brown Band. Aldean's My Kinda Party, Sugarland's The Incredible Machine and the Zac Brown Band's The Foundation round out the top country album category. Finally, The Band Perry's "If I Die Young," Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me" and Sugarland's "Stuck Like Glue" join Lady Antebellum and Swift on the top country song ballot.

According to the music industry publication, the awards are based on numerous factors, such as sales, airplay, touring, streaming and social interaction from Feb. 28, 2010 through March 1, 2011. The publication is honoring the top musicians in 46 categories across a variety of genres, including rock, R&B, alternative, dance, Latin and Christian music.

The trophies will be presented May 22 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The ceremony will air live on ABC. Previously-announced performers include Lady Antebellum and Keith Urban, as well as the Black Eyed Peas, Taio Cruz, Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna.


Source: http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1661925/taylor-swift-lady-antebellum-earn-billboard-music-award-nominations.jhtml

American Idols Live! Tour Dates Revealed

Someone else will be going home this week on "American Idol," but no matter who it is, that person can sleep soundly in the knowledge that their summer will be packed with a grueling set of dates alongside 10 of their finalist pals on this year's American Idols Live! Tour.
The dates for the traditional summer outing by the top 10 — only this year it will be the top 11 — is slated to kick off on July 6 at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah, keeping the singers on the road through a September 10 date at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York.
The 45-date jaunt will feature solo and duet sets from Casey Abrams, Haley Reinhart, Jacob Lusk, James Durbin, Lauren Alaina, Naima Adedapo, Paul McDonald, Pia Toscano, Scotty McCreery, Stefano Langone and Thia Megia. The singers on the show have already gotten a once-in-a-lifetime lesson in the rigors of making it in the music business and performing on a big stage in front of adoring fans, but the schedule for the "Idol" tour is typically unforgiving, with shows nearly every night and only a few days off per week. Tickets for the tour go on sale on May 13.
The finalist pool will be down to five by the end of Thursday night's show as the May 26th finale looms on the horizon.
American Idols Live! tour dates:
» July 6 - West Valley City, UT @ Maverik Center
» July 8 - Everett, WA @ Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center
» July 9 - Portland, OR @ Rose Garden
» July 11 - Sacramento, CA @ Power Balance Pavilion
» July 12 - Oakland, CA @ The Oracle Arena
» July 13 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion at San Jose
» July 15 - Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre LA Live
» July 16 - Ontario, CA @ Citizens Business Bank Arena
» July 17 - Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Arena
» July 19 - Oklahoma, OK @ Cox Convention Center
» July 20 - Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie
» July 21 - Houston, TX @ Reliant Arena
» July 22 - New Orleans, LA @ Lakefront Arena
» July 24 - Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
» July 26 - Duluth, GA @ Arena at Gwinnett Center
» July 27 - Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center
» July 28 - Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena
» July 30 - Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
» July 31 - St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
» August 2 - Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
» August 3 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
» August 4 - Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
» August 6 - Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
» August 7 - Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
» August 9 - Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
» August 10 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
» August 11 - Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
» August 13 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Boardwalk Hall
» August 14 - Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
» August 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
» August 19 - Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
» August 20 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum
» August 21 - Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
» August 23 - Long Island, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
» August 25 - Bridgeport, CT @ Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard
» August 27 - Providence, RI @ Dunkin' Donuts Center
» August 28 - Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
» August 30 - Portland, ME @ Cumberland County Civic Center
» August 31 - Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena
» September 1 - Worcester, MA @ DCU Center
» September 3 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arenav
» September 6 - Syracuse, NY @ War Memorial Arena at The Oncenter
» September 7 - Reading, PA @ Sovereign Center
» September 9 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
» September 10 - Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross Arena

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662886/american-idol-tour.jhtml

Steven Tyler To Debut Solo Video On 'American Idol' May 12

Steven Tyler has made it clear all along that he intends to make "American Idol" work for him. Though his Aerosmith bandmates questioned his decision to appear on TV's #1 reality show, Tyler has been savvy about his unlikely gig, making sure to place the band's music in multiple episodes, which has helped their catalog creep back onto the Billboard charts while keeping their name in the press.
Now, seeing how the "Idol" bully pulpit has helped fellow newbie judge Jennifer Lopez reboot her musical career thanks to the show's debut of her video for "On the Floor", Tyler is prepping his own turn in the spotlight.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 63-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will premiere the video for his debut solo single, "(It) Feels So Good," on the May 12 episode of "Idol." The song will get its radio debut Monday on "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM morning radio show. Though "Idol" sources would not confirm the report for MTV News, unnamed sources told the Reporter that the video would air on the elimination episode that will reveal this season's top three.
The video for the song, written by Tyler and frequent Aerosmith collaborator songwriter Marti Frederiksen, was shot just after Easter by director Ray Kay (Lady Gaga, Britney Spears) and was described by a source as "everything you would expect to get from a classic Aerosmith video ... pure, classic Steven Tyler in all of his rock star glory." Rumors say it features a cameo from former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger.
Tyler is on a promotional circuit to push his new memoir, "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?" due out Tuesday (May 3).

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663133/steven-tyler-it-feels-so-good.jhtml

Star Power

For all of us who, like Job, have suffered through tragedy and then dared to aim our questions at God, chapter 38 of Job’s book should give us plenty to think about. Imagine what it must have felt like for the great man of the East when “out of the whirlwind” he heard God say, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me” (vv.1-3). Gulp!

Job must have felt as puny as an ant. As God unveiled His questions in the verses that follow, what He said was as unexpected as it was powerful. He didn’t really answer Job’s “why” questions. Instead, God seemed to be telling him to notice the power and might with which He created this world and to observe His ability to control every element of it. Isn’t that reason enough to trust God? Job should have been asking himself.

As one example of His awesome power, God pointed to the sky and told Job to observe two of His awe-inspiring creations: Pleiades and Orion (v.31). Highlighting His grandeur and man’s relative insignificance, God mentioned two constellations that demonstrate power beyond our understanding.

This is Someone we can trust. If He has the stars in His hands, surely He can take care of us as well.

Creator of the universe
Who reigns in awesome majesty:
How can it be You love and care
For such a one as me? —Sper

He who holds the stars in space holds His people in His hands.

Source: http://odb.org/2011/04/29/star-power/

If I Could Stop The Clock

Every year when May rolls around in Michigan, I want to stop the clock. I rejoice when death is defeated by fragile sprouts that refuse to be confined by hardened clay and brittle branches. Over a few weeks, the naked landscape transforms into fully clothed trees adorned by bright, fragrant flowers. I can’t get enough of the sights, sounds, and scents of springtime. I want time to stop moving.

Also in May, I come to 1 Kings in my Bible reading schedule. When I get to chapter 10, I have the same feeling: I want the story to stop. The nation of Israel has bloomed. Solomon has become king and has built a magnificent dwelling place for God, who moved in with a blaze of glory (8:11). Finally united under a righteous king, they are at peace. I love happy endings!

But the story doesn’t end there. It continues: “But King Solomon loved many foreign women” (11:1), and “his wives turned his heart after other gods” (v.4).

Just as the seasons of the year continue, so do the cycles of life—birth and death, success and failure, sin and confession. Although we have no power to stop the clock while we’re enjoying good times, we can rest in God’s promise that eventually all bad times will end (Rev. 21:4).

Father, our days are filled with pleasures and struggles.
We would like for life just to have the joys, but we know
that’s not realistic in this sinful world. Help us to wait
patiently for You to bring us Home. Amen.

In good times and bad, God never changes.

Source: http://odb.org/2011/05/01/if-i-could-stop-the-clock/

Two Rules To Live By

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by rules and expectations? Think of how the Jewish people must have felt as they tried to keep up with more than 600 rules from the Old Testament and many more that had been imposed on them by the religious leaders of their day. And imagine their surprise when Jesus simplified the pursuit of righteousness by narrowing the list down to just two—“love the Lord your God” (Matt. 22:37) and “love your neighbor as yourself” (v.39).

In essence, Jesus is telling us that the way God knows we love Him is by how we treat people. All of them. Let’s face it—loving our neighbor can be a challenge. But when we do it to express our love to God, we unleash a powerful motivation that loves whether the person deserves it or not. And as we love God and our neighbor, everything else falls into place. If I love my neighbor, I won’t bear false witness against him, covet his wealth or his wife, or steal from him. Loving others for God’s sake even provides the grace and strength to forgive those who have heaped injustices upon us.

Who needs to see God’s love today through you? The more unlovable the person, the greater the statement about how much you love God!

To love your God with all your heart,
Your soul, your strength, your mind,
Enables you to love someone
Who’s hurtful and unkind. —Sper

Loving God is the key to loving others.

Source: http://odb.org/2011/05/02/two-rules-to-live-by/

Serve Him Today

Most of us have wanted something so badly that even though we knew it was wrong, we plunged after it anyway. Later we have felt sorrow for our spiritual stubbornness and stupidity. In the aftermath of willfully disobeying God, we may become angry with ourselves, numbed by regret, or resigned to the consequences of our foolish mistake. But there is another choice.

When the people of Israel insisted on having a king despite the warnings of Samuel the prophet (1 Sam. 8:4-9), God allowed them to have their way. But when they realized the tragic results of their choice, they asked for Samuel’s help and prayers (12:19). Samuel told the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart” (12:20).

We can’t undo yesterday, but we can act today to influence tomorrow. Samuel promised to pray for them and teach them the right way. He urged them, “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you” (v.24).

God invites us to serve Him today, humbly acknowledging His forgiveness and His faithfulness.

Sins confessed you must forget;
Look not back to yesterday—
Full of failure and regret;
Look ahead and seek God’s way. —D. De Haan

Don’t let yesterday’s failures bankrupt tomorrow’s efforts.

Source: http://odb.org/2011/03/30/serve-him-today/

Never Alone

Having played intercollegiate soccer, I’ve never lost my love for “The Beautiful Game.” I especially enjoy watching the English Premier League. One reason is the skill and speed with which the game is played there. Also, I love the way the fans sing in support of their beloved “sides.” For instance, Liverpool has for years had “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as its theme. How moving to hear 50,000 fans rise as one to sing the lyrics of that old standard! It’s an encouragement to players and fans alike that together they will see each other through to the end. Walk alone? Never.

This sentiment has meaning for everyone. Because each of us is made for community, isolation and loneliness are among the most painful of human experiences. During painful times, our faith is vital.

The child of God never needs to fear abandonment. Even if people turn on us, friends forsake us, or circumstances separate us from loved ones, we are never alone. God has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). This is not just a nice tune or clever lyrics offering an empty sentiment. It is the promise of God Himself to those who are the objects of His love. He is there—and He isn’t going away.

With Christ, you will never walk alone.

God’s unseen presence comforts me,
I know He’s always near;
And when life’s storms besiege my soul,
He says, “My child, don’t fear.” —D. De Haan

God’s presence with us is one of His greatest presents to us :)

Source: http://odb.org/

Sony VAIO F-Series With 3D

If you look at most of Sony's VAIO laptop lines, it's easy to be impressed with the company's design chops. For instance, who wouldn't like the S-series, with its very thin, elegant design?

The VAIO F-series, however, has as unattractive a physical design as I've seen in a long time. The display and the body shell are different sizes, and when closed, the whole laptop seems to have an underbite. The VGA port bulges out the left side, as if it were an afterthought. And the way the top and bottom are beveled makes the two parts look as though they are poorly mated.

Once you get past the ugly exterior, however, you'll find much more to like. The display is bright and renders colors with reasonable fidelity. High-definition movie content and photographs look gorgeous if you're sitting in the sweet spot; off-axis viewing angles are predictably poor, but that's a common shortcoming of laptop LCD panels. The display supports the 120Hz refresh rate necessary for 3D stereoscopic support, and Sony bundles Corel WinDVD with full support for 3D Blu-ray.

I checked out several 3D Blu-ray discs, including a Disney demo disc and IMax's Deep Sea 3D, and all of them worked very well. The LCD shutter glasses that Sony includes with the unit are a cut above the stock Nvidia 3D Vision glasses, and they fit over regular glasses a bit better.

When I fired up the on-board speakers with music for the first time, I almost shut the system down. The default sound quality was atrocious--simultaneously loud, harsh, and tinny sounding. Digging into the VAIO control panel, however, I noticed the Dolby Home Theater logo, with a checkbox next to it. Enabling that feature substantially improved our test unit's audio quality, leaving me to wonder why Sony doesn't enable it by default. Even with Dolby HT enabled, the sound isn't especially accurate, but at least it's fairly pleasing--and it does get reasonably loud.

The keyboard is a pleasure to use, with good tactile feedback and excellent spacing between the Chiclet-style keys. The cursor keys are on the small side, however. The trackpad is located off-center (but centered relative to the space bar) and is extremely touch-sensitive. Mouse clicks, on the other hand, sometimes didn't register even after several button pushes. Using a portable mouse with this unit is probably a good idea.

The VAIO F-Series offers a couple of intriguing features that we couldn't test. You can use the VAIO as a keyboard for the PlayStation 3, using the included PS3 connection software. Other software bundled with the system includes Norton Internet Security (60-day trial), Evernote, and Microsoft Office Starter, plus added Sony utilities.

The VAIO F-Series laptop that we tested included 6GB of RAM plus an Intel Core i7 2630QM CPU. In our PC WorldBench 6 testing, the unit was slightly slower than other laptops equipped with the same CPU; this may be due in part to the somewhat sluggish Toshiba hard drive. Game performance was about the same as for the Digital Storm XM15, which isn't surprising, since both carry the same Nvidia GeForce GT 540M mobile GPU. Unfortunately, you must dial down the system's resolution and detail settings with current generation DX10/11 game titles in order to obtain acceptable frame rates. And while the unit theoretically can run games in stereoscopic 3D, you'll have to crank the resolution down to 720p--and sacrifice some detail settings--if you hope to do any stereoscopic gaming.

As configured, our laptop cost just under $1900, which is fairly pricey for what we got. Overall, the VAIO F-Series appears to be a solid multimedia PC with limited gaming chops and a crisp display that is perfectly capable of showing off stereoscopic 3D movies. But the beauty is entirely under the hood: If you don't mind the unsightly exterior and are willing to pay the Sony premium, the F-Series is worth a closer look.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/226591/sony_vaio_fseries_with_3d.html

The 21 Greatest PC Mysteries--Solved!

Modern PCs are certainly marvels of technology--and yet for all their advances, computers still do crazy, inexplicable things. With the average machine, there's enough mystery to keep Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple hopping for a month--and enough frustration to make the average user want to commit murder most foul.

Computing mysteries tend to be less "Who dunnit?" and more "Why won't it?" For example, you may have puzzled over why Windows obstinately re fused to let you delete a stalled print job, or wondered why you couldn't find the file you just downloaded. But worry not: We've rounded up these and other mindbogglers of the PC universe--and solved them for you.

(For explanations and helpful tips, click the links.)

Where did my downloaded files go? Why can't I find them?

Your browser chooses where downloads go, but you can control the process.

Why doesn't my iPad charge when I connect it to my computer?

Your PC's USB port doesn't supply enough juice--but you can still charge your iPad, gradually.

Why does a video play on my desktop but not my laptop?

If a computer doesn't have the specific decoder for a video format, you can't watch the video. Get the right one.

Illustration by Ross MacDonaldMy printer won't print, and Windows won't allow me to cancel or delete print jobs. What's going on?

Usually this is the result of a communication problem between the PC and printer. Get them talking.

I hear beeps when I turn on my PC. What do they mean?

Those beeps come from the BIOS (a piece of software built into the motherboard). Find out what a "beep code" means.

In a folder full of digital images, I often notice a file called Thumbs.db. What is it, and can I safely delete it?

Thumbs.db is a Windows XP system file that contains the thumbnail cache for a particular folder. You can tweak Windows to get it out of your way.

Why does every digital camera--even the one on my smartphone--insist on storing photographs in a folder called DCIM?

DCIM (for Digital Camera IMages) is the default directory structure for digital cameras--and having such a standard is very useful.

Illustration by Ross MacDonaldMy Recycle Bin has disappeared. How do I go about restoring it?

Whether it was a victim of a glitch or never available in the first place, you can follow a few simple directions to restore the Recycle Bin.

Why does Windows sometimes reboot without my permission, and how do I prevent that from happening?

This problem relates to how Windows installs automatic updates. Fortunately, you can make some tweaks.

Where do all these mysterious Web browser toolbars come from, and how do I get rid of them?

Sometimes spyware installs browser toolbars, and sometimes you do it accidentally during software installation.

How did I end up with QuickTime on my PC, and do I need to keep it?

This media-playback software comes bundled with iTunes and installs along with it.

I have Microsoft Word installed on my PC. Why can't I open the .docx files my friend sent me?

If you use Word 2003 or an earlier version of the program, all you need is the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.

Illustration by Ross MacDonaldWhy won't Windows allow me to delete a certain file?

If Windows refuses to delete a file or folder, some application or process is accessing it.

Why do some programs leave files and folders behind even after I've uninstalled them?

Many programs' uninstallers are ineffective. Use a utility that removes not only the application but alsoall of the pieces it leaves behind.

Why do Adobe Reader and Java update so frequently? Do I have to allow it?

Most Adobe and Java patches are made to plug security holes, so you should update them--or use alternative software.

Is it absolutely necessary to update Windows?

Yes, you should definitely apply Windows updates for security reasons, but you can take a few steps to cut down Windows' nagging.

Does it matter whether I ‘Safely Remove' devices?

Absolutely: If you ignore Windows' requests to "Safely Remove" your storage media, you could end up with corrupted files, un readable media, or both.

Windows asks me if I want to enable Sticky Keys. What are they, and how should I use them?

The Sticky Keys feature makes certain keyboard functions easier to access.

Why can't I send out a particular file attachment through e-mail?

The file is probably too large. Check out free services that let you work around file-size restrictions.

Illustration by Ross MacDonaldHow can I determine whether an unknown Website is safe to visit?

Read our suggestions on figuring out whether a link is safe from malware or other threats before you click it.

What are the .dat files I sometimes receive in e-mail messages, and how do I open them?

Microsoft Outlook uses a modified version of Rich Text Format to preserve fonts and the like, but it often causes problems for the recipient. We have three suggestions for coping.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/217250/the_21_greatest_pc_mysteriessolved.html