Zac Hanson, the youngest of the brothers in the rock trio, Hanson, is now a father. John Ira Shepherd Hanson was born Tuesday to Zac Hanson and his wife, Kate, at an undisclosed hospital in Hanson's hometown of Tulsa.
The new father is overjoyed with the news. "There is not an audience or concert that could ever stand up to the feeling of meeting your baby for the first time," said Zac.
I wonder if John Ira Shepherd will get MMMbop lullabyes from his dad?
Wow, celebrities sure like to be pregnant these days, eh?
Angsty-chic pop star Ashlee Simpson is expecting a baby with Fall Out Boy star Pete Wentz. Which you probably already know because you read Pete Wentz' blog, we all do, right? Ok maybe not, but Mr. Wentz posted the announcement there for all of us to know. I guess he's just a proud father to be.
Jessica released her first single from her country album "Come On Over," which aired on Jacksonville, Fla. radio station WQIK.
"She's a singer from top to bottom," her manager/father Joe Simpson said. "And everything in the music business, especially pop music, has moved away from singers. And I think country is the the only pure, storytelling kind of genre left."
We never ceased to be amazed by how much technology cellphone makers manager to cram into increasingly tinier phones. For instance, Motorola's new W775, now available through Verizon for just $69.99 after contract and rebates, includes an MP3/AAC/WMA-compatible music player with access to Verizon's VCast music service and stereo Bluetooth, access to VCast TV services, VZ Navigation and Verizon's Chaperone service, which lets you use GPS to locate your child with the phone, and a 1.3 MP camera.
Among this RAZR-like clamshell's other pedantic but functional attributes are EV-DO broadband data connectivity, bright and colorful 1.1-inch and 1.9-inch LCD screens outside and in respectively, a microSD card slot that can accommodate a 4 GB card, and external music and sound controls that let you mute the phone without opening it. It's a bit chunkier than the RAZRs, but it has a cleaner easier-to-punch keypad compared to Motorola's funkier phones. The W775 may not be sexy, but it does what it's supposed to do.
Nokia's XpressMusic phone has moved from its chubby adolescent saddle shoe aesthetics in the model 5300 to the new 5310, a sexy .39-inch waif-thin candybar, but remains one of the most unpretentious – and least expensive – music phones around. It's available starting today for just $49.99 after the usual contract stipulations and rebates.
While the 5310 includes no online memory – what do you want for 50 bucks? – but a 4 GB micro SD card will hold up to 3,000 (assuming 48 kbps each) WMA, AAC or MP3 tracks on an optional 4GB microSD card (a 1 GB card is included). The 5310 retains its predecessor's external physical (rather than touch) music controls, FM radio and 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, but adds a 2 MP camera and stereo Bluetooth. It's a tri-band EDGE phone so don't count on speedy internet conenctions or track downloads (T-Mobile doesn't have a music service), and instead of white, the 5310 is available in three color combos: black/red, black/purple and black/orange.
To get you started, the 5310 will come preloaded with two exclusive tracks from Panic At The Disco and Phantom Planet, along with Panic At The Disco’s "That Green Gentleman" video and an exclusive making-of video with a greeting from the band.
American Idol winner David Cook asked out former "Idol" star Kimberly Caldwell on live television Wednesday night and she said yes. Caldwell was a contestant on the 2nd season of American Idol.
Take a look at this clip of David asking out Kimberly on live TV!
Download American Idol Winner David Cook's first ringtone: The Time of My Life
In less than a month, arguably the coolest cellphone ever will be released – and it's not Apple's 3G iPhone. It's the Sprint Instinct by Samsung, which which will arrive in Sprint stores on June 20 backed by a $100 million marketing campaign.
Instinct features a laundry list of capabilities lacking in the current iPhone – tactile QWERTY keypad and menu vibration feedback (haptics), Sprint's streaming "live" TV, music downloads via Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A broadband network, video recording, stereo Bluetooth, GPS with voice turn-by-turn directions, direct photo upload to Flickr, and voice command for GPS points-of-interest searches, although we don't know what improvements Apple will add to the 3G model that will hit stores at around the same time as the Instinct.
Instinct arguably has more instinctual navigation than the nearly identical iPhone; there are three direct access touch keys below the 3.1-inch touchscreen for the home menu (like the iPhone), a "back" arrow and for the phone dialpad. And also are four "home" screens: a "main" screen that lists everything, a "Web" screen with customizable bookmarks, "Fun" with links to all the Instincts A/V apps, and "Favs" for direct access to all your favorite apps.
Instinct is lacking when compared to the iPhone in one vital area: it has no internal memory. Sprint will pack a 2 GB card with the phone, which will only get you started. In common with iPhone, Instinct is equipped with a 2 MP still camera, music player, a 3.5mm headphone jack, threaded texting and one of iPhone's greatest innovations, visual voice mail.
Instinct likely will sell for between $200-$300 after the usual contract and rebates, then $69.99/month for 450 voice minutes and unlimited data or $99.99/month for unlimited everything.
Can you hear the theme song in the back of your mind? No? Well let me help you. Here it is, in all of it's loveable ringtone glory: Indiana Jones Theme Song
David Cook triumphed in a massive 12 million vote landslide American Idol victory against opponent David Archuleta in the finale of last night's show. A number of amazing performances capped off the evening. Donna Summer and Syesha Mercado sang "Last Dance" together. Donna also sang her new hit "Stamp Your Feet".
Tonight is the the night! The final two contestants on the 2008 season of American Idol performed last night, and the winner will be chosen in just a couple hours.
In the contestant's last chance to woo America, they performed classic favorites. Andrew Lloyd-Webber appeared on the show as a coach. David Cook sang U2’s With Or Without You. Simon suggested that Cook should have performed a different song, such as Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, or Lionel Richie's Hello.
Who do you think will win tonight's competition? I'm not sure but I hope they put out some great songs. Click on any of the artists or songs above to check out the ringtone for the original song.
No, not Sideshow Bob, Robin or Vanna White, but a new Sidekick, the specialized texting cellphone. T-Mobile is now offering a special scarlet Sidekick as an option for more fashion-conscious texters for $199.99 with a two-year contract.
The T-Mobile Sidekick Slide Scarlet is outfitted exactly the same as the current plain black version – quad-band world phone, QWERTY keyboard, swing-out 2 x 1.5 inch QVGA screen, Web surfing, MySpace application available through the carrier's Download Center, POP3 and IMAP email, MMS, SMS and IM capable including AOL IM, Windows Live and Yahoo! Messenger, 1.3 MP camera, AAC/MP3 music player, microSD card slot and Bluetooth.
Last night was rewarding for many of Thumbplay's top country artists. Kenny Chesney took home the Entertainer of the Year Award at this year's Country Music Awards. Brad Paisley was awarded with Top Male Vocalist Honors, while Carrie Underwood won Top Female Vocalist. The energetic Rascal Flatts won top vocal group, and the Brooks & Dunn won top vocal duo. Miranda Lambert took home album of the year, and Sugarland took home best song with their single, Stay.
Here at Thumbplay, we have tons of tones from the Princess of Pop herself, Britney Spears. Some of the most interesting tones in her collection, are the dance remixes of her hits.
Keep your mobile phone energized all weekend with these great mixes of Britney's smashes:
Last night Fantasia's return to the American Idol stage was a complete success. Barrino stole the show and was certainly the most exciting part of the night. Her high energy rendition of "Bore Me" was anything but boring. She had everyone out of their seat with their hands in the air.
Everyone wants to play in iPhone's tent, and BlackBerry is angling for a bunk with its new Bold smartphone, due this summer worldwide.
The Bold is a tri-band GSM worldphone and the first from Blackberry to offer access to HSPA broadband wireless networks, but only at 3.6 Mbps; the 3G HSPA iPhone will speed by on 7.2 Mbps HSPA systems, one of the few aspects of Apple's next generation device (due next month) we know for sure.
The Bold's iPhone-beating benefit is more multimedia – movie viewing, photo slide shows, Roxio music management and even an iTunes sync application – plus a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, 1 GB internal memory and an external micro SDHC memory card slot. But BlackBerry's raison d'être is email, which is what makes it preferable to the iPhone and it's awkward touchscreen keypad. No matter how rich RIM makes the Bold's multimedia capabilities, it can't compete with iPhone.
This doesn't mean that the Bold isn't bulging with goodies that will make Blackberry users a little less envious of their iPhone-toting compadres for non-email activities. Bold boasts DataViz' Documents To Go, which enables downloading and editing of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. Bold also adds a/b/g WiFi, integrated GPS functionality, a 2 MP camera with video recording and the fastest processor Blackberry has yet offered.
25 years later, Michael Jackson's hit album, Thriller, is getting people excited, now on reality dance television shows.
On tonight's episode of Dancing with the Stars, a Thriller tribute will be performed by Seventeen dancers along with Omarion and Mya. Their routine will be set to a medley of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin',""Billie Jean" and "Thriller." America will be tuned in for this one. Currently Dancing With the Stars is viewed by an audience of 20 million viewers per episode!
And soon after that, audiences can enjoy another take on Thriller when Bravo's Step It Up & Dance has a Thriller Episode. The Step It Up & Dance cast has previously performed their Thriller routine live on the Today show and at the Tribecca Film Festival. On the May 29th episode of The Step It Up & Dance, you can see what you may have missed as the cast performs their Thriller tribute once again. This episode will also include a segment with "Man In The Mirror" from the Bad album.
HTC's second-generation Touch, dubbed the Diamond, will make its debut in Europe next month, the Middle East and Asia a month or so later. Touchy U.S. consumers will have to wait until later this summer or fall.
Both the Touch's interface and the aesthetics have been upgraded in the Diamond from the Touch currently available through Sprint. The Diamond is a GSM version that'll work on 7.2 HSPA networks, so we're guessing we'll see it from AT&T Wireless when it makes its way to the U.S. Rather than the grip-friendly rubberized casing on the Sprint Touch, the Diamond appropriately looks shinier and sleeker. And instead of the single action button on the current model, the Diamond features a number of direct application keys below the screen which will make getting around the phone features much easier.
The company claims the Touch Diamond's software interface has been approved, which is a relief since interacting with the current Touch pales in comparison to the larger iPhone, with which it is often compared. One early user reports that Windows Mobile 6.1 is nicely disguised within the Diamond's GUI and HTC's TouchFLO 3D provides a flip-though experience for browsing music, contact and other entries similar to Apple's Cover Flow. HTC also touts a new Web browser that optimizes pages to fit its 2.8-inch touchscreen display and, like the iPhone, allows users to zoom in on pages, which automatically re-orient themselves when the phone is turned from portrait to landscape.
PCWorld reports that HTC has built in some other neat features. For instance, if you don't want to answer a call, laying the phone face down silences the ringer. Taking out the stylus during a call automatically boots the notepad application. Flashing LCD lights on the touchpad below the display screen will indicate missed calls, emails, text messages, etc. Only slightly less glitzy bells and whistles include b/g WiFi, a 3.2 MP camera, a music player, 4 GB of internal storage, push email and stereo Bluetooth.
We'll just have to wait a few months before we can play with it ourselves.
Rap star Lil Wayne is on his way to being the hottest MC in the game according to a lot of fans and critics. He always manages to keep things interesting. He featured a real baby picture of himself in the album art for Tha Carter III, to be released on June 10. Lil Wayne has also had some interesting criminal charges placed against him recently, but it's not getting in the way of his success. Rumors also speculate that he will be touring with Keyshia Cole this coming year.
Tina Turner, the ultimate Diva with legs that kill and countless hit records, is back on tour this fall. Her tickets go on sale this May, starting on Saturday the 10th. Turner recently made a smokin appearance at the 2008 Grammys during a duet with Beyonce. This Proud Mary sure keeps on burnin!
The new skinnier LG enV2 (squared) handset is now available at Verizon Wireless stores nationwide for $129.99 after a $50 rebate and the usual two-year contract or extension.
Sort of a touch-less version of the LG Voyager (although technically the Voyager is a touchscreen takeoff of the older enV), the new enV, like its predecessor, is a horizontal flip phone. The front of the phone looks like your standard candy bar phone. Crack it open and you get a larger 2.4-inch widescreen bracketed by twin speakers and a full QWERTY keyboard like a tiny PC, perfect for heavy emailers and texters.
The new enV is .13 of an inch thinner, more than a half-inch shorter and nearly a half ounce lighter than its predecessor. You can yack for up to 5 hours and 20 minutes, almost an hour longer than on the original enV, and will standby for more than three weeks on a single charge.
You won't be envious (sorry, had to do it) of anyone else's phone with the enV's feature pack. For one thing, the enV will be one of the first Verizon handsets equipped with VZ Navigator 4, Verizon's cell-based navigation service ($9.99/month, $2.99/day). enV also includes a 2 MP camera/video recorder, V CAST Music for MP3, WMA and non-protected AAC playback, V CAST Video, all the usual POP3 and IMAP email options, a micro SDHC slot (up to 8 GB) and Stereo Bluetooth.
After a long hiatus, Coldplay is back with their new single, Violet Hill. Coldplay, one of the most commercially successful acts of the new millennium, is set to rock the charts again with this summer’s release of their fourth studio album "Viva la Vida."
The album’s first single, "Violet Hill," has recently started playing on the radio. Coldplay fans can now also download a ringtone of an exclusive alt edit of “Violet Hill” through a partnership between EMI and Thumbplay, the #1 mobile entertainment content service in the U.S. This ringtone cut will be available exclusively to American consumers on http://www.thumbplay.com/ until 6/6/2008
Four handsets from T-Mobile are going to get a speed boost, at least if you're using them in New York City. The carrier has launched 3G UMTS/HSDPA service in the Big Apple with plans to roll out 3G network coverage in 20-to-25 of the country's major metro markets by the end of the year.
Immediately, two Nokia flip phones, the 6263 and the 3555 world phone, the latter of which became available two weeks ago, and two Samsung models, the flip t639 and the slider t819, will all be able to access T-Mobile's wireless Web at speeds of 200 to 300 kbps.
Unfortunately, there'll be no indicator on these four models to let you know if you're in 3G range except Web pages will load quicker and Thumbplay and other downloads will finish faster than under T-Mobile's EDGE network.
T-Mobile plans to launch HSDPA-specific phones, including new data-oriented all-in-one devices capable of speeds of data rates of 600 kbps to 1 mbps in the coming months, presumably when there's a critical mass of potential buyers in affected markets.
Rumors are flooding the internet that pop stars Nick Cannon, 27, and Mariah Carey, 38, got married at Mariah's private estate after one month of dating. Oooh exciting! Congratulations Nick and Mariah if the rumors are true. Only time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy these hits from Cannon and Carey ... so should I say Mr. and Mrs. Cannon?
Natasha Bedingfield is a U.K. artist who's making a lot of noise in the U.S. She is probably best-known for her song Unwritten, which is used as the theme for that famous TV show co-starring Heidi Montag.