Singer To Donate Million From Gaddafi Gig

Singer Nelly Furtado has vowed to give away $1m she received to perform for the family of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

The pop singer performing at the 2010 Latin Grammy awards in Las Vegas

Colonel Gaddafi has faced international condemnation for the violence used to quell a popular uprising.

Nelly Furtado, a Canadian singer whose hits include I'm Like a Bird and Promiscuous, used the social network site Twitter to reveal her decision.

"In 2007, I received $1 million from the Gaddafi clan to perform a 45 min show for guests at a hotel in Italy," she wrote.

"I am going to donate the $".

It has not been confirmed which group will benefit from Furtado's donation.

The dictator's son Muatassim's is known to throw extravagant New Year parties

Her decision to give away the cash has turned the spotlight on other pop stars who have performed at parties for the sons of Col Gaddafi on the Caribbean island of St Barts.

They include Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Usher.

Furtado first rose to fame with the 2000 album Whoa, Nelly!.

She also appeared in the 2008 movie Max Payne.

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Charlie Sheen To Join Sean Penn In Haiti

TV star Charlie Sheen is set to leave his troubles behind and join his Oscar-winning friend Sean Penn in Haiti as part of an aid trip.

The embattled star will raise awareness following Haiti's earthquake in 2009

The Two and a Half Men actor has said he will join Penn to raise awareness of Haiti's ongoing crisis following a devastating earthquake in January 2010.

Sheen said in a TV interview: "I'm excited as hell because, you know, if I can bring the attention of the world down there, then clearly this tsunami keeps cresting."

Last month, TV bosses stopped production of Sheen's sitcom before the end of the series after his repeated verbal attacks on its producer Chuck Lorre.

He has since made a series of interviews talking about his impending divorce, his custody battle over his twin sons and life with his two lovers.

Penn says he thinks the embattled actor could do a lot of good in Haiti,

Actor-director Penn said he thinks embattled Sheen could do a lot of good in Haiti, both for himself and the nation struggling to recover from the quake.

"I think his energies, intelligence and passion could be both of service and servicing to him, as it is to all who are touched by the struggle of the Haitian people," Penn said in a statement.

"Charlie is one of the very few public people who cannot be accused of using the media to his own benefit.

"I would very much like to show my old friend the world of needs on the ground in Haiti, and introduce him and his tremendous wit to our hard-working Haitian staff."

Penn's message of support came hours after Sheen told Access Hollywood that he and Penn were planning a trip to the Caribbean nation, although no date for their travel has been announced.

ON Wednesday, Sheen revealed his twin 23-month-old sons Max and Bob had been taken away by police.

Their mother, Brooke Mueller, had filed a restraining order alleging Sheen made death threats.

The actor has also launched his own Twitter feed, which was an immediate sensation, and by the end of the week had more than 1.6 million followers on the micro-blogging site.

Sheen said he planned to make $1m (£614,000) by the end of this year after signing with Ad.ly - a firm that sets up social networking endorsements for 150 brands.

"It's a cash cow," Sheen said of his Twitter page.

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Firms Rapped Over Broadband Speed Ads

Customers are being misled by broadband advertisers with some claiming double the actual internet speed achievable, the industry watchdog has said.

Ofcom says the nation’s average internet speed rate is 6.2 Mbits/second.

The study by Ofcom found the average internet speed in Britain was 6.2 Mbps, while advertisers were promoting an average of "up to" of 13.8 Mbps.

It has called for Internet Service Providers (ISP) to advertise the actual speed customers are likely to achieve at home as opposed to maximum speeds.

Ofcom said "up to" speeds should only be advertised "if it is actually achievable in practice by a material number of consumers".

Its recommendations - to the Advertising Standards Authority - could come into force in July.

"It is important that the rules around broadband advertising change so that consumers are able to make more informed decisions based on the adverts they see," said Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards.

The study looked at 11 packages provided by the UK’s seven largest ISPs representing more than 90% of residential subscribers.

Results were compiled from more than 18 million performance tests in 1,700 homes at the end of last year.

The study also found that Next-Generation Broadband(NGB) services, available to a growing number of households, were significantly faster than current services.

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Brâncuşi’s Gate of the Kiss – A Metaphor of Romanian Spirit

This is one of the personalities who put Romania on the world-map, bringing this country’s creative talent worldwide recognition.

The doodle features seven of the sculptor’s works: Prometheus (1911), Leda, The New Born (1915), Sleeping Muse (1908), Mademoiselle Pogany (1913), Bird in Space (1919), and The Kiss (1908).

Brancusi was born in the village of Hobiţa, Gorj, near Târgu Jiu, close to Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. If you travel to Romania and you like abstract art, don’t miss the Sculptural Ensemble of Constantin Brâncuşi atTârgu Jiu – a homage to the Romanian heroes of the First World War, and one of the greatest works of 20th century outdoor sculpture. Note that although Brâncuşi lived almost all his life in Paris, France (after leaving Romania in 1903), he has always considered this country his home, and gave it the greatest gift: The Column of the Infinite (Coloana infinitului). This is the centerpiece at the Sculptural Ensemble of Constantin Brâncuşi at Târgu Jiu, alongside the Table of Silence, and the Gate of the Kiss.

The Column of the Infinite (Coloana infinitului) - courtesy CameliaTWU

The other two pieces of the ensemble are as significant for Romania’s traditions, culture and legacy. They are inspired from the daily life of the Romanian villages – there are still homes where people traditionally dine at round tables, that almost lay on the ground. The chairs are still round and short, just like the twelve imagined by Constantin Brâncuşi to accompany the Table of Silence.

The Table of Silence, by Constantin Brâncuşi, part of the Sculptural Ensemble of Constantin Brâncuşi at Târgu Jiu - photo courtesy, by CameliaTWU

Even the famous Gate of the Kiss (Poarta Sarutului) has Romanian folkloric elements, and a theme that obsessed the sculptor his entire life. You’ll find the “Kiss” in many other works, yet the Gate and the Kiss featured in Google’s doodle are among the most popular.

The Gate of Kiss, part of the Sculptural Ensemble in Târgu Jiu, 1938 - courtesy CameliaTWU

Brâncuşi’s dreamed of sculpting through all the subsequent significations to their fundamental core. The capacity was in his blood and articulated the lonely, exultant years he spent as a youthful shepherd as well as the isolated latter part of his life. But if, in some Modernist project, he could strip down matter until it revealed its form beyond the trappings of technology, it was because his fellow peasants were doing it just that same way for thousands of years. – fragment from “The Romanian: Story of an Obsession”, a memoir by Bruce Benderson.

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'The king is dead' at Dior fashion show

For the past week British designer John Galliano has rarely been out of the headlines following his alleged anti-semitic rant at a couple in a Parisian bar.

But Galliano's final couture show Friday for Maison Dior was notable for the complete absence of one thing -- any mention of his name.

Dior Couture's President Sidney Toledano did refer to Galliano during an emotional address to the assembled fashionistas before the show began. But even then he did not utter his name, distancing it from that of the fashion house.

"It has been deeply painful to see the Dior name associated with the disgraceful statements attributed to its designer, however brilliant he may be" was the closest Toledano came.

Toledano also reminded the audience that Christian Dior, founder of the fashion house, had seen his own sister sent to the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald during the Second World War.

Galliano had been completely forgotten by the end of his speech, which paid tribute to the company's seamstresses and craftsmen who he said are "the heart of the House of Dior, which beats unseen."

As the catwalk show got underway, the sidewalk show outside the Musee Rodin continued as onlookers mingled with paparazzi and the TV news crews barred from the event inside. There were mutterings about the low celebrity turnout.

Most heads turned for Chinese actress, Fan Bing Bing, fashion icon and editor of Japanese Vogue Anna Dello Russo and fashion photographer Mario Testino, who simply smiled and shrugged when asked whether Dior was right to press ahead with the show just days after firing its creative leader.

The celebrity snapper set a trend followed by almost every one of the 1,200 other guests, buttoning their lips when pressed for their views.

But one sole eccentrically-dressed demonstrator was unafraid to make his views known. He wandered through the crowds, occasionally plugging his iPod into a portable speaker dock and performing a bizarre dance. During his calmer moments he held aloft a painted flag bearing the slogan: "The King is Dead".

Even Galliano's supporters, it seemed, had stopped using his name.

Just then the iron gates of the Musee were flung open, disgorging the contents of the fashionable flotsam and jetsam, still digesting their final glimpse of Galliano in Dior's clothing.

It had apparently been a moving experience.

Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova fought back tears as she described the unexpected appearance of the seamstresses on the catwalk at the end of the show -- the unseen beating heart of Dior revealed at last with poignancy.

"I think that Maison Dior has to go ahead because it has a greater history than just today because today's news will be packaging for fish and chips tomorrow."

An inappropriate analogy, perhaps, for a nation which prides itself on its Gallic gastronomic heritage, but one which would be appreciated in Galliano's British homeland.

"It's very, very sad that John is not there because of what's going on in his personal life. I just hope he will get well soon" Vodianova concluded.

It was the first time I'd heard someone speak his name at the Dior event.

Meanwhile Galliano, who will now face charges in a French courtroom, has taken steps to reduce his own profile by scaling back his own label show -- so often a highlight of fashion weeks past - from a catwalk extravaganza to little more than an exhibition.

The king is less dead -- more keeping an extremely low profile.

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Win puts Dortmund 15 points clear at top

Borussia Dortmund are now a massive 15 points clear at the top of the German Bundesliga after a 1-0 victory over Cologne on Friday -- their 19th win from 25 games this season.

The only goal came a minute before half-time when Polish striker Robert Lewandowski chested down a long pass, before slamming the ball into the corner of the net.

The home side schould have added a second goal in the closing stages but striker Lucas Barrios fired against the crossbar.

The result leaves Juergen Klopp's side on the verge of their first league title since 2002, with just nine games still to play.

"This was probably one of the most deserved 1-0 wins of all time," Klopp told reporters. "The boys created so many chances over the 90 minutes."

Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen have a chance to close the gap when they host Wolfsburg on Saturday, while champions Bayern Munich -- who are fourth -- take on third-placed Hanover in the match of the weekend.

Meanwhile, in Italy's Serie A, Roma needed a last-minute penalty to claim a 2-1 victory at Lecce.

David Pizarro made no mistake from the spot as Roma remain sixth in the table, while Lecce are fourth bottom.

Match highlights:

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Some game developers unhappy with Apple, Nintendo

Some of the video game industry's most visible veterans took to their pulpits this week at the Game Developers Conference to denounce practices by Apple or Nintendo.

Trip Hawkins took shots at both.

A game industry pioneer, Hawkins founded software giant Electronic Arts, failed console maker the 3DO Company and most recently a mobile-games studio called Digital Chocolate.

Speaking to a roomful of game developers here Thursday, Hawkins said Apple and followers of its mobile-platform mantra are only creating the illusion of a viable business model for third-party developers.

With more than 350,000 apps available on Apple's digital store, game creators are finding it tough to attract attention despite tens of millions of potential customers who own Apple gadgets, he said.

"They have over-encouraged supply," Hawkins said on a panel at the conference. Using statistics that Apple has made public, Hawkins calculated that each app earns, on average, about $4,000.

"Four thousand per application: Do you see a problem with that?" he asked the audience. "That doesn't even pay for a really good foosball table."

Apple said Wednesday it has doled $2 billion out to app developers, which could put the average payout closer to $5,700. Either way, Hawkins said he believes the math makes it difficult for creators of apps to turn a profit.

"If we can't figure out how to make it a healthy ecosystem, it's not going to be a great business for developers to be able to remain employed in," he said.

Gaming giant Nintendo, maker of the popular Wii system, focused much of its message at the conference on condemning the prevailing model for smartphone games.

"The objectives of smartphones and social-network platforms are not at all like ours," Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said in a GDC keynote. "Their goal is just to gather as much software as possible, because quantity is what makes the money flow. Quantity is how they profit. The value of video-game software does not matter to them."

Two of Nintendo's top executives echoed that sentiment in interviews this week.

Discussing inexpensive mobile games, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime said: "The only thing that concerns us is that it becomes a distraction for developers, and it ends up driving development effort down a path that potentially has very little return."

In other words, Nintendo executives said, selling wares cheaply in a crowded online bazaar is a long-term recipe for failure.

"When I look at retailers, and I see the $1 and free software, I have to determine that the owner doesn't care about the high value of software at all," Iwata said in a presentation Wednesday, the same morning as Apple's iPad 2 news conference in the building next door. "I fear our business is dividing in a way that threatens the continued employment of those of us who make games."

But Hawkins, the EA founder, said he believes Nintendo is not blame-free, either. The Japanese gaming behemoth upended the industry decades ago when it instituted fees associated with developing and selling software for Nintendo's systems, he said.

After an approval process, Nintendo makes developers pay a toll for access to certified equipment for testing purposes. The company also takes a royalty fee on each unit sold -- set so high that the costs lock out small development shops, some programmers say.

The practice has thrived and has been emulated by others, including Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment.

"We used to have a free and open game business," Hawkins said. "And then Nintendo came along and introduced a thing called a licensing agreement."

Apple charges developers a subscription fee of $99 per year and takes 30% of each transaction. Apple has touted in previous news conferences that it sells more gadgets capable of playing games than any major game company.

In 2009, Hawkins sang Apple's praises after Digital Chocolate developed several hit games for the iPhone. He called it "a spectacularly pleasant surprise" in an interview with VentureBeat.

But Thursday, Hawkins was much more critical. Apple has pitched its App Store to game developers as a place where there's "no tyranny from publishers, no tyranny from Walmart," he said. But the store's overcrowding is another problem, because it makes it hard for most games to get noticed, he added.
"At least Nintendo had the courtesy to tell you upfront that you were going to be screwed."

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nintendo, along with the other big game-console makers, invests in ways to encourage small, independent developers to build games for its systems. Nintendo has digital stores, called Ware, for the Wii and DSi hardware, and they have "minimal barrier to entry," Nintendo's Fils-Aime said.

But so far the company has produced no success stories that rival the likes of "Angry Birds," the blockbuster mobile game.

Fils-Aime acknowledged that there is "lots of room for optimization" with Nintendo's digital-retailing channels. "We've got to do a better job of marketing it.

To bolster those efforts, Nintendo is readying an eShop retail store for its upcoming 3DS hand-held 3-D gaming system, he said. But it won't be ready in time for the March 27 launch.
For budding game developers, there are no easy answers.

Natalia Luckyanova, a former enterprise software developer who now makes a living developing iPhone games with her husband, described Nintendo's stance as arrogant. Her Imangi Studios creates 99-cent and $2 apps. Iwata didn't sufficiently acknowledge the difficulty Nintendo creates for small developers with its licensing model, she said.

PopCap Games CEO Dave Roberts said a "slow" and cautious approach to development has worked for his 10-year-old company. PopCap is responsible for the hit cell-phone games "Bejeweled" and "Plants vs. Zombies."

"We're really excited about mobile and social (network-based) games, but we're not on the bandwagon," Roberts said. "We're not trying to drag people to new platforms."

Hawkins, the seasoned game maker, offered this solution for developers: Focus on Web-based games, where the developer can control every mode of distribution and transaction.

"There is a place that we can all gravitate to over the years," Hawkins said. "Think more about the browser. The browser will set you free."

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Just how bad is the iPad 2 camera?

It seems impossible for Apple to put a decent camera into anything but the iPhone, and despite many hopes, both cameras in the iPad 2 are about as rudimentary as you could get without having to load a roll of film in there.

In fact, the iPad 2's camera has more in common with the low-res camera in the iPod Touch than it does to the rather excellent one in the iPhone 4.

WIRED: iPhone 3GS camera doesn't suck

The specs for the iPad's rear-facing camera only lists one number: 720p. That should mean 1280 x 720 pixels, which gives a megapixel figure of 0.92, clearly useless for stills.

However, flip over to the iPod Touch camera specs and we see the following: "HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still photos (960 x 720) with back camera." Yes, the Touch shoots stills at an even lower resolution than video, most likely because the wide-screen movie format is squared-off to shoot stills.

The stills it produces are just shy of 0.7 megapixels, or about the same resolution as an early 1990s-era digital camera.

WIRED: Hands-on with Apple's skinnier, faster iPad 2

It's extremely likely that the iPad 2 and the iPod Touch share the exact same camera (although we won't know for sure until iFixit tears one open to see). It seems that it will be fine for movies, and bad for photos.

Then again, with the camera connection kit you can always just import images from a real camera. And for taking notes, snapping menus or grabbing pictures before grunging them up and sending them off to Instagram, it'll do the trick.

WIRED: Why the iPhone 4 camera is so promising

Still, for a device that costs a minimum of $500, it would be nice to have a better image sensor, rather than these bottom-of-the-barrel ones Apple insists on using. Will we ever get one? It's starting to look rather doubtful

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Microsoft hopes daily deals make its cash register go 'Bing!'

Microsoft has dialed up its competition in the search-engine wars with the introduction of a daily deals facility on Bing.

Microsoft knows daily deals are the hottest meme at the moment, so its announcement is suitably cheeky and aggressively street-hawkeresque (we kid): "Calling all bargain hunters, deal lovers, Groupon groupies and Living Social fanatics! Things just got easier" it trumpets, making no bones about mentioning the biggest name in daily deals right now, Groupon, to gin up interest in its service.

Bing Deals arrived Thursday on desktop PCs and smartphones (where it's possibly most useful) via Bing's dedicated, simpler, mobile site m.bing.com. It promises to give access to "more than 20,000 unique offers in over 14,000 cities and towns across the U.S."

But how has Microsoft managed to amass such a diverse coverage and ad-partnership pool already, you may wonder?

The answer is that Bing, unlike Google's more head-on direct competitor efforts, is actually assembling daily deal offers from sites like Groupon, Living Social, Restaurant.com "to name a few" into one location, making it easy to work out where you can find a super-cheap purchase, or perhaps a spontaneous birthday gift for someone.

It's using technology from The Dealmap ("a leading source for people to find and share the best local deals") to power its systems, which means as well as location-based deal discovery, you'll also be able to share results with people via email.

It seems the system is spread throughout Bing, as well -- if you search for a local restaurant using Bing, then the engine will "make sure you know" about any deals that establishment may have available by listing them directly beneath the business details in the search window.

The system appears ideal for consumers previously uninterested in deals sites like Groupon -- which may offset the slight brand erosion each of these individual sites may suffer as their deal offers are wrapped into Bing's front-end UI.

In launching daily deals, Bing is stepping up its competition with Google and jumping aboard the (already bursting) daily deals bandwagon.

With new data suggesting total revenues from daily deals services could reach as much as $6 billion by 2015 in the U.S. alone, this is a fast-growing market segment that Microsoft simply can't ignore.

So how can Microsoft grab a share of this if it's just gathering together everyone else's deals? By selling ads to you when you surf to its pages.

Copyright © 2010 FastCompany.com, a unit of Mansueto Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved.

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