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Cronenberg: Film is dead

CANNES - Film is dead, long live digital.

That's the message from veteran Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg, who just shot his drama Cosmopolis with digital cameras and not on traditional film stock.

"It's interesting," Cronenberg told a Telefilm Canada event at the Cannes Film Festival Monday, "because Cosmopolis is the first feature film that I've shot digitally. Which -- believe me -- is fine with me. I have no particular affection for film whatsoever, other than the smell when you open those film cans. Then I thought you could have a Kodak air freshener, Then that's the best of the film (medium). You don't need anything else."

Cronenberg's startling comments came in a special panel session moderated by Toronto filmfest co-director Cameron Bailey. Under the title, Master and Son: Cronenbergs at Cannes, that put the 69-year-old David Cronenberg on stage with his 32-year-old filmmaking son Brandon Cronenberg. Both have films in official programs. "This is very first time in the history of the Cannes Film Festival that father and son have presented films in the same year," Bailey announced.

Coincidentally, both father and son used the same advanced Arri Alexa digital cameras, David for shooting Cosmopolis with Robert Pattinson, Brandon for shooting his sci-fi celebrity satire Antiviral. Some filmmakers have been holding out on the traditional side of the film vs. digital debate. For example, Christopher Nolan insisted on shooting The Dark Knight Rises on film, believing strongly -- like select others -- that film stock delivers richer, warmer, deeper detail. Nolan also has said he believes the surrender to digital is a money grab by equipment manufacturers who only profit from change.

But Cronenberg senior said the demise of film after 100-plus years is imminent and appropriate. "Actually, sound has been digital on film sets for many, many years; editing has been digital for many, many years. Really, it's about time that film died its natural death and it's doing that." All film processing labs are closing, he added. In Toronto, for example, they already have.

"So, actually, you can't process film in Toronto any more. If you shot on film in Toronto, you'd have to send it to L.A. to get it developed. And why would you ever want to shoot on film? Well, I don't. Creatively though, what you do as a director, how you work with the actors and what the lens do and what the light does is exactly the same."

Meanwhile, Cronenberg senior is giddy about being at Cannes with son Brandon as fellow directors. "It was pretty great seeing Brandon go up the red carpet, you know," proud poppa said about the world premiere of Antiviral on Friday. "Very emotional for me, really. Because, as I said to Bran, 'It took me 20 years to get to Cannes (with one of his films).' And here he is with his first film, so ... But it was really terrific because I had seen the movie and I knew it was a terrific film, so I was very excited for him."

bruce.kirkland@sunmedia.ca

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Windows Phone holding back Nokia handsets - say network operators

Found On The Mobile Web 253

Found on the Mobile Web is a regular WAP Review feature listing newly added and updated sites on the YesWAP.com mobile portal and WapReview mobile site directory. With these latest additions the directory and portal now list 2317 mobile sites.

Tech/Internet/Web Design & Development

onderhond onderhond.com Web front-end developer Niels Matthijs' personal and professional blog has articles on web design plus movie reviews and a gallery on Niels' travel photos. He recently redesigned the site using responsive design principles so that it reflows to a single column in modern mobile browsers 320 px and wider. You can read about the redesign on the site.
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Social Media/Twitter

Tweet9 tweet9.tk Another attractive re-skinning of the dabr open source Twitter client. The eye pleasing design is inspired by the Twitter for Android app. Features include long tweets (more than 140 characters) using TwtMore, the ability to upload your Twitter profile and background images and photo uploading using the Twitter Photo Upload API.

The same author also offers a black and florid green (or pink) re-skinning of Dabr at twbird.tk
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Tech/Tech News Sites and Blogs

TechnoBuffalo www.technobuffalo.com Launched in 2009, TechnoBuffalo has grown quickly to become one of the top US-based tech blogs. Content includes tech news, reviews, tech tips and lots of videos.The attractive mobile view, a custom WordPress theme, includes all the site's content, including the videos. It works well in smartphone browsers and Opera Mini.
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Tech/Tech News Sites and Blogs

GSMArena m.gsmarena.com One of the top mobile technology news sites. GSMArena's mobile edition includes the three most popular features of the desktop site; the latest mobile news, handset reviews and a comprehensive database of mobile phone specifications.
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Entertainment and Leisure/Literature

Wattpad Touch touch.wattpad.com/search Touchscreen version of the Wattpad eBook site. Wattpad is a community of readers and authors where anyone can publish stories for all to read. Wattpad has native book reader apps for iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Java ME and you can also read online using a reader webapp on the site. There's also a version of Wattpad.com optimized for feature phones at m.wattpad.com
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Tech/Mobile/BookMarking

Notesi www.notesi.com/mobileonlinebookmarks.jsp A free service providing secure, private, cloud based storage for your browser bookmarks. Notesi makes your bookmarks available in all your browsers on all your devices.
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News/Politics

CNN Political Ticker politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com With the US presidential election year in full swing, CNN's political blog is jumping. The mobile friendly site is updated throughout the day with current US political news and analysis.

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ICTs for Development ict4dblog.wordpress.com From researchers at the University of Manchester’s Centre for Development Informatics, ICTs for Development covers the use information and communication technologies to encourage socio-economic development.
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FAILFaire failfaire.org The blog of FAILFaire, a conference focused on learning from failed ICT4D projects.

ICT4D is an acronym for "information and communication technologies for development" which means using technology, especially computers, web and mobile, to enable and encourage socioeconomic growth and human rights. Examples include the One Laptop per Child Project and MedAfrica, which lets rural users connect to doctors and medical information using basic mobile phones.

Not all projects are successes. FAILFaire aims to help ICT4D professionals and participants learn how to succeed by analyzing what didn't work.
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Science/Tech

Nature nature.com Founded in 1869, Nature is one of the most respected scientific journals in the world. It publishes original research from all branches of science as well editorials, book reviews and feature articles of interest to the scientific community.

Nature's desktop website got a "responsive design" makeover yesterday and now adapts itself to mobile viewport widths.  Unlike most responsive designs which work in both landscape and portrait orientation, Nature seems to expect mobile users to view the site in landscape only. The site's layout looked rather jumbled to me in portrait using the Android Gingerbread, Symbian Belle, Opera Mini and Opera Mobile browsers but was find when I switched to landscape. Via: @Microflash
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'Idol' down to final two

Call it the battle of the runners-up.

With the surprising elimination of American Idol favourite Joshua Ledet last week, Wednesday's finale (CTV, Fox) comes down to 16-year-old mini-diva Jessica Sanchez and 21-year-old bluesy troubadour Phillip Phillips duking it out for the title of the newest American Idol.

If Idol fans had a dollar for every time a favourite singer has been eliminated too early, they'd probably have enough cash to cover Steven Tyler's per-episode makeup budget.

OK, maybe not.

But without taking anything away from Sanchez or Phillips, many fans seem dismayed that the 20-year-old Ledet and his big, booming voice aren't in the running. Even American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe is bummed that Ledet, his personal favourite, got the boot.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if I think he's the best or you think he's the best. If not enough people do, then he doesn't get votes," Lythgoe says in a conference call interview.

But Lythgoe, who is also creator, executive producer and a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, is confident Ledet will have a spectacular post-Idol career.

"To be in a stadium with him is going to be incredible," Lythgoe says. "This guy just exudes personality. He's too big almost for a television show. Put him on a stage and let him go."

American Idol caps its 11th season in the midst of an ongoing year-to-year ratings slide.

While it remains the most-watched series on TV, viewership is down 25% compared to last season, a decline Lythgoe attributes to added competition from other talent shows and general viewer fatigue with singing competitions on TV.

The talent is the key though, and Lythgoe says he can't remember a stronger final threesome than Ledet, Sanchez and Phillips. Also remarkable is how focused Sanchez and Phillips are on winning.

"Normally you get a little bit of reticence, or 'it doesn't matter because everyone's a winner' - one of those lines," Lythgoe says. "But they want to win."

For Tuesday's final performance show, Lythgoe says Sanchez will need a final song that's going to have a magic moment that grabs the audience. "She's got this magnificent voice when she's vulnerable, like she was on I Will Always Love You."

As for Phillips, he needs to forgo the lesser-known, mid-tempo numbers to win, and pick a familiar, powerhouse song. "You've got to go out there and you've got to do something that grabs that audience, that literally makes them stand up."

Whoever ends up winning, it will only be a matter of days - if not hours - after the curtain drops on the finale before Idol's producers continue discussing ways of tweaking the show for next season, to compete with the likes of X Factor (with newly anointed judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato) and The Voice (with its big red Star Trek chairs.)

"I've rejected the revolving chairs and I don't think we're going to have fireworks every week," Lythgoe says. "We're still talking about it."

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LG Optimus L7 Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Smartphone

LG France has confirmed that the new Optimus L7 will be available in France later this month. The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone features a 4.3-inch WVGA IPS display, a 1GHz single-core processor, a 5MP rear-facing digital camera, a 512MB of RAM, a 4GB of internal memory, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, HSPA, NFC, A-GPS and Bluetooth 3.0. The unlocked version of LG Optimus L7 retails for $418. [LG France]

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HTC Titan II Retails For Only $149.99 On Walmart Wireless

Walmart Wireless has started selling the HTC Titan II for just $149.99 with a two-year AT&T service agreement. The HTC Titan II is a Windows Phone 7.5 OS that features a stunning 4.7-inch WVGA Super LCD display, a superb 16-megapixel professional quality digital camera, a fast 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, XBOX LIVE, AT&T Navigator and WiFi hotspot. The smartphone also supports AT&T’s 4G LTE network. [Product Page]

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Rogers Canada Releases Nokia Lumia 900

Rogers Canada has announced the availability of the new Nokia Lumia 900 on their network. The handset can be yours for CA$99 (about $98) with a new three-year contract agreement. To refresh your memory, the Nokia Lumia 900 sports a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 AMOLED touchscreen display, a 1.4GHz Scorpion processor, a 512MB RAM, a 16GB of storage, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, an 8MP rear-facing camera, GPS, 4G LTE support, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 1830mAh battery and runs on Windows Phone 7.5 Mango OS. [Product Page]

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Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus Released In Taiwan

Samsung will release the Galaxy Ace Plus smartphone in Taiwan in mid-April 2012. Priced at NT$9,500 ($321), the Android 2.3-powered smartphone features a 3.65-inch HVGA display with a 480×320 pixel display, a 1GHz MSM7227A Turbo processor, a 5MP digital camera with a LED flash, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 4GB memory and a microSD card slot for storage expansion. The Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus supports quad-band EDGE/GSM, dual-band 3G and 7.2Mbps HSDPA. It comes be bundled with an exclusive wallpaper, several apps and a limited edition back cover. [SammyHub]

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Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 S6500 Released In Germany

Samsung’s latest Android smartphone ‘Galaxy Mini 2 S6500' is now available for purchase in Germany. The handset can be yours for 279 Euro (about $364). To refresh your memory, the Galaxy Mini 2 S6500 packs a 3.27-inch HVGA display, an 800MHz processor, a 512MB RAM, a 4GB of storage, a 3MP rear-facing camera, NFC, GPS, HSDPA, WiFi and runs on Android 2.3 OS. [Unwiredview]

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Film Theme

Before you place an order for this The Exorcist Ringtone there'a a couple of things you should know:

You need to be able to access the internet on your mobile phone in order to download this Film Theme The Exorcist ringtone.

You need a mobile phone that will support our mobile downloads.

Please see our handset compatibility guide to check your phone will download and play this Ringtone by Film Theme.

This Ringtone is available in the formats below and should work on any popular mobile phone including those made by Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Palm , BlackBerry and Motorola. Please see our handset compatibility guide before you order.

MP3AMRAWBMMF (on most ringtones)M4R (iPhone ringtone format)

Ringtones are in the style of the original artist unless otherwise stated.

iPhone users: Download the m4r ringtone file from us, drag that to the ringtones folder of your iTunes then sync your iPhone. Then go to settings > sounds and set your custom tone.

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TV Theme

Before you place an order for this Downton Abbey Ringtone there'a a couple of things you should know:

You need to be able to access the internet on your mobile phone in order to download this TV Theme Downton Abbey ringtone.

You need a mobile phone that will support our mobile downloads.

Please see our handset compatibility guide to check your phone will download and play this Ringtone by TV Theme.

This Ringtone is available in the formats below and should work on any popular mobile phone including those made by Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Palm , BlackBerry and Motorola. Please see our handset compatibility guide before you order.

MP3AMRAWBMMF (on most ringtones)M4R (iPhone ringtone format)

Ringtones are in the style of the original artist unless otherwise stated.

iPhone users: Download the m4r ringtone file from us, drag that to the ringtones folder of your iTunes then sync your iPhone. Then go to settings > sounds and set your custom tone.

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Norah Jones unveils Happy Pills video

Norah Jones has just released the new video for ‘Happy Pills’, the lead single from her forthcoming Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) produced album ‘Little Broken Hearts’.

The stylish and mesmerizing video for the track was directed by Isaiah Seret and sees the nine-time Grammy award winner kill her lover and push his car into a lake. Watch it now below.

‘Little Broken Hearts’, Norah’s fifth studio album, is released April 30/May 1 (US).

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EMI Music launches Nordic Innovation & Insight initiative

STOCKHOLM, 12 APRIL 2012 – EMI Music’s Nordic region has today announced the formation of a new Innovation & Insight team and Innovation Lab that will help develop and promote innovative solutions and operational best practices throughout the countries in the region – Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden – and which can be shared throughout EMI Music.

The team will be a central element in EMI Music’s unique pan-Nordic business structure in which all areas of management and operations are completely and seamlessly integrated across all four countries. The Innovation & Insight team will work alongside EMI’s existing people and departments to find and develop new and improved ways of connecting artists with their fans. A key part of this initiative is the team’s Innovation Lab which will enable an enhanced focus on finding, devising and testing promising new ideas such as cutting edge digital campaign plans, new tools, emerging technologies and working methods or developing attractive physical product ideas. The Innovation & Insight team will also coordinate and develop EMI Music’s capabilities in all areas of digital communication such as consumer insight and social media.

Stefan Blom, Chairman of EMI Music Nordics, said: “The Nordic countries have long been at the forefront of innovation both creatively and commercially in music and so by forming our new Innovation & Insight team and Innovation Lab we’re creating a structure and resource that will enable us to further develop our best in class capabilities and ensure that EMI Music continues to provide our artists with the smartest, fastest and most effective service possible.”

The Innovation & Insight team is headed by Paul Sonkamble, Head of Innovation & Insight, who is based in Stockholm, supported by team members in all four Nordic countries.

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