Proof That Chickens Make the Best Steadicams [Video]

It turns out that chickens aren't just a delicious and comical nugget source. They're also one of the best Steadicams around—assuming you can keep it focused. Here's how one precocious poultry stacks up against a real human man. More »


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Michael Jackson's Michael Has King Of Pop's 'Spirit,' Producer Says

'This feels like Michael, this feels like the spirit of Michael,' Teddy Riley tells MTV News.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Steven Roberts


Teddy Riley at the Michael Jackson album-release party
Photo: MTV News

Teddy Riley had a long-standing working relationship with Michael Jackson, and the producer said Jackson's latest project, Michael, is as authentic an LP as any of the superstar's past work.

"Oh, they're gonna say this is him, that's the first thing," Riley told MTV News about fan's anticipated reaction to the set. "And this feels good. This feels like Michael, this feels like the spirit of Michael. And we love him, that's what they're gonna say."

The project, which arrived in stores and online Tuesday (December 14), is the first posthumous MJ collection since the singer died in June 2009.

Riley, along with Akon, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart (Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, The-Dream) and a host of other producers and songwriters were commissioned to complete the project, which was birthed from a spate of unfinished material in Jackson's archives. In the past, Riley has helmed MJ's Dangerous album, on which he produced "Remember the Time" and "Jam," among other tracks.

For Michael, which Riley was called in to work on during the last three months of production, the former Guy and Blackstreet member had a handy trick to help him retrieve the vibe he shared with MJ.

"Just by bringing his spirit in the room, in the actual studio," Riley explained. "I had his pictures all over the place. Time after time, I would [also] go back and forth to Thriller and listen to all the music to get the spirit and keep his spirit in the room. To keep the bad energy out of the room. He was always about the good energy. Anytime there was a negative energy, nothing would happen. The computers would react, they would just go out. There was serious spirits in the room. Shutting down computers. That was the problems we were going through. But when it felt good and the energy was good, everything went smooth and we got through the project."

Have you heard Michael yet? Share your reviews in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654228/20101214/jackson_michael.jhtml

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Trap the Tiger is a cute, checkers-like Time Waster for all ages

trapthetiger

When I was a kid, I used to love playing checkers; figuring out your opponent's next move, trying to trap their pieces and guessing what they'd do next. Trap the Tiger is a cute time-waster that captures some of that magic while being simple enough for kids to get and for grown-ups to enjoy (well, I liked it, at least).

The game starts off with a tiger at the center of the board, and a seemingly random arrangement of dark and light circles (the exact color scheme changes every level). When you click a circle, it becomes dark, and the tiger gets one move. The tiger can only move over light circles, one circle at a time. It tries to inch its way to the edge of the board, and eventually escape. If it manages to exit the board, you lose and the tiger wins.

It starts off quite easy, but quickly becomes complex. It doesn't have many bells and whistles, and I mean that in the most literal sense; the game is devoid of any sound effects. But if you (or your kid) is up for a few minutes of thought, you should definitely give Trap the Tiger a spin.

Trap the Tiger is a cute, checkers-like Time Waster for all ages originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/13/trap-the-tiger-is-a-cute-checkers-like-time-waster-for-all-ages/

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Jay-Z Talks Tupac, Beyonce During Charlie Rose Interview

Rapper chides veteran talk-show host for mispronouncing Tupac's name.
By Jayson Rodriguez


Jay-Z
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

BROOKLYN, New YorkJay-Z's new book, "Decoded," may be about translating the lyrics in his songs, but when the iconic MC sat down with talk-show host Charlie Rose, he promised to "decode" everything.

Rose interviewed the rapper on Thursday before an audience at the Brooklyn Museum for a future episode of his PBS program, and the pair touched on much more than music.

With Beyoncé, his mother and other family members seated in the front row, Jay-Z held court on an array of topics, including Tupac Shakur, his arrest for stabbing a record executive and his drug-dealing past.

"Did you ever do the drugs?" Rose asked the Roc Nation boss.

"Crack cocaine," Jay responded, drawing laughs from the audience. "C'mon, man. That's hard-core, man. Maybe a little weed. A Ballantine Ale. Or a Guinness Stout."

"Decoded," Jay-Z's first book, is part memoir and part deconstruction of his lyrics, which have helped to garner more #1 albums than any solo artist in history.

Sporting a gray blazer, black v-neck sweater, dark denim jeans and designer kicks, Jay-Z was casual and charismatic throughout the evening.

When Rose mispronounced Tupac's name, the rapper humorously chided the talk-show host.

"If it was Tupac," Jay said, pronouncing it "two-pack" and pausing to let the laughter build up, "it would be spelled with a 'k' and not a 'c' at the end. You're not the first to say it wrong, but hopefully, after tonight, you'll be the last." The veteran journalist redeemed himself when he leaned over to give Jay-Z a fist pound, signifying that he had learned his lesson.

Rose probed further into the "Run This Town" star's life, at one point asking about his arrest in the stabbing of former Biggie confidant Lance "Un" Rivera.

"He was stabbed, but he went home without taking an aspirin," Jay responded, defusing the headlines of the past. "He was fine. Don't feel bad for him."

As the conversation neared its end, Rose brought up the guarded rapper's marriage to singer Beyoncé. He pointed to a clip of the two from the video for "O3 Bonnie and Clyde," but Jay chimed in before Rose could ask his question.

"I don't know how I let her wear that Boston hat," Jay-Z said. "She took the B a little too far. That's what I thought of.

"How did I get out of that," he joked, after Rose was flustered and forgot his question.

As of press time, the broadcast date for the episode of "Charlie Rose" featuring Jay-Z had not been announced.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652674/20101119/jay_z.jhtml

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Michael Jackson's 'Hold My Hand' And More Posthumous Music Videos

Aaliyah, Tupac Shakur, Elvis Presley and more late superstars have popped up in videos after their deaths.
By James Montgomery


Michael Jackson in the video for "Hold My Hand"
Photo: Sony Music Entertainment

On Thursday (December 9), the late, great Michael Jackson returned to the music-video world with "Hold My Hand," a clip from the upcoming Michael album, which pairs his vocals with production work from some of today's top producers.

And much like that album, the "Hold My Hand" video is very much a retrospective affair, loaded with triumphant MJ performance footage and uplifting imagery (smiling children, sunrises, bright blue skies), not to mention a whole lot of Akon. And while fans can debate whether the clip is a worthy addition to the King of Pop's massive music-video legacy, it certainly carries on the tradition of the posthumous video, a rather ignominious — and incredibly profitable — wing of the music-industry machine.

Yes, ever since Elvis Presley shuffled off this mortal coil, record labels have been churning out videos by deceased stars, for reasons that run the gamut from tribute to pure profit. Out of necessity (since the star is no longer with us), these videos are usually by-the-numbers affairs, full of stock footage and performance clips, the occasional use of animation and, of course, the odd celebrity cameo. More often than not, fans love them — which is why we keep seeing them. And since "Hold My Hand" has just been unveiled, we decided to take a look back at some of the most notable examples of stars who may no longer be with us, but continue to make music videos. Here's our Posthumous Playlist.

Aaliyah
She died tragically in a 2001 plane crash, but her videos kept showing up on MTV. "I Care 4 U" was a collection of clips from the Japanese anime "Macross Pluss II," which feature her as a ghostly figure. "Miss You" was a tribute vid, starting with a heartfelt monologue by DMX and featuring cameos by the likes of Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim and Toni Braxton. "Don't Know What to Tell Ya" is a combination of footage from her old videos and newly animated bits, which reimagine Aaliyah as a superhero in a skintight getup.

Elvis Presley
He died in 1977 but found chart success once again in 2002, when a remixed version of his song "A Little Less Conversation" was featured in a Nike World Cup commercial. A video, featuring performance footage of the King playing on a TV monitor (and a bunch of hyperactive dancers and models re-enacting his famous "Jailhouse Rock" video) was quickly assembled to capitalize. It was appropriately massive.

John Lennon
Murdered outside his New York City home in 1980, Lennon's (then) just-released Double Fantasy quickly rose to #1 on the album charts and even won the Grammy for Album of the Year. The follow-up, Milk and Honey, was also a hit and featured the single "Nobody Told Me," which came with a posthumous video, complete with photos of Lennon as a child, his iconic wire-frame specs and even some of his illustrations.

Nirvana
After the death of Kurt Cobain, there was no shortage of Nirvana sundry released, though the video for "You Know You're Right" — one of the last songs he recorded with the band — is the true standout, full of performance clips and backstage footage that capture the grunge icon at his most powerful, moody and, strangely enough, happy.

The Notorious B.I.G.
He was killed in 1997, but his talent — and the prodigious amount of pre-recorded material he left behind — survives to this day. There truly is no shortage of posthumous Biggie videos, though the most notable are probably the flossy, glossy "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems," Spike Jonze's riotous "Sky's the Limit" (which stars nothing but children) and "Notorious Thugz," a team up with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony that features his ghost rapping inside a studio.

Sublime
Frontman Bradley Nowell died just before the release of the trio's breakout self-titled album, and so — mostly out of necessity — Nowell (and his beloved dog, Lou) continued to turn up in the band's videos, including "What I Got," "Santeria" and "Wrong Way."

TLC
Just before the release of their 2002 album 3D, founding member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was killed in a car accident in Honduras. The group's two remaining members pressed on, releasing a series of videos that paid tribute to their late friend. In the video for "Girl Talk," they wear outfits emblazoned with her name, and she shows up in animated form too. "Turntable" is a more traditional posthumous clip, made up of performance footage of the trio taken from their live shows and videos.

Tupac Shakur
Unlike most late stars, Tupac left behind so much material that he never really left. The vaults were mined for more than a decade following his 1996 death, to the point where some believe he may actually still be with us. Not surprisingly, there are no shortage of posthumous music videos out there, including "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto," which picks up after he was shot (and was filmed from his "point of view"); "Changes," a solemn tribute clip made up of news footage, scenes from his videos and movies and still photos; and "Until the End of Time," a more sparse affair, featuring clips of him onstage and in the studio.

What is your favorite posthumous clip? Let us know in the comments.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653926/20101209/jackson_michael.jhtml

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HEX ships iPod nano watch band, dares you to destroy it (video)

It's highly improbable that you actually need yet another option when looking for a watch band to house your iPod nano 6G, but if that first-run version you sprung for is already in tatters, HEX has a little something worth considering. The company has just started shipping its HEX Watch Band in the US of A, with $29.95 netting you a soft, flexible band that requires no complicated plug-and-play action whatsoever. Just pop your nano into the face, strap it on your arm, and roll. It's designed to be remarkably rugged (as seen in a torture video just past the break), and the headphone socket is arranged in a way that nicely runs the cable up your arm towards your cranium. The only problem? Choosing which of the nine hues fits your personality best.

Continue reading HEX ships iPod nano watch band, dares you to destroy it (video)

HEX ships iPod nano watch band, dares you to destroy it (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/29/hex-ships-ipod-nano-watch-band-dares-you-to-destroy-it-video/

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DIY pinhole camera goes automatic with Lego Mindstorms (video)

As you may be aware, you can build a pinhole camera out of just about anything and, as we've seen, you can build just about anything with Lego Mindstorms -- so it makes sense the two should finally meet, right? Thanks to DIY-er Basil Shikin, they now have. He didn't just settle for a simple pinhole camera, though -- he created a fully automatic camera that's able to wind the film and control the shutter (and look good while doing so). Head on past the break to check it out in action, and hit up the link below for the complete details to build your own.

Continue reading DIY pinhole camera goes automatic with Lego Mindstorms (video)

DIY pinhole camera goes automatic with Lego Mindstorms (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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