Grammy Hits And Misses: Ke$ha Shut Out, Bruno Mars Cleans Up

Big Boi and Alicia Keys are also left out, but Florence and the Machine and Ray LaMontagne get some much-deserved love.
By Gil Kaufman


Ke$ha
Photo: Kristian Dowling / PictureGroup

What would the annual Grammy nominations announcement be without the next-day quarterbacking and bellyaching about who got dissed and who got just the right amount of Academy love?

While this year's batch of contenders is mostly devoid of the WTF factor of past nomination seasons, when veteran acts such as Steely Dan, Robert Plant and Herbie Hancock sucked most of the air out of the room, there were still plenty of surprises, omissions and flat-out questionable choices to go around.

The one most people were buzzing about Thursday (December 2) was the blank delivered to Ke$ha, who earned a grand total of zero nominations for her debut, Animal, despite launching several hits and earning a major spot in the pop-culture universe in 2010. The snub was even more noticeable because one of her producers, Dr. Luke, was nominated in the producer category and four of the eight songs that earned him that spot were from Ke$ha's debut.

We spoke to Entertainment Weekly music critic Leah Greenblatt about that oversight and many others in this year's nominations. She said the Ke$ha situation was surprising, especially considering the love that the similarly poptastic Katy Perry got for Teenage Dream, which has sold well but, like Animal, was not critically adored upon release.

"But I think it's really cool to see Florence [and the Machine] get that nomination [for Best New Artist], and I think it's awesome that Esperanza Spalding also got nominated [in that category]," she said of the little-known jazz singer who likely sent many people to Google on Wednesday night.

Greenblatt was also excited that raspy-voiced singer Ray LaMontagne snagged a spot in the Song of the Year category for "Beg Steal or Borrow" and another in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.

"As fogie-ish as the Grammys are, it seems like this year they went more towards a Teen Choice Awards direction with a noticeably younger group of nominees," she said, wondering if it was a conscious decision to try and make the show hipper or if it's a signal of the changing demographic of Grammy voters. "And I think Bruno Mars deserves all of his nominations," she added about the singer/songwriter/producer who scored seven nods. "He only had one hit, but he really shaped popular music this year with the songs he did for Travie McCoy, B.o.B and Cee Lo. He brought so much musicality to R&B and pop. He's making music and playing instruments and he's insanely melodic. He's not just jacking samples."

As for how Eminem ended up with the most nominations at 10, she chalked it up to the "Sandra Bullock factor," speculating that Grammy voters might have just thought it was Marshall Mathers' time to shine again. "He's not universally liked for his sparkling personality, but it seems like it's his time," she said of the rapper, who had the year's best-selling album with Recovery and stormed back with some of the most melodic, accessible music of his decade-plus career. "It almost seemed like he was deemed safe enough for the Grammys this year ... and the album is so incredibly commercial. It's as safe as Eminem gets."

As for who got left off, Greenblatt said she was surprised at the lack of "American Idol" names on the list, with season-eight winner Kris Allen getting shut out and that season's runner-up, Adam Lambert, only getting a bid for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Whataya Want From Me."

And for a song that was one of the best-selling singles of the year, it was surprising that Train's "Hey, Soul Sister," Grammy bait if there ever was, managed only one nod for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals — for a live version of the tune.

There were other glaring omissions to be sure: no love for rappers Rick Ross and Big Boi, just a pair of nominations for last year's big winners Kings of Leon, a shutout for Lady Gaga's smash "Bad Romance" in the Record and Song of the Year categories (it did show up in Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) as well as for B.o.B and Hayley Williams' mega-hit "Airplanes," which scored only a Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals acknowledgment.

Greenblatt was also disappointed that Alicia Keys' The Element of Freedom got blanked, despite the handfuls of Grammys the singer has taken home in the past. And considering its major impact on the pop-culture landscape, "Glee" only got noticed in the Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media category and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "Don't Stop Believin'," which Greenblatt said may have had something to do with the fact that the songs on the show are covers and not original compositions.

In the end, though, she said this year's Grammys were mostly devoid of the giant head-smacking omissions and inclusions of past years and with the strong recognition to a new generation of singers, another potential sign that the show might be inching in a new direction.

Which artists or albums do you think got too much (or not enough love) this year? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653445/grammy-hits-misses-keha-shut-out-bruno-mars-cleans-up.jhtml

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Arriva Leo Bluetooth Headset offers bendable comfort

The Arriva Leo Bluetooth headset might look familiar to you as we reviewed their Shuffle headphones a few years ago. They have bendable wire cables that allow you to completely customize the fit to your noggin. The Leo is a 2.1 + EDR Bluetooth headset that is rechargeable and a features a built in microphone and [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/01/17/arriva-leo-bluetooth-headset-offers-bendable-comfort/

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Ballmer discusses Microsoft's battle against Apple's Mac App Store, and official PC support for Kinect

Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, chatted to the BBC at CES about a wide range of topics, including competition from Apple, the burgeoning 'appification' of everything, and Kinect for the PC.

When asked about official support for Kinect on the PC, Ballmer says Microsoft "will support that in a formal way in the right time" -- a cop-out, basically. His impish grin does suggest it's definitely on the cards, though, and hopefully sooner rather than later.

Regarding Apple and its recently-launched Mac App Store, Ballmer seems totally unfazed. "The biggest app ecosystem in the world is certainly not the Mac, not the iPad, and certainly not the iPhone. The biggest app ecosystem in the world is the [Windows] PC. There's no question about that."

Rather astutely, Ballmer goes on to identify an ecosystem that's even more important than Mac, iOS or Windows: the Web! "The Web, and particularly as the Web moves to HTML5, which I think we're doing beautifully in our new Internet Explorer 9, that's the other big base app." In other words, Windows is by far the largest software platform, and IE9 is in a great position for the upcoming Web app explosion.

It's rare to see Steve quite so calm and collected, and even charming. Perhaps the British accent of the interviewer has a soothing effect...

Ballmer discusses Microsoft's battle against Apple's Mac App Store, and official PC support for Kinect originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/08/ballmer-discusses-microsoft-battle-against-apple-mac-app-store-and-pc-kinect/

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iPad Soon To Go On Sale In 9 More Countries

Most people around the globe have heard of the iPad by now, even in areas where it’s not yet being sold. The iPad no longer needs an introduction but it will become available in 9 more countries this Friday. Apple’s trend setting gadget, tablet computer, or whatever you’d like to refer to it as, is [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/Mv6_uydNX1c/

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Facebook enables one-click identity theft option for rogue application developers

In a rather odd and haphazard move, Facebook has now made it possible for apps to read your home address and mobile telephone number.

In the "Request for Permission" window -- the one you have to accept before using an app on the Facebook platform -- look out for "Access my contact information", with the subtitle "Current Address and Mobile Phone Number" (see image above). You'd think that such important details would deserve a bolder warning, instead of the usual faded gray -- but obviously not.

As Sophos' Naked Security blog points out, making such details available in a landscape that is already packed full of rogue spam and scam applications puts Facebook users at even greater risk. With your full name and home address, identity theft basically becomes a no-brainer -- and can you imagine the SMS spam that awaits the unlucky Facebooker that gives his phone number to the wrong app developer?

Still, even if you're not bothered by this (and you can always remove your home address or mobile number from Facebook), you have wonder what Facebook will do next. Facebook is quickly becoming The One True Internet Hub, and the wealth of data it knows about us is terrifying. If access to incredibly sensitive data can be reduced to a small-font subtitle in a cluttered permission box, it's only a matter of time until you accidentally press "Allow" and fritter away your entire life story to a random rogue developer.

Facebook enables one-click identity theft option for rogue application developers originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/16/facebook-enables-one-click-identity-theft-option-for-rogue-application-developers/

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Opera Web browser coming to Sony TVs and Blu-ray players

While it might not have a huge share of the desktop Web browser market, Opera certainly knows how to score deals with OEMs. Today, Opera announced that it has entered into a partnership with Sony to deliver an embedded browser on TVs and Blu-ray players. As Opera states in its official post, the integration will bring "web applications, widgets, full web browsing and emerging standards such as HTML5, HbbTV and OIPF" to your computer-free home theater.

From in-dash systems in your new vehicle, to your Wii, to your 60" Sony LCD, Opera has steadily grown into a force to be reckoned with in the world of non-computer browsing. Where will the Norwegian browser wind up next?

Opera Web browser coming to Sony TVs and Blu-ray players originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/20/opera-web-browser-coming-to-sony-tvs-and-blu-ray-players/

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CrunchGear Week in Review: Hop To It Edition

A Brief Explanation Of Why Minecraft Matters Watch This Amazing GE Video Kind Of Explain Regenerative Train Braking For His Blog: Man Has Been Taking Pictures Of Same Vending Machine For 5 Years Hands On With the Verizon iPhone Edible Concept: Tetris Sugar Cubes

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/01/17/week-in-review-hop-to-it/

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Is Britney Spears Still An Underdog?

As 'Hold It Against Me' tops charts, is this the year she drops the label?
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Christina Garibaldi


Britney Spears
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Despite selling out stadiums and having her singles, including her newest one, "Hold It Against Me," shoot to the top of the charts, Britney Spears always seems to have an air of underdog about her. After rising to the top of the pop ranks, Spears suffered some personal setbacks that she can't seem to shake even in the wake of professional triumph.

So, is 2011 the year Spears finally loses the stigma? MTV News asked a few experts to weigh in.

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton compared the Britney of today to the Britney of her pop heyday in the early part of the millennium.

"I think Britney is still an underdog in comparison to her former self," he said.

The last big sit-down interview Spears did was in 2008 for her documentary "For the Record." And aside from smaller magazine write-ups, Spears has managed to stay out of the usual rounds of doing press, an aspect of her public persona that may contribute to the idea that she is an underdog.

"Britney's been an underdog for, like, four years. There's gonna come a point where we're gonna have to stop considering her an underdog," MTV News' Jim Cantiello said. "I still think people do. She's recluse for all intents and purposes. I mean, she doesn't do any press, so I think as long as that mystery surrounds her, people will think of her as an underdog."

But, Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt notes that being somewhat of a recluse does not make Spears a pop underdog.

"I don't know if she'll ever be an underdog on the pop charts," Greenblatt said. "No matter what goes on with her personally ... if she brings them something and it's good enough, people take it and put it at the top of the Billboard chart."

Do you consider Britney Spears an underdog? Sound off in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655817/britney-spears-still-underdog.jhtml

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