BMW's New 'i' Brand to Roll Out 2 Electric Vehicles in 2013

Design sketches of the slated BMW i3 (left) and i8 models. Credit: BMW

In a sign of the coming wave of electric vehicles, luxury carmaker BMW has announced it will roll out two electric vehicles in 2013 under a new sub-brand known simply as "i."  The two new BMW i models, dubbed the i3 and i8, derive from concept studies conducted by the German automaker. The i3's progenitor is the all-electric, compact, big-wheeled Megacity Concept vehicle that is intended for use in urban areas – the natural home for  pure electric vehicles, the best of which currently have a range of about 100 miles (160 kilometers) per charge.

The i8, for its part, comes from BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics concept car, and will be a plug-in hybrid sports vehicle akin to the Fisker Karma.  Lithium-ion cells, the battery of choice for electric vehicles, will power both cars. To cut down on weight, the vehicles will use what BMW calls LifeDrive architecture, which consists of an aluminum chassis and a body made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP).

There's no word yet on the selling price for the vehicles, and most details remain under wraps. Intriguingly, however, Car and Driver reports that BMW has trademarked the names i1 through i9, and e1 through e9 as well, so it's likely that the giant German auto manufacturer intends to introduce a whole line of electric vehicles somewhere down the road. Technews Daily

MADNESS PREMIERE: Dr. Dre (Feat. Eminem & Skylar Grey) - I Need A Doctor

Birdman talks about receiving $100 million check and 100k cash in duffle bag

Carmelo Anthony's Wife La La Lands New Reality Show

(AllHipHop News) Carmelo Anthony's wife La La Vazquez has landed a new reality show that will chronicle the couple's move from Denver, Colorado to New York.

La La is gearing up to film "La La's Full Court Life" for VH1, the follow up to the network's hit 2010 reality series "La La's Full Court Wedding." The announcement comes on the heels of Anthony's trade from the Nuggets to the New York Knicks on Monday (February 21st). According to Variety, 10 episodes of "La La's Full Court Life" will run on VH1 starting this August.

"Viewers connect with La La because despite the fairy-tale wedding and NBA-star husband, she is a real, down-to-earth, hardworking woman who stays true to herself," Jeff Olde, VH1 original programming and production EVP told Variety. "The best thing about the new series is that while pursuing and realizing her dreams, La La gets to take us back to her home in New York, where her story began."

The series is being executive produced by Chris Abrego and Carmelo Anthony's Krossover Entertainment, which also counts Hip-Hop artist Diege Cash as an artist on the roster.

Kobe Bryant Is The Black Mamba (Movie) Feat. Kanye West (Nike Commercial)

 

MADNESS PREMIERE: Kanye West - All Of The Lights ft. Rihanna, Kid Cudi

2Pac Movie in the Works

(AllHipHop News) Production company Morgan Creek announced that the new Tupac biopic is scheduled to begin principal photography in the late spring and early summer with director Antoine Fuqua.

The Tupac film, which will be shot in Los Angeles, New York, Georgia and Las Vegas, chronicles the life and legacy of Tupac.

While the cast is still being developed, James G. Robinson, David Robinson and LT Hutton have already been announced as producers of the film.

The film has also received the blessings of Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur-Davis, who will also partake in the film's production as executive producer.

Magic Johnson, Ron Burkle Invest In Vibe; Magic Named Chairman

(AllHipHop News) Magic Johnson and investor Ron Burkle are entering into the publishing business, as Magic Johnson Enterprises and Burkle's Yucaipa Companies have announced a strategic investment in Vibe Holdings LLC. As Chairman, Magic Johnson will utilize his expertise in developing the urban market and leverage his connections to build relationships between Vibe's brands and advertisers. According to Magic, the backing of Intermedia, MJE and The Yucaipa Companies, makes a powerful combination.

Yucaipa, is familiar with the urban landscape as well. The company, which is headed by Ron Burkle, dropped $100 million into Sean "Diddy" Combs Sean John Clothing Line in 2003. 

Two Large Warm Lakes Under Antarctic Ice

Antarctica has at least 145 small lakes buried under its ice and one large one called Vostok. Now scientists have found the second and third largest known bodies of subsurface liquid water there. Exotic ecosystems frozen in time may thrive in the lakes, untouched for 35 million years, scientists said. Vostok has a surface area of 5,400 square miles. One of the newfound lakes measures 770 square miles in size, or roughly the size of Rhode Island. The other is about 620 square miles. 

Both sit under more than 2 miles of ice and are about a half-mile deep based on observed differences in gravity. "Over the lakes, the pull of gravity is much weaker, so we know there must be a big hole down there," said Robin Bell, a geophysicist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. The larger of the two is named 90ºE for its location. The other is called Sovetskaya Lake. 

The combination of heat from below and a thick layer of insulating ice above keeps the water temperature at the top of both lakes at a balmy 28.4 degrees Fahrenheit, the researchers say, despite outdoor temperatures that can drop to –112 in winter. MadOne

Jigga Man Wins in Court

Rap mogul Jay-Z recently won a ruling in an English court, barring a restauranteur from using the "Rockafella" name in business in the country. Jay-Z and British Chef/reality TV star Terry Miller were locked in court battle over the name, which Jay-Z claimed would confuse people into thinking the business was associated with his Roc-A-Fella brand. A British court previously ruled in favor of Miller, who was granted the rights to use the name for his catering business in the U.K. Jay-Z recently won an appeal of the ruling, when a higher court overturned the previous decision, claiming that enough similarities existed between the two names to prevent Miller from using it in trade. MadOne

MADNESS REVIEW (VIDEO): ENTER THE VOID

Enter the Void is a French film written and directed by Gaspar Noé, labeled by Noé as a "psychedelic melodrama". It stars Nathaniel Brown in his debut role, Paz de la Huerta, and Cyril Roy, also in his first role on film. The story is set in Tokyo and focuses on Oscar, a young American drug dealer who gets shot by the police, but continues to watch over his sister Linda and the events which follow during an out-of-body experience, floating above the streets of Tokyo. The film is shot from a first-person view, and occasionally features Oscar staring over his own shoulder as he recalls moments from his past. This is a great film for fans of tripped out movies. Stoners welcome lol. It is a very long film. Almost 3hrs and has some very graphic scenes of sex and drugs. Very visually striking movie and art direction is dope. The opening scene alone is crazy. Check it out. MadOne

Nathaniel Brown and Paz de la Huerta

Google's YouTube Says It's in Negotiations to Stream Live NBA, NHL Games

Google Inc.’s YouTube is in talks with the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League to show live games, building on the popularity of cricket’s Indian Premier League last year, a Google executive said. “It’s fair to say that there will be a lot more appealing sports content you’ll see on YouTube,” Anand said. “We have ongoing conversations with pretty much everyone.”


NHL spokesman Michael DiLorenzo said in a telephone interview that the league is not in talks to stream live games over YouTube, nor has it been in discussions about it.


Michael Bass, senior vice president for marketing communications at the NBA, said, “We’re pleased that YouTube recognizes the value of live sports.” Huffington Post

Charles Barkley (Cool & Dre Production) - I Maybe Wrong, But I Doubt It (Full Video)

BOX OFFICE REPORT Feb 18th - 20th Weekend

Leading at the top is Liam Neeson’s latest action thriller, Unknown. The Warner Bros. Pictures production pulled in $21.7 million in estimated tickets during its premiere, a very good score for the studio as producers and director Jaume Collet-Serra managed to keep its budget down to only $30 million. Financed by Joel Silver’s Dark Castle, the studio’s president Dan Fellman was vocal with his pleasure of the debut. With an expectation of around $26 million before the holiday is over this evening, the target demographic was 89% over the age of 25 while 54% of it was over the age of 50. 

Despite pre-opening tracking suggesting that D.J. Caruso’s sci-fi tale, I Am Number Four, would take down the victory, Walt Disney Pictures found themselves opening in the 2^nd place spot. An ongoing debate between the studios and early tracking services, experts figured the young crowd---comprised mostly of teenage girls---would be enough to propel the film into 1^st but the release fell just short by taking in only $19.5 million on 3,154 theaters. Signaling an opposite of demographic expectations, 54% of the opening audience was over the age of 25 while 57% of that group were males. With a budget of just $60 million, it’s not the end of the world for Disney and producer Touchstone Pictures, both of which had franchise hopes for “Number Four” and believe the Monday holiday will help for a better four-day showing.  

Rank	Movie	Weekend	Theaters	Average	Total	Budget
1	Unknown	$21.7 mil	3,043	$7,154	$21.7 mil	$30
2	I Am Number Four	$19.5 mil	3,154	$6,183	$19.5 mil	$60
3	Gnomeo and Juliet	$19.4 mil	3,014	$6,437	$50.4 mil	----
4	Just Go With It	$18.2 mil	3,548	$5,130	$60.7 mil	$80
5	Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son	$17.0 mil	2,821	$6,026	$17.0 mil	$32
6	Justin Bieber: Never Say Never	$13.6 mil	3,118	$4,362	$48.4 mil	$13
7	The King’s Speech	$6.5 mil	2,086	$3,148	$103.2 mil	$15
8	The Roommate	$4.1 mil	2,160	$1,898	$32.6 mil	$16
9	The Eagle	$3.5 mil	2,296	$1,550	$15.0 mil	$25
10	No Strings Attached	$3.1 mil	1,966	$1,587	$66.0 mil	$25

 

Future of Computing Arrives: Smartphone-Laptop Combo

The future of computing just arrived, and short of plugging a computer chip right into your brain, it is perhaps the most promising innovation since the smartphone, with all due respect to the iPad.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work very well. Yet.

The Motorola Atrix 4G is a dream phone, with a big screen and a superfast dual-core processor that rivals some low-end computers, such as netbooks. What’s brilliant is that it docks to a laptop that has no brains: The smartphone’s processor runs the laptop’s screen and keyboard. What you see on the phone, you see on the laptop when you dock the phone. And the laptop’s innards, devoid of any brains, are loaded up with battery life — around 10 hours. What’s more, the laptop charges the phone during docking. Motorola calls the laptop a Lapdock. History will sort out what this new class of gadget gets called. But history-making it may well be.

This first go at a one-device-fits-all phone/computer points to a future when we won’t need a desktop at home, a laptop for travel, a tablet computer for who-knows-exactly what (the iPad does not replace a phone, nor does it yet replace a laptop for many tasks), and smartphone, each running different software and holding different version of important files that requires too much synching. In combination with the rise in cloud computing — the ability to store your files “out there” — a powerful, fast, compact smartphone/Laptop will the only setup many people need. TechNews Daily

World's Smallest Computer Created

Researchers recently unveiled the first complete millimeter-scale computing system that is about the size of the letter "N" on the back of a penny (or about the same size as the letter in this sentence).

This tiniest computer to date is a prototype of an implantable eye pressure monitor for glaucoma patients. Key to this unit linking up with other computers to form wireless sensor networks is a compact radio that needs no tuning to find the right frequency. One day, these Lilliputian computers could track pollution, monitor structural integrity, perform surveillance, or make virtually any object smart and traceable. TechNews Daily

Declaring War on Netflix: Amazon Does Streaming Video

Netflix is the service to beat when it comes to TV and movie distribution. Amazon has fired a shot across Netflix's bow with an announcement that the online retailer will offer streaming TV and films to subscribers.
"Adding unlimited instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows at no additional cost is a great way to give members even more value for their $79 annual Amazon Prime membership," said Robbie Schwietzer, vice president of Amazon Prime, in a statement.

Amazon Prime customers who already pay $79 per year for free two-day shipping will automatically qualify for free streaming video of over 5,000 TV shows and movies, the company said. That’s less expensive than a year of streaming from Netflix. Amazon will stream to a number of devices, even set-top boxes such as Roku. This streaming service will run without commercials. It is separate from the Amazon Instant Video service that offers 90,000 movies and TV shows for rental fees instead of a subscription fee.

The big difference between Netflix and Amazon Prime, at least for now, is the content: Netflix has a much larger library, and people go where they can find the shows they want. On the other hand, offering streaming video as part of a service that people already pay for makes it especially attractive.

Don't Miss These Tax Deductions

• Making Work Pay: The payroll "tax holiday" is still in effect for 2010. That means that workers get a tax credit of 6.2% on their earned income -- but the credit maxes out at $400 for single filers and $800 for joint filers. The credit is subject to income limits and starts phasing out at $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for joint filers. You will need to file for this credit on Schedule M.

• The Earned Income Tax Credit is a refundable credit for married couples filing jointly with 2010 earned income under $48,362 and singles with income under $43,352. Your income and family size determine the amount of the credit. (Details are in IRS Publication 596.)


• The Retirement Savings Contributions Credit is designed to help low- and moderate-income workers save for retirement. Individuals with incomes of up to $27,750 and married couples with joint incomes of up to $55,500 may qualify for a credit of up to $1,000 per person. Check out Form 8880 for the rules.

• Sales tax: You can deduct sales tax paid in 2010 if the amount was greater than the state and local income taxes you paid. In other words, you get to choose: Write off your sales taxes or write off your income taxes. If you didn't keep your sales-tax receipts, use the IRS' sales tax deduction estimator. Even if you claim the sales tax amount from the IRS tables, you can add in tax paid on vehicles or boats purchased during the year, except to the extent the sales tax rate on them is more than the general sales tax rate. If you live in a state with a high income tax, like California or New York, you will probably be better off claiming your state and local income taxes rather than sales taxes. If you live in a state with no income tax, like Florida, Texas, or Washington, be sure to take the sales tax deduction when you itemize.

• Mileage: Deducting miles driven for work or other purposes can be a huge tax break and save you significant money. Too bad the IRS cut the standard mileage deduction rates for 2010. Here are the new rules: Business mileage = 50 cents per mile (a 9 percent cut!); medical and moving = 16.5 cents per mile; and charitable = 14 cents per mile.

One last thing: The first $2,400 of unemployment benefits you receive in 2010 is no longer tax-deductible. 

Report: Apple to unveil iPad 2 on March 2

Kara Swisher over at All Things Digital says she has "multiple" sources who claim that Apple will hold a media event in San Francisco on March 2. Apple has yet to officially confirm an event next week, but according to Swisher, the company "seems poised" to take the wraps off the long-anticipated iPad 2, with the event "likely" to take place at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

The story comes just hours after a flurry of rumors that the next-generation iPad had been delayed, with major news outlets eventually backtracking on the claim Monday. While Apple hasn't said a peep about the new iPad yet, rumors peg it to be both thinner and lighter than the 1.5-pound, 0.52-inch original, with at least one camera for video chat, a souped-up processor, and more RAM. There had also been talk that the iPad 2 would arrive with an improved screen similar to the "retina" display on the current iPhone 4, but a recent report in the Wall Street Journal shot down those rumors, noting that the new display may "disappoint customers" hoping for a "significant improvement" in resolution. Yahoo

MADNESS PREMIERE: J. Cole Feat. Drake - In The Morning

Beavis And Butt-Head Return This Year

Two of MTV's biggest icons are returning this summer, and according to executives at the network, they will pick up right where they left off. The launch date for the brand-new episodes of "Beavis and Butt-head" has not yet been made official, but longtime fans (as well as newcomers) can rest assured that the boys will be the same old bored, TV-obsessed, somewhat violent, anti-authoritarian unit they've always been. 


"They'll have the same intelligence," MTV President Van Toffler told Rolling Stone in an exclusive interview. "They're the same boneheads sitting on the same couch, commenting on things through a really simple prism." There will be a new element or two. While the boys used to obsessively watch old music videos, this time around, they'll poke fun at UFC matches, YouTube clips and even segments from "Jersey Shore." 

Single Celebrity Hotties

 
 

Mila Kunis is single and ready to mingle since she recently broke up with her boyfriend of eight years, Macaulay Culkin. Who do you think the brunette "Black Swan" beauty should date next?

 

Chace Crawford, 

Fans of "Gossip Girl's" Chace Crawford will be happy to know that the dreamy 25-year-old actor is currently unattached. In the past, the native Texan has said he is attracted to girls from his home state. "Maybe it's their special charm, the way they were raised or just their manners."

 

Jake Gyllenhaal, 30, has been romantically linked to many pretty stars including Reese Witherspoon and Taylor Swift. But the "Brokeback Mountain" babe found himself back on the market in 2011 when he dumped the 21-year-old country cutie after their brief romance in late 2010. A source told Us Weekly that Jake was "was uncomfortable with all the attention they got" and that "he could feel the age difference."

 

Taylor Swift, 

But don't feel too bad for Taylor. We're sure the bubbly young singer will have no trouble finding someone new to add to her list of boyfriends. In addition to Jake, she's dated Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner, and is rumored to have even had a fling with John Mayer.

 

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Usher, 

"OMG" is right. Who wouldn't want Usher to be their valentine? The sexy father of two (and Justin Bieber's mentor) can not only sing and dance, but is also known for his numerous philanthropic efforts.

 

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Sandra Bullock, 

It's hard to believe that America's Sweetheart is single! Although she went through a terrible breakup with hubby Jesse James in 2010, Sandra Bullock managed to move on and found the true love of her life when she adopted her precious son Louis (aka her Cajun Cookie).

 

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Ryan Reynolds, 

Ironically, Bullock's on-screen love interest in "The Proposal," Ryan Reynolds, found himself suddenly single at the end of 2010 as well when he and Scarlett Johansson announced they were divorcing. While rumors swirled that Sandy and People's Sexiest Man Alive spent a "hot" New Year's Eve together, the two insist they're just friends. "I think there will be a collective sigh amongst women across the United States when I say [Ryan is] not my lovah,” the Oscar winner said on the Golden Globes red carpet. “He’s just [been] an amazing friend for 10 years ... but I don’t get his loving after dark.”

 

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Scarlett Johansson, We're sure men across America are quite happy to know that pouty-lipped Scarlett Johansson is back on the market as well! The 26-year-old actress' rep recently denied that she's seeing Sean Penn, 50, after the two were spotted grabbing dinner at L.A.'s trendy Chateau Marmont.

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James Franco, 

What makes quirky James Franco so appealing is not only his good looks, but the fact that he's a little bit of a mystery. Best of all, he's got brains. When the Oscar nominee/host isn't making movies or appearing on soap operas, he's writing books and taking classes at several higher learning institutions including Columbia University, NYU, and Yale!

 

 

 

 

Nike Air Force 1 “Kobe Bryant” Collection Detailed Photos

Nike Air Force 1 LW Supreme VT
Black/Black-Varsity Purple-Varsity Maize
453433-001
$135
February 17, 2011

Kobe might be busy chasing yet another ring, but just in time for All-Star Weekend, Nike has given you a twosome of kicks to chase on your own. An AF1 Supreme Low and a Foamposite High are included in the group. As for the Low, the smooth, almost seamless upper, which was first introduced on the Air Royal “Macarons” Pack, makes its first appearance on an Air Force 1. Black snakeskin is utilized too, wrapping around the midfoot and appearing on the back tab. Matching the Varsity Purple liner is the semi-translucent outsole, which boasts Kobe’s signature on the underside. The Foamposite-laden High relies on the tried and true “Eggplant” look, though this rendition has been dressed in Kobe regalia. An icy blue Supreme Max Air sole sits underneath and the 3M strap helps further brighten the overall look. Both shoes feature Bryant’s logo in Varsity Maize on the tongue and a special branded insole. You won’t be seeing either sneaker on the Staples Center court this weekend, but you will see them in limited supply at select retailers, including Nike Store and 21 Mercer.

Nike Air Force 1 Foamposite
Varsity Purple/Varsity Purple-Black
415419-550
$185
February 17, 2011

BOX OFFICE REPORT Feb 11th - 13th Weekend

At the moment, the winner is Sony’s romcom between Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, which tallied up $31.0 million in coin over its first three days. The debut marks the 11^th time that Sandler had a film open up in the top spot and comes in better than any of Jennifer Aniston’s 2010 theatrical efforts with The Switch ($8.4 mil) and The Bounty Hunter ($20.6 mil). Overall, the release had a good debut for Sony as the studio kept its budget down to around $80 million. 

 

Following in 2^nd, just $800,000 short of the top spot, is Paramount Pictures’ teen-focused Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Building off the singer’s core youthful fan base, Bieber’s 3D biography managed to find $30.2 million and average the highest per venue score with $9,746. With high cinematic grades from critics and audiences, 84% of the opening audience consisted of the female demographic while 67% were under the age of 25. Studio executives over at Paramount also look great with the producers keeping its budget down to only $13 million. 

 

 

Taking down the 3^rd place spot is Walt Disney’s animated adventure, Gnomeo and Juliet. With the release being the only new wide feature that appeals to both the adults and the teens, the release found $25.5 million in its opening frame. The tally makes it the biggest opening ever for an animation in January and February. The studio reports its opening audience was evenly split down the age gap with 36% being in the 26-49 range while 36% came in between ages 2 to 11. 

 

 

It’s not often we see four new wide releases hit and all of them rule the top four spots but such was the case here with Focus Features’ period-action piece The Eagle following in 4^th place. The Channing Tatum flick surpassed expectations by slashing up $8.6 million on just 2,296 theaters across the nation. No budget has been listed for the release but it seems a decent debut for the small distributor when considering its heavy Valentine’s Day and Oscar-caliber competition. 

Rank	Movie	Weekend	Theaters	Average	Total	Budget
1	Just Go With It	$31.0 mil	3,548	$8,737	$31.0 mil	$80
2	Justin Bieber: Never Say Never	$30.2 mil	3,105	$9,746	$30.2 mil	$13
3	Gnomeo and Juliet	$25.5 mil	2,994	$8,517	$25.5 mil	----
4	The Eagle	$8.5 mil	2,296	$3,741	$8.5 mil	----
5	The Roommate	$8.4 mil	2,534	$3,315	$26.0 mil	$16
6	The King’s Speech	$7.4 mil	2,263	$3,275	$93.8 mil	$15
7	No Strings Attached	$5.6 mil	2,756	$2,048	$59.8 mil	$25
8	Sanctum	$5.1 mil	2,789	$1,840	$17.5 mil	$30
9	True Grit	$3.7 mil	2,072	$1,819	$160.3 mil	$38
10	The Green Hornet	$3.6 mil	2,090	$1,722	$92.3 mil	$120