J.K. Rowling’s Personal Struggle With OCD Informed New Novel, The Casual Vacancy

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By THEA TRACHTENBERG and LAUREN SHER

J.K. Rowling’s new novel is called The Casual Vacancy, but it might as well be called Great Expectations. It’s been five years since the last blockbuster Harry Potter book was released and millions of fans around the world have been anxiously anticipating Rowling’s next book.

“I’ve written other things during that time, but on and off for five years, that’s been my priority,” Rowling, 47, said in an exclusive and rare interview for television with “Nightline” co-anchor Cynthia McFadden in Edinburgh, Scotland. “I think I’ve been surprised by the fact that Harry hasn’t left me to the degree that I thought he would. And I’m quite glad about that.”

Rowling’s Potter books have been published in 73 languages, sold more than 450 million copies, spawned popular film spin-offs, and made her the first billionaire author.

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Apple’s feud with Google is now felt on iPhone

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Claire Cain Miller

Once the best of friends, Google and Apple have become foes, battling in courtrooms and in the consumer marketplace. Last week, the hostilities took a new turn when they spilled right onto smartphone screens.
In the latest version of Apple’s iPhone software, which became available Wednesday, Apple removed two mainstay apps, both Google products Maps and YouTube.

The disappearing apps show just how far-reaching the companies’ rivalry has become, as well as the importance of mobile users to their businesses.
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Comic-Con Anonymous: Are Fanboys Still Worth the Time and Money?

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An insider asks if the geek crowd is still the best audience on which to blow marketing budgets.

Here we go again, another July, another parade of movie stars and executives heading south to peddle their wares at Comic-Con. But before we all spend crazy money jetting in talent, booking lavish parties and crafting just the right teaser-trailer package, think for a moment: Is the Comic-Con crowd still the best audience on which to be blowing our marketing budget? A decade after Hall H became Hollywood’s must-stop venue on the path to the multiplex, what if Comic-Con is sort of over?

After all, many would argue that the people who attend every year would see a genre movie or superhero tentpole no matter what. And the rest of the moviegoing public increasingly doesn’t care much whether the fanboys love or hate something. Three words: Cowboys & Aliens. Last year’s toast of the Con flatlined at the box office.

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Billboard Hot 100 Singles – Week of Sep 29, 2012

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1. Maroon 5, “One More Night”
2. Taylor Swift, “We ARe Never Ever Getting Back Together”
3. fun., “Some Nights”
4. Flo Rida, “Whistle”
5. P!nk, “Blow Me (One Last Kiss”
6. Justin Bieber f/ Big Sean, “As Long As You Love Me”
7. Ellie Goulding, “Lights”
8. Alex Clare, “Too Close”
9. Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen, “Good Time”
10.Neon Trees, “Everybody Talks”

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MSI GE70 & GE60 Gaming Notebooks Released

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This year, MSI’s GE70 and GE60 are at the center of serious conversations among serious players about serious gaming laptops. To meet your need for speed, MSI continues to roll out gaming notebooks with ever more impressive performance to price ratios. The powerful upgraded GE70 and GE60 pack the 3rd generation Intel Core i7 quad core processor and the robust new Nvidia GTX660M discrete graphics chip. They boast 3D game performance ratings that outstrip the previous generation GTX560M and the earlier GT650M by more than 15%. The blazing Killer Gaming Networking chip, SteelSeries professional gaming keyboard, quad-driver stereo wrap-around sound, Audio Boost headset sound enhancement technology, the snazzy exterior, and the unbelievably clear multimedia reproduction come together perfectly, putting the competition to shame.

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R. Kelly makes Soul Train history, Usher up for 5

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NEW YORK (AP) — R. Kelly is nominated for two awards at this year’s Soul Train Awards, making him the most nominated act ever at the awards show.

Kelly is up for the Ashford & Simpson songwriter’s award and album of the year, bringing his career total to 21 nominations.

Usher leads this year’s awards with five nominations. Estelle, Nas, Trey Songz and John Legend are also multiple nominees.

Whitney Houston is nominated for best gospel inspirational performance and Amy Winehouse is nominated for best international performance. New Edition will receive a lifetime achievement award.


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Titans Of Philanthropy Gather For Forbes Cover

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What has 24 legs, 12 big hearts, over $125 billion, and the desire for charitable giving? The Titans of Philanthropy.

Forbes Magazine has gathered the 12 Titans of Philanthropy for the 30th annual Forbes 400 issue. The Forbes 400 issue ranks the richest people in the world who have given the most money away. Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Peter Peterson, Leon Black, Jon Bon Jovi, Marc Benioff, David Rubenstein, Steve Case, Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, and Marc Andreessen will grace the cover.

So how do you become one of the Titans?


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Denzel Washington regrets passing up ‘Seven’ and ‘Michael Clayton’

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By Meriah Doty

What if Denzel Washington had been in “Seven” instead of Brad Pitt? And what if he played the title character in “Michael Clayton” instead of George Clooney?

If Washington could go back in time, he would reverse his past decisions to pass up those plum roles, citing them as his two biggest career regrets in a recent interview with GQ. “With ‘Clayton,’ it was the best material I had read in a long time, but I was nervous about a first-time director, and I was wrong. It happens,” Washington admitted.

We can’t help but think how incredibly different those two movies would have been had Washington starred in them. In terms of casting 1995’s “Seven,” would Gwyneth Paltrow have played Washington’s young wife? Would Morgan Freeman still have been the sage detective helping David Mills (played by Pitt) along? Washington said he initially passed it up because it was too dark and evil, but later kicked himself when he saw the David Fincher film in theaters. (Shockingly, Sylvester Stallone has said he also turned down a role in “Seven.” *Whoa!*)

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Fox launches Digital HD for early access to latest releases

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The company says that its new titles will be available for streaming or digital download before they come out on Blu-ray or DVD.

by Don Reisinger

Twentieth Century Fox has announced a new way for customers to get their hands on its latest films.

Dubbed Digital HD, the new initiative is designed to allow consumers to stream or download the company’s films from a host of services before they come out on Blu-ray or DVD. To make good on that promise, Fox announced today that the sci-fi film “Prometheus” is now available for download. The film will come to Blu-ray, DVD, and video-on-demand three weeks from now.

According to Fox, it’ll continue to offer its latest releases digitally weeks before they’re made available in traditional formats. However, the company today also announced the launch of over 600 already available films through Digital HD to get its service up and running.

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‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Author Says She Has Shortlist for Lead Roles in Film Adaptation

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by Rebecca Ford

The writer of the hit erotic book series spoke about the movie casting while on “Katie” on Monday.

One of Katie Couric’s first major interviews on her show, Katie, was with Fifty Shades of Grey writer E.L. James on Monday.

The stage was designed with sexy red lighting to celebrate the arrival of the writer of the hit erotic novels, which follows a young woman named Anastasia Steele, who falls into a tumultuous sexual relationship with a successful business magnate, Christian Grey.

There has been much discussion about casting for the film adaptation. Universal and Focus nabbed rights to the trilogy for $5 million in March after a heated Hollywood bidding war.

An audience member made sure to ask James, who has retained some creative control over the movie’s casting, if she has decided on who would take on the lead roles of Anastasia and Christian.

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