‘American Idol’ Tour Kicks Off
Set List Includes Gotye Hit By Phillip Phillips, Billy Joel Classic By Colton Dixon
by Michele Amabile Angermiller
Season 11’s Top 10 also performed songs by “X Factor” finalists and judges and coaches from “The Voice.” Plus: a whole lotta Adele.
The American Idol Live summer tour kicked off on Friday night in Detroit and it’s safe to say that Phillip Phillips fans were in for a surprise: they had to wait until the end of the second act for the Season 11 winner to make his first appearance. Still, they were rewarded for their patience.
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HTC Phones Don’t Infringe Apple Patents, U.K. Judge Says
By Kit Chellel
HTC Corp. (2498), Asia’s second-largest smartphone maker, won a London court ruling against Apple Inc. (AAPL) over patents for touchscreen technology used for its mobile devices, including Apple’s slide-to-unlock feature.
HTC’s devices don’t infringe four Apple patents for the technology and three of those patents are invalid, Judge Christopher Floyd said yesterday.
The U.K. court judgment “marks a considerable defeat for Apple in the smartphone patent wars,” said Peter Bell, an attorney at Stevens & Bolton LLP, who isn’t involved in the case. “Two of Apple’s prize patents have been knocked out in the U.K.”
Hot Trailer of the Week: Rise of the Guardians
Billboard Hot 100 Singles – Week of June 23, 2012
1. Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe”
2. Gotye f/ Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used To Know”
3. Maroon 5 f/ Wiz Khalifa, “Payphone”
4. fun. f/ Janelle Monae, “We Are Young”
5. One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful”
6. Nicki Minaj, “Starships”
7. Flo Rida f/ Sia, “Wild Ones”
8. Rihanna, “Where Have You Been”
9. Katy Perry, “Wide Awake”
10. Justin Bieber, “Boyfriend”
US Weekend Boxoffice top 10 (June 22-24, 2012)
Europe Rejects ACTA: “Disappointment” For The Studios, But No “Substantive” Difference
By NANCY TARTAGLIONE
As expected, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), was rejected by the European Parliament today. An overwhelming majority voted against the treaty designed to establish international rules for cracking down on piracy and copyright infringement. Concerns raised over the agreement included a perceived lack of clarity and a window for misinterpretation that could jeopardize citizens’ rights.
The Motion Picture Association was active in developing the treaty, but MPA Europe president, Chris Marcich, tells me that while the outcome is a disappointment for the studios, the result does not “substantively” change anything. “Certainly we’re disappointed with the vote, but I don’t think it was based on the treaty itself, it was based on politics and institutional issues.
Chrome for iOS: Not So Fast, Cool Features
By Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld
Google’s mobile version of its Chrome browser has now graduated out of beta and is now available for the iPhone and iPad from the App Store. I took it for a spin to see how it compares to Apple’s built-in Safari browser. In brief, the Chrome iOS mobile browser has some innovative features, but is hampered by the fact it can’t tap into Apple’s Nitro JavaScript engine to Safari.
Look and Feel
Chrome for iOS has a similar look and feel to the desktop version that you know and love, so it won’t look completely foreign.
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US Weekend Boxoffice top 10 (June 15-17, 2012)
Billboard Hot 100 Singles – Week of June 16, 2012
1. Gotye f/ Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used To Know”
2. Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe”
3. Maroon 5 f/ Wiz Khalifa, “Payphone”
4. fun. f/ Janelle Monae, “We Are Young”
5. Nicki Minaj, “Starships”
6. One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful”
7. Flo Rida f/ Sia, “Wild Ones”
8. Justin Bieber, “Boyfriend”
9. Rihanna, “Where Have You Been”
10. The Wanter, “Glad You Came”